EDUCATION ALERT - The UN Ed program (IB) Results in 56% Graduation Rate in Arkansas School and Other Negative Scores

(Note: The documentation is in footnotes)

SB1054 of 2005 allows school districts in Arkansas to substitute the United Nations International Baccalaureate Organization courses (called IB or IBO), for Advanced Placement Classes. This is of great concern to many educators and citizens in Arkansas. We request that the legislators study this program and rescind this action. 1 (Note: Some schools and laws have changed the name and are just using International Studies in order to deceive the people and make them think this is not an IB program. ) To see how one school has done this, see this link:

The International Baccalaureate program has been implemented district wide at Hot Springs, Arkansas (one of three IBO Programs in Arkansas). Hot Springs had their first IB Diploma graduates last year after having the IB program in high school for four years and in the elementary schools for six years. 2

The 2005 Performance Record for Hot Springs (the latest on the ADE website in a form that can easily be accessed) record the negative consequences of this education program on achievement even though Hot Springs spends $8,688 per pupil while the state spends an average of $7,348 per pupil.. 3

Hot Springs has a graduation rate of 56.4%. State average is 81.3% In 2000, before Hot Springs began the IB program, the graduation rate was 83.5% 4

College remediation rate of 67. The state remediation rate is 51.6. In 2002-2003, the year Hot Springs officially started the IB program, their remediation rate was 53.0 5

ACT score in English 17.8 and Mathematics 18.1 (State average is 20.9 and 20.5). In 2002-2003, the year Hot Springs officially implemented High School IB, Hot Spring ACT score in math was 18.5 and English 20.3 6

End of Course Literacy (11th Grade EOC) score was 37 Proficient; state average score is 47 Proficient. Despite the IB program and above average per pupil spending, not even 1% of their students scored Advanced on this test 7.

Their 9th grade Reading score is 41st percentile on the nationally normed test, and the state average is 52. All Nationally normed test scores from 6th grade up are much lower than the state average. 8.

Hot Springs is not making NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and is in Year Two of School Improvement. See link at footnote 8.

Hot Springs does have one school (Park Magnet School) with very good scores; HOWEVER, there are only 12% of the Hot Springs elementary students in that school, and the ratio of whites and minorities is totally out of balance: 75% white and 18% black, or 25% minority and 75% white when you add in the other minorities. Langston Magnet School, the magnet school with the lowest scores has 71% minority and 29% white. The other two schools fall in between these ratios. The following scores in 4th grade benchmark scores are pretty typical of the four magnet schools. Park Magnet School is the designated IB School, also called PYP. 9

Park Magnet (244 students) 97 Proficient or above, State 52 Proficient or above
Gardner Magnet (596 students) 51 Proficient or above, 1 point below state average
Oaklawn Magnet (743 students) 40 Proficient or above, 12 pts below state average
Langston Magnet (457 students) 29 Proficient or above, 23 pts below state average
Link for documentation at Footnote 10

(Note: there are almost twice as many students in the school with score of 23 points below state average than in the school with highest score, Park Magnet School, and almost three times the number of students in the school 12 points below state average than in Park. These scores (representing abilities) and the ratio of minorities to whites would certainly reflect a social caste system. And where is the equitable and adequate education for all!

According to a Hot Springs school official, only 10 to 20% of high school candidates are candidates for their IB Diploma program, so their high school probably falls along similar patterns as the elementary schools. This school official said some of their IB classes were very small, 5 students I think for at least one class which is one of the factors that makes the IB program so expensive. Haven't the legislators said they wanted consolidation in order to cut costs by increasing class size?

For a description of IB, see next posted article. For documentation and this article on line see this link.