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District adoption of the international baccalaureate: providing comprehensive programming across school campuses

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Content Running head: DISTRICT ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

1

DISTRICT ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE:
PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMMING ACROSS SCHOOL CAMPUSES

by

Matthew C. Limtiaco

_________________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2015

Copyright 2015 Matthew C. Limtiaco

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DEDICATION
Fulfilling the requirements of a dissertation places demands on many people, none more
than the family members of the researcher. Two strong and confident women offered their
knowledge, advice, and skills toward my completion of the demanding dissertation journey. The
encouragement and support of my wife Elizabeth and my mother Ruth were absolutely essential
to my ongoing success. I dedicate my dissertation work to these remarkable individuals, with
whom I am fortunate to have shared my life.
I would also like to dedicate this work to my twin sons who are due in June. They have
been on our minds and in our hearts, and soon they will be in our arms. Educators spend their
professional lives helping to nurture those who will inherit the future. My hope is that my
knowledge of education supports me in fatherhood, and that what I discover as a father inspires
me toward evolving and innovating education.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author expresses sincere appreciation to each of the ten participants in this study who
generously provided their time and knowledge to this body of work. As an educator, I am fully
aware of how precious a resource time is. At each participating school I was welcomed with
open arms and afforded valuable viewpoints that brought my work to life. These insights
validated existing research on school reform, while providing new perspectives regarding IB
adoption in the State of Hawai‘i. The participants in this study were all seasoned educators with
no less than ten years of experience in the field. It is impossible to measure the impact they have
had on the lives of their students and our community. I was inspired to learn about their ongoing
efforts and honored to contribute to research that may support their mission.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Figures 6
Abstract 7
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study 8
Background of the Problem 10
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 12
Research Questions 13
Importance of the Study 14
Limitations 14
Delimitations 15
Assumptions 15
Definition of Terms 16
Organization of the Dissertation 17
Chapter 2: Literature Review 18
The International Baccalaureate 19
Research Setting 29
Common Challenges Experienced in IB Implementation 30
Research Driven Strategies in School Reform 36
Chapter 3: Research Method 49
Method of Study 51
Context of Study: Kaiser Complex 52
Sample of Population 53
Instrumentation 54
Data Collection 55
Data Analysis 56
Chapter 4: Findings 58
Introduction of Participants 59
Perceived Challenges Associated with IB Program 62
Leadership Strategies Employed 76
Beyond Human Capital Management 87
Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations 91
Context and Aim of the Kaiser Complex Study 92
Sample of Population Review 93
IB Adoption Challenges and Strategies in Kaiser Complex 93
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Conclusion 99
Suggestions for Future Research 100
References 102
Appendices 107
Appendix A: Research and Interview Questions 107
Appendix B: Informed Consent Form 109
Appendix C: HIDOE Affirmation Form for Researchers 112
Appendix D: Statement of Support from Advisor for Research 116
Appendix E: Preliminary HIDOE Approval Forms to Conduct Research 117
Appendix F: HIDOE Approval for Research 123

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Diploma programme 24
Figure 2. Middle years programme 26
Figure 3. Primary years programme 28

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ABSTRACT
This study examines challenges perceived, and successful leadership strategies enacted, during
the adoption of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. The qualitative case study involves
three schools unified by their collective efforts toward offering the IB Program from K-12.
Anticipated findings recognize parallels in the perceptions of challenges reported by participants
in Kaiser Complex Schools, and those noted in previous research. Findings also uncover
additional perceived challenges caused by the geographic remoteness of the Hawaiian Islands.
Unanticipated findings include successful strategies initiated by Kaiser Complex Schools to
mitigate program costs, institutionalize across-campus communication, and reorganize personnel
to maximize time. The study may be found beneficial within the Kaiser Complex in defining
ongoing IB program challenges, and tailoring future strategies accordingly. This body of
knowledge may also prove valuable in designing an effective roadmap for future IB program
adoption efforts by schools in the State of Hawai‘i and abroad.

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
Established in Geneva in 1968, The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a non-profit
educational foundation focused on development of education programs that foster global-
mindedness and inquiry-based learning (International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2015a).
The IB traces its roots to two organizations: Ecole Internationale de Genève (The International
School of Geneva) and The United Nations. In the early 1960s, founding members of IB
recognized a growing need among internationally stationed UN staff and affiliates, for a globally
recognizable diploma for students enrolled in international schools (Hill, 2012). Recognition of
standardized international education and the promotion of ideological UN missions to foster
peace and international mindedness in schools were driving motivations in developing the
Diploma Program (Hill, 2012), the first of three IB programs now offered.
The IB piloted the Diploma Program (DP) for students aged 16 to 19 at International
School in Geneva in 1968. By the 1980s, IB succeeded in establishing broad University
recognition for the DP, due, in part, to close ties with governments and efforts of then director of
the European Centre of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace John Goormaghtigh,
and the director of the Department of Educational Studies, at Oxford University, Alec Peterson.
While these influential early stakeholders helped broadcast and promote the new program, the
DP’s reputation for high standards and effective preparation for higher education also drew
attention from the education community (Bunnell, 2010). Having established both legitimacy
and prestige through broad university recognition, the IB grew steadily, especially in the US
where its reputation for rigorous instruction aligned with national goals (Bunnell, 2010).
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Over two decades after the development of the IB Diploma Program, and in response to
emerging needs and opportunities in the global education marketplace, two new IB programs
were advanced to prepare younger audiences for the DP, and expand the IB mission to foster
global mindedness and critical thinking skills. The IB Middle Years Program (MYP) was
established in 1994 (Hill, 2006) for students age 11 to 16 (IBO, 2015b), and the Primary Years
Program (PYP) soon followed in 1997 and serves students 3-12 years of age (Hill, 2006).
Today the IB works with 2,302 schools in 127 countries (IBO, 2015c). Over 50% of these
schools now reside in the US (Bunnell, 2010), and of those schools 89% of schools offering the
Diploma Program are public schools (Doherty & Shield, 2012). Since its inception in the 1960s,
IB programs have expanded far beyond original intended audiences of international schools.
Links to improvements in student AYP scores (IBO, 2015c), and the reputation for rigorous
higher education preparation has increased this growth trend. In the ten-year span between 1999
and 2009, IB certified schools increased at an average of 73 schools per month (Bunnell, 2010).
Taking into account the IB program’s rapid expansion among all levels of schools, this once
experimental program limited to 500 students, has arguably become a vehicle for curriculum and
pedagogy reform in United States public education (White, 2010).
Significant reform measures, implemented effectively, require an educated distribution of
human capital, strategic use of resources such as time and finances, and a firm understanding of
effective leadership practices. The aim of this study is to identify and define research-driven
leadership strategies implemented in effective school reform, and determine to what extent these
best practices apply to the challenges met in authentic IB adoption scenarios. Do successful IB
schools employ specific strategies, to what extent, and what might be derailing schools
struggling to effectively adopt IB?
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A case study of the first, and only, school complex in Hawai‘i to offer all three IB
programs (PYP, MYP, and DP) provides perspective for surveying the strategies employed in
adoption, management, and ongoing implementation of multi-level education programming
across three campuses.
Background of the Problem
Despite an ever-increasing popularity among education reformers, and reported links to
improved student achievements (IBO, 2015d), International Baccalaureate programs have been
scrutinized for inconsistent across-program delivery and the potential for partiality in instructor
interpretations (Lee, Hallinger, & Walker, 2012). A two-decade separation between the launch of
IB’s first program (the Diploma Program) in the 1960s, and following programs (the Middle
Years and Primary Years Program) in the 90s, may be partly to blame. Within that span, authors
of curriculum changed, methods of delivery advanced, and education market landscapes shifted.
An unintended void among programs results from this twenty-year gap in program authorship
(Lee et al., 2012).
It is argued that the burden of IB program alignment, implementation, and assessment
rests on individual IB certified schools, partly due to IB institutional limitations overextended by
the expanding reach of IB programs. The sheer volume of the IB program participants, variety of
program offerings, and potential for misaligned educator interpretations may impair seamless
delivery, disrupt student transitions, or blur teacher expectations of IB programming (Bunnell,
2011; Lee et al., 2012). There are also questions regarding the ways that values, ideals and
learning outcomes might be prioritized and delivered differently by educators, especially across
geographic and cultural boundaries (Wells, 2011).
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In addition to concerns regarding potential for misaligned IB delivery, obligations toward
mandated federal, state, and local directives require public schools to address mounting
priorities. These mandates increase competition for a fixed allocation of funding, time, and
human capital. The considerable investment of resources required in IB certification has come
under scrutiny, especially in schools where budgets, curriculums, or missions conflict (Doherty
& Shield, 2012).
Statement of the Problem
While the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program, and Diploma Program are
linked fundamentally by their broad IB mission to foster international mindedness and promote
inquiry learning, continuous school (schools serving students from K-12 at the same campus)
educators have reported challenges in providing seamless transitions between IB programs,
which employ inherently different delivery and assessment approaches (Bunnell, 2011; Lee et
al., 2012). In addition, perceived challenges regarding the enactment of IB given competing
priorities, and resource scarcity have been expressed among education leaders (Doherty &
Shield, 2012).
In schools that have successfully navigated these prevalent program barriers, comparable
leadership strategies were employed during adoption and throughout implementation of multiple
IB programs (Lee et al., 2012). According to Hill, strong leadership, competent management,
effective systematic communication, teacher training, evaluation, and pedagogy support are all
essential ingredients to successful IB implementation (Hill, 2006).
Strategies including distributed leadership, curriculum articulation, cross-program
activities, and strategic staffing have been identified in schools reporting successful IB adoption
and seamless implementation (Lee et al., 2012). Spillane defines distributive leadership as
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exemplified through “joint interactions of school leaders, followers and aspects of their situations
such as tools and routines” (Spillane, 2006, p. 3). A distributive view of leadership recognizes
that managing schools requires multiple formal and informal leaders, sharing and dividing
responsibility.
Other studies point to trust in leadership as an essential element in successful IB
adoption. Using the CARE Model, Hartman (2008) illustrates that leaders who display character,
ability, reliability, and emotional intelligence, are better equipped to foster the trust in faculty
and staff necessary to implement IB programming (Hartman, 2008).
Despite examples of successful IB adoption and implementation strategies, IB
coordinators and teachers continue to face challenges caused by programmatic inconsistencies,
misaligned educator interpretations, and competing or conflicting priorities. As with many large-
scale education program adoptions, levels of successful implementation are often determined by
the strategies implemented by leadership.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to identify and define research driven leadership strategies
that lead to successful adoption and management of education programs. Drawing from
numerous case studies examining IB adoption and implementation, schools from around the
world provide examples and context regarding implementation obstacles, and strategies in
surmounting these obstacles, in authentic settings. The recent unified district adoption of the
three IB levels of program offerings (PYP, MYP, and DP), at three partnered schools in Hawai‘i,
served as an additional case study to examine the extent to which research-driven leadership
practices play key roles in establishing the first, and only, IB district in Hawai‘i. Data collected
from leaders, coordinators, and teachers in the Kaiser Complex uncovered perceived challenges,
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successes, and strategies in adopting and implementing the IB program across three school
campuses serving the same student audience at different stages of their scholastic lives.
The Kaiser Complex, on O‘ahu, is the first and only DOE district in Hawai‘i offering all
three (PYP, MYP, and DP) International Baccalaureate Programs from elementary, through
intermediate, and into high school. The first stage in this unified leadership effort to provide IB
continuum across campuses began at Niu Valley Middle School, which earned IB World School
designation in 2008. Niu Valley Middle School was soon followed by Kaiser High School in
2010, and then by Hahai‘one Elementary School in 2012. Three additional elementary schools in
the Kaiser Complex are in beginning stages of IB certification, and will complete the complex
adoption of IB. However, these first three schools represent the first continuum of IB programs
offered in one DOE complex in Hawai‘i. The unprecedented nature of this cooperative
leadership endeavor, as well as its relatively recent occurrence, make this district a suitable
candidate for research in applied leadership strategies required for across-campus program and
pedagogy implementation.
Research Questions
This multi-case study qualitative research focused on the following questions:
1. What strategies in adopting the IB Program and enacting cohesive IB programming
have been employed in the Kaiser Complex, and how do these strategies compare
with research driven leadership models?
2. How do these strategies affect resources allocation (time, money, and human capital)
at the school and complex level?
3. How is the vision for IB articulated within campuses and across the Kaiser Complex?
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4. What institutionalized measures have been installed to support sustainable and
cohesive IB programming in the Kaiser Complex, and what role has school leadership
played in the implementation and operation of the IB programs?
Importance of the Study
Given the expanding reach of the International Baccalaureate, and the increased necessity
for many schools to align content across grade levels (mandated by NCLB and the more recent
role out of Common Core), promoting an understanding of strategies that support cross-program,
and cross-campus alignment is necessary. There is much to be gleaned in the unprecedented, and
relatively recent, purposeful across-campus IB adoption at Kaiser Complex.
Successes, challenges, and embraced strategies of leaders and faculties hold implications
for future complex adoption in Hawai‘i and beyond. Defining successful education leadership
qualities and establishing the extent that they prove beneficial in an authentic setting provides
valuable insight into the best practices for future complex-driven efforts to adopt across-campus
programming. Education leaders, principals, IB coordinators, and teachers may use these
findings to forecast challenges and build models for successful district adoption of IB, and other
broad reform programs.
Limitations
This research was based on three case studies, including an elementary, middle and high
school in an affluent district of Honolulu. Given the global footprint now occupied by IB
programming, this geographic sample may limit the generalizability of the findings to other
educational institutions. Participants for this study include school principals, IB coordinators
assigned to each school, and one IB certified teacher from each school (chosen by leadership).
The author will make no attempt to generalize beyond the schools or district under study. The
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findings in this study are limited to the district context explored here, although the findings may
be useful to similar districts undergoing IB adoption and implementation efforts.
Delimitations
The methodology was based on qualitative research, obtaining information from a
purposeful sampling of school principals and faculty who serve as IB coordinators. The method
for collecting data was limited to a review of school documents and a single semi-structured
interview with each participant. The Kaiser Complex is the only complex in Hawai‘i offering the
IB at each stage of schooling. Obtaining comparison data in a mirrored setting would require
traveling out of state and was not feasible for the researcher.
Interview participants included school principals, IB coordinators, and IB teachers who
were key initiators in the adoption of IB. Participants’ personal and professional investments in
IB success and their roles in program adoption may have affected their interpretations,
familiarity, and attitudes toward the IB program and its continued implementation. These
participants may, for this reason, not be representative of all complex faculty and staff. Research
is limited to these IB engaged participants so the data collected are isolated to those directly
engaged in the IB adoption.
Assumptions
Participant names are omitted from this study and it was assumed by the researcher that
all participants actively engaged in the interview honestly and provided data to the best of their
knowledge. To encourage candid responses during the interview, the invitation letter pointed out
that the purpose of this research is to benefit other educators in similar school reform scenarios.
Both honest praise and critique of implemented strategies were encouraged, as the culmination of
data benefits the education community.
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Definition of Terms
International Baccalaureate (IB): A non-profit organization started in the 1960s. Three
educational programs have been authored by the IB organization which focus on a pragmatic
mission of providing internationally recognized education, and an ideological mission of
fostering global citizenry. The term IB, or International Baccalaureate is used to describe both
programming offered by the IB, as well as the non-profit organization itself.
IBO: The International Baccalaureate Organization was the previous name used by the
IB. The name was shortened to IB in the 1990s.
Diploma Program (DP): The first program developed by the IB, this high school program
was initially designed to help international school students gain university admission by
providing a globally-recognized finishing program and exams. The program has vastly surpassed
an intended audience of international schools and has been cited as a vehicle for educational
reform in the United States.
Middle Years Program (MYP): Expanding on the original UNESCO mission to foster
global citizenry, the IB MYP was released in the 1990s to engage a younger audience of middle
school students. While ideological connections to the DP are evident, there are fundamental
mechanical differences in the two programs that have come under some scrutiny.
Primary Years Program (PYP): The most recent addition to IB offerings, the PYP is
designed to meet elementary students. Like the MYP, the PYP has ideological links to the
overarching goals to foster global citizenry, but fundamental differences exist between the
delivery mechanisms. Again, these embedded differences have been the focus of criticism.
IB World School: A school certified to use IB programming and promote themselves as
an IB school.
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Organization of the Dissertation
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the study. Chapter 2 is a review of the literature
focusing on defining the three IB Programs, and illustrating perceived challenges and successes
in multi-programmatic adoption. Research-driven leadership strategies and best practices in
program adoption are also identified. Chapter 3 describes the design, methodology, and analysis
for this qualitative study. Chapter 4 reports the findings garnered from participant interviews.
Chapter 5 presents a discussion of those findings and their implications for practice, concluding
with suggestions for future research.

