Bonn International
School (IB Diploma Program)
The school where I
completed my clinical practice, Bonn International School (BIS), is an IB school
which prides itself on offering ‘a comprehensive and balanced curriculum,
preparing students for realities of the outside world and inspiring them to
achieve their personal best.’
BIS
offers the IB Diploma Program which is a rigorous two-year program for grade 11
and 12 that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into
higher education. The IB Diploma is recognized and valued by universities worldwide.
Students in the IB
Diploma Program study three core elements and choose to specialize from a
selection of academic subject groups. The goal of the core elements is for
students to demonstrate their learning, and apply their knowledge and skills in
practical and meaningful ways. The three core
elements are: CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) in which students choose and complete
projects related to the three concepts; Theory of Knowledge (TOK) in which students
reflect on the nature of knowledge and how knowledge is constructed; and Extended Essay, an independent, self-directed piece
of research, culminating with a 4,000-word paper.
Students are evaluated using both internal and external
assessments, and courses finish with an externally assessed series of
examinations. IB
Diploma students’ exams and performances are measured against well-defined
levels of achievement by independent examiners. This gives the process a high
level of objectivity and reliability. Common examination formats include essays,
structured problems, short-response questions, data-response questions,
text-response questions, and case-study questions.
External assessments
are
complemented by internal assessments that vary by subject and are evaluated
by the subject teacher. A variety of assessment methods are used to value the content and the
process, growth and depth of academic achievement. The range of assessment
methods emphasizes the IB’s respect for students’ different learning styles, needs
and cultural backgrounds. Students
demonstrate their growth and process towards the IB Learner Profile which serve
to the strengthen a teacher’s planning towards further developing these
essential IB learner attributes.
Assessments in the IB not only measure a mastery of academics but also life skills that prepare students for future work and study, for example: researching, analyzing and presenting information; evaluating and constructing arguments; self-reflection and communication and creative problem solving. Both the variety of assessment options, as well as the close collaboration between teachers and international examiners, ensures that students in the IB Diploma Program have ample, appropriate and relevant opportunities to demonstrate their learning and knowledge.
Assessments in the IB not only measure a mastery of academics but also life skills that prepare students for future work and study, for example: researching, analyzing and presenting information; evaluating and constructing arguments; self-reflection and communication and creative problem solving. Both the variety of assessment options, as well as the close collaboration between teachers and international examiners, ensures that students in the IB Diploma Program have ample, appropriate and relevant opportunities to demonstrate their learning and knowledge.
At
BIS, DP students take a two-week ‘study leave’ in April and May where they
independently prepare for their IB exams. Exams then take place over the course
of several days in May and June. The results of these exams are then compiled
to indicate school and global IB-wide graduation rates.
At
my school it is important to note that not all students must strive for the IB
Diploma. There is also an option to complete the BIS High School Diploma which
his taught through the ‘standard level’ courses offered in the IB. This is a less rigorous program and it does not sufficiently qualify students for
entrance to universities without the addition of separate university entrance
exams (SAT).
Teachers in the IB Diploma program do not receive
rewards for high rankings students. At my school, only teachers with strong
prior IB Diploma teaching experience are hired to teach the DP, while their
collaboration with external evaluators requires that they be consistently
maintain the highest level of commitment to student achievement and
professionalism. Teachers are hired on a two-year probational contract after
which they are evaluated for a permanent contract. Student success in the IB may
be a consideration in this process; however, it is not a major decision factor.
More important are the teacher’s attitudes, attributes and ethical practice,
which demonstrate an alignment with the IB philosophy and supports the needs of
a diverse student body.
New York City Public Schools (Regents Exams)
The US federal
No Child Left Behind Act requires states to define academic standards and to administer
yearly assessments that measure progress of student achievement.
Elementary
and middle school students in New York State take yearly State tests in core
academic subjects in grades 3 an 8 to assess their knowledge of the Common Core
Learning Standards. Students’ test results are one of the factors
that schools use to decide whether to promote a student to the next grade
level. New York City high school students must pass five Regents Exams in order
to graduate. The Regents Exam assesses students’ knowledge of the learning standards
defined by New York State. Subjects tested are English, math, science, global
history, and U.S. history and government. In addition to the Regents Exams,
student must take additional standardized tests to gain entry into institutions
of higher learning, such as the SAT.
