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Internationalizing education: a study of the impact of implementing an international program on an urban elementary school
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Internationalizing education: a study of the impact of implementing an international program on an urban elementary school
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Content
INTERNATIONALIZING EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE IMPACT
OF IMPLEMENTING AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM ON
AN URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
by
Sonja M. Lopez
____________________________________________________________________
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
December 2010
Copyright 2010 Sonja M. Lopez
ii
DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to Frank, Connie, and Vincent Lopez.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication ii
List of Tables vi
List of Figures vii
Abstract viii
Chapter 1: Overview of the Study 1
Background of the Problem 2
Statement of the Problem 3
Purpose of the Study 5
Research Questions 5
Importance of the Study 6
Overview of the Method 6
Organization of the Dissertation 6
Chapter 2: Literature Review 8
Comparative and International Education 8
International Education in an International School Context 11
What is International About International Schools? Defining
Characteristics of International Schools 13
Movement Toward an International Education Curriculum
Framework 17
Teaching Global Competence 20
Globalization of International Education 23
Future Directions of International Education? Transformative Citizen
Education 28
Summary 30
Chapter 3: Research Method 32
Research Site 33
Research Sample 34
Methods of Data Collection 35
Analysis of IBO’s PYP Documents 36
School Site Interviews 37
Analysis of School Site PYP Documents 38
Methods of Data Analysis 39
Validity and Reliability 41
iv
Chapter 4: Findings 43
Understanding the IBO PYP Accreditation Process 44
IBO’s International, National, and Regional Infrastructural Support 45
The Phases of the PYP Accreditation Process 47
Phase One: Alignment With the PYP Philosophy Program Standards 49
Standard A1: Alignment With the Educational Beliefs and
Values of the PYP 50
Standard A2: School-Wide Promotion of International Mindedness 50
Phase Two: Alignment with Standard B1: The PYP Organization Program
Standard 52
Appropriate Administrative Structures and Systems 54
Staffing 54
Resources 55
Phase Three: Alignment With the PYP Curriculum and PYP Student
Program Standards 56
Standard C2: School-Wide System of Collaborative Planning
and Reflection 57
Standard C1: Comprehensive, Coherent, Written Curriculum
Based on the PYP 58
Standard C3: Teaching Practices that Encourage Student Self-
Empowerment 59
Standard C4: School-Wide Assessment System 61
Standard D1: Students Learn to Choose to Act and Reflect 62
Standard D2: The PYP Exhibition as a Summative Assessment 62
Reauthorization: Alignment With Ongoing Program Evaluation
and Improvement 62
The Impact of the PYP Accreditation Process on an Urban, Elementary
School 63
Leadership and Strategic Planning 63
Highly Qualified Teachers 66
Professional Development 72
Shared Vision 73
Changes in Planning, Teaching, and Learning 80
Collaboration 80
Curriculum Framework 84
Constructivist Approach 88
Chapter 5: Summary of Results 91
Summary of the Purpose 91
Discussion of the Major Findings 92
Major Findings on PYP Accreditation Process 92
Major Findings on Impact of PYP Implementation at International
Elementary School 96
v
Limitations of the Study 100
Implications for Policy and Practice 101
Recommendations for Future Research 102
Conclusions 102
References 105
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Teacher Credentials at International Elementary School, 2000-2007 67
Table 2: Teacher Experience at International Elementary School, 2000-2008 68
Table 3: Teacher Educational Level at International Elementary School, 2000-2007 69
Table 4: Teacher Ethnicity (Percentages) at International Elementary School,
2000-2007 70
Table 5: Example of School-Wide Integration of Primary Years Program (PYP)
Transdisciplinary, Globally Themed Units 87
vii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Stages of cultural identity typology 30
Figure 2: Primary Years Program (PYP) program standards 45
Figure 3: Phases of Primary Years Program (PYP) authorization 49
Figure 4: International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) mission statement 51
Figure 5: Primary Years Program (PYP) transdisciplinary globally themed units 59
Figure 6: Three overarching concepts of Primary Years Program (PYP) curricular
framework 60
viii
ABSTRACT
This study investigated how teachers at a national public school recently
accredited in an international education program identified the changes in their
educational pedagogy that resulted from the accreditation process. In particular, the study
examined how the school administration and teachers implemented an international
program, the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program (PYP), into the
school-wide community and pinpointed the major impact of the PYP accreditation
process. The methodology included document analysis, interviews, and school-wide
observations. The findings identify the main tenets of the PYP accreditation process and
how they led to the restructuring of the school’s approach to leadership and strategic
planning, a shared vision, and a shift toward collaborative planning, teaching, and
learning.
1
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Life in the 21st century requires understanding, sensitivity, and skills to cope
with the phenomena of globalization and global interdependence, linking the eco-
nomic, political, and cultural dimensions of globalization to the process of educa-
tion. Implicit in this phenomenon is the imperative at all stages of the educational
process to reflect the need for individuals, communities, and nations to manage
interdependence in peaceful, equitable, and sustainable ways. The exploration of
new paradigms for education must be an internationally collaborative undertak-
ing, calling for the commitment and efforts of visionaries in the educational arena
and for a blend of idealism and pragmatism to deal with the wide range of
challenges that confront us. (Ordonez & Ramler, 2004, p. 32)
In New Paradigms for 21st Century Education: An International Perspective
Ordonez and Ramler (2004) pointed out that forces of globalization have created an
impetus for change, essentially a change to be reflected in the entirety of the U.S. educa-
tional system. This push for change has become evident at the national level, as the
American Council on Education’s (2002) Comprehensive National Policy on Inter-
national Education declared that the state of global transformations of the past decade has
created an unparalleled need in the United States for expanded international knowledge
and skills. The claim is that the nation’s freedom, security, and prosperity rest on the
global competence of Americans. The economic sector has voiced a desire for educa-
tional change, asserting that today’s academic preparation does not prepare students to
handle the global business needs of today and the future. According to Fugate (2001), the
demand for global citizens—globally competent individuals who are comfortable in
visiting, working, and living in diverse countries, and capable of managing companies on
a global level—cannot be ignored.
2
Background of the Problem
For the past three decades scholars in the field of multicultural education have
voiced concerns about the role of culture in education as they have tried to debunk U.S.
assimilation approaches toward education and to share a message that the inclusion of the
culture of diverse groups within the educational process is an asset to the nation (Banks,
1996, 2004a, 2004b). Today there is a growing realization that the U.S. economic and
political future depends on its citizens having a greater understanding of the world’s
diversity. Ladson-Billings (2004) contended that citizen education that includes under-
standing the multicultural perspectives of the nation’s population is needed to help
students to acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills to function in national and global
cultural communities.
Traditionally, education has been the way in which governments have conveyed
citizen values and behaviors, promoted economic change, and strengthened national
identity within their population. According to Baker and LeTendre (2005), education no
longer is solely a national endeavor because global forces are changing and shaping
schooling in fundamental ways. They theorized that, just like the shrinking of the world’s
marketplace, media, and politics, education also is undergoing intensive globalization and
that educational trends have worldwide potential as they reach beyond the control of
national policy makers, politicians, and educators themselves.
It comes as no surprise that education has been identified as the means for
achieving the objectives of each of the abovementioned stakeholders. Whether the
objective is to promote national security, economic prosperity, or cultural pluralism, the
crux is that educators in the United States must think seriously about investing in the
preparation of a citizenry with global competence so students are equipped with the
3
international knowledge and skills needed in this ever-increasing globally interdependent
society. The American Council on Education (2002) recommended that internationalism
be embedded in the U.S. K-16 educational system through requiring all students to learn
a foreign language, experience curriculum with international content, and participate in
international internships.
Statement of the Problem
The challenge today lies not only in the need to create an educational paradigm or
international educational framework capable of meeting the needs of each of these
stakeholders, and in turn the 21st century, but also in the lack of teachers with global
competence to teach in such ways. The American Council on Education (2002) also
acknowledged the lack of teacher education programs in the United States that have a
focus on preparing future teachers to include international knowledge and skills within
the K-12 classroom. This lack of preparation of American teachers has also been identi-
fied by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), as it
looked to Creating New Visions for Teacher Education. This new vision became evident
through AACTE’s inclusion of an entire strand labeled Looking to Internationalization at
its 2006 annual conference (AACTE, 2006). Quezada and Alfaro (2007) suggested that
models already exist that provide internationalization experiences for future teachers,
including providing study abroad opportunities, internationalizing the curriculum, and
allowing future teachers to serve as student teachers in another country while immersing
themselves not only in the country but also in the schools and community.
As American citizens discover the necessity, as well as the advantages, of promot-
ing a globally competent citizenry, the struggle remains in how to accomplish this goal.
4
The only points that are certain are the lack of an educational paradigm capable of
instilling an international attitude, knowledge, and skills and the lack of a teaching cadre
to implement such an internationally focused curriculum. Some would claim that an
example of a new paradigm is already in existence. International schools were originally
created to educate students living overseas. These schools have been concerned about the
need for an internationally focused curriculum that would instill a national identity while
also developing a global mindset since the 1950s, when schools of an international nature
proliferated.
In the development of international schools around the world over the past 50
years, international educators have collaborated on ways to enable the student to see the
world from a much wider perspective than is generally required in national systems
(Gellar, 1993). Lott (1992) stated that international schools are a leading example of the
development of a globally minded citizen through their great emphasis on global
awareness, language study, and area studies. Merryfield (1993, 1996), an advocate for
globalizing education, claimed that international school educators were a leading
example of preparing students for the global age and provided guidance for educating
students on how to embrace multiple loyalties to one’s community, one’s nation, and the
planet. If this is truly the case, what can be learned from these schools and the inter-
national education that they propose to deliver? What insights can be gleaned from the
field of international education to develop global competence among teachers and, in
turn, among students?
A leading example of a K-12 international education continuum is the Inter-
national Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and its three programs: the Primary Years
5
Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP), and the Diploma Program (DP).
Since its establishment in 1969 the IBO has been strategically positioned to balance the
political, economic, and cultural needs of multiple nations with staying true to its original
vision of shaping a world citizen (Walker, 2000). With IBO nearly 1,500 schools world-
wide in 117 countries reaching approximately 200,000 students, IBO Director General
George Walker (2000) triumphantly claimed that international education and its ideals
are being represented through the IBO. Yet the question remains, does the IBO and its
three programs deliver what they claim? Do the 1,500 schools using the IBO programs
provide educators in the United States with a paradigm for incorporating international
knowledge and skills within the curriculum?
Purpose of the Study
Little has been written on the PYP’s accreditation process and a school’s imple-
mentation of the PYP within an international and, specifically, a national context. Thus,
this study was designed to investigate the impact of PYP accreditation on an urban
elementary school, in particular its teachers and its curriculum. The purpose of this
qualitative study was to examine the process for a school to become authorized in the
IBO’s PYP. This study also investigated the impact of implementation on the school-
wide community and whether it contributed to improved school-wide performance.
Research Questions
Two research questions addressed in this study:
1. What is the process for a school to be accredited as an IBO PYP World School?
2. What is the school-wide impact of the implementation of the PYP on an urban,
public elementary school?
6
Importance of the Study
The importance of this qualitative study was the aim to examine the impact and
possible benefits of an urban elementary school in the United States becoming accredited
in the IBO’s PYP program. With the recent growth of the PYP in elementary classrooms
in the United States and its projected growth both in the United States and abroad, it has
become essential that the process and impact of PYP accreditation be documented to
determine whether the PYP impacts overall school performance. In addition, this study is
important because it may provide an example of how a school might include a global
mindset in its teachers and students.
Overview of the Method
A qualitative approach was used to understand how events, actions, and meanings
are shaped by the unique circumstances in which they occur (Maxwell, 2005). The
unique circumstances that this study addressed were those of a public urban elementary
school’s PYP accreditation and its impact on the school-wide community. Also examined
was the impact of the inclusion of international mindedness on the school-wide com-
munity. The data collection methods for this study included document analysis, school-
wide observations, and interviews.
Organization of the Dissertation
Chapter 2 presents a review of the literature in the field of international education.
The first section addresses the past and present field of comparative and international
education. The section provides a background on the subfield of international education
within an international school context, as well as the initial push toward an international
educational framework. The third section discusses the current globalization of education.
The fourth section explains the current aims of transformative citizen education. Chapter
7
3 describes the methodology employed in the study, including the procedures for data
collection and data analysis. Chapter 4 presents the results of the study. In Chapter 5 the
findings of the study are discussed in terms of implications and recommendations.
8
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This review of the literature is focused primarily on the field of international
education: its past, present, and future possibilities. The review of literature includes the
field of comparative and international education, the inception of the field of international
schools and international educational curricular framework, the current globalization of
education, and the aims of transformative citizen education. The aim of the review was to
understand what the term international education encompasses, as well as what global
competence entails and whether issues of equity and diversity are included in any of the
discussions. The review provided the background for an investigation of the impact of the
implementation of the IBO PYP on an urban elementary school in the United States, with
a particular focus on how the school would incorporate internationalism into a school-
wide community. This type of investigation required comprehensive background knowl-
edge of the field of international education.
The first section of the review addresses the past and present field of comparative
and international education. The second section provides a background on the subfield of
international education within an international school context, as well as initial efforts to
apply an international educational framework. The third section reviews the current
globalization of education and the fourth section explains the current aims of transforma-
tive citizen education.
Comparative and International Education
In understanding literature on schools in an international context, it is essential to
understand the field out of which it grew and its initial history. The fields of comparative
9
and international education were distinct from the start. In early research by Kandel
(1933), comparative education was described as being focused on research and connected
to academic and scientific study. In comparison, he described international education as
focused on practitioners concerned with policy and practice. He clarified this by identify-
ing international education as a subfield of comparative education, inclusive of every-
thing outside of scientific and academic study.
Early scholars continued to build on the distinctions between the two fields.
Scanlon (1960) viewed international education as a term used to describe educational
and governmental cultural relations programs that focused on the promotion of mutual
understanding among nations, as cross-cultural education, and as provision of educational
assistance to underdeveloped nations. Bereday (1964) expanded this definition to include
student exchanges and programs that focused on American aid abroad. Fraser and
Brickman (1968) continued to expand these definitions by including individuals and their
ideas.
International education connotes the various kinds of relationships—intellectual,
cultural, and educational—among individuals and groups from two or more
nations. It is a dynamic concept in that it involves a movement across frontiers,
whether by a person, book, or idea. International education refers to the various
methods of international cooperation, understanding, and exchange. Thus, the
exchange of teachers and students, aid to underdeveloped countries, and teaching
about foreign educational systems fall within the scope of this term. On the
negative side, international education also encompasses activities making for
international understanding, ill will, hatred, and even war. (Fraser & Brickman,
1968, p. 1)
In the 75th anniversary issue of The Harvard Educational Review Stromquist
(2005) reflected on the past and present of the field of comparative and international
education. She stated that researchers in the field “now increasingly recognize the
cultural dimension of education, particularly its efforts to understand distinctions and
10
similarities between cultures in the western and eastern parts of the world” (p. 91).
Research in the field is primarily focused on the areas of cross-national student
achievement, gender, critical theory studies, equality and diversity, and the role of
globalization. One of the major shifts in the role of education that Stromquist (2005)
discussed is from “an emphasis on economic growth to a concern for redistribution of
assets and opportunity, with implications for the diminution of inequalities, including
poverty” (p. 94). In her discussion on the present state of international education
Stromquist (2005) linked the field of international education with that of multicultural
education and its aim for equity and recognition of diversity within education.
Substantial differences still exist in understanding the causes of educational (and
social) inequalities and therefore in the nature of the solution. At one end we have
educators and politicians who envision a within-the-school set of changes, includ-
ing better trained teachers, more and better educational materials, and adequate
infrastructure. At the other end we have many social scientists who think that
solving inequality necessitates interventions in society as a whole . . . in practice,
however, most measures to combat inequality have concentrated on schools and
have been piecemeal. International education has seen the implementation of
number of compensatory and remedial measures in the industrial world.
(Stromquist, 2005, pp. 95-96)
One of the measures that Stromquist (2005) recognized was that of researchers in
the field of multicultural education efforts to advocate for cultural diversity and equity for
minority groups throughout the past 30 years. Multicultural education scholar James
Banks (1996, 2004a, 2004b) has strived to change educational inequality through the
inclusion and examination of five dimensions of multicultural education: content integra-
tion, an equity pedagogy, a knowledge construction process, process of prejudice reduc-
tion, and an empowering school culture and social structure.
The world is changing due to the rapid globalization of the world, and researchers
in both international education and multicultural education have come to recognize its
11
effects and demands on education around the world. Stromquist (2005) warned of the
increasing inequality that is perpetuated through globalization, resulting in the need for
both an educated knowledge society to lead and work in the transnational companies and
the need for individuals to supply the labor force. She described this dynamic as needing
a merit-based education system that favored competition that would continue to reinforce
inequality. In this context one must wonder whether the aims of international education
and multicultural education are in vain or whether there are transnational companies that
are capable and willing to incorporate the tenets of international and multicultural
education.
International Education in an International School Context
International schools—private independent schools created to meet the demands
of educating the children of global professionals outside their home county—have rapidly
increased since the 1950s, but research in these institutions, as well as initial efforts to
create a unified pre-school to pre-university international educational curricular frame-
work for these schools, is a relatively new venture. This section of the literature review is
focused on the inception of this field of research and its current status.