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
The following literature focuses on introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) in
terms of its mission, its origins, and its dramatic expansion over four decades. Three linked, yet
distinct, IB programs, including the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program
(MYP), and the Diploma Program (DP), are outlined and contrasted. While many educators
enthusiastically endorse the IB for a variety of ideological and pragmatic reasons, multiple
critiques point to common challenges associated with the adoption, ongoing implementation, and
interpretation of the three programs. Schools that successfully transition into the IB community,
do so with considerable investment in resources, and a willingness to rethink the strategic use of
those resources.
Some critiques of IB adoption point to external factors as impacting facilitation of IB
programs. These criticisms indicate overwhelming challenges experienced by educators, who
find themselves immersed in competing curriculums, and shifting school priorities (Doherty &
Shield, 2012; Culross & Tarver, 2007). Others criticize internal issues, such as programmatic
variations in delivery, student performance expectations, and differing assessment procedures
that hinder seamless IB program transitions across grade levels (Bunnell, 2011; Lee et al., 2012).
Additional barriers to effective IB implementation include resource allocation issues such as
overwhelming fiscal, time, and human capital burdens (Doherty & Shield, 2012).
While these critiques showcase challenges in adopting and facilitating the IB program,
dramatic student improvements, positive teacher perceptions, and enhancements in campus
climate (Shaunessy, Suldo, Hardesty, & Shaffer, 2006), validate navigating toward solutions to
these challenges. It is the focus of this literature review to identify and define effective, research-
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driven leadership strategies, proven successful in transcending barriers to programmatic adoption
and school reform (Hill, 2006; Mayer, 2010; Odden, 2009; Spillane, 2006). Despite common
hurdles, there are case studies which exemplify educators experiencing, and surmounting these
shared challenges of resource allocation, program continuity, and competing priorities (Doherty
& Shield, 2012; Lee et al., 2012; Culross & Tarver, 2007). These case studies, involving
authentic school settings, where evidence-based strategies have been adopted, showcase
strategies educators adopt to overcome mutual program implementation issues.
The International Baccalaureate
In the 1920s and 1930s, dialogues were occurring among educators and diplomats in
Geneva, Switzerland that would eventually lead to the establishing of the International
Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP). These early conversations originated from utilitarian
needs for internationally-accepted examination for university admittance, and a desire for
education that promoted ideological principles of its first founders. Fostering global education
for students, and ensuring access to higher education was the motivation behind developing IB
(Hill, 2012). The resulting global education program would be designed to provide an
internationally-recognized diploma, one that would counter then prevailing systems of
nationalistic education by providing a platform for international understanding (White, 2010).
During the 1940s, this budding idea of international education lay dormant as WWII
engulfed and divided the globe. Reflection on the triggers of WWII legitimized concerns over
nationalism and racism across the globe. A renewed urgency toward fostering international
education emerged and took shape during a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) sponsored conference in Paris. During this 1949 post war conference,
the formal recommendation for an international diploma program was put forth. The final
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catalyst for the creation of this international graduate program would be realized in 1963, when
Robert J. Leach of Ècole Internationale in Geneva was awarded a UNESCO grant toward
authoring a program that accomplished both the pragmatic and the ideological objectives of
UNESCO (White, 2010).
At the 1994 International Conference of Education in Geneva elements of an
international education were outlined. International education according to UNESCO:
• Values education for peace.
• Instills conflict resolution skills.
• Respects cultural heritage and the environment.
• Promotes intercultural understanding (within and between nations).
• Values global issues and attitudes of solidarity at national and international levels
(Hill, 2012, p. 4)
With additional funding from the Twentieth Century Foundation and the Ford
Foundation, Leach founded the International Schools Examination Syndicate (ISES). The ISES
was later renamed the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) in 1968 forming a non-
profit educational foundation that would provide access to higher education for students in all
countries through an internationally-accepted examination (White, 2010). The shortened version,
International Baccalaureate (IB), has since been adopted. Coupled with the ideological goals
toward international understanding, pragmatic goals drove the early stages of IB with priority
being placed on garnering universal recognition and notoriety for the International Baccalaureate
Program.
Having accomplished its pragmatic goals, including obtaining broad university
acceptance in the 1980s, the IB returned to its original ideological objective: development of
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education programs that counter nationalism (White, 2010) by fostering global-mindedness and
inquiry-based learning (IBO, 2015e). In 2011 the IB authored this mission statement:
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring
young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural
understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international
organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous
assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active,
compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their
differences, can also be right. (IBO, 2015e)
Both the utility of the IB programming in procuring advanced placement for students at
colleges and universities, and the focus on global values have prompted an increased interest and
popularity among schools in the United States. In response to emerging needs and opportunities
in the global education marketplace, two new IB programs were advanced to prepare younger
audiences for the IB Diploma Program, while expanding the IB mission to foster global
mindedness and critical thinking skills. The IB Middle Years Program (MYP) was established in
1994 (Hill, 2006) for students age 11 to 16 (IBO, 2015b). The Primary Years Program (PYP)
followed in 1997 serving students three to 12 years of age (Hill, 2006). According to IB, these
three school programs aim to foster “inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring people…” who
promote “a peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect” among a student
body across the world (Hill, 2006, p. 16).
Today the IB works with 2,302 schools in 127 countries (IBO, 2015c). Over 50% of these
schools now reside in the US (Bunnell, 2010). Since its inception in the 1960s, IB programs have
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expanded far beyond originally intended audiences of international schools. Student AYP score
improvements in IB certified schools, and a focus on rigorous preparation for university have
amplified this growth trend (IBO, 2015c). In the ten-year span between 1999 and 2009, IB
certified schools increased at an average of 73 schools per month (Bunnell, 2010). Resulting
from IB’s reputation for focusing on critical thinking, rigor, and college preparation, over 100
universities across the United States now offer a full year of college credit to students who have
earned the IB Diploma (Mayer, 2010).
If the program had not yet made its mark by the beginning of this century, it was surely
thrust into the public eye at the 2006 State of the Union address, where President George W.
Bush cited the IB Diploma Program as “one of several rigorous curriculum initiatives that can
elevate the level of student learning” (Culross & Tarver, 2007, p. 59). Taking into account IB’s
rapid expansion and mounting popularity, this once experimental program limited to 500
students, has arguably become a vehicle for curriculum and pedagogy reform in United States
public education (White, 2010).
The IB Diploma Program
Released in 1968, the IB Diploma Program (DP) is the first (and perhaps most
recognized) of three programs offered by IB. The DP focuses on the last two years of secondary
education and has been described as a highly utilitarian advanced placement program for
colleges and universities. The academically challenging rigor of the program is offered typically
only to the high achieving students in schools (Bunnell, 2011). In addition to its pragmatic
benefits, a growing number of publicly-funded high schools have been enticed by the program’s
emphasis on fostering learning habits and engaging value systems (White, 2010).
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DP students are required to complete six domains of knowledge, which comprise the
following subjects: Language A, Language B, Individuals and Society, Experimental Sciences,
Mathematics, and an elective. Electives include Latin, theatre, Classical Greek and computer
science (Laurent-Brennan, 1998). Students must study three of these areas at a higher level,
amounting to 240 hours of tuition over two years, submit a 4,000 word research essay, enroll in a
150 hour creativity course, and engage in a community service project (Hill, 2012). Students
must also take a Theory of Knowledge course (see Figure 1 Diploma programme). Unique to IB,
Theory of Knowledge requires students to examine social, cultural, and environmental issues
through an interdisciplinary and epistemological lens. Students are assessed through a major
essay and an oral presentation that is externally examined by IB officials (Hill, 2012).
The Diploma Program has been characterized as a college preparation curriculum
focused on international orientation and progressive pedagogy (Lee et al., 2012). The Diploma
Program, according to the IB, “is an academically challenging and balanced programme of
education with final examinations that prepares students for success at university and in life
beyond” (IBO, 2008).

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Figure 1. Diploma programme
Source: IBO (2008)

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The IB Middle Years Program
Launched in 1994, the Middle Years Program is designed to meet an audience from 11 to
16 years of age. Unlike the DP, which includes six subject domains, the MYP includes eight
academic disciplines which are expressed through five “Areas of Interaction” (Human Ingenuity,
Community and Service, Approaches to Learning, Environments, and Health and Social
Education) and a personal project (see Figure 2 Middle years programme). These focus areas are
supported by three fundamental concepts: intercultural awareness, holistic education, and
communication (Bunnell, 2011).
Another key distinction of the MYP is that, unlike the DP, content is not strictly
prescribed and educators have flexibility to shape the program based on their own needs and
local requirements (Hill, 2012). While some praise this constructivist approach, which allows
local educators flexibility to accommodate local education requirements, given that the IB
international perspective is left intact (Hill, 2012), others point to the discrepancy of delivery and
assessment as a source of frustration for students and teachers struggling to recognize alignment
across programs (Bunnell, 2011).
The Middle Years Program, according to the IB, “provides a framework of academic
challenge that encourages student to embrace and understand the connections between traditional
subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers” (IBO, 2008). Holistic
learning, global perspective, inquiry based critical thinking, and communication form the
foundation of the Middle Years Program (Hill, 2012).

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Figure 2. Middle years programme
Source: IBO (2008)

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The IB Primary Years Program
Launched in 1997, the IB Primary Years Program is designed for students age three to
12. The PYP focuses on constructing models of understanding though personal experience (Lee
et al., 2012) or what is referred to as structured inquiry (IBO, 2009). As in the MYP, content in
the PYP is not strictly prescribed (Hill, 2012) and incorporates a constructivist approach to
learning and teaching. The PYP encourages students to go beyond the traditional boundaries set
by the subjects they engage. In terms of its pedagogical structure, this theme links the PYP more
closely to the MYP than with the DP (Lee et al., 2012). The Primary Years Program, according
to the IB, “focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom
and in the world outside” (IBO, 2008). Structured inquiry is the primary vehicle for learning,
according to Hill (2012), who adds that the PYP focuses on fostering skills in communication,
critical thinking, respect and understanding of other cultures, taking calculated risks, and
responsible citizenship (Hill, 2012). The PYP is organized under six themes, which are Who We
Are, Where We Are in Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How the World Works,
How We Organize Ourselves, and Sharing the Planet (IBO).
Similar to the MYP, the PYP does not prescribe a curriculum; rather it provides a
structure and educational philosophy within which specific content areas can be delivered (Hill,
2012).

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Figure 3. Primary years programme
Source: IBO (2008)

