Utica Community Schools Academy for International Studies Class of 2019 Program Orientation For Potential Parents and Learners

What is the Academy? The Utica Community Schools Academy for International Studies (UAIS) is a 4 year (14 – 18) Academy with 400+ students that promotes academic preparation through: –The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Curriculum –Natural / Brain-based Learning strategies –Research based decision making –Student voice and personalization of learning

Why attend the UAIS IB Academy? Validity and Consistency Integrated Curriculum IB is favored by Universities and Colleges Learning how to learn Well Rounded students with specialized interests

IB Mission Statement The International Baccalaureate Organization 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 IBO works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

What do Universities Say? MIT: Marilee Jones, Director of Admissions: “Send us prepared students à la IB…it is the best high school prep curriculum an American school can offer.”

What do Universities Say? Duke University, Christoph Guttentag, Director of Admissions: “One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality. It’s a coordinated program, well established, well known, and well respected. We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific.”

What do Universities Say? Harvard University, Marilyn McGrath Lewis, Asst. Dean of Admissions: “IB is well known to us as excellent preparation. Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Program on the transcript.”

UAIS Curriculum is…

UAIS Learning is… understanding that natural learning requires complex knowledge of the brain in learning. highly social and dynamic an environment that empowers co-construction of knowledge verse mono-directional delivery of information. Caine, et al, 12 Brain/Mind Learning Principles in Action, 2008

What does this look like? Design and Organization –Philosophical shift in instructional approach –Authority vs. Control –Student as the center of learning Curricular Changes –Promoting teaching for learning –Interconnectedness – Areas of Interaction –Active Learning Teacher Experts Authority vs. Control Facilitators Student Feedback Curriculum Student Centered Solid Goals - Flexible Scope and Sequence Areas of Interaction Student Directed Students Constructors of Knowledge Experiential Learners Inquirers and Thinkers NOT encyclopedias

What does the day look like? DayTimeA DayB Day 1 st Block7:20 – 9:10EnglishGeometry 2 nd Block9:15 – 10:56JapaneseHistory of World Civilizations I Lunch10:56 – 11:25 ToK / Production Team 11:30 – 12:16Production Teams 3 rd Block12:22 – 2:11Visual ArtPhysical and Biological Sciences

How do the credits compare? Michigan Diploma 2015 ELA - 4 Credits Foreign Language – 0 Credits Social Studies – 3 Credits Science – 3 Credits Mathematics – 4 Credits (Alg I, II and Geometry) Fine Arts – 1 Credit Physical Education – 1 Credit Online Experience International Baccalaureate Diploma Group 1 – ELA – 4 Cr. Group 2 – W. Lang – 4 Cr. Group 3 – I & S – 4 Cr. Group 4 – Exp. Sci – 4 Cr. Group 5 – Math – 4 Cr. Group 6 – Arts – 4 Cr. Theory of Knowledge, TOK and CAS – 1 Cr + EE

SL and HL Course Standard Level (SL) AP Level Course Work and Expectations 150 Contact Hours with Students All students must take at least two (2) SL Courses SL Courses Require Mastery of Subject Matter Higher Level (HL) Beyond AP Level Course Work and Understanding 240 Contact Hours with students All Students Must Take at Least three (3) HL Courses HL Requires Mastery of Subject Matter and additional Papers

IB Assessment Internal Assessments Ongoing 20 – 25% of Student’s Diploma Mark Teacher generated assignments that align with IB standards for assessment Externally Moderated by IB Reviewers Project, oral or paper based External Assessments May of Junior and Senior Years 75 – 80% of Student’s Diploma Mark Externally generated and moderated Paper, portfolio or oral based Only science has multiple choice (only part)

Group 1: English One of the most effective and humanizing ways that people of different cultures can have access to each others' experiences and concerns is through works of literary merit. ~ Salma Jayyusi, The Literature of Modern Arabia 9 th Grade ELA 10 th Grade ELA 11 th Grade –IB English SL I or, –IB English HL I 12 th Grade –IB English SL II or –IB English HL II

Group 2: Second Language The study of a modern language entails acquiring a language system and applying it in four active and interrelated ways: through listening, speaking, reading and writing. All students will take four years of a language French German Japanese Mandarin Chinese Spanish SL or HL? –Most students will be SL students. –HL requires a minimum 6 years of language.

Group 3: Individuals and Societies 9 th and 10 th Grade: History of World Civilizations –10,000 BCE – Present –Integrated World History, Government and Economics Course –Will require significant novel readi HL Strand –11 th History of Americas (HL) –12 th 20 th Century Topics (HL) SL Strands –11 th History of Americas (SL) –12 th SL Course Economics SL Psychology SL

Group 4: Experimental Sciences Laboratory Based Science education is at the Core of the IB 9 th Grade: Physical and Biological Sciences 10 th Grade: AP Biology SL and HL sciences are two years 11 th – 12 th –Biology (SL/HL) –Chemistry (SL/HL) –Physics (SL/HL) All students must take Biology in the 10 th or 11 th /12 th to graduate Group 4 Project

Group 5: Mathematics Academy Inquiry based mathematics. 9 th Grade: –Geometry –Algebra I or II 10 th Grade: –Algebra I or II –AP Statistics 11 th – 12 th Grade –SL Math Studies Statistics and project based Enters some pre-calc –SL Mathematics Statistics and Advanced Alg. and Trig Calc AB –HL Mathematics Stats, Adv. Alg, Trig Calc BC

Group 6: Fine Arts The impulse to make art is common to all people. From earliest times, human beings have displayed fundamental need to create and communicate personal and cultural meaning through art. IB Arts: Theory, History and Practice IB Music –Instrumental –Vocal IB Visual Arts IB Theatre –Performance –Design

The Hex Core CAS –Creativity, Action and Service –150 Hours (Junior and Senior Years) Extended Essay –4000 Words –One or more Groups –Original Hypothesis TOK: Theory of Knowledge –Ways of Knowing –Areas of Knowledge –Knowledge Issues Interdisciplinary Learning How to Question

The IB Diploma Looking for a Complete Student! –24 Marks * Possible 7 marks per exam 3 Marks for TOK / EE International Avg. 4.3 –Minimum 3 HL Courses –Maximum 3 SL Courses –Completion of EE*, CAS and TOK* HL Deal Breakers –Score 2 or below on any HL Examination –Score 3 on more than one Exam SL Deal Breakers –Score 1 on any Exam –Score 2 on more than one Exam

The Student Life

IB Learner Profile Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicators Principled Open-minded Caring Risk-takers Balanced Reflective

Students at the AIS... Have access to clubs and activities Have access to home school sports/activities Lead through student voice Create a community of friends and learners Enjoy working with their teachers

Teachers at the UAIS… Seek students’ input on curriculum and assessment Prescribe to IB curriculum and methods of teaching and learning Teachers plan together and create a team atmosphere in the school

How will learning be different at the UAIS? Relaxed but challenging Engaged learners Project based learning Socratic dialogues Reading and writing Independence Ethical Learners Embracing Confusion!

Opportunities Student Development Days International partnerships Student Lead Clubs and Activities International Travel CAS Projects / Community Work The IB Community

us at: Call us at: UAIS online can be found at: