Most of these are more freak-outs than questions, as the IB program seems to inspire an unusual degree of freaking out. Let me help soothe you.

Student freaking out: Wait, I got a 13 as my IOP score, but that translates to a 4 on the seven point scale, and I got a B? HELP! I don’t understand the grading scale.

Response: The grading scale is, in fact, rather difficult to comprehend.

It goes like this: An individual assignment gets graded according to the rubric. Most of them are worth 20 or 30 points. Then we translate it into the 7 point scale.

The 7 point scale applies both to your grade in the whole course and to individual assessments. A seven is like holy-cow-you-blew-my-mind-with-your-awesomeness. A 6 is freaking amazing. A 5 is very good, passing at almost every university, and probably equates to an A. A 4 is still a pass, but not a high pass. In the class, it might be a B. Anything lower than a 4 doesn’t pass (although if you get a 3 on individual assignments, you can still pass the class).

You should NOT assume that the grading scale is similar to that of other classes. For example, a 10 out of 20 points on the IOC rubric is only 50%, and students tend to think “Oh my gosh, 50% is an F!!” But a 10 actually passes, and would probably get a B in the class.

Student freaking out: I got a B! My parents are going to kill me! I want to drop IB English so I can get an easy A!

Response: Whoa there, cowboy or cowgirl. Not all your classes are counted this way, but MY class certainly is: a B in my class counts as a 4 on your GPA. So you could get a B in my class and still have a 4.0. An A counts as a 5, so your GPA could actually be HIGHER than 4.0. Plus, when colleges look at your transcript, they want to see that you took the most challenging classes available. A “B” in IB English looks better than an “A” in regular English. And if your parents are freaking out, I suspect talking to me, to Ms. Bell, or to Mr. Peterson might calm them down. Have them make an appointment – we’re happy to explain it.

Student freaking out: Teachers say we’ll get college credit for our classes, but I heard that’s not true!!

Response: Well, it depends on what score you get and what college you attend. A score of “4” or higher in IB English will count at Sac State. Only a score of “5” or higher will count at most of the UCs. Harvard doesn’t give you any credit for any score. If you’re concerned, the best thing you can do is Google. Put in the name of your university and the phrase “IB.” Most of the time, this will help you find their policy. You can also go to this page: http://www.ibo.org/informationfor/students/ and click on “University Recognition.”  There is lots of information available there. http://www.ibo.org/country/US/index.cfm  I clicked on UC Davis and found this, for example:

“Students completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma with a score of 30 or above will receive 30 quarter units (20 semester units) total toward their UC undergraduate degree.

Students completing only IB certificates will be awarded 8 quarter units (51/3 semester units) for each IB Higher Level examination passed with a score of 5 or above. The University does not grant credit for certificates in Standard Level examinations.

Higher Level examinations may be used by UC campuses to satisfy local general education or other major requirements.”

In short, before you listen to rumors your peers are spreading, ask a teacher or look it up.