NYC schools
offer alternate tests and testing conditions to accommodate a diverse
demographic, including test for English Language Learners and Students with
Disabilities, and in some cases, the option of taking the test in another language.
Information
from testing and other data about school strengths and weakness is complied in the
New York State Report Card, which is used by the state to make accountability
determinations, with the goal of improving instruction and related student services. While test
scores are only one aspect of measuring school performance, and are considered
in conjunction with other school evaluation tools, including the School Quality
Report, the Quality Review, and the NYC School Survey, they can have a
considerable impact on how schools operate, how and what teachers teach, and how
and what students learn.
Knowledge
gained from the report card on a school's strengths and weaknesses
can be used for purposes which benefit schools, but schools and
teachers may also be penalized for consistent underperformance. “Failing
schools” was a term I heard a lot while living in NY, and I saw many ‘failing
schools’ split or transformed into Charter schools or shut down entirely, which
can have grave consequences on students and communities. The pressure
therefore, to have students do well on state tests is very high for all stake-holders. Teachers may feel pressured to ‘teach to the test’ rather than engage
in authentic teaching, in order to increase their school and students’ scores.
For students, the stress is high too. Passing these test are a ticket to
graduation and may determine how well students do on subsequent tests like the
SAT, allowing entry into higher education. Therefore, not doing well can have
serious consequences. Schools clamber to avoid this by engaging in lengthy test
preparation and ‘teaching to the test’. The standard amount of time set by the
NY state legislature for time spent during school hours prepping for tests is one
percent. However, a new report suggests that this is widely underestimated,
revealing that actual time spent teaching to the test of closer to 2 percent.
This
testing culture can lead to loss of teaching time (particularly for new content), student testing fatigue, and loss of enthusiasm for teaching and
learning for both teachers and students. It speaks very little for a
high-quality, exciting and meaningful education that provides students with
transferable, life skills. Nor does it leave room for teachers to exercise
their passion for teaching,
The IB
Diploma Exams and the Regents Exams differ greatly. The IB DP Exam culminates
from years of student-led learning. Following this vein of pedagogical
thinking, the exams allows room for student choice and requires students to show,
demonstrate and apply their learning in creative and differentiated ways. The
rigorous and difficult road leading up to the IB exams can be stressful for
students, but when content is meaningful and personalized, learning is
inspiring and rewarding. The Regent’s Examinees, by contrast, must prove their
mastery of knowledge against concrete and specific state standards of learning,
which leaves a narrow margin for students to demonstrate their learning outside
of the right or wrong of the test ‘bubble’. This can be especially damaging to non-mainstream groups like new immigrant arrivals, those with learning disabilities or those with learning differences.
While both systems clearly set high standards and high expectations for student learning, I would argue that the IB system does so in a way which is more equitable, meaningful and inspiring for students, and which prepares them for the rigors, unpredictability and ever evolving landscape of the real world. My experience in an IB school has revealed that teachers and students feel rewarded and respected by assessments that value student-centered education, the exercising of relevant knowledge and the demonstration of 21st C skills, no matter how high their stakes.
While both systems clearly set high standards and high expectations for student learning, I would argue that the IB system does so in a way which is more equitable, meaningful and inspiring for students, and which prepares them for the rigors, unpredictability and ever evolving landscape of the real world. My experience in an IB school has revealed that teachers and students feel rewarded and respected by assessments that value student-centered education, the exercising of relevant knowledge and the demonstration of 21st C skills, no matter how high their stakes.
Sources:
Assessment and Learning Development in IB PYP Schools. Final
Report, November 2015. International Baccalaureate Organization. School of
Education, Deacon University. PDF file. http://www.ibo.org/contentassets/cc0cf81a37814d94b46b9711a50a1a98/final-report-ib-pyp-assessment.pdf
Bonn International School
Homepage. Welcome to Grades 11 and 12 Diploma Years. Program Information and
Curriculum Guide 2016-2017. PDF file. https://www.bonn-is.de/sites/default/files/dp_curriculum_guide_v.2.pdf
NYC Department of Education. ‘Yearly Testing’. Retrieved from http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/resources/testing/default.htm
Valerie Straus. Report: Time Spent on Standardized Testing is
Schools is Underestimated. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/19/report-time-spent-on-standardized-testing-in-schools-is-underestimated/?utm_term=.a7275e92c956
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