"Mr. Memoli and I are recommending we discontinue the IB middle school years program after this year," said Susan Grierson, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. "I want you all to know this decision was not made lightly."
The International Baccalaureate system, or IB as it is known, is a program instituted in 2012 at both middle schools with the aim of improving achievement and advancement for those grades.
An informational notice sent to parents at the time stated that IB is:
a non-profit organization which serves more than 1 million students each year in its global network of 3,483 schools in 144 countries. IB has performance criteria designed to prepare students for full participation in an increasingly globalized world. It includes courses in all of the traditional subject matters, but taught in a way that guides students to a deeper, more student-driven, trans-disciplinary exploration into issues, questions and problems of global importance.
It later added the IB program:
was recommended by the superintendent and middle school principals, and approved by the Board of Education, in order to ensure that SOMSD middle schools are providing the highest level of rigor for our students. IB MYP is a well-known program which “encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers.
But several weeks ago, a number of middle school teachers pleaded with the board to remove the program, saying it's adding extra demands and not providing the results it should.
An IB update issued in 2014 found that the district had spent $196,000 on the program so far and would have to spend another $48,376 to keep it going through the 2015-2016 school year.
Grierson told the board on Monday that trying to implement the program along with other mandates such as the PARCC standardized tests and more Common Core requirements was too much.
"After three years of implementation, I think everyone believes that the program has not taken root as we envisioned," Grierson said.
Board members were mixed in their reaction.
"I find it very disappointing," said Board Member Beth Daugherty. "But I understand it is a combination of all of these external forces on the staff."
Board Member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad added, "we heard from teachers that IB has failed for them."
But others, such as Board Member Elizabeth Baker, disagreed, urging that more be done to measure its impact: "I'm not ready to accept the recommendation at this point because I don't really feel that sufficient evidence has been shared with the community."
The board took no action on the program, but Board President Wayne Eastman said a
resolution to end the program will likely be reviewed at the board's May monthly meeting.
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