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Research Setting
The State of Hawai‘i manages state-funded DOE schools using a single district
educational system that oversees schools on all eight Hawaiian Islands. The Hawai‘i State
Department of Education (HIDOE) is the only single district education system in the United
States. This unitary school system was designed to ensure equality in school funding and
distribution throughout regions and islands where populations may differ dramatically in terms
of socio-economic background, distribution, and ethnicity. “The initial aim of this type of
centralized structure was to correct geographic and economic inequalities between highly
populated Oahu and rural Neighbor Islands, and between lower income and more affluent areas
of the state” (Clissold, 2012, pp. 43-44).
The HIDOE serves 183,251 students (Hawaii State Department of Education [HIDOE],
2014) in seven geographical districts. On Oahu, these geographical districts include Honolulu,
Central, Leeward, and Windward. In these geographic areas reside school complexes including
one high school that serves students from multiple feeder schools.
Located in Hawai‘i Kai, a suburb in East Honolulu, the Kaiser Complex serves a
primarily upper middle class population of 30,000. The average family income in the Kaiser
Complex is the second highest in the state, and 46% of the adult community has achieved a
college level education. Kaiser Complex serves an ethnically diverse student body composed of
22.9% Japanese, 21.5% Caucasian, 19.1% Native Hawaiian and 8.4% Chinese, among others
(HIDOE, 2011). According to the Henry J. Kaiser High School Status and Improvement Report
(HIDOE, 2011), an aggressive push toward academic excellence and the adoption of new
programming has positioned the Kaiser Complex as an attractive venue for students in, and
beyond, its geographic boundaries.
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In 2013, the Kaiser Complex celebrated an unprecedented (in Hawai‘i) district-unified
adoption of the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). Niu Valley Middle School was the
first Kaiser Complex member to investigate IB in 2008 and became an IB World School in 2010,
followed closely by Kaiser High School later that year. The certification of Hahai‘one
Elementary in 2013 marked an important milestone for the Kaiser Complex, uniting the three
campuses as the only complex in the State of Hawai‘i to offer the IB program from kindergarten
through 12
th
grade (HIDOE, 2014). While Hahai‘one Elementary is the first elementary school in
the district to become IB certified, the other three elementary schools are also entering the
beginning stages of IB adoption.
Common Challenges Experienced in IB Implementation
During its infancy, the goal of the IB Diploma Program was to provide a progressive,
globally recognized high school finishing program for students enrolled in international schools
(Hill, 2012). Trends toward globalization in the 1990s sparked a growing popularity of IB. A
resulting rapid expansion of IB World Schools, including the addition of the PYP and MYP
programs, far exceeded the initially intended audience of international schools (Lee et al., 2012).
Resounding regard of the IB increased that expansion in the United States, where federal
and state mandates periodically clash with the required attention on IB priorities (Culross &
Tarver, 2007; Doherty & Shield, 2012). Elevated costs associated with adoption and ongoing
implementation of IB (Doherty & Shield, 2012), and differences across programs have also
resulted in a number of common IB implementation challenges (Bunnell, 2011).
Three themes emerge in the literature as prevalent issues faced by teachers during the
adoption and ongoing facilitation of the International Baccalaureate Programs. These challenges
are framed by the following categories:
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• Demand on resources (fiscal needs, time allotted, and human capital);
• Competing priorities (Federal/State mandates, preexisting curriculum); and
• Variances in IB Layout and Interpretation (across three programs).
These three issues, and the strategies used in addressing them, have broad implications, as they
are mirror challenges occurring in overarching school reform efforts.
Demand on Resources
Adoption and continued implementation of the International Baccalaureate Program are
associated with a substantial financial burden. Schools receiving Title 1 funding have augmented
these costs, while those without must conceive creative ways to increase, or shift existing
funding. Becoming an IB World School demands a number of steps be taken by applicants, each
associated with costs.
The first step is to submit an initial application at a cost of $14,000 USD. During this
initial application phase, fees cover a two-day consultation, an in-school professional
development session, and an IB advisor assigned to the school for one year (IBO, 2015f). All
teachers planning on participating in IB programming must undergo an initial interview process,
meant to measure staff enthusiasm for, and approval of, IB adoption, and adequacy of
qualifications necessary in administering the programming (IBO, 2015f). The initiation phase
requires a commitment of both financial and time allocations.
Beyond this initial phase, extensive professional development is required for teachers to
become IB certified. IB offers workshops, conferences, and on-site professional development
sessions. Teacher training costs vary based on the type a school opts to engage in. An estimated
cost of a training session provided by IB is $990 USD, and an additional $230 per trainee. In
addition, annual school fees that pay for materials and IB infrastructure range from $6620 USD
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for the PYP and MYP programs to $9,150 USD for the Diploma Program (IBO, 2015g). Again,
the IB commitment obligates schools to significant financial and time allocations. The total
programmatic cost during the first year of IB comes to $21,610 USD for the PYP, and MYP. The
cost for the DP is $23,249. These costs do not include the per trainee cost of $230 USD.
In addition to programmatic costs, schools must employ at least one IB Coordinator. An
already existing IB certified staff member can fill this position, but the additional workload
requires the school to modify the position to allot for IB time. At least 25% release time is
recommended (IBO, 2015g), and in some schools this is a full time position. IB Coordinators
help maintain the overarching curriculum, support teachers, and assess program progress. Not all
the student assessments are done internally, however, and a number of IB external assessments
are required in the MYP and DP programs. Student assessment fees are also associated with
MYP and DP programs and vary depending on number of students. Diploma Program students
are required to pay an additional annual program fee of $1,900 USD (Doherty & Shield, 2012).
To offset the costs associated with program adoption and facilitation, the IB recommends
several federal grants for low-income schools with access to Title 1 funds, Magnet School
Assistance Program, Advanced Placement Initiative, and Smaller Learning Communities (IBO,
2015g). These grants award up to $2 million per year. In addition, IB offers its own one-year
grant to low-income schools meeting certain criteria. Schools who do not receive Title 1 funds
must engineer creative alternatives to garner funding as exemplified in the Kaiser Complex case
study findings in Chapter 4.
These financial costs of the IB program are significant and continue to be a source of
concern. Some IB educators question IB Organization restrictions placed on IB training, which
prohibit schools from acquiring IB certification internally (Millikan, 2001). Teachers also point
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to unrealistic scheduling parameters, claiming that insufficient time is given for IB expectations
(Millikan, 2001).
Overwhelming task to time ratios apply, especially to those taking on the role of IB
Coordinator. “In at least two schools the IB Coordinator held another major responsibility, which
put additional strain on particular people and therefore on the school in general” (Millikan, 2001,
p. 6). Increased, and potentially unmanageable, responsibilities of the teacher filling the IB
Coordinator position are most obvious during initial adoption and ongoing assessment of the
program. Educators have suggested the IB Organization provide relief during these critical times
by filling the void with IB personnel, whose responsibility would be to support successful
adoption and assessment, especially in schools or districts attempting to adopt all three IB
programs (Millikan, 2001).
Strategizing allocation of human capital becomes increasingly complicated when taking
into account the suggested ideal class size for optimal program effect. Facilitating IB program
expectations in class sizes exceeding 20 tend to be problematic according to respondents in the
Millikan (2001) survey. This means that many principals must engineer atypical class, staff, and
bell schedules to meet ideal student teacher ratios.
Competing Priorities
Catherine Doherty and Paul Shield conducted an extensive study, regarding the adoption
of IB in schools. Their work focused specifically on the often-overwhelming burden of adopting
IB programs where an already existing curriculum or a government mandate was in place.
Doherty and Shield assert that a teacher’s sense of accomplishment and wellbeing in the
workplace is an essential factor to consider in school reform. Levels of teacher confidence and
enthusiasm frequently determine the outcome of school reform efforts. Simply put, “Teachers are
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the key to any educational reform given their capacity to either endorse or resist innovations”
(Doherty & Shield, 2012, p. 419). Their research findings suggest that an understanding of the
characteristics and experience level of potential IB teachers, and the ways the IB is blended into
the existing ecosystem of the school plays a role in the perception and reception of integrating
new programming. “Pragmatic timetabling often meant intensifying and refracting teacher’s
work plans across two levels or two curricula. By these accounts the IBD produced both
professional satisfactions and professional stresses” (Doherty & Shield, 2012, p. 431). While
selecting teachers to facilitate IB courses based on their higher level of experience is an effective
strategy in ensuring teacher preparedness for the added workload, the findings also show lowered
morale issues among marginalized staff who are not selected as capable teachers among staff.
Respondents in the Doherty and Shield (2012) study gauged their perceived challenges to
offering the IBD as an alternative curriculum in their school. A Likert scale survey measured the
impression of problems associated with straddling two curriculums simultaneously, 1 being Not
a Problem and 7 being A Major Problem with N=161. Averaged teacher scores were 4.24
indicating perceived challenges in delivering the IB alongside an already existing school
curriculum (Doherty & Shield, 2012). The results of this study suggest that when IB
programming is hosted in an institution where curriculum assets are already in use, challenges
arise due to the ambiguous design of IB, as well as the added workload placed on those educators
tasked with delivering two, potentially non-complementary, curriculum assets (Doherty &
Shield, 2012).
While some teachers in the study reported being overwhelmed by the added IB
programming, it should be noted that others were inspired by perceived professional
enhancement and broadened student achievement. Junior teachers struggled with the added
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work-load (Doherty & Shield, 2012). Alternatively, teachers with higher levels of experience
reported positive experiences. If teachers are indeed an important catalyst toward reform success
as Doherty and Shield (2012) suggest, it seems prudent that their perceptions and workloads be
included in the decisions to adopt new programs.
Variances in IB Layout and Interpretation
As noted above, the MYP and PYP differ from the DP in that they are not strictly
prescribed, and educators are given a degree of flexibility to shape and interpret these programs
based on their own needs and local requirements (Hill, 2012). While this purposeful flexibility
allows teachers to accommodate the needs of their class and their local communities (Hill, 2012),
teachers struggle in establishing alignment across programs (Bunnell, 2011). Responders to the
Millikan (2001) survey suggested a need for an IB external assessment to provide an across the
board understanding of IB expectations and potentially better facilitate the preparation of
students from one program to the next.
In June 2000, Dr. Ross H. Millikan, Principal of Carey Baptist Grammar School in
Melbourne, Australia, published a study relating to issues of transition and continuity between
the PYP, MYP and DP, IB Programs. Ross found a number of struggles recurring in schools
offering all three programs. The findings were published in the first issue of IB Research Notes,
an IBO publication. Ross noted that there are “conceptual and practical interrelationships
between the three programmes which result in some misunderstandings about issues of transition
and continuity between the programmes” and “The change in philosophy from PYP to MYP was
not always clearly understood” (Millikan, 2001, p. 4). In addition, the PYP and MYP are
considered constructivist (Bunnell, 2011), which allows educators to build on and interpret the
direction of the program as they see fit. The inherent flexibility within these early years programs
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has been viewed as challenging by educators, who are forced to grapple with loose
interpretations and internal programmatic inconsistencies (Millikan, 2001).
Over a decade later in 2011, Moosung Lee, Philip Hallinger, and Allan Walker conducted
a similar survey to examine the global landscape of transition challenges, as perceived by IB
Coordinators throughout the world, in school settings where multiple IB programs had been
adopted. The survey results mirrored the Millikan study, showing that a lack of consistency in
the alignment of IB programs was the primary source of challenges in multi-program
implementation. Addressing these inherent program inconsistencies and establishing links
between them is a burden absorbed by curriculum leaders and teachers according to Lee et al.
(2012). Differences in terminology, and assessment for key learning outcomes and objectives are
potentially problematic. According to Lee et al. (2012), IB programs were not intended as
continuum stages where students necessarily advanced from one to another.
Ideological frameworks link the DP, MYP, and PYP but the program’s utilitarian
mechanisms are distinct (Lee et al., 2012). For example, the DP is focused on college preparation
and is considered its own curriculum with a certificate awarded to those who pass. The MYP is
not a curriculum by strict definition. Rather it’s a guide toward the ideological goals of the IB
(Renaud, 1989, from Lee et al., 2012). Some educators have suggested that a good place to begin
aligning the programs is to equalize the number and direction of focus subjects to those offered
in the DP to aid in comparability and articulation among grade level leads (Bunnell, 2011).
Creating more unified external assessment has also been suggested.
Research Driven Strategies in School Reform
The multiple critiques of common challenges experienced in IB implementation, have
been organized under three themes. These themes are: demand on resources, competing
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priorities, and variances in IB layout and interpretation. Similarly the research-driven strategies
for IB adoption and school reform are organized under three themes. These themes are:
• Leadership Strategies
• Communication
• Effective Resource Management (money, time, human capital).
In many cases these three themes overlap, and they are all essential elements of successful school
management and reform according to the literature presented.
Leadership Strategies
The following section acknowledges that there are both transformational leadership
practices that are relevant to school reform, as well as distributive leadership strategies that are
fundamental to successful facilitation of IB programming. While effective central leadership is
necessary in establishing shared vision, the International Baccalaureate model for program
adoption, and implementation dictates the distribution of leadership roles and responsibilities
among stakeholders. Leadership and teaching faculty at IB schools must make meaning of
content, applying a constructivist approach. The constructivist approach requires a broadcasting
of ownership and accountability among schools, principals, IB coordinators, and teachers.
Leaders must exhibit an ability to motivate others, exemplifying elements of transformational
leadership, while additionally identifying where others might assume responsibilities to amplify
efforts, traits associated with distributive leadership. For this reason, reviewed literature defines
established and effective leadership characteristics, followed by discussion regarding
transformational leadership and distributive leadership.
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Effective Leadership Characteristics
Contemporary theories have defined leadership so that leaders (or aspiring ones) may
better identify their inherent leadership traits, or learn to adopt leadership skills. The Traits
Theory of Leadership suggests that qualities that make great leaders are innate (Northouse,
2013). Contrasting theories, such as the Skills Approach, represented in Katz early work in 1955
(Katz, 1974), suggest that leadership skills may be learned, practiced, and perfected by anyone
willing to apply himself or herself (Northouse, 2013). Still other theories suggest that effective
leadership traits and styles are culturally defined and that the norms of a community frame what
is desirable in a leader (Northouse, 2013). While desired traits in a leader differ from region to
region, there are several traits that are broadly accepted as strong leadership traits throughout the
world (Northouse, 2013).
In Teacher Leadership that Strengthens Professional Practice, Charlotte Danielson
(2006) defines some of those traits, as they are realized in the roles of the administrator. The
professional responsibilities Danielson identifies mirror the strategies suggested in much of the
literature regarding IB adoption and school reform administrative requirements:
• Set the tone and culture and maintain the vision
• Convey and build confidence in teachers
• Clarify and plan approach
• Marshal support from downtown (meaning district or state offices)
• Locate additional resources
• Demonstrate support to the ranks
• Present innovations to the public (Danielson, 2006).
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Establishing and maintaining a common vision are essential in IB adoption, especially
among schools or districts where multiple IB programs are in play simultaneously. As noted
above, IB programs are viewed as having constructivist pedagogy (Bunnell, 2011). Teachers and
students are encouraged to make meaning and interpretations of content. Lee at al. (2012)
suggests creating school-wide norms, to avoid the potential for dramatically differing
interpretations in loosely structured programs. In addition to creating school wide norms, IB
educators have suggested better alignment of IB norms across the three programs (Bunnell,
2011), so that the burden did not fall solely on teachers. As schools prepare for IB adoption, an
established common vision should be shared with students and parents who may be unfamiliar
with the student expectations and potential benefits of the IB (Culross & Tarver, 2007).
According to Hill, strong leadership, competent management, effective systematic
communication, providing teacher training, evaluation, and pedagogy support are all essential
ingredients to successful IB implementation (Hill, 2006). Fostered trust in leadership is also an
essential element in successful IB adoption. Using the CARE Model, Hartman (2008) illustrates
that leaders who display character, ability, reliability, and emotional intelligence, are better
equipped to foster the trust in faculty and staff necessary to implement IB programming
(Hartman, 2008). “Studies about trust [suggest] that many of the strategies principals use in
building trust between themselves and teachers also build a culture of trust among the teachers”
(Hartman, 2008, p. 78).
In addition to these leadership traits, leaders in successful IB schools (as defined by
student IB pass rates) modeled professional behavior, promoted their IB programs to the public,
expressed enthusiasm for their IB programs and exhibited good public relations skills (Lee at al.,
2012). Odden (2009) suggests that schools initiating reform must set ambitious goals, provide
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intensive professional development, use time efficiently, and form collaborative cultures.
Bringing together these essential ingredients is the role of leadership.
Christopher Day (2000) suggests “successful leaders not only set direction, organize,
monitor, and build relationships with school community, but they also model values and
practices consistent with those of the school” (Day, 2000, p. 56). Day cites a leadership study
conducted by the National Association of Head-teachers in the United Kingdom. The 1998 study
focused on twelve headmasters (principals) from a broad spectrum of schools. All schools in the
study received positive inspection reports and scored particularly well in regards to leadership.
Data collected at these schools during the research indicated strong consensus regarding what
qualities make a good leader. Effective leaders tended to be:
• Values led
• People centered
• Achievement oriented
• Inward and outward facing
• Able to manage a number of ongoing tensions and dilemmas (Day, 2000).
In addition to these attributes, effective leaders also held common personal values such as care,
equity, high expectations, and achievement (Day, 2000).
Assembling an ideal team can be difficult in an industry with high turnover and
inadequate pay, however in IB schools, where the expectations placed on human capital are
elevated, investments in time and effort in assembling the right team pay off (Gabriel, 2005).
Gabriel recommends eliciting the support of teachers when interviewing prospective teachers
and expanding the pool of applicants by opening the school to teachers in training. Future
educators who have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the school vision, culture, and
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team are less likely to find themselves out of step, once real teaching commences (Gabriel,
2005). Gabriel adds that in schools where transformational leadership is successfully applied,
leaders understand, and are not threatened by the distribution of leadership efforts.
Administrators should be open to giving up control and allowing teachers to absorb leadership
responsibilities (Gabriel, 2005).
As noted above, an understanding of the characteristics and experience level of potential
IB teachers can be helpful in identifying those capable of absorbing increased workloads
(Doherty & Shield, 2012). While selecting teachers to facilitate IB courses based on their higher
level of experience is an effective strategy in ensuring teacher preparedness, identifying some
staff members as qualified may marginalize those who are not selected (Doherty & Shield,
2012). For this reason, it is important that leaders possess an ability to empathize with fellow
team members. Transformational leadership traits include empathy, and responding to an
individuals needs.
Transformational Leadership
First conceptualized by James MacGregor Burns in 1978, and later extended upon by
Bernard M. Bass in 1985, transformational leadership focuses on responding to an individual’s
intrinsic motivations to grow by aligning that individual’s goals with those of the team, and then
those of the larger organization. Relying on intrinsic motivation and inspiration, transformational
leaders generate team spirit towards the execution of clear expectations (Bass & Riggio, 2006).
Similar to the characteristics noted above regarding administrative roles, the
transformational leader is one who earns trust and respect, has a capacity for empathy, and is
admired by his/her team members. Exhibiting a consistent moral compass in decision-making
establishes trust among followers. This earned trust and influence on others allows
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transformational leaders to assume a higher level of risk in decision-making and in doing so
transform the organization (Bass & Riggio, 2006). Transformational leadership entails aligning
goals of individuals with the goals of the organization so that the “values of the follower, the
group, the leader and the organization are in basic agreement” (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 34).
Transformational leadership traits capitalize on intrinsic motivations, while establishing
admiration and trust through consistent moral choices and clearly articulated inspirational vision
for future (Bass & Riggio, 2006). These leadership traits align with those highlighted as
successful in IB adoption. The importance of maintaining morale during often challenging IB
adoption processes has been well documented. The ability to inspire and motivate others while
maintaining trust is a marker for successful IB adoption as well as a transformational leader.
“…good leadership helps buffer the negative affect generated when a group encounters a
roadblock to successful performance” (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 45).
Distributed Leadership
“A strong plan, even with well thought out curricular strategies and a bold leader, will not
succeed, much less go to scale, if leadership is limited to a few individuals” (Stanford University,
2010, p. 1). Distributive leadership recognizes that there are multiple leaders who share the tasks
involved in organizing tasks (Spillane, 2006). A distributed model of leadership focuses on
interactions of formal and informal leadership roles. This fluid interaction between leaders and
subordinates is central to the distributive leadership model, which necessitates lateral, flatter
decision-making-process (Spillane, 2006).
Strategies adopted specifically in IB schools to maximize human capital include
distributing leadership among capable members of a team, providing time and guidance for
curriculum articulation, engaging in cross-program and cross-grade level activities, and strategic
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staffing. These strategies have all been identified in schools reporting successful IB adoption and
seamless implementation (Lee et al., 2012).
Lee et al. (2012) also notes the importance of acting intentionally to distribute
responsibilities for instructional leadership widely throughout the school “…the structural
conditions of these school settings require a higher degree of staff interdependence than most
schools typically have” (Lee et al., 2012, p. 685). In addition, these newly appointed leadership
positions must be arranged to allow opportunities to work together with physical proximity.
These collaborative opportunities bolster the effect of articulation (Lee et al., 2012).
Spillane (2006) notes that a distributive leadership model requires principals to do more
than simply delegate leadership roles. Individual stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and
curriculum coordinators, under their own initiative, assume leadership roles. The potential for a
dynamically evolving configuration in leadership roles demands that principals adjust their own
leadership strategies to the actions of their subordinates. This is the major distinction Spillane
defines among other shared leadership models, such as leader-plus model, or collaborative
leadership (Spillane, 2006). In this model leaders influence subordinates, and subordinates, in
turn, influence leaders. Their collective actions are therefore measured, as opposed to solely
measuring the actions of formal leaders.
The recent expanded attention on distributed leadership approaches has arisen partly due
to the increased external demands, such as IB, in schools (Harris & Spillane, 2008). “As schools
engage with complex collaborative arrangements, distributed forms of leadership will be
required to cross multiple types of boundaries and share ideas and instates” (Harris & Spillane,
2008, p. 31). Managing multiple curriculums, meeting numerous measures, and appeasing a
growing audience of stakeholders are predominant features in a new landscape of education.
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“There is a growing recognition that the old organizational structures of schooling simply do not
fit the requirements of learning in the Twenty-First Century. New models are emerging based on
collaboration, networking, and multi-agency working” (Harris & Spillane, 2008, p. 32).
Despite increased popularity of distributed leadership strategies, potential challenges in
successfully institutionalizing these practices are noted (Harris & Spillane, 2008; Stanford
University, 2010). It should be noted that fundamental challenges associated with distributive
leadership are noted in critiques of IB programming as well. These parallels may be a result of
commonalities in the mechanics of both approaches. Both the distributed leadership model and
IB model require multiple participants to assume responsibility for delegating tasks, relay
interpretations of content, and anticipate a broader ownership of outcomes.
The first limitation concerns clarity or parameters in delivery and definition of distributed
leadership. Differing terms and definitions within the distributive model being used
interchangeably may result in confusion or overlap (Harris & Spillane, 2008). The result of
loosely defined concepts “presents a real danger that distributed leadership will simply be used
as a ‘catch all’ term to describe any form of devolved, shared, or dispersed leadership practice”
(Harris & Spillane, 2008, p. 32). Additional confusions could be experienced toward the lack of
clarity on authority (Stanford University, 2010). If ill-defined, misunderstandings regarding the
distribution or level of authority an individual maintains may cause conflict.
The second limitation involves the “implicate tension between the theoretical and
practical interpretations” (Harris & Spillane, 2008, p. 32). Again, similar to critique of the IB
model, a lack of defined and prescribed parameters may result in discrepancies between original
intent and design of distributed leadership and the interpretations made by individuals. There is a
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delicate balance that exists in aligning a central vision, while maintaining autonomy in
distributive leadership models (Spillane, 2006).
A final concern acknowledges the challenges in enacting cultural change in an institution
averse to dramatic fluctuation. Evolving from a top down approach to an organizational culture
where the distribution of authority has been flattened can be a difficult transition to fully
embrace. Distributing leadership requires those who are accustomed to following direction to
make decisions and also necessitates that those who are accustomed to making decisions
relinquish exclusive authority. “It requires organizations to rethink time, space, routines, and
alignments of human resources to best support a more functional leadership and, thus,
organizational structure” (Stanford University, 2010, p. 4).
To mitigate these concerns, Stanford University’s School Redesign Network (2010)
suggests employing regular communication between district leaders and school coordinators,
empowering coordinators through opportunities for articulation and professional development,
and fostering links between district leaders and teachers through institutionalized periodic
communication. Similar mitigation measures involving increased and more effective attention on
communication have been mirrored in suggested solutions regarding IB implementation
challenges.
Communication
Based on a qualitative study, Lee at al. (2012) compiled suggestions for overcoming
program inherent obstacles. They include cross-program teaching and cross-program student
learning, backwards mapping from identified curriculum objectives, and staff position switching,
and developing school-wide norms (Lee et al., 2012). An ability to communicate and collaborate
is essential in establishing and enacting a set vision for the school and indicating responsibilities
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in that vision. Charlotte Danielson recommends several key elements toward effective
communication and collaboration within a team. Before undergoing an initial meeting it is
important to establish group norms (Danielson, 2006). These norms set expectations for equity in
opinion, efficiency in tempo, and expectations of individuals and group dynamics. In order to
uphold these norms a leader should be selected who is able to facilitate efficient and effective
dialogue. Participant roles should also be identified so that leaders are not overwhelmed by the
burden at hand (Danielson, 2006).
DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker (2008) point out that faculty within restructuring schools
often resist change and attempt to sustain status-quo. They are likely to perceive a weakened
school state where employees’ opinions are not valued. While conflict is fundamental to
successful change, DuFour et al. recommend co-creating as strategy to mitigate unnecessary
angst. While not always the most efficient process in crafting school goals, co-creating is the
most effective way to build and enact long lasting school vision. By increasing stakeholder
influence and involvement in the eventual change to be adopted, leaders garner support from
their base (DuFour et al., 2008). This idea of co-creating is important in schools seeking IB
World School designation. An education model that defines itself as a constructivist approach
requires that stakeholders on all levels be engaged in creating school vision.
Effective Time Management
Evidence-based strategies are especially important in managing seamless, well-defined
programming across grade levels and across programs involving different faculty in delivery and
assessment. The International Baccalaureate program has received criticism for an intrinsic lack
of continuity (Lee et al., 2012). For this reason, it is important to understand the extent to which
the Kaiser Complex schools have developed purposeful communication mechanisms and
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collaboration opportunities among faculty within and across campuses. Installing and
maintaining these mechanisms requires a significant investment of time.
How schools make the most of time is a primary indicator for success. Shifting bell
schedules to allow for instruction or collaboration, reducing class sizes in priority classes,
determining faculty talent and assigning that talent accordingly are all examples of steps taken in
schools that have experienced success (Odden, 2009, p. 76). Human capital management, as
described by Odden (2009), is a remarkably malleable strategic instrument which, when properly
administered, produces dramatic results at little to no cost.
As noted above, educators have suggested limiting class sizes to ensure optimal delivery
of IB programming. While capping class size is an ideal option, it is one that is not always
available. Bifurcated classes are an example of adjustments in resource allocation at the
classroom level (Doherty & Shield, 2012). In this classroom hybrid, instructors blend two
simultaneous lessons that are determined by their need for instructional intensity. The first lesson
is self-directed by students while the next requires more concentrated instructor facilitation. A
noted absence of behavioral management issues in higher-level IB courses (Doherty & Shield,
2012) allows instructors to conduct multiple lessons concurrently, thus reducing time
expenditures.
Distributed instructional leadership reduces the time spent by formal leadership in
facilitating decision-making and articulation. Lee et al. identified three instructional leadership
practices that support interaction among teachers. They include articulation, cross-program
activities, and staffing practices (Lee et al., 2012, p. 686). Distributed leadership ensures that “…
the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts…” which would not be possible “… if
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leadership had been concentrated solely in positions of formal leadership” (Lee et al., 2012,
p. 686).
It is clear that shared challenges exist within IB adoption implementation. These
challenges are not isolated to IB adoption. Rather, they often occur during large program
adoption or school reform, and a variety of solutions to these concerns have been suggested.
Demand on resources, competing priorities, and variances in IB layout, can be addressed using
proven leadership strategies, effective communication mechanisms, and efficient time
management. Numerous studies have identified both the perceived challenges and effective
strategies in IB implementation. This Kaiser Complex case study examines to what extent the
impediments and the effective navigating strategies in enacting IB are perceived by participants
who have engaged in an unprecedented Hawai‘i Complex-wide IB authorization.

