St. John’s University

The Systemic Impact of the Implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program on the Culture and Climate of a High School

Candice BrodieEducational Research and Data Analysis

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the systemic change in culture and climate that

better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness brought about by the

implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in a high school. The

authorization process to become an International Baccalaureate World School requires an

examination of all aspects of the school community from pedagogy, to policy, to the facilities.

By engaging in this process, resulting changes would be expected to have an effect on the school

as a whole even in light of the fact that the Diploma Program, and its two pathways, is designed

for juniors and seniors. Using a “Systems Thinking” approach, school leaders can transform

their building in a pervasive way that transcends the focused grades and courses of the IB

Diploma Program. This approach could be utilized by any leadership team seeking to affect

change in their school.

Statement of the Problem

A school that finds itself in “a good place” will look for a way to cause a “growth spurt” and take

itself to the next level. With the importance of readying students for their college experience and

the need for them to possess certain skills for the twenty-first century, school leadership may find

itself looking for ways to raise the overall rigor of its program. Can the International

Baccalaureate Diploma Program affect the overall culture and climate of the school as a whole

particularly with reference to instructional methodology and acquisition of 21st century skills?

The vast majority of high schools across the country offer numerous Advanced Placement

courses for its student body, but these courses stand alone with no concurrency of learning. The

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a comprehensive program of study for students

aged 16-19 or juniors and seniors in high school. One focus of which is for students to “learn to

draw connections and pursue rich understandings about the interrelationship of knowledge and

experience across many fields.” (IBO.Org 2015) A skill that any secondary learning institution

would seek for its students.

The authorization phase to become an IB World School is a three year process that could

ultimately cause changes to a school’s culture and climate that reaches beyond the direct

participants in the Diploma Program. Peter Senge asserts that a singular change have system

wide effects on an institution stating that “systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes.”

(1990) The high school will become an IB World School not just a school that offers the IB

Diploma Program.

Background

Public schools across the nation are facing ever rising demands to prepare students for the

demands of the global community. In addition to this, questions have been raised about the

ability of our schools to ready students for the rigors and demands of college while possessing

the skills that are necessary to compete in the 21st century world. There are many ways that a

school can devise homegrown methods to up the ante for their students and infuse greater rigor

into its curriculum. Alternatively, school leadership may look for an outside program to serve as

the basis for systemic change to its programs and pedagogy resulting in a change to the culture

and climate.

The International Baccalaureate Organization was founded in the Post World War II

world and began in 1968. It offers four programs known as the Primary Years, Middle Years,

Diploma Program, and Career Related. This study will focus on the Diploma Program for

students ages 16-19 or juniors and seniors in high school. The IB Mission Statement embodies

much of what educators seek to instill in students readying themselves for college and beyond.

“The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.” (IBO.Org 2015)

Students may choose between two paths of study. One in which they are a full Diploma

Candidate and the other in which they engage in separate courses known as the certificate route.

Diploma candidates are required to take one course from each of six groups and engage in what

is known as the “Core”. The Core includes a metacognitive course called Theory of Knowledge,

the Extended Essay, and Creativity-Activity-Service. Many colleges and universities consider

this program the most rigorous a high school can offer. Certificate candidates may choose any

courses from the same six groups but do not engage with the core.

Establishing IB at a school can be expensive and may require major change or some

adjustments to the way things are done. Teachers are required to be trained, school policies

examined and amended, the community educated, and curricula designed and adopted. To

smooth introduction and buy-in process, school leaders may employ a systems thinking approach

that fosters the breakdown of mental models and the building of a new shared vision. (Senge

1990)

Teachers will need to engage in a comprehensive reform that directly affects their

classroom practice. (Schmidt and Datnow, 2005) The IB is based upon a Constructivist

approach to learning where knowledge is not a passivie acquisition of facts but is built through

actively engaging with various materials (Hill and Saxton, 2014) Further fostering the IB

philosophy of stimulating students to be curious and equip them with knowledge, conceptual

understanding, skills, reflection, and the ability to be lifelong learners. (Hill and Saxton, 2014)

Integrated throughout IB courses and the core is the Learner Profile. The Learner Profile is a list

of 10 attributes that IB seeks to instill in students before they leave high school. These attributes

are similar to the twenty first century skills outlined by the P-21 organization. Whether a student

is a full diploma candidate or not, they will be exposed to these pedagogies and philosophies. It

stands to reason that in planning to implement the Diploma Program in a high school,

adjustments would be made to all curriculum and practice to prepare students to be part of the

program if they so wish. It is for these reasons that it may be found that the implementation of

the IB Diploma Program in a high school will have a systemic effect on the overall culture and

climate of the school.

