<p>Apparently Virginia colleges will acknowledge IB Standard Level classes for some college credit, comparing it to AP courses. This will be effective starting 7/1/2010. </p>
<p>I hope this means my IB SL Physics score of 6 will help me out :D</p>
<p>A little bit of context: Some schools don't offer any AP classes, instead they insist on the IB diploma. You can only take 3 or 4 IB Higher Level courses, and the rest Standard Level. In some (all?) Virginia schools, IB Standard Level courses in high school didn't immediately give you college credit. This was unfair to those high schools where AP classes were not given, yet the student had a nearly identical syllabus.</p>
<p>I’m not going to wade through the bill at 10 PM on a Sunday night, but I remember when this bill was introduced. The original summary was:
</p>
<p>The final bill sounds a bit more vague:
</p>
<p>Because Virginia has so many IB schools (I’ve read that we’re third in the nation when states are put in order, if that makes sense), I would expect all of the public universities to have policies already in place.</p>
<p>Does this mean that UVa will change its current policy? They had one in place but it only recognized HL courses at a 6 or 7 if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>I don’t know. If the bill has been watered down, as the summary seems to suggest, UVa is already compliant. The bill requires a policy. The College has a policy. </p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that any public school in the Commonwealth is lacking a policy for awarding AP and IB credit because we have so many AP and IB high schools here. I could see a public school in a state that doesn’t have as many IB schools being behind the times, though.</p>
<p>Right now, 4-5 on an AP exam and 5-7 on an HL IB exam get credit here (with the exception of AP Human Geography, which doesn’t get any credit right now).</p>
<p>Is this portion up to date? Or has there been a newer version?</p>
<p>This one mentions both standard and higher level IB courses, and that is the real importance of the bill. </p>
<p>Since this is effective starting July 1, 2010, will UVa offer me (this coming fall) some credit for some courses at UVa for the IB Standard Level classes I have taken?</p>
<p>That quote seems pretty clear that IB SL courses should get the same credit as AP courses. It would be nice to have the final word on this. Mighty important.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I can’t answer these questions with much authority, but my interpretation is the same as guillaume’s if that language is in the final bill.</p>
<p>The Office of Admission doesn’t grant credit, so these questions need to be answered for us by the deans offices in each school within the University. The charts to which I linked will obviously have to be reworked.</p>
<p>ETA: I just looked at the language again and it talks specifically about courses, not about exams. As of right now, AP courses and IB courses are treated equally…no credit is given for either. The exams are the real issue. I’ve already emailed my dean to see if we can get some clarification.</p>
<p>It really doesn’t read that way to me (click on the bill itself…the language is very clear). I think the policies here will be deemed as in compliance because AP and IB courses earn the same amount of credit (none).</p>
<p>If they wanted to make this bill have teeth, I think they would have addressed the exams.</p>
<p>As we have discussed in the past many schools don’t understand the IB. An AP student can take two or three years of a language and then take the AP test and get a ton of credits. An IB student must take 5 years of a Language to be SL only fluent speakers are permitted to take a language at the HL.</p>
<p>If they want to make this bill have teeth they would have studied the rigor of the programs before slapping down some sloppy language.</p>
<p>This new bill requires the Virginia colleges to give
</p>
<p>The word “courses” implies test scores as well. This can be further demonstrated by point #1 in the bill.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>AP courses do in fact receive credit (from the wording of this bill) since it takes into account the examinations. </p>
<p>AP and IB courses must earn similar credit, therefore IB Standard Level “courses” (including examinations) must give college credit if they meet minimum scores. </p>
<p>The wording is consistent and upon closer inspection implies that students with SL courses (with minimum exam scores) should receive college credit by (soon to be) law.</p>
<p>I was an IB diploma recipient. I also took seven AP tests. SL courses are NOT and should NOT be considered on par with AP credits. I just can’t understand why this is a legislative decision, rather than a school-based decision. Talk about overreach of government…</p>
<p>“This was unfair to those high schools where AP classes were not given, yet the student had a nearly identical syllabus.”</p>
<p>Whether or not a school offers AP equivalents of SL/HL courses does not impact whether or not the SL exam is equivalent to the corresponding AP exam. It simply is not. If your school does not offer AP equivalents to IB courses, take the classes in college. Any school that offers IB is not lacking resources and you are certainly not victims of universities out to get you… You just haven’t shown formidable scores on EQUIVALENT exams.</p>
<p>(This is coming from someone who received the IB diploma and took every corresponding AP test. The HL exams are more difficult than AP tests, for sure. The SL exams are significantly less difficult than the AP counterparts.)</p>
<p>The bill requires a policy. It does not seem to require credit.</p>
<p>
I’m not involved in granting credit here (that’s done by your individual schools) and I’d rather make you all happy than disappoint you, but I don’t think this bill requires anything that isn’t being done already. </p>
<p>I have a little experience watching the legislative process in the Commonwealth and reading the language of these bills. I have to imagine that the weakening of the bill was a calculated first step.</p>
<p>
This is an opinion that I have heard for years. It seems to make sense that the two top scores on the AP exams get credit while the top three scores on the HL exams get credit.</p>