Jen Victor is the intervention specialist for Case Elementary School. She said the school, located in the Akron Public Schools District (APS), has learned its application to enter the candidacy phase of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) has been accepted.
At the April 28 APS Board of Education meeting, district officials said Case, along with Litchfield Middle School, had applied to be accepted into the IB program. The APS’ Firestone High School is the only Akron-area school with an IB program.
Victor said the candidacy phase is expected to last about two years, but students at Case will begin benefitting from the IB program Sept. 1 when the program will begin to be implemented. The IB organization will work with the school to see that implementation is carried out properly, said Victor.
The PYP is a curriculum framework designed for students ages 3 to 12, according to the IB organization’s website. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is defined by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning.
The IB works in four areas: development of curriculum; assessment of students; training and professional development of teachers; and authorization and evaluation of schools, according to the IB organization’s website.
At the elementary level, the IB program is for all students at the school, not just for select students in the building, said Victor.
“That’s part of what’s so exciting is that it’s an opportunity to let every child in our community take part in the program,” she said.
Many teachers at Case have already participated in IB training, including 12 who have already completed a six-week class, she added.
More extensive training for school staff is forthcoming, and the amount of the support that is available through the IB organization is outstanding, said Victor.
According to the IB website, the primary program has been fully implemented in just nine other Ohio schools, with several others in the candidacy phase.
(Story courtesy of Akron.com)