International Baccalaureate World School

What is IB?

IB is a worldwide network of highly respected schools that use the same approach to teaching and learning. The organization works with Z, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. As a leader in international education, with an incredibly rigorous application process, IB offers shared language, professional learning, and resources to all IB world schools. For our students, IB provides access to competitive, rigorous curricula and a well rounded, global approach to education that will open doors for them beyond Bronx Park. For teachers, it provides professional development opportunities from first class educators across the world. For our school, it provides essential community feedback and resources that help us cultivate our school’s diversity as a strength, and ensure that every student is provided with learning experiences that prepare them for modern problems in a rapidly changing world. For more information please visit https://www.ibo.org/.

Why IB at Bronx Park?

We are the first and only International Baccalaureate World School in our district in the Bronx. As an IB school, we are part of an international network of both public and private IB world schools that use the same comprehensive, global approach to teaching and learning. As part of this program, students make connections across content areas to produce interdisciplinary projects that reflect the kinds of real-world challenges and careers they will face in the modern world. Participation in this program provides students with access to elite educational opportunities as they progress beyond our school doors. Importantly, every single student at Bronx Park participates in the Middle Years Programme regardless of incoming performance level.

We’re an open enrollment school, which means we also welcome every student that walks through our doors with open arms, regardless of admission criteria. With over 25 languages spoken in the homes of our students, we are really reflective of the diverse, immigrant communities that we serve. This diversity is highlighted in the international focus of IB’s approach to curriculum, and enables our community to view our diversity as an asset and opportunity for learning.

IB Learner Profiles

Philosophy for Inclusion Policy

The purpose of the Bronx Park Middle School Inclusion policy is to demonstrate how our school provides all students -- with quality, rigorous, appropriate learning opportunities. At Bronx Park, inclusion for all students is not just the result of a mandate or a law, but a deep commitment and belief in the idea that if all students are part of our community, then all students should be included in the learning and work of our school.

The New York City Department of Education has clear expectations and guidelines for how schools can and should support students with diverse learning needs. These expectations include annual conversations with stakeholders about the appropriateness of a child’s education plan, teachers who are adequately trained in supporting students, and a guarantee that all other services or supports a child may need are available to them.

The same thing is true for students who are not native English speakers. Students who enter Bronx Park and do not speak English receive various supports that help them access the curriculum and learning experiences necessary for success at Bronx Park Middle School.

At Bronx Park, it is a core belief that all students not only can, but must be included in the learning experience in a way that honors them, challenges them, and allows them to grow from that learning. It is vital that all of our students can engage in authentic, project-based learning experiences in a way that allows them to contribute to our school community. All stakeholders in our community, from parents to teachers, from students to school-aides, from school safety officers to administrators, are responsible for this work.

Accessibility and Admission

All students who are enrolled at Bronx Park Middle School will automatically receive an IB course load. All students begin sixth grade with an introduction to project-based learning and complete at least 5 project experiences each year. Students who are not enrolled in general education classes participate in all project based experiences and are not given a separate project or task during this time.

Logistics and Language- Special Education

Students who have Individualized Education Plans before they enroll at Bronx Park Middle School are automatically given the same support services they were given in elementary school. Teachers and staff members have access to these IEP’s and are required to engage with them prior to the start of each school year. During back-to-school professional development, the special education coordinator meets with each grade team to ensure that all teachers understand how to access and understand the documents so they can support incoming students.

Students at Bronx Park Middle School who have special learning needs are placed in one of three classroom settings:

Integrated Co Teaching (ICT)- In this setting, students are in a general education class with two teachers, one general education teacher who is certified in the specific subject area and one certified special education teacher.
Self-Contained- In this setting, students are in a classroom of fully special education students. The class may not exceed 12 students.
Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETTS)- In this setting, students are in a general education class but receive extra support for a specified amount of time weekly. These students are generally pulled out of their class for a designated number of periods.

Students at Bronx Park Middle School may be enrolled in one or more of these settings, and are always required to be placed in the setting that is known as the least restrictive environment.

Students at Bronx Park Middle School are also entitled to other services, including but not limited to:

1:1 Paraprofessionals or classroom paraprofessionals.
Speech Language Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Counseling
Differentiated Physical Education

Once per year, stakeholders come together to monitor the child’s progress and make changes to their Individualized Education Plan. Once every three years, a licensed school psychologist also reevaluates the child and determines if their current setting is the most appropriate one. At any time parents have the right to request an initial evaluation, a reevaluation, or a change in placement of the child's current program.

