To better prepare our students for life and work in a rapidly globalizing world, West End became an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in 2009. Worldwide, more than 3,500 schools—both public and private—offer at least one of the IB’s high-quality educational programmes (use of the British spelling of this word is an IB convention).
The IB Learner Profile represents 10 characteristics valued by all IB World Schools. Through the Learner Profile, the IB aims to develop learners who are Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective.
All West End students participate in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). Designed specifically for younger adolescents (ages 11–16), the MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world and to become critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP also fosters the development of 21st-century skills, such as communication, intercultural understanding, and global awareness.
After completing the final two years of the MYP at Hillsboro High School, students are well positioned for success in either the IB Diploma Programme, a comprehensive and academically rigorous program of study and assessment that provides a solid foundation for success in college and beyond, or the IB Career-related Programme, which combines the highly regarded and internationally recognized IB Diploma Programme courses with an approved career-related study and unique IBCP core courses.
More information about the IB and its academic programmes is available at ibo.org.