TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School district debuted the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Temple High School in 1992. Almost 30 years later, it is still going strong and is fed by a Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme, that were added at Scott Elementary and Travis Science Academy respectively.
The IB programmes encourage students to think critically, develop a strong sense of inquiry and make connections across different content areas, cultures and ideologies. All three district programmes underwent a rigorous recertification process this year and each received multiple commendations from the IB recertification teams and retained their “IB World School” designations.
The Diploma Programme has attracted some of the brightest of Temple High School’s upperclassmen for decades and continues to offer students an opportunity to challenge themselves academically through the rigorous coursework IB has to offer. By earning an IB diploma, and meeting certain thresholds on their IB exams, graduates can earn up to 24 college credit hours.
Unlike the Diploma Program at Temple High School, which students opt into, the Primary and Middle Year Programmes are embedded campus wide. Every student on those campuses has the opportunity to participate in those programs.
Lisa Adams, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, oversees the IB programmes and she thinks that the post-secondary success of IB graduates is directly correlated with these programs. Diploma Programme students from the class of 2021 plan to attend colleges and universities across the country next year such as the U.S. Naval Academy, Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Pomona College as well as the flagship universities in Texas.
“As the only district in Central Texas to offer a K-12 IB experience, we have seen first-hand how this investment makes a difference in the lives of our students,” Adams said to the board of trustees earlier this month when she notified them of the recertification results. “And we are immensely proud of the staff members at our IB campuses who go above and beyond to foster curiosity, diversity, and a love for learning for our students.”