Programme development planning is a feature of the International Baccalaureate (IB) school evaluation process that focuses a structured approach to the development and implementation of IB initiatives in each school.
Programme development planning is integral to the development of each IB programme–it is a focus with an actionable, achievable outcome to develop one IB element or initiative.
According to IB Documentation, Programme Development in IB World Schools (2024), IB programme development is:
- Contextually appropriate continuous improvement
- Focused on school-identified priorities
- Grounded in the IB Programme standards and practices
- Based in inquiry, action and reflection (pg. 1).
All IB programme development plans share the common goal of positively impacting the student experience.
Programme development plans have no set date and time. During the cycle of evaluation, schools may undergo one, two, five or even ten programme development cycles.The school decides what the area of focus is, how to develop it, and how it becomes a part of school culture. At the time of the evaluation visit, schools will submit one plan to discuss with the evaluation team. The evaluation team will provide feedback on the process and provide suggestions for future development efforts.
In this blog you will get ideas for programme development planning–food for thought to feed you forward through your next cycle of evaluation and beyond.
The Focus of Programme Development Planning
The focus of programme development planning can come from a variety of sources, such as the most recent school evaluation report, site based planning, or school strategies. Programme development focus and rationale may also come from an initiative on the horizon, for example a new curriculum adoption or a district initiative.
Examples from IB literature as a focus for programme development planning could include: the Learner Profile, approaches to learning skills, conceptual teaching and learning, inquiry, transdisciplinary learning, engaging family and school community members, and so on. The options are endless–but it is important to choose one area of focus and an appropriate rationale for each programme development plan.
The focus and rationale for programme development planning should be chosen by relevant school staff such as a pedagogical leadership team, school improvement team or a representation from a variety of stakeholders. Ultimately, the school should choose something that is timely, relevant and engaging for teaching staff and additional stakeholders to implement.
Selecting a Focus for Programme Development Planning-A Vignette
One way to involve stakeholders in having meaningful conversations to select a focus for programme development is by engaging participants in an inquiry activity called a Diamond Ranking Activity. In this activity, participants must rank the idea of most importance down to least importance by ranking nine issues of significance to the school.
The facilitator leading this conversation can choose these nine ideas from a recent IB evaluation report, site plan, or by brainstorming and recording ideas of initiatives. There could be six or seven ideas written on cards, with a few blank cards for participants to record their own thoughts as well. The idea is to give participants choice, providing educators agency to select the items most relevant to them. This creates ownership and “buy-in” on school initiatives.
If you are planning to do this activity with a large group of participants, it is recommended to break the group into smaller groups of 5-6 participants. This will help engage them in conversation and enhance their agency. Leading the activity using inquiry moves such as “what do you think?” and “why do you say that?” will engage participants in critically thinking about what is important to them in developing their school community.
At the end of the activity, you will have a diamond shaped structure with the most important priority on top. Engage the full group in sharing what each groups’ most important idea was, and why they chose that idea. If you engage multiple groups in this activity, it is interesting to see if everyone selected the same or different ideas and why priorities varied. Common ideas and rationales can be discussed as a possible focus for programme development.
The Programme Development (PDP) Structure
Once you decide on a focus of programme development, utilize the Programme Development Plan Template (located in the Programme Resource Center of the MyIB System). This template will provide you with the structure which includes sections in planning and implementation with analysis and reflection.
Things to consider when planning for implementation:
- What IB practices is this programme development plan connected to?
- What impact does the school wish to achieve?
- What conditions need to be in place for the school to achieve this outcome?
The IB has built a motif builder app as a resource to assist schools in building their programme development plan around the standards and practices. This interactive tool can help schools that are choosing district or state mandates relate to IB standards and practices and provides connections for educators to IB elements.
Activities for PDP Implementation
Once the school has a focus for programme implementation and IB standards and practices tied to the plan, it is time to strategically plan activities that will lead to the outcome. Schools should identify the timeline and persons responsible for each milestone along the way. Schools can set a manageable, achievable goal with a set timeline. For example, the school can set a completion date for the end of the year, and then backwards plan activities that would happen each month to achieve that goal. All relevant stakeholders should be included in planning the activities to achieve the outcome.
Relevant stakeholders could include building leadership, teaching staff and assistants, parents, and students (as applicable). Additional school community members can be included as well. A general timeline with action items and persons responsible should be added to the programme development plan template, and modifications can be made along the way, based on feedback from stakeholders or data collected as the plan is followed through.
Research or examples from other schools can serve as important components in activity design and implementation. The IB provides a variety of examples located in the programme development planning template linked as Learning Stories. These learning stories provide examples of programme development plans from around the world.
Evidencing and Analyzing
To measure the success of a
programme development plan, systems to collect and analyze data at interim milestones throughout the plan should be noted. Data can be collected in a variety of ways and can include (but not be limited to): student observations, anecdotal notes or teacher records, student achievement data, surveys, interviews or focus groups. By utilizing a variety of data, schools can see multiple view points of the impact on the student experience.
Impact on Students
The school will collect examples of impact on students as part of their data and evidence collection. Documents, photographs, audio or video clips are some examples of evidence that could be collected.
During data collection and analysis, members of the school community can reflect on the success of the plan or make modifications to enhance the positive impact on students. Continued reflection, guided by a reflection protocol, can ensure the student experience remains the focus of programme development planning.
Reflecting on Your Programme Development Plan
Reflection is a key component of a successful programme development plan. Throughout the plan, schools are continuously reflecting on their progress to ensure success and make modifications along the way. Once complete, the school will need to engage in a final reflection. All relevant stakeholders should be a part of this reflection to capture the schools’ successes and make recommendations for future planning efforts.
During this final reflection, the school will engage in productive dialogue and will record their responses on the programme development plan, indicating what the school has learned from the engagement. This reflection will reveal lessons learned along the way, such as what systems, structures and processes were successful, and what might need to be modified or improved. Engaging in honest conversation about the programme development plan ensures the school can transfer successful processes to the next cycle of programme development.
Schools will also need to reflect on what their priorities for programme development will be moving forward. At times, the current plan will still need current review and refinement. Once complete, the school will decide to move forward with a new initiative for programme development planning. Establishing a vision for the future is important to fostering lifelong learners and continuous growth in the schools’ IB journey.
Programme Development Resources
The International Baccalaureate provides a variety of resources to assist schools in planning for programme development. Workshops such as Leading the Learning (Category 2) and Planning for Programme Evaluation (Category 3) provide an in-depth opportunity to learn about programme development planning and how it is an integral part of each schools’ evaluation process. Full descriptions of these workshops can be found in the IB Workshop Catalogue.
CASIE’s Role in Supporting the IB Community
CASIE supports the IB community in a variety of ways, notably providing school consultation and hosting authorized IB workshops for educators across the globe. For more information regarding professional learning opportunities tailored for IB educators, explore CASIE’s workshops and conferences.
Engaging with CASIE for IB Teaching Excellence
Programme development planning can be an exciting component of a schools’ IB journey. A programme development plan, utilizing teacher agency, can build structures, systems and processes that become a part of school culture for many years to come.
For more information on programme development support, join the CASIE community for IB educators. CASIE’s workshops, events, and online platforms can be a pivotal component in an educator’s journey towards mastering IB teaching by expanding innovative practices that educate for active global citizenship.
