Unpacking the IBO Programme Standards

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Unpacking the IBO Programme Standards

• David Ogden
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• dogden_at_alumni.princeton.edu

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Purpose Learn about the IBO Programme Standards
and Practices and how they can move your school
community towards higher levels of practice.
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• Aims/Objectives
• Review why we have standards and how they are
  frequently measured.
• Become more familiar with the structure of the
  IBO Programme Standards and Practices.
• Learn, or review, how to unpack a standard.
• Make connections between standards-based practice
  and facilitating change at your school.

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Warm-up and introductions What I know about the
IBO Programme Standards and Practices.
IBO Programme Standards self-evaluation Knowledge
level Skilled practice (4) High (4) High (3)
Medium (3) Medium (2) Low (2) Low (1) New to
me (1) No idea
Share your personal ratings with any two other
people and add your three scores (scoring range
6 24).
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Why have standards?

• Health/Safety
• Ensure uniformity/level of quality
• Improve communication
• Allow separate things to work together
• Set minimum requirements
• Level the playing field
• Other . . .

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Why have standards?

• Standards reflect what professionals or
  communities think is right about certain
  practices.
• Sometimes they are explicit, sometimes they are
  not.

Moment of reflection To what degree does a
knowledge of unwritten standards reflect
international mindedness?
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How we know when we have met a standard.

• External tests, documents, peers, authority
  figure (coaches, parent, religious leader, boss).

• Internal Gut feeling, sense of personal
  satisfaction.

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How do we measure standards in education?
Assessment tools (for individuals)

• tests or exams, percentages/cut scores, criteria,
  individual practice (a.k.a. trial by fire),
  projects, interviews, peer observations

Evaluation tools (for organizations)

• projects, criteria, interviews, observations,
  surveys or questionnaires, focus groups,
  self-evaluation or self-study

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How do we measure standards in education?
Formative and Summative measures
Assessment / evaluation FOR learning
vs. Assessment / evaluation OF learning -
Richard Stiggins (and others)
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How do we measure standards in education?
Formative and Summative measures
gathering, analyzing, sharing
information about student / school performance
along the way versus at the end
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How standards help improve learning.
Standards provide a structure and direction for
learning.
Individuals learn more when feedback is
Specific. Connected to evidence (i.e.,
fact-based). Provides direction. Connected to
interest.
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The connection between standards and practice.
Practice converts standards into reality. It
creates evidence of the degree to which a
standard has been achieved.
Practice and standards come together through the
following verbs

• Tried
• Missed
• Improved

• Reached
• Refined
• Others . . .

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The connection between standards and change.
Schools are never in a static state.
Implementing standards in schools will always
require change.
If changes are not occurring, individuals are not
learning.
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The connection between standards and change.
Effective change requires both the right
knowledge and the right attitude (a.k.a. the
will and the skill).
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Why does the IBO have programme standards?
Think Think about the answer on your own. Pair
Turn to friendly neighbor. Share Share your
answer with a neighbor.
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Why does the IBO have programme standards?

• The IBO is aware that for each school, the
  implementation of an IB programme is a journey,
  and that the school will meet these standards and
  practices to varying degrees along the way.
  Nevertheless, there is a need for the IBO to
  ensure quality in the implementation of its
  programmes.
• (IBO Programme Standards and Practices. 2005.)

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Why does the IBO have programme standards?
The IBO Programme Standards and Practice document
was created by your colleagues/peers not by
divine inspiration.
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THE NEED The number of IB World Schools is
growing rapidly
Common IBO Programme Standards
Growth in one year exceeds the 1987 total
Number of authorized IB schools 1981 - 2005
Added Primary Years Programme
Added Middle Years Programme
Source IBO
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THE CHALLENGE The proportion of students
participating in an IB programme (of the
appropriate age-range) in IB World Schools is
bi-modal
In 37 of all schools less than half of students
participate
DP, MYP PYP programmes in all IBO regions
In 48 of DP schools less than half of students
participate
DP programme in all IBO regions
Source IBO
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The good news about the IBO standards and
practices

• They are achievable.
• They correlate with research-proven best practice
  for improving learning.
• You are already doing many of them.
• You can apply them to your whole school.

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What are the IBO programme standards?
Nine statements four sections

• Section A philosophy (2 standards)
• Section B organization (1 standard)
• Section C curriculum (4 standards)
• Section D the student (2 standards)

Those who rated their knowledge of the standards
as 4 or high already knew this.
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What are the IBO programme standards?
Each standard statement is accompanied by a list
of practices associated with each standard.
Most of the practices are common for all three
programmes. Some practices are specific to an
individual programme.
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(No Transcript)
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Learning to unpack standards Who does it (why
should I be interested)?

• Educators involved in standards-based
  instruction.
• Teachers concerned with improving student
  learning.
• Individuals and groups but it works better when
  shared with others.

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Learning to unpack standards Where does it come
from?

• Understanding by Design. (1998) by Wiggins
  McTighe.
• Beginning with the end in mind. (a.k.a.
  Backwards Design or Backwards Mapping.)
• Unpacking a standard is the process of
  identifying what students will know and be able
  to do when they have mastered the standard.
  (Source Bering Strait School District Wiki)

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Learning to unpack standards What does it mean?
Unpacking is the first of three stages in the
backwards mapping process which provides

• A method of better understanding or clarifying
  what a particular standard means.
• A way to pull out what practices will create
  evidence of a particular standard.
• A means to identify what resources or support
  will be needed to help individuals reach a
  particular standard.

