Leading Sections C1-C4 of the Self-Study

Section C of the programme evaluation guide and self-study questionnaire focuses on the curriculum. This is the part of the guide and questionnaire where teachers in each department need to assess themselves against each standard and practice and find evidence to justify their grade. In accordance with the guide and questionnaire I worked with each subject group in the programme appoint a lead teacher in each department.

After introductory whole staff meetings where the DP Coordinator explained the Process and went through the DP Evaluation staff share area that he created, including the aims, overview and steps of the process, how to upload, log and comment on evidence.

In an introduction to C1-C4 whole staff meeting I explained the following process to staff:

Teachers in each department must meet and discuss where they believe they are for each of the standards in sections C1, C2, C3 and C4. I explained that a consensus must be met within the department.

The indictors that had been agreed on must be used by all departments for each of the sections from C1-C4.

Teachers must find evidence to justify the grade they have agreed on. This evidence must be logged in the evidence and comments document explained in the self-study evidence part of this website and the evidence itself must be uploaded into the relevant folder.
As well as giving themselves a grade and logging supporting evidence for each section, the department must fill in in the whole of each section which includes describing major achievements during the period, progress against IB recommendations in the last evaluation / authorization and areas in need of further development or improvement.
After the department has filled in the section, the lead teachers for each department, along with one form TOK and the CAS coordinator must meet with the DP Coordinator. In this meeting the lead teachers will agree on a programme wide grade for each of the practices in the section. A conclusion on the standard of ether `requires significant attention` or `shows satisfactory development` must be agreed. The lead teachers will also amalgamate the examples they have found on describing major achievements during the period, progress against IB recommendations in the last evaluation / authorization and areas in need of further development or improvement.
The Coordinator will write up all of the comments and grades for each section and email them back to the teachers to proof read and suggest any changes that need to be made.

In order to support teachers through this process I used my position as Theory of Knowledge teacher as well as coordinator to show examples of how to upload, comment and log the evidence, as well as comment on the achievements, targets and responses to the IB`s authorisation visit. I uploaded the information to onto the form in front of the staff to give them a clear idea of what is needed for each part of the forms.

After the introductory meeting, teachers in the different subject groups worked together to find evidence, achievements, targets and grades for each section from C1-4, working towards the agreed deadlines on the timeline. I gave teachers time to meet during their bi-weekly Diploma Programme meeting times and at other convenient times, such as non-student days and whole staff meetings. I made myself available during these times to guide teachers on how to fill in the relevant form, but had no influence on the grade each department gave themselves. Bigger subject groups split some standards between them, based on which teacher had access to the best evidence.

The subject leaders meetings were set up at the end of every section from C1-C4. In these two hour meetings we discussed the grade for each subject with the coordinator logging each subject group`s individual grades and their reasons. As a group we talked through any differences of opinion until a consensus could be met on a final grade for each of the standards in the section and for the section overall. As the meeting unfolded I asked each department to offer the best examples of the evidence they had found to support the grade they had given themselves. I worked to ensure that evidence came from subjects across the programme, and was varied to give a full picture of what has been going on across programme wide. After the overall grade for each standard and the evidence to support it was agreed I logged it with supporting comments from the department who has submitted it, ready to be sent to the IBO

I met teachers and worked closely with new staff and the visual art teacher who was alone in the process.

I wrote to, and spoke to parents at workshops about the evaluation. Parents were given a questionnaire to fill in and were all asked if they would be willing to meet the IB when they visit in December. Questionnaires were translated into Japanese and can be found in the evidence.

In creating team leaders for each subject group I created an inclusive atmosphere where all departments` views were listened to and recorded in the team leader meetings for the curriculum part of the process (C1-C4).

The Evaluation folder I created to support staff was put on the staff share clearly mapping out what needs to be done throughout the process. The folders include: Evaluation questionnaire, aims of the process, Overview of the process, Steps of the Process, Self-Study Timeline plan, Self-study Indicators, Self-Study Evidence, Self-Study comments and grades, Meeting Minutes, DP units of work, Japanese Translation, Charts, IB recommendations, Documents to be sent to the IB, Parent and Student questionnaires.

I have consistently referred to these folders in whole staff and departmental meetings, where I have been able to give deadlines and check on each department`s progress. I have made sure I have led by example, showing how each part of C1-C4 could be filled in for Theory of Knowledge and making it clear to staff how the forms should be filled in.

I have also worked one to one with members of staff who need support in finding and logging evidence that is relevant to the standards and practices. It has been the case where some members of staff have needed this support consistently throughout the process.

Important information was translated into Japanese to support the Japanese A teachers, who don`t speak English and a translator has accompanied me to the meetings with them to explain what was is needed to be done.

In order to check I have been on the right track I have been in touch with the IB in Singapore and a DP Coordinator colleague from another school who has just been through the progress and has offered valuable advice.

I kept the leadership team up-to-date with the progress of the evaluation and worked through sections A and B with them during Leadership meetings, both the regular ones and ones that were especially arranged to support the process.

During the C1-C4 meetings I asked team leaders to choose the best pieces of evidence for each standard. At the end of the process I collated all of the pieces of evidence and used the teachers` notes to create a blurb on each one for ready for submission to the International Baccalaureate.