Policies

Mission Statement

The staff of William T. Dwyer High School is committed to providing a world-class
education with excellence and equity to empower each student to reach his or her
highest potential with the most effective staff to foster the knowledge, skills, and ethics
required for responsible citizenship and productive careers.

Vision Statement

The staff of William T. Dwyer High School envisions a dynamic collaborative
multi-cultural community where education and lifelong learning are valued and
supported, and all learners reach their highest potential and succeed in the global
economy.

IB Mission

William T. Dwyer ’s IB program – its students, faculty and administration – remain deeply
committed to the concept of academic honesty and integrity.

First of all, the concept is embedded in the school’s mission statement: “…to foster the
knowledge, skills, and ethics required for responsible citizenship.”
Secondly, as an IB school, William T. Dwyer High doesn’t just adhere to IB’s Policy on
Academic Integrity, but embraces it.
Finally, several courses now being offered through William T. Dwyer ’s IB World School,
notably Global Perspectives and Journalism, teach academic honesty as part of the basic
curriculum.

Honor Code

During the annual Diploma Programme induction ceremony, which welcomes William T.
Dwyer students to the DP program, all incoming IB juniors sign the school’s and IB’s
Honor Code Pledge, promising to abide by all of IB’s policies and procedures, rules and
regulations, not the least of which is the concept and importance of academic honesty.
In doing so, students agree that acting in an academically honest way is not just
something they will do personally, but they will also help classmates achieve the same
goal; that as a “community of learners,” they are all responsible for another.

Rationale

All stakeholders – including students and parents, teachers and administrators – agree
that signing a pledge, following a code, and implementing a policy of academic honesty
serves several important functions:

Students: Academic honesty serves a vibrant role in students’ education. Students can be taught, supervised, assessed and evaluated more fairly, equitably, completely and efficiently when they do their own work.
Teachers: Teachers can more precisely and effectively judge student performance and behavior in a setting, atmosphere and attitude of academic honesty.
Parents: Parents can have more faith and trust in a program that teaches and values, promotes and practices, the ideals of academic honesty.
Administrators: Administrators can better organize and supervise a program that is conducted with an overarching and transparent theme of academic honesty.
Community: Finally, the community can take ownership of, and pride in, a program which places a priority on academic honesty.

Definitions

All stakeholders agree that academic honesty can be defined in a number of ways, and
take a number of forms:

• Collaboration: Student will not copy the work of a classmate, or give work to a classmate to copy. (This does not prohibit students from working together in groups, when a teacher’s assignment calls for such cooperative learning.) Students will not engage in the unauthorized use of study aids.
• Malpractice: Students are required to act in a responsible and ethical manner throughout their participation in the IB Program and examinations. In particular, candidates must avoid any form of malpractice. The IBO defines malpractice as ‘behavior that results in, or may result in, the candidate or any other candidate gaining an unfair advantage in one or more assessment components.’ Malpractice most commonly involves collusion or plagiarism.
  • Examples include (but are not limited to): both intentional and unintentional plagiarism, collusion, duplicating work across groups, any other activity/behavior that yields an unfair advantage
• Plagiarism: Students must not represent their work, intentionally or unwittingly, the ideas, words or work of another person without proper, clear and explicit acknowledgment.
• Testing: Students will not collaborate during testing. Students will not attempt to
•  btain or distribute copies of testing materials. Students will not give or receive information regarding a test before, during, or after the test itself.
• Accuracy: Students will not represent another person’s ideas or expressions as their own, whether the ideas are published or unpublished. Students will cite the work of others appropriately and professionally, giving full and complete credit when and where it is due.
• Not for “profit”: Students will not engage in buying or selling, giving or receiving, study aids or assignments, such as notes or papers, notebooks, of any kind from any source, including and especially from the Internet.
• Authenticity: Students will not change or forge documents, whether official or unofficial, including such papers as letters of reference.
• Media Center: Students will treat all books, materials and resources from the library or media center carefully. Students will return books promptly, so as not to deprive others of their use.
• Electronic media: Students will treat all electronic media (computer and related hardware and software) with care and concern for its use by others. Students will treat internet resources and material obtained from internet resources with the same care and concern – using information, citing sources and giving credit in a manner that is in keeping this policy and the IB policy of academic honesty.
• Honesty: Students will at all times assist during an investigation into malpractice of malfeasance. When questions are posed, students will give all answers honestly and completely.

