With Volkswagen just down the road and more than 40 German families at the school, Ooltewah High plans to take its program international.
Principal Mark Bean and his staff are in the planning stages this year to bring an International Baccalaureate program to the high school.
“It’s a natural fit for our curriculum,” said Beverly Hollingsworth, Ooltewah’s IB coordinator.
WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE?Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, International Baccalaureate is a rigorous, internationally recognized curriculum that encourages students to be “active learners.” The IB Diploma Programme, which is what Ooltewah High School is working toward, is normally taught over two years and includes six courses. In addition, the programme has three core requirements:* The extended essay: A requirement for students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects they are studying.* Theory of knowledge: A course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical).* Creativity, action, service: A requirement that students actively learn from the experience of doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Students can combine all three components or do activities related to each one separately.Source: International Baccalaureate Organization
If approved, Ooltewah would be the third Hamilton County school to offer the rigorous, internationally recognized curriculum. Brown Academy is the state’s first elementary IB school, and Signal Mountain Middle School recently was approved to offer the program. Signal Mountain High School is waiting for final approval.