The IB Diploma Programme 

Eagle Hill is an authorized IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme. IB World schools are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging and inquiry based international education.

The IB Diploma Programme immerses students in a comprehensive two-year personal growth, and lays the foundation for a robust and enduring intellectual life. Recognized by universities the world over, the IB Diploma Programme prepares students for the rigors of higher learning.

The program requires of students a serious commitment of time and effort, as well as prerequisite coursework in some areas. Students who do not enroll in the full Diploma Programme will continue to have the opportunity to develop their own unique courses of study in the Eagle Hill tradition but may also enroll in an IB course or two in order to pursue particular areas of interest in a way that is specially recognized by colleges and universities.
 

What is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme?

The IB Diploma Programme is a challenging and comprehensive two-year course of study for high school juniors and seniors. It entails taking six courses over two years in the traditional subject areas, as well as IB's unique Theory of Knowledge class, part of the program “core,” in which students are challenged to think critically about areas of knowledge and ways of knowing. As another facet of the core of the program, Diploma candidates must develop an extended essay, a sort of mini-dissertation, on a topic from one of the subject areas studied. Candidates must further challenge themselves to grow personally, physically, and intellectually by applying their knowledge and developing their character in real-life, hands-on situations through participation in the CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) component. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.


 
What the IB Programme is NOT.

The IB Programme it is not a collection of courses designed around passing standardized multiple choice tests. It emphasizes depth of knowledge and understanding, mastery of material, and the careful cultivation of the skills required for complex communication and not rote memorization of a vast array of encyclopedic knowledge. In this light, there are certainly those who would say that IB’s offerings compare very favorably with others such as Advanced Placement courses. And this leads us to our next point, namely that we are eminently confident that our students, with their non-traditional learning profiles, with their particular and highly individual intellectual and academic strengths, will flourish within the context of IB’s inquiry-driven, project-based, formatively assessed approaches to teaching and learning.


Who will do it, and when?

The IB Diploma Programme is an excellent option for students who have, by the end of their sophomore year, developed a certain level of independence and intrinsic motivation. Students who are inquisitive, who are seeking a challenge, and who hope to optimize the attractiveness of their college applications will be strong candidates for the full IB Diploma Programme. There will be an application process through the student’s advisor in consultation with teachers who have worked closely with each student.
 
 Many other Eagle Hill students and the Eagle Hill community more generally stand to benefit, as well. Students who have passion and aptitude in a particular subject area may wish to take an IB course or two in their areas of interest without necessarily enrolling in the full Diploma Programme. In this way we expect that a much larger proportion of our students will directly benefit from IB, possibly even earning college credits for their IB coursework (depending upon the college’s policy). The sound educational philosophy of IB also has ways of permeating and invigorating the culture of an entire school, for example through teacher training and through the conscientious in-house development of targeted school-wide policies on honesty, assessment, language, and inclusiveness. 
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242 Old Petersham Road
Hardwick, MA 01037
Phone: 413.477.6000
Fax: 413.477.6837

Eagle Hill School

An innovative approach to LD education in a classic New England boarding school environment, where diverse learners achieve success.