A study by the International Baccalaureate organization reviews the IB Diploma Program (DP) mathematics curriculums in comparison with the mathematics curriculums offered in a range of widely recognized education systems around the world.
Notre Dame’s mathematics curriculum is wide and varied and includes IB-level math courses along with a number of AP and honors courses. More information on the upper division math curriculum is here.
The ‘internationality’ of math
Comparing the philosophy, content and assessment of mathematics curricula across the world
A recent study released by the IB highlights the organization’s approach to curriculum content, the breadth of the Diploma Program (DP) mathematics courses offered and the IB’s approach to marking and grading in comparison to other qualifications.
The aim of the study was to review the alignment of IB programs with national curriculum and standards for university success.
The curriculum comparison was performed by Dr Adriana Alcántara and the assessment comparison was carried out by UK NARIC, the UK national agency designated for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills.
The study compared the IB’s four DP mathematics courses [1] with five mathematics curricula offered in a range of widely recognized education systems around the world: three courses from the Canadian Alberta High School Diploma [2], two Advanced Placement (AP) courses [3], two GCE A Levels [4], three Singapore-Cambridge GCE A Levels [5] and the Chinese Gāokăo [6].
Philosophical underpinnings
The IB Diploma Program and the Alberta Diploma are unique in their inclusion of international or global dimensions. However, all of the qualifications include “university preparation” as a part of the description and all, except the Gāokăo, describe mathematics learning outcomes as enjoying and communicating mathematics; applying mathematics across contents and to the real world; incorporating technology with mathematics, and building connections.
Recognition
At selected top global universities, DP, AP and GCE A Level qualifications have the greatest level of recognition overall while the other qualifications are recognized at a more local level.
Content and cognitive demand
With the exception of the Gāokăo, all of the qualifications studied offer several different mathematics courses with the DP offering the greatest number of options. Based on the criteria used for this analysis, the IB’s further mathematics higher level (HL) was determined to be the most cognitively demanding course of the curricula examined, followed by GCE A level further mathematics and Singapore H3 mathematics respectively.
Overview of the similarities and differences in assessment
All six qualifications assess students through one or more external written examinations with the most notable differences observed pertaining to item types, marking approaches, and grading systems.
The IB courses and GCE A Levels stand-out by the significant level of guidance provided to examiners on how to apply marking to incomplete answers or alternative methods. This contrasts with the Gāokăo and AP mathematics where a considerable proportion of the marks are assigned to multiple choice questions with no marks available for method.
The DP mathematics courses allow for the most granular level of differentiation in student achievement, important for competitive higher education admissions. Variations among curricula were noted in the use of external assessment only or a combination of internal and external assessment.
Conclusion
The study reaffirms the strength of the IB’s approach to mathematics with a broader offering of mathematics courses than the other qualifications studied, providing the most options for students with differing needs when applying to university. The noteworthy difference in assessment and marking by the IB can be nothing but beneficial in helping universities to differentiate among candidates. Finally, in line with its mission, the IB specifically articulates that one objective for mathematics is to enable students to appreciate the international dimension of mathematics.
A summary is available and the full study is available here.
[1] Mathematical studies SL, mathematics SL, mathematics HL and further mathematics HL
[2] Alberta Math 30-1, Alberta Math 30-2, Alberta 31
[3] AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC
[4 ] A Level Mathematics and A Level Further Mathematics
[5] Singapore H1 Math, Singapore H2 Math, Singapore Math H3
[6] National Higher Education Entrance Examination
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.