Greeley High presents IB program data and 2026 evaluation timeline to MSAD 51 board

Kim McDonald, the IB diploma program coordinator at Greeley High School, presented the school’s International Baccalaureate program to the MSAD 51 School Board and described participation, performance and the district’s upcoming program evaluation. McDonald said the district has 91 registered candidates for the May session, 11 full diploma candidates and 226 exam subject entries; the average diploma score in May 2024 was 32 out of a possible 45 points.

McDonald walked the board through how the IB diploma works, the six academic groups and the program’s core components (Theory of Knowledge, Creativity-Activity-Service and the Extended Essay). She told the board the district has been an IB World School since 2009 and highlighted that IB graduates tend to show higher rates of college enrollment and persistence nationally. “We’ve been able to keep it around 3,200,” McDonald said of the program’s per-student cost for recent trips and exchanges, noting fundraising and financial-aid options for families.

McDonald outlined the five-year evaluation cycle and specific dates for the next evaluation: a preliminary review due 2026-03-15, a self-study to be completed by 2026-06-01 and a virtual evaluation visit scheduled for September 2026. She said the self-study and program development plan will require participation from teachers, administrators, families and the school board. The presentation included national research cited by the American Council on Education about recommended college credit for IB standard-level scores and a summary of Greeley’s local outcomes, including the school’s high rate of diploma achievement.

Board members asked whether civics is integrated across IB courses and how IB compares to AP; McDonald explained that IB emphasizes an integrated international framework and that AP and IB have comparable rigor but different structures and assessment formats. Students who spoke to the board described personal benefits of IB, including stronger collaboration and preparation for college workloads.

McDonald said the school will reach out to board members to arrange classroom visits so trustees can observe IB instruction in person. The superintendent and board thanked McDonald and the student representatives for the overview. The board did not take formal action on the program during the meeting; McDonald said the administration will return with ongoing updates and to support the evaluation timeline.