Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School
| Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 6100 Old Leeds Road Irondale, AL United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public/Magnet |
| Motto | Secan, Scearu, Findan |
| Established | 1973 |
| School board | Jefferson County School System |
| Principal | Dr. April Lufkin Miller |
| Faculty | 22 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 363 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 17:1 |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Mascot | "We Try to be Different" Tree |
| Website | Jefferson County IB School |
Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (JCIB) is a public International Baccalaureate school located on the campus of Shades Valley High School in Irondale, Alabama. The school enrolls 363 students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Jefferson County School System. It is consistently recognized as one of the best high schools in the country:
- JCIB was ranked first in Alabama and 8th in the U.S. in the 2016 Washington Post study of America's Most Challenging High Schools.[1]
- The Daily Beast ranked JCIB first in Alabama and 13th in the U.S. in its 2014 Top High Schools ranking.[2]
- In 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 JCIB was ranked #1, #2, #4, and #3 respectively in the annual Newsweek poll of "The 100 Best High Schools in America".[3]
Contents
Student profile
JCIB students are not very diverse: 58% are white, 31% are African-American, 7% are Asian-American, and 4% are Hispanic. 15% of students qualified for free or reduced price lunch.[4]
Almost 100% of JCIB students graduate and go on to attend four-year colleges and universities.[5] The most recent graduating class earned over $10 million in college scholarships, an average of approximately $170,000 per student.[6] Over the past four years, graduates have attended a variety of universities, among which were the following:[7]
The most recent graduating class includes three National Merit & Achievement Finalists, 52 AP Scholars, 16 AP Scholars with Honor, 33 AP Scholars with Distinction, and three AP National Scholars.[8]
Admission
Students must apply to JCIB during the spring prior to the year of anticipated enrollment. The application requires students to submit a transcript and test scores from their current schools, recommendations from both a mathematics and language arts instructor, and an application essay. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend an open house and/or shadow a student prior to applying.[9]
Curriculum
AP & IB Courses
All academic courses at JCIB are taught at an accelerated pace. Many courses prepare students for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Exams. Students choose from among the following AP and IB courses:
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While all students are required to take a rigorous curriculum that includes both AP and IB coursework, students may choose whether to work toward earning an IB diploma. Approximately 72% of the 2014 graduating class received an IB diploma.[10]
Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) Work/Study Program
Beginning in 11th grade, JCIB's students participate in a work-study program every Wednesday afternoon. Students choose whether to take on an unpaid internship in a career area of interest, volunteer for a nonprofit organization, or perform some other community service. These hours contribute to the 150 CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) hours that are required in order to receive the IB diploma. All students participate in the CAS program, even if they do not pursue the IB diploma.
IB Extended Essay
Students are required to write a 4,000-word extended essay on a topic of their choosing. The extended essay introduces students to the independent research and writing skills that will be necessary to succeed at top colleges and universities. Students choose research questions across a variety of subjects and work closely with JCIB faculty in executing their research and writing the essay.
Faculty
JCIB shares staff with Shades Valley High School, but has its own faculty for the core curriculum subjects of English, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. The student/faculty ratio is 14:1. Twenty-one of the school's teachers have a master's degree and one has a doctorate. Nine JCIB teachers are nationally board certified. Average teacher experience is 18 years.[11]
Student activities
- JCIB Honor Societies, including National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Forensics League, and honor societies for foreign language, English, science, and art
- JCIB Academic Competition Teams, including debate, math, scholars bowl, and science olympiad
References
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External links
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