Change+in+Action+Sustaining+Change


 * The Culture of IB Takes Over **

** Parent forums ** were held to educate parents on the IB. **Fancy catalogues** were printed. ** Newsletters focused on the achievement of IB worldwide **. After the change in leadership in the middle and high school, the new leaders profile was generated in all sorts of school media; the website, newsletter, social media. After his arrival, parent forums increased and I **B was made the only choice for incoming 11th graders**. Communicating through repetition was the order of the day. The administration continuously repeated the goal of the IB and why that goal was important. (Beach, 2006) The IB program was implemented at AISK in the fall of 2008. It is now the essence of our purpose in the middle and high school and an integral part of curriculum development throughout the school. The four tasks described by Beach (2006) necessary for the institutionalization of change have been addressed in the past three years to varying degrees. Certainly, communication, as mentioned above, has been clear and overwhelming. Document updating, although incomplete, can be seen throughout the school. Not merely in the initial IB catalogues, but documentation is most evident in ** curricular development and resource allocation **. The **backwards curriculum alignment** necessary to bridge the gap between the IB and the AISK curriculum is under way. All correspondence coming from the school had the **International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) insignia** on it. Although **no bonuses** or even additional planning hours are granted to IB teachers, the **perception is that IB teachers are valued more**. This can be seen in the additional budget for resources and training. “Indeed, the work ethic, which includes self-reward for a job well done, is so powerful that it swamps the motivational effects of all but the most extreme external rewards.” (Beach, 2006, p. 120) As long as the IB teachers feel that they can do a good job, they are happy. Planning and preparation for IB classes is significantly greater than the other subject classes and as a result, IB teachers are frustrated when their ** teaching load is equal to that of a non-IB teacher **. That remains an unresolved issue. **Students are generally proud** to participate in the IB, albeit overworked! **Parents are happy** as well, as they place a great deal of value on the program and the results recognized by tertiary institutions worldwide, if their child does well. Although IB subjects have been the source of a great deal of criticism as of late amongst IBO schools, particularly in the area of assessment and equity, teachers are overwhelmingly satisfied with the curriculum.