International Baccalaureate® Diploma Program at Ramallah Friends School

General Information International Baccalaureate Mission Statement: The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. IB Learner Profile: We aim to be: • Inquirers • Knowledgeable • Thinkers • Communicators • Principled • Open Minded • Caring • Risk Takers • Balanced • Reflective IBDP At RFS • 20 years: started in 1999 • Increased number of subjects offered • Increased number of Diploma candidates • Increased number of Diploma recipients • Increased overall pass rate • Increased Diploma Success rate • Increased number of certified IBO examiners among teachers. What is the IBDP?

Quick Answer: It is a rigorous, demanding two year program designed to prepare student for university education. The student is assessed through both internal and external assessments in six subjects, and in three core components: Theory of Knowledge, Community Action and Service, and the Extended Essay. External assessments take place in May of senior year, and are written and examined externally through the IBO. Officials are taken over the course of twenty rigorously programmed days. Diploma Program Lay Out • Six Subject Groups: • 1: Studies in Language and Literature: English A, Arabic A • Group 2: Language Acquisition: English B, Arabic B, Arabic ab initio • Group 3: Individuals and Societies: Economics, Business, Psychology • Group 4: Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics • Group 5: : Math SL, HL and Math Studies • Group 6: The Arts: Film Diploma Program Lay Out • Core Requirements: • Theory of Knowledge: How do we know what we know? How do we learn? How do we produce knowledge? • Creativity, Action and Service: a service program covering 7 outcomes • Extended Essay: 4000 word essay on a topic in one of the six subject groups. RFS Offers RFS aims to English A and B offer in the Arabic A and B coming few Math SL, HL and years one or Studies two of the Economics following: Business Global Politics Psychology Anthropology Biology Computer Chemistry Science Physics Visual Arts Film Why do students experience a learning curve the first semester DP? • Rigor of material • Need to prepare and read on a daily basis. • Transition from a skill based program (MYP) with opportunities to shine in different assessments to a content focused and content based program. • MYP has four assessment criteria. • Each criterion focuses on a skill: writing, research, knowledge, presenting…etc. • Content and Knowledge is usually criterion A knowns as Knowledge and Understanding. This comprises 25% of the overall MYP grade.

Criterion A Criterion B Criterion C Criterion D Knowledge and Investigation Communication/La Research Understanding b 8 8 8 8 Students develop skills throughout, those who are better test takers will most probably shine in criterion A, while those who are good in practical work and communication will shine in criterion B and C…etc In the MYP the student has a diverse set of opportunities to achieve high marks. In the DP, however….

• Content, content and more content…. • In the end DP is mostly an examination that tests knowledge of a specific set of topics within a subject…. • So students need to change their study strategies: • Good note taking: two notebooks per subject • Reading the book: official examinations come from textbooks • Day to day follow up: this must start now. So what is external assessment?

• External Assessment: the official examination your child will sit for at the end of their DP career (May of their senior year). Assessment is examined/graded by IBO certified examiners • Fun Fact: a good number of RFS teachers are IBO certified examiners. They do not examine our students, but students of other schools. What is internal assessment? • Internal assessments: one or more assignments per subject that students complete. Those are assessed by the subject teacher and are randomly sampled and moderated by the IBO. Internal Assessments • Internal assessments comprise of 20-30% of your child’s final subject grade. • They are a lot of work. • All grades must be submitted to the IBO by April 10th, 2018…don’t relax: • Each subject has a total number of 40 students minimum (some subject like chemistry have 78 students). • In order to help organize student time and teacher time, the school sets an internal assessments calendar with several dates for each subject. • Calendar is supposed to help students and teachers manage their time. • On April 10, grades must be submitted, otherwise…Big Trouble! • Advice: take the calendar the school sends out, tape it to fridge, and work through it. Do NOT Delay! • Every component of the internal assessment is connected to a school grade percentage. Giving Feedback

