Established in 1968, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) was the creation of English and French teachers at the International School of Geneva.  As the IB Diploma Program grew in popularity, its umbrella organization--the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)--was initially funded by Unesco, the 20th Century Fund, and the Ford Foundation. IBO eventually gained the support of governments and began to charge registration fees in 1977.   In return for the registration fee, IBO helps schools to implement its programs, offers training workshops and support for teachers, and manages a system of external examinations for IB Diploma candidates.

The IB Diploma Program (grades 11 & 12) consists of a common pre-university curriculum and a common set of external exams for students in schools throughout the world.  The Diploma Program seeks to provide students with an international education that encourages an understanding and appreciation of other cultures and societies.   The IB Diploma Program is authorized in over 1,500 schools in 122 countries throughout the world.

South St. Paul Public Schools has successfully administered the IB Diploma Program since 1986.  In 2004, the School Board voted to adopt the IB Program district-wide (K-12).  With the addition of the Primary Years Program (PYP grades K-6) and the Middle Years Program (MYP grades 7-10)  South St. Paul Public Schools became the first school district in the State of Minnesota to have a comprehensive K-12 IB program. 
 
The IB Primary Years Program (PYP) and the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) are specifically designed for all students.  The focus of the IB curriculum is cross-disciplinary and is based on the inquiry method of instructional practice. IB is not a gifted education program, but it does provide a model for high standards in education for all students. The PYP and MYP programs provide an educational framework based on what is currently known about how students learn and draw upon best practices for teaching and learning.  Through the IB Program, all students are invited to discover for themselves that learning can be an exciting, challenging, and rewarding process of exploring the world around us.

The IB Learner Profile is a collection of attributes that best describes the internationally-minded, lifelong learners we seek to develop through our three IB programs.  It is not intended to be a profile of the perfect student, but instead, a roadmap in pursuit of lifelong 21st Century learning.  Lifelong learning is the voluntary, lifelong, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons.  The Learner Profile places the student at the heart of IB programs and focuses attention on the processes and the outcomes of learning.

Diploma Program Coordinator:
Mr. Conrad Anderson
canderson@sspps.org or (651) 457-9454

MYP Program Coordinator:
Ms. Mellisa Miller
mmiller@sspps.org or (651) 552-5569

PYP Coordinator/Technology Integration:
Ms. Dana Dvorak
ddvorak@sspps.org or (651) 451-9260  

PYP Coordinator/Academics:
Ms. Nancy Gerber
ngerber@sspps.org or (651) 457-9426