Ben Franklin Elementary School  is an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) school.  The IBO (International Baccalaureate Organisation) based in Geneva, Switzerland offers schools three programmes: the Diploma Programme for students in the final two years of secondary school, the Middle Years Programme for students aged 11 to 16, and the Primary Years Programme for students aged 3 to 12.  La Quinta High School, John Glenn Middle School, La Quinta Middle School and Amelia Earhart Elementary are currently authorized to offer the programme;  Please note the correct European spellings of organisation and programme.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP), for students aged 3 to 12, focuses on the development of the whole child, in the classroom but also in the world outside, through other environments where children learn. It offers a framework that meets children's several needs: academic, social, physical, emotional and cultural.  

It offers an opportunity for learners to construct meaning, principally through concept-driven inquiry. Traditional academic subjects are part of the programme but it emphasizes the interrelatedness of knowledge and skills through a transdisciplinary programme of inquiry.

For more information on IB, please contact our school site IB coordinator, Mrs. Chrissy Winchester, or visit the web site at http://www.ibo.org .