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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter describes the design, methodology, and analysis for this qualitative study.
Chapter 3 begins by justifying the use of qualitative multi-case study methodology in researching
perceived challenges encountered and strategies employed in adoption and implementation of IB
programs. Next, the chapter presents the research design, sample selection and data collection
and analysis procedures. The chapter will conclude by revisiting the main research questions and
supporting interview questions.
Outlined in Chapter 2 are several observed challenges associated with the adoption of the
International Baccalaureate. Case studies reported in the Chapter 2 literature review also
exemplify successful strategies employed by schools in overcoming these challenges. Educators
have reported difficulties in providing seamless transitions between programs, partly due to
inherent variances in IB program delivery, while other schools overcome these barriers by
institutionalizing articulation across grade levels, thereby fostering clearer cohesion through an
established common language. In many cases, successful IB adoption is associated with specific
strategic choices made by school leadership.
Overseeing a balance among potential competing priorities while managing the costs of
the IB program requires a clear articulation of goals, a capacity for emotional intelligence, clear
vision, and an ability to convey priorities effectively throughout the team. Those leaders who
experience success possess these traits and utilize features of research-driven leadership
strategies in adopting and delivering IB programs. In preparing for IB adoption, successful
school leaders consider the enhanced pressures IB programming places on limited teacher time
and provide adequate training and support to teachers and students working within those
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parameters. Some studies have emphasized the importance of determining staff competency, and
the beneficial role distributed leadership might play in IB management, while others point out
potential divisions that may be perceived by overlooked staff in the assigning of new school
roles. A capacity for leaders to exercise empathy, while maintaining trust and staff motivation
are traits found in successful IB delivery and outlined in the transformational leadership model.
Referencing both successes and challenges experienced in schools outlined in Chapter 2,
this qualitative study investigates the extent to which research-driven leadership strategies have
been employed, and what challenges are perceived in a multi-campus adoption of three IB
programs in the Kaiser Complex. The scenarios documented in authentic IB school settings, and
research driven strategies such as distributed leadership and transformational leadership were
used to guide the following broad research questions posed to school principals, IB coordinators,
and teachers:
From participants’ perspectives:
1. What strategies in adopting the IB Program and enacting cohesive IB programming
have been employed in the Kaiser Complex, and how do these strategies compare
with research-driven leadership models?
2. How do these strategies affect resources allocation (time, money, and human capital)
at the school and complex level?
3. How is the vision for IB articulated within campuses and across the Kaiser Complex?
4. What institutionalized measures have been installed to support sustainable cohesive
IB programming across the Kaiser Complex?
The method of the study and the context of the study are described in this chapter. The
selection of the purposeful sampling of the faculty is explained and the study’s instrumentation,
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interview protocol and questions are also presented. The chapter concludes with a section
detailing the process of data collection and analysis.
Method of Study
The Kaiser Complex IB adoption initiative is a unified, multiple school effort to provide
seamless IB programming to students from K-12. Three Kaiser Complex campuses currently
provide each stage of IB programs, forming an IB continuum from the Primary Years Program
(ages three to 12) to the Middle Years Program (ages 11 to 16), and finally the Diploma Program
(ages 16 to 19) to students attending all three schools sequentially. Qualitative multi-site case
study research design is well suited for this particular setting as it “involves collecting and
analyzing data from several cases…[that] share a common characteristic or condition. The cases
in the collection are somehow categorically bound together” (Merriam, 2009, p. 49). Each school
campus will be represented as its own individual case, though overlapping themes and
perceptions link case narratives to other campuses by a collective mission to provide continuous
IB programming.
The crafting of semi-structured interview questions was guided by IB adoption
experiences in authentic school settings, as well as research-driven leadership strategies
including transformational leadership and distributed leadership. Elements of both
transformational and distributive leadership have been identified as beneficial in IB adoption
successes (see Chapter 2), and absent where challenges occurred during school reform. Interview
questions were designed to gain an understanding of the extent transformational and distributive
leadership strategies exist within and across three campuses in the Kaiser Complex. Interview
questions were also designed to grasp strategies used to support communication and effective
time management.
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Interview participants include school principals, IB Coordinators, and teachers from each
school. The researcher’s goal was to mine interview data describing the perceived presence and
effect of research-driven strategies occurring during the IB adoption and ongoing enactment at
Kaiser Complex. Multi-case research methods enhance the external validity of findings by
examining multiple perspectives, providing an opportunity to cross reference data, and allowing
research to build upon itself based on accumulated data from a variety of associated respondents
(Merriam, 2009).
Context of Study: Kaiser Complex
The State of Hawai‘i manages state funded DOE schools using a single district
educational system that oversees schools on eight Hawaiian Islands. The Hawai‘i State
Department of Education (HIDOE) is the only single district education system in the United
States. This unitary school system was designed to ensure equality in school funding and
distribution throughout regions and islands where populations may differ dramatically in terms
of socio-economic background, distribution, and ethnicity. “The initial aim of this type of
centralized structure was to correct geographic and economic inequalities between highly
populated Oahu and rural Neighbor Islands, and between lower income and more affluent areas
of the state” (Clissold, 2012).
The HIDOE serves 183,251 students (HIDOE, 2014), in seven geographical districts. On
Oahu, these geographical districts include Honolulu, Central, Leeward and Windward. Within
these geographic areas reside school complexes made up of one high school, which serves
students from multiple feeder schools. Hahai‘one Elementary is the first of four elementary
schools in the Kaiser Complex certified as an IB World School. Hahai‘one Elementary students
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feed into Niu Valley Intermediate, and then on to Kaiser High School where they have an
opportunity to continue engaging in IB programming.
Located in Hawai’i Kai, a suburb in East Honolulu, the Kaiser Complex serves a
primarily upper middle class population of 30,000. The average family income in the Kaiser
Complex is the second highest in the state and 46% of the adult community has achieved a
college level education. Kaiser Complex serves an ethnically diverse student body comprised of
22.9% Japanese, 21.5% Caucasian, 19.1% Native Hawaiian and 8.4% Chinese, among others
(HIDOE, 2011). According to the Henry J. Kaiser High School, School Status and Improvement
Report (HIDOE, 2011), an aggressive push toward academic excellence and the adoption of new
programming has positioned the Kaiser Complex as an attractive venue for students in, and
beyond, its geographic boundaries.
In 2013, the Kaiser Complex celebrated an unprecedented (in Hawai‘i) district-unified
adoption of the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). Niu Valley Middle School was the
first Kaiser Complex school to become IB certified in 2010, followed closely by Kaiser High
School later that year. The certification of Hahai‘one Elementary in 2013 marked an important
milestone for the Kaiser Complex, uniting the three campuses as the only complex in the State of
Hawai‘i to offer the IB program from kindergarten through 12
th
grade (HIDOE, 2014).
Hahai‘one Elementary is the first elementary school in the district to become IB certified, while
the other three elementary schools are entering the beginning stages of IB adoption.
Sample of Population
A purposeful sample of interview participants was selected based on an intimate
involvement in providing the support mechanisms and delivery of IB programming. Patton
asserts,
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The logic and power of purposeful sampling lies in selecting information-rich
cases for study in depth. Information-rich cases are those from which one can
learn a great deal about issues of central importance to the purpose of the inquiry,
thus the term purposeful sampling. (Patton, 2002, from Merriam, 2009, p. 77,
emphasis in original)
To provide thorough representation of a variety of viewpoints from faculty across three
campuses, no less than three faculty members were identified from each school campus. The
school principal, one IB Coordinator (two IB Coordinators at Kaiser High School where two IB
programs are facilitated), and one IB certified teacher from each school were selected. School
principals and IB coordinators were asked to select participating teachers, with the stipulation
that their selection be limited to:
• Teachers who had been IB trained for at least one school year
• Teachers who are not also IB coordinators
• Teachers who would be best suited to articulate the successful strategies, and ongoing
challenges associated with IB adoption.
The final ten participants represented three critical levels of IB enactment where leadership
strategies and implementation challenges are most likely to be identified. These participants were
also well suited to provide insight regarding ongoing efforts and challenges perceived in across
campuses articulation. Further demographics of the sample are provided in Chapter 4.
Instrumentation
A semi-structured, person-to-person interview process was used to mine data from
purposefully selected participants.
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We cannot observe how people have organized the world and the meanings they attach to
what goes on in the world. We have to ask people questions about those things. The
purpose of interviewing, then, is to allow us to enter into the other person’s perspective.
(Patton, 2002, from Merriam, 2009, p. 88)
According to Merriam (2009), interviewing is the best technique to use when conducting case
studies. While an interview guide helped to standardize data gathering, a semi-structured
interview format allowed for participant and researcher expansion. “Less structured formats
assume that individual respondents define the world in unique ways” (Merriam, 2009).
Documents providing supplemental data regarding the resources allocated, leadership
strategies adopted, and perceptions of IB adoption have also contributed to this research. These
resources include school and IB mission statements, budget records, and IB literature.
Data Collection
Ethical review procedures as defined by USC Internal Review Board (IRB) were
followed. Upon USC IRB approval, a request to conduct human studies in three schools in the
Kaiser Complex was submitted to the HIDOE. Materials submitted indicated that participation in
this study was voluntary, and that individuals’ names would be omitted. Participants were also
informed that they could withdrawal from the study at any time.
Hahai‘one Elementary School, Niu Valley Intermediate School, and Kaiser High School
each represent an individual case in this multi-case qualitative study at Kaiser Complex.
Interview respondents are identified based on their active role in selecting and employing
leadership strategies. The respondents selected were well suited to define leadership strengths as
well as potential challenges experienced during IB adoption at individual schools and across the
Kaiser Complex. Data were gathered from each case study through interviews with the school
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principal, IB curriculum coordinators, and IB certified teachers. A total of ten semi-structured
interviews, as well as relevant documents, helped to inform this study.
Interviews were allotted approximately one hour, and were conducted individually in
offices and classrooms after school hours to mitigate potential interruptions. Having obtained
permission from all participants, interview audio was recorded using a mobile recording device
to ensure accuracy in data collection, allow for later transcribing, further analysis, and coding.
The researcher also recorded notes with pen and paper tablet during the interview to highlight
significant information.
Participants were informed through an invitation letter that the purpose of the interview
was to gather information regarding the strategies employed and the challenges perceived in
adopting the International Baccalaureate at individual schools and across Kaiser Complex.
Individuals were also asked to provide information regarding their credentials, level of IB
training, and engagement in decision making regarding IB implementation. Care was taken to
ensure as much anonymity as possible. The Kaiser Complex is the only IB certified complex in
Hawai‘i and therefore easily identifiable among educators. For this reason pseudonyms were not
used to replace the school names but pseudonyms have been used to replace individuals’ names.
Recordings and transcripts were kept in secure digital folders on the researcher’s computer.
Data Analysis
Interviews were transcribed and coded by the researcher. This also allowed for further
immersion in the data so that trends and potential inconsistencies could be identified. Semi-
structured interviewing was selected to provide flexibility and an opportunity to delve deeper
into areas of interest. This would not be possible in a standardized format (Merriam, 2009).
Follow up interviews provided additional data where clarification was needed.
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Interview notes and transcriptions were compared, reduced, and categorized based on
their relevance to the study. Keyword association was used to identify participants’ perceptions
regarding leadership, communication, effective time management, and perceived challenges
associated with the adoption of IB programming.

