Refocusing IB Programs: Learning Communities That Work

1
Refocusing IB Programs Learning Communities
That Work

• Dorine Zimmerman
• Judy Lister
• Paul Gallagher

2
IBO MISSION

• The International Baccalaureate Organization
• aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable,
  caring
• young people, who help to create a better and
  more
• peaceful world through intercultural
  understanding
• respect.
• To this end, the IBO works with schools,
• governments, international organizations to
• develop challenging programs of international
• education rigorous assessment.
• These programs encourage students across the
  world
• to become active, compassionate, lifelong
  learners,
• who understand that other people, with their
• differences, can also be right.

3
Vision Small Learning Communities

• To create a personalized learning
• environment that promotes high academic
• achievement, capitalizes on student career
• interests and aptitudes, and encourages
• student involvement in order to produce
• responsible and successful citizens.

4
Elements of a Planning ModelPractices Pitfalls

• Organization
• Identity
• Management
• Instruction
• Evaluation

5
Organization

• Common Geography
• Common Planning
• Administration/Guidance Assigned
• Specialists Included
• Teacher Leaders
• Steering Committees
• Community Connections
• Effective Scheduling

6
Identity Personalization

• Vision/Program of Studies/Guidebook
• Program Identity Culture
• Shared Experiences
• Comprehensive Advisory System(s)
• Extracurricular Involvement
• Collaboration, Mentoring, Coaching
• Stakeholder Input
• Data for Improvement
• Structure Curricular Focus/Theme

7
Management Autonomy

• Common Vision, Goals, Expectations
• Program of Studies
• Academic Guidelines/Honor Code
• Pyramid of Interventions
• Positive Recognition
• Career Themes
• Student/Staff Choices Self-Determination
• Student Conferencing
• Shared Decision-Making

8
Instruction

• Exhibition/Demonstration of Skills
• Measurement of Learning Gains
• Progress Reports
• Learning Skills Curricular Focus
• Multi-Faceted Learning Configurations
• High-Impact/Critical Thinking Strategies
• Development of IB Learner Profile
• Job Embedded Professional Development

9
Evaluation Accountability

• Yearly Program Goals
• Ongoing Internal Evaluation
• Regular External Evaluation
• Formative Evaluations
• Documented Adjustments
• Continuous Improvement
• Base Line Data is Established

10
Appropriate identification with other
school-wide learning communities (academies), as
well as the outside community as a whole, is
imperative for IB programs. Ways of connecting IB
learning communities to school-wide and community
initiatives need to be constantly explored.
11
Small Learning Communities
1. What do we want students to know, learn or be
able to do?
2. How will we know when they have learned it?
3. What will we do if they do not learn it?
Richard DuFour
12
Instructional Focus Accountability!

• High expectations for ALL students
• Professional development collaboration
• Thematic curriculum
• Vertically aligned curriculum
• Best teaching practices
• Research-based instructional strategies
• Ongoing student progress monitoring

13
The children we teach will not care how much we
know until they know how much we care.
Thomas Sergiovanni
14
Learning Communities Across The IB Continuum

• International-mindednessLevels of
  TrainingCommunity ServiceIB Learner
  ProfileContinuous Progress Format for Curriculum
  Culminating ProjectsStandards Driven
  CurriculumHigh Diversified Standards For All
  Rigor, Relevancy, RelationshipsProgram
  Introspection by All Stakeholders

15
International Baccalaureate North America The
CaribbeanTwenty-Fifth Annual Regional
ConferenceGrand Bahama IslandJuly 2006