Research Questions

1. To what extent does the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program effect systemic change of the climate and culture of a high school that better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness?

2. What changes to pedagogy do teachers within, and outside the program, attribute to the implementation of the IB DP?

3. How has curriculum in 9th and 10th grade classes been changed to serve as the foundation for the IB Diploma Program?

4. What evidence of twenty first century skills are newly found in the curriculum?

5. What evidence is there of systems thinking in the preparation for IB?

6. What are the perceived effects of the IB DP by the community?

Definition of Variables and Terms

Climate - patterns of students', parents' and school personnel's experience of school life and the norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures.

College Ready - College readiness is the combination of skills, knowledge, and habits of mind necessary to fully participate in college-level courses (courses at the 100 level and above) to completion.

The Core – part of the IB Diploma Program consisting of the Theory of Knowledge Course, The Extended Essay, and Creativity-Activity-Service (CAS)

Creativity-Activity-Service (CAS) – a requirement of the IB Diploma and part of the Core. Students are expected to engage in 18 months of activity that is creative, physically active, and serves the community on a local and global level.

Culture – what is valued and rewarded including the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes and written and unwritten rules.

Extended Essay – a requirement of the IB Diploma and part of the Core. It is a 4,000 word independent research paper.

International Baccalaureate – an international curriculum designed for students ages 3-20 divided into four programs of study – the Primary Years, the Middle Years, the Diploma Program and the Career Related Program.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program – designed for students ages 16-20. Students are required to take one course from each of six subjects and engage in the Core.

Systems Thinking - the process of understanding how those things which may be regarded as systems influence one another within a complete entity, or larger system

Theory of Knowledge – a requirement of the IB Diploma and a metacognitive course focusing on logic, philosophy, and thinking. “Knowing about knowing”.

Twenty-first Century Skills – the skills, knowledge and expertise students must master to succeed in work and life; it is a blend of content knowledge, specific skills, expertise and literacies. (Partnership for Twenty-first Century Skills, 2011)

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The literature reviewed in this section summarizes past research that has been done on the

impact of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program both while students are engaged in

the program and post-graduation. It evaluates the effects of partaking in the IB Diploma

Program on the lives of graduates. Additional reviews concern the role of the IB curriculum in

preparing students for college and the twenty-first century and final reviews discuss the aspects

and merits of systems thinking in education.

The International Baccalaureate

Established in 1968, the International Baccalaureate offers four programs of study for

students ages 3-19. The original program and focus of this article is the Diploma Program

designed for students 16-19. Currently, there are 2,795 schools in 143 countries offering the IB

DP. Students taking part in the full diploma program are required to take one course from each

of six separate groups, as well as, the Core – Theory of Knowledge, The Extended Essay, and

Creativity-Activity-Service. Students may also enroll in individual certificate courses that do not

require the Core. There are numerous internal and external assessments and exam scores may

result in college credit depending on the students’ scores and the policies of the college or

university. (IBO.Org, 2015)

Reflections on the International Baccalaureate Program

Taylor and Porath (2006) studied the effects of participation in the IB DP. The focus was

on the curriculum, the stress experienced while in IB, and their preparation for post-secondary

studies. With regard to the curriculum, most participants were grateful to have been exposed to

a rich, deep curriculum adding that they considered themselves to have developed good critical

thinking skills. A small number found the workload to be excessive causing worry about their

ability to complete the requirements and gain entrance to the university of their choice.

Interestingly, the same students indicated that this sense of stress caused them to make

adjustments to their time management and be more efficient. The majority of students felt that

they were better prepared for introductory level college courses and half felt less stressed about

the work. Additionally, most participants believed that being in IB assisted in their pursuit of

career goals after college.