Implementation

IB teachers are now teaching the importance of academic honesty in their classrooms. IB
teachers are committed to informing their students about this school policy and the IB
policy regarding academic honesty. All IB teachers will require that all IB candidates
produce assignments and assessments (for example, world lit. papers in Language A; or
research assignments in History) that meet the criteria and definitions for academic
honesty.

IB teachers who handle specific classes particularly support that the value of ethical
behavior in their respective disciplines will implement policies governing and
encouraging the highest standards of accuracy and integrity as part of their curriculum.
The overriding expectation is that students will work within a framework of accuracy and
integrity in all IB subjects that are taught at this school.

Teacher Roles and Responsibilities:

• Remind your students of the Honor Code. Students sign Honor Codes when they are accepted into our IB program and then again, each year, in their English class.
• Explain to students what constitutes academic misconduct. Teachers provide examples.
• Teachers should attempt to use new tests, quizzes, and other formative/summative assessments each year.
• Post Honor Code in Google Classroom
• Report academic misconduct to IB Coordinator and Grade level or subject AP
• Teachers should run major written works through Turnitin to check for authenticity.

Parent/Guardian Roles and Responsibilities:

• Review Academic Integrity policy found on school website
• Reach out to teacher and school counselor if student is struggling
• Inquire about tutoring resources on campus and through the district
• Be an active participant in the course selection process. Speak with your child about their strengths and the courses they should take.
• Speak to your child about academic honesty and the importance of original work.

Students:

• Responsible for ensuring all work is authentic. Some student work is submitted through student accounts on Turnitin.
• Work should be appropriately cited through the means in which it should be formatted (APA, MLA, etc)
• Speak with parents, teachers, and school counselors if clarity required on academic honesty.

Procedures

All teachers agree that the issue of consequences is important, and still needs to be
addressed and standardized. But all teachers agree that matters of academic dishonesty
can and should be treated swiftly and justly. Violations of the Honor Code result in a
teacher’s written referral to the school administration for further action. Action by
administration include but is not limited to: reduction in class grade, resubmission of
assessment, dismissal from the IB choice program. Subsequent violations will be
reported to the IB Coordinator who will meet with the students and their parent(s) to
determine if the student should be placed on academic probation.

• First Offense:
  • Conference with teacher, student, IB Coordinator, and grade level AP
  • Student must re-do assignment; teacher discretion on grading
  • Test: teacher discretion on re-take
• Second Offense:
  • Conference with teacher, student, IB Coordinator, and grade level AP
  • No opportunity to make up work
  • Referral
  • Academic Probation
  • Potential loss of activities privileges
• Third Offense:
  • Conference with teacher, student, IB Coordinator, and grade level AP to review probation
  • No opportunity to make up work
  • Exit meeting to determine program eligibility per school and district Honor contract

Communication to all Stakeholders

The Language Policy will be placed on the school webpage under the category
“International Baccalaureate Policies” and hard copies of these policies will be
distributed to all IB teachers and support staff, and to any who request one by writing to
the DP coordinator at deanna.schneider@palmbeachschools.org

William T. Dwyer High School is one of six high schools offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Program in The School District of Palm Beach County, which is the 11 th largest school district in the
country. All schools in Palm Beach County are required to adhere to the lottery-style system of
admissions designed and implemented by the school district.

Mission Statement:

The staff of William T. Dwyer High School is committed to providing a world-class education with
excellence and equity to empower each student to reach his or her highest potential with the most
effective staff to foster the knowledge, skills, and ethics required for responsible citizenship and
productive careers.

Choice and In-House Programs:

School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) Choice Programs reflect the diversity of the District and
are designed to attract all Palm Beach County students. Families with students entering pre-kindergarten
through grade 12 have the opportunity to choose from an array of Choice and Career and Technical
Education (CTE) theme-based curricula offerings at the elementary, middle, and high school levels that
provide innovative and rigorous academic instruction by specially trained teachers.

