What is the IBET program?

IBET, an integrated Biology, English and Design and Technology program, ushers each freshman class into the academic and social culture of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.  At the heart of this unique program is the requirement for students to conduct authentic research. This research process allows students to study real-world problems in the community and to learn about local issues by becoming active partners with community agencies. In addition, the process prepares students for the projects they will undertake throughout their years at Thomas Jefferson.

The IBET program allows instructors the flexibility to reconfigure the daily schedule according to the special needs of a particular project or unit. The integrated learning model emphasizes communication, collaboration, and problem solving as key components of success in school and beyond.

What are the benefits of the IBET program?

Jefferson freshman who come from dozens of middle schools located all over Northern Virginia benefit both academically and socially from the IBET program. Freshmen are divided into IBET teams of approximately 70 students served by one teacher from each of the three core disciplines and one school counselor. This configuration allows students to make friends quickly and to establish close relationships with the instructors. Instructors manipulate and manage the three ninety-minute class periods according to the special needs of a particular project or unit spending approximately 20% of instructional time on the integrated project and the remaining 80% on their subject’s curriculum. The inclusion of the school counselors in the IBET teams provides support for the students and invaluable information for the instructors.

Academic benefits:

• Students learn how to develop scientific investigations and how to collect, manage, analyze, and interpret data.
• Students learn the language of science by writing research reports.
• Students learn how to navigate databases, to identify and interpret primary source articles, and to assess the validity and content of information.
• Students learn processes and ethical habits of mind that are necessary to success in the future.

Social benefits:

• IBET classes give students a "home base."
• Students often work in small groups that encourage effective collaboration.
• Students have the satisfaction of delivering useful, accurate information to community agencies that can use their findings.
• Teams of instructors model collegiality and effective teamwork.
• Teacher/counselor teams meet weekly to discuss students' academic and social progress.

What is an IBET project?

The focus for an IBET project varies from team to team depending on the teachers' backgrounds and expertise. In every IBET project, however, students do the following:

• Conduct primary research
• Implement the design process
• Follow the scientific method
• Learn to collaborate in small groups on a real-world, long-term project
• Use various technologies (GIS, GPS, electronic sensors, etc.) to solve problems
• Continue to develop their writing and presentation skills in various media
• Communicate their research findings to the appropriate audience in the community
• Benefit from the effective integration of three academic disciplines.

Projects have involved studies of water and soil quality, the health of deciduous forests, and salamander migration, and have been conducted at Northern Virginia sites including Mason Neck, Lake Accotink, and Scott’s Run.  Each June, students present the results of their research in an IBET Symposium to which students, parents, and members of the community are invited.