Last updated February 3, 2002
Submitted by Carol Lee
International Baccalaureate Program
Coordinator
Thomas Jefferson High School, Auburn, Washington
Working from the 10 principles developed by Ted Sizer, I have tried to show
the correlation to the mission of the IB program and the practices at Thomas
Jefferson High School that are utilized to bring about that mission.
1.
"..learn to use minds well."
Electives are limited for IB diploma students so
they can concentrate on the core. The central intellectual purpose is to foster
the students abilities in critical thinking and critical analysis in writing.
Ex. Theory of Knowledge - each teacher emphasizes the acquisition of
critical analysis.
2. "..student mastery of a limited number of
essential skills and areas of knowledge"
In the IB program, a limited number
of topics is taught in each subject matter but to a great deal of depth. EX. In
history, the topics for this year are a) Causes, practices and effects of war,
b) Nationalist and Independence movements and challenges facing new states, c)
The rise and rule of single-party states, d) The work and establishment of
international organizations, e) The cold war, and f) The state and its
relationship with religion and with minorities. Schools are further encouraged
to limit which topics they cover in depth to 3 out of the six. The most
important elements are the skills such as the ability to compare situations
across geographic areas, to recognize cause and effect, and to be able to
analyze primary documents. There is an emphasis on supporting opinions and
eliminating personal bias in one.
3. ".. goals should apply to all
students" "the means to these goals will vary as students vary"
The IB
program provides the level of academic rigor needed by a substantial number of
students whose goals include success at a rigorous university. The IB program
fosters an atmosphere of academic excellence which can permeate the school. All
students may choose to enter the program in the course areas which they are
interested in. Success is attainable if the student chooses to work hard. IB
teachers rarely teach only IB students. They also teach classes which include
students not intending to complete an IB diploma. These students benefit from
the training the teachers receive through the IB program. The techniques of
encouraging depth of understanding, critical analysis of information used by IB
teachers are also good educational goals for any student.
4.
Personalization
The IB program adds a coordinator into the students
individual education plan for each of the students and coordinates their class
experiences. Because of the common rigor, there is a sense of cohesiveness in
the group of students participating. They have a shared purpose and many of the
same challenges. No IB student remains unknown or anonymous.
5. "student
as worker"
In every IB class, the student must take an active role in the
learning. Students are held responsible for participation in group discussions
and Socratic seminars are common. In every class students are taught to make
intellectual choices, to come to individual conclusions based on attributable
data. Students must have a "voice" in their education.
6. Culminating
Exhibition
To receive the IB diploma, each student must undertake an
extended essay on a topic of his/her choice. This is done in addition to any
coursework required by their teachers. In addition, each IB course has a
culminating Internal assessment chosen and designed by the student.
7.
"..stress values of unanxious expectation"
The tone of the IB classes is one
of respect towards learning, and towards the participants in that learning. The
teacher is part of the intellectual discussion not the dispenser of information.
The quality of work is of supreme importance. It is constantly stressed that the
grade or gpa is not the supreme quantifier in the high school education.
8. "the principal and teachers should be generalists first.. with
multiple obligations"
Each of the IB teachers act as advisors for the IB
students about their college choices. Because the teachers share the same group
of students, the IB teachers can act as a team and can give support to students
in crossover areas. Ex. The English teacher will teach a lesson on the writing
of Abstracts to assist the biology students in writing their Extended Essay
abstracts. The math theory expert will lead a discussion in a Theory of
Knowledge seminar on the relationship of math and art in the universe. The
technology ethics taught in the Information Technology in a Global society class
will be discussed as well in the World language classes.
9. "Total
numbers of students per teacher reduced, time for planning increased"
As a
public school, each teacher sees the average number of students seen by any of
the teachers at the school. IB teachers have the same planning time allotted as
any of the teachers. This principle holds the same challenges for an IB school
as for any other kind of high school.
10. "Inclusive and
non-discriminatory practices"
This program is open to any student wishing to
work hard. No one is refused entry based on test scores, grade point averages,
or income level. It is true that the culminating tests for the diploma cost over
$500.00. However for students with financial need, the state of Washington will
pay for 90% of the costs of the testing and for those receiving the IB diploma,
college costs can be diminished by receiving college credits for achievement on
the IB tests. Teachers may choose to teach in the program. Each teacher must be
willing to attend training and must be willing to intellectually challenge
themselves and to work hard. Schools must continue to build on the current
diversity by encouraging minorities in our school population to see their
potential success in the IB program.
