ADMISSION POLICY

Benjamin Elijah Mays High School and Jean Childs Young Middle School
IB Partnership

Benjamin Elijah Mays High School and Jean Childs Young Middle School strive to prepare students to be life-
long learners and to provide high quality rigorous education through the implementation of the IB Middle Years
Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-Related Programme (CP). As a school community
we follow an open and inclusive admissions policy, welcoming students of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and
a range of talents, gifts, and abilities.

IB Cluster
In Atlanta Public Schools, students attend the cluster schools within their attendance zones for elementary,
middle, and high school. In the Mays cluster, students attending Primary Years Programme (PYP) feeder
schools will advance into the MYP at Young Middle if the student meets the district requirements for
enrollment. Students may attend Jean Childs Young Middle School for Years 1-3 of the MYP Programme. JC
Young Middle students may advance to the MYP at BE Mays High for Years 4-5 if the student continues to
meet the district requirements for enrollment. Students who do not attend any PYP feeder schools or JC Young
Middle school may advance to JC Young Middle and/or BE Mays if they live within the cluster’s attendance
zone. There are no additional requirements for admission and/or access to the Middle Years Programme. This
enrollment process is applicable to the Diploma and Career-related Programme; however, additional
requirements are required for these programmes.

IB Middle Years Program Entry Requirements

New Students
All students in grades 6-10 are automatically enrolled in the MYP.

Language of Instruction
The primary language of instruction is English. During the MYP, students whose skills are below
grade levels are enrolled in Reading Remediation and/or ESOL courses along with the on-grade level
Language and Literature course in an effort to strengthen skills and knowledge in the primary language.

Students with Special Needs

Benjamin E. Mays High School and Jean Childs Young Middle School’s inclusive admissions policy includes
welcoming students with a variety of different abilities and special needs. Both campuses have qualified staff to
support students who require specialized instruction. Accommodations for instruction and assessment are
made, as necessary, in accordance with student’s Individualized Educational Plans, 504 plans, IB policies,
ESOL accommodations, and/or practices of differentiated instruction. Additional information is included in the
Inclusion Policy.
 IB Career-Related Programme Entry Requirements

A rigorous program of study that combines 2 or more college-level IB Diploma Program courses with a
deep dive into a career-related pathway of study, centered around core components of language
development, service learning, a reflective project and a Personal and Professional Skills course.

Admissions criteria:
1. 85 average in core classes including career-related pathway courses in Years 4 and 5.
2. Minimum Lexile level of 1150.
3. Successful completion of the MYP Personal Project.
4. On track to complete a career pathway.

Available Diploma Program Classes: All offered classes are available provided individual course
prerequisites are met. At least one of the DP courses should relate to the career-related pathway, if possible.

Language Development Requirement: Requires 50 hours of portfolio work over the 2 years. This may be
satisfied through any level of Language Acquisition course at the high school or college level or English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). If a student takes an IB language class, the student must ADD 50
hours of portfolio work that is different from the work that is assessed by the IB exam. In lieu of taking a
Language Acquisition course, a student may propose a plan of study outside of the school day (not for high
school credit) for approval by the IB CP Coordinator and/or the Language Development Coordinator.

Service Learning Requirement: Requires 50 hours of community service over the 2 years with a research-
based approach. Some research time may count toward the 50 hours.

Reflective Project Requirement: Requires a minimum of 50 hours focused on an ethical dilemma of an issue
directly linked to the student’s career-related study. The reflective project is intended to promote high-level
research, writing and extended communication skills, intellectual discovery and creativity through a variety of
different approaches. Students are assessed both on the process and product. The students must write a 3000
word essay or a 1500-2000 word essay with an additional format (film, display, play, presentation, etc.)

Personal and Professional Skills Course: Taken both semesters of junior AND senior year. Students learn a
range of interpersonal, intercultural and professional skills plus study applied ethics. The reflective project will
be completed through this course as well.

Career-Related Studies Courses: Taken both semesters of junior AND senior year. If a student completes
the pathway before their senior year the student must enroll in a pathway related course or Work-Based
Learning.

IB Diploma Program Entry Requirements

A rigorous program of study that combines 6 or more college-level IB Diploma Program courses, centered
around core components of Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), an Extended Essay, and a Theory of
Knowledge (TOK) course.

Admissions criteria:
1. 85 average in core classes including Language Acquisition courses in Years 4 and 5.
2. Completed two years of the same Language Acquisition course.
3. Minimum Lexile level of 1150.
4. Successful completion of the MYP Personal Project.

Created: December 2021

Revised: September 2023
Available Diploma Program Classes: All offered classes are available provided individual course
prerequisites are met. Students must take one course from each subject group. A student may substitute a
course from Individuals & Societies or Sciences for the Arts. Students must also take TOK.

Creativity, Activity, and Service Requirement (CAS): One of the three essential elements that all DP
students must complete, CAS is organized around three strands as described below:
● Creativity—exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or
performance.
● Activity—physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle.
● Service—collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an
authentic need.
A CAS experience is a specific event in which the student engages with one or more of the three CAS strands.
It can be a single event or an extended series of events. A CAS project is a collaborative series of sequential
CAS experiences lasting at least one month. All students are expected to complete at least one CAS project.

Extended Essay Requirement: Requires a minimum of 50 hours focused on an area of interest in any
Diploma Programme Subject able to be supported by a school-based supervisor. The extended essay is
intended to promote high-level research, writing and extended communication skills, intellectual discovery and
creativity while engaging students in personal research. The students must write a formal, structured piece of
writing of no more than 4000 words in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned, coherent,
and appropriate manner.

IB Course Candidates:
IB course candidates are students who are taking at least one IBDP level course, but are not earning a DP
Diploma or CP Certificate. IB Course Candidates must meet the following requirements in order to be enrolled
in an IB course: 87% grade average in 9th and 10th grade courses for the corresponding IB course; all subject
prerequisites are met; successful completion of the Personal Project; and a minimum Lexile level of 1150.

New Students
New students enrolling into Benjamin E. Mays High School during the first year of DP or CP must complete a
writing sample in lieu of the Personal Project. The IB MYP and DP/CP Coordinator will assess writing samples
for all new students. New students must meet all other requirements listed below for IB Diploma, IB Career-
related, and/or IB course candidates. Students enrolling into BE Mays High School during their senior year will
not be able to enroll in DP or CP courses unless they have previously been enrolled at their prior school and
equivalent courses are offered.

*Contents of the policy are subject to change.

Created: December 2021

Revised: September 2023