ASFL Staff Information - IB Consultation Visit

Update on IB Consultation Visit-October 29, 2009

Our IB consultant, Vertis Lane, visited The Academy for Science and Foreign Language on Oct. 29, 2009. The purpose of her visit was to meet with the administrators, coordinators, and teachers to determine whether the Columbia/ASFL partnership was moving at a pace that would enable them to submit Application B by the May 1st deadline. In short, Ms. Lane has determined that the school partnership is on track and, with a great deal of work by all, can meet the deadline of May 1st and be successful in our request for authorization. The coordinators and Ms. Lane met to create a timeline for the submittal of required documents to her and to IB. Both coordinators are confident that the deadlines are realistic and that the goals will be met.

Mrs. Lane reviewed the written curriculum (unit planners) at ASFL as well as the course outlines that were created by the faculty. Upon review of these documents, Ms. Lane determined that her time at ASFL would best be spent assisting teachers with the required components of the units of work. She met with all teachers and reviewed the components of unit planning, as well as the need for teachers to plan in horizontal (grade level) and vertical (subject levels) teams. Mrs. Lane was very complimentary about our teachers, our school, and our students. She made positive comments about the climate of respect among the students, the level of professionalism and enthusiasm among the faculty, and the attractiveness of our school. She looked at student work that was posted, as well as IB bulletin boards and seemed to be pleased with what she saw. Finally, but most importantly, she was touched by our hospitality!

This is the make or break year for ASFL. It is critical that we all pull together to complete the required documents, improve the written curriculum, plan together in teams, and implement the unit plans in the taught curriculum. I want to share a beginning list of the tasks that must be accomplished prior to our May 1st deadline.

Create a school partnership brochure
Create a language policy
Create an assessment policy
Create an admission policy
Rewrite the mission statement to reflect IB concepts and terminology.
Create a process for students to complete the service component as well as a means to record and reflect.
Review completed unit planners for quality. Make sure that the IB standards are being met in the units of work. Establish a peer review process for unit planners.
Complete a high quality subject level, and an interdisciplinary level unit and begin on another subject level unit
Work in vertical teams to complete a subject level vertical planner and an AOI vertical/horizontal planner.
Develop a structure for the Personal Project
Set up a steering committee for the school partnership
In addition to these components, both coordinators will be completing the lengthy components of Application B.

Finally, Dr. Moore met with the administrators, coordinators, and Mrs. Lane and offered the complete and total support of Huntsville City Schools in this endeavor. She realizes how difficult it is and wants to offer any assistance required for us to complete all of the components required for us to experience success (subs!).

You should all feel confident in your part of this endeavor and enthusiastic about the opportunities that await our school as we implement the IB programme at ASFL

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