By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
College hopefuls who are looking for a more rigorous academic program will be in luck next fall. Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School will become the second area high school to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Starting in September 2020, students in 11th and 12th at the private Catholic high school in Syracuse will be able to take IB classes.
Principal Leo Cosgrove and IB Program Coordinator Ann Day have been working for the last two years to bring IB certification to Bishop Ludden. Both Cosgrove and Day previously worked at Corcoran High School, which is the only other school in Onondaga County that offers an IB diploma.
“When I came on board, the board wanted Ludden known as a college prep school,” said Cosgrove, who is in his third year as Ludden principal. “You’re going to pay tuition at Bishop Ludden. What do we have that’s different from public schools?”
“If I could wave a magic wand and wind the hands of time back, I would be an IB student … because that’s the kind of educational experience I would want,” Day said.
Cosgrove said the Ludden community is excited about “the rigor that IB brings.” The IB curriculum helps high schoolers practice the kind of organization, time management, writing and critical thinking skills that will be expected of them in college.
“It’s a rehearsal for college … under the careful guidance of a teacher who knows your name and won’t let you walk off a cliff. Colleges are happy to take your tuition money and let you fail,” Day said. “For me, the beauty of the IB Diploma Programme is students for their entire junior and senior year are stepping up their game under a school that cares about them.”
An IB diploma can translate to as many as two semesters’ worth of college credit at some institutions.
“Some colleges will confer sophomore status to IB graduates,” Day said.
The two-year IBDP requires students to take classes in English language and literature, world languages, social studies, math, science and the arts. Some of these courses are available in “standard level” or “higher level.” In addition, IB diploma candidates must complete an extended essay (up to 4,000 words), theory of knowledge and CAS (creativity, activity, service). Students keep a journal to record their CAS endeavors.
“Years ago, we had a kid who was the quarterback of the football team. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone: We got him into the school play because he needed to fulfill the creativity requirement,” Cosgrove said.
The diversity of the IB core curriculum allows high schoolers to figure out their interests and strengths before college.
“You as a 14- or 15-year-old don’t know what your strengths are,” Day said.
While the IBDP is strenuous for the students who are taking the courses, the application process for a school is just as rigorous. Bishop Ludden had to meet an exhaustive list of requirements, including extensive teacher training and buy-in from parents, students and staff.
Representatives from IB conducted two site visits and interviewed members of the Ludden community. They submitted reports to IB about Ludden’s strengths and weaknesses.
“To keep this as objective as possible, the people who do the site visit don’t make the decision — they just fill out the grocery list,” Day said. “They had quite a few commendations for us, which was a surprise because they’re paid to find fault.”
The second site visit took place Oct. 17 and 18. Bishop Ludden addressed two minor concerns about exam storage security and staff training, and the school received word Oct. 29 that its IB status had been greenlit. Cosgrove and Day were over the moon.
Day and Cosgrove emphasized that Ludden students will have the choice of taking a few IB courses, pursuing the full two-year IBDP or taking standard courses. In the future, the school might make IB English the standard course option for all high schoolers.
“IB is not for brilliant students. IB is for students who are motivated,” Day said.
“Some kids may say, ‘I don’t want any.’ Some may want to take just a couple classes, but kids we feel are prepared for it, we’re going to push. [It says,] ‘I’m willing to stretch myself academically,’” Cosgrove said. “I would say almost all the kids here could do it if they choose to.”
This year’s 10th-graders are eligible to start the IBDP next year. There are 44 sophomores at Ludden, and Cosgrove said the goal is to put 25 to 30 of those students through the IBDP.
To learn more about International Baccalaureate, visit ibo.org. For more information about the IBDP at Bishop Ludden, contact the admissions office at 315-579-0086.