The relationship between participation in the International Baccalaureate Mathematical Studies SL course and performance on high-stakes test

This study investigated the effect that the International Baccalaureate Mathematical Studies SL course had on the Kentucky Core Content Test and ACT. The subjects of this study were 11th grade students from a high-needs, inner-city public school in northern Kentucky who were enrolled in the IB Math course. These students were administered the tests and their scores were compared to the scores of matched students in the same school, race, gender, and socio-economic status (as determined by lunch subsistence levels). The results were analyzed to determine if students who took the IB course of study during their junior year scored higher on high-stakes tests than students who took other mathematics courses. The results of the study indicated that the students who took the IB course scored significantly higher on both tests which suggest that the completion of the IB curriculum may result in increased scores on high-stakes test scores.