Richard Montgomery High School

The International Baccalaureate Programs at Richard Montgomery

The International Baccalaureate (IB) was founded in 1968 and in the years since its inception has become a worldwide model of an educational framework that values academic integrity and intellectual rigor. The IB offers three different programs of study, the Primary Years Programme for students ages 6-10, the Middle Years Programme for students ages 11-16, and the Diploma Programme for students ages 17 and 18.

Richard Montgomery is home to the MCPS IB Diploma Magnet, which was the first IB program in the county when it was established in 1987. The Richard Montgomery Cluster also houses the only complete IB continuum of programs in the PYP at College Gardens Elementary School, the MYP at Julius West Middle School and Richard Montgomery and the Diploma Magnet also at Richard Montgomery. The three IB programs provide a coherent educational framework which seeks to develop students who are creative and compassionate individuals by promoting international awareness and understanding. The programs operate under the fundamental philosophy that by educating students, we create a better world. 

The IB Mission

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.   

To this end, the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.   

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. 

Read more about the IB Mission and strategy here. 

The IB Learner Profile

 The IB Learner Profile, as featured in this video segment, is "the IB Mission translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century.The learner profile provides a long-term vision of education. It is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose." These ten characteristics are essentially a portrait of an IB graduate; a vision of the traits that IB instructional models seek to support in students. IB learners strive to be:  

General Regulations for IB Programs

The General Regulations for each IB program set forth the expectations and requirements for schools, students and teachers. They can be accessed here.