The incorporation of the international baccalaureate in magnet schools in the united states: Survival strategies of low performing schools

This paper considers why the International Baccalaureate - a prestigious international education program - is currently being incorporated into magnet schools in the United States. Since the mid-1980s, when school choice policy took root the number of magnet schools climbed and a growing number of them incorporated the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in order to improve the results of schools’ scores. However, the strategy selected, namely, the mode of integration of the IB programme into the school differs from school to school depending on the state and district policies and the characteristics of the school. Three schools’ strategies representing emblematic cases are presented: “the DP - the school’s crème de la crème”, “Improving all students’ scores through the DP” and “The DP - a school within a school.” These case studies reflect clearly the impact of neoliberal policies based on standards, testing, assessments and accountability on high schools.