Choice and In–House Programs have been established in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide
an opportunity for students to engage in intensive study in specific areas. Choice and In–House
programs offer the opportunity for students to discover their talents and explore their interests while
focusing on academic rigor. These programs provide students with a pathway to post-secondary
education and careers. Programs include the K–12 Arts continuum, K–12 International Baccalaureate
continuum, K–12 Dual Language continuum, elementary and secondary Cambridge Academy programs,
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs at all levels, and elementary
Montessori, STEAM (STEM + Arts), Environmental and Animal Science, and Health and Wellness
programs. Students may participate in an “in–house” program if the program is only being offered to
students whose attendance boundary is zoned for the school (“In–House program”), or they may choose
to attend a program that is only offered at a school outside of their regular attendance boundary (Choice
program).

All Choice and Career Academy programs require a Choice application and selection through a Choice
lottery process. These programs are available to all students, regardless of zoning. If the student is
applying for a Choice program that is offered at his/her zoned school, the zoned school program may be
listed as the first choice.

Choice Transportation Zones

Choice Program students may receive transportation regardless of their proximity to the Choice school.
Parents must provide transportation to the closest bus stop in order to be eligible. Bus stops will only be
available within the Choice Transportation Zone for each school and additional stops will not be created.

Online Application for Choice Program Lottery:

The online application is easy to use and allows parents/legal guardians the ability to manage their
child’s application throughout the application and lottery selection process. Parents/legal guardians will
also have the option to apply and check the status of their application on their mobile devices. Applying
online is the most efficient way to submit and manage your child’s application. Using the Family
Dashboard, your online account will allow you to track the status of your application.

Paper Application:

A paper application will be accepted if access to the online application is limited. The paper application
must be submitted during published application deadlines (application deadlines can be found here).

Student Eligibility*:

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced program of education that
prepares students in grades 11–12 for effective participation in a rapidly globalizing world and for
postsecondary success in college and career. Students study at least two languages and increase
understanding of diverse cultures. Due to its rigorous nature, preparation for the IB Diploma Programme
is offered through the IB Middle Years Programme curricula in the 9th and 10th grades or through other
accelerated curricula. The IB diploma leads to advanced standing in universities throughout the world.
The IB Diploma Programme framework includes required courses within six subject groups: Studies in
Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, and
the Arts. Schools tailor course sequences to meet each school’s focus. Algebra I or Algebra I Honors and
Spanish or French for high school credit are highly recommended to prepare students for the rigor of the
program. These courses do not give any preference for the student in the lottery.
All students applying to this program must meet the following eligibility criteria: 3.0 GPA. Grades 11–12:
IB DP
*From Palm Beach County Choice and Career Academy Programs Booklet October, 2022-2023

Choice Program Eligibility Application for Appeal

Appeals are only accepted for the following reasons:

1. A technical problem during the audition process (any relevant malfunction, such as defective equipment or a power failure in the building).
2. A technical problem during the eligibility process (such as mathematical error).
3. Inequity: Failure to provide appropriate accommodations according to the child's documented disability or limited English proficiency during the student's audition or eligibility processes

Important Information about the Appeals Process

The appeals process is governed by Policy 5.016 and is described in the District’s Procedures Manual for
Choice Programs.

1. Parents may request an Appeals Committee hearing within five (5) school days from the date of the notification indicating child’s program assignment, wait pool status, or determination of ineligibility. A request for Appeal Form 2418 must be submitted to the Director of Choice and Career Options and includes a written explanation of the alleged technical problem or inequity. Any pertinent information supporting the appeal should also be attached to the form.
2. After the written Request for Appeal is received from the parent/guardian, the Choice Appeals Review Committee will investigate the alleged inequity or technical problem to determine its merit. A Choice Appeals Review Committee is established annually under the direction of the Director of Choice and Career Options and consists of a diverse group of professional educators and administrators with knowledge of Choice and Career Options programs and District policies.
3. At the completion of the Appeals Committee review of appeals request, one of the following actions will occur within five (5) school days:
   1. The Director (or designee) of Choice and Career Options will send a letter to the parent/guardian denying the appeal.
   2. The Director (or designee) of Choice and Career Options will send a letter to the parent/guardian approving the appeal and notify the effected school of the need for a second eligibility review.

Student Reassignment

Parents/legal guardians may request a student reassignment to a school outside the student’s
attendance area as outlined in the School Board Policy 5.015.

