Thornton High School (Colorado)

Middle Years Programme

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an educational programme intended for students aged approximately 11 to 16 (grades 6–10 in international schools, the United States, Canada and Australia). Thus, in the United States the programme is often taught throughout the middle school years and the first two years of high school. Typically, middle schools and high schools work in coordination with each other when the programme can not be entirely hosted within one combined school. However, Willams Middle School, in Tampa, Florida, and later, Herbert Ammons Middle School in Miami, Florida, have been granted the authority to host the a full MYP curriculum in only grades 6, 7, and 8. The full programme lasts five years although more limited programmes can be adopted with permission from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Official MYP documentation is available from the IBO in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

The IBO contends that the MYP programme naturally prepares students for the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and there are significant parallels in structure and philosophy.

Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) is an educational programme examined in one of three languages (English, French or Spanish) and is a university entrance course. It is taught in 2,075 schools, often in international schools, in 125 countries (as of 2007). More than half of the schools offering the Diploma Programme are state funded schools. The programme, administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization, is the most widely recognized pre-university educational programme. However, it remains less popular than nationally affiliated preparatory programs in most countries, such as that of the Advanced Placement examination system in the United States, the A-level in the United Kingdom, the HSC (higher school certificate) in Australia or Advanced Highers system in Scotland.