Curriculum Chronicle for Parents - May 2015

 E XCELLENCE AND E QUITY S TUDY ......................... 1

ISSUE

APRIL/MAY

2015

 E XCELLENCE AND E QUITY S TUDY CONTINUED ......... 2

Curriculum Chronicle

Overview: Five US schools were selected by IB Americas to participate in the Excellence and Equity Study (Bridging the Equity Gap project) funded by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to increase the number of low-income students participating and succeeding in the IB Diploma Programme..

MCS Excellence and Equity (E2) Study with IB Americas What is the E2 Study?

The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation gave $1.3 million to the International Baccalaureate to research interventions that will increase the number of low income students to participate and succeed in the IB Diploma Programme. The IB was selected for the initiative because poverty is the single most important indicator of whether or not a student will attend college, and the DP high school curriculum has been proven to yield higher success in college without regard to income. The IB developed the Bridging the Equity Gap or Excellence and Equity (E2) Project and added $300,000 to the funding.

The E2 Project began with a competitive application process for the initial three-year pilot. Five schools across America were selected including Marietta High School.

Each of the schools will receive more than $75,000 in direct services during the study, using a five component model consisting of:

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A framework to evaluate equity and excellence 2. Consultation to develop an action plan 3. Implementation coaching 4. Professional development for leadership, educators, and counselors 5. Research and data analysis related to equity These services are designed to make a positive impact on low income students participating in the DP and doing so successfully.

E2 Study Project Goals The E2 Project has three main goals:  Increase the percentage of low-income students participating in the Diploma Programme (DP) and taking DP exams.  Increase the pass rate on IB DP exams for low-income students in three subject areas.  Increase the number of low-income students pursuing the IB DP of the classroom.

Also, designing supports for students and communication about the benefits of the program and are also part of the project.

IB E2 Framework The E2 Framework will be used to create a more inclusive and supportive diploma programme. The areas that will be addressed are philosophy and culture, student preparation, support, and outreach, leadership and administration, teaching and learning, and educator professional development. The action plan will address three major stakeholder groups, students and families, teachers and counselors, and school and district administrators. The IB has provided examples of action items for the pilot schools to use along with their consultants to use in creating their action plans.

TKES Standard 3: Instructional Strategies The E2 Project refers to all MCS elementary and middle schools as “feeder schools”.

MHS Community: Stakeholders include feeder schools’ students, parents, and educators The E2 Project involves all of our MCS schools because all of our students ultimately feed into the MSGA, MMS, and MHS. Part of the study builds off of the concept of the fixed mindset vs. the flexible or growth mindset for students and staff. The diploma programme has academically challenging courses that students have to be prepared to tackle and motivated to select as a pathway.

To increase the number of low income students that are prepared for the coursework and are knowledgeable enough about the benefits of choosing such a rigorous pathway, our educational community must prepare students with a growth mindset, have high expectations for all students, and utilize the type of DP practices for teaching and learning that will build students’ confidence in the abilities to achieve in rigorous courses.

Goals and Roles The IB expects that authorized schools will have a philosophy that embraces providing advanced learning opportunities for all students. The E2 Project also encourages our high school to offer the DP as an inclusive and rigorous curriculum for the purpose of supporting student growth.

All of the MCS schools and educators play a role in preparing our students with high expectations for all and academically challenging learning experiences that will prepare them for rigorous coursework and a strong work ethic. Students will need to value inquiry and perseverance to engage successfully in DP courses. Parents will need to understand the value of the DP coursework. Developing the growth mindset with intentionality will serve students well when the time comes for them to select a pathway that includes DP coursework.

The E2 Framework has a requirement that all stakeholders learn about the goals and plans of the project for these very reasons. The earlier in the students’ educational life that we build this type of culture and adopt prac-

tices that align with the DP, the more prepared the students will be, but we cannot begin with the end in mind without knowledge. The plan will include actions for communicating so that we can continue to build our entire communities’ knowledge base so that each may find their role in fostering a culture of excellence and equity for all students.

DP Practices for Teaching and Learning Many key practices that align with the Diploma Programme that are great practices universal to all students at any level. By implementing these practices along with the growth mindset and high expectations, students will be better prepared to successfully participate in the DP. Following are a few of those practices.

The written curriculum:  builds on students’ previous learning experiences.

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allows for meaningful student action in response to students’ own needs and the needs of others  incorporates relevant experiences for students  fosters development of the IB learner profile attributes.

Teaching:  engages students as inquirers and thinkers.  builds on what students know and can do.  supports students to become actively responsible for their own learning.  differentiates instruction to meet students’ learning needs and styles.

Teaching and learning:  engages students in reflecting on how, what and why they are learning.  fosters a stimulating learning environment based on understanding and respect.  encourages students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.  develops the IB learner profile attributes.

The IB Learner Profile’s Role The Learner Profile is a set of learning outcomes for students that serves an integral role in preparing students for the DP. It is a profile that can be useful to all students. Many character traits are adopted by schools as a desired set of outcomes that are synonymous with the terms and language of the learner profile. When all students converge to MSGA and begin their MYP journey for Grades 6-10, they also begin or continue (if PYP) their journey with the learner profile as defined in the section on the right throughout and into the DP and IBCP pathways.

The IB Learner Profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. ____________________________________ IB Learners strive to be: Inquirers: We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others.

We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable: We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Thinkers: We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators: We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled: We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Open-minded: We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring: We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

Risk-takers: We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Balanced: We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives- intellectual, physical, and emotional- to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Reflective: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development. http://www.ibo.org/contentassets/ fd82f70643ef4086b7d3f292cc214962/learnerprofile-en.pdf