Research in the field of international education within the context of international
schools was spearheaded in the 1990s by Hayden and Thompson. Following Jonietz and
Harris’s (1991) World Yearbook of Education, which emphasized the significant growth
of the field of international schools and international education and the absence of written
material documenting the development and purpose to the field, Hayden and Thompson
(1995a), attempted to define international education within the international schools
12
context. They made reference to the early definition of international education by Fraser
and Brickman in 1968:
One of the most helpful quotations we have found to date in the search for
clarification of the concept of international education is that from Fraser and
Brickman (1968) who claimed that international education connotes the various
kinds of relationships—intellectual, cultural and educational—among individuals
and groups from two or more nations, (being) a dynamic concept (which)
involves a movement across frontiers, whether by a person, book or idea. The
concept of movement across frontiers seems to encapsulate the dynamic nature of
the various aspects of education which are generally included under the heading
of international education in this context. In particular, the concept of a movement
across frontiers by a person or an idea would seem to incorporate many of the
aspects of international education in which we are interested. (Hayden &
Thompson, 1995a, pp. 17-18)
Through Fraser and Brickman’s quote, Hayden and Thompson (1995a) created a
link or another subfield to the already broad field of international education. As students
in international schools were primarily students being educated outside of their home
country, the link to their physical movement across frontiers by the individual was clear.
Yet the movement across frontiers that struck Hayden and Thompson (1995a) was the
thought of movement of frontiers by an idea. They noted that this idea of a movement
across frontiers was precisely what early international schools pioneers had envisioned.
In Schools Across Frontiers: The Story of the International Baccalaureate and the
United World College A. D. C. Peterson (2000), the first IBO Director General,
reminisced on the initial idea of a movement across frontiers that appealed to early
international school founders as they sought an educational environment that would be
characterized as educating students in breaking down barriers of national prejudice while
preparing them for an interdependent world. Peterson (2000) had proposed a movement
across frontiers through an international curriculum that would stress the importance of
mutual understanding between students from different cultures. His vision for
13
international schools was not to produce students who were rootless world citizens but
globally competent students who had learned to understand each other better, regardless
of nationality—students who sought to cooperate with each other and could be charac-
terized as having friendships across frontiers. Peterson’s (2000) idea of movement across
frontiers was also practical, as he recognized that students in international schools were
primarily students who were being educated outside of their home country, which created
the practical need for an internationally accepted credential or diploma that would be
recognized and would comply with admission policies of universities worldwide.
What is International About International Schools?
Defining Characteristics of International Schools
The two most prominent researchers in the field of international education within
an international schools context, Hayden and Thompson (1995b), identified the lack of
literature on the development and purpose of international schools. In their early research
they sought to determine a definition of international education relative to international
schools, as well as to identify the overarching characteristics of these schools.
In an attempt to provide a model to distinguish key characteristics of a school that
promoted international education, Hayden and Thompson (1996) listed a set of what they
termed universals of international education. According to Hayden and Thompson
(1996), these universals should be included in an international school to distinguish it as
providing an international education. The important features that they identified included
having a diverse student population, teachers as representatives of an international per-
spective, school management or leadership that values and has a philosophy based on
internationalism, a balanced formal curriculum, and students having exposure to students
of other cultures outside the institution. Although Hayden and Thompson (1996)
14
provided a framework for international schools to identify features of an international
education, there was little guidance on what an international perspective or philosophy on
internationalism entailed.
The struggle to agree on a clear list of characteristics of international education
was evident in several examples. In one example, Gellar (1993) claimed that international
education within an international school context was primarily about the diverse student
population. He contended that international schools were distinguished by the inter-
nationally diverse student population and posited that, through experiencing an inter-
national education, these students would be able to learn how to build bridges rather than
walls. This idea refers to the same vision that Peterson (2000) had previously described;
again, there was little pedagogical insight into how this was to be achieved. Lott (1992)
was more specific as he described international schools and their curriculum as providing
a leading example of the globally minded citizen through their strong emphasis on global
awareness, language study, and area studies.
Bartlett (1992) was more critical of international schools as he argued that inter-
national education was a myth struggling to become a reality. He stressed the need for
practical improvements such as professional development, curriculum development, and
a well-defined philosophy. Bartlett (1998) also recognized that there were no deeply held,
publicly declared beliefs and values to bind international education or schools into a
coherent global system. He urged proponents of international schools to consider the
longitudinal development of a cohesive network of international schools with a common
understanding of what international education entailed.
15
However, some researchers (Hayden & Thompson, 1995c) had an alternative
perspective as they stated that an international education did not require an international
school nor did an international school necessarily imply an international education. This
example clarified that not all international schools subscribed to an international educa-
tion, as well as that international education was not limited to schools in an international
context. Pearce (1998) further illustrated Hayden and Thompson’s (1995c) point in his
research on overseas national schools, indicating schools designed to accommodate
students living outside of their home country that follow a national education system such
as American, British, German, or French educational models. Pearce (1998) stated that,
although the overseas national school may be characterized by a number of nationalities,
these schools tended to follow the national education system and may or may not be
responsive to the international student population in the school. Pearce (1998) indicated
that international education in international schools could not be assumed, as 933 of
1,724 of the schools listed in the International Education Handbook were explicitly
national overseas schools. Pearce (1998) elaborated on overseas national schools and
characterized them as providing education for students outside of their home country
while also accommodating students from other countries seeking the nearest substitute in
the absence of their own overseas national school.
Richards (1998) posited four expectations of schools in an international context:
(a) English was the language of instruction, (b) the standards linked to North American or
European schools, (c) the qualifications or leaving certificate had an international
currency that would allow a student access to universities around the world, and (d) the
school was founded on a Western educational tradition. Based on findings reported by
16
Pearce (1998) and Richards (1998), it appeared that international schools were largely
influenced by the market demand for expatriate communities and families living over-
seas, or by local demands for access to the opportunities afforded by being schooled in a
Western-based educational system that would guarantee a student learning English
fluently from a young age. This leads to the question of what was truly international
about the international schools, other than their overseas locations.
Bartlett (1998) further illustrated the point that international schools were influ-
enced by the market demand for a certain population: those most commonly described as
geographically mobile or internationally mobile. He clarified that international education
was a response to an immediate need: the need for globally mobile business enterprises,
diplomats, and other overseas organizations to have an education of sufficient quality to
reduce the potential negative impact of parental career moves on accompanying children
and to ease re-entry into their own national system. Several researchers described the
families and children educated in international schools and provided some socioeconomic
contextualization, for example, as children impacted by the movement of professionals
(Hayden & Thompson, 1996), influential community diplomats (Bartlett, 1992), repre-
senting a mobile population as influential, affluent and committed to education (Bruce,
1987). In this way, the professional, if not affluent, characteristics of students’ parents
were notably acknowledged by researchers. However, parental socioeconomic status was
not taken into consideration beyond the mere description of the population.
Consequently, the literature suggested that having parents who are professionals
or being affluent had little bearing on the issues related to international education and the
research demonstrated that any discussion regarding elitism based on socioeconomic
17
status or educational equity is unacknowledged. While socioeconomic status was at least
mentioned, other characteristics such as student gender, ethnicity, and race were rarely, if
at all, mentioned. In general, the student population was generally described as inter-
national. Such descriptions tended to be made in general terms, without mentioning
specific nationalities. Along the lines of Pearce’s (1998) research on the representation of
national overseas schools abroad, Bruce (1987) noted that American and British families
outnumbered other nationalities in the international school sector. Despite student body
diversity being considered one of the centerpieces of international education or, accord-
ing to Hayden and Thompson (1996) one of the “universals of international education,”
the nature of the diversity in students was often left unclear.
The literature reviewed thus far illustrates the lack of consensus regarding the
definition of international education within the context of international schools. The
universals of international education that Hayden and Thompson (1996) described did not
necessarily characterize all international schools; as Pearce (1998) indicated, there were
more national overseas schools than schools that could be described as truly international.
Therefore, what characterized these schools as different from schools in the United States
or England, apart from the affluent globally mobile student population? Would Bartlett’s
(1992) suggestions for practical improvements, such as professional development, curri-
culum development, and a well-defined philosophy, allow international education in
international schools and national schools to become a reality?
Movement Toward an International Education Curriculum Framework
Due to the movement of this globally mobile student population, there was a
thrust for international schools to create a complete, coherent K-12 international
18
curriculum, as students moved between them or returned to their own national educa-
tional systems. Bartlett (1998) advocated for a K-12 international continuum, referring to
the practicality of saving international schools the time and energy required to produce
their own curricula. Teamed with the IBO DP at the high school level, which had been in
existence since the 1960s, Bartlett (1998) contended that it was time for a sequential
international curriculum to be created by the IBO to provide assurance of quality among
international schools at the elementary and middle years, as well as an accreditation
process. He stressed the need for common learning assessments and benchmarks to
facilitate the transfer of students between international schools. Bartlett (1998) also
observed the opportunity that international educators had as key change agents and global
leaders to define an international curriculum that would provide an opportunity to offer
students a significantly different learning experience and to set international education
apart and place it on the cutting edge of innovation.
In 1994 the addition of the PYP and MYP to the established DP made the pre-
school to pre-university international education curriculum framework a reality. The
pragmatic and ideal concerns of the researchers to date were considered as the IBO
attempted to satisfy the demands of the market while also upholding the ideals presented
by Peterson (2000). Early research on the creation of an international education curricu-
lum suggested that the model should provide students the opportunity to see the world
from a much broader perspective than was usually required in national school systems.
The idealism of the PYP and MYP curriculum frameworks was evident in the focus on
core commonalities or six required units of global significance (Boyer, 1995) and inte-
grated or transdisciplinary approaches to subject studies (Beane, 1995). The pragmatism
19
of the PYP and MYP was evident in the call for the programs to be adaptable (in other
words, marketable) to a variety of national systems of education around the world
(Gellar, 1993). It was an important feature that provided some explanation of the signifi-
cant differences in the ways that the IBO is incorporated into a school. For example,
although beyond the United States and Canada IBO schools tended to be private, the IBO
schools of North America were for the most part public schools. Although the IBO was
beginning to be seen as a concept that was evolving from a program for international
schools to an international program for all schools (Hagoort, 1994, as cited in Hayden &
Thompson, 1995a), there were very few references to this international program for
public national schools in the discussion. What, if any, were the benefits for an American
school to adopt one of the IBO programs?
Fox (1985) focused on the IBO DP program in the United States and its possible
marketing benefits due to its role as a competitor to the Advanced Placement and Gifted
and Talented programs. She stated that, within the American public high schools, the IBO
DP had in the past been considered highly selective and reserved for gifted students. She
suggested that the IBO within North America could be considered contradictory in that,
while the primary role of the public school suggests an equality of educational access, the
selective nature of how the public schools administer the IBO DP programs ran counter
to this by fostering what can be described as an academic elitism. Researchers reinforced
this elitism by making strong claims of the IBO DP being ideally suited for the
intellectually able (Poelzer & Feldhusen, 1997) and for superior students in secondary
schools: the high-ability, gifted students (Daniel & Cox, 1992).
20
In a historical study of the first high schools in America to implement the IBO
DP, Spahn (2001) examined the decision made by three schools to adopt the program and
found the IBO DP’s high academic standards to be primary reason, with the international
aspects of the program to be secondary. In Portfolio of a School, Worsley (1998) reported
teachers’ reflections on the implementation of the PYP in a private, American elementary
school, finding that the IBO PYP’s focus on internationalism and fostering that focus
students, its structured curricular framework, the unified nature of its required pro-
fessional development, and the program’s connection to best teaching methods and
practices throughout the world were seen as the benefits of implementation.
Based on these examples one might conclude that the focus of implementing the
IBO DP at the high school level was its perceived higher academic standards. However,
Worsley’s (1998) example that focused on the elementary level did not make reference to
academic standards at all, but reported that the international features of the PYP program
were perceived as paramount.
Teaching Global Competence
Jenkins (1998) voiced that it was clear from the mission statement of the IBO that
more than academic preparation was its objective. He questioned whether the IBO’s
grand targets of high academic standards along with an international perspective were
achievable. His view was that the baccalaureate part of the program was in place and
respected but the international part should to be explored. Jenkins (1998) shared that,
although the IBO as an organization was very international, with its students around the
world yet he questioned how this internationalism was extended to the schools.
21
According to Hayden and Thompson (1996) international education was charac-
terized by the movement of people and ideas across frontiers. When looking from this
perspective, the ideology of the IBO is expressed in its support of international and inter-
cultural understanding (Hayden & Thompson, 1995a). There have been many terms used
to refer these tenets of international education, these include the IBO term international
mindedness, Hayden and Thompson’s (1995a) frequent reference to worldmindedness,
Geller’s (1996) use of world citizenship, and the more commonly used term global citizen
(Bartlett, 1993; Hayden & Wong, 1997). Although these terms all make reference to
international knowledge and skills, the definitions of these terms are rarely explicit or
clear. Daniel and Cox (1992) have attempted to add to the definition of international
education by distinguishing it as being based on international cooperation rather than
based on international competition. Gellar (1996) and Bartlett (1992) have also
attempted to distinguish international education by stressing the need for an education
that fosters cooperation by including the teaching of values.
The IBO in particular and international education in general have been criticized
for promoting an American and/or European perspective. While Fox (1985) claimed that
the IBO was influenced by a European system, others have argued that the IBO, and in
turn, international education, consisted of many American educational features. In one
study (Hayden and Thompson (1995c) a student is reported as stating that the
international education that she had experienced was a “Western education” because of
the teachers North American backgrounds whereas in another study (Hayden and Wong,
1997) discovered that students wanted to be as “American” as possible.
22
IBO claimed that the learning of a language other than one’s native language is
part of developing an international perspective. The IBO advocated that programs are
available in multiple languages—English, French, and Spanish—and that one of the
program requirements when implementing an IBO program is to offer an additional
language from the language of instruction. Hayden and Wong (1997) found that the IBO
language programs were often attributed to contributing to internationalism by facilitating
cultural and geographical mobility, as well as by fostering internationalism by supporting
an open minded perspective of other cultures by students. The learning of additional
languages was viewed as one of the greatest contributors to the development of an
international attitude, as seen in a study on perceptions held by undergraduates (Hayden
& Thompson, 1995c), who viewed foreign language learning as second only to the
diversity of the student body in promoting an international attitude.
Several criticisms of the language requirements of the IBO have been published.
Buckheit (1995) and Bartlett (1994) perceived this spread of the IBO not as an inter-
national endeavor but as a way of increasing English in an almost imperialist fashion.
McKenzie (2001) highlighted the leading role of English in international schools and
stressed the importance of bilingualism, especially for Europeans. Surveys of students,
parents and faculty by McKenzie (2001) showed that being bilingual was considered an
important characteristic as long as English was the language of proficiency; by itself,
bilingualism was not highly viewed. McKenzie argued that whether to develop an
international perspective or not, native English speakers need to develop an additional
language to a level of proficiency.
23
Due to the high level of scrutiny regarding the lack of a clear definition of an
international education and its perspectives, in recent years the IBO has attempted to
clarify what they believed this concept entails. In the IBO’s document Making It Happen
(IBO, 2000b), the IBO highlighted its Mission Statement and the characteristics of what
it calls the Learner Profile Booklet (IBO, 2008a), both of which all IBO programs must
explicitly teach in developing an international perspective in the student and within the
school community. The IBO suggests that the Learner Profile and the school’s docu-
mented alignment with the IBO mission statement are necessary to develop an inter-
national perspective in the student and the school community. The IBO has stressed the
interrelationship of these features of the program, along with the required curricular
framework based on globally transferable overarching themes and the requirement for an
additional language of instruction.
Globalization of International Education
It is evident that the initial concept of international education—the idea of a
movement across frontiers and breaking down barriers to which Hayden and Thompson
(1995a) and Peterson (2000) referred—in the practical sense of providing a diploma that
would be internationally recognized and would allow international school students access
to universities worldwide and in the idealistic sense of promoting international under-
standing and responsible citizenship. The dichotomies between the pragmatic and
universal values of international education—international and global perspectives—are
well explained in Cambridge’s (2002) article “Global Product Branding and International
Education”:
24
International education has been described as a contested field of educational
practice involving the reconciliation of economic, political and cultural-ideo-
logical dilemmas which may be identified as a competing internationalist and
globalizing perspectives. The internationalist current in international education
may be identified with an orientation towards international relations, with aspira-
tions for the promotion of peace and understanding between nations. This is a
view of international education as ‘a transformative discourse which locates all
fields of enquiry in a supra-national frame of reference and upholds the cause of
peace’. It embraces an existential, experiential philosophy of education which
values the moral development of the individual and recognizes the importance of
service to the community and the development of a sense of responsible citizen-
ship. The globalizing current in international education is, on the other hand,
influenced by and contributes to the global diffusion of the values of free-market
capitalism. These values are expressed in international education in terms of
quality assurance, through the application of international accreditation pro-
cedures, the spread of global quality standards and the global certification of
education qualifications. Globalizing international education facilitates education
community for the children of globally mobile client, as well as for children on
the host country clients with aspirations towards social mobility in a global
context. (p. 228)
In describing the international view of education, Cambridge (2002) highlighted
its connection to values, moral development, community service, and responsible
citizenship, whereas the globalist view of education is focused not on the individual but
on the product of international education through global standards, assessments, and
accreditation. Although researchers have tried to gauge the value of including inter-
nationalism in the IBO, they have had difficulty in weighing the significance of this value
for the students who have participated in one of the programs and have not made any
connection to linking internationalism to displaying evidence of action and responsible
citizenship. Hinrichs (2003) attempted to mark the effects of participating in the IBO on a
student’s attitudes and practices. He asked whether participating in the IBO DP could
increase a student’s international understanding. When comparing the levels of inter-
national understanding among students of the IBO DP and Advanced Placement
programs in the United States, Hinrichs (2003) was unable to conclude whether the
25
development of international understanding in the IBO program was due to the formal
curriculum or the international school context. Thompson (1998) stressed that no single
point is likely to guarantee an international education, in either an international school or
a national school.
