PYP Recommendations

Standard

Recommendation from 2010 edition

Link to new IB PYP

VIS Response to Date
Standards and
Practices (use from 1
Jan. 2014)

Standard A1

There is close alignment between the educational beliefs and values of the school and those of the programme.

1. The staff ensures that the development of the

Standard A2, A4
Learner Profile and attitudes permeates and supports
all aspects of school life.

2. The school further promote student inquiry and the Standard A3-c
development of critical thinking skills across all
classes and subject areas.

3. The IB mission statement to be made available to

the wider community through school handbooks,
displays and communications

Ideas for Future Action

Learner profiles and attitudes posted in each

classroom. Noted in teacher handbook that these are
part of the displays in each classroom.
Students self-evaluate their LP strengths and areas
for growth: including identifying and recording
anecdotal evidence for their claims & suggestions, as
well as ideas on how to improve (Q. has this stopped?
- we were doing this reqularly (...2x per year)
Student initiated inquiry noted in PYP planners. Use PYP PD session on how to use wall space to facilitate
of wonder walls in each classroom.
student learning and make student thinking visible.
Making thinking visible resource purchase with
specific teachers trialing routines.
?
Post/publish IB mission where applicable e.g. school
website

Standard A2

The school promotes international-mindedness on the part of the adults and the students in the school community

1. The school continues to make it a priority to acquire Standard B2-1, B2-6, Many library books have been purchased recently (all Further book orders? Mother tongue resources?
resources that offer access to a variety of cultures,
B2-7, B2-11
orders coming from teachers). In most cases,
perspectives and languages.
teachers have specifically ordered to support a UoIs
(early years book ordered).
2. The school continues to find ways to make visible A4
UoI sharing. Christmas concert. Poetry slam. BookWe need to make clear student voices.
the diversity of cultures and perspectives of all
week readings & events.
constituents in the school.
Process of revising school mission has included
diverse community voices. Reading relay day. Family
potluck in June. PTA meetings.

Standard B1

The school demonstrates ongoing commitment to, and provides support for, the programme through appropriate administrative structures and systems, staffing and
resources.

1. The board ensure that the Stakeholders Rights and A

Obligations , according to Lithuanian law.
2. The school strengthen the pedagogical leadership Standard B1-2, B1-2a,
team by clearly delineating the roles, responsibilities B1-2b, B1-3, B1-4,
and accountabilities in the coordination
and development of the PYP for:
a) the director
b) the newly appointed PYP coordinator
c) the subject coordinators
and ensure that the roles and responsibilities for
programme implementation
and development are assigned with the overall aim of
enhancing the coherence and cohesion of teaching
and learning across the curriculum.
3.The school ensure that the newly appointed PYP
Standard B1-4
coordinator will have sufficient support and resources
to carry out the responsibilities of this position as
pedagogical leader, and that the scope of this
responsibility is recognized, as described in
Pedagogical Leadership in a PYP School .
4. The school ensure it meets the PYP training
Standard B2-3, B2-3a
requirement prior to authorization, that all teachers,
full- and part-time, working with PYP students
participate in PYP regional and/or in-school
workshops, organized by the regional office.

Done.
New PYPC appointed with job description and release
hours. Pedagogical leadership team works together to
implement programme.

New PYPC appointed with job description and release

hours. Pedagogical leadership team works together to
implement programme.

List of IB PYP training compiled. Staff identified who

need IB training.

Identified VIS staff to enroll in online IB workshop

(Intro to the PYP) starting in early 2015.

X
X
X

5. The school continues to support and promote the

central role of the library in the implementation of the
programme.
6. The school continues to develop the range of
resources available to students and teachers in
support of an inquiry-based curriculum.
7. The school further revise its language policy using
the IB guidelines to ensure that it provides a
commonly understood framework for, and establishes
agreements on, teaching about, teaching for, and
teaching through language in a transdisciplinary
program.
8. The school ensure that the special needs of all
students enrolled are identified and met in a
systematic manner.

Standard B2-6

Full-time librarian hired. Books purchased. Multimedia

equipment installed in library.

Standard B2-1, B2-5

The school continues to identify and purchase teacher

resources focused on developing inquiry in each
classroom.
Standard B1-5, B1-5a Policy revised (2012).
Need to revisit it with MYP Language Acquisition
changes in mind.

Standard B2-8, B2-9

Referral form and process introduced in Oct. 2014.

Outline steps/roles to cater for and track learners with

special needs.