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CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
Chapter 4 reports the findings of this study. These findings are organized and presented
thematically, identifying correlations and distinctions in leadership approaches employed in IB
program execution, as compared to leadership approaches proven successful in case studies
outlined in Chapter 3. In addition to examples of leadership approaches documented in case
studies, the narratives from participants reflecting on IB implementation were analyzed using a
research-driven leadership lens predicated on the distributive leadership model as defined by
Spillane (2006) and the transformational leadership model as defined by Bass (Bass & Riggio,
2006). Perceived challenges to successful IB program implementation at the Kaiser Complex
were also examined and compared to documented programmatic difficulties in case studies
outlined in Chapter 3.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants employed at three
schools in the Kaiser Complex. Participants were purposefully chosen for their diverse roles in
program implementation, across three linked levels of IB programming. Principals at each
school, IB curriculum coordinators, and IB teachers participated in this study. Questions in the
interview guide were designed to evoke individual reflection regarding the leadership strategies
employed during program implementation, as well as the perceived challenges encountered in
delivering the IB program. Transformational and distributive leadership traits are identified as
present in IB adoption successes (see Chapter 2), and absent where challenges have occurred
during school reform. Interview questions were designed to gain an understanding of the extent
transformational and distributive leadership strategies exist within, and across campuses in the
Kaiser Complex. Perceptions regarding ongoing IB implementation challenges were also noted.
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Chapter 4 begins by introducing interview participants in the Kaiser Complex. Next
Chapter 4 discusses perceived challenges associated with IB program adoption at the Kaiser
Complex. While many of the challenges recorded by Kaiser participants align with those
perceived in previous research, several new challenges were also documented. The account of
perceived challenges toward successful adoption of IB, is followed by the perceived leadership
strategies employed at Kaiser in adopting IB.
Introduction of Participants
The Kaiser Complex includes four elementary schools, one middle school and one high
school. Currently Kaiser High School, Niu Valley Middle School, and Hahaione Elementary
School are authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate program. There are three
remaining elementary schools in the Kaiser Complex engaged in various stages of IB
authorization. The three schools in the Kaiser Complex, currently designated as IB World
Schools, participated in this study. In each case study participants engaged in semi-structured
interviews lasting approximately one hour, held on campus, in an office or room of the
participant’s choosing. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Participant names are omitted
from this study. Professional titles (and acronyms for these titles) are used for identification.
Case 1 Participants: Kaiser High School
Participants at Kaiser High School included the Principal (KP), IB Middle Years Program
Coordinator (KMYP) and IB Diploma Program Coordinator (KDP). Kaiser High School was the
second school in the Kaiser Complex to become IB Authorized in 2010.
Kaiser Principal (KP). Credited by a variety of participants as the visionary behind the
adoption of IB in the Kaiser Complex, KP initiated IB program adoption at Niu Valley
Intermediate School where he served as principal from 2006 to 2014. During his tenure there, KP
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established IB World School certification and fostered a partnership with Kaiser High School, as
required by IB Middle Years Program. This partnership led to IB World School certification at
Kaiser High School so that MYP students could continue the IB track into high school. The
sudden departure of the acting Kaiser principal prompted KP to leave Niu Valley and assume his
current post at Kaiser High School in August 2014. KP continues the work of his predecessor,
maintaining and expending Kaiser High School’s IB World School Status. In 2014 KP
announced that Kaiser High School would expand the IB Middle Years Program from an elective
track to one that all students will receive.
IB Middle Years Program Coordinator (KMYP). IB Middle Years Program
Coordinator KMYP has worked with HIDOE full time for sixteen years. She assumed her post at
Kaiser High School as a curriculum coordinator in July, 2013, and later assumed the IB MYP
Coordinator role in 2014.
IB Diploma Program Coordinator (KDP). KDP has served in this position since 2014.
He is new to Kaiser but has undergone formal training from IB workshops and was employed by
an IB school elsewhere before working at Kaiser High School.
Case 2 Participants: Niu Valley Intermediate School
Niu Valley Intermediate School participants included the Principal (NP), IB Middle
Years Program Coordinator (NMYP), and a grade six teacher (NT). Niu Valley Intermediate was
the first Kaiser Complex School to become IB authorized in 2008 under the leadership of the
current Kaiser Principal (KP). The nexus between four elementary schools and Kaiser High
School, Niu Valley Middle School serves as an important catalyst to the mission to maintain and
expand the IB vision.
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Niu Valley Principal (NP). The Niu Valley Principal assumed his post at Niu Valley
following the reassignment of KP. A newcomer to IB schools, NP served as a principal at two
elementary schools before assuming his post at Niu Valley in July, 2014. While he has not
formally undergone IB training, NP plans to attend formal IB training in 2015. NP admits that
his knowledge of IB is limited due to his recent posting at Niu Valley, but he asserts that IB
programming is a priority on his agenda.
IB Middle Years Program Coordinator (NMYP). IB Middle Years Program
Coordinator (NMYP) began her post at Niu Valley in June 2014 but has served as an IB
Educator Network Member in Hawai‘i since 2012. In that role NMYP provides IB workshops,
and facilitates IB authorization school visits and evaluations. NMYP also acts as a contracted
consultant for IBO.
Grade Six IB Teacher (NT). Grade Six Language Arts Teacher (NT) has undergone
formal IB training for five years. She was one of several lead teachers chosen by KP to attend an
IB workshop in California to investigate the potential of IB as a school reform program for Niu
Valley Intermediate School.
Case 3 Participants: Haha‘ione Elementary School
Haha‘ione Elementary School participants included the Principal (HP), IB Primary Years
Program Coordinator (HPYP), IB Trained Teacher (HT), and former IB PYP Coordinator
(HFPYP). Haha‘ione Elementary School was the third school to become an IB Authorized
school in 2013. With the authorization of Haha‘ione Elementary the Kaiser Complex became the
first DOE complex in Hawai‘i to offer all three levels of International Baccalaureate.
Hahai‘one Elementary Principal (HP). HP began her post at Haha‘ione Elementary
School in 2007. Her education career began in Micronesia working with the Peace Corps. HP
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points to these formative years as a motivator for her interest in the “global education” fostered
by the IB program.
IB Primary Years Program Coordinator (HPYP). HPYP has served as the Primary
Years Program Coordinator at Haha‘ione for two years. She joined Haha‘ione in 2010 as a first
grade classroom teacher and was asked to replace the exiting PYP Coordinator for Haha‘ione
School in 2014. HPYP has been formally trained through IB workshops.
IB Teacher (HT). HT is a fifth grade teacher at Haha‘ione Elementary. He has been
formally trained through several levels of IB workshops. HT points out that fifth grade IB
students must engage in an academic group project called exhibition. Exhibition is a five-week,
multi-phased research project intended to prepare IB students for future IB research projects
anticipated in the Middle Years Program and Diploma Program. This feature of the fifth grade
requires additional teacher training be attended by HT.
Former IB PYP Coordinator (HFPYP). HFPYP is the State Research Teacher in
Induction and Mentoring for New Teacher Center Hawai‘i. She is the former IB PYP
Coordinator at Haha‘ione Elementary School where she served for four years until 2014. HFPYP
formerly served the DOE as a curriculum coordinator.
Perceived Challenges Associated with IB Program
Multiple challenges in adoption and implementation of the International Baccalaureate
program have been illustrated in previous studies outlined in Chapter 3. The extent to which IB
challenges are perceived in the Kaiser Complex is important so that appropriate strategies proven
effective in similar cases can be identified. The following section highlights participant
reflections regarding challenges perceived during and after adoption of IB programs. Participants
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were asked to provide their perceptions regarding challenges based on the following interview
questions:
• Have you experienced alignment challenges in enacting the IB at your
school/complex?
• Have there been fiscal concerns associated with the adoption or ongoing enactment of
IB?
• Are there competing priorities experienced at your school that interfere with
enactment of IB programming?
The results of this line of inquiry established that there were indeed parallels regarding
challenges existing among schools in previous studies and in Kaiser Complex. As in previous
studies, challenges reported included an increased demand on school resources, additional
competition for attention among top school priorities, and variances in IB program layout
causing disjointed program transitions across grade levels. Additional obstacles Kaiser Complex
participants identified included:
• Deficient staff program preparedness (partly due to staff turnover)
• Across campus communication issues linked to differing IB experience
• Teacher apathy or anxiety affecting adoption or implementation of IB
• Limited direct communication with IB Organization.
The following participant interview narratives and interpretations focus on challenges Kaiser
Complex has encountered throughout IB implementation.
Demand on Fiscal Resources
Managing fiscal requirements of the IB program is noted as a challenge at all three
campuses to varying degrees, due to differing circumstances and payment strategies existing at
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each school. An initial application at a cost of $14,000 USD covers a two-day IB consultation, an
in-school professional development session, and an IB advisor assigned to the school for one
year (IBO, 2015h).
Beyond this initial phase, IB requires extensive professional development for teachers.
While IB estimates per teacher training sessions cost at $990 USD, the actual cost absorbed by
Kaiser Complex schools (and Hawai‘i schools in general) is nearly doubled, due to travel and
lodging costs for training sessions held in the mainland US. During the 2014-2015 school year,
the Niu Valley Middle School Principal (NP) budgeted $30,000 for thirteen teachers undergoing
training.
NP points out an additional position cost, of $55,000 yearly, is allocated toward an IB
required coordinator to manage IB affairs on campus. It is important to note that IB regulations
allow schools to shift existing teacher duties to fill this coordinator position. IB Organization
allows already existing IB certified staff members to fill this position, but the additional
workload requires the school to modify the position to allot for IB time. At least 25% release
time is recommended (IBO, 2015h). This allows some schools to more efficiently absorb costs
by reallocating existing staff. At all three participating schools, however, full time IB
coordinators were deemed necessary by leadership and so additional salary costs were absorbed.
Both Niu Valley Middle School and Haha‘ione Elementary School are required to staff
one IB Coordinator on campus. Kaiser High School must employ two positions, due to student
crossover from Niu Valley Middle School to Kaiser High School in the Middle Years Program,
which serves students age 11 to 16. Kaiser High School employs one coordinator for the Middle
Years Program serving freshman and sophomore students, and another for the Diploma Program
serving junior and senior students age 16 to 19. Initially, IB Coordinator positions were funded
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by the Kaiser Complex to support the fledgling programs, but by 2014 the fiscal burden was
placed on individual campuses to absorb the salary cost for full time IB Coordinators.
In addition to salary costs, annual school fees that pay for materials and IB infrastructure
range from $6,620 for the PYP and MYP programs, to $9,150 for the Diploma Program (IBO,
2015g). IB external assessments are required in the MYP and DP programs. Diploma Program
students are required to pay an additional annual program fee of $1,900 USD (Doherty & Shield,
2012).
To offset adoption and facilitation costs, IB offers a one-year grant to low-income
schools and recommends federal grants for schools with access to Title 1 funds (IBO, 2015g).
Interview participants were aware of these grants but reported that Kaiser Complex Schools do
not meet criteria for these funds and therefore must rely exclusively on annual school budgets or
community support. Further expansion, regarding the budgeting strategies employed at each
school, is provided under Leadership Strategies.
Insufficient Staff Program Preparedness
Maintaining ongoing teacher training to meet the requirements of IB is a challenge at all
Kaiser Complex Schools. According to HP, Haha‘ione Elementary began its first year as an IB
World School with 100% of teachers trained formally through IB workshops. That number has
decreased significantly due to staff turnover and the exorbitant cost of trainings that accrue air
travel and lodging costs, in addition to the admission to workshops.
I have so many new teachers, not new to teaching but new to IB schools…it doesn’t
make sense for us to spend – It’s about $3,000 a head to go over to the mainland for
training that I may lose. And I really wrestle with that. We have to be selective about who
we are going to send. (HP)
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PYP Coordinator (HPYP) points out that the recent reduction of fully trained IB staff,
due to faculty turnover at Haha‘ione Elementary potentially reduces the integrity of the program.
Similar issues regarding staff turnover exist at Niu Valley Intermediate and Kaiser High School
where both principals acknowledge that faculty selection to receive IB training is based partially
on staff potential for longevity. KP refers to the HIDOE policy, which grants teachers with
seniority first choice for jobs over junior teachers. On multiple occasions, at Kaiser HS and Niu
Valley MS, the policy has led to senior teachers with no IB experience replacing junior teachers
who have undergone IB training, at a considerable cost to both schools.
So it’s a struggle for funding because sending them to IB workshops, and it’s more than
just travel out there at $2,500 a teacher, but you’re talking about paying for substitute
teachers too… when you have staff turnover what’s been difficult is at Kaiser… when
you have new teachers, you train them, and then they get bumped by another teacher…
well that’s been frustrating. (KP)
Staff retention at IB schools is important in maintaining the integrity and vision of the IB
program. The expectations of IB vision are continuously measured by the IB Organization
through the requirement of ongoing training and also through site visits from IB assessment
teams. While maintaining the numbers of trained IB teachers is an ongoing concern for
leadership, sustaining the integrity of IB delivery among existing faculty is also an ongoing
focus. Trained teachers must exhibit proficiency in their delivery of IB program assets during
formal evaluations every four years.
If you’re teaching design and you’re teaching science you need to be trained within five
years for both those subjects, which means you have to go to the mainland to be trained.
…It’s very expensive and complicated…we had a Matter To Be Addressed [an IB list of
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concerns from formal evaluation] that teachers did not show progression for years one
through five. There was no evidence within the units. And there was dis-clarity in the
interviews that teachers understood [what] student work should look like … So that’s one
more thing that we have to work toward… I think we’re going onto our sixth or seventh
year as an IB school… so you would conceptually think that we’re all there, right, but
we’re not. (NT)
Kaiser High School faces additional teacher training issues due to the recent decision to
convert from an opt-in IB MYP program to a school-wide policy in 2014 where every student is
part of the MYP program. The projected expansion doubles student participation in IB at Kaiser
High School, requiring additional teacher training. MYP Coordinator (KMYP) is minimizing
training costs by organizing in-house collegial training seminars.
IB allows in-house training so that teachers who do not attend IB workshops are
familiarized with the program vision and requirements. Subject leads, however, are required to
undergo formal IB training. With the number of students enrolled in IB expanding so
dramatically, DP Coordinator (KDP) expressed concern over the preparedness of staff members
who have not undergone such formal training given the projected doubling of students involved
in IB at Kaiser High School.
Teacher Apathy or Anxiety
Kaiser Complex Leadership has acknowledged that affording formal training for the
maximum number of teachers is a difficult, but ongoing priority. Formal IB training sessions,
however, do not necessarily predict an effective adoption of IB vision among all teachers.
Motivation among individuals differs dramatically based on cultural differences and personal
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beliefs. “These differences sometimes produce diametrically opposed motivational styles for
different groups” (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 83).
A teacher’s sense of accomplishment and wellbeing in the workplace is an essential
factor to consider in school reform, as it is the confidence and enthusiasm of those teachers that
frequently determine the outcome of school reform efforts. Simply put, “Teachers are the key to
any educational reform given their capacity to either endorse or resist innovations” (Doherty &
Shield, 2012, p. 419). While most participants agree that, on a whole, the IB adoption at Kaiser
Complex has been a success, not all teachers have fully embraced the program’s unconventional
philosophy. Numerous participants, including teachers and leadership, highlighted the
constructivist framework of IB as an ongoing source of bewilderment and frustration. Primary
Years Program Coordinator HPYP expressed her understanding for the need for educational
reform but acknowledges that change, especially for teachers who are less open to new
educational theories, can be a trying experience.
The world is changing very rapidly. I think certain standards that we used to hold in
terms of what knowledge is or what makes an educated person… those things have
changed. So it’s not enough to know facts… The mission of our school is to prepare
children to be thinkers and the IB is our vehicle to do that…I think doing any kind of
inquiry-based learning takes a lot of time planning. If you’re very used to traditional
styles of teaching than moving towards inquiry or discussion, it’s a very hard shift
because you have to be willing to embrace the uncertainty or the unknown. .. Many
teachers are used to a teacher-centered classroom as opposed to a student centered
setting… I think it’s been a hard shift for teachers. (HPYP)
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Former PYP Coordinator (HFPYP) expressed that teachers’ first encounters with the IB
philosophy and building student-centered, inquiry based lessons seemed perplexing and
overwhelming for many Niu Valley teachers. Resistance toward full adoption of IB as an
overarching theme has also been a recurring issue explains Haha‘ione Principal (HP).
HP acknowledged that many teachers struggle to create classroom experiences where IB
themes are evident throughout the day. Similar concerns regarding IB adoption among faculty
are voiced among Niu Valley Intermediate participants. A loss of teacher autonomy has been a
struggle for a number of teachers, according to KMYP. Additionally, tendencies toward relying
on traditional textbook lessons have hampered the full adoption of inquiry learning. NT estimates
that around 25% of teachers at Niu Valley are fully invested in meeting or exceeding IB rigor
expectations, while 50 to 60% are just in compliance.
There are teachers who want to continue to use our older textbooks because it’s safe. I
think it all comes from our depth of understanding and the ability to let go. Because you
have to be able to let go of what you’ve been doing in the past. (NT)
Teacher reluctance to relinquish autonomy is mirrored at Hahai‘one Elementary and
Kaiser High School where teacher unit plans, as well as student work must be submitted to IB
evaluators who vet these products externally. The Niu Valley Principal acknowledges that Niu
Valley Staff does not have 100% buy-in of the IB program, but he points out that the momentum
garnered by the full complex IB adoption has reinforced an obligation that teachers feel toward
embracing the program.
Insufficient Time
Overwhelming task to time ratios have been reported by IB educators, especially to those
taking on the role of IB Coordinator (Millikan, 2001, p. 6). Educators in previous studies, cited
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in Chapter 2, have advocated that the IB Organization should assume a more engaged role in
facilitating the initial stages of school adoption by committing more IB staff time. They suggest
that fully trained IB personnel are better equipped to lay foundations toward successful school
adoption and assessment, especially in schools or districts attempting to adopt all three IB
programs (Millikan, 2001). Participants in this study have pointed out that the constructivist
approach in IB is foreign to many teachers and that this translates to additional time in building
and organizing the program layout. HP concurred, indicating that along with money, time is the
most important resource among her staff.
Nearly all participants expressed concern over the limited availability of time to
effectively embrace and deliver IB programming. Most often, insufficient time resulted from
new federal and state mandates required at HIDOE schools. The adoption of Common Core, new
teacher proficiency assessments, and state mandated student tests were listed across all three
campuses as impediments to IB implementation. In addition, new math and language arts
curricula have been adopted by HIDOE that require additional teacher training and class time.
These curricula, according to some participants do not complement (and in fact may impede) IB
philosophy toward inquiry-based learning.
Competing Priorities
A previous study (Doherty & Shield, 2012) includes a survey of IB teachers worldwide
that measured the impression of problems associated with straddling two curricula
simultaneously, 1 being Not a Problem, and 7 being A Major Problem. Averaged teacher scores
were 4.24 indicating perceived challenges in delivering the IB alongside an already existing
school curriculum (Doherty & Shield, 2012). This study is important to revisit considering the
range of competing priorities outlined by Kaiser Complex participants.
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Several examples of competing priorities provided by participants in the Kaiser Complex
include state standardized tests, additional state-mandated curriculum adoptions, the role-out of
Common Core Standards, the adoption of Data Teams as an articulation mechanism, a new DOE
initiative toward identifying Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), and responsibilities associated
with WASC accreditation. IB Coordinators HPYP and HFPYP agreed that current academic
measures employed in Kaiser Complex, such as standardized tests, do not adequately measure or
support a constructivist approach. Additional participants voiced that mandated measures for
teacher effectiveness and student achievement do not align with IBs philosophy regarding
thematic inquiry based learning. HIDOE Standardized End of Year Exams are required in High
School Algebra One and Two, Geometry, Expository Writing, Social Studies, US History, and
World History. IB Coordinator KMYP recalled one teacher’s lamentation regarding the broad
approach of standardized testing conflicting with the in-depth approach encouraged by IB
philosophy. Students in this particular class were unable to cover the wide spectrum of content
covered in the test, due to the time spent investigating key historic events. IB Teacher HT
agreed, adding that a teacher’s professional standing, as well as their pay, are affected by test
scores.
I think the biggest thing is the way DOE measures accountability for teachers. If these
kids aren’t passing state tests to Common Core, that affects our career. We might not get
a pay raise, or we could be considered a marginal teacher. If we don’t show growth in
math or if we don’t show growth in reading scores, it could affect our pay. (HT)
New language arts and math curricula have been recently adopted for K to 12 by HIDOE.
HT questions the effect of the recent mandated acquisition of language arts programs and the
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influence these new curricula have on teacher efforts to engage students in thematic IB
programming.
Instead of letting us as a school, or as a grade level, pick our own curriculum to match
our IB [theme], we have a reading program that’s not thematic… it doesn’t complement
the IB theme because it’s not integrated with our thematic units… It means you don’t
have time to teach this or to read this because now you have to teach Wonders or you’re
mandated to teach Stepping Stones [math curriculum]. It’s taken away that integrated
learning, and what I understood was that everything should be integrated. (HT)
KMYP also questioned the cost and time required to install newly HIDOE mandated language
arts and math curricula, especially in light of the already existing school reform initiatives
undertaken by Kaiser Complex schools.
Participants also voiced concern over additional competing priorities. In 2013 HIDOE
began mandating all schools provide an internal professional development strategy called
Educator Effectiveness System (EES). According to HIDOE the Educator Effectiveness System
(EES) is “a comprehensive evaluation system that sets clear expectations for effective teaching,
provides educators with quality feedback and support to improve their effectiveness with
students, and informs professional development” (HIDOE, 2014). The EES initiative requires all
teachers to attend training seminars so that they may create, submit, and demonstrate lesson
plans following strategies outlined in Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching (Danielson,
2006). Submissions and classroom demonstrations of these lessons for school administration
occur twice per semester. Grade level Data Teams (HIDOE, 2014) are also required to submit
data toward identifying and achieving Student Learning Objectives (SLOs).
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We’ve been going through a lot of transition last year and this year. There was a lot of
anxiety because not only are we going to go school-wide with the MYP program, EES
got rolled out and the observations and the SLOs, plus we are going through WASC
accreditation this year… so there was a lot of anxiety. (KMYP)
Given the less than favorable results of the Doherty and Shield (2012) teacher survey
regarding combining IB with additional curricula, participants concerns over competing
priorities in the Kaiser Complex merit further consideration.
Variance in Program Delivery
As noted in Chapter 3, the MYP and PYP differ from the DP in that they are not strictly
prescribed, and educators are given a degree of flexibility to shape and interpret these programs
based on their own needs and local requirements (Hill, 2012). In various case studies, teachers
struggled to establish alignment across programs (Bunnell, 2011; Lee et al., 2012). Kaiser
Complex IB coordinators voiced some concern over these programmatic inconsistencies.
What is the point of us as a complex offering IB and what does that mean? I don’t think
that’s clear right now. The philosophy stands but even the language is different. You have
attitudes in elementary and you don’t have them in middle school… but if you’re going
to say you have a common group of schools following something, I mean I would think
that there would be more of an effort to make the language consistent throughout.
(HPYP)
The Kaiser High School DP Coordinator expressed his thoughts on his first introduction
to the MYP program after its 1994 launch. It should be noted that the first IB program (Diploma
Program) was launched in 1968:
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I was one of the ones that go to the training for the MYP and everyone at the MYP
training, the official, you know, people from all over were like, what is this MYP stuff.
It’s so disconnected from the DP. It doesn’t make sense. (KDP)
The International Baccalaureate Organization has acknowledged these inconsistencies
among the three programs and pledged to remedy the concerns of educators. In 2014 (during the
course of this study), IB launched the Next Chapter. This revised version of all three programs is
partly meant to promote an “alignment across the continuum” (IBO, 2012). An additional IB
Career Related Certificate has been added to the IB offerings to provide options for students
interested in vocational employment directly following high school graduation. The Next
Chapter will be discussed more under Leadership Strategies.
Across Campus Communication Issues
The Kaiser Complex IB adoption has evolved over time. Nui Valley Intermediate was the
first to become IB authorized in 2008, followed by Kaiser High School in 2010. Haha‘ione
Elementary was the third school to adopt IB in 2013, joining the other schools to form the first
IB Complex in Hawai‘i. Perceived challenges among participants regarding communication
across campuses was most prevalent between the middle school and high school. This is
primarily due to the IB middle years program (age 11 to 16) spanning the two campuses, and the
IB requirement that faculty from both campuses coordinate and submit co-authored documents
such as unit plans, and curriculum maps.
IB PYP Coordinator HFPYP suggests that the various stages in adoption have been a
source of tension among schools. NT points out that Niu Valley teachers have had more time and
experience with IB and that this has, on occasion, caused a rift between the two schools who are
mandated by IB to collaborate.
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The ability for individuals to collaborate effectively has been a challenge and NP points
to dramatic school leadership changes at Kaiser High School as adding further obstacles to IB
adoption. An internal investigation initiated by HIDOE in 2013 prompted the suspension of
Kaiser High School’s acting principal. An emotional and derailing experience among staff, NP
admits that the unforeseen incident distracted efforts to join the two schools.
Participants had relatively little to say regarding challenges communicating across
campuses with Haha‘ione Elementary, though HPYP suggested that teachers needed to
understand the philosophy behind all three programs and avoid working in isolation. IB does not
require elementary schools to submit co-authored units or collective student work as in the MYP
program. The absence of required collaboration may explain minimal participant feedback
regarding challenges with elementary school communication or across campus collaboration
strategies.
Limited Direct Communication with IB Organization
Adopting IB in Hawai‘i comes with elevated financial challenges associated with offsite
training. Geographic isolation has also been seen as an obstacle in communication with IB
officials, or with other IB schools. Participants noted that adding this distance barrier to the
already vague constructivist approach can be bewildering, especially during the initial adoption
years.
IB is a huge entity… They’re not always the easiest to communicate with. If you have a
question, it takes a while to get through to somebody that can answer your question to
your satisfaction because it’s an international community. Sometimes there are language
barriers. That’s challenging sometimes too. (KPYP)
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Leadership Strategies Employed
A variety of research-driven leadership strategies are suggested as effective in broad
school-wide reform initiatives such as the International Baccalaureate Program. These strategies
and others have been reported among IB schools that have successfully surmounted the common
challenges reported in previous studies. This section will discuss the extent to which Kaiser
Complex participants have perceived, or enacted a variety of research-driven leadership
strategies. Specific actions, institutionalized procedures, and routines where research driven
leadership is linked to IB program implementation will be catalogued and examined.
Participants provided reflections regarding human capital management and perceived
leadership practices. Participants provided perspective regarding the communication and vision
aliening mechanisms in place within schools and across the Kaiser Complex. Specific tactics
regarding teacher training and maximizing the effect of limited training sessions were offered.
School leadership described fiscal strategies devised to facilitate the International Baccalaureate
Program, as well as budgetary benefits associated with the recent IB adoption.
Human Capital Management
Human capital management, as described by Odden (2009), is a malleable strategic
instrument which, when properly administered, produces dramatic results at little to no cost.
Kaiser Complex Schools have utilized strategies similar to those suggested by Odden, including
shifted bell schedules to allow for instruction and collaboration, determining faculty talent and
assigning that talent, and modifying staff roles to accommodate new priorities (Odden, 2009,
p. 76). IB Coordinator Chun described training strategies used to broadcast IB training among
staff. At Kaiser High School, teachers who have already been formally trained by IB assume
internal teacher-training responsibilities and redistribute IB assets to fellow faculty members.
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At Haha‘ione Elementary the IB permeates all roles at the school to some extent
according to participants. While most participants agree that IB adoption is associated with
added effort, distributing labor and leadership roles has helped reduce individual responsibilities.
Everyone on campus has a role, including the custodians. Support staff like the literacy
center coordinator, the technology coordinator, the school counselor, the SSC [Student
Services Coordinator], the PCNC, they have various roles in supporting and
understanding the program. That’s when we do professional development all of them are
included. All of the specialists should be informed so they can adopt specific roles
spelled out by the IB. (HFPYP)
The distributive leadership model is highlighted in former research as an effective research-
driven leadership practice in adopting IB. Much evidence suggests that this is the dominant
leadership approach adopted throughout the Kaiser Complex.
Evidence of Distributed Leadership
Distributive leadership recognizes that there are multiple leaders who share the tasks
involved in organizing tasks (Harris & Spillane, 2008). Distributed model of leadership focuses
on interactions of formal and informal leadership roles. According to Harris and Spillane (2008)
fluid interaction between leaders and subordinates is “central to system reconfiguration and
organizational redesign which necessitates lateral, flatter decision-making-process” (p. 31).
Distributive leadership strategies used in IB schools to maximize human capital are identified as
indicators for successful IB adoption and seamless implementation (Lee et al., 2012).
The range of participants playing pivotal roles in investigating, permitting, adopting,
implementing, and assessing IB programming in the Kaiser Complex is widely dispersed from
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complex leadership to principals, to curriculum coordinators, to faculty. Indeed, even the
custodial staff plays a role in maintaining the vision of IB, according to participants.
The highest levels of engagement in the Kaiser Complex IB adoption effort occurred with
the complex area superintendent. As Niu Valley Middle School began efforts toward adoption of
IB, Complex Area Superintendent Ron Nozoi, was consulted by the Kaiser Principal regarding
the potential for district support. Nozoi helped secure funding for IB coordinator salaries at
participating schools. The Complex also financed the first wave of IB teacher training. The
Board of Education lifted travel restrictions for IB teachers training in the US mainland. Nosoi
also worked with state offices to prepare for the eventual IB second language courses, mandatory
for all students. Language specialists were assembled to teach Mandarin Chinese courses at
Haha‘ione Elementary, Niu Valley Middle, and Kaiser High School.
The Honolulu District office has also appointed a representative to facilitate Kaiser
Complex IB Coordinator meetings once a month. According to KMYP, meetings have focused
on ways to align efforts taking place in Data Teams to meet IB objectives. Nozoi’s influence and
communication with all complex principals generated momentum that helped lead to Haha‘ione
Elementary adopting IB in 2013. The remaining three elementary schools in the Kaiser Complex
are also currently engaged in various stages of the IB application process.
Distributive leadership practices permeate individual campuses in a variety of ways as
well. While the decision to adopt IB was initiated by leadership using a more vertical leadership
approach, purposeful choice in key leadership roles during program adoption suggests a lateral
decision-making process has been assumed in the Kaiser Complex. KP pointed out that his
selection staff to investigate IB, and later lead the Niu Valley school adoption, was based on
individuals’ skills aligned to IB needs, and the capacity to influence a wide spectrum of faculty.
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IB Coordinators added that at Haha‘ione Elementary and Kaiser High School IB roles are
distributed strategically among multiple levels of staff to achieve maximum results. According to
principals and IB coordinators, staff hiring, training opportunities, and duties assigned are all
contingent on perceived individual strengths, expressed buy-in of the IB program, and the
potential for a human capital return on financial and time investment.
Leaders and subordinates at all campuses currently play important roles in shaping the
direction of IB programming. Lee et al. (2012) notes the importance of acting intentionally to
distribute responsibilities for instructional leadership widely throughout the IB school: “the
structural conditions of these school settings require a higher degree of staff interdependence
than most schools typically have” (p. 685). As Niu Valley Middle School began the application
process toward IB authorization, teachers began to take on important leadership roles, leading
internal professional development workshops, and installing procedures to promote purposeful
collaboration.
Over time our leadership model became where it became less of a top down. It became
more bottom up from teachers at the leadership team who were trying to figure out how
to make this implemented at Niu Valley. So it meant that those teams were doing
workshops on IB philosophy and building IB units. We went away from working in silos
and were working as teams. That’s what education to me should be. It’s a social thing. So
teachers are needing to become more comfortable working with each other, sharing units,
sharing their plans, their strengths or their struggles and I think that’s a positive thing.
(KP)
In addition, these newly appointed leadership positions must be arranged to allow
opportunities to work together with physical proximity. These collaborative opportunities bolster
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the effect of articulation (Lee et al., 2012). NT asserts that the principal, vice principals, IB
coordinators, curriculum coordinators and student services coordinators have institutionalized
collaboration time, strategies, and structures to ensure unified vision among staff.
That structure isn’t mandated by IB. I would say my experience as being
somebody who goes in and authorizes IB and writes reports for authorization
evaluation, that’s often how it’s done. Private schools tend to be a little different
in their structure… There are structures in the documents provided by IB. They
suggest structures but it’s really more of a framework. It’s not something that’s
mandated because you have your state requirements that come first. (NMYP)
Spillane (2006) notes that a distributive leadership model requires principals to do more
than simply delegate leadership roles. Individual stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and
curriculum coordinators, under their own initiative, assume leadership roles. A major distinction
Spillane defines among other shared leadership models is that distributive models connote that
leaders influence subordinates, and subordinates, in-turn, influence leaders. Their collective
actions are therefore measured, as opposed to solely measuring the actions of formal leaders
(Spillane, 2006). KMYP provided evidence that distributive leadership, as defined by Spillane,
where subordinates and leaders interact and symbiotically affect the overarching evolution of
missions, indeed exists in the Kaiser Complex. KMYP described how in-house training sessions
were led by self-motivated teachers, who championed the IB program in the early adoption
phase. Their enthusiasm and experience provide an influential endorsement above and beyond
what could have been accomplished in a vertical leadership model. Faculty members who were
passionate about the program influenced the strategies employed by leadership in training Kaiser
High School teachers according to KMYP.
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The Haha‘ione Principal, and Niu Valley IB Teacher, both refer to the evolving vision of
IB as a negotiation; one that is driven primarily by subordinates as opposed to mandated by
leaders. This evolution of vision, shaped and reshaped by multiple stakeholders, has come under
scrutiny by critics of IB who question to what extent the consistency of IB vision is being
upheld.
Ensuring Consistent Program Vision
Distributive leadership entails that leadership practice is “stretched” (Spillane, 2006,
p. 15) over multiple leaders. Without supports in place, such as professional development and
formal feedback mechanisms, this leadership model is susceptible to producing unclear vision
across multiple subgroups (Spillane, 2006). As pointed out in Chapter 2, the absence of
alignment between PYP, MYP, and DP programs, and the constructivist nature of the IB
philosophy only add to an already existing obstacle to seamless vision across grade levels.
To mitigate concerns regarding diluted vision across campuses or among staff, Stanford
University’s School Redesign Network (Stanford University, 2010) suggests employing regular
communication among district leaders and school coordinators, empowering coordinators
through opportunities for articulation and professional development, and fostering links among
district leaders and teachers through institutionalized periodic communication. Similar mitigation
measures involving increased and more effective attention on communication have been
mirrored in suggested solutions regarding IB implementation challenges.
The Kaiser Complex instituted quarterly meetings including principals and IB
coordinators from the three participating IB campuses. Separate four-hour IB coordinator
meetings also take place once a month. Kaiser Complex has approved student early release to
allow additional time for collaboration. Kaiser Complex participants evidence that curriculum
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maps and across campus evaluation of student work help mitigate potential for misalignment.
According to KMYP, IB assets should be aligned across campuses to ensure seamless delivery.
NMYP suggests that consistent revising and revisiting of curriculum maps help bolster alignment
between schools.
Principals agree that the collaborative nature of Kaiser Complex has been built through
time and relies on common vision among leaders. The bond among Kaiser Complex school
leaders is worth considering given the influence of effective collaboration on program success,
and the perception that across campus collaboration is an uncommon phenomenon in Hawai‘i.
Our complex, way back, started doing things together. Kaiser Complex is… pretty much
anyone you talk to out of the complex will tell you that Kaiser Complex is special that
way. You know we’ve worked together as a complex and support each other for a long
time. Other complexes aren’t as unified as we are. (HP)

