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Coordinator's Resource

An essential guide

The IB Coordinator's Resource is the essential guide for the IB programme coordinator.

The IB Coordinator's Resource (2020) is essentially a guide on how to develop the IB programme(s). The Handbook opens by talking about programme development and describing what is meant by 'an area of programme development'.

Central to this Resource are the Programme standards and practices, because:

“Programme standards and practices (PSP) is the foundational set of principles for schools and the IB to ensure quality and fidelity in the implementation of the programmes.” (Coordinator’s Resource 2020)

This emphasis on the Programme standards and practices is clearly evident from the way the Resource is structured. Each section of the Resource is structured around the four Standards of the Programmes standards and practices: namely, Purpose, Environment, Culture and Learning. Each section of the Resource includes the specific practices, illustrating how they inform all that an IB Coordinator does.

Contents: What is in the IB Coordinator's Resource?

Here I present the contents page of the Resource with a brief reflective description for each section. All of the quotes are taken from the Resource.

The IB programme coordinator

This section contains

  • A helpful list of activities that a coordinator must participate in (see below); 
  • A table of key IB resources / documents that support programme coordinators; and 
  • A description and example of how the Programme standards and practices empower and support the coordinator.

"Any item in Programme standards and practices can potentially be connected to an IB programme coordinator’s role and responsibilities in some way. However, to make the position manageable and effective, the coordinator’s role should be carefully defined based on the school’s capacity and needs. The table below provides guidance on the activities the coordinator must participate in, and the degree to which they are expected to be involved."

Reflect within your school context on what leading and supporting might look like. Why may this be different depending on school context?

Activity

Leads

Supports

Communicating with the IB for authorization, self-study and evaluation

X

Communicating with parents, guardians, and the wider community about the school’s IB programme(s)

X

Coordinating the design and monitoring implementation of areas of programme development

X

Curriculum mapping of the programme(s)

X

Developing the school’s mission, vision and strategy

X

Developing and promoting key pedagogical elements in the programme(s) (ATL, ATT, Learner Profile, etc.)

X

Documenting and monitoring in-school assessment

X

Ensuring teachers’ access to IB frameworks via the Programme Resource Centre

X

Fostering ongoing teacher and learner collaboration in the programme(s)

X

General professional development (not mandated by the IB)

X

Guidance to learners on next steps in their learning or transitions beyond the school

X

IB-mandated school policy development 

X

Informing the school community of and monitoring IB-mandated professional development

X

Interaction with the IB (including programme updates, subject changes and general communications)

X

Monitoring learners’ admission and access to IB programmes

X

Monitoring progress of alumni or students who transition to other programmes

X

Monitoring the implementation of core components of the programme(s)

X

Pedagogical leadership across the school

X

Pedagogical leadership in the school’s programme(s)

X

Scheduling or timetabling

X

Supporting administration of IB-mandated assessments (if applicable)

X

PURPOSE: Mission, Vision and Strategy

This section contains:

“IB coordinators thus must understand the school’s mission and vision and support IB programme development as it is connected to the school’s strategy.”

Think: What does it mean to be a pedagogical leader?

Read the Programme standards and practices for Standard: Purpose.

Reflect: What does it mean to 'lead' on the IB philosophy within your school context?

ENVIRONMENT: Learning environment design

This section contains:

  • A helpful list of ideas often associated with learner-centred classrooms. See Creating the optimal conditions for learning 
  • An example (using IB Programme standards and practices) of the operational duties of coordinators in establishing and monitoring healthy learning environments (including scheduling and resourcing).

“Learning environment design is a common and powerful endeavour that schools take on as part of their own evolution. Adopting IB programmes can make learning environment design both a richer experience and a priority depending on the school’s physical readiness for any IB programme.”

Checklist: Which ideas often associated with learner-centred classrooms are (a) well embedded in your school, (b) need developing. The list is:

•         authentic means and products

•         performance assessment

•         building background knowledge

•         connecting new information to old

•         offering students choice in what and how they learn, and how to demonstrate their achievement

•         providing opportunities to work and play collaboratively

•         product-, process- and project-based learning

•         individual goal setting

•         complex (as opposed to pre-determined) outcomes

•         co-construction of curriculum

•         portfolio demonstrations of learning over time

•         experiential learning, including through play

•         coaching and facilitation

•         “experience, then label” (discovery-based learning)

•         “gradual release of responsibility” teaching models.

Coordinator as designer: Reflect what it means for you to be a designer - how do you design within your role as coordinator?

CULTURE: Policy into practice

This section contains:

  • A description of how policies are created and reviewed
  • An example (using IB Programme standards and practices) of how policies facilitate the development of (school) culture. See IB Culture - Key Policies 

“Policies are documented agreements on how the school’s environment and culture operate and grow. IB-mandated policy development is led by the coordinator, but may be combined with other policies that are approved by governance."

Reflect

How could I lead the implementation of these policies? | What evidence could I look for that they are being implemented with fidelity? | How can I  make clear what the policy looks like, feels like and sounds like in practice in our school? | What practical examples can we give of our expectations?

LEARNING

This section contains:

"All IB World Schools are expected to articulate, deliver and assess a coherent curriculum."

Curriculum Mapping

  • Where do YOU start?
  • Who is involved?
  • Is it constructed top down (by school leaders) or bottom up (by classroom teachers)?
  • How do you balance concepts, skills, content and contexts? 
  • Do you think the balance is correct and is it clear to all stakeholders (learners as well as teachers)?
  • How does the curriculum map illustrate how learning is to be demonstrated (e.g. products, performances, assessments)?
  • How do you plan for the development of skills (vertically and horizontally)?
  • How do you foster ongoing teacher collaboration?
  • How do you monitor implementation of what is written?
  • How do you incorporate the IB philosophy into the curriculum
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