Submitting an Application

1. A letter with specific reason(s) why reassignment is being requested must be included with the application. Late applications will not be accepted.
2. Once you submit a reassignment request, please allow a minimum of 4–6 weeks for review and response. Some requests may take longer to review depending upon your reason for the request.

Schools Open for Reassignment

The list of schools approved for each semester of the school year can change at any time
during the application submission and review period as enrollment is constantly changing. Applicants
requesting a transfer to a school that is not on the approved reassignment list will not be considered.
Applying to an available school does not guarantee acceptance. Your request must be reviewed and
support board policy.

Transportation

Transportation will not be provided for students on reassignment.

School Profile

William T. Dwyer High School (WTDHS) located in Palm Beach County, Florida is a
four-year college preparatory high school for grades 9-12. WTDHS was established in
1991 and currently has six academy programs; Army JROTC, Construction, Culinary Arts,
Early Childhood Teacher Education, Finance, and the International Baccalaureate. There
are approximately 2,200 students enrolled in WTDHS.

Currently there are one hundred and seventy-seven 9th and 10th grade students enrolled
in WTDHS Pre-IB courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for
students that aspire to matriculate into the IB Program.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

Students that are accepted into the WTDHS Pre-IB Program in grades 9 and 10 are
eligible for IB diploma candidacy in grade 11. In addition to WTDHS Pre-IB Program, we
encourage all students entering 11th grade to consider enrolling in the IB Diploma
Programme. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required, after the first
semester of the sophomore year, to enter the IB Diploma Programme.

IB juniors are registered, by the IB Coordinator, for the May exam session and may take a
maximum of three standard level exams. Performance in each subject is graded on a
scale of 7 (highest) to 1 (lowest). Each IB subject contains a diverse set of assessments
combined to award a maximum grade of 7. Students will take a total of six exam
subjects and satisfy the following requirements to receive an IB Diploma:

Diploma Requirements and Criteria

• 3 SL & 3 HL exam subjects OR
• 2 SL & 4 HL exam subjects
  • Minimum score of 24 points (overall)
  • Score of 4 or above on each exam
  • Minimum o f 12 points on 3 HL exams (16 points for 4 HL exams)
  • Minimum of 9 points on 3 SL exams
• * Theory of Knowledge course
  • Prescribed title & exhibition – Grade of A (highest) to E (lowest)
• * Extended Essay
  • Up to 400 word independent research essay – Grade of A (highest) to E (lowest)
• Creativity, Action and Service (CAS)
  • 18 months of consecutive services documented evidence

* Students must receive a grade of at least D in both TOK and Extended Essay to receive the IB Diploma.

Assessment Philosophy

Teachers of students in grades 9 and 10 provide focused instruction on state benchmarks designed to assist students to pass the state standardized exams (PBPA, FSA, USA) in Reading, Mathematics, Science and Writing. Teachers also use benchmarks for Advanced Placement (AP) and Cambridge International (AICE) subjects in these grades to prepare for AP and AICE exams in April and May. IB Teachers use international benchmarks to design instructional practices and multiple forms of formative assessment to maximize student success on IB assessments. All teachers assign homework and class work that are aligned with the state (PBPA, FSA, USA), national (AP, AICE) and international (IB) benchmarks.

Summative assessments, i.e. unit tests and mock AP, AICE, or IB exams give teachers data to assess student progress to that end. Quarter and semester grades are the result of completion of formative and summative assessments in the classroom that provide information on student attainment of skills and knowledge on IB topics. Final semester exams are typically mock IB exams.

The Administration, Department Chairs, and IB Coordinator are responsible for communicating and implementing the assessment policy to school stakeholders. The assessment policy will be reviewed every two years to update and refine practices by the Administration, Department Chairs, and IB Coordinator.

Assessment Practices

Grades
Student progress reports are issued for parents and student midway through the quarter to indicate areas of strength, areas that require improvement and the current grade average. Teachers are required to notify parents when a student’s grade drops to “D” and/or a drop of two letter grades. Student report card grades are issued quarterly.

Student grades are based on a combination of test grades, homework assignments, and class work and not on a single project. Grades must be updated every two weeks on the electronic grading system (SIS) so that individual student’s progress reports can be checked by counselors and administration and used to advise parents during conferences; students and parents also have access to monitor grades in SIS.

