Students entering high school have the choice to pick not only different courses but also the programs they want to enroll in. Before we get into the specifics, we would first like to reassure you that it is very unlikely you will make any fatal mistakes in Grade 10 course selection.
The choices you make now are indeed important. However, keep in mind that there are not too many choices you have to decide on in Grade 10, and there are teachers who go through course requests to ensure you have made good choices.
In addition, you can change most of your choices given that there is room available for the course you want to switch into. We still want to eliminate any additional work you do by helping you make good choices the first time.
All public school in Calgary offer the regular Alberta curriculum. However, there are a few that offer the IB program as an option as well. The IB program is an alternate program that allows students to challenge themselves and take on a harder high school course load. IB courses are usually harder than regular Alberta courses in two areas:
There is a larger volume of deeper concepts students must learn in a shorter period.
The workload is larger and can be stressful.
Within the IB program, there are also two options: full IB or partial IB. Full IB is a diploma program that requires you to take all core courses in IB, in addition to writing essays and completing CAS (reflection on extracurricular activities and social involvement) and TOK (a half-semester course analyzing how you think and learn).
Note that if you do not know whether IB is the right program for you, you can always try it out. You will have multiple chances to switch to the Alberta curriculum in most schools. Regardless of whether you decide to stick through with it, it is nevertheless a life changing experience that teaches you very valuable thinking skills and work habits. It will also prepare you for the heavy workload in university.
Following are various differences in requirements as well as the pros and cons of the Alberta program, Partial IB, and Full IB:
Depth of Learning
Alberta: Learn Alberta curriculum only.
Partial and Full IB: Learn both Alberta and IB curriculum.
High School Graduation
Alberta: Upon completion, you will receive the Alberta high school diploma.
Partial IB: Upon completion, you will receive the Alberta high school diploma and the IB certificate for courses you took in IB.
Full IB: Upon completion, you will receive the Alberta high school diploma and the IB diploma.
Workload
Alberta: You are required to complete in class work, assignments, and evaluations. You will also be required to complete CALM (career and life management).
Partial IB: In addition to what is required by Alberta-1, you will also be required to write Internal Assessments for the subjects you are taking in IB.
Full IB: In addition to what is required by Alberta-1 and by Partial IB, you will also be required to complete CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service), TOK (course that reflects on learning and thinking skills as well as perception of knowledge and the world) and a 4000 word Extended Essay.
University Applications
Alberta: Apply to universities within Canada.
Partial IB: Apply to universities within Canada with two options: your IB mark or your standardized Alberta mark*.
Full IB: Apply to universities within Canada with two options: your IB mark or your standardized Alberta mark*. Apply to universities outside of Canada with your IB mark.
*Your school transcript does not show that you are in IB. If you do not do well in IB, you can simply use your Alberta mark to apply. Universities generally recognize that IB is a more challenging program and students will be awarded for using their IB mark to some extent.
Expected Grades and Marks
Alberta: Your mark is made up of class assignments, evaluations, and the final exam. It is harder to get 100 percent because it means that you cannot make many mistakes throughout your courses.
Partial and Full IB: Your mark is made up of class assignments, evaluations, and the final exam. The marks that you receive are generally going to be lower than what you would get in a regular class. This is usually compensated with standardization, where teachers raise your mark manually to what they think you would get in a regular class.
Standardization differs between subjects and teachers. An example of standardization in Math 10 Pre-IB is a 96 gets standardized to 100, a 70 gets standardized to 90. Courses get harder and thus standardization tends to increase as you move to the 20 and 30 level.
Class Atmosphere
Alberta: This is a less competitive environment where curricular expectations are not as great.
Partial and Full IB: Students are much more committed to their academic and also try to be more involved in extracurriculars and programs not related to academics. Students generally have a stronger work ethic. Students may also be more competitive due to standardization causing students' marks being dependent on how they perform relative to their peers. Students develop stronger organizational skills and better work habits.