New State Legislation Ensures CPS Students Receive College Credit for IB Achievement

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Education

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced that as a result of new legislation standardizing credit policies at Illinois colleges and universities, CPS students who have achieved a passing score on International Baccalaureate (IB) exams will now receive college credit at all public post-secondary institutions in Illinois. As the nation’s largest IB network, this new state policy will reduce the cost of college for CPS students and create more opportunities for them to earn credits toward their college degree while still in high school.

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Education

The passage of this legislation was due in large part to CPS teachers who helped raise awareness of this issue and build support in Springfield for legislation. CPS teachers and IB coordinators David Gregg (Senn High School) and Jessica Stephenson (Prosser Career Academy) recognized the impact of IB’s rigorous coursework for their students, and took it upon themselves to ensure that students were rightfully credited for the coursework, just like they are for AP coursework. Previously, colleges and universities maintained their own credit policies, which often did not provide college credit to students who received passing scores on IB exams. Under the new law, students and families will benefit from a standardized policy at all Illinois institutions, encouraging high-performing students to attend college in state and reducing the cost of college for students who demonstrated success on IB exams. CPS currently offers IB programs at 22 high schools across the District: Amundsen, Back of the Yards, Bogan, Bronzeville Scholastic Institute, Clemente, Curie Metropolitan, Farragut, Hubbard, Hyde Park Academy, Juarez, Kelly, Kennedy, Lincoln Park, Morgan Park, Ogden International School of Chicago, Prosser, Schurz, Senn, South Shore International, Steinmetz Academic Centre, Taft, and Washington high schools. CPS also offers IB programs at 21 elementary schools across the District.

Comments are closed.