I think it helps to have KP as the principal at the high school now. He started IB here (at
Niu Valley) and is familiar with this. And he’s going to be there so that makes it a lot
easier form me to push the collaboration because I’m going to be working with a
principal who’s totally familiar with this… Having him there is a huge asset to bringing
the two schools together. (NP)
A limitation of distributive leadership involves the “implicate tension between the
theoretical and practical interpretations” (Harris & Spillane, 2008, p. 32). Again, similar to
critique of the IB model, a lack of defined and prescribed parameters may result in discrepancies
between original intent and design of distributed leadership and the interpretations made by
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individuals. There is a delicate balance that exists in aligning a central vision, while maintaining
autonomy in distributive leadership models (Stanford University, 2010).
IB organization has a variety of institutionalized measures to mitigate misinterpretations
among individuals or schools. Student work and teacher unit plans must be submitted to an IB
database called ManageBac for scrutiny. During the IB candidacy phase, schools must conduct
what is referred to as a Self Study, an extensive internal evaluation meant to identify a school’s
readiness for IB adoption.
IB consultants conduct campus site visits every four years. During these site visits
teachers are interviewed for their understanding of IB vision, collected student work is evaluated,
and unit plans are scrutinized. Schools that do not meet IB expectations are presented with a
document called Matters To Be Addressed. Evidence that the concerns listed in this document
are met must be provided to the IB within the year. Niu Valley Middle School is currently in the
process of addressing several concerns listed on a Matters To Be Addressed document they
received upon their latest site visit.
KP admits that receiving program critiques on a Matters To Be Addressed document is
not desired by school administrators. However, he points out that the added external assessment
is an endorsement for the school in the eyes of parents, especially in a market where perceptions
of private schools often outshine those of public schools. KP expressed early challenges in
persuading upper middle class families, who often could afford private school tuition, that the
public option was a worthwhile, perhaps superior, scholastic choice. The rapid rise in student
enrolment in the Kaiser Complex, post IB installment, was partly due to a shift in parent
perceptions of school external accountability, according to KP.
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According to Harris and Spillane (2008), “managing multiple curricula, meeting
numerous measures, and appeasing a growing audience of stakeholders are predominant features
in a new landscape of education” (p. 32). Based on participant perceptions regarding competing
priorities, Kaiser Complex is no exception. Participants agreed that competing priorities, and in
some cases conflicting priorities, were ever-present obstacles to IB implementation.
Various strategies are being implemented toward aligning newly adopted curricula,
federal and state mandates, and Common Core, with those priorities that are required under IB.
Institutional assessments are also conducted by the IB organization to ensure program integrity.
Two IB Coordinators emphasized ongoing efforts to align new curriculum assets and DOE
measures, so that they better complement already existing IB themes.
Some participants in this study suggested that merely budgeting of additional time is not
sufficient toward aligning IB priorities with other school responsibilities. They assert that there is
a need for a perception shift among teachers, so that separate programs or initiatives, such as
DOE-mandated curricula or common core, are no longer perceived as diametrically opposed.
I believe if you can get past peoples’ attitudes as seeing those [Common Core
Standards] as separate things, then you can see how it’s a natural fit and that, in
fact, IB fosters what’s expected in Common Core. If you look at them, they’re
really almost integrated if you will… if you look at the objectives and the strands.
(NMYP)
Haha‘ione Principal (HP) also suggests that the new HIDOE curricula have natural ties to IB and
that, with further examination and time, these curriculum assets can complement the IB program.
IB programs have been scrutinized in previous case studies, as well as among participants
in the Kaiser Complex study for their lack of continuity and vague constructivist framework.
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Leadership in the IB organization has acknowledged these criticisms and in 2014 released a
redesign of all program assets. The redesign of the IB continuum, titled Next Chapter, promises a
more seamless platform and and guidance in developing curriculum (IBO, 2015i).
The point of the Next Chapter is to create alignment within the continuum from PYP to
MYP to DP and College and Career Certificate. So it’s a linguistic shift as much as it is a
curriculum shift… The language is much more user friendly. Before the Next Chapter
that kind of conceptual learning within a global context was very cloudy. It didn’t, in my
opinion, make for easy collaboration. Now the framework for MYP, everybody has eight
strands, and four objectives, and those objectives… are in nice alignment with Common
Core. So now it’s standardized across the framework. (NMYP)
Parallels exist in the mechanics of both distributive leadership and IB governance
approaches (Harris & Spillane, 2008). Both the distributed leadership model and IB model
require multiple participants to assume responsibility for delegating tasks, relay interpretations of
content, and anticipate a broader ownership of outcomes. Niu Valley MYP Coordinator explains
how the IB institution distributes leadership and assessment roles among senior exemplary IB
teachers. The International Baccalaureate Educators Network enlists educator volunteers who
assess schools, provide consulting, and facilitate workshops. Members of the network receive
additional training so they may facilitate workshops, evaluate schools, and serve as consultants.
Educators accepting these roles are not considered employees of IB. Rather, IBEN members are
given an honorarium for their efforts.
All of the evaluation of schools, all the consultancies, all the workshops are led by
teachers, or retired teachers. Some of them are heads of schools but they are all educators.
There’s nobody that’s paid to run a workshop and that’s a lot of work. But the turnaround
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is, for example, last year my school knew all about the Next Chapter before other schools
had ever heard of it because I’d been trained in it. IB pays for the travel, hotel, air
transportation, food, everything. The school has to pay for my substitute but the wealth of
knowledge that I bring back to my school… you can’t put a dollar amount on that.
(NMYP)
Teacher Training
Lee et al. (2012) compiled suggestions for overcoming IB program inherent obstacles.
They include cross-program teaching, backwards mapping from identified curriculum objectives,
staff position switching, developing school-wide norms and teacher training (Lee et al., 2012).
When asked about staff anxieties in adopting school reform programming, participants in this
study listed teacher training as an essential strategy in quelling apprehension.
Teacher training has played a critical role toward developing school-wide, and complex-
wide norms in the Kaiser Complex. Each school has instituted strategies to effectively train
faculty and staff. Haha‘ione Elementary developed an in-house approach to maximize
sustainability in teacher training. HP emphasizes the dominant role professional development
plays at Haha‘ione Elementary School. She suggests that efforts to embed training as an in-house
offering allow her school to more immediately and effectively respond to teachers’ questions or
needs.
Hawai‘i’s geographic location limits access to IB resources. According to HFPYP, site
visits to several IB schools on O‘ahu were used to help introduce authentic IB experiences to
Haha‘ione Elementary Faculty. According to IB, at least one teacher per subject must be
formally trained through IB workshops. Similarly to Haha‘ione Elementary School, Kaiser High
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School capitalizes on formal training by creating in-house coaching sessions so that untrained
teachers may still understand the IB vision.
We’re putting a lot of money into training. The teachers that go to the IB training come
back on fire. That helps so much because they come to their department inspired… And
then during pull out days I create agendas to set up learning experiences and collaborative
experiences. Those who got training, they’re taking on leadership positions. Our goal is
to get the entire 9
th
and 10
th
grade full MYP trained. (KMYP)
Beyond Human Capital Management
As Odden (2009) suggests, human capital management is incredibly malleable. Shifting
bell schedules, determining faculty talent and assigning that talent, and modifying staff roles to
meet new priorities can be accomplished with minimal cost. Time and money, on the other hand,
are finite resources, and are potentially more constrained in the ways they can be allocated. The
Kaiser Complex Schools have come up with diverse and effective solutions to the commonly
experienced limitations of both these resources among IB schools.
Strategies Involving Time
Of all resources, time was identified as a paramount need according to participants. An
extensive list of competing priorities at all Kaiser Complex Schools has required leadership to
rethink how time is prioritized and pooled to meet collective goals. At Kaiser High School state
funds have been allocated toward teacher training (14 hours), teachers workshops (one per
summer), and substitute teachers for prep days and two pullout days per year, so that teachers
could work collaboratively across campuses.
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The IB provides guidance regarding the ways schools allocate time. While these
recommendations are not measured or enforced by the IB, the suggested allocations are
necessary to accomplish IB expectations according to NMYP.
There is an expectation within a document called From Principals to Practice, and also
Program Standards and Practices. Both of those are documents by which you are required
to meet standards. They also provide requirements of what collaboration should look like
but they don’t enforce that per se. So teachers are required to be given time to collaborate
but the IB does not specify exactly how much. The way we have it is at least once a week
teachers are expected to work on IB, on our unit plan and rubrics, on all the things that
have to do with that and you can work more on that if you want. Teachers have four
times a week when they can meet with their grade level partner. I’d say that in
comparison with the From Principals to Practice document we are pretty close in terms of
time. We’ve been commended for our collaboration by the IB organization. (NMYP)
Haha‘ione Elementary has rearranged class schedules and hired on specialist teachers to
create what is referred to as a GLAD day. GLAD day courses include art, PE, Mandarin Chinese,
and music. Approximately twice a month, grade level teachers excuse their students to
specialized GLAD instructors and utilize that student-free time for professional development and
prep time.
So when we have our GLAD time from 10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., where we do reflection
of our units and it’s all during school time and that’s great. If we were doing that after
school, after we’ve been with our students all day, we’d be exhausted. The GLAD days
are …giving us time that we can get together to reflect and plan the PYP units. (HT)
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In addition to GLAD days, Haha‘ione institutes PD days to align Common Core and
State Standards into the IB umbrella. Budgets are allocated to free teachers from their classes for
full day meetings. According to HP, the Haha‘ione Academic Plan budgets $20,000 for four
articulation days supported by substitute teachers.
Fiscal Resource Strategies
The implementation of the International Baccalaureate Program is associated with
substantial financial costs (Chapter 2). Kaiser Complex participant perceptions correlate with
literature, indicating an ongoing concern regarding this fiscal burden across all three campuses
(Chapter 3). While none of these schools is eligible for Title 1 funding or for grants offered by
IB Organization, each school has devised unique methods to accrue financial support and
successfully manage its budget.
HP points to the school’s purposeful effort toward establishing a strong trust in parent
stakeholders and keeping them regularly informed. “We’ve earned that relationship by
improving our test scores each year and constantly striving toward self improvement” (HP).
Haha‘ione Elementary School secured a $30,000 donation from their PTSA toward IB teacher
training. The PTSA has also promised ongoing support to continue future IB programming, and
fund teacher training. All three campuses garner funds from the Kaiser Complex to pay for
additional IB coordinator staff required to manage each curriculum level. This is doubly
important at Kaiser High School where there is a need for two coordinators to manage both MYP
and DP Programs.
Perhaps the most eye-opening fiscal phenomenon has occurred at Niu Valley, where
student enrolment has nearly doubled in the five years since IB has been installed. Hawai‘i DOE
allocates school budgets based on a weighted student formula. This means that Niu Valley
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essentially doubled its budget due to the popularity of the IB program being offered at the
school. KP pointed to the student increase as an IB success, as it occurred shortly after his
initiative to adopt IB at Niu Valley. Similar student enrollment increases occurring post IB
adoption, have similarly helped supplement Kaiser High School’s annual budget according to
leadership.
While increased budgets due to higher student enrollment have helped fund the yearly
licensing for IB at Niu Valley Middle School, the ongoing costs for teacher training are still a
concern. Odden (2009) suggests identifying those faculty best suited for specific roles. NP
acknowledges that selection of staff for licensing is critical, especially given the potential for
turnover. NP asserts that strategies in identifying teachers who would be IB trained changed over
time.
The intent in the past was to get new teachers trained right away. Now with our new
coordinator she’s looking at it as an investment so she’s evaluating how committed
teachers are before she clears them up for training. If I think that a young teacher is going
to stay with us, than I’m going to give them the training right away…The ones that I see
have the potential and commitment; I’ll take a chance and invest up front. Those are the
ones that are going to do something with the training. (NP)
Careful selection of suitable candidates for staff training can be interpreted as an example
of applied research-driven leadership strategies. Conversely, the necessity to select specific
faculty for training also indicates limitations brought on by additional travel costs.