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Learning to unpack standards Whats it mean for
IB Schools?
You can use the unpacking standards and backwards
mapping process to

• Better understand or clarify what the IBO
  Programme Standards mean.
• Pull out what practices at your school will
  create evidence of a particular standard for
  evaluation purposes (formative or summative).
• Identify what resources or support you or your
  school will need to reach a particular standard.

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Learning to unpack standards How do you do it?

• There are essentially 3 stages. The work can be
  non-linear. You can work on any stage at any
  time but in the end need to be sure that the
  stages are complete, connect and align one to
  another.

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Learning to unpack standards How do you do it?
Stage 1 Unpack the standard to identify the
desired results. (a close reading of the standard)

• Look at the action verbs.
• What levels of knowledge and skill are needed
  (Blooms taxonomy).

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Learning to unpack standards Whats Blooms
Taxonomy?

• Blooms Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain
• Involves knowledge and the development of
  intellectual skills.
• Six major categories starting from the simplest
  behavior to the most complex.

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Learning to unpack standards Whats Blooms
Taxonomy?

1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

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Learning to unpack standards How do you do it?
Stage 1 (cont.) Unpack the standard to identify
the desired results.

• Agree on what the nouns mean, some might be open
  to shades of interpretation.
• Think about the prerequisite skills and knowledge
  needed.

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Practicing Stage 1 Unpack the standard to
identify the desired results.
IBO Programme Standard A1 There is close
alignment between the educational beliefs and
values of the school and those of the programme.
(1) action verbs (Blooms) (2) nouns
(interpretation) (3) prerequisite skills and
knowledge.
UNPACK THE
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Stage 1 action verbs (Blooms) nouns
(interpretation) prerequisite skills and
knowledge.
Standard A1 There is close alignment between the
educational beliefs and values of the school and
those of the programme.
Blooms Taxonomy Comprehension Analysis
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Stage 1 action verbs (Blooms) nouns
(interpretation) prerequisite skills and
knowledge.
Standard A1 There is close alignment between the
educational beliefs and values of the school and
those of the programme.
Interpretation Do we know our own educational
beliefs and values? Which school which
programme?
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Stage 1 action verbs (Blooms) nouns
(interpretation) prerequisite skills and
knowledge.
Standard A1 There is close alignment between the
educational beliefs and values of the school and
those of the programme.
Prerequisite knowledge 1) current beliefs
values 2) how where they are expressed
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Stage 2 Determine acceptable evidence / practice
(The IBO has done this for you to some extent).

• Think about what this should look like at your
  school.
• Think about how to best collect the evidence.
• Talk about what constitutes credible evidence.

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Practicing Stage 2 What evidence might exist and
how to collect it.

• Standard A1 practice 1
• There are clear and close connections between the
  schools published statements of mission and
  philosophy, and the beliefs and values of the
  programme.

• Sources of school evidence
• School mission statement in school publications.
• Articles from student publications.
• Copies of course outlines or unit designs for
  each grade and course.

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Practicing Stage 2 What evidence might exist and
how to collect it.

• Standard A1 practice 6
• The school promotes student inquiry and the
  development of critical-thinking skills.

• Sources of school evidence
• Survey of students and parents.
• Copies of course outlines or unit designs for
  each grade and course.
• Classroom observations.
• School budget.

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Practicing Stage 2 What evidence might exist and
how to collect it.

• Standard A1 practices 10 11
• The school promotes concurrency of learning for
  each student (DP MYP).

• Sources of school evidence
• Daily school schedule.
• Graduation or promotion requirements.
• Survey of students and parents.

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Stage 3 Plan learning experiences and
assessments (i.e., professional development and
accountability).

• Think about the current knowledge and skill level
  of your staff.
• Identify how the school can best meet the
  differing needs of the school community.
• Follow-through.

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Practicing Stage 3 Professional development
needs and accountability.

• Standard A1 practice 1
• There are clear and close connections between the
  schools published statements of mission and
  philosophy, and the beliefs and values of the
  programme.

• PD / accountability
• Discussion of school and programme missions at
  parents nights led by administrators and parent
  council.
• New staff induction programs.
• Rules for student and staff conduct.

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Practicing Stage 3 Professional development
needs and accountability.

• Standard A1 practice 6
• The school promotes student inquiry and the
  development of critical-thinking skills.

• PD / accountability
• Lead teachers regularly review units from every
  teacher in dept. or grade.
• Teachers model instructional ideas during monthly
  staff meeting.
• Peer classroom observations and structured
  feedback.

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Practicing Stage 3 Professional development
needs and accountability.

• Standard A1 practices 10 11
• The school promotes concurrency of learning for
  each student (DP MYP).

• PD / accountability
• Teachers collaborate on cross-disciplinary units.
• Resources available for team teaching of lessons
  on regular basis.
• Follow-up survey of students and parents.

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Unpacking IBO Programme Standards World Cafes

• Practice unpacking additional IBO Programme
  Standards.
• Share examples of IBO Programme Standards and
  Practice that exist in our schools.
• Answer questions about the presentation.
• Be amazed at how much the PYP / MYP / DP have in
  common.

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Thank you Tot ziens!

• David Ogden
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• dogden_at_alumni.princeton.edu