Woodrow students in IB Literature. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Ritchie.)
International Baccalaureate test scores at Woodrow Wilson surpassed the global average for the first time since the program was introduced five years ago, school officials said.
In 2018, Woodrow’s IB students received an average test score of 30, which is 0.24 percentage points higher than the global average, said Kelly Ritchie, director of Woodrow’s IB program. A perfect score is 45, and students must earn 24 points to earn their diploma.
Woodrow’s first class of graduates scored an average of 27 in 2014. The school’s scores climbed steadily in subsequent years as the global average fell, according to test scores released in January.
As test scores rose, the number of IB candidates at Woodrow increased during the same time. In 2019, more than 150 students, or about 8 percent of the student body, were enrolled in the program.
“It’s important to underscore the parents, kids and teachers are what’s been able to allow us to do this in such a short time,” Ritchie said. “We’ve been lucky.”
Woodrow’s 2018 IB seniors.
The interdisciplinary, internationally recognized IB program provides students with college-prep curriculum. To receive their diploma, candidates must pass a series of essay tests, write a 4,000-word essay outside of class and complete community service hours.
Graduates can then attend a Texas state college or university with 24 hours of earned credit. Private universities and out-of-state institutions also have their own earned-credit programs for IB graduates.
“Students have been able to finish in three years, double major, fit in study abroad or save a lot of money,” Ritchie said. “It’s been a benefit in a lot of ways to students.”
