What is MYP?
The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of learning that encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world. It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement - essential qualities for young people who are becoming global leaders.
The MYP is flexible enough to accommodate most national or local curriculum requirements. It builds upon the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and prepares students to meet the academic challenges of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and the IB Career-related Certificate (IBCC).
We are very proud of our IB MYP, and we encourage our students to go on to IB high schools to complete the MYP in years 4 and 5 (9th-10th grade), especially at our partner IB school, Edgewood High School. Studies have shown that students who are enrolled in IB have a better chance of going to and staying in college.
The MYP is flexible enough to accommodate most national or local curriculum requirements. It builds upon the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and prepares students to meet the academic challenges of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and the IB Career-related Certificate (IBCC).
We are very proud of our IB MYP, and we encourage our students to go on to IB high schools to complete the MYP in years 4 and 5 (9th-10th grade), especially at our partner IB school, Edgewood High School. Studies have shown that students who are enrolled in IB have a better chance of going to and staying in college.
Learner Profile
At the heart of the IB is the “learner profile”, a long- term, holistic vision of education that underpins all three programmes and puts the student at the centre of everything we do. The learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. The ten aspirational qualities of the learner profile inspire and motivate the work of teachers, students and schools, providing a statement of the aims and values of the IB and a definition of what we mean by “international-mindedness”.
The learner profile unites us all with a common focus: on the whole person, as a lifelong learner. It applies to us all – student, teacher, parent or administrator – for we are all continually learning. |
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MYP Subjects
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Students follow courses in the eight subject groups of:
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Personal Project
Through the Middle Years Programme (MYP) projects, students experience the responsibility of completing a significant piece of work over an extended period of time.
MYP projects encourage students to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work – key skills that prepare them for success in further study, the workplace and the community. Students who complete the MYP in Year 3 or Year 4 complete the community project. All students who complete the MYP in Year 5 complete the personal project. The community project provides an important opportunity for students ages 13-14 to collaborate and pursue service learning. Schools register all MYP Year 5 students for external moderation of the personal project, promoting a global standard of quality. MYP projects are student-centred and age-appropriate, and they enable students to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. |
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IB and the Common Core State Standards
Over 40 states have adopted and are currently implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes and the CCSS share certain aspects in common. This fact sheet was developed in response to frequently asked questions from IB parents.
In what respects are the IB and the CCSS similar?
How do the IB programmes and the CCSS differ?
In what respects are the IB and the CCSS similar?
- The IB and the CCSS are both focused on setting high standards that seek to challenge and engage students, promote deeper learning and develop critical-thinking skills. In fact, the IB standards were one of five international benchmarks used to compare against the CCSS in an influential study conducted by the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC).
- CCSS and the IB share a mutual emphasis on career and college readiness. Neither the IB nor the CCSS is a curriculum. A curriculum is the detailed plan for day-to-day teaching. Curriculum decisions, including which textbooks and programmes to use, are made by the school or district, not by the IB or the CCSS.
How do the IB programmes and the CCSS differ?
- The effectiveness of IB programmes has been validated by research and by over 40 years of practical experience teaching and assessing student work.
- IB standards and practices are not learning outcomes; they provide a set of criteria that set out specific approaches to teaching and learning. They focus on how learning occurs.
- The CCSS are learning outcomes that specify skills and knowledge that must be acquired by grade level. The CCSS focus on what outcomes should be reached.
- IB emphasizes student-centred learning, focusing on the social, emotional and academic needs of the whole child.
- An IB education incorporates an understanding and appreciation of other cultures and points of view, and a world language competency—precisely the skills in demand by the current global economy
Assessment in the MYP
The purpose of assessment in the MYP program is to support and encourage student learning. This means teachers are constantly gathering and analyzing information on student performance and provide feedback to students to help them improve their performance. It also means that students can be involved in evaluating their own progress using self-assessment and reflection. In doing so, they should develop wider critical-thinking and self-assessment skills.
Two Categories of Assessment:
Informal Assessment (Formative) “tasks that happen during the learning” and includes the following:
Observations, dialogues, interviews and conferencing with students, role plays, presentations, and student self –assessment, rough drafts of written work, learning logs/journals, mathematics problem solving steps, homework, quizzes The chart below lists the objectives and criteria for each subject area.
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Formal Assessment (Summative) “tasks that occur at the end of a period of learning” and includes the following examples:
Classroom tests, written reports, essays, performance tasks/projects, investigations, fieldwork, final copy of written work, final journal entries, and reflections The MYP assessment system used in grades 6 -10 is called a criterion-related model. This means that students are assessed against carefully designed standards pre-determined by the IBO. These criteria directly relate to the objectives of each subject and they reflect the knowledge and skills needed in each subject. Assessing students against criteria is very helpful because the student knows before attempting the work what needs to be done to reach a high level. It also helps teachers clarify and express their expectations about assignments in a way that students can understand. The strength of this model is that students are assessed for what they can do, rather than being ranked against each other. Students receive feedback on their performance based on the criteria level descriptors. In every MYP school in the world, there are eight subject areas. Each subject area has specific learning objectives which must be addressed. The attainment of these objectives is measured against the assessment criteria, listed below by category and subject area. Students are given a rubric that provides the information about what they are being assessed on and what they need to do at the start of the assessment task. The rubric is a grid that details what criteria are being used to evaluate the work submitted (or performed) by students. The benefit of the rubric is that students understand clearly how to demonstrate what they have learned to the fullest extent. This allows the process of assessment to be transparent for all involved. |
Gallery (disclaimer: these are not edgewood pictures, merely placeholders for when we have our own)
Contact UsJennifer Zampiello - DP Coordinator
Phone: 626.939.4900 Ext. 4906 Email: [email protected] Manny Co - MYP Coordinator Phone: 626.9394900 Ext. 4932 Email: [email protected] |
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