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Two MCPS High Schools are First in Maryland to Offer New IB Program

August 24, 2012
Rockville High School and Watkins Mill High School are the first two schools in Maryland authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate (IBCC) program. There are only 19 schools in the nation authorized to offer this program.
 
The IBCC is a new program that seeks to address the needs of students interested in pursuing a career-related education. This program aligns with the the efforts of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to provide students with an education that prepares them for college and the workplace.

“Our goal is to prepare our students for their future by offering a wide array of opportunities,” said Superintendent Joshua P. Starr. “The IBCC combines rigorous International Baccalaureate courses with opportunities for our students to gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century.”

Students in the IBCC will take IB Diploma Programme courses, career-related certificate courses, and an “Approaches to Learning” class. They also must complete a reflective project and experience a foreign language. 

At Watkins Mill High School, students will begin their IBCC experience this school year by participating in the Approaches to Learning course, IB Diploma Programme courses, and career-related certificate classes.  The first IBCC students will graduate at the end of the 2013–2014 school year. Rockville High School is using this school year to prepare to offer the IBCC to students starting in 2013.

In order to become authorized, Rockville and Watkins Mill high schools had to go through a yearlong application process and already be offering the IB Diploma Programme as well as career-related courses.

MCPS currently operates 14 authorized IB programs—eight at the high school level (grades 11–12), five Middle Years Programmes (grades 6–10), and the Primary Years Programme at College Gardens Elementary School.

For more information on the IBCC, visit http://www.ibo.org/ibcc/

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