After receiving authorization from the International Baccalaureate (IB) governing body, St. Andrew’s School will now offer the IB diploma programme to all students in grades 11 and 12. 

IB is a renowned, research-based curriculum framework offered at more than 5,000 schools in 150 countries. IB Schools share a common philosophy — a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programs of international education.

“The IB program aligns perfectly with St. Andrew’s commitment to offer an educational experience that emphasizes both academic mastery and personal growth — asking students to think critically about why they learn, what they learn, and how they learn,” said St. Andrew’s Head of School David Tinagero. “We are very excited to be offering this amazing, research-based curriculum to our students.”

St. Andrew’s is also currently a candidate school for the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for grades 6 through 10 and is piloting courses for this program. The school aims to become a fully authorized IB World School during the 21-22 academic year. St. Andrew’s is one of only two schools in Rhode Island that offer the IB Diploma Program — and once it achieves MYP authorization will be the only independent school in the state to offer the IB program in the middle school grades. 

St. Andrew’s academic program is distinctive in that the school has an “open access” approach to IB, with all students in all grades learning within the IB curriculum, rather than it being a specialized program for a select group. This includes students who receive learning services at St. Andrew’s, who will receive the tailored support they need to fully access the IB program, said Alexandra McMullen, St. Andrew’s assistant head of school for academics. 

“With its intentionally inclusive approach to learning, IB supports the potential of students who thrive on intellectual challenge, as well as those who need more academic support,” Ms. McMullen said. “All students will learn within this innovative inquiry- and project-based curriculum, but each learner can choose whether or not they wish to pursue an IB diploma and take on the additional coursework that this entails.”

Students who opt to pursue an IB Diploma, in addition to the St. Andrew's diploma that all graduates receive, will sit for assessments that are externally marked by the IB. Similar to Advanced Placement tests, success in the IB assessments often results in advanced standing, course credit, scholarships, and other admissions related benefits at many universities.

Building on a 128-year-old tradition

St. Andrew’s school is a nondenominational day and boarding school founded in 1893 as an orphanage. Since then, it has evolved from an industrial and farm school in the early part of the 20th century to a school focused on students with learning disabilities in the 1970s and 80s to its present-day focus on college preparation for a diverse range of learners.

Despite the changes over the years, St. Andrew’s has stayed true to its mission of providing a tailored and balanced education to every student the school serves, said Mr. Tinagero.

“We are incredibly excited at the prospect of offering an IB education to St. Andrew’s students. This is a new direction for us that offers an extraordinary opportunity for our entire school community while reaffirming our 128-year-old tradition of educating and empowering students one remarkable mind at a time.”