Columbia River High School has been Selected to Participate in New Initiative to Bring International Baccalaureate Programmes to More Students

Vancouver, WA – January 18,2018  – Columbia River High School has been selected to participate in a new national initiative created to promote the inclusion and success of under-represented students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP).

Columbia River High School has been selected to participate in the IB’s Excellence and Equity Initiative (E2).  Over the next two years, secondary school leaders from all over the nation and the Columbia River High School faculty will work to remove barriers to IB participation.  The focus of E2 is to increase participation for under-represented students, create pathways to the DP or CP, and incorporate strategies that are designed to positively impact the success of under-represented students enrolled in the programmes.  These efforts will empower more students to graduate with the skills and tools needed for post-secondary education and lifelong learning.

Research indicates that less than 1% of diverse schools nationwide have advanced programmes in which their students reflect the diversity of the overall school population. Research has also shown that the DP and CP can empower underrepresented groups for college entrance, persistence and success. One of the most compelling studies found that IB Diploma candidates in Chicago Public Schools — low income, minority, first generation college goers — have not internalized the negative stereotype effect of similar non-IB students. In fact, the study concluded that, “the IB program in Chicago appears to have accomplished something very rare in urban education: it took economically and socially disadvantaged students and radically changed their long-term educational prospects by making them world-class learners with an arsenal of academic skills.” To read more about this study, visit http://ibo.org/globalassets/publications/ib-research/dp/cps-summary-en.pdf.

“We look forward to adding even more depth to our DP and beginning the CP.  Our goal is to increase participation rates in order to prepare more students to find success as life-long learners,” said Alex Otoupal, Principal/Head of School. “Our teachers and leaders are excited to increase the impact of an international curriculum in our school community.  The E2 Award and subsequent work will bolster and expand opportunities for River students.  It is a great privilege to be considered leaders in these efforts.”

To learn more about E2 and the International Baccalaureate, visit http://www.ibo.org/excellence-and-equity/.

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About Columbia River High School

Columbia River High School is a comprehensive public high school in the Vancouver Public Schools District.  Columbia River High School serves over 1,200 students.  Currently, more than 40% of Columbia River High School students participate in the IB Programme.  The on time graduation rate for the Class of 2017 was 95.5%.

About the International Baccalaureate

In 2018, the International Baccalaureate (IB) celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Pioneering a movement of international education in 1968, the non-profit foundation now offers four high quality and challenging educational programmes to students aged 3-19 years old. Through a unique curriculum with high academic standards, we champion critical thinking and a flexibility for learning by crossing disciplinary,