Entering an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in a student’s junior year of high school could be seen by some as a daunting task, considering it is a demanding pre-university course of study.
The IB Diploma Program is a highly respected, highly credible, complete educational program that prepares students for success beyond the classroom and is recognized by the world's leading colleges and universities. The IB courses offer a college-level curriculum at the high school level.
“The IB Diploma Program is aligned with the district's Portrait of a Graduate, developing the international mindedness and academic preparedness of the 21st century learner that will be expected of this generation of graduates,” Humble ISD IB Coordinator Rene Lane said.
The IB Diploma Program is a two-year program that students entering the 11th grade across Humble ISD could transfer into and be in for the final two years of high school. Students outside of Humble ISD could also transfer into the district for the program as well.
Last year, there were 193 junior and senior students in the IB Program at Humble High School.
Lane was finding that many 10th graders across Humble ISD, and even outside the district, were either unaware of the IB Diploma Program option or anxious about the challenging curriculum.
So, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, an IB Pathway Cohort has been expanded from a pilot program into a full-fledged program serving as an option for 9th and 10th grade students across Humble ISD. This cohort acts as a direct pathway to the IB Diploma Program in the 11th and 12th grade housed at Humble High School.
“The 9th/10th grade IB cohorts will function much like the Diploma Candidates - they will take IB-specific advanced core classes, participate in service projects, and get involved in clubs and organizations that appeal to them,” Lane said. “The 9th grade classes are also intentional in building a close-knit community that ideally will build over their four years in the program.”
The IB Pathway Cohort was introduced in the 2022-2023 school year as a pilot program. The inaugural cohort had 25 freshman students, all from middle schools in the Humble High School feeder pattern. All students were enrolled in AVID.
This past summer, Lane said they received more than 80 applications from all middle schools in Humble ISD by incoming ninth graders for the program. Of those, 61 students from eight different middle schools across Humble ISD – Atascocita, Autumn Ridge, Humble, Kingwood, Riverwood, Timberwood, Woodcreek and West Lake – entered this school year as a part of the 2023-2024 IB Cohort.
“I have an immense amount of pride when I see the impact the IB Cohort is making,” Humble ISD Advanced Learning Lead Coordinator Christie Huseman said. “Rene Lane, the HHS IB Coordinator, and Dr. Matthew Willis, the HHS Advanced Learning Administrator, have worked extremely hard to create access and opportunity through the IB Cohort. It also confirms for us what has driven our passion and commitment to the IB Cohort, which is the fact that HHS IB is a pillar of educational excellence. I am looking forward to seeing the success that comes from bringing students from across the district together at Humble High School.
With the completion of the Advanced Academics wing of Humble High School last year, Lane and Humble High School Principal Dairus Cosby, Advanced Academics Principal Dr. Matthew Willis, Humble ISD Assistant Superintendent of High Schools Trey Kraemer, and the Humble ISD Advanced Learning and Services Department believed it was time to expand this new cohort.
“In conjunction with increasing our dual credit and OnRamps participation, we wanted to meet an original dream by creating a districtwide IB program,” Humble High School Assistant/ Advanced Academics Principal Dr. Matthew Willis said. “We have representation from several middle schools throughout the district this year and our goal is to double our district participation. The IB program is a true value to our community by providing students with a rigorous global approach, preparing them for university, and driving student learning to think more critically to help solve some of the world's most complex problems. We look forward to what the future holds for all students in the district.”
Huseman added: “My hope for the IB Cohort is to provide students from across the district access to one of the most sought-after college preparatory experiences available in K-12 education. HHS IB has a history of helping students expand their potential and I cannot wait to watch more stories of students unfold.”
Learn More about the IB Pathway Program and IB Diploma Program