The following common questions emerged in the early engagement focus groups.  

Why is this happening so fast?

To ensure families and students have the opportunity to participate in the cross boundary and mini school application process in January and to avoid disruptions to scheduling, staffing and budgets, VSB needs to make a decision about the future of MYP no later than December 1, 2024. In addition, IB World has mandated that the District begin to implement the recommendations outlined in the evaluation report by December 1, 2024, to retain its IB program accreditation. Based on the Board meeting schedule, the latest opportunity for a decision by the Board is at the November 25, 2024, public Board meeting.

Is MYP a prerequisite for the entrance into the IB Diploma Programme (DP) for grades 11 and 12?

No, MYP is not a prerequisite for DP. Students are required to undergo an application process for entrance into DP at Britannia Secondary or Churchill Secondary, which are District Choice programs. 

If community service hours are an integral part of the IB program and the program is discontinued, what elements will be included in the regular curriculum to ensure students still engage in community-based projects?

As part of the Personal and Social core competency curriculum for fostering a sense of social responsibility, educators already incorporate community service activities at all grade levels. It is however, not formally documented, as required by the IB program. Activities vary from school to school and can include volunteering in the school community to support initiatives and projects like special school events, being a recess buddy for a younger student, leading school assemblies, being a lunch monitor, and supporting school wide climate action projects. Additionally, the Career Life Connections (CLC) course, a requirement for all students, expects students to complete 30 or more hours of community service as part of graduation requirements, ensuring that community engagement remains an integral part of their educational experience.

If the MYP program stays, how long will teacher training take?

MYP training is dependent on workshop availability and is offered both locally and internationally. In-person workshops are typically three full days, and online workshops are completed over four weeks. Teachers will require release time (TTOC) coverage to attend both in-person and online training. It may take several months for all teachers to be trained, based on the availability of sessions and the individual schedules of teachers.

How often do IB teachers need to complete training?

IB World recommends teachers are trained every five years and every time the organization goes through a curriculum change. 

How much does training cost on average per teacher?

The cost of training is $1,000 to $5,000 per teacher (depending on if workshops are held locally, out of province or virtually) and must be renewed on a five-year cycle or if there is a curriculum update. Curriculum resources, assessment fees and facility upgrades, can further increase the costs.

How will student learning be impacted if the school no longer has an IB coordinator and teachers no longer receive IB training?

The IB Coordinator supports teachers in implementing the IB curriculum, managing program requirements, and ensuring alignment with IB standards. The IB Coordinator’s focus is not directly working with students, instead the coordinator focuses on guiding and assisting educators to deliver the curriculum within the IB framework. All VSB teachers have access to professional development funds for ongoing professional growth and learning and this is supported by the scheduling of six professional development days yearly. In addition, District teams, including the Learning and Instruction team and the Learning Services team offer many professional learning opportunities for all VSB educators. This can include, but is not limited to, workshops, mentorship, learning bursts, as well as co-planning and co-teaching possibilities in classrooms. The District also provides curated resources for teaching and learning on the internal VSB intranet. Teachers will continue to have robust learning and training opportunities to support their work with the BC Curriculum if IB training is no longer required.