Programme Development Plan (PDP)

How to write a programme development plan (PDP)

What are you working on?

All schools are working on improving aspects of their programme(s). For some this might be developing approaches to learning, for others it might be collaborative planning and working with staff. All schools have identified aspects of programme delivery that they are working on in any given year.  This is the context for the (new) programme development plan which is being introduced as part of the new evaluation schedule.

When you prepare for your five year IB evaluation you are asked to document an area of programme development (what you are working on) during the five years since your authorization or last evaluation. This professional inquiry lies at the heart of your self-study. This page will provide you with:

  • An introduction to what the IB evaluation requires
  • A guide to programme development planning for use with staff and other stakeholders

All schools are aware of the need to continually inquire how they are meeting the needs of students within a context in which the world is changing fast. This is the focus of professional inquiry as you approach your IB evaluation.

“We know that education systems designed in the last century no longer meet the needs of our learners or our societies. We know that schools must be transformed to engage today’s young people. We need a sea change in learning settings for young people. The trickier questions involve knowing what this transformation will look like and how we can achieve it.

The call for disruptive innovation of education systems – where schools, as we have known them, cease to exist – has a certain appeal for those frustrated with the seemingly snail’s pace of system change (Christensen, Johnson, and Horn, 2008). Others urge schools to focus intensely and consistently on improving the quality of teaching and learning with a few strong and carefully constructed goals.” (A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the spiral of inquiry, Helen Timperley, Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert, Centre for strategic education, April 2014)

IB blog on programme development planning

Creating dynamic programme development plans

Programme development is the intentional and focused development of a school’s IB programme(s). Schools are always working to develop and improve their programmes and devoting time and resources to make their IB programmes more effective.  Programme development planning aims to support schools in their efforts to be more effective for their students and communities.

Read this blog from the IB Community to help you plan your own programme development plan.

Click HERE.

What does the IB require?

Activity

  • Read the following summary of IB requirements from the Guide to Programme Evaluation (2020).
  • Highlight words | phrases that resonate and / or challenge you.
  • Analyze how this revised Guide to Programme Evaluation is different from previous guides.
  • Suggest the implications for your programme evaluation.

IB evaluation is intended to help schools develop their IB programme.The self-study consists of two parts: a school’s self-assessment and documentation of programme development. This ‘documentation of programme development’ is new to the revised ‘Guide to programme evaluation’ and is described as: "the school selects and shares one aspect of programme development that has been undertaken. The school shows how the school planned, implemented, analysed and reflected on the impact of the authentic programme development efforts. This may be undertaken at any time during the period under review."

The guide then suggests possible areas you may wish to use as a focus. Note they are only suggestions:

  • Learners (agency, IB learner profile, service and action, academic integrity)
  • Learning and teaching (approaches to learning, approaches to teaching, inquiry, conceptual understanding, local and global contexts, teamwork and collaboration, access, learning diversity, inclusion, assessment, curriculum, language and identity)
  • The learning community (collaboration, international-mindedness, leadership, learning environments, technology)

"Learning is at the heart of the 2020 PSP framework, it helps schools to holistically plan, not only navigate the IB programme development, but also development of the school, its student body, its educators and its learning leadership". (IB, PSP Discussion Forum, 2020)

What’s the difference between an IB action plan and an IB development plan?

The key difference is that the action plan is about the requirements. It’s a to-do list of actions the school must take.  The programme development plan is focused, coherent, and directly tied to the impact on students.

The action plan

“The self-assessment checks that the school continues to meet all requirements identified for each practice in the IB Programme standards and practices publication. Requirements are specific and refined measures of implementation and include programme-specific elements known as specifications. To remain authorized to teach the programmes, schools must continue to meet all requirements. For any requirement that is not in place, the school must add an action to their action plan.” (Self-study questionnaire: For use during programme evaluation from September 2020)

In other words, the action plan is used to track what the school needs to do to ensure that all requirements are in place. Items may be entered by the school as they prepare for the preliminary review or when they complete the self-assessment or at any time the school recognizes that a requirement is not met. The IB may enter items in response to the preliminary review or after the evaluation reading or visit.

