Littleton High School has been an International Baccalaureate (IB) school for 25 years. The IB Diploma Programme was authorized in 1997 for Grades 11 and 12. 

In 2017, Littleton High School put together a task force to explore adding the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) to the school in order to create more equity, raise achievement, and increase engagement. A two-year MYP Candidate School phase began in the fall of 2019, and at the culmination of these years in May 2021, Littleton submitted their application for authorization. Official authorization for MYP was confirmed on December 23, 2021.

“We are excited to recognize kids beyond just their grades or their GPA; it’s about who they are and who they’re becoming,” said Principal Cathy Benton.

Middle Years Programme
The MYP is “an educational framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. At a time when students are establishing their identity and building self-esteem, the MYP is uniquely designed to offer a well-rounded education and help students achieve success in school and life” (ibo.org).

The MYP is compatible with state standards and LPS graduation requirements, and every single 9th and 10th grade student at LHS is part of the MYP through their coursework. It features an inquiry-based, concepts-driven curriculum, innovative assessments, and a personal project each 10th grader gets to design and develop based on something that interests them. The IB Diploma Programme is then open and available for each 10th grader to pursue as they progress in their high school career.

“We decided to pursue the Middle Years Programme with the goal of engaging every single kid. We want every single kid to feel like they belong at Littleton High School, and we want to engage those kids in real-world, global context issues,” said LHS science teacher and MYP coordinator Mike Montgomery at the Board of Education meeting on March 10, 2022.

The MYP includes research-based staff development for teachers in the form of national trainings, Colorado roundtables through the IB Association Rocky Mountain Schools, and includes extensive resources for teachers.

Additional Challenges
Littleton High School was in the middle of its two-year candidate school phase when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, so much of the work was done remotely, including the final verification visit. This visit consisted of two representatives from IB–one in Florida, and one in South America, as this truly is an international organization–interviewing staff, parents, and students.

Mr. Montgomery said, “[The verification] was validation by a prestigious organization that the work we’ve done for the past two years is making positive impacts on kids.”

To Receive an IB Diploma
In order to receive an IB Diploma, students complete six courses and then sit for exams at the end of their senior year. They take a theory of knowledge class, which is a critical thinking class. Additionally, they write a 4,000-word essay on a topic of their choice and complete 150 hours of community service.

Since its inception at LHS, there have been 721 IB Diplomas awarded and a 90 percent diploma completion rate.

Board of Education Meeting
Staff from Littleton High School presented this good news and additional information about the IB continuum of programs at LHS to the Board of Education on March 10, 2022. You can watch the Board presentation (presentation begins at 41:43 timestamp), and you can access the Board of Education agenda item that includes the PowerPoint presentation on BoardDocs.