There are so many acronyms in the International Baccalaureate, it can be very difficult to keep track of them all. Here is a list of some that I find myself using on a near daily basis. Hopefully this can help you navigate the IB maze.
CAS: Creativity, Action, and Service. A central part of The Core and a requirement for all students taking the DP (below). Students must show evidence that they meet certain learning targets in order to receive the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
DP: Diploma Programme. The oldest of the four programmes, and the main focus of this particular site. It is an international curriculum for students to take in Grades 11 and 12. It encompasses the three areas of the core as well as the six subject areas.
EE: Extended Essay. A central part of The Core and a requirement for all students taking the DP (above). Students must independently research and write a very large essay on a topic of their choosing. They have contact and check-ins with a supervisor, but are expected to be self-motivated.
HL: Higher Level. Students taking the DP (above) are required to take three courses at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Courses at Higher Level are quite obviously more advanced than Standard Level courses, and can in some situations count towards University credit. Some students may take four HL and two SL courses, but this is not recommended for all but the most exceptional students.
IA: Internal Assessment. While the majority of the grading in IB courses comes from externally marked exams, some portion of the grade comes as an Internal Assessment, which are graded by the classroom teacher and externally moderated. These could include lab reports, mathematical explorations, oral presentations, and more. They vary from course to course and are explicitly mentioned in each syllabus.
IB: International Baccalaureate. The educational-foundation that runs four major educational programmes, the PYP, MYP, DP, and IBCC.
IBCC: International Baccalaureate Career-Related Certificate. The newest of the four programmes, focuses on more hands on training while still maintaining some of academic rigour of the DP.
IBO: International Baccalaureate Organization. The name for the overall organizational structure running the IB. The two are often used interchangeably.
LP: Learner Profile. A consensus of the skills and trait of an IB Student, used in all four programmes. The ten traits are: balanced, caring, communicators, inquirers, knowledgeable, open-minded, principled, thinkers, risk-takers, and reflective.
MYP: Middle Years Programme. The programme aimed for Grades 6-10, unlike the DP (see above) it is not a fully set curriculum, just a framework which can be applied in various conditions and meet local or state standards.
OCC: Online Curriculum Centre. A website for IB teachers to share resources, requires a school-based login.
PYP: Primary Years Programme. The programme aimed for Kindergarden - Grade 5, similar to the MYP (above) it is not a fully set curriculum, just a framework which can be applied in various conditions and meet local or state standards.
SL: Standard Level. Students taking the DP (above) are required to take three courses at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Courses at Standard Level are quite obviously less advanced than Higher Level courses, but still posses a high degree of academic rigour.
TLA: Three-Letter Acronyms. Used in jest by many IB teachers to make fun of the fact that we have so many acronyms to try to remember, not in any official IBO documents.
TOK: Theory of Knowledge. A central part of The Core and a requirement for all students taking the DP (above). This is an interdisciplinary course aimed not at any specific body of knowledge, but rather how that knowledge is attained and what that means. Often equated as a philosophy class.
Header image from Flickr User Tojosan, available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/tojosan/181248771
All information on this page (other than TLA - which is intended for comedic effect) is available on the IBO's primary website www.ibo.org.
CAS: Creativity, Action, and Service. A central part of The Core and a requirement for all students taking the DP (below). Students must show evidence that they meet certain learning targets in order to receive the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
DP: Diploma Programme. The oldest of the four programmes, and the main focus of this particular site. It is an international curriculum for students to take in Grades 11 and 12. It encompasses the three areas of the core as well as the six subject areas.
EE: Extended Essay. A central part of The Core and a requirement for all students taking the DP (above). Students must independently research and write a very large essay on a topic of their choosing. They have contact and check-ins with a supervisor, but are expected to be self-motivated.
HL: Higher Level. Students taking the DP (above) are required to take three courses at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Courses at Higher Level are quite obviously more advanced than Standard Level courses, and can in some situations count towards University credit. Some students may take four HL and two SL courses, but this is not recommended for all but the most exceptional students.
IA: Internal Assessment. While the majority of the grading in IB courses comes from externally marked exams, some portion of the grade comes as an Internal Assessment, which are graded by the classroom teacher and externally moderated. These could include lab reports, mathematical explorations, oral presentations, and more. They vary from course to course and are explicitly mentioned in each syllabus.
IB: International Baccalaureate. The educational-foundation that runs four major educational programmes, the PYP, MYP, DP, and IBCC.
IBCC: International Baccalaureate Career-Related Certificate. The newest of the four programmes, focuses on more hands on training while still maintaining some of academic rigour of the DP.
IBO: International Baccalaureate Organization. The name for the overall organizational structure running the IB. The two are often used interchangeably.
LP: Learner Profile. A consensus of the skills and trait of an IB Student, used in all four programmes. The ten traits are: balanced, caring, communicators, inquirers, knowledgeable, open-minded, principled, thinkers, risk-takers, and reflective.
MYP: Middle Years Programme. The programme aimed for Grades 6-10, unlike the DP (see above) it is not a fully set curriculum, just a framework which can be applied in various conditions and meet local or state standards.
OCC: Online Curriculum Centre. A website for IB teachers to share resources, requires a school-based login.
PYP: Primary Years Programme. The programme aimed for Kindergarden - Grade 5, similar to the MYP (above) it is not a fully set curriculum, just a framework which can be applied in various conditions and meet local or state standards.
SL: Standard Level. Students taking the DP (above) are required to take three courses at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Courses at Standard Level are quite obviously less advanced than Higher Level courses, but still posses a high degree of academic rigour.
TLA: Three-Letter Acronyms. Used in jest by many IB teachers to make fun of the fact that we have so many acronyms to try to remember, not in any official IBO documents.
TOK: Theory of Knowledge. A central part of The Core and a requirement for all students taking the DP (above). This is an interdisciplinary course aimed not at any specific body of knowledge, but rather how that knowledge is attained and what that means. Often equated as a philosophy class.
Header image from Flickr User Tojosan, available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/tojosan/181248771
All information on this page (other than TLA - which is intended for comedic effect) is available on the IBO's primary website www.ibo.org.