Logistics and Language- Non Native English Speakers

Students who are enrolled at Bronx Park Middle School and are not yet English Speakers are given a placement test to determine their command of the language. From there, they are placed in an appropriate setting and given support based on their current level.

In general, students who do not speak English receive two periods of English language instruction per day, and are given differentiated instruction in their native language so that they can access the course material in all other subjects. These supports are provided to students at all levels of English proficiency, so that they can participate in school projects and other community experiences.

Students are tested annually to see what growth they have made in terms of their English language proficiency. The test assesses speaking, listening, reading and writing skills for all students. Students who make progress are sometimes moved to different classes if it is the best fit for their educational needs and potential for success.

Resources and Support

Bronx Park Middle School provides the following services and resources in order to ensure that learning experiences for all students are the best they can possibly be. This is not an exhaustive list but does show many of the ways in which all students are included in learning experiences in a thoughtful way.

Tier I, Tier II, Tier III supports in all classrooms by all teachers.
Daily Small Group Instruction for groups of 3-4 students based on data collected by teachers.
Access to all courses and learning experiences for all students.
Differentiated instruction.
Training for special education teachers, general education teachers and paraprofessionals on how to best support students with IEP’s and all other students.
Dedicated team meeting time to explore data and trends and effectiveness of practice.
Dedicated team meeting time to child studies where teachers can focus on individual students or small groups of students and how they can best be supported.
Support services--including counseling, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy--are provided as needed
Assistive technology and transportation support is provided as needed.
Inclusion in project week tasks and shares
All teachers participate in IEP meetings and review IEP’s annually.
Push in and pull out services are provided for students who require more support
Translation services available for students and families to communicate progress and updates on student progress.

Policy Review

Review of this policy is conducted annually with modifications made as needed based on current building philosophy and practices, as well as any adjustments made by IB or federal or state governments impacting inclusion. This is the first iteration of this policy and will be updated each school year.

Language Policy

Bronx Park Middle School (BXPK)
International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme

"Learning to speak another's language means taking one's place in the human community. It means reaching out to others across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Language is far more than a system to be explained. It is our most important link to the world around us. Language is culture in motion. It is people interacting with people."

-Sandra Savignon (1983)

Introduction

The purpose of this Language Policy is:

to inform teaching and learning in the classroom;
to guide curriculum;
to involve families in our goal to educate children in a multilingual environment.

This document outlines the philosophy and practice of language instruction at Bronx Park Middle School and demonstrates how BXPK supports students' acquisition of our language of instruction (English) and our World Language (Spanish). This document also describes the support provided by BXPK for the continued use of a student's home language.

Philosophy

As language is the key to all learning, all teachers at BXPK are language teachers. Language learning at BXPK refers not only to the learning of a specific language, but it includes any and all activities which use language to deepen our knowledge of the world and develop our skills. Through language, our students acquire the ability to think and to learn, to develop social skills and values, and to acquire knowledge. Since each language reflects the values, history, and way of thinking of those who use it, learning another language is a particularly effective means of understanding and respecting each other and is an integral part of becoming a global citizen.

The acquisition of the language of a community and the possibilities to reflect upon and explore cultural perspectives of our own and other communities:

is valued as central to developing critical thinking, and is considered essential for the cultivation of intercultural awareness and the development of internationally minded and responsible members of local, national and global communities
is integral to exploring and sustaining personal development and cultural identity, and provides an intellectual framework to support conceptual development
greatly contributes to the holistic development of students and to the strengthening of lifelong learning skills
equips students with the necessary multiliteracy skills and attitudes, enabling

Bronx Park Language Profile

When a child enters BXPX that is new to the DOE or has been out of the DOE for more than two years then we interview the parents and the child using the HLIS and other interview questions. If the trained pedagogue determines that the child is dominant in a language other than English then the child receives a NYSITELL (and Spanish Lab for Spanish speakers). If a child is deemed limited English proficiency then they receive services according to NY CR 154 and CR 154.b. Currently 20% of Bronx Park Students are designated English Language Learners. 33% speak Spanish at home, 8% speak Arabic at home. Several other languages are spoken in the homes of Bronx Park families including Albanian (1%), Urdu (1%), French (<1%), and Italian (<1%).

Goals

All BXPK teachers, staff, parents and students work to:

Enable students to learn and use language confidently in a variety of contexts.
Increase students' powers of written and oral communication through real world tasks..
Promote student understanding and enjoyment of literature.
Allow students to explore different perspectives through language.
Encourage students to have fun and express themselves through language.
Continue developing multilingual skills through the use of their home language in assignments and staff and peer interactions where appropriate.
Share their culture at school celebrations, as well as informally during class presentations, parent meetings, and other activities.
Provide school communications and promotional materials available in multiple languages.

