Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools [Paperback]

Jay Mathews (Author), Ian Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2006

With increasing urgency, parents, educators, politicians, and businesspeople are asking: What can be done to raise American public schools to world-class standards? Supertest tells the story of the IB and its introduction to a steadily increasing number of American schools. The IB (International Baccalaureate) is a high school program recognized throughout the world. Students all over the world take the IB to prepare for the challenges of college. The IB makes demands on students and teachers. At one time the IB was considered most suitable for gifted students of elite private schools; it's now acknowledged that the rigorous IB program works especially well in "problem" public schools, many of which have witnessed truly remarkable results following their adoption of the IB.

Supertest interweaves the story of one American school that adopted the IB — Mount Vernon High School — with the story of the IB itself, how it was conceived, created, and developed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A good introduction to what the program is and what its strengths and weaknesses are." -- The Washington Times, October 2005

Mathews and Hill contend that the IB allows students to belong to a newtork of like-minded people with common experiences. -- Book News, Inc., June, 2005

Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews and International Baccalaureate official Ian Hill describe the IB program. -- American School Board Journal, August 2005 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Open Court (July 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081269600X
• ISBN-13: 978-0812696004
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #821,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jay Mathews covers education for the Washington Post and has created Newsweek's annual Best High Schools rankings. He has won the Benjamin Fine Award for Outstanding Education Reporting for both features and column writing and is the author of six previous books, including Escalante: The Best Teacher in America, about the teacher who was immortalized in the movie Stand and Deliver.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your kids deserve IB - learn what it is and why from Jay, April 18, 2005

By 

G. Reed "parent" (Alexandria, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools (Hardcover)

"Washington Post" reporter Jay Mathews extends his appreciation of challenge in our high schools by identifying the grandest and most challenging of them all: the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Jay created "Newsweek" magazine's Challenge Index, and his writing is always approachable and easy to follow. This book maintains that special style. He writes here very specifically about a local DC-area high school and its experiences with beginning and maintaining the rigorous IB curriculum. You come to really care about the students and teachers he profiles, and to share their trials and successes and occasional failures with them. The book features an extremely effective method of integrating chapters about the creation and operation of the IB program as a whole - written by a co-author from the IB Organization - with chapters about Fairfax County, VA's Mount Vernon High School and the people involved with getting IB up and running there. And of the battles in Fairfax County and elsewhere about IB and its rival, the Advanced Placement (AP) program. In my mind there is no contest - IB is far and away the better program, especially for exposing kids to what college will be like. And there is no better predictor of success in college (i.e., graduating) than having taken at least one rigorous course in high school, especially one from IB which teaches how to think and plan and lean. But read Jay's book and decide for yourself. He does an excellent job of iterating the AP proponents concerns about IB, some legitimate - most not, and of exposing as fools or frauds a few of the opponents and their methods for keeping this excellent program out of their schools. They won, but did their kids a real disservice with their victory.

If you have any interest in bringing out what is best in our high school kids - in ALL of our high school kids - then you should read this book. The IB program is the best high school curriculum extant today. And don't just take my word for it. Read the book and you'll see that those precise words are used by the MIT Admissions' Director.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Helpful for Understanding IB, November 7, 2007

By 

Rebekah Kogelschatz "Rebekah K" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools (Paperback)

Beginning to research the IB program for my district, I purchased this book plus a few others to help me better understand the program and the benefits to beginning IB in a rural district. With the history of IB and the case studies from a few schools, this book gave me a good understanding of what IB should look like. It also gave me an excellent understanding of where IB came from and how that influences what is done today. I would recommend this book for any person wanting to learn more. It is a very positive book but not influenced by the organization. It is also an easy, quick read to give the big picture in a few hours.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A history of the IB, its increasing introduction in American school systems, and how it makes a difference, August 5, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools (Hardcover)

Jay Mathews & Ian Hill's Supertest: How The International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools deftly assesses the statistics about the Baccalaureate, including its impact on student chances for success in college and life. Chapters provide a history of the IB, its increasing introduction in American school systems, and how it makes a difference in the transition to college. Sounds like dry reading: but the concurrent story of one American high school that adopted the IB adds a personal flavor and human interest touch to the statistics and discussions.