The Transformative Effects of IB

Studies have asserted that IB has had a transformative effect of school culture and

changed students’ attitudes. (Matthews and Hill, 2005) This is a significant statement with

reference to this study as the question of the pervasiveness of the IB’s effects on a school is yet

to be established. Non-education authors have suggested that schools need to do a better job of

preparing students for college, particularly in the areas of science and engineering. (Friedman,

2005). Research has shown that changes need to be implemented that would truly ready students

to enter and complete college. David Conley examines what it takes for students to be ready for

and successful in college in his work College and Career Ready. Conley describes the IB DP as

a program that, when “properly implemented and managed, is a powerful experience that

prepares students well for the transition to postsecondary education”. (Conley, 2010)

Rigor and Accessibility

Partially due to the IB Diploma Program’s reputation as highly rigorous, IB is growing at

an unprecedented rate with many schools and districts choosing to implement at least one

program. (Burris and Welner, 2005) Researchers have touted the IB DP as a challenging program

that can enable content mastery by students. (Conner, 2008) The national movement for greater

standards and accountability has seen a growth in the ranks of those who support the IB program

that is consistently rigorous in its curriculum and assessment. Some schools have gone so far as

to introduce IB as a method to address federal standards. (Mayer, 2008)

The accessibility for students in the DP has also been the subject of research. Access is

unlimited as there are no formal admission guidelines and many schools adhere to a policy of

open enrollment. (Mayer, 2008) Matthews and Hill (2005) described several Virginia schools

that had implemented the IB DP hoping to limit the racial divides that were occurring.

IB and 21 st Century Skills

The IB DP is especially appealing to those who believe that the United States must

increase the competitive level of its education system. There was in increase in school

membership as researchers began comparing the US education system to other nations (Conner,

2005) A spike could be sen after the publication of A Nation at Risk. It has been asked whether

we, as a nation, are doing as much as we can to offer appropriate education to our students

(Daniel and Cox, 1992) Darling-Hammond and Friedman both state that there is a need to design

assessments that are rigorous to equip students with the skills needed to compete in the global

market. (2010, 2005)

Research has indicated that IB is effective in developing students' ability to think globally

and critically. Burris and Welner (2005) asserted that the IB DP provides all students access to

the advanced curriculum that is necessary to prepare students for the skills required in the 21st

century. Wilkinson and Hayden (2010) examined the effects of the IB DP on students and

concluded that the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course encouraged students to question their

own, their friends', and their teachers' beliefs. Mathews and Hill (2005) described IB as a

demanding program for preparing students for college. The assessments associated with the IB

DP require students to apply their acquired knowledge to complex problems. Silva (2008) argued

that public schools must ensure that students gain a set of vital thinking and reasoning skills.

Silva described IB as a "40-year-old program [that] is built on the principle that students can and

should master both basic subject matter and higher-order thinking skills" (p. 633). IB DP

students spend a significant amount of time in class problem solving, inquiring, and applying

knowledge to real-world situations.

Culture Defined.

A school culture is represented by its rituals, by what is valued and rewarded, and by what gets

attention (Bolman & Deal, 1997; Deal & Peterson, 1999). A school culture defines an

organization's norms and relationships. Culture provides organizational stability and coordinates

the behavior of the organization's members. "Culture is to the organization what personality is to

the individual-a hidden, yet unifying theme that provides meaning, direction, and mobilization"

(Kilmann, as cited in Shafritz, Ott, & Jang, 2005, p. 352). Deal and Peterson (1999) stated that in

order to be effective, culturally sensitive leaders must clearly define the organization's values and

share these values with students, parents, and the community at every opportunity. A healthy

culture is exhibited by shared decision making. Cultural leaders instill pride in an organization

and address conflict within the organization (Deal & Peterson, 1999).

Culture in Schools.

Culture in schools is summarized by the idiom "that's how we do things around here"

(Barth, 2001; Crowson, 1992; Deal & Peterson, 1999; Hall & Hord, 2006; Lindsey; Robins, &

Terrell, 1999). Deal and Peterson (1999) stated that culture is defined within a school as a

school's own unwritten rules and traditions, norms and expectations that seem to permeate

everything: the way people act, how they dress, what they talk about or avoid talking about,

whether they seek out colleagues for help or don't, and how teachers feel about their work and

their students, (pp. 2-3) School culture is often more powerful than board policy, county offices,

or state standards. Barth (2001) stated, "Ultimately, a school's culture has far more influence on

life and learning in the schoolhouse than the state department, the school board, or even the

principal can have" (p. 7).

Climate Defined.

