Julie H Wade and Natalie L Wolanin
This study examined the impact of participation in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) on high school course enrollment and student achievement. The study used data collected in a large, socio-economically diverse school district in the United States. The samples of MYP and non-MYP students were matched on student demographic variables (such as gender, race/ethnicity, family income and English proficiency), using propensity score matching to control for selection bias into the programme. The researchers used logistic regression analyses to examine the effect of MYP enrollment on outcomes of interest. Findings indicated that students previously enrolled in the MYP were 34% more likely to take at least one Advanced Placement or IB Diploma Programme (DP) exam in high school. Moreover, MYP enrollment significantly increased the likelihood of achieving at least one “college-ready” score on a college preparatory exam (by 39%). Former MYP and non-MYP students took on average a similar number of DP courses. For students who took at least one DP exam, former MYP students earned more scores of 4 or higher, compared with their non-MYP counterparts.
