Welcome, current parents of the Middle Years Programme at Meade High School. Below we have complied Frequently Asked Questions from the parents and students of our community. Below you can find additional information. 

What makes MYP different?

In the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, students enroll in six to eight required MYP subjects (additional information is included in the course overviews). For each of these subjects, teachers plan units of inquiry that allow students to not just explore the facts about the content, but additionally to explore big ideas about the world important to the content. Additionally, teachers collaboratively design authentic assessments, typically projects or performance-based assessments, which have connections to situations in which they might find themselves in real life. MYP rubrics, which honor individual development over class achievement, are used to assess student work. We focus on international-mindedness, which beyond exploring other countries and ways of life includes deepening understanding of global perspectives. Additionally, methodology teachers use to teach within a unit includes more inquiry approaches, allowing for student-centred approaches in place of traditional models.

Isn't the IB programme an 11th and 12th grade programme for which you have to apply?

Here at Meade High School we have three authorized IB programmes. The IB Diploma Programme and the Career Related Programme are our 11th and 12th grade programmes; to learn more, please use the sidebar to visit our pages specific to those programmes. In 2008 we received recognition as an IB Middle Years Programme and enter into intensive evaluation every five years to ensure our practices are in-line with IB expectations. Every student enrolled in 9th and 10th grades are automatically part of the Middle Years Programme, which is an inclusive programme offered in all subjects. Teachers in those subjects have received both in-house and IB-official training. 

How will my son or daughter be graded in the MYP?

For almost all graded assignments in eight subjects most projects and tests, students will be graded on an MYP rubric. While these are provided to us from IB, teachers can adapt them to make rubrics specific to the task students are completing. The rubrics provide feedback to students; since they are accustomed to the rubrics in each class and they do not change over the two years at Meade, it allows them to see their own growth in each subject. Recently while the MYP coordinator visited classes, she saw students in Language Acquisition: Spanish receive the rubric printed on the corner of the page. Since this was a class of mostly 10th graders, the teacher reviewed the expectations and reminded students how to achieve at a high level for this particular task. Within Brightspace, our learning management system, students can find rubrics attached to the electronic assignments they complete. 

Though the rubrics used may be different from a traditional grade, teachers must report grades in alignment with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools grading policy. Currently, teachers use the MYP conversion chart to convert the rubric scores earned into percentage grades. Depending on which class your child is enrolled, these may show up in PowerSchool as percentage scores of MY scores.

Is the personal project required for every student?

The personal project is the capstone project for all students in grade 10. It is an opportunity for students to put into practice all of the skills they have learned over the course of the programme. The personal project is an exciting opportunity for all Meade High School students to pursue a topic of interest about which they are passionate. As an IB World School, the personal project is the only way that all students will satisfy the service learning graduation requirement set forth by AACPS and the state of Maryland. Additional information can be found on our personal project page https://www.aacps.org/Page/6136 and by contacting your school-based IB MYP Coordinator, Ms. Chaudoin at cchaudoin@aacps.org.