• We do a lot of outside-the-box thinking and are encouraged to be creative when learning. 

• The level of writing is different from other schools. We are preparing for college-level writing and we do more than students at other schools. We know how to write under pressure because we practice timed writing. 

• Students see the IB learner profile in their teachers and try to mimic it. 

• Reflection is always the last step of assignments and has now been incorporated into our daily life. When I accomplish a task I look back and wonder what I did well and what I could improve on.

• We can see the Learner profile incorporated into sports, activities, and subjects.

• Being in IB means you are involved in the community. Students are helping themselves and others and together helping our future.

• We create art and community in the activities we are involved in and share that art with our Edgewood community.

• You learn things in your classes that you can bring into your life.

• Students are taught to build skills, advocate for themselves, and find a middle ground with teachers.

• Students are taught to create and share.  

• I was originally just focused on a completion mindset when going through the IB program. As I was doing service I started talking to the people I was working with and developed an ability to communicate and find the humanity in working with others. 

• Service provided an opportunity to learn how to be a good communicator and learn about others and their interests. I was always a little nervous that I would say the wrong things and/or freeze up but now I know how to find common ground to talk to others. 

• Being a part of IB encourages students to get involved with the community. 

• Our steering committee gives parents and students a voice and our input is valued. 

• IB is a lifestyle, having an IB student impacts family life and influences dinner table conversation.

  • In one dinner conversation, we went from World War 1 to Green Day song lyrics to World War 2 to current events and that was all inspired by a conversation that started in the classroom.

• Parents hear from their kids that they have a voice, that kids feel they can make a change in their community, and that their voice is respected and honored. Students are giving feedback and feel it being heard.

• Edgewood students are very analytical, they don’t think in a “normal way.” It’s important for kids to think this way to solve the issues in the world by centering and recognizing the voice of all those who are not currently being honored or heard.

• Edgewood is normalizing the learner profile language. 

  • Siblings are encouraging each other to be risk-takers and ride a rollercoaster, classmates are encouraging each other to be thinkers.

• I didn’t choose IB but we were so fortunate to end up here.

• IB is not a curriculum, it is not a program, it starts with moral and intellectual autonomy encouraged in students. It has heart and community. What Edgewood does starts with community, my child hated writing and reading but now gets excited about authors and is writing fiction books, they have found a passion for writing.

• Through personal projects, my child was encouraged to create and use their love of singing and acting to write a song with music and perform it in front of an audience

• The clubs at Edgewood give students so much agency.

Meets the UC/CSU entrance “b” requirement.

IB English HL is a two-year, college-level course in American and world literature, literary analysis, composition, and speaking and listening. This intellectually rigorous International Baccalaureate course equips students with the written and oral skills needed to pass the IB Language A examinations. It also fulfills an HL requirement for those students pursuing the International Baccalaureate Programme Full Diploma.

Meets the UC/CSU entrance “b” requirement. 

IB English SL focuses on analysis, composition, speaking, and listening. This International Baccalaureate course covers a variety of literary and non-literary texts, and will equip students with the written and oral skills needed to pass the IB Language A examinations. It may also fulfill an SL component of the International Baccalaureate Programme Full Diploma. 

This is the fourth course in a series Mandarin courses designed to advance students' learning in Mandarin.  The course will focus on developing students’ abilities in communicating accurately and effectively in listening, speaking, reading and writing in the Chinese language. Additionally, the course will help students apply their knowledge of vocabulary words and sentence structures to writing essays. Throughout the course, students will learn to respond in Chinese to complex and high level demands in day-to-day communication for a wide variety of topics.

The course will also examine Chinese culture within an international context, helping students broaden their worldview by comparing Chinese cultural products, practices and perspectives with those of their own society.

This course will refine students’ ability to communicate in Spanish through activities that integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, as well as the use of authentic materials and sources.  Students will increase their understanding of the Spanish-speaking world through the study of a variety of topics, including communication and the media, global issues, social relationships, cultural diversity, customs and traditions, health, leisure, and science and technology.  The topics studied will allow students to access valuable cultural information and develop international-mindedness. This course is designed for students who wish to complete studies comparable in difficulty and content to an advanced level of Spanish language college course.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “a” requirement. 

History of the Americas is a two-year higher level International Baccalaureate course. This course is a systematic and critical study of the human experience, including social, economic, political and cultural events through the 19th and 20th centuries. Presenting historical explanations from an international perspective is an objective of this history course and, therefore, candidates will be expected to study the histories of a selection of countries and themes within the chosen region. The study of a country’s national history will be in the comparative, regional framework of the History of the Americas. History of the Americas aims to provide a college level course that will prepare the students.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “a” requirement. 

