Considering the IB Diploma Programme?

Information for Current Middle School Students, Freshmen, Sophomores and Parents
Students who study languages and/or music will have very little, if any opportunity to take additional electives
until the senior year at Dexter High School (DHS) whether or not the student is considering the Diploma
Programme. The state of Michigan and Dexter High School have requirements that must be fulfilled in order to
graduate. They include:
4 credits of English
4 credits of Math which must include Algebra 2
3 credits of Science: Biology, Chemistry or Physics and an elective (Earth Science at DHS)
3 credits of Social Studies: American History, World History, US Government (1 semester) and
Economics (1 semester)
2 credits of a World Language
1 credit of Visual, Performing, or Applied Arts (VPA)
0.5 credit each of Lifetime Fitness, Health and Wellness, and a Physical Education Elective (DHS)
Here's what your freshman schedule will look like depending upon whether or not you are a music student and
when you take your two years of required World Language:
And here's your sophomore year:
As you can see, language and music students have no room for anything other than the required courses and
music.
The state of Michigan will allow us to use a Personal Curriculum to modify some graduation requirements for
students who are pursuing rigorous, university preparatory courses like IB. We can supplant those courses to
fulfill the graduation requirements for:
1 credit of Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts
0.5 credit of Health and Wellness
0.5 credit of Economics
and Dexter High School will wave the 0.5 credit Physical Education elective for IB Diploma candidates. You
must take or receive credit for American Government and Lifetime Fitness.
*Additionally, the IB World History HL course meets Michigan's graduation requirement for World History, so
if you intend to take IB World History as a junior, you need not take World History as a sophomore. This will
open up one hour each semester to take other graduation requirements like American Government and Lifetime
Fitness.
In order to be best prepared to enter the Diploma Progamme as a junior, you should consider:
! Beginning the study of French or Spanish as an 8
th
grader or taking Accelerated French or
Spanish 1 and 2 during your freshmen and sophomore years. This will prepare you for the IB Standard
Level French or Spanish course. If you have not completed level 3 or the Accelerated language classes
by the start of your junior year, you will take French ab initio as an IB Diploma Candidate.
! Be sure to complete American Government and Lifetime Fitness before the start of the junior
year. You can take the classes at DHS, online, during the summer (usually at Pioneer), or successfully
test out of one or both of them. All other extraneous graduation requirements can be fulfilled with the
use of the Personal Curriculum, but these two cannot.
! When honors, accelerated, advanced or extra options are available, take them. You want to begin
to develop a questioning intellect, learn to think critically, and analyze situations and events from
different perspectives.
! Work on mastering time management, organizational skills, working efficiently, and prioritizing
your obligations. These are life skills that are crucial to success in the IB Diploma Programme.