Proponents of the global perspective have provided research that is much more
convincing. They stressed the need for global citizens, as businesses seek people who are
comfortable in visiting, working, and living in diverse countries and are capable of
managing companies on a global level (Fugate, 2001). Selmer and Lam (2004) suggested
that businesses in need of globally competent employees seek students who have been
educated in an international context. They recommended that, instead of trying to change
a national curriculum, businesses could target the students who are already preparing for
positions as international business leaders: children who have been educated and have
lived outside their home country. They theorized that the effects of being exposed to
another culture for an extended period of time has allowed these students to absorb
cultural and behavioral norms while establishing a frame of reference different from but
influenced by all cultures to which they have been exposed. This global perspective
appears to value the international experience of students who have lived overseas,
regardless of the kind of education received (international or national in origin).
Castles (2004) identified an emerging transnational population consisting of
persons who have lived across borders and have belonged to two or more societies in a
durable way, describing their ability to extend their community networks between home-
lands and distant communities as a way to maintain economic, cultural, and political
relationships. He warned that having have transnational at one extreme creates a new
26
global elite and at the opposite extreme creates long-distance nationalism and marginal-
ization in the less prosperous cultures (what he referred to as “transnational from
below”). Castles (2004) pointed to the negotiation of identity that is demanded of
transnationalists as they switch between different linguistic and cultural codes and
questioned why this is valued only in the transnational described above. This example
provides reinforcement of the hierarchical structure of education and the IBO’s role in
shaping world citizens from only higher socioeconomic backgrounds, therefore
reinforcing access to citizens from this group.
The movement across frontiers to which IBO visionary Peterson (2000) and
Hayden and Thompson (1995a) referred—to break down the barriers of national
prejudice and prepare young people for life in an interdependent world—may remain a
vision. The practical component that encouraged movement across frontiers through a
baccalaureate or internationally acceptable school-leaving credential for international
schools that would adhere to the admission policies of universities around the world has
been accomplished, while the idealist component that proposes movement across
frontiers through a curriculum that would stress the importance of mutual understanding
between young people from various cultures remains stalled.
It is clear that the IBO has responded to the research that described it as being
offered only offered to the elite. In the current IBO strategic plan (IBO, 2004), one of the
two questions addressed is, “How do we ensure the growth of the IBO benefits schools
and students worldwide, not just an economic elite who can most easily afford high-
quality programs?” It is up to international and national educators using the IBO world-
wide to recognize the dichotomy of physical and mental movement across frontiers to
27
which they are contributing. They must be clear about the definition and purpose in the
promotion of international education and decide whether such purpose is based on
practical or idealist motives and whether the tenets of the original field of international
education and its current efforts to include diversity and equity are to be included. As the
IBO’s presence continues to grow worldwide, who will truly benefit from its promotion
of international attitude, knowledge, and skills necessary in the today’s increasingly
globally interdependent world? Is there the possibility that the IBO may be an example in
its attempts to grow worldwide while benefiting non-economic elite, as stated in their
strategic plan (IBO, 2004)? The IBO strategic plan claimed that the organization is
committed to broadening access to disadvantaged students and that “by 2014 there will
be one million students experiencing the IBO, drawn from increasingly diverse eco-
nomic, social and cultural backgrounds” (para. 4). Is it possible that the IBO could be an
example of an international organization that has made strides by offering its services to
those other than the elite but will it also extend this goal to include issues of diversity and
equity into its continued future growth? Is there anything that the IBO could learn from
the field of transformative citizen education and its aims to make the interdependent
world more just and humane?
Future Directions of International Education?
Transformative Citizen Education
Since the 1960s, scholar James Banks (1991, 2001a, 2001b) has challenged
national assimilationist approaches that concentrated on one dominant culture for educat-
ing students in citizenship. He claimed that this approach has resulted in ethnic and immi-
grant groups being marginalized and losing their cultural identity. In his research on
ethnic literacy, cultural pluralism, multiethnicity, multiculturalism, and transforming
28
curriculum, Banks (1991, 2001a, 2001b) has advocated for social justice, equity, and
viewing the diversity of a nation as an advantage. Banks (2004) stressed the need to edu-
cate all on multicultural literacy: to teach students the skills to identify the creators of
knowledge and their interests, to uncover the assumptions of knowledge, to view knowl-
edge from diverse ethnic and cultural perspectives, and to use this new knowledge to
guide action that would create a humane and just world. Banks recognized the need for a
balance between unity and diversity.
One of the challenges to diverse democratic nation-states is to provide opportuni-
ties for different groups to maintain aspects of their community cultures while
building a nation in which these groups are structurally included and to which
they feel allegiance. A delicate balance of diversity and unity should be an essen-
tial goal of democratic nation-states and of teaching and learning in democratic
societies. Unity must be an important aim when nation-states are responding to
diversity within their populations. (2004b, p. 291)
In his recent writings Banks (2001, 2004a, 2004b, 2008) has built on his previous
research and incorporated the increasing interdependence of nations due to rapid
globalization. He stated that, through transformative citizen education, one would acquire
the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function in one’s own diverse nation, as
well as in an interdependent global society; he noted that such education would foster an
understanding that there are shared problems and issues that affect the entire world. His
view of citizens of the 21st century is that they must be able to function in their own
cultural communities, a national community, and a global community. To do so requires
the ability to maintain a personal cultural identification while developing a national and
global identification. Banks (20041b, 2004b) theorized that to reach a global
identification and competence requires passage through six stages of cultural
identification, as illustrated in Figure 1.
29
Presented in terms of his stages of cultural development typology, Banks (2004a,
2004b) theorized that attaining higher stages of cultural development would lead one to
clarify one’s own cultural, natural, (and eventually) global identifications. Stage 1,
cultural psychological captivity, is characterized by internalization of negative stereo-
types and beliefs about one’s own cultural group based on perspectives that have been
institutionalized by the larger society. Stage 2, cultural encapsulation, is marked by
having a newly discovered cultural consciousness and limiting of participation to one’s
own cultural group; in this stage the individual has ambivalent feelings about his/her
cultural group while trying to demonstrate pride for that group. In Stage 3, cultural
identity clarification, one tries to understand and clarify personal attitudes toward one’s
cultural identity and genuine cultural pride. In Stage 4, biculturalism, one has a healthy
sense of cultural identity and participates in one’s own as well as in other cultural com-
munities; this stage is marked by the ability to participate successfully in at least two
30
Figure 1. Stages of cultural identity typology. “Teaching for Social Justice, Diversity,
and Citizenship in a Global World,” by J. A. Banks, 2004, Educational Forum, 68, 296.
cultures. In Stage 5, multiculturalism and reflective nationalism, one has clarified
personal, cultural, and national identification and has positive attitudes toward other
cultural and ethnic groups. In Stage 6, globalism and global competency, one has a global
identification and the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to function in one’s own
cultural community and in a global community; one is committed to equity and justice for
all in an interconnected global world.
Summary
This literature review presented four main themes: (a) the past and present field of
comparative and international education, (b) background of international education in the
31
context of international schools and its connection to the early establishment of an inter-
national K-12 educational continuum, (c) the globalization of the IBO, and (d) the possi-
bilities for the IBO’s K-12 international educational continuum to incorporate transform-
ative citizen education into its mission to promote international understanding through
continued growth. The literature reviewed in this chapter illustrates that the concept of
international education conveys a variety of meanings that may or may not highlight
political, economic, or social objectives. It was intended that this review reveal how this
broad definition has been conceptualized and the extent to which the definition has been
incorporated in the specific context of the IBO.
This study examined the impact of the implementation of the IBO on an urban,
elementary school in the United States, particularly how a school leader incorporated
internationalism into a school-wide community, this literature review provided back-
ground knowledge on how internationalism has been defined and its multiple meanings in
the fields of international education.
32
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHOD
Qualitative researchers are described by Maxwell (2005) as those who study
relatively small numbers of subjects or situations in order to understand how the events,
actions, and meanings are shaped by the unique circumstances in which they occur. The
unique circumstances that were addressed in this study were the IBO PYP accreditation
process, its inclusion of international understanding in its accreditation documents, and
the perceptions held by administrators and teachers in a school that had recently been
authorized in the PYP program. In an effort to increase understanding of practices and to
improve the teaching of internationalism in elementary education in the United States,
a qualitative study was conducted to examine the process for a school to become
authorized in the PYP and to determine how internationalism was implemented in an
elementary school through the process of becoming authorized in the PYP.
Within the available literature there is little documentation on the PYP accredi-
tation process or how PYP schools are incorporating internationalism into their school-
wide practices, and there is no information on how this is being done in a national
context. With the recent growth of the PYP program in elementary classrooms and its
projected growth both in the United States and abroad, it is essential that its implementa-
tion be documented to provide future PYP schools and teachers with examples of the
process of incorporating internationalism into the school community and its day-to-day
practices. This study is also valuable in that it my provide teacher education programs
with insights on including international knowledge and skills in teacher preparation
curricula.
33
Research Site
International Elementary School (a pseudonym) was chosen as the research site
due to its unique status as one of 55 schools in the United States and one of three schools
in California that are currently authorized to use the IBO’s PYP. The two other California
schools authorized by the PYP are located in the Santa Rosa and Palm Springs areas.
While the first school has been using the PYP since 2001, both the Palm Springs school
and International Elementary School received authorization in March 2005. Due to the
limited number of schools currently authorized in the PYP, it was necessary to select a
specific and purposeful research site (Maxwell, 2005). Located about 11 miles east of
Los Angeles, California, International Elementary School’s proximity, as well as its
location in the most urban of the three California locations, constituted part of the basis
for its selection as the study site.
Unlike the research cited in the literature review that primarily looked at inter-
national education and the IBO programs within an international context, International
Elementary School provided insight into how the PYP functioned in a national context.
International Elementary School could also be distinguished by how its student popula-
tion differed from that of an international context. At the time of this study International
Elementary School’s ethnic composition was 71% Hispanic, 12% African American, 9%
White, 5% Asian, and 3% other. Another difference between schools in an international
context and International Elementary School was its socioeconomic status. Unlike the
international schools that cater mostly to students from families of high socioeconomics
backgrounds, International Elementary School students were primarily from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds.
34
Maxwell (2005) advised that it is important to understand the particular context
within which participants act and the influence of the context on their actions. The par-
ticular context of International Elementary School included its urban location, national
context, ethnic composition and socioeconomic status. These contextual features are
important to the generalizability that this study may provide.
Research Sample
According to Maxwell (2005), a purposeful sample is necessary to select persons
who will provide the information that cannot be gained from other sources. In the case of
International Elementary School, the principal, the PYP coordinator, the technology
specialist, and the classroom teachers held the information pertinent to the study. In order
to acquire an understanding of the PYP accreditation process throughout the entire
school, while also maintaining strict parameters, the research sample included one
teacher from each grade level (Kindergarten to Grade 5) at International Elementary
School, as well as three school administrators. This representation of both administrators
and teachers provided a picture of the entire school.
Since the researcher did not have a personal relationship with members of the
International Elementary School community, it was essential to follow Maxwell’s (2005)
advice to view fieldwork as developing a research relationship that requires clarity of
thought on how to create and structure the ongoing contact. Through repetitive contact
with interviewees, access was gained to the setting, International Elementary School. It
was important to recognize the possibility that the research relationship could either
facilitate or hinder other components of the research design, such as participant selection
and data collection (Maxwell, 2005). Conducting this qualitative research in its natural
35
setting allowed the researcher to be highly involved in the actual daily experiences of the
participants at the school, which allowed for development of a great level of detail about
the setting and the participants (Creswell, 2003).
Methods of Data Collection
Denzin (2005) suggested that qualitative researchers study things in their own
natural setting as they attempt to make sense of or interpret the meanings that people
bring to these settings. He encouraged qualitative researchers to use a wide range of
interconnected practices to gain understanding of the subject of study because through
each practice the world becomes more visible in different ways. In this qualitative study
a variety of data collection methods was employed in an attempt to account for the range
of interconnected practices described by Denzin (2005). The methods that were selected
for this study included document analysis, observations, and interviews. Following
Creswell’s (2003) advice, the methods that were chosen were those that would allow for
a research relationship to develop and for the multiple perspectives of the interviewees to
emerge. The goal was to involve the participants in data collection while building a
rapport to increase the credibility of the study participants. Another advantage to using a
variety of sources and methods was that it allowed for triangulation. Maxwell (2005)
recommended using several data collection methods (triangulation) to reduce the risk that
the conclusions of the study might reflect biases or limitations of a specific source or
method, as well as to allow the researcher to gain a broader and more secure understand-
ing of the issues being investigated.
The data for this study were collected over a period of 2 months. The first month
was devoted to analyzing the publicly available formal documents that described the IBO
36
organization, the PYP program, and the PYP accreditation process. The interviews and
school-wide observations occurred in the second month.
All interviews were audio taped and transcribed to ensure an accurate record of
what was said by the participants. As recommended by Maxwell (2005), all transcriptions
were completed immediately after the interviews to ensure that design decisions were
systematically planned based on an ongoing process of continuous reflection about the
data, refinement of questions, and referring to notes taken throughout the study
(Creswell, 2003). Creswell (2003) suggested that the researcher take field notes on the
behavior and activities of participants to complement observation.
This protocol or form for recording information will include descriptive notes
such as a description of the physical setting, portraits of the participants, accounts
of particular events, or activities, as well as reflective notes which include the
researcher’s personal thoughts such as speculation, feelings, problems, ideas,
hunches, impressions, and prejudices. (Bodgam & Biklen, as cited in Creswell,
2003, p. 182)
All observations were recorded using a notebook and double entry observational
template or protocol and a field note technique in which the record of each observation
included specifics related to PYP accreditation program standards on the right side and a
reflective notes on the left side.
Analysis of IBO’s PYP Documents
Merriam (1998) contended that documents are a ready-made source of data, easily
accessible to the imaginative and resourceful investigator. Documents that were reviewed
in this study included public records of the IBO and personal documents created by
International Elementary School. These documents not only provided valuable informa-
tion about IBO the school but also served as a springboard for additional questions to be
pursued through the observations and interviews (Merriam, 1998).
37
The IBO has produced a wide range of publicly available documents, including
IBO PYP accreditation documents, the strategic plan, and program informational
materials. The IBO published documents that were analyzed included PYP: Making It
Happen Curricular Framework and commercially available reports such as Perceptions
of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBO, 2007). Merriam (1998)
pointed out that some documents may include information that is not directly relevant to
the study but may provide clues and insights into the phenomenon under study. Docu-
ments were screened for their inclusion of mention of internationalism and information
that would support a PYP teacher’s inclusion of a particular tenet in professional practice.
Merriam (1998) asserted that, regardless of the method used, data collection is
guided by questions, educated hunches, and emerging findings. Creswell (2003)
suggested developing a structure for taking notes during the recording of documents,
including stating whether the document is a primary or secondary source, as well as
making sure that the notes reflect information about the document’s key ideas.
School Site Interviews
Interviews with administrators and teachers were the core of this qualitative study
because they revealed how the IBO accreditation process was actualized in the specific
context of International Elementary School. The first to be interviewed was the school
principal, then the PYP coordinator, followed by interviews with each of the five class-
room teachers who agreed to represent their grade-level teams.
Following Creswell’s (2003) advice, the interviews followed a process of asking
unstructured, open-ended questions that emerged from responses to previous questions.
Maxwell (2005) suggested that research questions be reviewed as a basis for framing
38
interview questions. Maxwell advised that the researcher ask only questions that are
pertinent to addressing the research questions—in this case, questions that would con-
tribute to understanding how the accreditation process and PYP program worked in
practice at the study school. The questioning strategy included beginning the interviews
with comprehensive questions about the IBO and the PYP, then moving to more specific
questions about the PYP’s implementation at International Elementary School. The intent
was to elicit detailed views and opinions from the participants (Creswell, 2003). Follow-
up interviews were conducted with each of the teachers as needed. Each teacher was
interviewed at least three times.
The data collected from these questions provided a foundational understanding of
PYP at International Elementary School, as well as its impact on the entire school
community. Following Creswell’s (2003) suggestion, recorded responses from the
interviews, handwritten notes, and verbatim transcriptions of audiotapes were used in
triangulation of data.