History of the Americas SL is a two-year standard level International Baccalaureate course. This year of the course traces the political, economic, and cultural growth of American society and America’s changing role in the world. Year 1 emphasizes the 20th century, with a brief review of earlier time periods, their lasting impact, and themes and trends that continue to impact modern America. The study of US history is a graduation requirement that will help to prepare students for the IB history exams. Topics for Year 2 of this course include case studies in rights and protest, 20th century wars, and authoritarian states. Presenting historical explanations from an international perspective is an objective of this history course and, therefore, candidates will be expected to study the histories of a selection of countries and themes within the chosen region. This course also requires that students complete a historical investigation to deepen their understanding of the complex and interconnected nature of past and present events

Meets UC/CSU entrance “g” requirement

The global politics course explores fundamental political concepts such as power, equality, sustainability and peace in a range of contexts. It allows students to develop an understanding of the local, national, international and global dimensions of political activity and processes, as well as to explore political issues affecting their own lives. The course helps students to understand abstract political concepts by grounding them in real-world examples and case studies. It also invites comparison between such examples and case studies to ensure a wider and transnational perspective. The core units of the course together make up a central unifying theme of “people, power and politics”. The emphasis on “people” reflects the fact that the course explores politics not only at a state level but also explores the function and impact of non-state actors, communities, groups and individuals.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “d” requirement

This course covers the relationship of structure and function at all levels of complexity. Students learn about cell theory, the chemistry of living things, plant science, genetics and many other topics to further their understanding of and learning about biology in a local and global context.  Emphasis will be placed on external and internal assessments.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “d” requirement.

The principles of physics seek to explain the nature of the universe. Physics is the science concerned with the discovery and characterization of the universal laws which govern matter, movement and forces, and space and time, and other features of the natural world. The Diploma Programme physics course allows students to develop traditional practical skills and techniques and increase their abilities in the use of mathematics, which is the language of physics. DP physics will study principles and theories of physics combined with experimental methods. It also allows students to develop interpersonal and digital communication skills which are essential in modern scientific endeavor and are important life-enhancing, transferable skills in their own right.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “d” requirement

The IB DP course in sports, exercise and health science standard level (SL) involves the study of the science that underpins physical performance. The course incorporates the traditional disciplines of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, psychology and nutrition. Students cover a range of topics and carry out practical (experimental) investigations in both laboratory and field settings. This provides an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and understanding necessary to apply scientific principles and critically analyze human performance. Where relevant, the course will address issues of international dimensions and ethics by considering sport, exercise and health relative to the individual in a global context.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “c” requirement 

IB Mathematical Studies SL concentrates on mathematics that can be applied to contexts related as far as possible to other subjects being studied, to common real-world occurrences and to topics that relate to home, work and leisure situations.  This course is designed to build confidence and encourage an appreciation of mathematics in students who do not anticipate a need for mathematics in their future studies.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “c” requirement 

IB Mathematics SL is a one year course that introduces important mathematical concepts through the study of functions and equations, with the inclusion of trigonometry and sequences and series, statistics and probability, and differential and integral calculus. Students will apply contextual mathematical knowledge to solve realistic problems and will write an exploration report intended to summarize mathematics in the real world, commensurate with the level established by IB.  This course is intended for students who expect to prepare for future STEM-related studies.

IB DANCE HL Year 1 (Grade 11) 1st Year of Two Year Course

Meets UC/CSU entrance “f” requirement. 

This rigorous dance course takes a holistic approach to dance and embraces a variety of dance traditions, genres, and dance cultures.  Through performance, composition (choreography), and world studies, students will develop performance, creative, and analytical skills.  Whether students want to develop as performers, choreographers, or seek life enrichment through dance, this course offers students an opportunity to create, participate in, and reflect upon dance forms and styles from a range of cultures and traditions, both familiar and unfamiliar.  Students will be expected to write in this class by way of personal reflection, research, and comparative investigations.  This course is designed to prepare students for the IB Dance exam, either as an IB diploma candidate, or as a (HL) Dance certificate candidate (option for those not pursuing the full IB diploma).  Students are expected to participate in our Edgewood dance productions: The Winter Dance Showcase, and the year-end Spring Dance Concert.  

IB DANCE HL Year 2 (Grade 12) 2nd Year of Two Year Course

Meets UC/CSU entrance “f” requirement. 

