Rodriguez Elementary School and the Wharton Dual Language Academy have received official authorization to operate as International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools. These authorizations bring the district total to 16 IB campuses.

“We earned our authorized IB status through the extensive, collaborative hard work and commitment of our faculty, staff, students, and parents,” said Wharton Principal Jennifer Day. “This journey has brought our school community a long way toward realizing our mission of empowering our students to become respectful, life-long, bilingual and bi-literate inquirers who celebrate diversity as responsible citizens of the world.”

“Our IB authorization reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence for the diverse children of the Gulfton community,” said Rodriguez ES Principal Elena Martinez-Buley.” We are determined to close student achievement gaps by providing a rigorous, meaningful, and integrated curriculum that will expand our student’s knowledge and provide them with the tools to be productive citizens in our society and across the world.”

To achieve IB authorization, schools must complete two extensive applications and prepare for an onsite authorization visit from an IB-certified team. During the audit process, schools are responsible for training teachers on the International Baccalaureate Program and framework. The authorization process has many steps, including classroom observations by authorizers, reviews of the school’s curriculum, and interviews of faculty, students, parents, the school’s Board of Education representative, and administrators.

Founded in 1968, IB is a non-profit foundation that offers challenging educational programs for students aged 3 to 19 to help develop their intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Durham, Harvard, Northline, River Oaks, Roberts, School at St. George Place, and Twain elementary schools; Lanier, Fondren, Hogg and Grady middle schools; and Lamar, Bellaire, and Reagan high schools are also authorized to offer IB programs.

Other HISD schools still in the authorization review process are: Briargrove, Briarmeadow Charter, Herrera, Poe, and Rusk.