International Baccalaureate Program

International Baccalaureate Program

Palm Harbor University High School 1900 Omaha Street
Palm Harbor, Florida 34683
phone: (727) 669-1131
FAX: (727) 725-7936

Welcome to the Palm Harbor University High School International Baccalaureate Program website! Your interest in our program has led you to our website which we hope does two things:

First, it answers some of the general questions you have about the IB program and how we implement the IB at Palm Harbor;
Second, we hope that the information that you glean here will lead you to contact us to further explore your educational opportunities with us.

We also encourage our current students to visit this website regularly to connect to the links that our teachers have created to assist students in following their course syllabi.

The IB Program at Palm Harbor University High School continues to be among the leading programs in the world based upon the number of IB diplomas earned by our seniors. In the class of 2011, 93% earned the IB diploma at PHUHS. Our graduates have consistently been ranked among the best in North America for IB Programs with greater than 60 diploma candidates. Each year our graduates are accepted to the most competitive and prestigious colleges, universities, and military academies in the United States and abroad; however, most will pursue their undergraduate degrees in-state, taking advantage of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

Palm Harbor University High School has an enrollment of approximately 2,600 students, and the IB Program, which has 540 students, operates as a school within a school. The IB students share elective classes with their peers in the traditional program and the Center for Wellness and Medical Professions, as well as participate in the athletic and varied extracurricular activities offered to all the PHUHS students. The academics, however, are taught exclusively in the Pre-Diploma classes for grades 9 and 10, and then in the IB Program for grades 11 and 12.

We hope that you find our website informative and up-to-date. Please feel free to contact either Dr. Corace or me for more information about the IB Program at Palm Harbor University High School at 727-669-1131.

Sincerely yours,

Christen Tonry

Principal

TonryC@pcsb.org

Welcome to our web site!

On the followin web pages, we'll introduce our IB program and explore our curriculum. The purpose of this web site is to help you to make informed decisions about course selections in the IB program. We hope that you can more easily understand the differences between the Standard and Higher Level version of each subject.

Your academic coach is prepared to help you through this process.

We encourage you to share this information with your parents.

Our International Baccalaureate Program is a rigorous pre-university course of studies, leading to examinations, that meets the needs of highly motivated secondary school students in grades 11 and 12. Designed as a comprehensive two-year curriculum that allows its graduates to fulfill requirements of various national education systems, the International Baccalaureate diploma model is based upon the pattern of no single country but incorporates the best elements of many. Our program is available in English, French and Spanish. In Pinellas County, a carefully designed Pre-Diploma curriculum (grades 9 and 10) precedes the two year IB curriculum.

International curriculum planners seek to ensure that the organization's educational aims are embodied in the structure and content of the programme itself. The means to achieving the diploma is displayed in the shape of a hexagon with six academic areas surrounding the core. Subjects are studied concurrently and students are exposed to the two great traditions of learning - the humanities and the sciences.

Diploma candidates are required to select one subject from each of the six subject groups. At least three and not more than four are taken at the higher level (HL), the others at standard level (SL). HL courses represent 240 teaching hours, SL courses cover 150 hours. By arranging work in this fashion, students are able to explore some subjects in depth and some more broadly over the two year period (11th & 12th grades); this is a deliberate compromise between the early specialization preferred in some national systems and the breadth found in others.

Distribution requirements ensure that the science-oriented student is challenged to learn a foreign language and that the natural linguist becomes familiar with laboratory procedures. While overall balance is maintained, flexibility in choosing higher level concentrations allows the student to pursue areas of personal interest and to meet special requirements for university entrance.

There are currently more than 843,000 students in 3,020 participating IB schools in 139 nations worldwide.

This web site is a terrific way to access the information you need about our school, as well as serving as an educational resource. Whether you're currently enrolled or just curious about what we have to offer, you're sure to find a wealth of helpful information.