IB Middle Years Programme

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International Baccalaureate
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The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an educational programme intended for students aged approximately 11 to 16 (grades 6-10 in International Schools, the United States, Canada and Australia). Thus, in the United States the programme is often taught throughout the middle school years and the first two years of high school. Typically, middle schools and high schools work in coordination with each other when the programme can not be entirely hosted within one combined school. The full programme lasts 5 years although more limited programmes can be adopted with permission from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Official MYP documentation is available from the IBO in English, French, spanish and Chinese.


The IBO contends that the MYP programme naturally prepares students for the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and there are significant parallels in structure and philosophy.

[edit] Curriculum

The subjects taught in the MYP are divided into eight subject groups: language A (the student's best language), language B (a foreign language), humanities, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical education, and technology each of which must receive a minimum of 50 hours per year instruction time. However, schools are given much flexibility to allow them to introduce subjects which they consider important, and to organize their own student assessment and reporting procedures. However, the MYP gives clear exit criteria for each subject group for MYP 5 (grade 10). The programme is based around five 'areas of interaction': approaches to learning, community and service, Homo Faber ('man the maker'), environment, and health and social education. In addition, in MYP 5, students complete a personal project on a topic of their choice, with consultation by teachers.

Students who complete the MYP from a school that undergoes external moderation from the IBO receive a 'portfolio of achievement', including documents from the IBO as well as certificates from the school.

[edit] Personal project

The personal project is one of the most important aspects of the MYP. Just as with the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme, students are required to choose a non-academic topic or subject for their project, which they are expected to complete over the course of the school year. Students are required to keep a process journal while working on the process, and schedule regular meetings with an MYP teacher who will serve as their advisor throughout the year; in addition, a final reflection must be written upon the completion of the project which explains how it ties in with at least one of the Areas of Interaction. Students who fail to complete the personal project are usually not allowed to continue on to the Diploma Program.

[edit] External link

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