Designed for learners ages 11–16, the MYP spans the sixth through tenth grades. Students who begin the program in middle school can complete the programme at Rufus King International High School during ninth and tenth grade. Freshmen do not need prior MYP experience to begin the programme at Rufus King.

MYP Curriculum

The MYP curriculum framework at Rufus King International High School :

• Integrates IB Approaches to Learning (ATL) and Common Core academic standards.
• Provides a broad, balanced education that includes at least 50 hours of instruction/year in eight subject areas: language acquisition, language and literature, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical and health education, and design.
• Incorporates a Personal Project in tenth grade.
• Can be adapted to meet an individual student’s needs and abilities.

Students who complete MYP coursework and Personal Project (tenth grade) are ideal candidates for our IB Diploma Programme (DP).

MYP Personal Project

The MYP Personal Project encourages sophomore students to practice and strengthen their Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills: communication, research, self-management, social, and thinking. Over the course of the personal project, students connect classroom learning to personal experience and develop their own lifelong learning interests as they:

• Participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context,
• Generate creative new insights and develop deeper understanding through in-depth investigation,
• Demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time—including 25 hours of time outside of school,
• Communicate effectively in a variety of situations,
• Demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning, and
• Appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments.

Families can join their MYP scholars to reflect on and celebrate this remarkable accomplishment during Rufus King International High School’s annual personal project exhibition.

Global Context

Students in the IB programme learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and to the world they live in.

Six IB global contexts help students understand concepts at a deeper level, and answer the question: “Why are we learning this?”

• Identities and relationships—Who we are
• Orientation in space and time—Where we are in place and time
• Personal and cultural expression—How we express ourselves
• Scientific and technical innovation—How the world works
• Globalization and sustainability—How we organize ourselves
• Fairness and development—Sharing the planet

Grading/Assessment Criteria

Milwaukee Public Schools has an online gradebook system (Campus) so parents and students can access grades. Continuous monitoring of student progress is available through Campus Parent Portal. Printed interim reports with comments and snapshot grades are sent to parents/guardians every four to six weeks. Printed semester report cards are sent home in January and May. The IB Approaches to Learning (ATLs) are highlighted in discussing the student’s academic progress and students are regularly asked to reflect on their own perception of their strengths and weaknesses while preparing for written reports.