This rigorous dance course takes a holistic approach to dance and embraces a variety of dance traditions, genres, and dance cultures.  Through performance, composition (choreography), and world studies, students will develop performance, creative, and analytical skills.  Students will include personal reflection, research, and comparative investigations. This course is designed to prepare students for the IB Dance examination, either as an IB Diploma Candidate, or as a HL certificate candidate. Students are expected to participate in our Edgewood dance productions: The Winter Dance Showcase, and the year-end Spring Dance Concert

Meets UC/CSU entrance “f” requirement

A comprehensive two-year course where students will prepare for a senior year Exhibition, and develop a Portfolio of their creative process. Students will work on developing a personal artistic style in a professional studio environment, while conceptualizing and creating a body of work that reflects their particular artistic skills and interests. Students will also extensively study works of art-historical significance, as well as explore pieces by various contemporary artists; all while developing a wide range of techniques and use of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation art, photography and more. Exhibition, process portfolio and comparative study are required to take the IB external exam in Visual Arts.

Meets UC/CSU entrance “f” requirement. 

In the two-year IB Film course, students will analyze and create films. No film background is necessary--just curiosity and a desire to learn! While this course, like any IB course, is designed to be challenging, it is also accessible and valuable. Students will acquire a greater appreciation and understanding of film as an artform by viewing and analyzing a variety of older and contemporary films and learning about film elements (cinematography, sound, screenwriting, editing, acting, etc.). Students will also learn about film history and film theory, and will get to express their own creative visions with productions inspired by the films and directors studied. The class will culminate in an EHS Film Festival exhibition, where students are able to showcase their work. The class will prepare students for the IB assessment, and may be taken for an IB certificate or to fulfill the SL or HL requirement for students pursuing the International Baccalaureate Programme Full Diploma

DP students study six subjects (three at standard level and three at higher level) over two years and complete three additional requirements: the Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the extended essay and at least 150 hours of creativity, activity and service tasks (also known as CAS) outside of the classroom.   Subjects include: Language acquisition Sciences The arts Mathematics Individuals and societies Studies in language and literature Theory of Knowledge Theory of Knowledge (TOK) in an interdisciplinary course designed to help students study how individuals from various disciplines view the world in order to develop their own ways of thinking. By stimulating analysis of knowledge across disciplines, TOK seeks to help students make sense of school and the world. TOK is an interdisciplinary course designed to help students question and understand how they know what they know. Students study how individuals from various disciplines view the world in order to develop their own ways of thinking. By stimulating analysis of knowledge across disciplines, TOK seeks to help students make sense of school and the world.   Creativity, activity, service Creativity, activity and service (CAS) is an experiential learning component of the DP. Students complete a wide variety of extracurricular, community service and athletic options to fulfil this requirement.   Extended essay The extended essay introduces students to the demands and rewards of independent work. Emphasis is placed on doing personal research and communicating ideas effectively in order to write a 4,000 word essay. The extended essay introduces students to the demands and rewards of independent work. Emphasis is placed on doing personal research and communicating ideas effectively in order to write a 4,000-word essay in an area of personal interest

In addition to these requirements, students must earn a minimum of 24 points out of a possible 45 points on the final assessment which is externally marked and moderated by the IB, in order to receive an IB diploma.

World leading universities recognize the DP as one of the highest standards in university preparatory education. Research studies suggest that higher rates of DP students go on to university and higher education study than non-IB students. Further, DP students report being better prepared for post-secondary studies than their peers.

The DP prepares students for a successful transition to higher education through its challenging and rewarding curriculum, which offers students a global perspective by cultivating internationalmindedness and developing key skills needed to succeed in further studies such as research, inquiry, independent study and critical analysis. The recently published HESA report comparing IB and A Level students’ outcomes in higher education demonstrates that IB students make excellent progress at university. In particular, the report shows:

• Between 2012 and 2013, 46 percent of DP students achieved places to study at a top 20 UK university compared to only 33 percent of A Level students
• DP students have a significantly greater likelihood of earning a first class honours degree compared to their A Level peers (23 percent versus 19 percent respectively)
• Of the students who successfully complete a full-time undergraduate degree at a UK university, DP students are significantly more likely to be engaged with further study.

The DP is a rigorous challenging course of study. Success throughout the programme depends on the degree of motivation for students. A student’s dedication to do his or her best, study, willingness to be organised in order to complete the work while leading a full, balanced life, and a strong commitment to learning 
in and beyond the classroom. That is more of an indicator of ability to earn the diploma than prior academic success.

Not all students choose to take the full course load leading to a diploma. Instead, some students choose to take DP subjects only in areas where they have a particular interest or strength. Certificates are awarded on a course-by-course basis to students who choose not to do the full programme. Students who satisfactorily complete a DP course earn a certificate and may be eligible for university credit.