Note: local limitation with regard to 'identification' of

special needs - school cannot go ahead with formal
evaluation without explicit parent permission therefore we have put systems in place to suport
where we see there is a need

9. The school ensure that class schedules clearly

reflect the schoolscommitment to :
a. the PYP curriculum framework
b. inquiry-based learning which needs blocks of
uninterrupted time
c. a balance between transdisciplinary and single
subject provision
d. the effective use of instructional time for
implementing the PYP in grade 1.

Standard C1

A comprehensive, coherent, written curriculum, based on the requirements of the programme and developed by the school, is available to all sections of the school
community.

1. The pedagogical leadership team and teachers

Standard C2-1, C2-4a
deepen their understanding of the PYP as a conceptdriven curricular framework and reflect this in the
scope and sequence documents and unit planners.
2. The teachers re-evaluate the Program of Inquiry for Standard C2-9a
the age appropriateness of units, as well as for the
relevance of the central ideas to the transdisciplinary
themes.

X
Standard C2

3. The pedagogical leadership team ensures that

there is a shared responsibility for the review of the
Programme of Inquiry, and corresponding units, with
all teachers.

Standard B2-10, B210a

PD sessions with Ausra for PYP and MYP teachers:

focusing on specific special needs and what teachers
can do to support learners.
UoI time is identified on each class schedule.
UoI time should be increased to include
transdisciplinary integration of
Teachers are clear that they can rearrange the
math/language/science/social studies. Look into Gr. 1
schedule where longer blocks of time are required, or class schedule.
where it would be necessary not to leave too many
days between subsequent learning activities.

Standard C2-9a

4. The pedagogical leadership team ensures that

Standard C1-3a
there is a systematic approach to the integration of
subject-specific scope and sequences within the units
of inquiry.
5. The school ensure that information on the school
website in regard to the curriculum, and program
overall, is accurate.

PD each year (prior to start of year) at 2-day, wholeschool retreat on concept based learning, teaching
thinking and task design (working in transdisciplinary
groups).
Ongoing. 2014/15 academic year focused on vertical
and horizontal articulation. Age appropriateness and
relevance considered in changes.
Subject specific mini programme of inquiry work done
in PE and art.
UoIs for Turtles and Dolphins separated.
Turtles and Dolphins to have their own UoIs.
In trimester 1, 2014 the review of the Programme of
Inquiry started with the new PYPC.

We plan to use PD time in trimester 2, 2015 to

develop our alignment of learning objectives,
formative assessments and summative assessments.
This will target topic vs. conceptual learning.
Ongoing. Further subject specific mini programme of
inquiry work done in PE and art. We need to develop
a mini programme of inquiry for music. Turtles and
Dolphins to modify and develop 5 UoIs of their own.
Dolphins to develop a sixth UoI by September 2015.
Ongoing.

The PYPC attends grade-level collaborative planning

meetings and open floor trandisciplinary planning time
with all specialists.
Grade-level collaborative planning meetings as well
Ongoing.
as open floor transdisciplinary planning meetings with
the PYPC facilitate the integration of subject-specific
scope and sequences.
Programme of Inquiry posted on the school website. Updated POI posted on website Jan. 16. Update POI
again in Apr./May

The school has implemented a system through which all teachers plan and reflect in collaborative teams.

1. All teachers work together to further develop their

understanding of the difference between a thematic
and transdisciplinary program, with a view to
strengthening the transdisciplinary nature of the
Programme of Inquiry.
2. The pedagogical leadership team ensures that all
teachers continue to deepen their understanding of
the planning process and the effective and systematic
use of the PYP planning tools.
3. The teachers ensure greater focus on the essential
elements of concepts and action during their planning.

Standard C1-c

Collaborative planning and open floor transdisciplinary

planning.

Standard C1, C1-b

We are moving to a more complete use of

Managebac. We have sought and recieved IB
feedback on six of our unit planners.

We will read and process the IB feedback in trimester

2 2015. We hope to compile a common understanding
of what should go into a PYP planner and how it
should be used.
Standard C2-5, C3-1, The five essential elements are planned for during
Special focus needs to be made on concepts and
C3-1a, C3-12, C3-14b collaborative planning and open floor transdisciplinary action.
time.

Standard C3

Teaching and learning at the school empowers and encourages students to become lifelong learners, to be responsible towards themselves, their learning, other people and
the environment, and to take appropriate action

1. All teachers provide students with a range of

opportunities and contexts for reflecting on their
learning.

