Starting Off 2018 On A Positive Note In The Right Direction

Cassie Armstrong | August 10, 2017 | AP/IB Info | No Comments

Welcome back to the 2016-2018 IB Year 2 Teachers and a welcome to the 2017-2019 IB Year 1 Teachers

Some nice updates to the campus will make this year better than last year. Always improving. Here are some reminders for starting off the year on the right foot with everyone rowing in the same direction.

Year 1 IB Predictive Grades

SSIS will continue to gather data to provide to both students and parents as we began to do so last year. All IB teachers will need to provide their Year 2 IB students with a Predictive Score (1-7) in PowerSchool by OCTOBER 16th just before Parent- Teacher Conferences on Friday October 20th. These two data points will allow you to have more productive conversations with students and parents.

For all new teachers, you may be wondering why SSIS does Predictive Grades. To better understand the why of this change toward better alignment with IB philosophy and expectations, see this presentation.

Mock Exams 2018 & May Exams 2018

Mock Exams for March 2018 will be March 5-9. We will discuss later the ‘why’ (ATLs) the Mock Exams should be formative where the students take the onus of grading them and making a plan of action for their own specific learning path for the last 3 weeks of school after Spring Break and just before IB Exams begin. The final schedule for Mock Exams should be complete by the end of August. Here is the May 2018 IB Exam schedule.

IA Due Dates

Teachers need to finalize the dates for all IB Y2 students. Here is the calendar for Y2: IB calendar for the 2016-2018. SSIS will maintain time frames for IAs for consistency, but students need to know specific dates when school starts.

The IB calendar for the 2017-2019 cohort is essentially the same. The IB Programme needs to not only increase accountability of IB students, we need to provide them with the tools, information and resources to be appropriately accountable. I will begin printing IA Due Date posters A3 in large RED font for display in your rooms as we did last year. If you print off your own A3 posters, please let me know to avoid double printing.

Curriculum on the Walls (COWs)

As mentioned in the High School Divisional Meeting on Monday, greater Transparency – Information – Accountability is the mantra for IB this year. We’re going to begin with low hanging fruit, and one easy way to begin picking is to have the IB (and to be fair – AP) curriculum on the wall for students (and parents) of all grades to see. Some teachers already have the large IB Syllabus posters by your door and also already have COWs. I can work with teachers and the tech/printing room if need be to have some items printed for your room. Examples of COWs:

Coordinator’s Notes – May 2017

Attached HERE, you will find the May 2017 Coordinator’s Notes for your summer reading. Special items of interest:

Would SSIS like to pilot an IB Nature of Science SL course?
IB is always seeking qualified examiners, especially in these subjects: History, Theater & Visual Arts
IB Questionbank now includes May & November 2016 questions
ESS teachers are being sought by IBO for the course review process
CAS Coordinators are being sought by IBO for the curriculum review process
The new Extended Essay Guide contained contradictory text
The Economics curriculum review has been extended
Chemistry has a revised Chemistry Data Booklet for first use – November 2017
Physics used a revised Data Booklet for May 2017
Mathematics HL P1 & P2 is now marked out of 100 and P3 is marked out of 50
Arts subjects have a revised process for May 2017 onwards
Music has two Prescribed Works for 2017-2019
Theater’s changes begin May 2017 onwards
Curriculum Development & Review Cycles