The International Baccalaureate
Organisation mission statement
Education for life
Through comprehensive
and balanced curricula coupled with challenging assessments, the
International Baccalaureate Organization aims to assist schools in their endeavours to
develop the individual talents of young people and teach them to relate the
experience of the classroom to the realities of the world outside. Beyond
intellectual rigour and high academic standards, strong emphasis is placed on the ideals
of international understanding and responsible citizenship, to the end that IB
students may become critical and compassionate thinkers, lifelong learners and
informed participants in local and world affairs, conscious of the shared
humanity that binds all people together while respecting the variety of cultures
and attitudes that makes for the richness of life.
The Coalition of
Essential Schools - 10 Common Principles
1. The school should focus on
helping young people learn to use their minds well. Schools should not be
"comprehensive" if such a claim is made at the expense of the school's central
intellectual purpose.
2. The school's goals should be simple: that each
student master a limited number of essential skills and areas of knowledge.
While these skills and areas will, to varying degrees, reflect the traditional
academic disciplines, the program's design should be shaped by the intellectual
and imaginative powers and competencies that the students need, rather than by
"subjects" as conventionally defined. The aphorism "less is more" should
dominate: curricular decisions should be guided by the aim of thorough student
mastery and achievement rather than by an effort to merely cover content.
3. The school's goals should apply to all students, while the means to
these goals will vary as those students themselves vary. School practice should
be tailor-made to meet the needs of every group or class of students.
4. Teaching and learning should be personalized to the maximum feasible
extent. Efforts should be directed toward a goal that no teacher have direct
responsibility for more than 80 students in the high school and middle school
and no more than 20 in the elementary school. To capitalize on this
personalization, decisions about the details of the course of study, the use of
students' and teachers' time and the choice of teaching materials and specific
pedagogies must be unreservedly placed in the hands of the principal and staff.
5. The governing practical metaphor of the school should be
student-as-worker, rather than the more familiar metaphor of
teacher-as-deliverer-of-instructional-services. Accordingly, a prominent
pedagogy will be coaching, to provoke students to learn how to learn and thus to
teach themselves.
6. Teaching and learning should be documented and
assessed with tools based on student performance of real tasks. Students not yet
at appropriate levels of competence should be provided intensive support and
resources to assist them quickly to meet those standards. Multiple forms of
evidence, ranging from ongoing observation of the learner to completion of
specific projects, should be used to better understand the learner's strengths
and needs, and to plan for further assistance. Students should have
opportunities to exhibit their expertise before family and community. The
diploma should be awarded upon a successful final demonstration of mastery for
graduation - an "Exhibition." As the diploma is awarded when earned, the
school's program proceeds with no strict age grading and with no system of
credits earned" by "time spent" in class. The emphasis is on the students'
demonstration that they can do important things.
7. The tone of the
school should explicitly and self-consciously stress values of unanxious
expectation ("I won't threaten you but I expect much of you"), of trust (until
abused) and of decency (the values of fairness, generosity and tolerance).
Incentives appropriate to the school's particular students and teachers should
be emphasized. Parents should be key collaborators and vital members of the
school community.
8. The principal and teachers should perceive
themselves as generalists first (teachers and scholars in general education) and
specialists second (experts in but one particular discipline). Staff should
expect multiple obligations (teacher-counselor-manager) and a sense of
commitment to the entire school.
9. Ultimate administrative and budget
targets should include, in addition to total student loads per teacher of 80 or
fewer pupils on the high school and middle school levels and 20 or fewer on the
elementary level, substantial time for collective planning by teachers,
competitive salaries for staff, and an ultimate per pupil cost not to exceed
that at traditional schools by more than 10 percent. To accomplish this,
administrative plans may have to show the phased reduction or elimination of
some services now provided students in many traditional schools.
10. The
school should demonstrate non-discriminatory and inclusive policies, practices,
and pedagogies. It should model democratic practices that involve all who are
directly affected by the school. The school should honor diversity and build on
the strength of its communities, deliberately and explicitly challenging all
forms of inequity.