Parent hopes to nix IB program

Friday, December 10, 2010

BEDFORD – A local woman is challenging the high school’s International Baccalaureate program, geared for advanced students, and hopes to have it scrapped from the district budget, despite some disagreement from School Board members.

Ann Marie Banfield, of Bedford, wrote to the school district twice this year to distribute material to parents of students about the pitfalls of the IB program, but the district has a policy against handing out any sort of information. Instead, the school board recommended that Banfield bring her concerns before the curriculum committee so the program can be re-evaluated.

There will be a meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 where the curriculum committee will make its recommendation to the School Board regarding the program.

Banfield said her biggest problem with the program is the “constructivist approach” in the classroom, where kids are often required to take it upon themselves to ask questions or do research in order to learn the material.

“Many studies say this puts students at a disadvantage,” Banfield said. “The average students gets extremely frustrated by that process.”

But Cindy Chagnon, vice chair of the Bedford School Board, said she was “very much in favor” of the IB program.

“It’s such an asset to the curriculum that kids can think deeper and research deeper and understand the world a little better,” she said. “I don’t really quite understand what’s bad about it.”

At Bedford High School, students who want to participate in the IB program have two options. They can choose to be fully immersed in the IB’s diploma program, where students take six courses over their junior and senior years, write a 4,000-word essay on individual research and complete 120 hours of community service.

Students can also take a certificate course, where they take anywhere from one to four courses and could potentially receive college credit.

Chagnon said one male student who graduated after completing the IB diploma program received sophomore status when he enrolled in college.

She said 65 percent of juniors and seniors are enrolled in at least one IB course at Bedford High School.

“Many people at colleges are impressed that we’re an IB school,” Chagnon said. “It’s newer in New England, but it puts high expectations on students. They have to come up with the concepts and plan it themselves.”

Chagnon said the only other school in New Hampshire that has an IB program is New Hampton School, an independent boarding school for grades 9-12 in New Hampton, but the Merrimack Valley School District is also considering it.

There are significant costs associated with the program, however, including a part-time position for an IB coordinator who organizes the program and professional development for staff.

Last year, the program cost for Bedford High School was $43,600. Banfield said the program is a waste of taxpayer money and the Bedford Taxpayers Association is on her side. But her views appear to be the minority opinion.

“She’s really the only person that has vocally had an issue with IB,” said Terry Wolf, chair of the School Board.

Wolf said the IB program was the only topic that was unanimously agreed to by the district when it was first reviewed in 2006 and there were no public concerns when the program was approved in February 2007.

“A lot of the reasons we put it into place have not changed,” Wolf said. “The thing with IB is that students can develop the skills they need to be competitive and prepare for the workload they’ll receive when they get to college. It’s incredibly rigorous, but it also helps them stand out on their college applications because colleges understand the level of work they put forward.”

Banfield admitted that the students “seem to like” the IB program for the challenges it poses, but she countered that there are other ways to spark students’ efforts. She suggested the Advanced Placement program, which is more popular in schools, costs less and lacks the “political baggage” that the IB program carries, she said.

The IB program is part of the non-governmental organization UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and Banfield said the United Nations agenda “does not always coincide with the U.S. agenda.”

It also doesn’t teach enough about American history, she said.

“The political aspects are extremely concerning,” she said.

Cameron Kittle can be reached at 594-6523 or ckittle@nashuatelegraph.com.