Data show International Baccalaureate (IB) classes help a third of low-income students in IB schools

The Hechinger Report – Jill Barshay

“Are rigorous, college-level classes the way to raise achievement for low-income high school students? The evidence is mixed. Recently, the International Baccalaureate foundation sent out an email proclaiming ‘yes.’ It boasted that low-income and minority students who take its courses graduate from high school and go to college at the same high rates as students from higher-income families. The IB Diploma is a rigorous two-year course of studies, typically taken by top high-achieving students during their junior and senior years of high school. The math is calculus. The writing requires sophisticated analysis. Succeeding in this program gives students entree to the most selective colleges in the country. It’s a no brainer that kids who can accomplish that will do well and continue in school.”(more)