Analysis of School Site PYP Documents
In addition to the publicly available IBO and PYP documents analyzed as
described above, school site PYP-related documents created at International Elementary
School (both those distributed publicly and those created by individual teachers) were
reviewed and analyzed. Each grade level was responsible for planning approximately six
globally transportable units of inquiry that were written in a corresponding PYP unit
planner. These PYP unit planners (referred to school-wide as a program of inquiry [IBO,
2002]) provided insight regarding the transdisciplinary program taught at the school site.
The analysis of the PYP program of inquiry—the six unit planners across grade levels—
39
provided insight into how internationalism was realized in school practices at Inter-
national Elementary School. Analysis of these documents followed the process used to
analyze the IBO documents, as described above: beginning with development of a
structure for taking notes regarding the documents, then looking for patterns in the notes
that reflected information about the key ideas in the documents (Creswell, 2003).
Methods of Data Analysis
Creswell (2003) asserted that the process of data analysis involves making sense
of text and image data through a process that involves preparing the data for analysis,
conducting appropriate analyses, and moving deeper and deeper into understanding the
data, representing the data, and making an interpretation of the larger meaning of the
data. Data consisted of transcribed interviews, typed field notes, and reviewed documents
describe above. The ongoing process of data analysis consisted of repeatedly reflecting
on the data, asking analytical questions and writing memos to determine the overall
meaning of the data. Merriam (1998) warned that it is easy to be overwhelmed in the
process of data collection and recommended that the researcher engage in collection and
analysis simultaneously. In this interactive process, the researcher’s responsibility is to
pay attention to the emerging data while refining and verifying analysis—what Merriam
(1998) described as hunches, working hypotheses, and educated guesses.
Maxwell (2005) suggested three strategies to be used at the beginning of data
analysis: (a) writing memos recording the first emerging findings, (b) sifting through
ways of categorizing the data into broader themes, and (c) connecting the emerging data
into an abstract framework. Merriam (1998) reminded the researcher that it is necessary
to read and reread data while constantly reviewing and relating the emergent findings to
40
the purpose of the study and its questions. This process often leads to more questions to
be asked or identifies an area that requires greater inquiry and guides the next data
collection event.
Both Creswell (2003) and Merriam (1998) offered many recommendations in the
process of organizing and refining data. Creswell (2003) advised the researcher to be
aware of the emergent nature of a qualitative study by remaining cognizant of the general
pattern that can emerge; the researcher was advised to assign initial codes to components
of this pattern, then to develop these codes into broad themes that can be analyzed into
categories that can lead to conclusions. Creswell (2003) referred to coding as a process of
organizing the material into chunks and then analyzing those chunks for overall meaning.
The data were analyzed using a six-step process for validating accuracy of
information as described by Creswell (2003). The step was to organize and present the
data by transcribing all interviews. The second step was to read through all data and
cross-reference the interviews with the observations and reviewed documents. The third
step was to code the data so that main themes began to emerge. In the fourth step the
emerging main themes were connected with specific PYP documents related to the
accreditation process and the program standards on which the accreditation process was
based, to provide a frame for organizing the school site findings. Creswell (2003) stated
that “these steps engage a researcher in a systematic process of analyzing textual data”
(p. 186). Creswell (2003) also encouraged the use of the steps in addressing unexpected
or unanticipated data, which was the case in this study. This study began as an investiga-
tion into how a school would implement the PYP, in particular how it would implement
the international component into a school-wide community, not as a study on the PYP
41
accreditation process. In the fifth step, the analyzed data were represented in a detailed
discussion of the interrelationships between the themes and the subthemes, using graphic
representation. The sixth and final step was to interpret the data and to make comparisons
with information cited in the literature review. This intensive analysis led to interpreta-
tions of the meaning of the data and consideration of how the findings of the study related
to the reviewed literature, which also led to questions that could be asked in future
studies.
Since a qualitative study could continue indefinitely, Merriam (1998) suggested
four pointers to determine when to cease investigation: (a) exhaustion of sources,
(b) saturation of categories, (c) emergence of regularities, and (d) overextension. Also
suggested were more practical reasons, such as limits of time, money, and energy. This
study was concluded based on practical reasons, as well as the determination that the
research questions had been addressed through the data.
Validity and Reliability
Validity and reliability are essentially concerned with the ethical manner in which
research is conducted. Since qualitative research supports generation of new knowledge,
it is essential that the research results be trusted and reproduced. Validity and reliability
are concerns that can be approached through careful attention to the study’s conceptual-
ization and the way in which data are collected, analyzed, and interpreted, as well as the
way in which findings are presented (Merriam, 1998). To ensure the internal validity of
the current study, the following of strategies suggested by Merriam (1998) were
employed: (a) triangulation—the use of multiple data sources to provide information to
build a coherent justification for themes; (b) member checking—returning to participants
42
to share findings and to discuss their measure of the accuracy of the findings; (c) rich,
thick description to convey the findings to convey to the reader the context of the study
for the reader’s comparison of his/her conclusions to those of the researcher; (d)
identification of the researcher’s possible biases as reported by the researcher; and (e)
presentation of negative or discrepant information that runs counter to the themes,
including multiple perspectives that may not be mutually supportive but provide greater
clarity regarding the findings.
43
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
Chapter 4 reports the findings of the study, which investigated the process for a
school to receive authorization in the IBO’s PYP. This is followed by a discussion of the
findings from the investigation of an urban public elementary school in southern
California’s implementation of the IBO’s PYP and its stated impact at the school-wide,
classroom, and student levels. This was the second school in California to be authorized
to implement the prestigious international program. It was the first school in California to
offer the program within a high-minority and high-poverty educational context. With
increased public attention on the insufficiencies of today’s educational system in
providing 21st-century knowledge and skills in American schools, this study aimed to
gauge how this international program impacted a school-wide culture, classroom teaching
and learning, and student academic achievement.
The data were collected over a 2-month period and consisted of observations in
five classrooms, interviews with a total of eight administrators and teachers, and docu-
ment analysis. The documentation that was reviewed included the IBO documents for the
PYP accreditation, its philosophy, curricular framework, and organizational guidelines,
as well as supporting documents provided by the teachers and administrators that
reflected their implementation of the PYP framework. Documentation for the school was
also found online at the district website. The findings in this chapter are based on data
from the observations, interviews, documents and various artifacts that were shared by
the classroom teachers and informed the research questions. All data were collected
solely by the researcher of this study. Each section presents the analysis and triangulation
44
of the data collected. This chapter is organized to present the data in response to each
research question.
The findings reported were directly related to the following research questions
that were investigated in this study:
1. What is the process for a school to be accredited as an IBO PYP World School?
2. What is the school-wide impact of the implementation of the PYP on an urban,
public elementary school?
Understanding the IBO PYP Accreditation Process
The first research question focused on what a school that is interested in becom-
ing an IBO PYP school must do to receive authorization. A priority was to develop an
understanding of the guidelines and expectations for gaining authorization, as well as to
discover whether there were any systems in place through the IBO to support the author-
ization process. Through in-depth analysis of the specific IBO documents available
online to guide schools through the accreditation process, as well as the two documents
that focused on the rules and regulations for IBO World Schools, it was evident that a
candidate school must adhere to specific guidelines that would, according to the schools’
guide to the PYP (IBO, 2006a), have an effect on the entire school’s organization.
This section explains the level of support available for IBO schools during and after the
accreditation process, the phases of the accreditation process represented by the major
themes that emerged based on the interrelationship of the PYP program standards with
the phases of the PYP accreditation process. As shown in Figure 2, through the integra-
tion of the four criteria of the PYP program standards (IBO, 2006a) that address the PYP
philosophy, the PYP organization, the PYP curriculum, and the PYP student, a school is
45
Figure 2. Primary Years Program (PYP) program standards. Source: Adapted from PYP
Program Standards and Practices, by International Baccalaureate Organization, 2005b,
retrieved from http://www.ibo.org/documentlibrary/programmestandards/documents/
progstandards.pdf.
provided with the guidelines for IBO accreditation, as well as a foundation for the school
to create a system of ongoing program evaluation and improvement.
IBO’s International, National, and Regional Infrastructural Support
In the most recent IBO Strategic Plan (IBO, 2004), the IBO concentrated on the
areas of quality, access, infrastructure, and an approach of having impact through
strategically planned growth. In the area of infrastructure the IBO identified the goal of
providing a highly effective and efficient infrastructure so that they could provide
46
excellent service to students and school. In analyzing IBO accreditation and online
documents, an effective and efficient infrastructure was evident at the international,
national, and regional levels. At the international level there is the leadership provided by
the IBO Council of Foundations, which was responsible for determining the strategic
plan that is reevaluated every 5 years. At the IBO original headquarters in Geneva, the
director general has the final word in determining whether a school will receive IBO
authorization. Also, at the international level, support is available through a curriculum
and assessment center and a research center at the University of Bath, both of which are
located in England. With the growth of the IBO, offices at the national level have been
established in Bath, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cardiff, Mumbai, New York, Singapore,
Sydney, Tokyo, and Vancouver.
For schools in the United States, a regional office in New York, designated IB
North American (IBNA), oversees all IBO schools in North America and the Caribbean.
The main responsibility of the regional office is to provide assistance to schools that are
applying for authorization and schools that are authorized to administer an IBO program,
to work on the development of curriculum and assessment, to conduct teacher training
and information seminars, and to provide electronic networking and curricular support
through an Online Curriculum Center accessible to all IBO authorized schools.
Regional-level support is provided by the California Association of IBO World
Schools. This collaboration of administrators and teachers is formally recognized by the
IBO and provides a network and support system for IBO schools within California and
provides updates on IBO-related training, jobs, legislation and news articles. In addition
to the international, national, and regional support through the IBO’s infrastructure, a
47
school might receive local support through more than one school within the district
authorized in the IBO’s pre-K to pre-college programs: the DP, the MYP, or the PYP.
Although the IBO does not require that a school district subscribe to all three programs
and specifies that each program could stand alone, the IBO states in its PYP Guide to
School Application (IBO, 2006a) that the three IBO programs form an international
education continuum through coherent sequence and common educational framework,
consistent structure of aims and values, and the overarching concept of fostering inter-
national mindedness. According to the PYP Guide to School Application (IBO, 2006a)
and the PYP School Guide to the Authorization Visit (IBO, 2006b), if a school district is
applying for the DP, MYP, and/or PYP, each school must submit a separate application
for each program and the applications are evaluated for authorization independently.
The Phases of the PYP Accreditation Process
What is required for a school to become accredited in the IBO’s PYP? To be
initially accredited by the IBO as an IBO PYP World School, a school is required to go
through a three-phase process that generally takes at least 3 years to complete. At the first
phase or consideration phase the school must submit an initial application that includes a
feasibility study and identification of available resources. The focus of the first phase is
on understanding and agreement with the IBO mission statement and the PYP philo-
sophy. Through a feasibility study that includes documentation of the school’s resources
to fund the implementation process, the IBNA determines the commitment to the
authorization process. This phase generally takes 6 months to complete. If the school is
granted candidacy, it can move on to the second phase, which involves a 1-year trial
implementation of the PYP.
48
During the second or trial candidacy phase the school must continue its imple-
mentation and document its adaptations that primarily follow the IBO’s organizational
guidelines. The third phase, an on-site visit by an IBNA delegation team, is conducted
only after the candidate school has provided evidence of its alignment with the PYP
curricular framework and assessment guidelines. Only after a final decision has been
made by the IBO director general based at the IBO headquarters in Geneva that a
candidate school can be granted authorization and call itself an IBO World School.
The IBO is candid from the start in informing interested schools that the PYP
authorization process is both extensive and expensive. Several of the initial promotional
documents provided by the IBO imply and the Guide to the School’s Application (IBO,
2006a) explicitly states:
The decision to adopt the PYP is likely to affect the organization of the entire
school. Strategic planning is necessary to establish the objectives of the program
in the context of the school and its particular conditions, to set up a timeframe for
the implementation of the PYP, to assign funds for the allocation of the necessary
resources, and to explain the new program to the school community . . . and this
requires thorough institutional support.
The Schools’ Guide to the PYP (IBO, 2006a) lists some of the long-term costs
involved in implementing the PYP, which include the initial application fees for initial
teacher training, continuing professional development, reorganization of the teaching
time to allow teachers time for ongoing collaborative curriculum planning, as well as the
funds for supplementary materials, books, computers, and other resources to implement
the program successfully. In general, the IBO states that the application and authorization
process takes at least 3 years and requires a considerable financial and time commitment
from the candidate school. Program sustainability is enforced in phase four, reauthoriza-
tion visits after the first 3 years and every 5 years thereafter (Figure 3).
49
Figure 3. Phases of Primary Years Program (PYP) authorization. Source: School Guide
to the Authorization Visit: Primary Years Programme (PYP), by International Baccalaur-
eate Organization, 2006b, retrieved from http://www.ibo.org/become/guidance/
documents/epypguidetoauthvisit.pdf
Phase One: Alignment With the PYP
Philosophy Program Standards
Prior to a school deciding to embark on the IBO accreditation process, it must
submit an Interested Schools Form, conduct a feasibility study, and identify resources
available to begin the implementation process. During this time the IBO provides
relevant PYP publications and accreditation guides, and introductory seminars and
training workshops. The regional office, the IBNA, is available to provide information
and guidance. Along with accepting the IBO legal terms, which are described in the Rules
50
for IBO World Schools (IBO, 2007c) and the General Regulations for Students and Their
Legal Guardians (IBO, 2007a), in phase one an interested school must begin to examine
in depth the PYP publications, in particular the PYP Philosophy and PYP Program
Standards, and to begin to think of how they could be interpreted and applied to their
school. Throughout this first phase a school should begin the process for implementing
the PYP Philosophy Program Standards by demonstrating its alignment with the educa-
tional beliefs and values of the PYP and its school-wide promotion of international
mindedness.
Standard A1: Alignment With the Educational Beliefs and Values of the PYP
Along with a signed statement of agreement to abide by the IBO regulations,
criteria, and conditions submitted in Application Form A, the interested school must
provide evidence to demonstrate its alignment with the educational beliefs and values of
the PYP and its acceptance of this philosophy, including proof of purchase of PYP
documentation, a copy of the school’s educational philosophy or mission statement,
copies of school brochures or general information documents, copies of all promotional
literature produced by the school concerning the implementation of the PYP, and a copy
of the school’s admission policy or parent handbook. The school must also provide letters
that demonstrate that it has received the necessary approvals from local, regional, and
national authorities.
Standard A2: School-Wide Promotion of International Mindedness
The school-wide promotion of international mindedness should be at the core of
the PYP program, as expressed in the IBO Mission Statement (Figure 4; Schools’ Guide
to the PYP Application [IBO, 2006a]).
51
Figure 4. International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) mission statement. Source:
Strategic Plan of the International Baccalaureate Organization, by International
Baccalaureate Organization, 2004, retrieved from http://www.ibo.org/mission/
strategy/documents/sp2004.pdf
The school must demonstrate its school-wide promotion and acceptance of
international mindedness by attesting that all relevant information published by the IBO
is available to the school’s key stakeholders. In PYP Application Form A the school must
explicitly state its reasons for wanting to introduce the PYP and report whether there has
been consultation with the IBNA and other IBO World Schools, as well as with the
teaching staff and parents. The IBO recommends that all staff involved in teaching and
administering the program be involved in the initial PYP planning stages and encourages
schools to begin including the PYP in staff meetings.
Approximately 6 months after submitting the PYP Interested Schools Form, a
school must submit PYP Application Form A, which includes providing specific informa-
tion on the school’s background, planning and support, site and facilities, teaching per-
sonnel, the person who has been selected to serve as PYP Coordinator, finance and
52
planning, management of resources, and the plan for implementation of the program. In
reviewing the school’s submission documents, the IBNA would focus on the school’s
demonstration of its commitment to the PYP accreditation process. If the IBNA deter-
mines that sufficient evidence has been provided, the school will move to the second
phase of the PYP accreditation process.
With regard to the PYP Philosophy Program Standards, during phases two and
three of the authorization process the school must continue to submit documents that
provide evidence of its commitment to the PYP’s international philosophy. By the second
phase, both the head of the school or school administration and the PYP Coordinator’s
job responsibilities must explicitly state that these persons are responsible for ensuring
that international mindedness permeates the school community. The principal and PYP
Coordinator’s job descriptions with this clause must be submitted to the IBNA (IBO,
2006a). At the teacher level, grade-level teams are responsible to ensure that this philo-
sophy is integrated into the PYP curricular units through the globally transferable PYP
themes that are specific to the PYP curricular framework.
The PYP also requires the school to promote an international mindset through
school-wide offering of a language other than the school’s primary language of instruc-
tion. Generally, this language instruction is offered as an additional course that is
required for all students.
Phase Two: Alignment with Standard B1: The
PYP Organization Program Standard
At the end of phase one, in PYP Application Form A, the school is expected to
begin to formulate its plans to align itself to the PYP Organization Program Standards,
which state that a school must demonstrate its ongoing commitment and support for the
53
PYP throughout the entire organization of the school, including its administrative
structure and systems and its staffing and resources. At this point the candidate school is
required to be only at the initial development stage of its strategic planning of a 3-year
action plan. By the end of phase two, the 1-year trial implementation period, the
candidate school must provide documentation that provides evidence of the actual steps
that the school has taken in implementing the reorganization of its administrative
structures and systems, its staffing and its resources, and provides an updated 3-year
action plan.
