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IB at a critical numbers juncture

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Prestigious Leander ISD program braces for growth, hopes to keep pace

Leander ISD's International Baccalaureate program is growing rapidly, as reported last Wednesday. The district hopes that growth will result in more IB diplomas. Concerns remain, however, that the growth could outpace diplomas awarded.

Leander High School Principal Brad Mansfield is confident the district will meet the demand. “I feel supported at the district level that we're going to hit this head-on,” Mansfield said.

The IB Diploma Programme at LHS offers rigorous college preparation for juniors and seniors. IB graduates report the time management skills learned in IB make the transition to college much easier. As a bonus, state law guarantees diploma recipients a minimum of 24 credit hours at public colleges.

Currently, 21 seniors and 60 juniors are in IB. Next year, 76 sophomores plan to join, and 149 freshmen intend to pursue the program.

Will More Students Equal More Diplomas?

Despite increased enrollment, LISD's IB program has yet to maintain a 50 percent completion rate. Last year's 12 diplomas was an all-time LHS high. In 2006, the statewide the diploma passing rate was 72 percent.

In 2007, Westwood High School had 43 out of 44 students earn the diploma, and Austin ISD's Anderson High School awarded 23 diplomas to 24 candidates.

Lamar High School in Houston led the state with 67 receiving the diploma. In 2005-2006, Lamar had 1,287 enrolled in IB and Pre-IB classes out of a student body of 3,400.

Westwood's IB Coordinator Kathryn Fleming attributed their high rate of success in part to her school's all-or-nothing approach. Students are not permitted in the program just to earn certificates. At Leander and Anderson, students may choose whether they want to complete the full diploma, or just receive credit for individual classes.

“If you want to grow your diploma program, don't let them get certificates, because in their junior year they can change their mind,” Fleming said. “If students want to take just one class, they need to take it as an [Advanced Placement] class.”

LHS IB Coordinator Judy Guerra hopes Leander can adopt a philosophy similar to Westwood's.

“The diploma is the goal,” she said. “I don't like sending the message to incoming students that they can pick and choose. The IB spirit is about preparing the whole kid.”

More IB Teachers Needed

LISD will be stepping up efforts to provide additional IB classes. The juniors are already experiencing some overcrowding. Justin Jacobson, an IB junior, worries that large class size may be contributing to the low diploma count.

“The student/teacher ratio in my English class is 30-to-1,” Jacobson said. “You don't want that ratio in a regular class, much less an advanced class. We need smaller class sizes because IB requires so much teacher support. We need an intimate relationship with each teacher, and teachers need to be able to connect with students.”

IB senior Emily Goeke said her class has had closer relationships with its teachers, primarily due to their smaller numbers.

Mansfield said efforts to recruit more of the specially-trained teachers have to be improved. Teachers currently employed by the district have been encouraged to attend district-funded IB training.

Guerra and Mansfield said teachers interested in the program have to have the right mindset. The program requires extra work with no monetary incentive.

However, Mansfield said there are intangible benefits for teachers. “The biggest incentive is that they get to work with kids who are highly motivated,” he said. “It is not easy to be an IB teacher. We need people who really love the program and believe the kids that are in it warrant their dedication.”

Mansfield said the district wants to hire teachers who are certified in more than just IB classes to ensure teachers are not overburdened by the demands of the program.

LHS teacher Whitney Blankenship is one teacher Mansfield is concerned about experiencing burn-out. She teaches three sections each of IB history and psychology, and sponsors the IB Student Organization. She is also completing a doctoral dissertation. Blankenship is dedicated to the IB philosophy, but Mansfield said she needs someone with whom she can share the load.

Another subject area that suffers from a teacher shortage is Latin. IB students must take four years of the same foreign language. Latin is popular with IB students who intend to pursue degrees in classics, science and medicine. This year, several freshmen were turned away because the Latin 1 classes were full, forcing them to choose between French, German, or the 11 sections of Spanish 1 offered at LHS.

Adding a Latin teacher may be difficult - with or without IB training. LHS Latin teacher Paula Barnett said some 25 new Latin teachers are needed in Texas each year. Last year, only one Latin-certified teacher graduated in Texas - and that person is now teaching English in Thailand.

“IB is such a good program and I want it to be successful,” Barnett said. “Hopefully by now the district has posted ads for the positions for next year.”

On Monday, LISD's employment website listed 13 positions for high school teachers. None of the postings indicated a preference for IB certification.

However, on Friday, March 21, LISD Superintendent Dr. Bret Champion said the district is committed to having IB teachers in classrooms as soon as they are needed. “We are looking at the numbers, and our transfer process is coming up,” he said. “We'll take that into account to make sure the IB staffing is adequate. We are ready to get to work to make sure these needs are met.”

IB Improvement Team

Question remain whether district support and increased staffing will help ensure more students complete the diploma - a requirement stated in Leander's review by the Inter-national Baccalaureate Organi-zation. LISD has formed a task force to address these concerns.

“Our preliminary improvement objective will be to address the growth,” Mansfield said. “We're going to do a district-wide improvement process driven by certified people who know what to look for.”

Mansfield said the team will include himself and Champion, IB teachers, members of the district's Advanced Programs staff, parents, and current and former IB students.

“We want student involvement. We want focus groups to help us solve these problems,” Mansfield said. “We need to have IB-educated representatives in all parts of the administration.”

Jacobson hopes the team will be a place where he can voice his concerns. “We need these forums as an accountability measure,” he said. “We need to open people's minds to what the problems really are.”

“I love this program,” he continued. “It's holistic and well-rounded. That's why I took it - not for college credit or to get into an Ivy League school. I just wanted the best high school experience I could get.”

The team will meet for the first time on April 9. In the meantime, LHS staff will be bracing for next school year, intending to accommodate students who choose to take on the challenge that is IB. Whether LISD is successful in providing the changes that are so quickly becoming necessary, time - and a diploma count - will tell.

Editor's note: Kathy Goeke is a freelance writer for Hill Country News, and is also the parent of an IB senior.

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