WHY THE IB IS DIFFERENT

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February 25, 2023

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

(From International Baccalaureate)

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) programs aim to do more than other curricula. The programs develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are motivated to succeed. The IB gives students distinct advantages by building their critical thinking skills, nurturing their curiosity and their ability to solve complex problems.

IB strives to develop students who will build a better world through intercultural understanding and respect, alongside a healthy appetite for learning and excellence.

IB program frameworks can operate effectively with national curricula across all school ages; more than half of IB World Schools are state-funded.

The IB's programs are different from other curricula because they:

• encourage students of all ages to think critically and challenge assumptions
• develop independently of government and national systems, incorporating quality practice from research and a global community of schools
• encourage students of all ages to consider both local and global contexts
• develop multilingual students.

To teach IB programs, schools must be authorized. Every school authorized to offer IB programs is known as an IB World School. 

A continuum of international education

The IB provides a continuum of education, consisting of four programs that are united by the IB's philosophy and approaches to learning and teaching. The programs encourage both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development. 

Quality practice

IB programs incorporate quality practice from national and international research and the IB global community. They encourage students to be internationally-minded, within a complex and hyper-connected world. 

Students learn how to learn

Throughout all IB programs, students develop approaches to learning skills and the attributes of the IB learner profile. The IB learner is positively challenged to think critically and to learn in a flexible environment crossing disciplinary, cultural and national boundaries.

IB students take responsibility for their own learning and understand how knowledge itself is constructed, underpinned by our unique theory of knowledge (TOK) course.

The programs help IB students:

• ask challenging questions
• think critically
• learn across disciplines
• develop research skills proven to help them in higher education.

IB programs also encourage students to be active in their communities and to take their learning beyond academic study.

 

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.

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 National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.