The following questions illustrate the difference in the increasing expectations
and demonstration of an ongoing commitment that the response required in PYP Applica-
tion Form B, compared to the initial PYP Application Form A. An example from PYP
Application Form A (IBO, 2006a):
Please indicate how the school intends to facilitate meetings of PYP teachers for
the horizontal and vertical planning of teaching the program. How and in what
time frame will the school ensure that all teaching staff are trained to deliver the
PYP?
An example from PYP Application Form B (IBO, 2006a):
Please indicate the organization of meetings of PYP teachers including single-
subject and library/resource center staff, for the horizontal and vertical planning
of the teaching of the program. How will the school ensure that all new teaching
staff are trained to deliver the PYP?
During phase two the IBO’s main focus is on the school’s demonstration of PYP
Organization Program Standards (PYP Guide to School Application; IBO, 2006a). The
evidence can be found in the candidate school’s preparation to deliver the program
according to the administrative structures, staffing, and resource requirements that have
been delineated by the IBO.
54
Appropriate Administrative Structures and Systems
The principal or the head of the school is primarily responsible for providing the
strategic planning and leadership necessary to implement appropriate administrative
structures and systems. The PYP Guide to School Application (IBO, 2006a) provides a
detailed list of nearly 20 bulleted points that must be added to a principal’s job responsi-
bilities when deciding to include the PYP. In PYP Application Forms A and B the
principal must respond to questions and provide supporting documentation related to the
reorganization of the school’s administrative structures and system. These include pro-
viding evidence of making the official request for authorization, creating and updating a
3-year action plan for implementation, developing a proposed budget showing how the
implementation and development of the PYP will be funded, and communicating with the
school’s key stakeholders to gain their support for the PYP.
Staffing
During phase two the principal is responsible for the reorganization of staff that
results from implementing the PYP. The PYP requires documentation on the clarification
of additional job responsibilities of administrators, teachers, and staff resulting from the
addition of the PYP. In the first application the school must designate a PYP Coordinator,
who is responsible for coordinating the PYP within the school, between the school and
the community, and between the school and IBO. Along with the principal, the PYP
Coordinator is accountable for providing leadership for the PYP, which includes ensuring
PYP implementation by bringing the school’s teachers together to work as a cohesive and
informed team (IBO, 2006a). Additional specialist teacher positions that may be created
to support the PYP can include a language teacher, a school librarian, a technology
coordinator, a physical education teacher, and/or an art teacher. With the additional
55
staffing of school-wide specialists, the principal is poised to reorganize the classroom
teaching time. The goal of the restructuring of the school staff is ultimately to provide
ample opportunities for classroom teachers and specialist teachers to redevelop curricu-
lum collaboratively to include the PYP curricular framework at grade level and at the
school-wide level. The PYP emphasizes the need to plan strategically the time necessary
to ensure that there is a system for ongoing collaborative planning and reflection on the
PYP curriculum development process.
Resources
A detailed description of the resources available at the school site and facilities, in
particular the library, media, and technology resources, must be submitted by the school
principal. Documentation of the resources available to provide administrators and
teachers with ongoing PYP training and professional development is necessary. The PYP
has three levels of training in which schools are expected to participate and to provide for
their personnel throughout the authorization process. Initially, the candidate school’s
principal and PYP Coordinator are required to provide documentation of participation in
IBO-sponsored PYP introductory seminars and training. Throughout phases two and
three the candidate school must show ongoing commitment through a Professional
Development plan, which includes documentation of all staff participation in IBO-
sponsored professional development opportunities. The expanding list of professional
development opportunities that are available worldwide and online include partnerships
with organizations such as The Natural History Museum. The increase in available IBO
professional development provides an example that links back to the IBO’s strategic plan
goal of providing excellent service to its stakeholders. The IBO has an Online Curriculum
56
Center that provides examples of various aspects of the PYP curricular framework and an
opportunity to network with PYP teachers worldwide.
Phase Three: Alignment With the PYP Curriculum
and PYP Student Program Standards
By the time a school reaches phase three, the final phase, it has been using the
PYP program for at least a year. At this point the school has already provided the IBNA
with sufficient evidence of their implementation of the PYP, including the PYP Curricu-
lum Program Standards (PYP Guide to School Application; IBO, 2006a). The evidence
for the PYP Curriculum Program Standards has included detailed lists of the school-wide
PYP units, PYP unit planners at each grade level, teaching staff involved in the PYP unit
planning, copies of the national or state scope and sequence integrated in the unit plan-
ning, and any other related curriculum documents that the school has used since begin-
ning the PYP accreditation process. The IBO requires assessment samples through
examples of student work. Targeted student work representing their growth in the PYP
must be documented and include students’ reflections on the PYP units of inquiry, the
PYP learner profile, student portfolios, and the PYP culminating project: the fifth-grade
PYP Exhibition.
It is at this point that the IBNA determines whether the candidate school is
genuinely committed to the pursuit of excellence in international education, to the
philosophy of the PYP, and to maintaining and furthering the educational principles and
standards on which the PYP was founded, and is prepared for the final stage: the IBO
school authorization visit. The aim of the IBO school authorization visit is to verify the
school’s preparedness to formally offer the PYP program, as well as to ensure that the
school has thoroughly planned and integrated all of the program standards.
57
During the IBO school authorization visit, the visiting team is charged with
establishing through school-wide observations; formal and informal interviews with the
principal, PYP Coordinator, teachers, support staff, parents, and students; and analysis of
displays, presentations, and student work that there is a school-wide system of collabora-
tive planning and reflection; school-wide use of a comprehensive, coherent, and written
curriculum based on the PYP requirements; teaching practices that encourage student
self-empowerment; and a school-wide assessment system that reflects the additional
assessment requirements of the PYP.
Standard C2: School-Wide System of Collaborative Planning and Reflection
One of the goals of the previously discussed PYP Organization Program
Standards was to systematically provide the time needed for the PYP Coordinator and
classroom and specialist teachers to participate regularly in school-wide and grade-level
planning and reflection. As stated in the IBO Towards a Continuum of International
Education (IBO, 2008b), the IBO expects there to be a school-wide curriculum develop-
ment process that is based on ongoing cooperation and collaboration. The PYP requires
all grade-level teams to use a PYP unit planner to guide the development of planning of
six units that integrate the PYP Curriculum Program Standards with local, state, or
nationally mandated curriculum. The PYP units are to be designed according to the scope
and sequence of each grade level, as well as to build on and interconnect with the units
from previous grades in an attempt to provide a greater depth of understanding. This
school-wide system of ongoing horizontal and vertical collaborative planning and
reflection that the PYP subscribes to attempts to set the foundation for the school to
create a comprehensive, coherent, written curriculum based on PYP guidelines.
58
Standard C1: Comprehensive, Coherent, Written Curriculum Based on the PYP
To guide the school through the process of curriculum development based on the
PYP standards, the IBO provides “Making the PYP Happen: Pedagogical Leadership in a
PYP School for the PYP Coordinator” and “Making the PYP Happen: A Curriculum
Framework for International Primary Education for Classroom Teachers.” The PYP
curricular framework is required to encompass three overarching PYP concepts: trans-
disciplinary, international mindedness, and inquiry based.
Teachers are expected to incorporate the traditional subject areas of languages,
social studies, mathematics, arts, science, and technology and to incorporate their inter-
relatedness as they design PYP units. According to the IBO’s Towards a Continuum of
International Education (IBO, 2008b), this transdisciplinary approach allows for subjects
to be taught in ways that transcend conventional subject boundaries.
International mindedness is required to be integrated through designing the PYP
units around themes that are based on issues that are relevant at both local and global
levels. The six globally transferable PYP themes on which the units are to be based are
Sharing the Planet, Who We Are, How We Organize Ourselves, Where We Are in Time
and Place, How the World Works, and How We Express Ourselves. The interconnections
between the PYP trans-disciplinary and international-minded approaches can be seen in
Figure 5.
The third concept that the PYP units are expected to include is structured inquiry.
In Towards a Continuum of International Education (IBO, 2008b), the IBO describes
structured inquiry as teacher-identified ideas that are important and require an in-depth
investigation by the students. As a whole, the PYP’s Curriculum Program Standards
59
Figure 5. Primary Years Program (PYP) transdisciplinary globally themed units. Source:
Transdisciplinary Globally Themed Units in Making the PYP Happen, by International
Baccalaureate Organization, 2007d, retrieved from http://pketko.com/edu/PYP/
Making%20It%20Happen.pdf
objective is school-wide collaborative development of a comprehensive, coherent, written
curriculum based on the integration of transdisciplinary, internationally minded, inquiry-
based units, as shown in Figure 6.
Standard C3: Teaching Practices that Encourage Student Self-Empowerment
Through the PYP Units of Inquiry, teachers are encouraged to use teaching
practices that emphasize student self-empowerment. In Towards a Continuum of
International Education (IBO, 2008b), the IBO discusses the underpinning of the
constructivist theory in all three IBO programs and the overlaying goal of teaching as the
60
Figure 6. Three overarching concepts of Primary Years Program (PYP) curricular frame-
work. Source: Making the PYP Happen, by International Baccalaureate Organization,
2007d, retrieved from http://pketko.com/edu/PYP/Making%20It%20Happen.pdf
facilitation of students learning to construct their own meaning and becoming
independent lifelong learners.
Through the approach that learning is a process, not a product, the PYP expects
teachers to use a wide variety of teaching strategies to support students on their journey
of becoming lifelong learners. In achieving the PYP Curriculum Program Standards, PYP
teachers are expected to select teaching strategies that build on their students’ knowledge
and beliefs; guide students toward understanding their own preferred learning styles;
include meaningful real-world contexts when designing the thematic, internationally
minded units; and emphasize the voice of the student through the inclusion of inquiry in
the units. In Towards a Continuum of International Education (IBO, 2008b) the IBO
emphasizes that the purpose of teaching is to create a context in which there is a process
61
of learning for understanding and lists seven points of Effective Learning for Life in the
21st Century:
1. The knowledge base is increasing rapidly, requiring learners to process and
evaluate knowledge, not just acquire it.
2. The world is changing rapidly, requiring learners to anticipate the unknown
and adapt to change, not just respond to it.
3. Employment prospects increasingly require an ability to transfer skills and
learning.
4. Learning to work and solve problems collaboratively is becoming as important
as learning to work individually.
5. How the brain learns is becoming better understood, with implications for
teaching and learning that need to be respected.
6. Developing self-confidence in learners, as well as academic competence, is
essential if learners are going to be able to function effectively; affective
dispositions in addition to cognitive competence are central to learning.
7. Constructive critical thinking is a tool necessary for individual and collective
survival; students must learn to be able to distinguish sense from nonsense,
propaganda from truth and make their own well-informed judgments. (IBO,
2008b, p. 8)
Standard C4: School-Wide Assessment System
Unlike the IBO’s DP and MYP, there are no externally mandated assessments that
are required by the PYP. Instead, in one of the PYP Curriculum Program Standards (PYP
Guide to School Application; IBO, 2006a), the stated requirement for candidate schools
is that the assessment practices and recording and reporting of assessment data within the
school are agreed on and reflective of the PYP practices and requirements. The PYP
expects schools to use both formative and summative assessment measures; suggested
assessment strategies include the use of student/teacher/parent conferences, writing
samples, structured observations, student self-assessments, and performance tasks. Three
62
assessments are explicitly required. The first is school-wide use of portfolios that docu-
ment students’ educational progress throughout their time at the school (IBO, 2006a).
Standard D1: Students Learn to Choose to Act and Reflect
The PYP prioritizes the need for students to learn how to choose to act and reflect
on their actions in an effort to promote student self-responsibility and contribution to
society. The second PYP assessment of PYP students is based on the PYP Student
Profile, which is described by the PYP as evidence of the PYP philosophy and how it
directly affects the student (IBO, 2006a). Schools have the option to decide how to create
a school-wide procedure for assessing the PYP Student Profile focusing on explicitly
taught PYP attributes and traits, including caring, risk taker, and inquirer.
Standard D2: The PYP Exhibition as a Summative Assessment
The importance of the third assessment measure that the PYP requires is evident
in the fact that it is a separate PYP Student Program Standard. This standard states that, in
the final year of the program, all students complete a program-specific project, the PYP
Exhibition, which allows them to demonstrate consolidation of their learning (PYP Guide
to School Application; IBO, 2006a). In this summative assessment, students are able to
choose what the PYP calls a central idea to carry out an extended, collaborative investi-
gation that is reflective of their learning throughout the PYP.
Reauthorization: Alignment With Ongoing Program
Evaluation and Improvement
According to the PYP Guide to School Application (IBO, 2006a), the IBO
requires all PYP schools to be regularly reevaluated by an IBO reauthorization team
during an on-site visit. Three years after the initial authorization has been granted and
every 5 years thereafter, the PYP authorized school must prepare a thorough self-study or
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program evaluation in which the school must outline its position in further developing the
PYP Program Standards. This program evaluation aims to provide advice to the school as
it continues its development in the Program Standards and educational principles of the
PYP and to follow up on recommendations made during the school authorization visit.
The IBO clearly states that schools can request additional consultative visits at any time
during the 5-year cycle and that there is support available to assist the school in continu-
ing its development of an effective PYP program. Through the mandatory PYP reauthor-
ization cycle, the school is guided through developing a systematic approach to ongoing
program evaluation and improvement.
The Impact of the PYP Accreditation Process
on an Urban, Elementary School
The second research question focused on the changes that occurred at Inter-
national Elementary School as a result of the implementation and accreditation in the
PYP. The findings are based on interviews, observations, and document analysis that
were collected over a 2-month period. This section describes the three main tenets of
leadership and strategic planning, a shared vision and collaborative planning, and
teaching and learning that emerged as a result of the PYP accreditation process.
Leadership and Strategic Planning
The IBO states in its guide to the PYP application (IBO, 2006a) that, prior to a
school staff deciding to embark on the IBO authorization process, the organization of the
entire school will be affected by the decision to adopt the PYP and that strategic planning
is necessary at the start-up and must be maintained throughout the ongoing accreditation
and program review cycle. At International Elementary School there was evidence of an
ongoing commitment to and support for the PYP through appropriate administrative
64
structures and systems, staffing, and resources. The organizational systems and structures
were implemented primarily under the leadership and strategic planning of the school
principal. They included gaining the support of key stakeholders, securing funds to
support IBO implementation and extra programs, reassignment of faculty with focused
responsibilities, strategic hiring of new teachers, and professional development that
focused on the PYP.
Throughout all interviews for the current study, the principal was identified as
providing the leadership and strategic planning for the implementation of the PYP at
International Elementary School. According to the principal, her job responsibilities were
to manage all aspects of the school, to hire, train and evaluate all employees, to
implement school board policy and district programs, and to make sure the school
was in compliance with federal, state, county and district regulations, laws and
guidelines.
She added that she was also responsible for “community outreach, business partnerships
and marketing.”
When asked why International Elementary School chose the IBO’s PYP as an
extra program to implement, the principal and PYP Coordinator stated that they were
unfamiliar with the program prior to the MYP being implemented at the junior high
school across the street. According to the school’s PYP Coordinator, the idea to adopt the
PYP was initially based on a suggestion by a school board member to “stretch out the
program to the three school sites.” Since both the junior high school across the street and
one of the local high schools had been authorized by the IBO during the previous year,
the idea of a K-12 continuum that spanned the three IBO Programs (PYP, MYP, and DP)
would allow the schools to apply for Pipeline for Success funds through the Institute for
Educational Advancement. International Elementary School’s location across the street
65
from the junior high school that had already successfully received IBO MYP made it the
obvious choice to implement the IBO PYP.
The PYP Coordinator provided a context for the district and school staff to imple-
ment the PYP, which was declining enrollment due to a rise in housing costs in the city.
She explained that, as enrollment declined, state funding was reduced. Policies such as
open enrollment for students in neighboring cities to attend the district’s schools had been
one effort to attract more students and the school board member’s suggestion to imple-
ment the PYP was seen as another attempt “to draw in more families.” It was clear from
the interviews with the principal and the PYP Coordinator that, once the principal had
been approached with the possibility of implementing the PYP, she ultimately took the
initiative to start the PYP authorization process.
As the IBO implementation process is known to be a costly endeavor, the
principal was also proactive in securing funding needed to make the implementation
process a reality. According to the principal, International Elementary School had three
major sources of funding: Title I funds, state School Improvement funds, and a federal
Magnet School Assistance Program grant. The Magnet School Assistance grant was
referred to by several of the respondents as providing the majority of the funding for the
IBO implementation. This grant also funded technology resources, such as a computer
lab, computers, a scanner, video cameras, and a teacher’s laptop computer in every
classroom, as well as materials and resources for the library. The principal identified the
Magnet School Program grant as providing 1 million dollars over a period of 3 years.
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Highly Qualified Teachers
An example of the principal’s leadership and strategic planning was finding
leadership from within the veteran teaching staff through development and strategic
reassignment of existing faculty and staff, as well as strategic hiring of new teachers.
