FAQ | Anderson High School

Frequently Asked Questions About the IB at Anderson

IB is open to all students who have an interest in the program and are lifelong learners. The single most important trait to have is a strong work ethic as students will need to stay on top of their assignments and coursework. Students who love to apply what they're learning, problem solve, ask questions and work collaboratively will thrive in the IB Programme.

The IB Diploma Programme (aka “IBDP” or “IB Diploma” or “Diploma” or “DP”) is the full 6 course programme taken in 11th and 12th grade that also includes the TOK course, completion of CAS experiences and writing the Extended Essay. The IBDP is required for all IB curriculum transfer students to Anderson High School. The IB Diploma is a diploma provided by the IB Organization upon completion of the programme and passing of the exams. This diploma is in addition to the Texas High School diploma earned as an Anderson HS student.
The IB Course Certificate (aka “Certificate”) is an option for students who are zoned to AHS or attend AHS on a general transfer. To earn the Certificate, the student must take 2 HL IB Classes during their Junior and Senior year and successfully test at the end of Senior year. A certificate of completion is provided to them upon passing the exams.

Yes! For IBDP students who earn their IB diploma, the State of Texas requires all public state universities to give the student at least 24 credit hours. All other universities primarily give credit for HL exams with scores of 4-7 or 5-7. Students are often able to also take the AP exam for the equivalent AP course to receive credit for a SL class (ex: Math AA SL students often take the AP Calculus AB/BC exam to receive university credit for calculus).

The IB Core, consisting of CAS, EE, and TOK fits seamlessly into the IBDP student’s schedule. The EE is included as part of the TOK class taken in the spring of Junior year and fall of Senior year. And CAS experiences are things your student is already doing (Scouting awards, club activities, travel, volunteering). The only extra for CAS is that the student logs into a managed portal to reflect upon their experiences. The IB Core incorporates the things your student already does into the programme and gives the additional value of an internationally recognized accreditation.

TOK stands for “Theory of Knowledge” and is a 2-semester course taken in the spring of Junior Year and the fall of Senior year. TOK is one of the three core elements of the DP curriculum. TOK asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. It is assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600 word essay.

EE Stands for “Extended Essay” an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper. The EE is one of the three mandatory core elements of the DP curriculum. The Extended Essay provides both practical preparation for undergraduate research and an opportunity for students to investigate a topic of personal interest to them, which relates to one of the student's six DP subjects, or takes the interdisciplinary approach of a World Studies extended essay. Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.

CAS stands for “Creativity, Activity, and Service”. (CAS) is one of the three essential elements that every student must complete as part of the Diploma Programme (DP). CAS involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies. It is not formally assessed. However, students reflect on their CAS experiences as part of the IBDP, and provide evidence of achieving the seven learning outcomes for CAS.

Internal Assessments (IA’s) are research questions each student explores in each of their IB classes. The research question is related to the course subject and proposed and researched by the student who then writes up the report. There is IA time built into the classes and scaffolding provided by the teacher. Upon completion, each IBDP student will have completed 6 independent research projects. Assessments in IB are not necessarily more difficult than those in other advanced/ honors/ AP classes; they are just a different way of showing students have gained knowledge and made connections.

Anderson offers all students, including IB students, access to the learning lab, tutoring, and academic and college/career advising. In addition, Anderson has on staff experienced IB teachers, a full time IB Coordinator and two part time IB Clerks to support IB students.

Absolutely! IB fosters balance in our students. With careful planning and maybe some ACC and Garza online courses, students can usually fit in all of the courses they'd like to take. Our IB visual art and dance offerings also open up more options for our IB students.
This is the huge benefit to being an IB Diploma student at a large comprehensive High School like Anderson. Not only does your student get the benefits of the IB programme, but they also have the ability to take advantage of all of the CTE, fine arts, sports, clubs, etc. that Anderson offers.

Yes, IB students can also take AP classes if their schedule allows. AP students cannot take IB classes. IB teachers can provide guidance as to what AP exams students will be prepared for from their IB courses and how much supplementary studying will need to happen, if any.

All IB prep and IB courses must be taken at Anderson by IB trained teachers. Students need to follow the Language and Math pathways. Some good courses to take at ACC would be: Economics (semester, non-IB class, TX grad requirement), Government (semester, non-IB class). These classes are also available at Garza online. Your counselor can help you choose the correct courses that will count towards Texas graduation requirements yet not interfere with your IB Pathways.