Sebring High IB has waiting list

More students than expected applied and met the qualifications to attend freshmen pre-International Baccalaureate classes at Sebring High School next year.

The IB Diploma Programme started this year at the school.

Next school year, with 50 incoming freshmen, the program will have 107 students in grades nine through 12. The IB program, including pre-IB, started the school year with a total of 67 students in grades nine through 12.

"Our freshmen class really exceeded what was expected," IB Coordinator Joanna Cochlin said Thursday. "I was hoping for 40 and we have 50, plus a waiting list."

There is a 50-student limit because the school has two IB classes and the state class-size limit is 25 students per class.

Thus far there are two students on the waiting list and Cochlin is checking one more applicant's qualifications at this time.

Also, nine students have dropped from the program including one who is moving.

"You are always nervous starting a program, especially one with such high expectations," she said. "But I think what we are learning is that we actually do have the caliber of students and teachers to be successful with a program like this."

She has visited the classes to watch students present speeches, complete college-level biology labs and converse in foreign languages.

"I am learning that they are stepping up to the challenge beyond our expectations," Cochlin said.

Couchlin noted a few things IB students told her they learned - back up your flash drive, calendars are your friend and there are three things in life: good grades, a social life and enough sleep and you can pick only two.

After his freshmen year last year at Avon Park High, sophomore Brett Bennet transferred to Sebring High this school year to take pre-IB classes.

"It was a little rough for me, Bennet said, but, I learned a lot of analyzing skills and actually developed a lot mentally in how I look at things and how I view the world."

He also learned a lot of time management skills.

"There is a lot more homework, but it's not like regular homework where you just zip through it, you actually have to look into it and actually work to do it," Bennet said.

Currently the program has 18 students who will seniors next school year. This group of students, the class of 2012, will be the school's first IB graduating class.

IB supporters raised $25,000 this year, Cochlin said, which will help with the following: book and exam purchases and to pay for the annual fee to the IB organization.

The program will start to generate money after seniors take final exams next year because the state provides a payment to the district for every passed exam.

Three teachers will be receiving IB training over the summer, including chorus teacher Luanne Hawk to facilitate the addition of IB music next year.

The IB organization monitors the Sebring High IB program by receiving copies of some of the internal assessment tests the students have taken throughout their junior and senior years. Also, the IB organization grades each student's 4,000-word research paper and grades the final exams.