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25 Sacred Heart Academy grads earn prestigious IB Diplomas
LOUISVILLE, KY (October 2006) -
Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) received notice from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland, that 25 members of the SHA class of 2006 earned full International Baccalaureate Diplomas. Those IB Diploma recipients are:
These students earned the prestigious IB Diploma by fulfilling the following requirements: following a rigorous curriculum of IB courses over two years, completing and satisfactorily passing 25 hours of international examinations, submitting a variety of other assessments tied to each course, completing a minimum of 150 hours of CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service), and writing a 4000-word extended essay on a topic of their choice under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
One hundred percent of SHA’s May 2006 IB Diploma candidates earned the diploma. This compares to a rate of 81 percent worldwide and 78 percent in the United States. In six years, 134 Sacred Heart Academy graduates have earned IB diplomas for an overall success rate of 96 percent.
In addition, another 65 students from the class of 2006 earned IB Certificates in one or more subject areas.
Sacred Heart Academy was accepted as an International Baccalaureate School in 1998 after a year-long self-study and application process, and is one of only four schools in Kentucky to offer the IB program. Currently, more than 45 percent of the entire student body is involved in the IB or pre-IB program at Sacred Heart Academy.
What is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program?
The IB Diploma Program was created in 1967 to ensure rigorous and consistent standards for secondary school diplomas worldwide. The IB curriculum encourages critical thinking and problem solving along with the study of six traditional disciplines: first or native language; modern foreign language; individuals and societies; experimental sciences; mathematics; and art or an elective.
To fulfill requirements for the diploma, students must complete 150-240 hours of intense classroom study in each of the six disciplines listed above. Each course requires additional work, including projects, analytical writing assignments, portfolios, and oral commentaries. In conjunction with class work and examinations, full diploma candidates must complete the "Theory of Knowledge" which questions what it means to "know" something and links the disciplines together. Diploma candidates also write a 4,000-word independent research paper called an "Extended Essay," investigating a topic of special interest. Finally, they complete 150 hours of the Creativity, Action, and Service (C.A.S.) requirement by participating in such activities as the performing arts, sports, and community service.
Because the standards have been so reliable, an IB diploma carries prestige in academic circles throughout the world. Worldwide, more than 1,000 schools in nearly 100 countries are members of the IB Organization. Students who successfully complete the program receive an internationally-recognized diploma.
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Sacred Heart Academy (SHA), founded in 1877 by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, is a member of Ursuline Campus Schools, and is a college preparatory secondary school for girls. Sacred Heart is the only Catholic high school in Kentucky to offer the International Baccalaureate program, and 99 percent of SHA graduates attend hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. In addition to being a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, SHA celebrates more than 70 state athletic championship titles. In 2006, SHA’s graduating class earned over $9.6 million in college scholarships. The Academy has more than 10,000 alumnae worldwide. http://www.sacredheartacad.com/