Up until the past few weeks whittier international elementary and alicia sanchez international elementary schools shared a special bond. The “international” part of our name signifies that we have an international baccalaureate primary years program (IB PYP), the only two schools in boulder valley school district with this distinction.Social cognitive views of learning we at whittier want to express our disappointment over the district decision to remove the IB program from alicia sanchez international elementary.Social cognitive views of learning many of us are close to teachers there, and we have collaborated extensively with them since they became an IB school. They are our sister school and we feel a deep loss as a result of this decision.Social cognitive views of learning

Whittier became an IB school in 2002. Since that time IB has exponentially increased in popularity throughout colorado and across the world. There are now more than 5,000 schools offering at least one IB program, in over 156 countries.Social cognitive views of learning in colorado, there are around 120 IB schools, approximately 50 of which are elementary schools. Boulder already stood out when it had only two IB elementary schools.Social cognitive views of learning in summit county, the entire district has taken on the IB program. This is the district from which the new principal of sanchez, joel rivera, is coming.Social cognitive views of learning on may 15 the daily camera published an article stating, “district officials said rivera has ‘demonstrated expertise in improving outcomes for kids,’” which he clearly did in the context of an IB program.Social cognitive views of learning was this taken into consideration when the decision was made?

The camera article further states, “the priority at sanchez needs to be on the four main areas identified by the university of virginia’s partnership for leaders in education program, which is working with the district on the school’s turnaround plan.Social cognitive views of learning … those four areas are culture and climate, instructional best practices, leadership development, and professional development.” it implies that the IB program would distract from this focus, yet these four areas are at the heart of the IB philosophy and required practices.Social cognitive views of learning A third of the IB manual for elementary schools, “from principles into practice,” is dedicated to the topic of culture and climate. Another third is dedicated to its world-class instructional practices, such as inquiry and transdisciplinary learning.Social cognitive views of learning the last third is focused on the individual learners themselves and their own sense of agency. And finally, strong leadership (for heads of school, teachers and students) and professional development are foundational and extensively required as part of the IB program.Social cognitive views of learning

We know IB PYP is not a detriment or distraction to struggling students. Around 30% of whittier students receive free and reduced lunch and around a quarter are english language learners.Social cognitive views of learning we see how this inquiry-based, action-focused curriculum engages students and helps them make connections to learning and to their lives. IB puts student agency — defined as voice, choice and ownership — at the heart of the IB PYP, an opportunity that should not be taken away from the sanchez community.Social cognitive views of learning

Some have said the removal of the IB program could be temporary, but IB status is not something sanchez could easily regain. It takes several years to become an IB school, and the evaluation process is quite rigorous, requiring reevaluation every 3-5 years.Social cognitive views of learning rather than looking only at one-dimensional test scores, the IB review process includes a year-long self-reflection followed by a three-day evaluation visit where IB officials observe and meet with every grade level, interview students and parents and assess the school on an elaborate rubric that includes the four main areas of focus mentioned above from the university of virginia.Social cognitive views of learning

The camera article also references the “revolving door of principals” and the “lack of consistent leadership.” when looking at root causes for low performance on state tests, among other challenges, this seems more worthy of consideration rather than the removal of a world-class program.Social cognitive views of learning we know many of the sanchez principals were dedicated and of high quality, but the turnover must have presented challenges. In fact, in our collaborative experience with sanchez staff, it was the support of the IB program that provided one of the main sources of consistency over the last few years.Social cognitive views of learning

This loss to the sanchez community is also a grave loss to our collaborative relationship, developed over the years, and to the boulder-lafayette community as a whole.Social cognitive views of learning we hope that BVSD will consider the power of the IB program to enhance learning and success for all students, regardless of their background, and promote its growth across the district.Social cognitive views of learning

Signed by 28 teachers at whittier international elementary school: lisa O’brien, alysia hayas, jennifer silbermann, emma chitters, leigh wilson, caitlin kline, kelsey moore, terri lerose, kaley feenstra, tamar van vliet, leah carmalt, maria madjar, jennifer shepherd, audrey wintory, maurie marcil, mary mcdaniel, christa fjellestad, peter mitchell, halley bacall, christopher pagliaro, loran lattes, sarah lumbard, lauren rubini, denise walent, brandie emerick, kent mcclannan, barbara appel and kimberly cruger.Social cognitive views of learning