There were several examples of the principal finding leadership from within. This
included the principal herself, who had been with the school for over 30, had previously
worked as a classroom and resource teacher, and had recently completed a doctoral
program with a focus on leadership. Another example was the PYP Coordinator, who had
been a classroom teacher at the school and had nearly 20 years experience at the school
site. She stated that she had no background knowledge of the IBO PYP when she was
approached to take on the PYP Coordinator role. The Technology Coordinator had been a
classroom teacher at the school for 5 years before moving to a specialist teacher role.
These examples of the principal’s leadership through strategic reassignment or advance-
ment of existing faculty and staff appeared to have a positive effect on the school culture.
The principal identified “hiring, training and evaluating of faculty and staff” as
one of her main responsibilities. She stated in the interview that “teachers were at the
center of the school” and it was her job “to make sure the school had the best teachers!”
When questioned on her strategy for doing this, she pointed out two important character-
istics for a teacher at her school to possess. The first was for the teacher to “have a depth
of life experiences” so the teacher could “take the subject matter and apply it to the real
world,” and the second was for the teacher to have “a deep understanding of the role of
culture in student achievement.”
Another strategy that the principal employed in hiring the best teachers was
reflected in the data available on the California Department of Education website. The
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data reflect an increase in teacher credentials, years of experience, and education levels,
as well as a shift toward teacher demographics more congruent with the student
population at International Elementary School. Since the 2000-2001 school year, there
had been a decrease in full-time classroom teachers from 37 to 34. Since 2005-2006,
100% of the teachers at the school were fully credentialed (Table 1).
Table 1
Teacher Credentials at International Elementary School, 2000-2007
Full Intern Emergency Credential
Academic Number of credential credential credential waiver
year teachers n % n % n % n %
2007-2008 34 34 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
2006-2007 34 34 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
2005-2006 34 34 100.0 0 0 .0 0 0.0 0 0.0
2004-2005 33 32 97.0 1 3.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
2003-2004 34 32 94.1 2 5.8 0 0.0 0 0.0
2002-2003 35 31 88.6 4 11.5 0 0.0 0 0.0
2001-2002 36 28 77.8 8 22.3 0 0.0 1 2.8
2000-2001 37 30 81.1 0 0.0 7 18.9 0 0.0
Source: Data Quest, by California Department of Education, Educational Demographics
Office, 2008 (Online demographic data at school level, URL withheld to protect
anonymity of the study target school).
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Data listed in Table 2 show that, from 2000 through 2008, the range in teaching
experience was 11 to 14 years, with a majority of these years within the target district.
The table also shows that, with the exception of 2001-2002 and 2005-2006 school years,
there were very few first- or second-year teachers at International Elementary School.
Table 2
Teacher Experience at International Elementary School, 2000-2008
First- or
Number of Average years Average years second-year
Academic year teachers teaching in district teachers
2007-2008 34 13.7 12.3 1
2006-2007 34 14.0 12.7 4
2005-2006 34 13.3 11.4 6
2004-2005 33 13.5 11.9 2
2003-2004 34 12.8 11.0 2
2002-2003 35 12.8 11.4 4
2001-2002 36 11.2 10.0 10
2000-2001 37 13.0 11.7 3
Source: Data Quest, by California Department of Education, Educational Demographics
Office, 2008 (Online demographic data at school level, URL withheld to protect
anonymity of the study target school).
International Elementary School has seen an increase in teachers’ educational
level. As shown in Table 3, in 2001 through 2006, most of the teachers had a Bachelor’s
69
Table 3
Teacher Educational Level at International Elementary School, 2000-2007
Master’s degree Bachelor’s degree or
Academic year or higher Bachelor’s + 30 units
2007-2008 20 13
2006-2007 23 11
2005-2006 14 20
2004-2005 13 20
2003-2004 13 21
2002-2003 12 23
2001-2002 12 24
Source: Data Quest, by California Department of Education, Educational Demographics
Office, 2008 (Online demographic data at school level, URL withheld to protect
anonymity of the study target school).
Degree or Bachelors Degree plus 30 units. In the 2006-2007 school year, a higher number
of teachers had a master’s degree or higher.
As shown in Table 4, over the past 7 years the ethnic makeup of the teaching staff
has changed to include more teachers from underrepresented backgrounds. The number
of Asian teachers has doubled from two to four teachers, the number of Hispanic teachers
has increased to 12 and the number of White teachers has decreased from 21 to 14. The
size of the African American teaching staff has fluctuated throughout these 7 years.
In sum, the principal at International Elementary School had ensured that the
school had highly qualified teachers by trying to recruit and hire teachers with valid
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Table 4
Teacher Ethnicity (Percentages) at International Elementary School, 2000-2007
Hispanic/ African Multiple or
Academic year Asian Filipino Latino American White no response
2007-2008 4 1 12 1 14 2
2006-2007 4 1 11 3 13 2
2005-2006 4 2 11 2 13 2
2004-2005 2 2 11 1 15 2
2003-2004 2 1 9 2 18 2
2002-2003 2 0 8 3 20 2
2001-2002 2 0 9 3 21 1
2000-2001 2 0 9 4 20 2
Source: Data Quest, by California Department of Education, Educational Demographics
Office, 2008 (Online demographic data at school level, URL withheld to protect
anonymity of the study target school).
teaching credentials, previous classroom experience, graduate-level educational
experience, and cultural representation of the student demographics at International
Elementary School.
None of the interviewed teachers had heard of the IBO or PYP prior to its
implementation at the school. According to the PYP Coordinator, most of the teachers at
the school had embraced the new program; however, some turnover resulted from the
implementation of the PYP program due to the amount of time required for collaborative
planning. The PYP Coordinator stated,
71
When we first started, there was one grade level where several teachers were of
retirement age and they were a little frustrated with the amount of work you
needed to do . . . so certain components were stressful for them and within a
couple of years they retired.
The principal, the PYP Coordinator, and new teachers indicated in their inter-
views that, during the hiring process, the school was transparent in sharing the school’s
philosophy, the large workload, and the role of the IBO and PYP in curriculum, instruc-
tion, and assessment. According to one teacher, there was a waiting list of teachers within
the district trying to transfer to the school. A 16-year veteran teacher who had recently
transferred to the school shared the rationale behind her decision to make the move to
International Elementary School.
I never wanted to become stale, so I offered myself on purpose. It was a deliberate
decision. People would come up to me and say that I could do this [former posi-
tion] with my eyes closed, as if it was a good thing! I would respond that it was
time for me to go because I don’t want to do anything with my eyes closed, I want
them wide open. It’s like being a brand new teacher. I’m learning at the same time
the children are learning. With the IBO I feel like I am learning. I may be an old
teacher but my heart is young. . . . I’m constantly questioning.
Teachers who were interviewed gave favorable responses regarding the restruc-
turing of International Elementary School as a result of the special programs and
electives, as well as the creation of specialist teacher positions designed to support PYP
implementation. As one teacher remarked,
The PYP has allowed us to have so many specialist teachers to support classroom
teachers and it makes all the difference in the world. You have the Spanish
teacher, PE, librarian, PYP Coordinator and curriculum coordinator all working
together on units. It makes it easier for us to implement all that we need to and at
the same time to do it well.
Another teacher discussed the regular support provided by the PYP Coordinator during
the school-wide and grade-level planning days. She highlighted the following:
Our PYP Coordinator really helps us out all the time, especially with planning our
units. Every year she purchases materials to support our themes. Now that we
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have developed our themes, each year we add to the richness of materials in each
classroom. We have plenty of resources, thanks to our school administration.
Professional Development
The IBO required schools decide to adopt the PYP to provide initial and ongoing
institutional support for teachers’ professional development through IBO-sponsored
professional development programs, which include the PYP coordinator and teacher
training. According to the PYP Coordinator, the training provided for teachers includes
three levels of PYP training: internationalism, inquiry, and assessment. The PYP
Coordinator shared that she received support:
Almost every year I’ve been to one form of PYP training: coordinator’s training,
assessment, and inquiry. Each year I focus on a different section. It has been
valuable. If I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t know how to lead us.
Administrators and teachers at the school reported that they had received support
from the principal in their professional development related to PYP on an ongoing and
consistent basis. Several of the teachers described their experience attending a PYP
regional training as beneficial. Other respondents described the training as crucial for
learning about the program, for understanding the purpose and goals of the IBO and PYP,
and for networking with other PYP teachers.
Another realization that two teachers mentioned in their interviews was that the
PYP was good teaching practice and surprisingly connected with some of their previous
pedagogy. One teacher shared her perspective based on her initial PYP training:
I didn’t know anything about the program. But it was surprising that I was doing
so much of it before I even knew it existed. The important thing is now I have a
frame. It allows me to frame what I really want from the children and frame it in
such a way so I get their point of view.
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It is evident from these examples that the principal’s leadership and strategic
assignment of high-quality faculty and staff, as well as strategic professional develop-
ment, contributed to the positive school culture.
Shared Vision
At International Elementary School there was evidence of an ongoing commit-
ment to and support for the PYP through its promotion of an international mindset
throughout the school community and the close alignment between the educational
beliefs and values of the school and those of the PYP.
When examining the school staff’s commitment to promoting an international
mindset, the most frequent answer from respondents was that it was “very important.”
Each of the teachers who responded stressed that there was a school-wide commitment to
and expectation to include internationalism. The teachers stressed that, with the imple-
mentation of the PYP, the school made the shift to include internationalism as one of its
core beliefs. The school mission statement was reflective of the inclusion of internation-
alism.
Examples of how International Elementary School promoted and supported the
PYP Philosophy were evident in the school-wide and classroom observations, in the
interviews with administrators and teachers, and in the school documents. In the school-
wide observations the IBO logo was prominently displayed on school signs, handouts,
and T-shirts that many of the students were wearing. The IBO PYP mission statement,
learner profile, and units of inquiry were visible in the hallways of the school and in each
of the individual classrooms visited. Many school-wide and classroom displays had
incorporated an international perspective through the use languages in addition to
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English, the posting of a world map, and additional country maps and artifacts from
specific areas of the world in each classroom. For example, in one second-grade class-
room, the whole room had been transformed into a rainforest because their specific
country of study was Brazil. In this class one of the students asked the teacher in amaze-
ment, “Where do you find all this stuff from Brazil?” Posters and bulletin borders often
displayed flags and children from around the world. Clearly visible in the library and in
each of the classrooms were books, videos, and resources with an international per-
spective. These included many books by UNESCO. One classroom banner captured the
sentiment as it announced, “We share a wonderful world.”
Classroom and hallway displays specific to the PYP units stressed the school
staff’s commitment to internationalism. For example, when I was looking at a hallway
display for the fourth-grade unit “Communication,” the teacher came out to share with
me how they had worked as a grade-level team to internationalized this unit. She pointed
out the student work on the Gutenberg printing press and its contribution to changing the
world’s communication. As she shared the details of this unit and the grade-level team’s
planning of it, she escorted me into her classroom to show me artifacts and photos that
she had provided due to her own experiences living in Germany as part of an exchange
program in college. She was not alone in trying to bring in experiences and artifacts from
other countries. Two other teachers who were interviewed shared their experiences living
in other countries as part of their college study abroad programs and described how they
tried to build on these experiences by integrating them into the unit planning sessions.
Another example that two teachers provided for internationalizing their curricu-
lum was contacting the embassy of the country that they were specifically studying that
75
year. One teacher shared that in the previous year the educational specialist from the
Australian embassy came to her class, bringing a computer program slide show of the
country, several books and brochures, and an Australian flag pin for each of the students.
Another shared that the French educational ambassador had come to the class during the
previous year.
One respondent noted the impact that working at a school that promoted inter-
nationalism had on her perspective. She shared that it had sparked her own interest in
learning about the world and that she had gone to Australia the previous summer and that
she would be going to go to Japan over the next summer. She stated her intent to visit the
international schools in Japan so she could “see the PYP in action.” When interviewed,
this teacher was the only one who shared her background knowledge on the IBO PYP
program and its history. Through her awareness of the IBO’s inception, she was deter-
mined to find out for herself how the founding schools that had implemented the PYP
were now using the program. This same teacher also discussed one of her students from
the previous year who had come to International Elementary School from Taiwan to learn
English. She revealed that his family had chosen to send him to this school specifically
due to the school being identified as an accredited PYP school. This comment suggests
the family’s expectation of a certain standard or quality of the school.
All administrators and teachers identified the school-wide events such as the
International Dance Festival, the International Fashion Show, the Brotherhood Assembly,
and monthly assemblies as the foremost way the school had incorporated an international
perspective. As one of the teachers stated, “We are always celebrating something that is
happening in the world.” The principal and PYP Coordinator were identified and praised
76
by several respondents for providing numerous special events, performances, exhibits,
and assemblies throughout the year. In one lesson observation in a Kindergarten class, the
students were listing on chart paper the highlights for the year. Included on this student-
generated class listing were primarily school-wide events such as the International
Fashion Show, Children’s Day in Japan, Cinco de Mayo Celebrations and Fiesta, a visit
to Olvera Street, and an upcoming International Dance Festival.
Several of the respondents perceived that the international perspective of Inter-
national Elementary School now included “enriching the students’ knowledge and
experience.” One teacher who was also a parent of two girls at the school explained that
she now hoped that her children would “be inspired to travel the world and see that it is
not all America and that there is a whole world out there for them.” The one respondent
who identified the limited international perspective that the school had was the PYP
Coordinator. She acknowledged that International Elementary School had reached what
the international schools call “the 4 F level: food, fun, festivals, and fashion.” She shared
that International Elementary School had worked very hard to reach this standard but
noted that it did not compare to the levels of the other schools that she met at confer-
ences; instead, she described it as “just a start.” As the person identified as the liaison
between the IBNA and the school, her job description explicitly states that she is
responsible for making sure that “an international perspective permeated the school
community.” Based on her comments, it was apparent that she was constantly trying to
find ways to enhance this within the school community, and that indeed it was just a start.
Each of the interviewed respondents voiced concern over the level of international
understanding that they were able to include. Comments that reflected this concern
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included, “we are all at different levels,” “we need to think much deeper,” “we are at the
tip of the iceberg and need to get to underneath,” and “it’s not quite a tourist curriculum
but we’re at the level of including food and the holidays, we need to branch out more.”
Examples of teachers’ perceptions regarding the school-wide level of incorporating
internationalism can be seen in the following quotes.
As classroom teachers we are aiming to include internationalism. That is our goal,
but it is difficult. We are trying to get below the surface of what kind of foods
they eat or festivals that are celebrated but to really look at different beliefs and
cultures and to link everything with what we are studying in our classroom. Yes,
it is quite difficult.
I think teachers are making a conscious effort to open the eyes of the children in
their classrooms and they are taking every possible moment to introduce inter-
nationalism and to link other cultures with what they are doing in the classroom.
As a specialist teacher, I try to support this. I am able to do a better job with this
each year.
According to the interviewed teachers, the focus on internationalism at the school
as emphasized in implementing the PYP had a positive impact on the school community.
Several teachers shared that the school’s international philosophy had led to a “celebra-
tion of cultures” and that she felt that her students were “empowered by it.” One teacher
provided several examples of her students beginning to “appreciate differences.” Another
teacher explained that the school was trying “to reach all and connect with all of the
school community—African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American.”
Another teacher reflected that the school’s philosophy now reinforced the international
representation of the student population and surrounding community. She stated, “This is
an international community and cultural sensitivity is probably the number one focus of
this school.”
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Specific comments illustrated the teachers’ understanding of the tenets of inter-
nationalism and inquiry in the PYP’s philosophy that they attribute to the PYP teacher
training. For example, one respondent stated,
I learned that the IBO’s goal is to help children to learn that there is much more
than their surrounding community, that there is a world out there beyond where
they live and it’s good for them to have their own minds; to want to ask questions;
to be able to research those questions. As far as the IBO, I love it; also that’s all I
know. So that’s the main purpose of IBO; it helps children to become global
thinkers and to not just think within their own surrounding or boundaries.
Another teacher stated,
The IBO approach to teaching and learning is that it’s supposed to be a global
perspective and self-discovery. It’s based on the constructivist point of view that
children find their own learning by inquiring about their world and making
suppositions about their own world. It’s not what you tell them but what they
discover on their own through inquiry so they come up with an answer. It may not
be the only answer, but it’s one they came upon.
According to another teacher, the school’s commitment to internationalism had
changed her perspective. She explained, “I think it is knowing that what I am doing is
laying the foundation that they need to have in appreciating differences and that in the
following years they will continue to learn about this in more depth.” Several other
teachers emphasized the shared perspective of the school, as reflected in the following
statements: “I am trusting that the school will support this throughout the students’ years
here,” “I am happy to be part of a learning community where we are all dedicated to the
same thing in different ways,” and “We have a shared vision and we’re supported to
reaching it.”
Two of the teachers who were interviewed provided detailed explanations of their
personal evolution in incorporating an international perspective. The following quote
provides an example of this sentiment.
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Before, it was something I liked to do, something I liked to add; now it’s some-
thing I am committed to doing. Also knowing that the school stands behind this
philosophy, I am constantly conscious and aware of it and trying to make it
present in everything I am doing.
Each of the teachers who were interviewed, both newly hired and veteran to the
school, stressed that the school’s philosophy, in particular the PYP, was in accordance
with their own personal philosophies. Their responses indicated that they were supportive
of International Elementary School’s implementation of the PYP program and that both
newly hired and veteran teachers had bought into the decision to implement the PYP,
whereas the teachers who had not embraced the program or its philosophy were possibly
those who were reflected in the turnover.