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CHAPTER 5
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Five decades have passed since the inception of the International Baccalaureate Program
(IBO, 2015c). In that time the IB has expanded far beyond the originally intended audience of
international students. This once experimental program limited to 500 students has become a
vehicle for curriculum and pedagogy reform in United States public education (White, 2010).
Today the IB works with 2,302 schools in 127 countries (IBO, 2015c). Over 50% of these
schools are located in the United States (Bunnell, 2010), and of those schools 89% are public
schools (Doherty & Shield, 2012).
Documented challenges faced in enacting the IB program, as well as the strategies
embraced by school leaders to achieve success in IB delivery, hold implications for future school
and complex adoption. Defining successful education leadership qualities and establishing the
extent to which they prove effective in authentic settings provide valuable insight into the best
practices for future complex driven efforts to adopt across-campus programming. Education
leaders, school principals, IB coordinators, and teachers, may use these findings to forecast
challenges, and build models for successful district adoption of IB, and other similar reform
programs.
Chapter 5 begins by revisiting the aim of this study and briefly describing the Kaiser
Complex case study. The overarching adoption of a distributive model in the Kaiser Complex
will be discussed. Next, the challenges encountered by participants in enacting IB programming
will be coupled with research-driven leadership strategies applied in the Kaiser Complex toward
surmounting programmatic obstacles. Final conclusions and suggestions for future research will
be provided at the end of this chapter.
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Context and Aim of the Kaiser Complex Study
This study identified and defined research-driven leadership strategies implemented in
effective school reform, determining to what extent these best practices have been applied in an
authentic IB adoption scenario. Drawing from numerous case studies examining IB adoption and
implementation, IB schools from around the world provided examples and context regarding IB
implementation obstacles and the best practices in surmounting these obstacles. These previous
cases provided a foundation for examining the extent that research-driven leadership practices
were applied in establishing the first, and only, IB district in Hawai‘i.
The HIDOE serves 183,251 students (HIDOE, 2014) in seven geographical districts. On
O‘ahu, these geographical districts include Honolulu, Central, Leeward, and Windward. Within
these geographic areas are school complexes made up of one high school serving students from
multiple feeder schools. Located in Hawai‘i Kai, a suburb in East Honolulu, the Kaiser Complex
serves a primarily upper middle class population of 30,000. In 2013 the Kaiser Complex
celebrated an unprecedented (in Hawai‘i) district-unified adoption of the International
Baccalaureate Program (IB). Niu Valley Middle School initiated an inquiry into the potential for
IB in 2008. By 2010 both Niu Valley and Kaiser High School were offering the MYP program.
Students could opt into the finishing Diploma Program during junior and senior years. The
certification of Hahai‘one Elementary in 2013 marked an important milestone for the Kaiser
Complex, uniting the three campuses as the only complex in the State of Hawai‘i to offer the IB
program from kindergarten through 12
th
grade (HIDOE, 2014).
The Kaiser Complex study provides perspective in surveying strategies employed in
adoption, management, and ongoing implementation of multi-level education programming
across campuses. Data collected from leaders, coordinators, and teachers in the Kaiser Complex
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uncovered perceived challenges, successes, and strategies in adopting and implementing the IB
program offerings. The unprecedented nature of this cooperative leadership endeavor, as well as
its relatively recent occurrence, made the Kaiser Complex an ideal candidate for researching
applied leadership strategies required for across-campus program and pedagogy implementation.
Sample of Population Review
A purposeful sample of interview participants from the sample schools was selected
based on their involvement in providing support mechanisms and engaging in delivery of IB
programming. To provide thorough representation of a variety of viewpoints from faculty across
three campuses, three staff members were identified from each school campus. IB school
principals, an IB coordinator, and an IB trained teacher from each school were selected to
participate. School principals and IB coordinators were asked to select the participating teacher,
with the stipulation that their selection be limited to
• Teachers who had been IB trained for at least one school year
• Teachers who are not IB coordinators
• Teachers who would be best suited to articulate the successes and challenges of
enacting IB at their school.
These participants represented critical levels of IB engagement where leadership strategies and
challenges were most likely to be identified.
IB Adoption Challenges and Strategies in Kaiser Complex
The International Baccalaureate program has been scrutinized for several program
implementation difficulties. Implementation problems identified in the Kaiser Complex have
been reported in other IB program enactments as well. There are three International
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Baccalaureate Program challenges occurring throughout Kaiser Complex that mirror those
commonly emerging in the literature.
These challenges include:
• An excess demand on resources (fiscal, time, and human capital)
• Variances in IB Layout and Interpretation (across programs)
• Competing priorities (Federal/State mandates, curriculums, tests).
In addition to these frequently documented obstacles, Kaiser Complex participants identified
further challenges including:
• Deficient staff program preparedness (partly due to staff turnover)
• Across campus communication issues
• Teacher apathy or anxiety affecting adoption or implementation of IB
• Limited direct communication with IB Organization.
While Kaiser Complex participants in all three schools voiced concern over the above
challenges, it is clear these schools have been enacting research-driven strategies proven
effective in school reform initiatives, and specifically IB adoption efforts.
Distributive Leadership Model Adoption
All three IB campuses offer compelling evidence that a distributive leadership model has
been adopted. A more vertical leadership model, which included transformational leadership
elements, was in place at all three campuses in the early stages of IB adoption. Coinciding with
the adoption of IB, however, an evolution of human capital management occurred and the
distributive model is now thoroughly embedded across the complex. This model has helped to
establish a lateral, flatter decision-making process, deemed beneficial in maximizing human
capital during adoption and implementation of IB programs (Harris & Spillane, 2008).
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The range of participants playing pivotal roles in investigating, permitting, adopting,
implementing, and assessing IB programming in the Kaiser Complex is widely dispersed from
complex leadership to principals, to curriculum coordinators, to faculty. Parent stakeholders are
also engaged and play key roles toward supporting the success of IB in Kaiser Complex.
Communication Strategies
Institutionalized mechanisms are in place to promote cross-program activities, and cross-
campus articulation. The Kaiser Complex established quarterly meetings including principals
and IB coordinators from the three participating IB campuses. Separate four-hour IB coordinator
meetings also take place once a month. Kaiser Complex has approved student early release to
afford additional time for teacher collaboration. Kaiser Complex participants evidence that
curriculum maps and across campus evaluation of student work help mitigate potential for
misalignment. Strategic staffing and selective training strategies are also implemented in all three
campuses. These strategies have been identified in schools reporting successful IB adoption and
seamless implementation (Lee et al., 2012).
Fiscal Strategies
Concerns were voiced among participants regarding IB fiscal requirements. The need for
additional personnel and the ongoing costs associated with IB training were chief among
participant concerns. Kaiser High School allocates nearly $110,000 toward two full-time IB
coordinator positions while the other two schools budget approximately $60,000. The IB
estimates per teacher training sessions costing $990 USD. The actual cost absorbed by Kaiser
Complex schools (and Hawai‘i schools in general) is nearly doubled. This is due to travel and
lodging costs accrued for training sessions held in the mainland US, and not available in
Hawai‘i.
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Participating schools mitigate costs associated with the IB program in a variety of ways.
The investment in building stakeholder relationships led to Haha‘ione Elementary School
securing a $30,000 donation from their PTSA specifically allocated toward IB teacher training.
Niu Valley Intermediate has seen an increase in its annual budget since IB adoption due to its
growing student enrolment. Enrollment has nearly doubled in the five years since IB has been
installed at the intermediate school. The weighted student formula in Hawai‘i DOE, translated to
Niu Valley, essentially doubling its annual budget by expanding its student body. The IB was the
primary catalyst for parent and community perception shifts, according to participants.
Allocation of Time
Of all resources, time was identified as a paramount resource need according to Kaiser
participants. Most often, insufficient time was perceived to have resulted from federal and state
mandates required at HIDOE schools. The adoption of Common Core, state DOE teacher
proficiency initiatives (Educator Effectiveness System), and state mandated student assessments
were listed across all three campuses as impediments to IB implementation. In addition to these
time constraints, new K through 12 math and language arts curricula have been adopted by
HIDOE, which require additional teacher training and class time. These curriculums have been
highlighted as competing or conflicting with IB.
Kaiser Complex Schools have utilized strategies, similar to those suggested by Odden, to
mitigate the conflict of priorities. These include determining faculty talent and assigning that
talent, and modifying staff roles to accommodate new priorities and shifted bell schedules to
allow for alignment, and collaboration (Odden, 2009).
Perhaps the most innovative time management strategy has been enacted at Haha‘ione
Elementary, where class schedules have been rearranged and specialist teachers have been hired
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to create what is referred to as a Grade Level Articulation Day (GLAD Day). The GLAD Day
provides a twice-monthly, four-hour block for grade level teachers to collaborate while students
attend specialized classes such as Mandarin language, art, music, and physical education. In
addition to GLAD days, Haha‘ione institutes PD days to align Common Core and State
Standards into the IB umbrella. According to the Haha‘ione principal, the Haha‘ione Academic
Plan budgets $20,000 for substitute teachers to facilitate students during four articulation days
per year.
Program Vision Alignment
Kaiser Complex participants evidence that curriculum maps and across campus
evaluation of student work help mitigate potential for program misalignment. Kaiser Complex IB
coordinators voiced some concern over the previous programmatic inconsistencies but noted that
the roll-out of the IB Next Chapter has quelled these concerns considerably. Despite this IB
internal programmatic shift, the potential for misalignment still exists, due to a widely distributed
leadership model and constructivist IB frameworks. The Kaiser Complex instituted quarterly
meetings including principals and IB coordinators from the three participating IB campuses to
ensure shared vision.
Competing Priorities
The extent of competing priorities reported in the Kaiser Complex was palpable.
Examples of competing priorities provided by participants included state standardized tests, the
role out of Common Core Standards, responsibilities associated with WASC accreditation, and
new state-mandated curriculum adoptions for math and language arts. While some participants
offered ways the overarching priorities could potentially support IB programming, others
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reported that standardized tests and recently mandated curriculums conflicted with the IB
constructivist framework.
The Educator Effectiveness System (EES) was another HIDOE program highlighted as a
competing priority among participants. Participants reported that administrative requirements of
the EES often encroached on limited time allocated toward IB planning and assessment. IB
Coordinators emphasized ongoing efforts to align new curriculum assets, and DOE measures, so
that they better complement already existing IB themes.
Teacher Training
Maintaining ongoing teacher training to meet the requirements of IB is a challenge at all
Kaiser Complex Schools. Leadership in Kaiser Complex agreed that the potential for staff
turnover added to the concern over exorbitant cost of trainings that accrue air travel and lodging
costs, in addition to the admission to workshops. All participating principals acknowledge that
faculty selection to receive IB training is based partially on staff potential for longevity.
Apathy Among Teachers
Numerous participants, including teachers and leadership, highlighted the constructivist
framework of IB as an ongoing source of confusion and frustration. While not always the most
efficient process in crafting school goals, co-creating is the most effective way to build and enact
long lasting school vision. By increasing stakeholder influence and involvement in the eventual
change to be adopted, leaders garner support from their base (DuFour et al., 2008). Kaiser
Complex has approached the idea of co-creating through backwards mapping, curriculum
building, and in-house teacher training. When asked about staff anxieties in adopting school
reform programming, participants in this study listed teacher training as an essential strategy in
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quelling apprehension. In addition to in-house training, site visits to several IB schools on O‘ahu
introduced authentic IB experiences to Haha‘ione Elementary teachers.
Geographic Isolation
The geographic remoteness of Hawai‘i State schools from IB training and IB leadership
doubles costs associated with IB adoption. This isolation potentially exaggerates other issues
related to IB implementation. Hawai‘i State Schools endeavoring to adopt International
Baccalaureate Programming should consider the increased cost of travel, and time spent by
faculty to attend U.S. Mainland based workshops. In addition, ongoing issues with variances in
IB interpretation may be more difficult to align due to a lack of Hawai‘i based IB leadership
representatives.
Conclusion
There is ample evidence suggesting that research-driven leadership strategies are in place
supporting adoption of IB in the Kaiser Complex. Intentional adoption of a distributive
leadership model is evident across the complex. This has served to flatten leadership and
increase human capital productivity. Institutionalized communication mechanisms, shared
assessments, selective staffing, priorities set on teacher training, and stakeholder engagement are
strategies assumed by successful IB schools (Lee et al., 2012). These strategies are evident to
varying degrees at all three schools.
As in previous studies (Shaunessy et al., 2006), participants in the Kaiser Complex agree
that adopting the International Baccalaureate has improved teacher, student, parent, and
community perceptions of Kaiser Complex schools. As a result, student enrollment has increased
dramatically. Swelling student enrollments have increased yearly budgets, augmenting IB costs
for some schools as well.
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The positive perceptions regarding IB at Kaiser Complex mirror those reported in
previous studies. The critiques of IB, however, are also reflected in Kaiser Complex, and
additional negative perceptions are compounded by the remoteness of the State of Hawai‘i.
Higher training costs, lack of central IB leadership to maintain program vision, and competing
local priorities are all obstacles Kaiser schools have had to surmount.
The International Baccalaureate Program has been hailed internationally and in the
United States as a rigorous instruction aligned with national goals (Bunnell, 2010). Taking into
account the positive local stakeholder perceptions toward the IB as a viable school reform
initiative, and the rising student enrolment in Kaiser Complex, might measures to reduce barriers
to program enactment be considered? Given the resources necessary for successful enactment of
the IB program, HIDOE exemptions from competing state priorities would offer relief to schools
taking prudent steps toward their own reform.
Suggestions for Future Research
Based on the findings of this study, the author suggests future research, regarding
Hawai‘i based IB schools, focus on participant perceptions from private schools. Private school
leaders and stakeholders are exempt from many competing priorities faced by their public school
counterparts. An absence of state and federal assessments, accountability to Common Core
standards, and mandated curriculum could provoke dramatically different perceptions to those
found in the Kaiser Complex.
This study has associated the geographic location of Hawai‘i with higher program costs,
and an elevated potential for misaligned programmatic vision. Future research might also explore
the advantages inherent to the Hawai‘i State site in the pursuit of the IB vision of fostering global
citizenry. The most remote major land mass in the world, and centrally located in the Pacific,
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Hawai‘i hosts a cosmopolitan population conducive to exploring diverse cultural, ethnic, and
religious viewpoints, customs, and norms. For this reason Hawai‘i could potentially be an
exceptional locale for IB, despite the challenges identified in this study. Participants identified
might expand beyond stakeholders in this study to include cultural experts from a variety of
backgrounds, schools with international clientele, and community organizations whose missions
align with IB and UNESCO.

