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Highlands Today

It's Time The IB Program Came To Highlands County

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Highlands Today Staff

Published: November 26, 2007

These days, getting into a good college with –– and sometimes without –– scholarships is no mean task. Good schools have always been competitive but today's high school graduates have to arm wrestle for admission in a world where top graduating students muster a 6.0 GPA out of 4 and enough college credits to finish a bachelor's degree in two to three years.

Some people may have reservations about dual enrollment and advanced placement courses but they have become a reality in our high schools. They also make financial sense for parents and students. The fewer college classes to take means more money saved in expensive tuition.

Somewhere on the lines of advanced placement classes is an International Baccalaureate Diploma program, an accelerated worldwide college prep course that can give resumes weight when applying to prestigious schools.

Some say an IB program is better than the other accelerated alternatives out there. It's rigorous and more respected, even among the Harvards and the Yales.

Highlands County has been exploring with the idea of bringing the IB program to schools here.

Most other Florida school districts have a voluntary IB program at a high school. We're not sure why Highlands does not have a program in place yet, but it's time the county's school district seriously consider starting one here. After all, we've got to give our students whatever impetus they need to get the maximum out of themselves.

We know getting an IB program to a school does not happen overnight.

It takes two years for a school district to institute the program, and we don't even know the level of paperwork or training involved. But the benefits are worth the effort it takes. Once it is in place, students can get college credit, access to colleges in 70 countries and advanced academic standing when applying to colleges.

For the first time, the Highlands County School District is going to introduce the program to parents. Ed Vetter, principal of the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High School, is scheduled to attend to answer questions.

Parents who have children in middle school or have just started high school should seriously consider being there. Parental input would help the school make a better decision.

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