The teachers stressed the ties between the PYP, their own personal philosophy,
and their own choice for teacher preparation programs with an emphasis on language and
culture. For example, one teacher pointed to her prior experience and training in English
immersion and bilingual certification and a master’s degree in education with a multi-
cultural emphasis as preparing her to adapt well to the school and its international
philosophy. She shared the interconnection:
I like to validate culture. It is so important for the teacher to do this and to have
them [the students] bring in their own experiences. . . . Before, this was something
that I liked to do, liked to add. Now it’s more of a commitment; yes, that’s what it
is. I am committed to doing it and expected to do it. Knowing that international-
ism is part of the school and the school stands behind this philosophy, I feel that it
is present is everything we are doing, no matter what it is. I am conscious and
aware of it!
It is evident from these examples that the shift toward a shared vision contributed
to the positive school culture at the school site.
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Changes in Planning, Teaching, and Learning
Prior to an IBO accreditation team visit, a school is required to provide evidence
of compliance with the PYP Curriculum Program Standards by submitting examples of
the school-wide and grade-level PYP units and their interconnection, the state or national
scope and sequence across subject areas and how they are integrated into the PYP units,
and examples of student work, including student report cards, portfolios, and culminating
exhibition projects. The IBO accreditation visit aims to verify through observations,
interviews, and document analysis the purposeful connection between the school’s PYP
submitted, written evidence, and observable PYP in action at the school site.
At International Elementary School there was evidence of an ongoing commit-
ment to and support for the PYP through the inclusion of the PYP Curriculum Program
Standards through the ongoing school-wide collaboration and reflection on the PYP
constructivist-based written curricular framework.
Collaboration
An important part of the IBO PYP accreditation process is that a candidate school
is required to provide ample planning time for both school-wide and grade-level plan-
ning. One way that planning time is increased and teaching time is decreased is through
offering several special programs. The IBO requires that candidate schools submit
evidence at all phases of the accreditation process regarding the school’s structural
changes through an increase in special program offerings. There was evidence at Inter-
national Elementary School of additional programs offered school wide. These included
every grade level participating in a weekly Spanish class, a technology class, a library
visit, physical education, and art instruction. There were also several programs in which
individual grade levels participated on a regular basis, including a second-grade visit to a
81
local branch of the public library, a third-grade aquatics program, a third-grade Suzuki
violin program, and a fourth- and fifth-grade Armory for the Arts and instrumental music
program. Throughout 2 months of observations there were examples of special programs
that brought community resources to the school site. Examples included a woodworking
van visit and a community classroom reader program.
Another example of how International Elementary School created additional
shared planning time while enhancing the school curriculum was through the inclusion of
electives 1 day a week for third grade through fifth grade. The PYP Coordinator identi-
fied the federal Magnet School grant’s stipulation that students be offered personal
choices. According to the principal, students in Grades 3 through 5 were able to select
from a variety of choices such as drama, music, art, dance, photography, and technology
electives. The PYP Coordinator reflected on the initial integration of personal choice
electives with the integration of the PYP at International Elementary School. She stated,
Before we had specialist teachers, the classroom teachers would do the electives
based on their own interests, and we’d have parents come in and teach other
languages, such as Thai and Japanese. With the implementation of the IBO, the
IBO accreditation team said we had to try to tie our IBO units of inquiry and what
was being studied at each grade level with the electives. It has been hard and we
are still working toward this integration. Eventually, we will reach this ideal.
One theme to emerge from the reorganization that was part of International
Elementary School’s implementation of the PYP was the increase in teacher collaborative
planning time. According to a published annual report for the school, a twofold approach
to leadership was employed. First, the “primary leadership duties were assumed” by the
principal, and second, the “leadership at school was a responsibility shared between
district administration, the principal, instructional staff, students and parents.” The
inclusion of all of the school’s key stakeholders in shared leadership led to collaborative
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decision making and was seen as contributing to a positive school culture. One teacher
stated, “At this school all faculty and staff are engaged and work as a team.” She
explained that all teachers were expected to meet weekly to plan as a grade-level team
and to serve in a leadership role in one of the school-wide committees.
Evidence of collaborative decision making was observed during the school-wide
and classroom planning meetings, was regularly referred to during the administrator and
teacher interviews, and was seen on teacher documents such as the IBO unit planners and
assessments. An example of school-wide collaborative decision making that was
observed at a school-wide meeting when the PYP Coordinator distributed a packet of
portfolio resources from an IBO Assessment Training that she had attended. After the
packets were explained and a brief discussion was held on how one or two examples
could be adapted at this school, the teachers were asked to continue the discussion at their
next grade-level meeting and to be prepared to share their grade-level recommendations
at the next school-wide meeting.
Upon observing the preparations for and actual International Dance Festival
event, it was evident that the school-wide community was involved in this widely antici-
pated and highly regarded event. The collaboration by administrators, teachers, specialist
teachers, and parents was observed during a month of observations. This is best illus-
trated in the example of a first-grade class that sang an Aztec song; the Spanish language
teacher provided the song, the physical education teacher created the dance, the parents
produced the costumes, and the PYP and Curriculum Coordinators kept all classes on a
rehearsal schedule.
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When asked how the school has supported the increase in planning time necessary
to implement the PYP, the teachers explained that the IBO required an increase in grade-
level and school-wide planning and reflection time. All of the teachers indicated that they
received enough time due to the inclusion of specialist classes. They credited the princi-
pal for arranging and supporting the initial and continuing time made available for
teaching teams. One teacher stated, “It helps when you have a strong, good leader” and
“our principal is wonderful and her team approach works!” One example of collaborative
decision making by the kindergarten grade-level teachers was a discussion that followed
their first “experiment” in bringing student-led conferences to this age group. Each
teacher provided feedback on the number of parents in attendance, the three points that
the kindergarten child was expected to address during the conference, and whether the
portfolio guide that the students used was helpful. The principal and PYP Coordinator
had attended the student-led conference and added to the grade-level team’s discussion.
The kindergarten team then shared their findings at the school-wide meeting.
Each of the respondents indicated that, aside from the scheduled school-wide
meetings on alternate Mondays, grade-level planning was done on a weekly basis and
included grade-level meetings with the PYP Coordinator. The teachers indicated that
these planning sessions have been essential to the successful implementation of the PYP
program. Respondents gave specific examples of how the collaborative planning time had
allowed them to have school-wide and grade-level discussions on dovetailing the PYP
with the Open Court language arts program, on including state grade-level requirements,
on getting feedback on lesson plans, on reflecting on what worked and what needed to be
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further discussed and improved, and on making sure that there was cohesion between and
across grade levels. One teacher assessed how the PYP had changed planning:
I think I meet with the third-grade teachers three times a week. The best part is
discussing lesson plans, reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, discussing
how we could make this more engaging, asking what can be added, what hands-
on activities would connect, how can we include more inquiry, how we could
make it deeper or more challenging. We talk about those things all the time. Not
just in language arts but in everything. The PYP is a philosophy that encompasses
everything.
Curriculum Framework
Through the observations, interviews, and document analyses, it was apparent that
International Elementary School had developed an organizational structure that supported
a school-wide system of ongoing collaborative planning that resulted in a curricular
framework for K through Grade 5 that built on the PYP’s tenets of inquiry and inter-
nationalism while dovetailing the PYP thematic, transdisciplinary units with district and
state curricular standards. According to the findings, this triangulation of curricula
resulted in a rigorous and relevant educational program that had high expectations for all
students at the school.
The PYP provides a structured approach to collaborative planning in the form
of its curricular framework—a unit planner designed to assist teachers in planning
effectively and keeping the PYP tenets of internationalism and inquiry at the forefront.
Each of the six transdisciplinary thematic units required teachers to plan jointly and to
reflect on and revise what is included in the written curriculum and how it is taught.
According to International Elementary School’s Annual Reports for 2002 through
2007 and as observed during school visits, all grade levels adhered to district-required
programs and textbooks and aligned their planning to the academic state content
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standards. According to the principal, the school district had recently changed from Excel
Mathematics to Saxon Mathematics and from Houghton Mifflin to Open Court for
language arts, and used the SEED program for science. All interviewed teachers touched
on the point that they used the state academic content standards to guide their grade-level
planning. Two respondents discussed trials and errors in the inclusion of state content
standards during the initial PYP planning sessions. The PYP Coordinator shared the
advice to start with the standards and to use them to guide each grade through unit
planning. Another teacher provided similar advice:
It would have been good to create a hierarchy based on the state standards and
what we thought was appropriate for each grade level. Since there is so much
overlap, it would have been good if everyone could have got a different sticker to
point out which standards were covered at each grade level so we could have a
visual to help us decide where each standard would be best covered. This would
have helped out.
At the school the person who assumed the role of PYP Coordinator had taught at
the school for 18 years. She reflected on the initial steps in the implementation:
First, we had to figure out what it was, so a few of us set out for that training. So I
took the position before I even knew what it was and how to implement it. Then
we spent a lot of time with each grade-level team writing and designing the units.
We had a lot of changes in the whole program during that time. We had to design
and rewrite over and over again with the district program requirements.
When asked how internationalism and inquiry were included in the curricular
framework, the interviewed teachers shared how the PYP thematic units were supposed
to be designed around guiding questions that were of “global or international concern,”
“globally transferable,” and “not looking at everyone in the world as separately but more
holistically.” All respondents pointed to the scope and sequence of the PYP. The majority
of the respondents provided examples based on the PYP school-wide framework that
built on each unit at each grade level. The overall theme from the comments was that the
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international philosophy was evident in the curriculum and that they tried to include
questions that were of a global scope when designing thematic units. All respondents
pointed to the inclusion of a certain continent across grade levels and of a certain country
within that continent for each class within the grade level. The PYP coordinator
explained,
We started something that we weren’t sure the IBO was going to go for. Every
grade took a continent and with every unit each teacher also had to think about the
unit according to the country that class had chosen to adopt. It forces us all to be
more aware and constantly be conscious of including that country throughout the
curriculum. For example, the fifth grade has the Who’s the Boss unit. In this unit
they must study the American political system, which is part of their grade-level
state content standards, as well as look at the political system of their chosen
country.
A structured inquiry process through teachers guiding students to contributing to
the design of the PYP six thematic units of study (Table 5) is described by the IBO in the
PYP Guide to School Application (IBO, 2006a) as the heart of the IBO philosophy and
the leading vehicle for study. With regard to the addition of inquiry into the curricula, the
teachers at International Elementary School were less vocal and referred only to the PYP
planning guide on which they were required to base the thematic unit. Two of the
teachers shared that, at the onset of designing any unit, they were required to plan as a
grade-level group and to address and document how they would include the specific PYP
questions on reflection, perspective, responsibility, connection, causation, function, and
change.
Most respondents did not elaborate on the inclusion of inquiry. Only one teacher
shared her perspective in this area:
Internationalism does not take priority; rather, it’s all important. Inquiry is a key
component. Everything is supposed to be inquiry based, which makes it student
based. We are constantly asking students what they want to find out about, how
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Table 5
Example of School-Wide Integration of Primary Years Program (PYP) Transdisciplinary,
Globally Themed Units
Grade Unit title Central idea of unit Inquiry area
K Monuments People memorialize 1. Historical structures
historical events 2. Reasons people build memorials
3. How we memorialize our own
histories
1 My House, People live in a variety 1. Types of shelters
Your House of shelters due to their 2. How shelters are built
environments 3. Factors that affect shelters
2 Where in the World People use maps to 1. Map making
Is International navigate the world 2. Looking at maps through time
Elementary School 3. How and why navigational tools
change over time
3 Community Unity Communities grow 1. Components of a community
and change over time 2. Similarities and differences in
communities
3. Changes that occur in communities
4. Using a case study of our local
community
4 This Land Is Your Land disputes affect 1. Reasons for conflict
Land, This Land the relationships 2. Using a case study of California and
Is My Land between peoples and its inhabitants throughout time
groups 3. Other land disputes throughout the
world
5 Roots People have unique 1. Personal histories
heritages that affect 2. Similarities and differences among
their worldview cultures
3. Effect of immigration on cultural
groups
4. Using a case study of the first 13
colonies of the United States
Source: Proprietary information provided by the study target school.
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they are going to discover the answers, and how this relates to the world at large.
So internationalism and inquiry go hand in hand.
Along with the inclusion of internationalism and inquiry, PYP candidate schools
were required to incorporate the PYP curriculum model based on what the IBO describes
in its Schools’ Guide to the PYP (IBO, 2006a) as six transdisciplinary, globally trans-
ferable themes that integrate traditional subject areas such as language arts, mathematics
and social science, as well as opportunities for inclusion of a foreign language, arts,
science, technology, and geography and personal, social, and physical education. At
International Elementary School there was evidence of the dovetailing of the PYP
thematic, transdisciplinary units with district and state curricular standards.
Constructivist Approach
This idea appealed to the principal. She shared her initial reaction to the
possibility of implementing the PYP:
I liked what I learned about the philosophy and it basically being constructivist
based and having a wide approach and bringing different styles of learning. So I
didn’t think it would be that hard a shift for our staff.
When discussing the PYP implementation process, all respondents primarily
discussed the integration of the PYP thematic approach with the language arts subject
area. There was little to no mention by the respondents of the PYP transdisciplinary
approach’s impact on the subject areas of mathematics, science, social studies, art, or
physical education. The rationale for this emphasis could be supported in a comment by
the PYP Coordinator that described the current educational context. She stated,
It was hard when we started because the methodology of teaching at the state and
district levels has supported a scripted language arts program with the teacher at
the front of the classroom reading from the mandated textbook. The pendulum has
swung and they are mandating how everything is taught. The PYP is much more
constructivist and there is a variety of teaching styles and approaches. They want
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you to bring in multiple texts and resources, not just the one in the textbook. So
this is the thing that we’ve had to struggle with: the meshing of the two.
The integration of two distinct teaching approaches was discussed by the teachers
who were interviewed as “leading to a lot of dialogue,” requiring “listening to each
other,” “arguing your point of view,” and “reflecting and revising.” One teacher was
expressive about some of the challenges that she had experienced with her grade level
during the initial planning stage. She reflected,
The reason the implementation was painful was the lesson we learned in working
with each other to create a curriculum and the fact that what we created might be
cast aside if it overlapped with another grade level’s unit or if it did not address
the standards. My grade level had to throw away two units. Also several of the
teachers wanted to use what they had been using in the past and were resistant to
the change. They wanted to keep teaching the way they had always done it.
The integration of the PYP thematic units with the mandated Open Court units
was noted by all interviewed teachers. Specific comments included that the process was
“difficult,” painful,” and “required us to make compromises.” The main reason given for
the difficulty was the initial requirement for Open Court to be followed according to the
school district’s mandates. According to several teachers, the school district was
“inflexible,” “tried to mandate that we did everything in the program” and expected the
Open Court language arts program to be “taught 2.5 hours per day.” The teachers shared
that, throughout this process, they came to the realization that the state academic content
standards and the Open Court textbook had so much overlap that they were eventually
able to create a curriculum map across grade levels to see where the overlap was occur-
ring. All interviewed teachers stated that, throughout the time that they had been using
PYP and Open Court, the district had “changed,” “become more open,” and “allowed us
to pick and chose” due to International Elementary School’s increase in state test scores.
One teacher described her experience:
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It was hard but the longer we have had the PYP, the braver we have become and
the more entitled we feel using what we can of Open Court with what we want to
do for our PYP unit. We have learned how much easier the PYP has made our
lives because it gives us a global point of view in looking at our Open Court units.
Now it’s so much easier to see the connection between the two, when at the
beginning we saw them so separately.
Several of the respondents reflected on the impact of PYP authorization and how
it had changed the planning, teaching, and learning at International Elementary School.
Specific comments included the following: “I can now see it was the right change for us,”
“all in all it works well together,” “I learned so much about time management and mak-
ing the time I have with my students for serious teaching,” and “Now I see it as an ongo-
ing process.” One teacher’s statement best summed up the sentiment by quoting the title
of one of the IBO documents, Making it Happen: “I now know it’s all about the teacher
making it happen.”
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CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
The objective of this study was to examine the IBO’s PYP accreditation process
and the impact that implementation of this program would have on a public urban,
elementary school. The discussion in this chapter includes a summary of the purpose and
major findings of the study. Following a summary report of the major findings of the
study are the limitations of the study and the implications of the results. In the final
section, conclusions are drawn and suggestions for future research are presented.
Summary of the Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore an internationally recognized program,
the International Baccalaureate, which claims to provide a K-12 international educational
continuum. This investigation was accomplished through examination of the IBO PYP’s
accreditation documents and a concrete example of how a school might progress through
this course of action. The primary impetus of this study was to examine the process and
expectations for a school to become accredited by the IBO as a PYP World School. This
was done through investigation of a southern California urban school that had recently
become accredited in the IBO PYP. Although this study was only an example of one
school, it provided general insight into the impact of PYP implementation on the school
organization and its teachers.
