PERFECT SCORES HIGHLIGHT NOTRE DAME PREP’S 2020 IB RESULTS

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July 14, 2020

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Latest round of IB Diploma Program results bring new group of global citizens to the world.

Last week, 21 Notre Dame Prep students in the full International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program joined more than 174,300 students from around the world in receiving their IB-DP and IB-CP results. They are now part of a community of more than 1.95 million lifelong learners in 152 countries around the world. 

According to English and social studies teacher Katrina Sagert, who is the IB Diploma Program coordinator at NDPMA, despite operating in the virtual pandemic environment, all 21 students in the Diploma Program performed extraordinary well, with 18 receiving the diploma and of the remaining three, all but one missed the diploma by only one or two points.

"I absolutely loved working with this group of kids," Sagert said. "They had so much humor and hustle, even in the worst of circumstances. I know those skills will lead them to success in their future as much as the knowledge they gained over these last two years. I could not be more proud of them."

Dr. Siva Kumari, director general at the International Baccalaureate (IB), shared her heartfelt congratulations with all 2020 Diploma Program students for their efforts over the last two years.

"An IB education has always been about more than results and this year students have had to deal with a level of global disruption that has never been experienced before," Kumari said.

Perfect scores a unicorn

Sagert said in addition to 21 in the full Diploma Program this year, there were 22 from the junior cohort and 65 other juniors and seniors who took individual courses for a total of 108 students in the IB-DP. 

Sagert also said that this year's IB class did particularly well in IB's Math Studies class. She said overall, NDP IB students scored nine sevens, which is the highest score a student can earn in an IB course. 

"IB says that a score of seven is like a unicorn, and we had five of them this year," she said.

The IB is a Geneva-based international educational body that offers four educational programs, one of which is the Diploma Program meant for students who are between 16 and 19 years of age. The scores of IB are widely accepted across various universities throughout the world. 

The IB was one of the first organizations to call off its examination, which was scheduled between April 30 and May 20, 2020, in view of the coronavirus pandemic. In the absence of the examination, the final grades were based on the student’s coursework throughout the two-year program, predicted grades provided by affiliated schools, and historic internal assessment data, according to IB. 

For the subjects where students would normally sit for exams, historic data was analyzed to determine the relationship between marks of previous coursework and predicted grades provided by schools. A predicted grade is a grade likely to be scored by a student that is calculated on the basis of his/her past performance.

Prepared for whatever the world holds for them

Since exams were canceled this year due to the pandemic, the most important component that factored into IB grades were the Internal Assessments students completed as a part of the class. 

"I especially appreciated the care and expertise our DP teachers brought to the table in this most unusual year," Sagert added. "They helped our students get through their IAs and went above and beyond in working to get each of them submitted to the IB. I truly had a top-notch team."

International Baccalaureate's Kumari noted that IB graduates should be proud of their achievements, not just in reaching this milestone, but in the great flexibility and commitment they have shown in overcoming unusual obstacles. 

"We know that the IB has prepared them to be better learners for life — to be better, more critical thinkers, better at formulating excellent questions and finding the answers, and better suited to adapting to our ever-changing world," she said.

Notre Dame Prep Vice Principal Kim Anderson, who was the IB Diploma Program coordinator last year, echoed Kumari's approbation.

"The NDP Class of 2020 IB Diploma Program cohort is a diligent, resilient group of scholars," Anderson said. "In light of the global situation, this group of students remained balanced, flexible and mature when making the switch to online learning. Despite the challenges they faced with COVID, they were able to  stay on track with their school work while completing the requirements to be eligible to earn the IB Diploma. I am proud of this group and excited to see what the future holds for them."

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.