Head of School's Blogs

Board Approves Plan 2010

by Bill Gerritz 23 May, 2007

At last night's meeting, the Board of Trustees endorsed our three year learning improvement plan --- ISB 2010.  In purpose and form, I believe it is unique in the international school world. It focuses on learning targets, rather than activities. It emphasizes the only thing that really matters in schools, how students and teachers work and learn together. I have included the plan overview below in case you are interested.

ISB Student Learning Targets and School Improvement Initiatives 2007-2010

Student Learning Improvement Targets: Specific and measurable goals to improve student learning informed by measures of achievement from one point in time to the other.

School Improvement Initiatives: Specific and measurable goals to support the attainment of the Vision and improved student learning.

Student Learning Improvement Targets:

Reach Academic Potential:

1. Given their individual abilities and prior knowledge, all students achieve at least their expected annual learning progress. In reading, writing and math this progress is measured by gain scores on internal and/or external measures.
2. Every student recognized as unusually able in a subject or topic achieves beyond the standard learning outcomes for each unit of study.

 Acquire an International Education:

Students have at least age appropriate knowledge of key global issues.  Over time they develop a thorough understanding of their impact on and responsibility for  an environmentally sustainable future  and have had experience applying this learning locally .

Become Experts in their Own Learning:

For each learning activity, all students can explain what they are learning, how it is connected to other learning, where they are in their learning, and what they need to improve.

School Improvement Initiatives:

Reach Academic Potential:

1. The curriculum has learning outcomes, essential questions, enduring understandings and assessments that are aligned vertically, allowing all students to be challenged.
2. Proactive use is made of students’ prior knowledge, skills and understanding to assist students in making connections and to inform lesson planning. Teachers use their understanding of  this prior knowledge to adjust their lesson planning as measured by classroom observations and discussions with teachers.
3. Each student has an electronic, academic profile that is used by students and teachers to transfer information between grades levels and to set learning targets. Any student who has not been making adequate yearly progress has been identified and adjustments have been made accelerating learning to acceptable levels.
4. Processes for collecting, analyzing, reporting and using results from internal and external student learning measures have been implemented in order to achieve Student Learning Improvement Targets 1, 2 and 3.

Acquire an International Education:

Commensurate with their subject areas, ISB teachers and administrators have the knowledge, skill, and understanding necessary to integrate international mindedness and environmental stewardship into their teaching.

Outstanding Teaching Using Best Practices:

1. All ISB teachers and administrators participate in a professional learning community. This involves collaborative teams focusing on learning supported by classroom visits and reflection.
2. Human resource processes and procedures – recruitment, retention, appraisal, development, substitutes – have been deeply and systematically reviewed and the resulting recommendations have been implemented to ensure that students in every classroom experience excellent learning and teaching.
3. ISB has evolving school wide agreements on best instructional and leadership practices. These practices are used consistently and appropriately by every teacher as measured by reflection on learning gains  and observation. These ISB standard practices have been identified through classroom visits and collaborative work within the school as well as from research on effective teaching practices.

Nurturing and Supportive Environment:

1. ISB is seen as a pace setter in environmentally sound operational policies and practices as measured by rigorous external review.
2. As measured by student surveys and an informed oversight committee, effective systems are in place so that each student is supported, nurtured , and encouraged  with a  designated adult for the student to go to for advice and assistance. 
3. Parents in each division are satisfied with the communication they have with their children’s teachers as reflected by an 85 percent or more approval rating on the annual survey in each divisionA system of learning and support key performance indicators allows the Board of Trustees to monitor the progress of ISB towards our Vision and Guiding Principles. 
4. Facilities have been improved by implementing the master plan and modernizing  interiors  to create more student  friendly, efficient, ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing spaces.

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