• Each subject has a determined type of feedback a teacher can give to a student on internal assessments. • Generally this includes one written feedback, one oral. Or perhaps one written and no oral…. Teachers will set the type and form of feedback for each student. • Rest assured that our teachers go above and beyond in helping students. • Turn in your internal early, you get better feedback, teachers are fresh and haven’t been bogged down with feedback just yet. • Can’t hold your hand, feedback will guide but will not offer answers. So what is Theory of Knowledge? • Theory of Knowledge is a course that asks a central question:

How do we know what we know? • Students have all this knowledge after 12 years in school…. • how did you learn it? How was is produced? Why do we have different opinions? • These questions are asked in various areas of knowledge (i.e. subjects, or subject groups). Overview of Tentative ToK Time Line • DP Year 1: • Perspectives • How we gain knowledge/Truth Checks • How do we ask questions? Knowledge claims and Knowledge Questions • Areas of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing • AoK: Natural Sciences • WoK: Language, Sense Perception, Reason • Aok: Arts • WoK: Imagination, Emotion

• A note: we approach ToK integratively. We teacher Areas of knowledge and weave the ways of knowing with them. Overview of Tentative ToK Time Line • DP Year 2: • Content • AoK: Human Sciences • WoK: Reason and Sense Perception • Mathematics • WoK: Reason, Imagination, Language • AoK: Student choice: Ethics or Religious Knowledge Systems or Indigenous Knowledge Systems. • WOK: Faith, Emotion and Language Overview of Tentative ToK Time Line • Assessments: • External Assessment: Essay (Titles sent to us by the IB September of Senior Year) • Internal Assessment: Presentation ToK Essay Writing Timeline • September 1: Teachers receive Titles • September 1-October 10: Teachers analyze titles, discuss them hold meetings with other TOK teachers in Jordan, US…etc. • October 10-November 1: Titles are analyzed in class. • November 1: Title Analysis document released to Students • November 1-November 15: Students choose title, submit scaffolded outline. • November 15-November 30: Teachers give feedback on outlines. • December 22: First Draft Due. • Christmas Break: Teachers give feedback during break • February 1 : Final Draft Due • February 1- February 28: Presentations. Extended Essay

• This is a 4000 word essay on a topic of the student’s choice, in the subject of their choice. • The essay is guided by 10 meetings with the teacher. • The Essay is externally graded. • The combination of both the extended essay and the total ToK grade gives students extra points according to the rubric on the next slide.

Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) • CAS is a service program that puts students into action within their community. • CAS covers Seven Learning Outcomes and they are as follows: • Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. • Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, develop- ing new skills in the process. • Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience. • Show commitment to, and perseverance in, CAS experiences. • Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively. • Demonstrate engage- ment with issues of global significance. • Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions. • Students spent around 150 hours over the course of 18 months? Examples of CAS Activities • Creativity: Student participates in painting Ahd Al Tamimi’s photo for the open day. Student takes piano lessons and performs a recital • Activity: Student coaches a basketball clinic for fellow students. • Service and Activity: Students participate in olive picking or tree planting. Students volunteer at Palestine International Festival • Service, Activity and Creativity: Students rehearse songs, and then perform at a local senior home, or local day care in a refugee camp. CAS Advisor sends samples of CAS Diaries for moderation Academic Honesty

• School Academic Honesty Policy Tawjihi Equivalency

• Science Equivalency Requirements

• Arts Equivalency Requirements

• Please see Mr. Luai Awwad for details Important Links

• www.ibo.org/parent • https://www.ibo.org/information-for-parents/dp-for-parents/ • https://www.ibo.org/information-for-parents/parents-and- assessment/ • https://osc-ib.com/article/ib-climb • https://osc-ib.com/article/facing-ib-exams-confidence • https://osc-ib.com/article/revise-review-remember • https://osc-ib.com/article/why-we-need-sleep Thanks for Listening! Questions?