Culture and climate are closely related concepts. "Climate involves relatively enduring

patterns of behavior and interaction that are influenced by the culture" (Miron, Jones, & Kelaher-

Young, 2011, p. 4). Climate is defined by the relationships among students and teachers as well

as by academic orientation, guidance, and behavioral values (Miron et al., 2011). Fan, Williams,

and Corkin (2011) defined climate as "the character and quality within a school that is shaped by

its organizational structure, physical environment, instructional practices, interpersonal

relationships, and overarching values" (p. 632). Hall and Hord (2006) defined climate as "the

individual's perceptions of a work setting in terms of a priori established concepts that can be

measured empirically" (p. 194).

Climate in Schools.

Climate in schools has been defined by a commitment of stakeholders to the school

(Ding, Liu, & Berkowitz, 2011; Fan et al., 2011). Miron et al. (2011) listed several descriptors

that describe climate in schools, including teacher-student relationships, student-peer

relationships, academic orientation, and student behavior. Zullig, Huebner, and Patton (2011)

who listed five primary domains of school climate: order, safety, and discipline; academic

outcomes; social relationships; school facilities; and school connectedness. School climate is

more representative of a person's perception of the school than the reality of one's experiences.

Climate in schools can be defined by the idiom "how we feel about what goes on here" (Ding et

al., 2011; Koth, Bradshaw, & Leaf, 2008; Miron, Jones & Kelaher, 2011; Zullig et al., 2011).

Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is a conceptual framework used in this study for investigating the

impact of the IB DP on culture and climate at two high school sites. Systems thinking is defined

as "a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system's constituent parts

interrelate" (Miller-Williams & Kritsonis, 2009, p. 2). Systems thinking is concerned with how

systems work overtime and in relation to other systems (Banathy, 1991; Bui & Baruch, 2010;

Cook, 2000; Hall & Hord, 2006; Miller-Williams & Kritsonis, 2009; Senge, 2000). Hall and

Hord (2006) affirmed this in reporting that in systems thinking, one must examine all school

components as interconnected, including students, curriculum and instruction, assessment, policy

and governance, professional staffing, resources, and family/community. Jasparro (1998) posited

that "advocates of systems thinking see the interconnectedness of all things and understand that

change is not linear" (p. 81).

Senge (1990) describes five disciplines as being important to the health of an

organization are building a shared vision, creating mental models, fostering team learning, and

nurturing personal mastery. Systems thinking is the fifth discipline-the discipline that synthesizes

the others "into a coherent body of theory and practice" (p. 12). In a systems-thinking learning

organization, people persistently increase their ability to generate the results "they truly desire,

where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set

free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together" (Senge, 1990, p. 1). Senge

asked the question of learning organizations, "How do we discover what type of learning

organization we wish to create?" (1994, p. 5). Learning organizations must become willing to be

introspective enough to ask questions about their goals and mission.

It is reasonable to question whether or not IB educators have a plan to affect the culture

and instructional rigor associated with all students in a school. This requires the creation of a

shared vision (Cook, 2006; Marcellino, 2008). Senge (1994) described a shared vision as

"building a sense of commitment in a group, by developing shared images of the future we seek

to create, and the principles and guiding practices by which we hope to get there" (p.6).

Kaufman, Herman, and Watters (2002) stated "A system approach views education as the sum of

the independent parts working together to achieve a common-ideally societal-purpose" (p. 11).

Senge (1990) wrote that team learning begins with dialogue that includes the capacity of team

members to suspend assumptions and enter into a collaborative atmosphere. Team learning is

vital and this interaction is "where the rubber meets the road; unless teams can learn, the

organization cannot learn" (Senge, 1990, p. 10). The success or failure of a reform proposal is

dependent on a sense of common purpose shared by all team members (Senge, 2000; Senge et

al., 1999; Wells & Keane, 2008).

Miller-Williams and Kritsonis (2009) reported that an effective component of systems

thinking relative to school reform is that systems thinking "emphasizes circular feedback rather

than linear cause and effect" (p. 2). This becomes important when considering the many

subsystems that make up a school setting, the constant changes that affect a school, and the need

to examine and foresee unintended consequences of reform efforts. They asserted that

educational leaders must continually evaluate the school as a system and look beyond individual

components.