IB Diploma Assessments

Students complete internationally benchmarked criterion – referenced assessments, referred to as Papers, administered in a highly secured test environment in April and May. In most cases, an IB subject has 1-3 Papers. In addition, the scores from internal and external assessments assigned in the classroom are factored into the IB grade to achieve a maximum of 7. The IB Organization strongly mandates that students submit authentic and quality work products for consideration.

Internal Assessment

Internal assessments are mandatory assignments woven into classroom teaching that focus on skills more so than subject content. These assessments are graded by the classroom teacher and are subject to an IB rubric. The internal assessment scores are submitted to the IB examiners for moderation. For moderation, samples of internal assessments are submitted, by request, to IB examiners to assure standardization in grading practices from school to school. Examples of internal assessments include, but are not limited to, oral presentations, science lab reports, math portfolios, and major projects. Internal assessments serve as graded classroom assignments, as well as, assignments that contribute to the student’s IB grade.

External Assessment

External assessments are not graded by the classroom teacher and are administered in the April/May exam sessions. External assessments are administered on WTDHS’s campus. The external assessments, or papers, are mailed within 24 hours, to designated IB examiners by the IB Coordinator. Examiners provide a grade and general feedback on international student performance. Examples of external assessments that are not considered papers are extended essays, World Literature papers, and Theory of Knowledge prescribed title essays.

Cheating and Plagiarism Policy: IB assessments

The IBO Handbook of Procedures states that “the candidates are responsible for ensuring that the final version of any work is authentic. Candidates themselves must bear the consequences if they submit any work for assessment that is not their own, regardless of whether the plagiarism was deliberate or a careless act. The same principle applies to collusion.”

Level Two: Violations are severe and will be handled by the teacher, the IB Coordinator, and the Principal. Level two violations include (but are not limited to):

• Taking information from another source that is not properly attributed to use in an IB internal or external assessment.
• Working with other students on an IB internal or external assessment that was meant to be done by an individual
• Duplication of work; to present the same work for different IB assessment components and/or IB diploma requirements
• Taking any part of a test to use or to give to another student

Any student that performs a level two violation will receive the following consequences:
1) the student will receive a zero on the IB assessment, 2) the incident will be
documented in the student’s discipline file as well as in the student’s permanent electronic discipline file, 3) parents and student will be required to come in for a conference and sign a final behavior contract with possible exit to the home school.

Level two IB internal or external assessment violations also include the following
consequences:

Students that have not signed a statement of authenticity on the cover sheet for a submitted assessment will be subject to a school investigation and the matter will be reported to the IBO final award committee.

Students that have signed a statement of authenticity on the cover sheet for the submitted assessment will be subject to level two violation consequences for plagiarism 1) the IBO will be informed about the students conduct as an alleged act of malpractice, 2) the IB Coordinator will submit relevant documentation and the student can submit documentation to propose a defense, 3) the IBO will deliberate on the student’s actions at the final award committee meeting to determine whether a grade will be awarded in the respective subject area.

Student Responsibilities

• Maintain cumulative grade point average of 3.0 each semester.
• Strive to achieve characteristics indicated on the IB learner profile.
• Meet deadlines for classroom assignments, initial and final drafts for IB assessments, and arrive on time for all terminal IB exams, without excuse.
• Follow deadlines as outlined on the IB assessment calendar.
• Maintain mentorship relationship for extended essay and CAS requirements.
• Develop study skills to maximize potential for student success.
• Arrange meetings and attend tutorial sessions with classroom teachers to gain personalized feedback on academic progress and undeveloped skill set.
• Apply effort on formative and summative assessments.
• Be independent thinkers, global problem solvers, time managers, and prudent
• planners.

Teacher Responsibilities

• Follow deadlines as indicated on the IB assessment calendar.
• Submit appropriate documentation to the IB Coordinator by prescribed deadlines, i.e. verification reports, data collection forms, IA samples.
• Maintain appropriate communication on student progress with IB Coordinator and Administration to adequately monitor student progress.
• Communicate with students and parents frequently on student academic progress.
• Focus on the assessment of student learning outcomes more so than covering subject content.
• Analyze assessment data to identify patterns of student performance and needs.
• Work in interdisciplinary, vertical and horizontal teams to design and assess instructional strategies and common assessments.
• Use a variety of instructional and assessment strategies to demonstrate awareness of learning style diversity.
• Provide timely written and verbal descriptive feedback on student assignments and assessments.
•  Assign meaningful assessments.

