One of the most rigorous academic programs in the world – the International Baccalaureate – is spreading in the Sacramento region.

The reach can be felt in every grade. The pattern is not unusual: In North America and the Caribbean, the number of schools with IB programs has grown during the past decade from about 300 to 1,200, according to IB North America in New York City, one of four regional offices of the nonprofit program, which is based in Geneva.

For years, Mira Loma High in Sacramento County's San Juan Unified School District was the only high school in the region offering IB classes. Each year, students would travel from other districts and counties to experience the rich, internationally flavored classes. Four years ago, Luther Burbank High in the Sacramento City Unified School District added an IB program.

This year, two campuses in the Roseville Joint Union High School District in Placer County began offering IB classes. Teachers at Oakmont and Granite Bay high schools are offering courses ranging from history to English to foreign languages, all following IB's strict standards and global perspective.

The new classes are a hit with students and teachers.

"It's a fantastic program," said Kevin Chorjel, an IB history teacher at Oakmont. "It works so well for kids who really want to work hard and learn."

Farther east in Placer County, two elementary schools are building IB programs for younger students. Sierra Elementary in Rocklin put the program in place last year for all children in grades kindergarten through six. And the new Loomis Basin Charter School opened its doors this year as an IB school serving grades kindergarten through four. The Loomis charter will expand the program a year at a time until it extends through eighth grade.

Because of demand, an expansion also is in the works at the long-established IB program at Winston Churchill Middle School in Carmichael, Principal Jim Shoemake said. The school's sixth-grade IB sections have added space for 33 more students this year, pushing the number from 99 to 132. In the next two years, similar increases will come in the seventh and eighth grades.

"We've had a wait list every year," Shoemake said. "These are very exciting classes."

The International Baccalaureate program was created 40 years ago in Geneva to prepare college-bound students with an international education. Teachers follow carefully developed curriculum guidelines and receive extensive training. Students take common, regulated exams, which promotes quality and consistency regardless of the school's location. Today, three levels of education are offered for younger children, the middle grades and a diploma program for older high school students.

Several factors have contributed to the growth of IB in the United States, including an increasing emphasis on academic rigor and a desire to produce graduates with international perspectives, said Sandra Coyle, spokeswoman for IB North America.

Oakmont and Granite Bay put the diploma program into place this year, starting with juniors, said Michelle Mahoney, IB coordinator at Oakmont.

Students may choose to take a limited number of IB classes, or they can go for the full IB diploma by completing a set of IB classes during their junior and senior years, as well as 150 hours of community service and a 4,000-word research paper. A highlight of the diploma program is a course called the "Theory of Knowledge," which covers many disciplines and emphasizes critical thinking.

At Oakmont, 52 juniors signed up to take at least one IB course this semester, Mahoney said, with 27 indicating they want to pursue the full diploma. In addition, 93 freshmen and 39 sophomores have indicated an interest in IB.

A recent visit to the school revealed IB classes filled with creativity, humor and deep thinking. In teacher Kevin Chorjel's "History of the Americas" class, students compared different readings and engaged in a lively conversation about the steps that led American colonists to draft the Declaration of Independence.

"What was going on at this point?" Chorjel asked as he led his students through a discussion of Britain's assertion of its sovereignty over the colonies with the Declaratory Act.

"They're trying to quell hopes of self-government," junior Alex Wilson said.

"Oh! What an inflammatory statement," the teacher responded. "We have a young Thomas Paine in the room. Yes. The fervor is starting now."

After class, Wilson said he appreciated the opportunity to delve deeply into subjects such as history.

"It's amazing. It's more like a college class," Wilson said. "It makes you think in interesting ways."

Call The Bee's Deb Kollars, (916) 321-1090.