With an increase in schools deciding to adopt the IBO PYP, particularly in
California, this study provides a framework for the authorization process, what to expect
to happen throughout the three required phases, and the impact of this implementation on
a school, including how it is reorganized in the process. At the heart of this study was
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(a) the examination of the impact of encompassing internationalism through IBO PYP
accreditation on a particular educational context: an urban, culturally diverse elementary
school in southern California, and (b) determination of whether the PYP has the potential
to do what it claims in providing guidance for schools and teachers to prepare students to
become globally competent.
This study is relevant and important to researchers, teacher educators, policy
makers, school administrators, and K-12 teachers because it adds to the limited research
on IBO PYP authorization in United States elementary schools, in particular urban public
schools that are characterized as underperforming. This study has potential for providing
the path for further studies in the area of internationalizing elementary curriculum, as
well as providing direction for broadening the worldview and practices in teacher
education.
Discussion of the Major Findings
There were significant findings in this study. Within the first section, based on the
PYP accreditation process, there were four major findings regarding the impact of the
PYP Program. The findings presented in the second section identify impact in three areas:
leadership and strategic planning, a shared vision and collaborative planning, and teach-
ing and learning that reflect the effects of implementation of the PYP within a public,
urban elementary school context.
Major Findings on PYP Accreditation Process
The first major finding was an increase in accountability required of the school
head or principal upon embarking on PYP accreditation. Although the three primary
accreditation documents were presented separately and required program implementers to
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integrate them to get a full picture of the accreditation expectations, they were straight-
forward in the fact that once a school submitted its application for IBO authorization, the
school would become liable for a long-term commitment, including large financial
obligations throughout the entirety of the PYP implementation and reauthorization. The
IBO process is designed to ensure that only schools that are seriously intent on candidacy
will proceed to the initial phase of the accreditation stages. Another strategy the IBO
process uses to encourage only schools that are serious about candidacy is a legally
binding statement of agreement to abide by the IBO’s regulations, criteria, and condi-
tions. With this, the candidate school (specifically, the school head or principal) becomes
responsible for extensively verifying and documenting the specific sequence of steps that
is taken in the systemic process of implementation during the next 3 years.
The second major finding was the role of the IBO Program Standards as the
catalyst for school-wide change. Based on the data gathered and analyzed, the four PYP
Program Standards were identified as initially laying the foundation for successful PYP
accreditation and, in due course, leading to school-wide restructuring. The PYP accredita-
tion documents assert that, when fully implemented, the PYP Program Standards will
result in a complete reorganization of the school, an infusion of an international perspect-
ive into the entirety of the school community, and an alignment of the IBO PYP curricu-
lar framework with the mandated state grade-level standards and state-adopted textbooks.
The third major finding was the prominence of the PYP Organization Program
Standards in initial accreditation. Based on the analysis of the PYP Program Standards,
the PYP Organization Program Standards were foremost in laying the groundwork for the
other PYP Program Standards. Through the implementation of the PYP Organization
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Program Standards, it appeared that a school must immediately reorganize its adminis-
trative structures and systems, its staffing, and its resources. Without the implementation
of the PYP Organization Program Standards, it is doubtful that the other three PYP
Program Standards would be possible. Through the PYP Organization Program
Standards, the most significant result appeared to be the domino effect in reducing
classroom instructional time through addition of specialist teachers to provide instruction
in the areas of an additional language, technology, art, music, and other subject areas. It
was evident that this process not only broadens the curriculum but most likely allows for
the classroom teachers to meet as a grade-level team to redevelop and refine curriculum
and assessment collaboratively. The reorganization of staff should conclusively result in
school-wide vertical planning of the curriculum and assessments across grade levels, with
interconnected support by specialist teachers.
The fourth major finding was the external support that the IBO infrastructure
claimed to provide to school leaders. Through continued accountability, sustainability,
and documentation of ongoing program evaluation and improvement, the IBO assured
schools that they would have ongoing external support and accountability measures
necessary to guide a school continuously in its improvement. It is important to note that
the support and guidance that the IBO infrastructure claimed to provide at the national
and regional levels appears to be essential for the school head or principal to be a
successful leader and change agent. Through the three-phase accreditation guidelines, as
well as the PYP curricular framework, the PYP professional development opportunities,
and the PYP online curriculum center, a school leader is given a step-by-step guide or
blueprint and the multiple resources necessary for implementing school-wide change.
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The IBO offers additional professional development on international mindedness,
although this study focused only on the support and documents provided during initial
accreditation. Questions that emerged throughout this document analysis on PYP
accreditation were related to the research and theory discussed in the literature review.
An abundance of literature on education in an international context discussed the debate
regarding how internationalism is defined. The schools discussed in the literature review
on international education in an international school context were primarily international
by nature due to their locations around the world, as well as the variety of nations repre-
sented in their student population. However, several critics questioned the superficial
nature of this description as they described the “four Fs”—food, flags, fashion, and
festivals—as they advocated for a clearer definition (Hayden & Thompson, 1995; Lott,
1992; Pearce, 1998). Although the IBO clearly states the prominence of its commitment
to international mindedness in its Philosophy Program Standards and its Mission State-
ment, the central question is whether these ideals are primarily effective with students
who have already fostered global identities, referred to by Castles (2004) as cosmopoli-
tans. How do these ideals translate to students in urban schools in the United States,
where primarily students of color and often lower socioeconomic backgrounds have been
historically marginalized in the educational system? How does this translate for teachers
unaccustomed to highlighting the culture and language of students of color, much less the
global community? Where does equity and social justice fit into the IBO’s commitment
to develop global citizens? Multicultural education researcher James Banks (2008)
posited the need for transformative citizen education. He contended that, if “students are
to attain clarified and reflective cultural, national, regional, and global identifications and
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are to understand how these identities are interrelated and constructed” (p. 135), they will
need to acquire the information, skills, and values required to challenge inequality.
At this point in the discussion, the major findings that emerged from the PYP
accreditation documentations are assertions made on paper. Whether they actually occur
within a school’s implementation, in particular, in a US urban elementary school, is the
focus of the next section of this discussion.
Major Findings on Impact of PYP Implementation at International Elementary
School
The second research question focused on the impact of implementation and
accreditation of the IBO PYP on the school that was the target of the current study,
International Elementary School. The findings reflect significant consequences regarding
International Elementary School’s school-wide community and the teachers for imple-
menting the PYP. Most of the IBO PYP accreditation process resonated in the school-
wide observations, interviews, documents, and artifacts that were collected for the study.
The first major finding was the strong leadership and strategic planning demon-
strated by the principal at International Elementary School. The evidence from all inter-
viewees indicated strong leadership demonstrated by the principal from the onset of IBO
PYP accreditation and her role as catalyst in acting on a board member’s suggestion to
extend the IBO programs across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. It was
apparent that, once the principal secured support from key stakeholders, including her
own school’s teachers, staff, and parents, she continued her efforts toward PYP imple-
mentation by providing strategic planning, funding, and school restructuring necessary
for successful implementation. Although the school principal provided exemplary
leadership throughout PYP implementation, the evidence also suggested that she
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simultaneously fostered an increase in the individual responsibility of her teachers, which
eventually resulted in a team or shared leadership approach.
An example of the principal’s leadership and strategic planning that supports the
requirements described by the IBO accreditation documents was the impact of the PYP
Organization Program Standards on the reorganization of administrative structures and
systems. To implement this standard, the school principal was required to address
strategic reassignment of veteran teaching staff for specific positions, such as the PYP
Coordinator and Technology Coordinator, and to add specialist teacher positions. This
strategic reassignment of veteran staff and hiring of new staff led to establishment of
targeted roles and responsibilities that resulted in a team leadership approach, including
support for teachers through a school-wide, collaborative approach to curriculum plan-
ning. Release time was required for grade-level collaborative planning time. In addition,
hiring additional specialist teachers led to broadening the curriculum to include techno-
logy, art, music, grade level specific programs, and school-wide Spanish instruction for
all students. In spite of the increased responsibilities, all interviewees were supportive of
the reorganization due to the rise in shared grade-level and school-wide planning time.
The second major finding was the impact of the PYP Philosophy Standard on the
shared vision held by the school-wide community. Although there was a preponderance
of evidence at the school to bolster the PYP accreditation documents’ assertion that,
when fully implemented, the PYP Program Standards would result in a complete
reorganization of the school and an alignment of the IBO PYP curricular framework with
the state-mandated grade-level standards and state-adopted textbooks, the evidence that
an infusion of an international perspective into the entirety of the school community was
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fully supported by interviewees was vague and incomplete in the observations and
school-wide displays.
None of the interviewees had attended PYP professional development activities
for internationalism, yet they all expressed that the international focus of the PYP was
very important at the school and asserted that they were very supportive of the embed-
ding of this philosophy at school-wide and personal levels. They stated that the PYP
philosophy was in alignment with their own personal beliefs and values, and they
reinforced this by giving examples from their own teacher education program and
educational experiences that they considered to be in alignment and reflective of their
support for the PYP international focus. Examples that they shared included bilingual
certification, master’s degree programs with a focus on multicultural education, and
employment as an English language teacher. Each of the teachers provided extensive
examples of how the PYP international philosophy had positively impacted the school-
wide community by inserting cultural appreciation and sensitivity. The PYP mandates the
teaching of an additional language as part of the school’s commitment to international-
ism; all but one of the interviewees was supportive of the inclusion of Spanish.
Throughout the interviews, when asked questions about how the school incorpor-
ated an international or global approach, there was a trend for the teachers to interchange
the word international or global from the question to the word multicultural in their
response. A common characteristic of the participants in interviews was reference to the
major ethnic subgroups within the United States—African American, Asian American,
and Hispanic American—rather than groupings from a larger worldview. Several of the
teachers were critical of their own practice and related a desire to have more training in
99
this area so that they could learn how to embed internationalism within their own
classrooms and to understand how to incorporate internationalism at a deeper level. In the
observations, the teachers who appeared to be most comfortable in integrating inter-
national perspectives were those who discussed their own experiences gained by travel-
ing to other countries, more specifically their extended experiences living in another
country as a part of a college study abroad program. These teachers articulated specific
examples and tangible strategies that they had used to bring internationalism into their
curriculum.
These key findings are reflective of the backgrounds of the interviewees, all but
two of whom were teachers from non-Anglo American backgrounds. According to Banks
(1991), teachers of color are more likely to transfer knowledge and skills to work
effectively with students of diverse racial and cultural groups. Although the interviewed
teachers made reference to ethnic groups within the United States when sharing their
views on implementing international mindedness in their curricula, most did not extend
this reference to cultural and ethnic groups outside of the United States. Several of the
teachers actually noted their limitations in this area and were eager to participate in the
PYP or other professional development that focused on internationalism.
Most of the interviewees noted that their teacher education programs that
specialized in bilingual or multicultural education were their point of reference in
integrating international mindedness. These findings are reflective of Banks’s (1991)
stages of ethnic and cultural development. Banks contended that, before reaching the
final stage (globalism and cultural competency), one must pass through five other stages.
The teachers interviewed were representative of the fifth stage of development,
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multiethnicity and reflective nationalism, as they were able to incorporate the knowledge
and skills of ethnic and national identification but not extend this to a global scale. Again,
it is unknown whether the teachers’ perspectives and their openness to incorporating
international mindedness was primarily due to their own ethnic backgrounds, their
teacher education programs, or the fact that it was a mandated tenet of the IBO program.
Also unknown is the extent to which international mindedness is evident in the final
curricula taught and whether this incorporates perspectives on equity and social justice.
The fourth major finding was the impact of the shift toward a collaborative
approach to curriculum planning, teaching, and learning. All teachers related the initial
intensive time commitment that was required upon initial PYP curriculum framework
with the state academic content standards and mandated textbooks. Also difficult at this
initial stage was fostering a team approach to planning with some teachers who were
intent on continuing with their individualized pedagogy and curricula. In all, the teachers
were positive and appreciative about the creation of a comprehensive, coherent curricu-
lum framework that they had created collectively. The interviewees pinpointed the extra
planning time, the ongoing guidance through weekly grade-level meetings with the PYP
Coordinator, and the PYP professional development opportunities as crucial catalysts in
changing the curricula. A surprising comment by the teachers was their statements
regarding their self-empowerment in being responsible for creating a more constructivist-
based curriculum.
Limitations of the Study
Due to the nature of participant selection, the implications of this study are
particular to the school site and the study participants. Studies across several types of
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schools interested in PYP accreditation and with larger sample sizes would strengthen the
results. In addition, a school site with a consistent student enrollment and using the same
standardized test throughout the entirety of the study would provide more valid and
reliable data regarding student achievement.
This study of the school site was based on observations and interviews and did not
include an in-depth examination of the curriculum documents. Although the PYP Curri-
culum Program Standards were evident, the extent of which was limited, an investigation
of the school-wide collaboratively created vertical and horizontal curricula would be
worth researching and such research is recommended. It is possible that this unified,
school-wide effort could eventually result in a consistent process for fully attaining the
three additional PYP Program Standards: alignment of the PYP Philosophy, the PYP
Curriculum, and the PYP Student. It is possible for this reason that the three additional
PYP Program Standards are less developed than the dominant PYP Organizational
Standard. Studies that focus on a school throughout its 5-year reauthorization cycle, as
well as the impact of participation in PYP professional development, are recommended.
Implications for Policy and Practice
The implications for policy and practice are based on issues that emerged in this
study. School leaders need external guidance and support when implementing school
change. This study was an example of support through the structure, support, and
guidance that a large organization provide to a principal or school leader in the
implementation of the change process. Policies that focus on an external infrastructure
that provides guidance and support for school leaders are necessary.
102
For administrators and teachers to begin to internationalize the K-12 curriculum
and embed a global perspective into their school and curriculum, they must have pro-
fessional development targeting this area. Policies to increase the possibility for inter-
nationalizing teacher education program and program standards, as well as for educators
to participate in international exchange programs, would be beneficial.
Recommendations for Future Research
Recommendations for future research include a document review of the school-
wide yearly PYP units and their inclusion of global knowledge, skills, and dispositions,
as well as inclusion of social justice and equity perspectives. Another recommendation
for further research is exploration of the global competence of school administrators and
teachers in terms of their educational experience, years of service, and specific training of
principals and teachers who are successful in working in schools that have been PYP
accredited. A comparison of the belief systems and expectations of principals and
teachers who have lived or worked overseas should be investigated. Longitudinal studies
on the PYP professional development of administrators and teachers that track their
development of global knowledge, skills, and dispositions should be conducted. Studies
that target evidence of development of international mindedness in PYP students should
also be conducted.
Conclusions
The research conducted for this study examined the requirements and impact of
the IBO PYP accreditation on one urban school. Based on the data, it is evident that
international mindedness is much more than a buzzword for the IBO to attract pro-
spective schools; rather, it is the primary tenet of the program, as evident in it being a
103
Program Standard and the IBO Mission Statement. To be accredited as an IBO PYP
World School, a school must be accountable for and continuously document its consistent
and ongoing commitment to embedding internationalism across the school community,
curriculum, and practices. Although IBO has professional development focused on
internationalism available, participation is not a formal requirement of the accreditation
process, so it was included in the data for this study. According to available PYP
accreditation documents, there are few directives from the IBO on how a school could or
should implement internationalism. Despite this failing, the responses from the educators,
both administrators and teachers, indicated that internationalism must be consciously
addressed and included in all areas of planning, from the strategic school-wide level to
the individual teacher level, because it does not automatically happen upon deciding to
implement the IBO PYP. It is doubtful that, without being held accountable for the
inclusion of international mindedness through the IBO Program Standard on Philosophy,
the school or its teachers would be as dedicated to its inclusion.
The IBO PYP provides a concrete example of a program that has the potential for
assisting elementary schools in the United States, along with the administrators and
teachers working in these schools, to implement an international or global perspective
into the school community. It is because the IBO has held internationalism as a standard
in which the schools are assessed and on which accreditation is based that this effort has
been successful. For the U.S. education system to prepare school administrators, teachers,
and students to be globally competent in their knowledge, skills, and dispositions will
require a concerted effort on the part of national and state policy makers, schools of
education, and leaders in the K-12 community. It will also take the concerted effort of the
104
IBO itself to decide whether addressing issues of social justice and equity through
inclusion of theory and research in multicultural education and transformative citizen
education is an ideal worth pursuing. The IBO already has the potential and platform to
integrate these aims; it remains to be seen whether this aims are important to the
organization as a whole.
105
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Abstract (if available)
Abstract
This study investigated how teachers at a national public school recently accredited in an international education program identified the changes in their educational pedagogy that resulted from the accreditation process. In particular, the study examined how the school administration and teachers implemented an international program, the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program (PYP), into the school-wide community and pinpointed the major impact of the PYP accreditation process. The methodology included document analysis, interviews, and school-wide observations. The findings identify the main tenets of the PYP accreditation process and how they led to the restructuring of the school’s approach to leadership and strategic planning, a shared vision, and a shift toward collaborative planning, teaching, and learning.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Lopez, Sonja Michelle
(author)
Core Title
Internationalizing education: a study of the impact of implementing an international program on an urban elementary school
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education
Publication Date
10/08/2010
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
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Tag
educational accreditation,Educational Leadership,global education,international baccalaureate,international education,multicultural education,OAI-PMH Harvest,Teacher Education
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Hollins, Etta R. (
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educational accreditation
global education
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international education
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