Rifle High School
Getting Started in the RHS IB Diploma Program
Starting something new can feel intimidating, especially when you're making big decisions about your future. At Rifle High School, we want to make the path into our IB Diploma Program clear, supportive, and accessible, while helping students develop the skills they need once they begin. This page explains how students get started in IB at RHS and what success in the program looks like.
You Don't Apply - You CHOOSE!
At Rifle High School, the IB Diploma Program is self-selected. There is no application process. Students choose IB based on interest, readiness for challenge, and personal goals.
Our role as a school is to help students understand what the program involves and to provide the support they need once they begin.
What You Need to Get Started:
Formal prerequisites are minimal. We require that students seeking to enroll in IB Spanish B complete Spanish II before their junior year. We also highly recommend that students complete Algebra II before their junior year if they wish to enroll in IB Mathematics. This is not required, but students must, at minimum, complete Geometry prior to enrolling in IB Mathematics. Please make sure you speak with your counselor for options to complete these courses. These are in place to help assure your success in IB. Beyond that, there are no formal requirements to pursue the IB Diploma at RHS.
Students do not need to have been in honors courses to be successful in IB. Instead, successful IB students tend to be willing to:
• engage actively in reading, writing, and discussion
• ask questions and seek feedback
• stay organized with support
• persist through challenge
I was nervous about doing IB when I first started because I had never taken an honors class before. Although it was challenging, I made it through and earned my IB Diploma. Noah2024
How Students Typically Get Started:
Students at RHS usually begin planning for IB in their sophomore year. That includes talking to teachers, counselors, students already enrolled in IB, their parents, and the IB Diploma Coordinator. Those conversations typically are about workload, expectations, and their goals for after high school.
Students may choose to:
- pursue the full IB Diploma as Diploma Candidates, or
- enroll in one or more IB courses, depending on their interests and schedules
Both pathways offer meaningful academic challenge and skill development.
Supports Built-in From Day One
IB at RHS is intentionally designed so students are not expected to manage the demands of the program on their own. Through our Two-Year Core, students receive structured support that includes:
- Guided study hall and built-in work time
- Executive function and organizational coaching
- Mentoring for long-term projects such as the Extended Essay
- Regular check-ins and reflection
- Dedicated time for university and scholarship applications
These supports help students build confidence, self-management skills, and academic independence over time.
Understanding IB Assessments: Projects & Exams
IB courses are assessed through a combination of "Internal Assessments" and "External Assessments," so you'll have more than just a single test to show what you know.
Internal Assessments (IAs) are often longer-term projects, usually research in the subject area for the course you're taking. This includes projects, laboratory experiments, and concept explorations. They allow you to demonstrate understanding through sustained work, rather than a single test. Additionally, choice is built into them, so you have options for how to complete them.
The IB exams are the External Assessments, and they are completed at the end of your IB course. They focus on assessing how you express your thinking and how you can apply what you have learned - not just whether you can simply memorize information.
Your IB courses at RHS are designed to support you in preparing for these assessments through feedback and guidance, as well as time in the two-year IB Core class. Students are never expected to figure it out on their own.