X
X

Standard C3-13

Our portfolio agreement has changed. Portfolios

better represent student voice and reflection. In
service learning, students are producing reflections on
their service.
2. All teachers continue to deepen their understanding Standard C3-1, C3-2a Whole staff session in Aug. 2014 on inquiry.
Work to further use inquiry indicators and cycle.
of inquiry as a philosophy and as a pedagogy across
all subject areas.
3. All teachers continue to explore ways to further
Standard C3-2, C3-9 PD each year (prior to start of year) at 2-day, whole- Visible thinking routines.
develop appropriate learning engagements that
school retreat on concept based learning, teaching
Designing open-ended tasks (or learning how to
promote the development of critical thinking skills.
thinking and task design (working in transdisciplinary redesign/adapt old tasks to be more open ended and
groups).
challenging) that involve thinking rather than
completion.

Standard C4

There is an agreed approach to assessment, and to the recording and reporting of assessment data, which reflects the practices and requirements of the programme.

1. The teachers with the PYP coordinator, continue to Standard C4-b, C4-3,
develop formative and summative assessments that
effectively provide evidence of the concepts,
skills, and attitudes learned during the units of
inquiry.
2. The teachers look for ways to involve students in
Standard C4-8
peer- and self-assessment strategies so that they
grow as independent learners.
3. All teachers continue to develop systems for
Standard C4-5,
recording and storing evidence
of student learning so that it is accesible, as
appropriate, to students, parents, and teachers.

X
X

4. The pedagogical leadership team and teachers

Standard C4-6
develop a report card that reflects the principles of the
programme and shows progress of student learning.

We will focus on formative and summative

assessments in trimester 2, 2015.

Peer and self-assessment is being used to develop

students as independent learners.

Make clear that every unit must include peer and selfassessment through the process.

Portfolio agreement adopted. Conferences support

making evidence accessible to parents. Gr. 1-5 have
adopted E-folios.

In trimester 2, 2015 we will focus on methods to

collect assessment for learning. We will also begin the
process of changing our reporting system from
trimester progress reports to ongoing reporting that
accompanies each unit.
We are looking to move to ongoing reporting that
accompanies each unit.

Several revisions made.

Standard D1

Students learn to choose to act, and to reflect on their actions, so that they contribute to their own well-being and that of the community and the environment.

1. The teachers come to a common understanding the C2

action component of the PYP.
2. The teachers actively engage students in using the C3
think-act- reflect Action Cycle in order to make
informed choices about their actions, both inside and
outside of the classroom.
3. The school continue to look for ways that selfStandard C3-12, C3initiated action can be fostered and promoted, and
14b
support students in playing a role in some of the
decision-making processes of the school.

Teachers to review what action means and how it

might look or sound. Ways to see action?
Effort has been made to adopt and post inquiry/action Continue to workshop how such cycles are part of our
cycles. Teachers are now working to use those
units of inquiry.
graphics to facilitate learning.
Student action recorded on all PYP planners. Service Teachers need to look/encourage student action and
learning coordinator works with teachers to develop
record it.
student action.

4. The school create opportunities for service learning C2 and C3

within the school and local community.

Two service learning coordinators have taken on the Further develop ways that service becomes part of
task of developing service learning. Whole-school PD the process of learning (an adaptation of the
on service learning at 2-day staff retreat (including
curriculum) not an additional assignment (product).
action cycle) prior to start of year (Aug 2014).
Teachers have identified one UoI in the year where
they will focus on service.
We are maintaining our relationships with our service
partners: City parks (park clean-up/leaf raking in
autumn and maintenance of small garden in botanical
area), DAROM (countrywide community clean-up) &
Sierra Leone fundraising (sponsored fun run, bake
sale, coin collections) and exploring how such
relationships can support student learning.
The PYP service learning coordinator visited two
regional International schools to learn about service
learner at their schools.

Standard D2

In the final year of the programme, all students complete a programme-specific project that allows them to demonstrate a consolidation of their learning, in the case of PYP
and MYP, and demonstrate the extension and development of their learning in the Diploma Programme.
The PYP exhibition becomes a requirement in the
year subsequent to authorization.

Standard C4-9

Gr. 5 teacher and PYPC has doubled collaborative

Focus on essential elements of the PYP and how they
planning time to start planning for the PYP Exhibition. make up the structure of the PYP Exhibition.
Updated 16/03/15