International Baccalaureate Program

Our speaker today was Brad Sharp, Director of The International Baccalaureate program, who told the audience that educational opportunities are increasing at Adrian Public Schools through an internationally recognized program aimed at changing how learning takes place. The International Baccalaureate program offers elective classes at the high school level that are more in line with what colleges offer. At the elementary level, he said, it challenges students to expand their minds beyond the curriculum and how they approach learning. Adrian Public Schools is the only district in Lenawee County to integrate the International Baccalaureate standard.

International Baccalaureate (IB) is an international, educational program founded in 1968. The IB program at Adrian Public Schools is a college-preparatory program aimed at students ages 16 to 19, rooted in student-centered teaching administered through international educational standards, Brad said. At the elementary level, teachers encourage students to “think outside the box” and take what they learn to new heights, such as researching subjects more in-depth and exploring beyond what textbooks offer, Brad said.

High school juniors and seniors are challenged with more college-level curriculum and a host of elective classes and over the past four years it has been implemented, student participation is on the rise. In 2010, 25 juniors and seniors took 84 courses at Adrian. For the 2014-15 school year, 151 — or approximately 40 percent of the eligible students — are signed up for 364 classes. Those classes include Mandarin, music, chemistry, literature, business, information technology and history. Students can earn college credit, scholarships and higher admission consideration at colleges, Adrian IB diploma program coordinator Bradley said.