Advanced learning program comes to AHS

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program will be introduced to juniors and seniors at Agoura High School next year, according to Principal Larry Misel.

In the program, students at AHS will take the same classes as IB students worldwide. The courses are are aimed at developing students into "lifelong learners through intercultural understanding and respect," said social science teacher and IB leader Andrew Staiano at an earlier Las Virgenes Unified School District board meeting.

International Baccalaureate is a two-year program for students ages 16 to 19. Like the Advanced Placement coursework that is prized by college admissions officers, the IB program is recognized by universities throughout the world and is open to all students, Misel said.

Adoption of the IB program was born out of the school's desire to emphasize problem solving, not just book learning, Misel said.

Staiano and parent volunteer Ziona Friedlander researched the program and prepared the multiyear application. English teacher Deborah Frank and assistant principal of curriculum and instruction Sherry Bronow have been instrumental in getting the program off the ground, Misel said.

The IB program provides "rigor and relevance" to the classroom, is studentcentered and emphasizes community service, Staiano said. The goal of the program is to teach "for understanding rather than performance."

While academic rigor will continue to be important, Staiano said the philosophy of the IB program is to educate the "whole person," weaving social and emotional elements throughout every class and subject.

Another goal is to develop students into "responsible citizens of the world," who are committed to being active in local and national "communities," Staiano said.

Some courses are compulsory, Staiano said. The theory of knowledge (TOK) course is central to the program, which emphasizes handson, practical learning and an understanding of the world's cultures.

"The focus of the TOK is on the student as knower," Staiano wrote in his report to the school board. "At the heart of the course is an appreciation for the myriad ways in which students learn and for the wealth of knowledge they have already attained." The central philosophy behind the TOK course is for students to develop a passion for learning, he said.

Students will be required to participate in 150 hours of community service to earn an IB diploma, Staiano said.

Students will be assessed in ways that measure individual performance, Staiano said. They will be graded on projects, oral assignments, personal portfolios, class presentations, lab work, math investigations and artistic performances. Students must also write a 4,000word "extended essay," comparable to a mini thesis paper, Staiano said. They will produce scholarly papers for submission to professional journals and will learn how to write an abstract.

International Baccalaureate will benefit students who might not be interested in Advanced Placement courses as a path to college. The program will blend the rigor of advanced classes with students' personal interests, he said.

The school was notified in June that they were a "candidate school" and was visited by IB administrators in early October, Staiano said. So far, 12 teachers have been trained in IB methods. Ten counselors, librarians and other support staff have also received training in the program. Administrators will undergo another round of the application process in early spring, and the program will be launched in fall 2009.

Although the IB program will be offered at Agoura High School, Staiano said students from Calabasas High are welcome to apply. So far, 100 students from Agoura High have expressed interest in the program.

"I know it's going to be a little disruptive the first year or two, (but) I think it is worth it," Misel said.