The (programme) development plan

“In the normal course of offering the programme(s), the school will have engaged in various efforts for enhancement or improvement. These efforts may have a number of sources and may take different forms. The IB authorization or previous evaluation report, school or programme strategic goals, student data or government or accreditation requirements may drive or inform the development of the programme. For the purposes of programme evaluation, the school selects and shares one aspect of programme development that has been undertaken. The school shows how programme development was planned and implemented to have a positive impact for students. The school shares the results of the analysis undertaken to determine to what extent the intended impact was achieved. Finally, the school shares the reflection and lessons learned from their efforts and describes how these lessons will be applied in further or future efforts to develop the programme.” (Guide to programme evaluation: For use from September 2020)

A programme development plan template is provided in “Appendix 2” of the Guide to evaluation in order to provide guidance and support. Use of the template is not required but is encouraged. Schools may modify the template or develop their own templates, including the process detailed in the following three tables. The process and the conclusions from the reflection can help the school identify areas to prioritize and resource for further or future development. In addition, the school is asked to identify and articulate what they have learned from their reflection that can be applied to other areas of programme or continuum development.

The Guide to programme evaluation provides the following template to help you structure your professional inquiry. However, you do not have to use this template - it is only provided as a guideline.

Reflection

  • Read each of the three stages of professional inquiry.
  • Consider which challenges your school faces.
  • Discuss how you will go about selecting your area for inquiry.
Planning
  • Driver: What was the question, challenge or goal that was driving the work in this area?
  • Rationale: Why did the school select this area for programme development?
  • IB Practices: What IB practices supported this area of programme development?
  • Impact: What was the intended impact of this work on students? Was the target all students in the programme or a subset of students?
  • Data and evidence: How did you learn what the impact of the work is or was? What data or evidence did you gather?
  • Research: What shared practice or research informed the approach or activities
Analysing
  • Activities: What were the major activities undertaken to achieve the outcome?
  • Analysis of data or evidence: What did the data or evidence show was the impact on students?
  • Examples of impact: What change, or improvement did students experience?
Reflection
  • Summary: What did the school learn from engaging in this programme development effort? What factors led to this work having, or not having, an impact?
  • Further or future considerations: What was learned from this analysis that can be applied to further development of this area or to developing other areas of the IB programme in the school?
  • Priorities for programme development: What areas of the programme will the school now prioritize for development?

Frequently asked questions

Should the programme development plan selected for submission during programme evaluation be completed or one the school is currently working on? To receive meaningful feedback, the programme development plan should be in an area where the school has completed a substantial amount of work or completed the work entirely. The learning and reflection embedded in the development plan is more effective when schools have completed a cycle of learning.

What feedback will the IB provide on the programme development plan? Feedback is provided on strengths evidenced in planning, implementation, analysis, reflection and learning as well as areas for the school to consider for future or further consideration. Feedback is intended to support the school’s development as a learning community. 2020

Programme evaluation frequently asked questions (FAQs) (IB April 2020)

PDP: a guide for all stakeholders

I have written this guide for you to share with all key stakeholders who will be involved in programme development planning. It explains what it is, where it fits into the evaluation process, and what to expect on an evaluation visit.

  

The IB provide an online 'motif builder' to support your design of the programme development plan. Click HERE.

Reflection

Looking at IB evaluation as a developmental process is exciting. However, for some it can also be seen as challenging. 

Read the following two quotes and consider the implications for colleagues in your school.

“We build our worlds with our questions, . . . creating real change and new possibilities requires asking new questions, both of ourselves and of each other”! (Dr. Marilee Adams,! Change Your Questions, Change your Life)

Getting the work done… and don’t forget: “In a culture of change, emotions frequently run high . . . People often express doubts or reservations and sometimes outright opposition to new directions. . . . Defining effective leadership as appreciating resistance is another one of those remarkable discoveries: dissent is seen as a potential source of new ideas and breakthroughs. The absence of conflict can be a sign of decay.” (Leading in a Culture of Change. Michael Fullan. 74)

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