A Study of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme on Ninth Grade Student Achievement

The beginning of high school marks a significant shift in the academic demands placed on students (Roderick, 2006). In public school systems, as students transition from middle school to high school, they experience changes in their academic requirements and school environments. The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) is a comprehensive school program for students in grades six through ten that has been implemented in American private and public schools. This quantitative study compared ninth grade student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) English I and Algebra I assessments, campus attendance rates, and 4-year completion rates of three high schools that implemented and three high schools that did not implement the IBMYP during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years. A paired two-tailed t-test was used to compare the statistical outcomes of STAAR assessment results. Campuses attendance rates and 4-year completion rates were reported and the outcomes were compared. The results of the study showed a statistically significant difference of ninth grade student achievement on the STAAR English 1 Reading and Writing assessments and no statistically significant difference on the STAAR Algebra 1 assessment. The results of the study can be used to inform school leaders on whether the IBMYP is an educational program that can lead to statistically significant gains in ninth grade student and campus achievement results in Texas school systems.