Why ?

People ask me all of the time about why I am such and advocate for the MYP/IB model. I start to
speak about how seamlessly the philosophies parallel Arts development and how the program
strives to include the best practices for education and how the teachers are amazing, etc. etc.

But lately, I have been getting this question: "What am I/students getting out of it?" It seems to
me, that we have shifted into this state of mind where students and parents don't choose MYP/IB
unless they can see a tangible gain. IB kids are directed to colleges who accept their scores as a
means of skipping college credit fees. Some IB kids drop out and choose AP over IB as it is
more widely accepted. Some kids drop out and go to CSN high school for the same reasons. And
I get it, really. The promise of free college motivates families, especially those with lower
socioeconomic status (ses). However.....

Last week, I had the same discussion with two students, (women of color who identify with low
ses), and I had a different answer. IB empowers students; particularly female students, students
with low ses, and students of color. IB helps kids advocate for themselves, how to look for
answers, how to speak to an adult, how to argue a point. You can go to CSN, take all the AP
classes on the planet and receive a free ride to Stanford (Free Tuition) but still struggle to
graduate college (The Graduation Gap). Kids who graduate the IB program come back and tell
me how easy it is to succeed at college and how IB played a big part in getting them ready to be
college students. Its not about skipping coursework for them. It isn't even about the money. They
are just not held back by the psychological norms of first-generation and low-income students at
the college level. I think that only someone who works with these kids can understand how vital
this step is. 

This is the article used research to put into words what I had already felt that I knew:

Using social psychology to help first-generation and low-income students through college
On Tuesday, some of my former students came by and watched our Symphonic Orchestra take
the stage at Ham Hall. Maybe that is why this is on my mind today. 

I know the question "Why IB?" will follow me for the duration of my career and I will probably
continue to say that it will give you college credit, but I am also going to tell people that it gives
a VOICE to a gender, a race, a social class of children. That it teaches pride, ownership,
perspective, empathy, perseverance, grit, self-efficacy, and community. I am going to tell anyone
who asks that IB is totally worth it.

- Dahlia Horenziak