Research examines college readiness of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alumni
A new research study conducted by Dr. David Conley and a team of researchers from the Education Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) released this month compared two groups of university students—International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme alumni, such as those who graduated from Notre Dame Preparatory School, and non-Diploma Programme alumni—to examine the extent of their academic, social and emotional preparation for college as they transitioned from high school. The findings suggest that IB Diploma Programme students are better able to cope with demanding workloads, better able to manage their time and better able to meet expectations placed on them. Statistically, more Diploma Programme students persisted through college than students in the non-IB group (98% vs. 91%, respectively).
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy was authorized in 2007 to offer the International Baccalaureate curriculum to its students. It is currently the only school in Michigan with all three levels of the IB program.
Dr. Conley, a widely recognized expert on college readiness, author and professor at University of Oregon, along with the EPIC research team, found that Diploma Programme (DP) students managed their learning more independently and used risk and experimentation strategies to overcome challenges. As a group, the DP students reported deeper understanding of the structure of knowledge and large concepts and how content crosses over and connects disciplines. These common responses indicate that the DP students develop an appreciation for learning and skill in higher-order thinking that supports them as university students.
Adjusting to college
When they reported their early experiences in college, all the Diploma Programme students agreed that they were academically adjusted “the moment they stepped on campus." They indicated that they were not intimidated by the heavy workload required of them in college honors courses. The Diploma Programme, they cited, taught them how to balance coursework and manage their time. Because the DP students had experience with a final exam accounting for a large part of their course grade, they were not surprised by the similar grading structure at college. The non-DP group, however, reported mixed attitudes and more pronounced academic adjustments required of them: they were less able to manage their time or study for culminating exams.
When asked to rate the most valuable and challenging elements of their secondary education in relation to their preparation for college, Diploma Programme students identified the following:
Extended Essay: This project was identified for teaching skills such as finding relevant sources, determining the credibility of sources, organizing information, producing a coherent long-form paper and citing sources, skills found to be very useful in college, and which left DP students feeling more prepared to conduct research than many of their classmates.
Language A: DP respondents cited their literature courses as helpful in preparing them to write quality essays, handle heavy reading loads, use academic sources and gain a level of comfort while presenting material in class.
More than half of the DP respondents rated the entire Diploma Programme as ‘most valuable’ and ‘challenging.’
When the EPIC team examined the value students placed on their experience in an accelerated learning community, 16 of the 18 DP student respondents recommended the Diploma Programme for other students. They called the DP “worthwhile” and expressed pride and a sense of accomplishment from completing challenging work. Their non-DP peers in the study, mostly AP students, recommended their course of study with a caveat: only if students wanted to take tests to receive college credit.
Find this and other research studies about the Diploma Programme on www.ibo.org/research/policy/programmevalidation/diploma
Download a summary of this research at http://ibo.org/research/policy/programmevalidation/diploma/documents/CollegeReadinessSummaryEng.pdf
Follow Notre Dame at @NDPMA.
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." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by 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.