IBDP

Kindergarten
Primary
MYP
IBDP
CAS

IBO Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the IB works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

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Curriculum

Students in the Secondary section are being prepared for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. At different points in the upper grades; students will start their journey into the IB with activities in ATL Skills, internal assessments, CAS and TOK. The IB Programme is known and recognized worldwide as the finest pre-university education available. As a result, students who graduate with IB credentials have the choice to enter Jordanian universities or most universities aboard.

Courses

  • The subject courses offer a breadth of knowledge and understanding in language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, the sciences, mathematics and the arts.

  • These courses are offered at higher level (HL) or standard level (SL) and are chosen according to the needs, abilities and requirements of the IB and the Ministry of Education.

Kindergarten

  • Standard Level (SL) courses are designed to give students exposure to a wide range of disciplines, ensuring a balanced education.

  • Higher Level (HL) courses allow students to delve deeper into subjects of greater interest, offering opportunities to explore additional topics beyond the SL curriculum.

  • Both SL and HL courses are essential components of the Diploma Programme, contributing to a well-rounded academic experience.

The IBDP Core

Strongly committed to the principle of developing the whole person, the IB believes that this is best achieved by identifying and developing clearer and more explicit aims for and relationships between TOK, CAS and the extended essay. Support the interconnectedness of learning. All three elements of the core should be grounded in three coherent aims: Support, and be supported by, the academic disciplines. Foster international-mindedness. Develop self-awareness and a sense of identity.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

The Theory of Knowledge course provides students with an opportunity to explore and reflect on the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing that the students have built up from their years of academic studies and their lives outside the classroom. It is a core element of the DP.

Extended Essay (EE)

The extended essay requires students to engage in independent 4,000-word essay research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the DP subjects they are studying. It introduces students to the demands and rewards of independent work.

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

CAS helps students develop their own identities in accordance with the ethical principles embodied in the IB mission statement and the IB learner profile.

Assessments

Students take written examinations at the end of the programme, which are marked by external IB examiners.

Students also complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either initially marked by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners.

External assessments, which take place in May, form the basis of the assessment for most courses because of their high levels of objectivity and reliability. These include: essays, structured problems, short-response questions, data-response questions, text-response questions, case-study questions, and multiple-choice questions.

Meanwhile, internal assessment includes: oral work in languages, laboratory work in the sciences, investigations in mathematics, and artistic exhibitions.

The grades awarded for each course range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). Students can also be awarded up to three additional points for their combined results on TOK and the Extended Essay.

The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain minimum levels of performance across the whole programme and to satisfactory participation in the CAS requirement. The highest total that a DP student can be awarded is 45 points.

Assessment is criterion-related, meaning student performance is measured against specified assessment criteria based on the aims and objectives of each subject’s curriculum, rather than the performance of other students taking the same examinations.

Fostering international-mindedness

The core has a responsibility to foster and nurture international-mindedness, with the ultimate goal of developing responsible global citizens. To a large extent, the core should be driven by the IB’s mission “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect” and “encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right” (IB mission statement).

These high-demand qualities include:

Knowing how to do independent research

Demonstrating a foreign language skill

Contributing a global perspective to current events

Giving back to the communities through volunteerism and community service

Understanding the language, history, and arts of diverse cultures, and approaching problems from multiple perspectives

Having above-average time management skills and being well-prepared for the demands of university-level coursework

Having the ability to think critically and deeply to analyse situations and explore solutions

The IBDP & Ministry
of Education Equivalency

The diploma is equalized to the Jordanian General Secondary Education (Tawjihi) Certificate in either the science stream or the arts stream based on the following:

  • Students must pass at least 6 subjects.
  • At least 2 of the six subjects must be at HL (Higher Level).
  • Mathematics and one science at either SL (Standard Level) or HL must be passed.
  • Arabic language at either SL or HL must be passed for Jordanian and Arab students.
  • For full diploma students, the minimum sum of their three HL subjects must be 12.
  • The passing mark for HL is 3/7 and for SL 2/7. If a student does not reach the passing mark for HL, it could be counted as an SL subject.

– Two of the six subjects must be at HL from Group 4 or one Group 4 subject at HL and Mathematics at HL.
– All students (diploma and course) must take TOK, CAS, Religion and Jordanian History.
– Minimum total of 21/42.

– Two of the six subjects must be at HL from Group 3 or one Group 3 subject at HL and one language subject at HL or two language subjects at HL.
– All students (diploma and course) must take TOK, CAS, Religion and Jordanian History.
– Minimum total of 21/42.