Researchers have also applied systems thinking in studies that address improving student

achievement. Thornton, Peltier, and Perreault (2004) reported that educators need to understand

that schools are "complex inter-dependent social systems" (p. 222). The authors stated that

attempts to reform often address symptoms but not the root causes of problems. They concluded

that in order to effect positive improvement in student achievement, educational leaders must

adopt a systemic perspective, stating, "Education leaders must break down the barriers between

schools, departments, and groups; they must promote flexibility and new approaches to

cooperation" (p. 226). Porter and Cordoba (2009) described schools that employ systems

thinking as those that see their fundamental guiding principle as designing meaningful

interventions to help students succeed.

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

Overview

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the systemic change in culture and climate that

better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness brought about by the

implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in a high school. Research

will be done on the changes to curriculum and pedagogy that result in a change in culture and

climate. Additional research will be done to investigate the systemic infusion of twenty-first

century skills and college readiness that comes with a shift in values the IB DP brings. Using a

“Systems Thinking” approach, school leaders can transform their building in a pervasive way

that transcends the focused grades and courses of the IB Diploma Program. This approach could

be utilized by any leadership team seeking to affect change in their school.

Research Questions

1. To what extent does the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program effect systemic change of the climate and culture of a high school that better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness?

2. What changes to pedagogy do teachers within and outside the program are attributed to the implementation of the IB DP?

3. What evidence of twenty first century skills and college readiness are newly found in the curriculum 9-12?

4. What evidence is there of systems thinking in the preparation and implementation of IB?

5. What are the perceived effects of the IB DP by the community?

Questions one and two begin to be answered by the following:

1. Subjects were asked to reply to a survey with two parts. In Part I, subjects were asked to

respond to a series of twenty statements using a 4 point scale. They were invited to add

further comments to their responses. Part 2 consisted of seven open ended questions.

SubjectsTwenty-six IB graduates from two public schools in British Columbia were contacted. One

school serves an inner city population and the other is a middle class population. One group was

about to complete their undergraduate work and the other was either finishing up their

undergraduate studies or beginning their careers. There were sixteen participants who were

contacted by mail or email and invited to respond by either method.

Data Analysis

The twenty statements of Part I were grouped into three categories:

1. Program Suitability – Does the IB DP provide a suitable enriched curriculum that

challenges secondary students academically?

2. Psychological and Emotional Impact – Did they feel the level of stress they experienced

was too intense?

3. Preparation for Postsecondary Study – Does IB better prepare graduates to meet the

challenges of postsecondary study and is it evident in the long-term career outcomes for

those students?

Responses to each question were combined in accordance with the three aforementioned

groupings and the four point scale (1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=disagree, 4=strongly disagree)

combined into two descriptors of agree and disagree. First the non-categorical responses to the

three groupings were analyzed using a five point summary and histogram. Then, a descriptive

analysis was performed to reveal the mean, median, range and skew. Finally, the relationships

between the following variables were analyzed:

1. The enriched curriculum and preparedness for post-secondary study and work.

2. The enriched curriculum and intense stress.

This analysis was done using a Pearson Correlation and scatter plot. Additionally, a regression

analysis was done to further test the efficacy of the relationships.

CHAPTER 4

FINDINGS

The data collected and analyzed in this instance begins to answer the primary, overall

research question:

To what extent does the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program effect systemic change of the climate and culture of a high school that better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness?

This study sought to elicit reflection on the IB DP program from graduates. Specifically, on the

enriched curriculum, stress level, and preparedness for post-secondary school and career. The

survey asked participants to respond to a series of twenty statements using a 4 –point scale

(1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=disagree, 4=strongly disagree). The twenty questions were

clustered into groups that addressed three themes or questions:

1. Does the IB DP provide a suitable enriched curriculum that challenges secondary

students academically?

2. Did they feel the level of stress they experienced was too intense?

3. Does IB better prepare graduates to meet the challenges of postsecondary study and is it

evident in the long-term career outcomes for those students?

The responses were then combined, by question, into one set of strongly agree/agree and one set

of strongly disagree/disagree for a total of six sets of data.

The first set of data demonstrates the level agreement with the suitability of the enriched

curriculum of the IB DP to challenge secondary students. This theme is compiled using data

from seven distinct questions. Responses were combined to reflect the overall theme.