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APPENDIX A
RESEARCH AND INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Research Questions
1. What challenges exist in the adoption and ongoing enactment of the IB program at your
school / complex?

2. What leadership strategies in adopting the IB Program and enacting cohesive IB
programming have been employed in the Kaiser Complex, and how do these strategies
compare with research driven leadership models?

3. How do these strategies effect resources allocation (time, money, and human capital) at
the school and complex level?

4. What institutionalized measures have been installed to support sustainable and cohesive
IB programming in the Kaiser Complex, and what role has school leadership played in
the implementation and operation of the IB programs?

Interview Questions

Regarding IB Challenges:

1. Have you experienced alignment challenges in enacting the IB at your school/complex?

2. Have there been fiscal concerns with regard to the adoption or ongoing enactment of IB?

3. Are there competing priorities existing at your school that interfere with enactment of IB
programming?

Regarding Transformational Leadership:

1. How are anxieties associated with adopting a new school mission mitigated at your
school?

2. Are there intrinsic motivators engaged in promoting staff adoption of IB?

3. In what ways are individual goals aligned with broader school and complex goals?

Regarding Distributive Leadership:

1. Describe the various roles and responsibilities assumed by school staff?

2. To what extent is the responsibility to facilitate IB distributed among teachers and
leadership?
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3. To what extent are the different roles in IB delivery autonomous?

4. What mechanisms are in place that ensure distributed roles follow a shared vision?

Regarding Communication:

1. What are the institutionalized mechanisms in place to ensure IB program consistency
across campuses and grade levels?

2. Do challenges exist in communicating IB priorities and goals?

3. What measures are taken by leadership to allow communication between teachers, grade
levels, and schools?

Regarding Resource Management:

1. How are IB costs funded at your school?

2. How have roles changed among staff at your school?

3. Does your current resource allocation model differ from pre-IB?

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APPENDIX B
INFORMED CONSENT FORM
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education

INFORMED CONSENT FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

District Adoption of the International Baccalaureate:
Providing Comprehensive Programing Across School Campuses

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Matthew Limtiaco (M.Ed.) and
Lawrence Picus (Ph.D.) at the University of Southern California, because you are a school
principal in the Kaiser Complex. Your participation is voluntary. You should read the
information below, and ask questions about anything you do not understand, before deciding
whether to participate. Please take as much time as you need to read the consent form. You may
also decide to discuss participation with your family or friends. If you decide to participate, you
will be asked to sign this form. You will be given a copy of this form.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study will focus on leadership and communication strategies at three IB schools in the
Kaiser Complex. The purpose is to identify effective strategies in communicating the
overarching vision and goals of the International Baccalaureate Programs within the Kaiser
Complex, and offer research-based recommendations for resolving potential perceived
challenges in delivering seamless programing across three campuses. Identifying this data will
potentially improve IB alignment across Kaiser Complex Campuses while offering insight to
other IB schools with similar program adoption goals.

STUDY PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to participate in a single interview
lasting no longer than 60 minutes. The interview will be conducted by the Principal Investigator
(Matthew Limtiaco) and can be conducted at a mutually agreed upon location. The purpose of
the interview is to identify communication mechanisms and leadership strategies used to align IB
program efforts across campuses and classes. Data will be disseminated to USC dissertation
chairs during a final report in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate
in Education. The interview will be recorded for the sole purpose of transcription and accuracy in
the data analysis phase of the study. Choosing to not be audio recorded does not jeopardize your
participation in this study and we would still appreciate and encourage you to participate.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no reasonable or foreseeable risks to you or your school by participating in this study.
The majority of IB and Kaiser Complex data collected are publicly available and the interview
questions are not self-depriving or incriminating in any manner. Pseudonyms will be used the
final report in place of actual school names and participants. If the participant experiences any
discomfort during any interview questions or portions, he or she may abstain from answering
DISTRICT ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

110
particular questions, or withdrawal from the study entirely. Participants may simply state, “I am
not comfortable answering that question”, or “I would like to be removed from this study”.
Participants are under no obligation to answer questions. If the Principal Investigator perceives
any discomfort in participants he will stop this line of questioning and continue the interview
only after participants ensure they are comfortable with questioning.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
The primary benefit of participating in this study is potentially improved communication and
alignment of IB program goals and priorities within Kaiser Complex and other IB schools. The
results of this study will indicate areas in which current resource allocations at your school can
be adjusted to improve overarching understanding and purpose of IB programming, without
increasing current school funding. Potential recommendations are based on a comprehensive
review of current literature and studies across the nation regarding research driven effective
leadership practices and successful IB adoption scenarios.

CONFIDENTIALITY
We will keep your records for this study confidential as far as permitted by law. However, if we
are required to do so by law, we will disclose confidential information about you. The members
of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects Protection
Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies to
protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

The data will be stored electronically on the personal laptop and cellphone of the Principal
Investigator. Both devices are secured by a pass phrase only known to the Principal Investigator.
The data for this study will only be accessible to the Principal Investigator and the Faculty
Advisor, although you may review the audio recording and transcription of your interview if you
choose. All audio recordings will be destroyed after the minimum holding period of one year.
All personal identifiers will be protected by coding and pseudonyms only known to the Principal
Investigator and Faculty Advisor. No data will be given, loaned, or sold to a third party.
Pseudonyms will be used the final report in place of actual school names and participants.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or
remedies because of your participation in this research study.

INVESTIGATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact:

Matthew Limtiaco (Principal Investigator)
808-799-6350
matthewlimtiaco@gmail.com
301 Kawaihae St. #125
Honolulu, HI 96825

DISTRICT ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

111
Lawrence Picus (Faculty Advisor)
213-740-2175
lpicus@usc.edu
Waite Phillips Hall
3470 Trousdale Pkwy.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90089

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I have read the information provided above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My
questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study:

District Adoption of the International Baccalaureate:
Providing Comprehensive Programing Across School Campuses

I have been given a copy of this form.

AUDIO RECORDING

□ I agree to be audio-recorded □ I do not want to be audio-recorded

Name of Participant

Signature of Participant Date

SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR

I have explained the research to the participant and answered all of his/her questions. I believe
that he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to
participate.

Matthew C. Limtiaco
Name of Person Obtaining Consent

Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date
DISTRICT ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

112
APPENDIX C
HIDOE AFFIRMATION FORM FOR RESEARCHERS

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114

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116
APPENDIX D
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FROM ADVISOR FOR RESEARCH

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117
APPENDIX E
PRELIMINARY HIDOE APPROVAL FORMS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

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119

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120

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APPENDIX F
HIDOE APPROVAL FOR RESEARCH

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study examines challenges perceived, and successful leadership strategies enacted, during the adoption of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. The qualitative case study involves three schools unified by their collective efforts toward offering the IB Program from K-12. Anticipated findings recognize parallels in the perceptions of challenges reported by participants in Kaiser Complex Schools, and those noted in previous research. Findings also uncover additional perceived challenges caused by the geographic remoteness of the Hawaiian Islands. Unanticipated findings include successful strategies initiated by Kaiser Complex Schools to mitigate program costs, institutionalize across-campus communication, and reorganize personnel to maximize time. The study may be found beneficial within the Kaiser Complex in defining ongoing IB program challenges, and tailoring future strategies accordingly. This body of knowledge may also prove valuable in designing an effective roadmap for future IB program adoption efforts by schools in the State of Hawai‘i and abroad.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Limtiaco, Matthew C. (author)

Core Title District adoption of the international baccalaureate: providing comprehensive programming across school campuses

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 06/17/2015

Defense Date 06/17/2015

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag international baccalaureate,leadership,OAI-PMH Harvest,school reform

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Brewer, Dominic J. (committee chair), Datta, Monique C. (committee chair), Picus, Lawrence O. (committee chair)

Creator Email matthewlimtiaco@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-570901

Unique identifier UC11301875

Identifier etd-LimtiacoMa-3472.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-570901 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-LimtiacoMa-3472.pdf

Dmrecord 570901

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Limtiaco, Matthew C.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA