International Baccalaureate Commonwealth Advanced Placement Governor’s School What is it? The IB program is a rigorous Based on a school-within-a- The AP program is a pre-university program leading school model, the half-day challenging academic program to assessment in six subject program at The designed to provide motivated areas. IB is noted for its Commonwealth Governor’s high school students with challenging curriculum and School utilizes real-time college-level academic international perspective. interactive audio/visual courses. The AP program is a Beyond completing college-level technology, field trips, and cooperative educational courses and examinations, IB team teaching to create a endeavor between secondary students are also required to regional community of schools and colleges and engage in community service, learners. The curriculum is universities and is considered a individual research, and an designed to challenge standard for academic inquiry into the nature of students in four major excellence in the US. knowledge. academic content areas, through problem-based instruction appropriate for gifted and highly motivated learners and to focus on the community issues of environment, development, and service. Why take it? IB provides a comprehensive CGS offers academically AP provides a challenging educational program that talented and highly- educational program that prepares students for selective motivated students a prepares students for selective universities and colleges. IB is a challenging, college-level, universities and colleges. AP challenging program dedicated differentiated, is a rigorous program to educational excellence with interdisciplinary, academic dedicated to educational an international perspective. program in English, excellence with a long- mathematics, science, and standing history in the United social studies. States. Courses The IB course curriculum is CGS students participate in Individual teachers develop developed by an international a four-year planned program their own curricula based on committee of university of study that includes established course professors and master secondary English, mathematics, requirements and AP standards professors. IB standard level science, and social studies. that must be approved by the (SL) courses provide more CGS incorporates an AP College Board as part of the breadth while IB higher level recommended curriculum, AP Course Audit process. (HL) courses provide but broadens it to University professors review specialization. All HL courses incorporate interdisciplinary the course syllabi for rigor and are two years. Some HL courses connections and the three content to match college are two years and some are one CGS community pillars of standards. year; these will vary by school. development, environment, IB requires 150 teaching hours and service. for SL and 240 teaching hours for HL courses. Diplomas and Students pursuing the IB Students who successfully Students may enroll in as Recognitions Diploma take 6 courses in complete the requirements many individual AP courses as different areas – English, World of the Commonwealth they wish based on academic Languages, Social Studies, Governor’s School receive strengths and interests. The Science, Math, and an Elective. an Advanced Studies High College Board recognizes Diploma candidates must take a School Diploma. In students with exceptional minimum of 3 higher level (HL) addition, the diploma performance in the AP courses (maximum of 4) with the includes an official program as follows: remaining classes taken at the Governor’s School seal AP Scholar: 3 or higher on 3 standard level (SL). Diploma issued by the State exams Prerequisites for each program may be found in the Course Catalogue students also take the Theory of Department of Education. AP Scholar with Honor: Average Knowledge course, write a 4000 All Commonwealth 3.25 with a 3 on at least 4 exams word Extended Essay, and Governor’s School students AP Scholar with Distinction: complete 150 hours of will be required to sign the Average 3.5 with a 3 on at least 5 exams Creativity, Activity, and Service Early College Scholars National AP Scholar: Average of outside of class. A student must agreement as ninth graders. 4 on all exams with a 4 on at least achieve a minimum score of 24 Students who fulfill the 8 exams out of 45 points to be awarded requirements of the Students who earn scores of 3 or the IB Diploma. In addition, agreement receive the Early higher in AP Seminar and AP students receive an Advanced College Scholars seal on Research and on four additional Studies High School Diploma at their diploma along with the AP Exams of their choice will be the conclusion of their Senior Governor’s School seal. awarded an AP Capstone year. Diploma. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams will be awarded an AP Seminar and Research Certificate. ** AP Capstone is not offered at all locations. Examinations Students take a series of internal Students sit for an exam at Students sit for an exam at the assessments (assessed by the the end of the AP course. end of the AP course. AP tests local teacher and moderated by AP tests are scored on a are scored on a scale of 1-5. an examiner) and external scale of 1-5. All All examinations are graded assessments (moderated by examinations are graded by by a group of AP readers. international standards). IB a group of AP readers. exams are scored on a scale of 1- 7. Teachers predict student grades, and exams are rescored if there is more than a one-point discrepancy. Types of Assessments include lab work AP exams include multiple Exams include multiple choice Assessments for science, papers for English choice questions and essays. questions and essays. and social sciences, oral Language exams include Language exams include presentations for English and listening and speaking listening and speaking foreign languages, portfolios in components. Art requires a components. Art requires a math, various projects such as portfolio, and music portfolio, and music includes a journals and art books in includes a sight reading. sight reading. In AP Research electives; and a 4000 word Students present their students are assessed on an research paper in Extended Culminating Project in their academic paper, as well as Essay. Senior year. This is a 4- presentation and oral defense year research based inquiry. of their research. The Products are not limited to academic paper is research papers, but all must approximately 4,000-5,000 include a written research words in length, and the component. presentation and defense compromise a total of approximately 15-20 minutes in length.**AP Research is not offered at all locations. College Credit Many colleges offer credit for Many colleges offer college Many colleges offer college HL exams with scores of 5, 6, or credit for AP exams with credit for AP exams with 7. Some colleges offer additional scores of 4 or 5. Some scores of 4 or 5. Some credit to students who complete colleges offer college credit colleges offer college credit the IB Diploma. Some colleges for scores of 3. for scores of 3. offer credit for SL exams with scores of 5, 6, or 7. Prerequisites for each program may be found in the Course Catalogue Prerequisites for each program may be found in the Course Catalogue .