The International Baccalaureate Organization has approved Somers High School’s Middle Years Programme in freshman and sophomore grades, clearing the way for acceptance in the globally recognized community of rigorous, student-centered schools.
The approval affirms a continuous experience in the approach to learning beginning at Somers Middle School in grade 6 and continuing through grade 10, after which, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is one of various robust pathways juniors and seniors may pursue.
“With the International Baccalaureate Organization’s affirmation, we are part of a widely recognized, international professional learning community,” said Interim Superintendent Harry LeFevre. “That is only going to help us get stronger and build upon what has been created by the dedicated team at Somers High School, supported by the Board of Education.”
The organization informed Somers High School last week that the school had met the requirements for authorization. To finalize the process, the high school will submit a signed statement of acceptance. Once completed, Somers High School will be listed as an authorized Middle Years Programme school.
The Middle Years Programme builds on the Somers schools’ approach, which values inquiry-based, child-centered learning. With the IB approach, students to take an active role in their learning with “Approaches to Learning” (ATL) skills – thinking, research, communication, social and self-management.
“Students over time develop sophisticated and clear knowledge of how they learn best and are encouraged to co-construct their learning alongside their teachers,” said English teacher Erin Stewart, coordinator of the MYP at the high school.
The method presents an interdisciplinary approach that fulfills all New York State standards while relating lessons to real-life scenarios. Students in an engineering class, for instance, may be asked to design a window display that effectively communicates what the course offers. They explore the purpose of window displays in marketing and learn foundational skills.
“I think students appreciate the rigor and the real-world application of content and skills, as well as the opportunity to be active participants in their own learning,” Stewart said.
Sophomore Anna Huber reflected that view.
“IB provides learning objectives and inquiry questions that allow students like me the freedom to discover what they should and want to get out of a lesson,” she said.
Huber and her classmates sharpened their IB skills in an assignment calling on them to each write a speech about a United Nations Sustainable Goal. The interdisciplinary assignment combined research skills from AP World class and writing techniques from English class.
“Through exploring real-life examples of how societies can use their resources, we deepened our understanding of global issues and interdisciplinary inquiry,” she said.
Students also are encouraged to showcase their learning through a rigorous capstone personal research project “that puts their passion and knowledge on display,” Stewart said.
For Huber’s project, in her Tusker 102 class, she plans to learn Tagalog, “focusing on my language learning skills and developing my knowledge of Filipino culture,” she said. “In the end, I will present what I have learned through a series of letters and videos.”
The two Somers schools are among more than 5,800 schools in more than 160 countries offering IB programs. Somers’s experience with the IB approach began in 2017, when the IB Diploma Programme began for SHS juniors and seniors. Since then, 43 graduates have earned the diploma, many of them beginning college at the sophomore level, said Alison Scanlon, the program coordinator. This year, 11 seniors and 28 juniors are pursuing the diploma.
The Middle Years Programme for grades 6 through 8 at Somers Middle School gained IBO approval in November 2022.
The initiative for the MYP in grades 9 and 10 kicked off in fall 2022. Teachers have received training in the approach, in which they assess student work collaboratively to ensure consistency and to reflect on changes to make in instruction.
“Somers has created so many amazing opportunities and resources for students to carve their own path whether it’s International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Project Lead the Way, Science Research, Seal of Biliteracy, or Senior Experience – to name just a few,” Stewart said. “It’s an incredible place to learn and grow as both a student and educator.”
