Page 10 - Catholic Memorial 2020-2021 Education Guide

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

CAREER-RELATED PROGRAM (IBCP)

What is this program about?

Life in the 21st century places many demands on students. Enabling students to become self-confident, internationally-
minded learners must be integral to their education. The International Baccalaureate (IB) has expanded its framework
of international education by incorporating the vision and educational principles of the IB into local programs to
address the needs of students engaged in career-related studies. The initial career pathway at Catholic Memorial is
through Project Lead The Way (PLTW).
The aim of the International Baccalaureate Career-related Program (IBCP) at CMH is to provide students with both
an academic and practical foundation to support their further studies and specialized training. Therefore, the IBCP
will combine the highly regarded IB diploma program courses with the approved career-related study of PLTW, plus a
unique IBCP core.

What is involved to achieve the IBCP?

Beginning the junior year of high school, the program framework supports three interconnected elements that must
be fulfilled:
1. Complete, and test in, at least 2 IB courses during the junior and senior years (SL or HL)
Note: Junior year, you may only test in one SL course
2. C omplete at least 2 PLTW courses. IBCP students must take at least one PLTW course junior year and one PLTW

course senior year.
3. Complete an IB World Language course, which is in addition to the two other required IB courses. To fulfill IB

concurrency of learning expectations, students need to take World Language courses during both junior and senior
years.
4. Satisfactorily complete the IBCP core
A. P ersonal and Professional Skills Course (PPS) - This senior year theology course will explore professionally and

ethically based circumstances that will promote career-related skills as students move forward in their lives.
B. Language Development - Each IBCP student must keep a Language Portfolio of language experiences that

they are engaged in through their world language class, community and service experience, and Career-
related courses. Language development requires all IBCP students, regardless of their choice of Career- related
Program courses, to improve their language proficiency in a second language.
C. R eflective Project - An extended work that can be submitted in a variety of formats. It emphasizes an ethical
dimension associated with a particular issue drawn from the student’s career-related studies. This project
will be due near the end of the two years of the IBCP program and submitted to IBO for moderation. The IB
designated time for this is 50 hours over the two years. This project will be worked on independently during the
PPS (#156/157) course.
D. Community & Service - The focus here is on service learning. Specific needs in
the community, as decided by the student, should be met and link to the student’s
specific career- related studies and their Reflective Project. IB designates 50 hours
over the two years for this requirement.
5. CMH graduation requirements (listed on page 4) must be fulfilled. In order to fit
everything into an IB Career- related Program candidate’s schedule, students may fulfill
their junior PE requirement by participating in the same sport during their freshman and
sophomore years.

8 CMH EDUCATION GUIDE 2020-2021