Table 1 illustrates the frequency of answers to the seven questions pertaining to this theme in

which the person agreed or strongly agreed with the horizontal numbers representing the number

of responses and the number on the bar indicating the number of questions responded to with an

agree or strongly agree. For any given question, the maximum number of respondents was 16.

Using a five point summary, Table 2 shows that the maximum number of respondents who agree

or strongly agree with the questions pertaining to this theme is 7 and the minimum is one. 1.75

people agreed with this idea 25% of the time, 3.5 people agreed 50% of the time, and 4.25 people

agreed 75% of the time indicating that the majority of responses were in support of the idea that

the curriculum is suitable as an enriched curriculum. Table 3 corroborates this trend using the

opposing lens of respondents disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the suitability of the

curriculum as being appropriately enriched. For 50% of the questions, none of the respondents

disagreed or strongly disagreed with the curriculums enrichment potential. For 75% of the

questions, only one respondent disagreed or strongly disagreed. The maximum number of

respondents that disagreed or strongly disagreed was 4.

Table 2 Table 3

Suitable Enriched Curriculum - SA1111

00000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

7

34

7

3 3

10

FrequencyTable 1

Table 4 illustrates the frequency of answers to the seven questions pertaining to this theme in

which the person disagreed or strongly disagreed with the horizontal numbers representing the

number of responses and the number on the bar indicating the number of questions responded to

with an agree or disagree.

As seen in Tale 5, the average number of people who strongly agreed or agreed was 3.32. The

median number of people who strongly agree or agree is 3.5. There is a slight negative skew

because the mean is less than the median indicating that there is a higher occurrence of answers

that agree or strongly agree. The range in number of people who strongly agree or agree is 6.

Mean 3.321429Standard Error 0.345238Median 3.5Mode 1Standard Deviatio 1.826828Sample Variance 3.337302Kurtosis -0.9746Skewness 0.19091Range 6Minimum 1Maximum 7Sum 93Count 28

0 1 2 3 4 5

16

7

20

20

FrequencyTable 4

Table 5

As seen in Table 6, the average number of people who disagreed or strongly disagreed with the

first group of questions is .68. The majority of respondents did not disagree or strongly disagree.

There is positive skew because the mean is greater than the median indication that the number of

responses that disagree or strongly disagree are clustered at the low end. This becomes

especially evident where the table shows the median and mode to be zero responses that

disagree.

Mean 0.678571Standard Error 0.212404Median 0Mode 0Standard Deviation 1.123934Sample Variance 1.263228Kurtosis 3.976285Skewness 2.045703Range 4Minimum 0Maximum 4Sum 19Count 28

The second set of data demonstrates the level of stress IB DP graduates felt they

experience, ie. Was the level of stress too intense? This theme is compiled using data from six

distinct questions. Responses were combined to reflect the overall theme. Table 7 illustrates the

frequency of answers to the six questions pertaining to this theme in which the person agreed or

strongly agreed with the horizontal numbers representing the number of responses and the

number on the bar indicating the number of questions responded to with an agree or strongly

agree. For any given question, the maximum number of respondents was 16. This table begins

Table 6

to paint the picture that most respondents did not agree with this set of questions. For example,

Table 7 illustrates the fact that no one agreed that the stress was too intense for six out of six

questions. The highest number of responses in agreement was 8 with respect to two questions.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

6

4

8

1

32

0

Frequency

Table 8 is a five point summary that further demonstrates this trend. For 25% of the

questions, .75 people agreed or strongly agreed that there is an intense level of stress. In 50 % of

the questions, 2 people agreed or strongly agreed that there is an intense level of stress, and for

75% of the questions, 2.25 people agreed or strongly agreed with the intense level of stress. The

maximum number of people that agreed or strongly agreed with the intense level of stress was 5.

Table 8

Intense Level of Stress - A/SA0000

Table 9 shows the average number of people who agree or strongly agree is 1.875. The median

number is 2. There is negative skew because the mean is less than the median.

Table 7

Intense Level of Stress - A/SA0000001111222

Responses to the same set of questions where participants disagreed or strongly disagreed can be

seen in Tables 10 and 11. In Table 10, no one disagreed or strongly disagreed with zero

questions while the greatest number of people who disagreed was six people to two questions.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

65

4 4

12 2

0

FrequencyFrequency

Table 11 is a five point summary that indicates .75 people disagreed or strongly disagreed with

the intense stress in 25% of the questions. 2 people disagreed or strongly disagreed with the

intense stress in 50% of the questions. 3 people disagreed or strongly disagreed with the intense

stress in 75% of the questions. The maximum number of people who disagreed or strongly

disagreed with the intense stress was 6.

