The International Baccalaureate program is a rigorous pre-university course of study that meets the needs of the highly motivated secondary school student. Designed as a comprehensive curriculum that allows its graduates to fulfill requirements of the various national systems of education, the IB program is based on the pattern of no single country. It provides students of different linguistic, cultural, and educational backgrounds with the intellectual, social, and critical perspectives necessary for the adult world that lies ahead of them. 

The education of the "whole person" takes on a special significance in the twenty-first century when knowledge continues to expand dramatically; when advanced technologies and global economies have tied together vastly different cultures; when the world is bound too closely for provincial ideologies to guide political thought; when to exist in a world community requires appreciation and understanding of cultural diversity; and when cooperation alone will solve global problems. It is essential therefore that academic training provide students with the values and opportunities that will enable them to succeed in the competitive modern world. 

All IB Diploma candidates are required to engage in the study of Languages, Sciences, Mathematics, and Humanities in the final two years of their secondary schooling. 

The high standards implicit in the IB examinations assume high levels of achievement and preparation at the middle school and Florida’s Pre-IB levels. This program is a deliberate compromise between the preference for specialization in some countries and the emphasis on breadth often preferred in others. The intent is that students should learn how to learn, how to analyze, and how to reach considered conclusions about people, their languages and literature, their ways in society, and the scientific forces of the environment. 

Since the International Baccalaureate Office was established in Geneva, Switzerland in 1965, the IB Program has grown to almost 5,000 schools in 150 countries. Working in three official languages (English, French, and Spanish), IB enjoys the respect and support of many governments, colleges, and universities. 

Students are often accorded advanced standing in college based on their IB work. Significant numbers of IB Diploma holders both from within and outside North America have gained admission to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Stanford, MIT, the University of Chicago, and other prominent institutions. 

Parents and guardians:

James S. Rickards High School is a candidate school* for the Career-related Programme. Rickards is currently an IB World School authorized to implement the Diploma Programme. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education—that we believe is important for our students.

* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org. 

The IB Career-related Programme (Grades 11 & 12)

The Career-related Programme (CP) is a framework of international education that incorporates the values of the IB into a unique programme addressing the needs of students engaged in career-related education.  The CP was specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning while gaining transferable and lifelong skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural engagement.

The CP Curriculum consists of:

• Two courses from the IB Diploma Programme (IB)
• the CP core (Service Learning, Reflective Project, Language Development, and Personal and Professional Skills)
• Career-related Studies – Certified Nursing Program

This program offers students the rigor and challenge of IB without the requirements of the full IB Diploma Programme. 

Benefits of the IB CP for students:

• Combine academic subjects with their personal and professional interests and skills
• Think critically and creatively
• Build effective communication skills
• Develop greater self-confidence and self-awareness
• Be internationally-minded and globally aware
• Apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios and situations.

If you have questions about this program, please contact E. Melissa Cooper at coopere@leonschools.net or Dr. Williams at williamsj@leonschools.net.

Congratulations to our seven 2024-2025 National Merit Semifinalists:

Sukeerth Goly, Viswambhar Janapati, Shravan Kambham, Vaneesha Sinha, Bhargava Tatineni, Haasini Yelugoti, and Olivia Zeng!  Out of approximately 1.3 million high school juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT Exam in October of 2023, these seven Rickards IB students scored among the top 16,000 students.  This year, there are more National Merit Semifinalists at Rickards than at any other Tallahassee High School.  We are very proud of these amazing young scholars for this prestigious academic accomplishment and wish them the best of luck in the scholarship competition.

May 2024 IB Exam Session Highlights: Our 2023-2024 IB seniors and juniors did well this past year in their overall IB Exam results.  31 out of 53 (58%) of our IB Diploma Candidates (Class of 2024 IB Diploma Program Seniors) earned an IB Diploma.  Our overall IB Exam pass rate (4 or higher out of a possible 7) for all 113 students who took IB Exams was even better, at 69%.  The average points earned by those passing the diploma was 29 out of a possible 45 points (24 is the minimum passing score), and the average grade obtained by candidates who passed the diploma was 4.57 points out of a possible 7. The highest point total earned was 38.

Class of 2024 IB Diplomas and Transcripts:

The Class of 2024 IB Diplomas and Transcripts have arrived from Cardiff, Wales, UK.  2024 IB graduates or their parents can pick them up from Dr. Williams in the front office. Please email or call ahead so Dr. Williams can leave your IB Diploma and/or IB Transcript at the front office, in case he is not available when you come to campus.