Section Contents

International Baccalaureate Program

International Baccalaureate Mission and Strategy

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 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.

Palmdale Learning Plaza Mission Statement

Palmdale Learning Plaza is committed to creating a rich educational environment requiring academic excellence through continuous improvement, self-renewal through reflection, and creativity for learners and facilitators.

PLP seeks students of all abilities who truly desire to learn. Best practice instructional strategies from the International Baccalaureate Organization are used to provide instruction in critical thinking, problem solving and character development. We promote life-long learning, empathy and global compassion, literacy across the curriculum, working collaboratively and serving others.

Education at the Learning Plaza is centered on preparing today’s student for a productive role in this multicultural world. To support these efforts, roles are defined so that teachers and staff are learners, students are talented resources, the community is our campus and parents are indispensable partners.

International Baccalaureate is a nonprofit educational foundation, motivated by its mission, focused on the student.

International Baccalaureate programmes for students help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Primary Years Programme at a glance

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It focuses on the total growth of the developing child, touching hearts as well as minds and encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development.

The PYP draws on research and best practice from a range of national systems with a wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools to create a relevant, engaging, challenging and significant educational framework for all children.

What is the curriculum framework?

The curriculum framework consists of five essential elements: concepts, knowledge, skills, attitude, action. The knowledge component is developed through inquiries into six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, supported and balanced by six subject areas.

The curriculum framework is further structured around three interrelated questions.

What do we want to learn? The written curriculum.

How best will we learn? The taught curriculum.

How will we know what we have learned? The learned curriculum

Learner Profile

The philosophy of the Primary Years Programme, as it directly affects the child, is expressed in a series of desired attributes and traits that characterize students with an international perspective. Taken together, they create a profile of PYP students. The goal of the Primary Years Programme is to develop students that are:

Inquirers, Thinkers, Communicators, Risk-Takers, Knowledgeable, Principled, Caring, Open-Minded, Balanced, Reflective

Curriculum Model

At the heart of the Primary Years Programme’s philosophy is a commitment to structured inquiry as the leading

vehicle for learning. Six transdisciplinary themes provide the framework for the exploration of knowledge. Teachers and students are guided by these themes as they design curricular units for exploration and study. Students explore subject areas through these themes, often in ways that transcend conventional subject boundaries. In the process, they develop an understanding of important concepts, acquire essential skills and knowledge, develop particular attitudes and learn to take socially responsible action.

Last Modified on February 19, 2008