Table 10

Table 9

Table 11

Intense Level of Stress - D/SD0000

Table 12 illustrates that the average number of people who disagree or strongly disagree that the

stress of the program was too intense is 2.125. The median number of people who disagree or

strongly disagree is 2. This creates a positive skew because the mean is larger than the median.

11122223333455

The third set of data demonstrates if IB better prepares graduates to meet the challenges of

postsecondary study and is it evident in the long-term career outcomes for those students. This

theme is compiled using data from seven distinct questions. Responses were combined to reflect

the overall theme. Table 13 demonstrates that one person agrees or strongly agrees with 25% of

the questions pertaining to being better prepared for post-secondary work or education. Two

people agree or strongly agree with 50% of the questions pertaining to being better prepared for

post-secondary work or education. 3.25 people agree or strongly agree with 75% of the

Table 12

questions pertaining to being better prepared for post-secondary work or education. Seven

people was the maximum number of students who agreed or strongly agreed with questions

pertaining to being better prepared for post-secondary work or education.

Table 13

Better Prepared - SA/A0000

The average number of people who agree or strongly agree that they were better prepared for

post secondary life was 2.36 while the median number of people who agree or strongly agree that

they were better prepared for post secondary life is 2. With the mean being greater than the

median, there is a positive skew. (Table 14)

Table 14

11222222223334

Table 15 shows the breakdown of participants who responded to the seven questions by

disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that the IB DP made them better prepared for post-secondary

work or college. For 25 % of the questions, only one person disagreed or strongly disagreed that

they were better prepared for post-secondary life. For 50% of the questions, only one person

disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were better prepared for post-secondary life. For 75 %

of the questions, only two people disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were better prepared

for post-secondary life. The maximum number of people who disagreed or strongly disagreed

that they were better prepared for post-secondary life was 5. The average number of people who

disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were better prepared for post-secondary life was 1.43

with a median number of 1. This creates a positive skew with the mean higher than the median.

(Table 16)

Table 16

01111111111111

The next analysis was to test the relationship between the enriched academic curriculum of

the IB DP and preparedness for post-secondary work and study. This was done using the

combined data in those two groups and looking at the Pearson Correlation, creating a scatter plot,

and doing a regression analysis. The data reveals that the Pearson Correlation is a very strong,

positive correlation as seen in Tables 17. The scatter plot (Table 19) shows a tight cluster of

points around a rising “line” also indicating a strong correlation. According to the correlation

coefficient, 90% of the preparedness scores are affected by the enriched curriculum scores.

(Table 19)

  Suitable Enriched  Curriculum - SA Better Prepared - SA/A

Suitable Enriched Curriculum - SA 1Better Prepared - SA/A 0.950967144 1

Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.950967144R Square 0.904338509Adjusted R Square 0.900659221Standard Error 0.583156363Observations 28

Table 19

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 802468

Better Prepared

Better Prepared - SA/A

Enriched Curriculum

Prep

ared

ness

for P

ost-

Seco

ndar

y

A regression analysis (Table 20) reveals a slope of .9631 with a Y-intercept of -.084. If the

number of people that agree the curriculum is a suitably enriched curriculum is .96, the number

of people who agree that they were prepared for post-secondary work and college would be

expected to be - .84 which does not make sense according to this model. However, if the number

of people who agreed IB to be a suitably enriched curriculum is 10, then the number of people

who agree that they were prepared for post-secondary work and college would be expected to be

Table 17

Table 18

8.76. For every increase in the number of people who agree that IB provides an enriched

curriculum, there is a .96 increase in the number of people who agree that they were prepared for

post-secondary work and college.

