Explanation of Upper School Grading FAQ

Students graduating from Alcuin School will have the opportunity to earn a combination of an Alcuin School diploma and either an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma or International Baccalaureate^® certificates.  During their freshman and sophomore years, students will complete the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) courses.  Students in their junior and senior years will complete the IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses.  While students are enrolled in their IB courses, they will also be meeting the requirements for an Alcuin School diploma awarded by Alcuin School Board.  International Baccalaureate® diploma or certificates will be awarded by the International Baccalaureate^® Organization and issued by the organizations office in Geneva, Switzerland.  Please refer to the chart below for a side-by-side comparison of these diplomas and certificates.

	Alcuin School Diploma	IB Diploma	IB Certificate
Requirements:	·  26 credits ·  4 English credits ·  3 Mathematics credits ·  3 Science credits ·  3 Individuals and Societies credits ·  2 Physical Education credits ·  2 Language Acquisition credits ·  2 Fine Arts credits ·  7 Additional credits	·  6 IB DP courses – 1 per Group plus 1 Fine Art/Elective ·  3 Higher Level (240 instructional hours) and 3 Standard Level (150 instructional hours) ·  Theory of Knowledge course ·  Extended Essay ·  Creativity Action Service requirements ·  24 total points	·  IB mark of 4 or higher on any IB DP course ·  May earn as many certificates as courses with IB mark of 4 or higher
Awarded by:	Alcuin School Board	International Baccalaureate® Organization, Geneva, Switzerland	International Baccalaureate® Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Notification by:	Alcuin School	International Baccalaureate® Organization, Geneva, Switzerland website through individual and secure student log-in with  scores available about  July 4 following senior year	International Baccalaureate® Organization, Geneva, Switzerland website through individual and secure student log-in with  scores available about  July 4 following senior year
Presented:	May Graduation Ceremonies	Provided to student upon receipt by Alcuin School	Provided to student upon receipt by Alcuin School

Explanation of Grading in Alcuin Upper School

IB Grade Boundaries*	IB Grade	Transcript Grade	MYP ** GPA weight	DP Year 1 GPA weight	DP Year 2 GPA weight
28-32	7	A+	4.5	5.0	5.5
24-27	6	A	4.0	4.5	5.0
19-23	5	B+	3.5	4.0	4.5
15-18	4	B	3.0	3.5	4.0
10-14	3	C+	2.5	3.0	3.5
6-9	2	***	***	***	***
1-5	1	***	***	***	***

*Sum of cumulative criterion scores for A-D in a subject

**Freshman and Sophomore years

***Credit will not be given for these scores. The student will be required to complete a credit recovery plan.

How many high school diplomas can an Alcuin student earn?  A student can earn 2 diplomas:  Alcuin School diploma and International Baccalaureate^® (IB) diploma.  IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses taken in the junior and senior years count toward both diplomas.

What is the transcript?  The transcript is the official record of high school courses completed in Alcuin’s Upper School. 

Is any grade report from Alcuin a transcript?  No, any report with grades prior to Upper School would be a grade report or report card, not a transcript.

What is shown on the Alcuin transcript?

Courses shown on an Alcuin transcript would include:

• IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) courses completed during the student’s freshman and sophomore years and IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses completed during the student’s junior and senior years of Upper School.
• Upper School academic content completed prior to Upper School, such as Algebra I, is noted on the transcript.
• Transfer credit from other high schools is noted on the transcript.
• Grades shown on the transcript are awarded by Alcuin Upper School faculty, not the grade for the course awarded by the IB.

What is shown on an IB transcript?   The Alcuin transcript and the IB transcript are different.  The IB provides to universities a transcript of DP courses and final IB marks.  These would be the courses taken in the student’s junior and senior year.  This transcript goes directly from the IB to universities.  It is not available until July after the student graduates.  It is used to document marks for college credit.  Students have already been admitted to university.

What happens if a student does not earn an IB diploma?  The student would still earn an Alcuin diploma and certificates for every IB course with a grade of 4 or more.  Universities award credit for students with IB certificates.