AP/IB Art struggles with class numbers

In a basement art studio, a small group of AP and IB Art seniors work diligently to plan the 2020 Senior Art Show. But, recently, there has been stress over more than just coordinating such a major event; some students are concerned that IB Art may soon be a class of the past. 

According to senior IB Art student Selin Apaydin, some students have dropped the class this year, leaving it with only nine students. Furthermore, Ms. Kelly Posey, the AP and IB Art teacher, said that there are currently only two students signed up for IB Art for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Apaydin believes that having such a small class is actually beneficial to the students. “You’d be able to get a lot more focus from your teacher,” she said. 

However, some students are worried that administration will fail to see the advantage of a smaller class. “I don’t know if Mr. Monteleone is going to continue to think that we should fund IB Art if there’s so few students in the class,” senior AP Art student Annabelle Sargent said. 

Ms. Posey said, “I’m worried that maybe interest in IB will dissipate.” 

Opinions differ on why interest in IB Art appears to be decreasing. Apaydin said, “I think there’s this idea that art is a really stressful class, and you have to do so much for it.”

Meanwhile, Sargent said “A lot of IB students have really hard classes that take up a lot of time, so you won’t have as much time to focus on other classes.” Ms. Posey said. “I think the IB component is not as popular because it’s a two-year commitment, that there are other courses they want to take to fill the criteria they need for the diploma.” 

Time management does appear to be a critical concern, especially for IB Art students who want to be curators for the end of the year art show. Sargent said, “All the curators that I know are in a double period.” With minimal space in their schedule to meet both MCPS and IB requirements, being a curator may add an extra burden to IB Art students. 

Are advanced art students right to be concerned about IB Art being removed from the curriculum? It is hard to say. Other IB classes with minimal interest have been removed, such as IB Music, which only nine students signed up for in 2019. However, other IB classes with less interest have been successfully combined with other non-IB classes, such as IB Philosophy. All higher levels of IB languages, including Spanish, French, and Chinese are also combined with the AP class of the respective year. 

That appears to be the current plan to preserve IB Art as a class. “Current IB students are in a large class of AP students, and the curriculum sort of aligns right now at the present, so it’s easy for me to teach,” Ms. Posey said. Both AP and IB art students are required to do intensive investigations into various mediums throughout the year, and are  required to submit a final portfolio at the end of their two years based on a theme of their choosing. “I know I’ll still be able to teach upper level if I need to,” Ms. Posey said. 

Some students are concerned about how well the curriculum truly lines up. Apaydin said, “I think there’s a risk that if there are only a few IB Art students, there’s a risk of their stuff getting neglected in those combined classes.” 

With the added work required of IB Art students, such as the Comparative Study and the Process Portfolio, there may be cause for concern. Ms. Posey said, “For IB students who want to be in here, they know that they need to work a little harder than they might be working if they were in AP.”

Ms. Posey believes that there will still be enough interested in taking the course. Additionally, interest in AP Art may be on the rise. “I would say I find that it’s extremely popular for all students to take the AP, including IB students,” Ms. Posey said.

As for why current students find the course worthwhile? Apaydin sums it up. “The fact that it is so free and you can do whatever you need to, I think that’s a plus,” she said. “I think it’s a really good way to express yourself and to relieve stress.”