Support of the Language of Instruction

English is the primary language of instruction at BXPK. However, BXPK will support students with limited english proficiency in language acquisition by:

Student lessons plans in multiple languages give students access to all instruction at their individual pace
Strategic heterogenous and homogenous seating matches students language supports that are needed
Classroom resources in multiple languages including bilingual posters, dictionaries, readings and more
Bilingual staff push in to classrooms to provide language support and instruction
Class work completed in language of choice when appropriate
Class projects call for the use of multiple languages
implementing reading and writing strategies across the curriculum;
selecting and providing access to literature from a variety of cultural backgrounds;
providing multiple opportunities at all levels of instruction for students to write in a variety of genres;
allowing students ample choice in their reading materials and encouraging reading for enjoyment;
assessing students formally and informally in the classroom using check-ins, writing prompts, reading comprehension checks, reading skills assessments, speeches, and essays;
providing small group instruction with a highly qualified English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher;
engaging in an annual assessment using the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) to monitor language development progress; and
providing sheltered instruction in all classes to scaffold acquisition of vocabulary and concepts central to learning by providing visual cues, collaborative learning experiences and consistent assessment of prior knowledge.

Second Language Acquisition

Entering students have varied backgrounds with regards to language learning. They range from coming directly from the dual language primary school program to entering BXPK with no second language learning experience. We offer many language levels to allow students to develop language ability to their highest potential.

BXPK strives to make every student proficient in two languages. All students will have the knowledge of and the ability to use at least two languages, although not all of them to the same extent. The acquisition of language must be seen as a continuum along which each individual student progresses at their own rate.

BXPK Adopted Second Language

BXPK's chosen second language is Spanish.

All students will receive at least 50 hours of instruction per year in a second language per the IB requirements for the MYP.
In 8th grade, all students complete Spanish 2 according to their Second Language plans by passing a Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency to assess their progress in second-language acquisition.
All language acquisition instruction is taught by Highly Qualified teachers and assessed according to MYP Objectives and Criteria.

Home Language Support

BXPK supports, respects, and celebrates the home language and culture of all students, as their home language is the basis of their identity. These reasons include the following:

The preservation and development of home languages foster the celebration of diversity and enable cross cultural awareness, appreciation, and understanding;
The preservation and development of home languages enable the development of higher order cognitive skills; and
The preservation and development of home languages enable people to better maintain and transmit cultural identity within a multicultural community.

Second Language Support

Successful language learning can only be accomplished through a thorough support system within the school and a full partnership between our school and the parents.

Our library and available digital resources support the acquisition of a second language, and has volumes available in Spanish and in French.
We offer extra support in the target languages after school.

Inclusion

Teachers provide differentiated instruction for students with special needs, including students with learning differences.
Teachers regularly assess student progress and and may identify students who would benefit from extra support, both academic and social/emotional. Parents, outside professionals, or other staff members may also recognize the need for support services. If students demonstrate a challenge in two or more of the classes, or if the ongoing classroom accommodations have not solved the problem, a referral to the Student Support Team (SST) takes place. SST consists of the Special Education Coordinator, counselors, grade team leaders or other designated teachers. Their role is to review the student information available, request additional paperwork from the family, and recommend an action plan for meeting the student's needs. The plan is implemented for a period of time and evaluated for its effectiveness.

Professional Development of Instructional Staff

Integrating the learning of languages in subject groups
Integrating language learning with interdisciplinary planning

Language Policy Awareness

Published online
Included in school handbook

Language Policy Approval Process

Drafted and revised with the Bronx Park Language Steering Committee
Reviewed and approved by Renee Rinaldi-Garcia, Principal, Benjamin Paikowsky, MYP and Ralph
Labossiere, Assistant Principal
Presented/emailed to full faculty
Approved by voice vote at a staff meeting

Ongoing Review of the Language Policy

This policy will be formally reviewed annually by the BXPK faculty and staff and revised as needed to adapt to changing best practices and the needs of our learning community.
This policy is available to all stakeholders in the BXPK Learning Community, and the school leadership welcomes comments and recommendations at any time.
We use language as a medium of inquiry, providing opportunities to challenge first language modelers and to develop second language learners in all subjects.
We understand that our students come with many different language backgrounds to our school and will all progress at a different pace.
We teach language through context and relate new information to existing knowledge.
We provide for language support beyond the classroom.
We accommodate different learning styles with differentiated instruction according to individual needs.
We strive to keep abreast of the most current research regarding dual-language acquisition.
We provide ongoing feedback on students' progress in all languages of instruction.