IB Coordinator Responsibilities

• Distribute student assessment data from the Educational Data Warehouse (EDW), Performance Matters, IB exams, etc. to subject teachers.
• Offer training in interpreting IB summary data to teachers.
• Arrange IB teacher articulation meetings to plan and reflect on teaching and assessment strategies, in relation to, program improvement and school goals.
• Observe and encourage teacher observations to promote unity within IB curriculum practices.

School Administration

• Inspire an atmosphere of assessment of learning and assessment for learning.
• Arrange policy review meetings with subject teachers to cultivate a culture of dialogue on IB school operations.
• Coordinate teachers for training in IB assessment practices.
• Supervise IB registration and testing conditions.
• Arrange IB student forum meetings to review program goals and policies.
• Analyze whole school data.
• Monitor student progress on IB assessments and classroom performance.
• Monitor teacher instructional strategies, grading practices and assessment strategies.

Communication to all Stakeholders

The Assessment Policy will be placed on the school webpage under the category “International Baccalaureate Policies” and hard copies of these policies will be distributed to all IB teachers and support staff, and to any who request one by writing to the DP coordinator at deanna.schneider@palmbeachschools.org

Rationale/Purpose: The IB Program at William T. Dwyer High School Strives to guarantee that all students are provided the
support necessary to allow them to achieve academic success and reach their fullest potential as members of William T. Dwyer High School.

Philosophy

It is the philosophy of IB, the School District of Palm Beach County, and the IB Program at William T.
Dwyer High School that every student can learn. Every student should also be supported in learning the
creative, thinking, and learning skills that are necessary for success as adults. Goals include making them
self-sufficient, caring and reflective members of society, and productive citizens in the global market
place. It is our vision therefore, to provide learner centered IB instruction wherein all students receive
the necessary resources, guidance, accommodations, and differentiated instruction needed for personal
success. Our policy draws its authority from the IBO Diploma Programme Assessment procedures (2018),
Programme Standards and Practices (2018), Access and Inclusion Policy (2022) and Palm Beach County
Exceptional Student Education Policies (2022).

The IB Program at William T. Dwyer High School meets all state and federal requirements:

• Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Assistive Technology Act

Inclusion Policy Goals

The goals of the Inclusion Policy are:

• To assure compliance with national, state, and local laws regarding Exceptional Student Education;
• Ensure that the special needs of our students are identified early, assessed, and provided for;
• Make clear the expectations of all stakeholders
• Assist all students in understanding all features of the school curriculum and assessment policy

The administration, faculty, and staff at William T. Dwyer High School acknowledge that:

• Our students have different education and learning needs, abilities, and goals;
• Students acquire information and skills at different rates and through different means;
• All students are able to learn and they are unique;
• Our school welcomes and accepts all students.

International Baccalaureate Principles

All special arrangements that may be authorized by the IB are based on the following principles:

1.1 The IB must ensure that a grade awarded to a candidate in any subject is not a misleading description
of that candidate’s level of attainment, so the same standards of assessment are applied to all
candidates, regardless of whether they have special needs.

1.2 Special arrangements are intended to reduce the adverse effects of a candidate’s individual needs
when demonstrating his or her level of attainment. The special arrangements requested for a candidate
must not give that candidate an advantage in any assessment component.

1.3 The special arrangements described in this document are intended for candidates with the
intellectual capacity to meet all assessment requirements leading to the award of the diploma or courses
results.

1.4 The school, not the IB, is responsible for establishing whether the Diploma Programme can be taught
and assessed. Advice may be sought from IB Cardiff before a school accepts a student with special needs;
however, this advice is restricted to the implications for internal and external assessment and does not
extend to teaching methods and resources.

1.5 If it can be demonstrated that a candidate’s lack of proficiency in his or her response language(s)
(English, French or Spanish) arises from a diagnosed need, special arrangements may be authorized.
(Note: For written examinations in Subject Groups 3 to 6, all candidates can use a translating dictionary.)

