IAPSS Article Nov. 2011:

Washington Township Schools are well on their way to becoming the first district in the state of Indiana – and one of just a handful nationwide – to become an International Baccalaureate (IB) World District by offering the IB curriculum to all students from kindergarten through graduation.

“The IB framework is transforming teaching and learning in Washington Township,” said Dr. Nikki Woodson, Superintendent of the district. “We began the transition several years ago, with strong support from our teachers, to extend the inquiry-based strategies beyond the IB Diploma Program, into every classroom in our district.” North Central High School has offered the IB Diploma for more than 25 years, graduating an average of 32 candidates each year. The Diploma Program will continue for selected students in grades 11-12. All students, K-5, will be enrolled in the Primary Years Program, while students in grades 6-10 will participate in the Middle Years Program.

“The International Baccalaureate program prepares students for 21st century success by providing every student with a holistic education,” said Allyson Smith, IB Coordinator for Primary and Middle Years Programs. “Additionally, it increases student engagement and allows students to take ownership of their learning and apply it to real world, authentic situations.”

With a highly diverse student population, in which 66% are students of color, 67 different languages are spoken at home throughout the district, nearly 2000 students who speak English as a new language and 56% of the student body is eligible for free or reduced lunches, implementing the IB curriculum has been viewed as a way to ‘raise the bar’ for students and teachers alike. “Rather than focus merely on standardized test scores to show that our students are achieving,” said Dr. Woodson, “we are ensuring that they have the thinking and problem-solving strategies that they will need to thrive in the 21^st century’s global economy.”

The path to becoming an IB-Authorized school includes multiple sessions of professional development, focusing on an integrated approach to teaching, and an emphasis on developing students who are internationally minded and able to see connections among their academic subjects. As part of the K-12 IB initiative, every student in the 11,000-pupil district will study a world language. Chinese and Spanish are already offered at several elementary schools in the district, with more choices available as students enter upper grades.

Teachers have been so enthusiastic in their support for the transition to all-IB classes. “We are thrilled that our teachers have embraced the vision of offering an internationally recognized framework for teaching & learning to all our students,” said Superintendent Woodson.

The multi-year IB authorization process is rigorous, involving school appraisals, curriculum reviews, external site visits and self-evaluation. So far, all Washington Township schools – seven elementary, three middle, and one high school – have achieved the first milestone, by becoming IB Candidates schools on their first application. After the 2-year Candidate phase is completed this year, the Authorization phase begins. That process includes rigorous curriculum review as well as on-site visits evaluators, who will be looking for how IB curriculum and teaching techniques have been incorporated into classroom methodologies.

According to Nora Elementary principal Suzanne Zybert, “Students are being provided with daily inquiry-based learning opportunities that are rigorous and integrated and instilling in each student an internationally minded set of beliefs.”  She added, “These beliefs are helping them to be global learners and discover what they want to be while preparing them to be caring and productive citizens.”

“The International Baccalaureate program has raised the bar for every academic program in Washington Township Schools,” said Eastwood Middle School principal Matt Kaiser. “Students enrolling in advanced and rigorous classes at our most diverse schools serve as evidence that when we raise the level of expectation, our students respond with increased performance.”

If all goes as planned, the elementary schools will earn their IB Authorization in the 2011-2012 academic year, with the middle schools completing their process the next year.