As the International Baccalaureate (IB) program is progressively gaining more popularity at Valley, students are starting to take more IB classes than AP classes. Teachers are also starting to drift from teaching AP classes to tackle more IB classes. Some students are happy about this change.

“I actually don’t mind it,” freshman Nour Benkirane said. “I think it’s better that we’re exposed to something new, and a course that is internationally recognized.”

Though this may benefit students who are interested in IB classes or securing the IB diploma, it isn’t something all students are happy about. 

“ I think IB courses are really, really hard,” junior Mila Garcia said. “AP classes are hard too, but the curriculum and the way we approach that curriculum is significantly different. I think that getting rid of some AP courses for some subjects is not a good choice, because it leaves out choices for those who don’t want to take IB classes.”

Some students are neutral with it and don’t have much of a problem with the program. 

“Sometimes I feel like it’s a little annoying, because I have to deal with the workload that comes with the work that IB does,” junior Hailey Shields said. “I’m also not the biggest fan of AP either and all the AP exams, so it doesn’t really bother me. The only thing is that I’m taking a DE/IB class ,and all the IB test readiness is happening in the DE class as well.” 

While some students prefer taking IB classes and others prefer AP, Valley is starting to become mostly IB. It’s important to recognize this shift and be aware of what each program has to offer.