GUELPH – Some parents and students would like the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program to be offered in Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) schools in Wellington and Dufferin counties.
If the board does decide to expand the program, it will take at least a couple years to bring it to the counties.
The IB program, currently offered at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI), along with 5,000 other schools around the world, “aims to develop well-rounded individuals by fostering academic excellence, personal growth and international mindedness,” UGDSB officials state.
Grade 12 students graduate from IB with two diplomas: an Ontario Secondary School Diploma and an internationally recognized IB diploma.
An IB prep program used to be offered at GCVI for Grade 9 and 10 students, but trustees voted to cut the prep program late last year.
During the discussions leading up to that decision, trustees directed staff to explore expanding the IB diploma program for Grades 11 and 12 to Wellington and Dufferin.
Staff surveyed students and parents in Wellington and Dufferin to gauge interests and perspectives on the possible expansion.
Of the 5,525 students currently attending high schools in Wellington and Dufferin, 435 provided feedback about the IB program expansion.
Nearly 10,000 emails were sent to parents and guardians with junior kindergarten to Grade 10 students currently enrolled in UGDSB schools in Wellington and Dufferin, with links to a brief online survey, officials state.
Of these emails, almost 8,000 were opened with 1,624 respondents clicking on the link and 1,204 submitting completed surveys.
During a UGDSB policies and priorities committee meeting in May, UGDSB data analyst Blayne Primeau said this response rate is typical when compared with other surveys, “and one way we’re working on increasing that is by making sure we close the loop,” by showing respondents how the information is used.
He said the student senate will be given the results to share with students, and “hopefully through avenues like this parents will see that we are using this information … in a meaningful way to help make decisions and next steps in the board.”
“The survey included questions designed to assess future interest in the IB diploma program, perceived benefits or concerns and logistical considerations such as travel and program accessibility” UGDSB officials state.
The majority of respondents live in Centre Wellington or Orangeville, with others responding from Erin, Wellington North, Minto, Mapleton and elsewhere within the two counties.
Of the respondents with students set to attend (or already attending) Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS), 267 said they were likely to register for the IB program.
Of the families in Erin District High School’s (EDHS) catchment area, 198 said they were likely to register.
For families connected to Norwell District Secondary School (NDSS) 153 said they were likely and for Wellington Heights Secondary School (WHSS) 62 expressed interest.
Trustee Robin Ross asked if, given how much smaller WHSS is than CWDHS, the interest outlined above is proportional with the school sizes.
“It’s such a small sample size that I would advocate for us continuing [the consultation process] in secondary schools … so we can look at proportions for schools and get a sense from students that way moving forward,” Primeau said.
In Dufferin, 205 families connected to Orangeville District Secondary School said they were likely to enroll their students in IB, 126 for Westside Secondary School in Orangeville and 123 for Centre Dufferin District High School in Shelburne.
Board officials split the results regionally in their analysis, and included EDHS with the Dufferin schools due to proximity, noting EDHS students could potentially access an IB program at a school in Dufferin County.
Between the three Dufferin high schools and EDHS, 652 respondents said they were likely to enrol their students in the IB diploma program, averaging 54 students per grade.
Between CWDHS, NDSS and WHSS, 482 respondents said they were likely to enrol, averaging 40 students per grade.
“Each grade is essentially a possible future cohort of IB students, so it would be important to consider this information to get a sense of the long-term viability of such a program,” Primeau said.
Trustee Martha McNeil asked if there is a minimum threshold to move forward.
“We will make a determination based on … viability, locations, programming and feasibility in terms of what it would cost,” said director of education Peter Sovran.
“The interests and opinions about expansion are one layer of many layers,” said superintendent Denise Heaslip, so no minimum interest threshold has been set.
Other information needed to make the decision includes whether there is space for the program and where it would be located, she said. The majority of respondents said the location and accessibility of the program would impact their decision to register.
Given this, Heaslip noted interest might be much lower if the program is not offered in a particular school.
For the high school students who provided feedback, around half (about 80) Grade 9 and 10 students said they had no or low interest in enrolling in IB. About 50 of these students expressed “moderate interest” and 34 expressed high or very high interest.
The majority of Grade 11 and 12 students surveyed said the UGDSB should offer IB outside of Guelph.
Students expressed perspectives on how doing so could impact educational experiences, and board staff identified the following key themes: increased opportunities, stronger preparation for university, enhanced learning experiences and a call for greater equity in access.
“Respondents highlighted the development of critical thinking, time management and independent learning skills as key benefits,” officials state.
One student said “students would be exposed to a more challenging curriculum, stronger time management skills and grow skills more,” and others said it was exciting to engage in more rigorous academic work that better supports their intellectual growth.
Six students expressed concerns or skepticism about IB, including one who said putting more funding and focus towards IB would mean less focus on students outside of the program, which is a problem because, “Every kid should feel valued, no matter how they learn.”
Sovran called the public consultation a first step and said it clearly shows there’s an interest for IB in both Wellington and Dufferin.
“Now, we would actually turn to what does that look like from a programming side?”
The next steps will be to develop an operational plan including possible locations in Wellington and Dufferin, staffing, training and financial considerations.
Sovran said it’s likely there will be more surveys moving forward, too.
