Moore Joins Ranks of International Baccalaureate Schools at DMPS
Moore Elementary School is located at 3716 50th Street in northwest Des Moines.
As the first school district in Iowa to offer students the highly regarded International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Des Moines Public Schools is continuing to expand its IB offerings with the addition of Moore Elementary School as an authorized IB World School.
Moore joins ten other Des Moines schools currently offering IB programs.
The International Baccalaureate Organization notified Moore of its authorization to offer the Primary Years Program (PYP). PYP is the IB program and curriculum for students in elementary school.
Moore is one of 15 IB schools in Iowa, 11 of which are a part of Des Moines Public Schools. More than 5,000 students attend an IB school at DMPS.
Moore is also part of the feeder pattern for students to attend Meredith Middle School and Hoover High School, which are also IB schools.
“We are excited to be an authorized PYP World School,” said principal Beth Sloan. “At Moore our mission is to empower our students and families to take action. We look forward to developing internationally minded and compassionate leaders who will promote a more peaceful world.”
“A top priority at DMPS is equity, and making sure more and more students have access to the best education no matter where they live or which school they attend,” added David Johns, director of IB schools at DMPS. “Expanding our IB is a big step in that process, bringing a proven, world-class educational program to more and more students in Des Moines.”
According to the International Baccalaureate Organization, the IB Primary Years Programme, for students aged 3 to 12, focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. The program:
- encourages international-mindedness in students
- encourages a positive attitude to learning by engaging students in inquiries and developing their awareness of the process of learning so that they become lifelong learners
- reflects real life by encouraging learning beyond traditional subjects with meaningful, in-depth inquiries into real issues
Moore first opened in 1950 at the beginning of the post-WWII building and baby booms. But by 2007 enrollment trends were on the decline in the northwest part of the city. Moore was closed and later repurposed to serve as the home of Scavo Alternative High School. An influx of families in Beaverdale and other northwest Des Moines neighborhoods created new demand for an elementary school. Scavo was relocated to Central Campus and Moore re-opened to teach elementary students in 2015, when it began work on the process to become officially recognized as an IB World School.
