Programme standards and practices
It's easy to get swept up in planning, teaching, assessment and maintaining the lab when teaching several classes across two (or more) cohorts and meeting all the other expectations involved in teaching.
However, there's a lot to appreciate about the big IB picture when we remember to zoom out. One aspect is the programme standards and practices: What are we supposed to aim for? How are we advised to go about it?
Context and philosophy
All schools have a context - what is unique about yours?
All IB World Schools are required to with IB philosophy by:
- aspiring to support learners in becoming internationally minded
- harnessing the learner profile
- having a broad, balanced, conceptual and connected curriculum
- employing the IB approaches to teaching and approaches to learning
IB philosophy and the school context surround the next, more specific layer, which has three parts:
- Purpose (What is the school's mission?)
- Environment (What is the school providing to make this possible?)
- Culture (How are things done?)
Together, purpose, environment and culture faciliate the ultimate goal: Learning (How effective is our education?)
Under 'Purpose' there is one standard, relating to the development of young people. There are three practices about how the governing body, school leaders, pedagogical leadership team and school community work with purpose, educational approaches, and IB materials.
Linking to 'Environment' are three standards about leadership and governance, student support, and teacher support. Practices include following IB rules, having a programme coordinator, how the curriculum is scheduled, planning for reviews, having funding, resourcing the education, supporting learning, fostering well-being for all, guiding students, building wider community relationships, using current IB materials, learning as professionals, and collaborating.
'Culture' emerges from policy implementation, and policies should include access and/or admissions, inclusion, academic integrity, language, and assessment.
Standards for 'Learning' include designing a coherent curriculum, students as lifelong learners, approaches to teaching, and approaches to assessment. A coherent curriculum requires organisation, collaboration, and development and engagement. Becoming a lifelong learner results from skills, attributes, relationships, judgments, application, ownership, and exploration of identity. Teachers should plan for ways to foster natural curiosity, develop ideas, use local and global contexts, promote positivity and dynamism, and remove barriers for learning. Effective use of assessment means inviting feedback, using varied assessment methods, being consistent and fair, and consolidating learning.
For those reading this page because your IB evaluation is coming up, we have a blog post on this topic: What really happens?
For those in the interim, perhaps this information has sparked some ideas for professional learning or preparing to join the pedagogical leadership team in your setting.
Further reading
IB (2018, updated 2022). Programme standards and practices.