Table 20

Y=.96 X - .84 Coefficients Standard Error t Stat P-value Lower 95%Upper 95% Lower 95.0%

Intercept -0.841854935 0.231906457 -3.630150.001216932

-1.318545484

-0.3651

6 -1.31855

Suitable Enriched Curriculum - SA 0.96313912 0.061433521 15.67775 9.12156E-150.836860709 1.089418

A concern about the IB DP is the stress that it may cause students that are engaged in the

program. Examining the relationship between the enriched curriculum and the level of stress is

one worth investigating. This was done using the combined data in those two groups and

looking at the Pearson Correlation, creating a scatter plot, and doing a regression analysis. The

data reveals that the Pearson Correlation is a very strong (.92) which is close to 1, a positive

correlation as seen in Table 21. The scatter plot (Table 22) shows a tight cluster of points around

a rising “line” also indicating a strong correlation. According to the correlation coefficient, 85%

of the stress scores are affected by the enriched curriculum scores (Table 23).

Table 21

 Suitable Enriched  Curriculum - SA Intense Level of Stress 

Suitable Enriched Curriculum 1Intense Level of Stress 0.920435882 1

Table 22

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80123456

f(x) = 0.86521987435751 x − 0.756710451170759

Intense Level of Stress Intense Level of Stress - A/SALinear (Intense Level of Stress - A/SA)Linear (Intense Level of Stress - A/SA)

Table 23

Regression StatisticsMultiple R 0.965211552R Square 0.93163334Adjusted R Square 0.928525765Standard Error 0.426827378Observations 24

A regression analysis (Table 24) reveals a slope of .87 with a Y-intercept of -.76. If the number

of people that agree the curriculum is a suitably enriched curriculum is .87, the number of people

who agree that they experienced intense levels of stress would be expected to be - .76 which does

not make sense according to this model. However, if the number of people who agreed IB to be

a suitably enriched curriculum is 10, then the number of people who agree that they were

prepared for post-secondary work and college would be expected to be 7.94. For every increase

in the number of people who agree that IB provides an enriched curriculum, there is a .87

increase in the number of people who agree that they experienced intense stress while in the

program.

  CoefficientsIntercept -0.756710451Suitable Enriched Curriculum 0.865219874

Table 24

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE

RESEARCH

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the systemic change in culture and climate that

better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness brought about by the

implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in a high school. The

authorization process to become an International Baccalaureate World School requires an

examination of all aspects of the school community from pedagogy, to policy, to the facilities.

By engaging in this process, resulting changes would be expected to have an effect on the school

as a whole even in light of the fact that the Diploma Program, and its two pathways, is designed

for juniors and seniors. Using a “Systems Thinking” approach, school leaders can transform

their building in a pervasive way that transcends the focused grades and courses of the IB

Diploma Program. This approach could be utilized by any leadership team seeking to affect

change in their school.

This section reflects the beginnings of inquiry into the central research question:

To what extent does the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program effect systemic change of the climate and culture of a high school that better instills twenty-first century skills and college readiness?

David Conley identifies four “distinct dimensions” that schools should embrace in order to raise

the level of college readiness their graduates possess. He calls these “The Big Four”

A comprehensive college preparation program must address: cognitive strategies, content

knowledge, self-management skills, and knowledge about postsecondary education. Evaluation

has to be made as to whether or not the implementation of the International Baccalaureate

Diploma Program increases the college readiness of the entire student body by utilizing a

systems approach.

This section discusses the reflections of graduates of the IB DP. Before analyzing if the

IB DP creates better college readiness to a whole school, it makes sense to examine whether or

not this is true of the students who were directly involved in the program. Of a twenty-question

survey, seven questions specifically address the participants’ readiness for post-secondary study

and work. Another set of seven questions refer to the IB curriculum as being enriched. Not

necessarily directly related to the central question, it does raise another question as to whether or

not a school would need to raise the level of rigor in its entire curriculum to make their student

body more college ready.

The data suggests a lukewarm support of the idea that the IB curriculum is enriched as

the mean number of those that agree that the curriculum is enriched is three times that of those

who disagree. Similarly, the notion of the IB curriculum preparing students for post-secondary

studies was also moderate. The mean number of respondents that agreed with questions related

to this fact was 2. Not an overwhelming rate. More importantly, there is a strong correlation

between the idea of the IB curriculum being enriched and that of the curriculum preparing the

participants for college. Data analysis showed that 90% of preparedness could be predicted by

the enriched curriculum. A scatter plot illustrates this with tightly clustered points around an

upward sloping line.

There is a great deal of further research to be done. A larger sample is necessary and

there would have to be further investigation of the idea of IB being an “enriched curriculum”. Is

that what drives the perception that one is better prepared for college?

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