Hoover High School to Become Home for IB Diploma Programme at DMPS

A major development is in store for Hoover High School as it prepares to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Students will be able to take part in this internationally recognized educational program with the start of the 2019-20 school year.

“I believe that bringing the IB Diploma Programme to Hoover will energize the learning experience for all of our students,” said Sherry Poole, principal of Hoover High School. “As we fully invest in a 9-12 IB high school, I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the staff, students, and stakeholders through this journey that will allow us to live out our mission statement: we are a community of reflective global citizens who create positive change in the world.”

The IB Diploma Programme is designed as an academically challenging and balanced program of education with final examinations that prepare high school juniors and seniors for success in college and life beyond. The program is normally taught over two years, and has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading colleges and universities. The IB Diploma Programme at Hoover High School will be open to students from all DMPS high schools. Students will have the opportunity to experience the program by co-enrolling at Hoover High School for 11th and 12th grade, while still maintaining a relationship with their “home” high school for sports, activities, and ceremonies.

“The importance of an IB education is in the focus of developing global minded citizens that can impact the world around them in a positive way, through the power of education,” noted Jeremy Morrow, a parent and science teacher at Hoover. “The IB diploma program supports Hoover’s current IB program for grades 9-10, and will offer students a 4 year, high school IB experience. The program offers a level of rigor that is highly regarded by colleges and universities around the world, but more importantly supports our overall mission of IB for all.

Des Moines Public Schools was the first school district in Iowa to offer International Baccalaureate programs, currently at ten schools serving both the elementary and secondary grade levels.

DMPS has offered the IB diploma since 2008 at Central Academy. However, because Central Academy is a magnet school as well as one of the nation’s top Advanced Placement programs, interest and participation in the IB diploma program remained small. Fewer than 100 students completed the diploma program during that time.

Offering the IB diploma at Hoover High School will bring many benefits to the program, including:

  • Hoover is already an authorized International Baccalaureate World School offering the Middle Years Programme for students in grades 9-10. Meredith Middle School, which is physically attached to Hoover, offers the IB MYP program to students in grades 6-8. This creates an International Baccalaureate campus, and a culture to attract more students to the IB diploma program.
  • Hoover is highly representative of the diverse demographics of DMPS. This will lead to a more diverse student body being able to take advantage of the offerings of the IB diploma program, consistent with both the school district’s and the International Baccalaureate Organization’s focus on educational equity.
  • Hoover currently offers strong Career & Technical course options, which makes the eventual inclusion of the IB Career-Related Programme a future possibility for the school to offer.

“Bringing the diploma program to Hoover is a natural fit,” added Sarah Hamilton, a language and literature teacher at Hoover. “The Hoover-Meredith community has built a solid foundation for the diploma program to flourish plus it will expand the opportunities for our current students. The diploma program will continue the IB learning for our students as they tackle real-word issues and develop a broad perspective of the world within their studies.”

For students and families who live outside of the Hoover High School attendance area and are interested in attending, visit the DMPS Enrollment and Registration web page.

For more information on the IB Diploma Programme and other IB educational offerings, visit the International Baccalaureate Organization’s web site.