1.6 The IB aims to authorize special arrangements that are compatible with those normally available to
the candidate concerned. However, authorization will only be given for arrangements that are consistent
with the policy and practice of the IB. It should not be assumed that the IB will necessarily agree to the
arrangements requested by a school. Coordinators are required to provide information on both the
candidate’s usual method of working in the classroom and under assessment conditions.

1.7 The IB is committed to an educational philosophy based on international mindedness. Therefore, the
special assessment needs policy of the IB may not reflect the standard practice of any one country. To
achieve equity among candidates with special assessment needs, the policy represents the result of a
consideration of accepted practice in multiple nations.

1.8 The IB will ensure that, wherever possible, arrangements for candidates with a similar type of need
are the same. Given that cultural differences occur in the recognition of learning issues and the
accommodations allowed, some compromise may be necessary to help ensure comparability between
candidates in different countries.

1.9 If special assessment arrangements are necessary for a candidate, consultation with the IB is
mandatory. Similarly, if a Diploma Programme candidate has difficulties meeting the requirements for
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), the IB must be consulted. However, an IB World School may provide
any kind of special arrangement for a candidate during his or her study of the Diploma Programme or
trial (practice) examinations.

1.10 A school must not inform an examiner of a candidate’s condition or adverse circumstance. Similarly,
in the case of internally assessed work, teachers must not make any adjustments when marking a
candidate’s work. If appropriate, the IB will ensure that reasonable adjustments are considered.

1.11 The IB treats all information about a candidate as confidential. If required, information will only be
shared with appropriate IB personnel and members of the final award committee, who will be instructed
to treat such information as confidential.

1.12 If special arrangements are authorized for internal assessment, the IB may require the candidate’s
work to be submitted to the IB for scrutiny.

1.13 Please notify the IB about retake candidates who require the same special arrangements carried
over into their next examination session. Advance notice is necessary because some arrangements, such
as transcribing examination papers into Braille, take several months of preparation.

1.14 The list of special arrangements available is revised regularly. The IB will consider alternative
arrangements proposed by a coordinator, provided those arrangements could be made available to all
other similarly affected candidates.

1.15 According to the IB General Regulations: Diploma Programme, a Diploma Programme candidate
may participate in three (3) examination sessions to be awarded the diploma. At the discretion of the IB,
a candidate with special needs may be allowed additional sessions.

1.16 If a school does not meet the conditions specified by the IB when administering special
arrangements, or makes special arrangements without authorization, the candidate may not be awarded
a grade in the subject/level concerned.

1.17 Each request for special arrangements will be judged on its own merit. Previous authorization of
special arrangements, either by the IB or another awarding body, will not influence the decision on
whether to authorize the arrangements that have been requested by the coordinator.

1.18 The IB does not flag or in any way annotate the results of a candidate for whom special
arrangements have been authorized.

1.19 If the candidate’s disability and/or the nature of the special arrangement might disturb other
candidates during an examination, the candidate must take the examination in a separate room and be
supervised according to the regulations governing the conduct of Diploma Programme examinations.

1.20 Any issues that arise from the nature of the special arrangements, or any unforeseen difficulties
encountered by the candidate, should be reported to the IB Information Desk as soon as possible.

1.21 Written examinations must be invigilated according to the regulations governing the conduct of
Diploma Programme examinations. The person invigilating the candidate must not be a relative of the
candidate, or any other person with whom there may be an apparent or perceived conflict of interest.

Terminology

Accommodation – a generic term comprising all forms of arrangements, compensation or conditions that
may be allowed for a candidate.
Adverse circumstance – Circumstances beyond the control of the candidate(s) that might be detrimental
to the performance of the candidate(s) in one or more assessment component (for example,
bereavement, natural disasters, civil unrest). "Adverse circumstances" do not include medical conditions
or disability.
Assessment component – Each subject and level for the IB Diploma Programme are divided into
assessment components, for example, paper 1, paper 2 and internal assessment. Some components
comprise discrete tasks that are undertaken separately. These separate tasks within a component, such
as the map work section for a geography examination paper, are referred to in this document as a "part"
of an assessment component.
Exceptional Circumstance – Circumstances that are not commonly within the experience of other
candidates with special assessment needs. The IB reserves the right to determine which circumstances
qualify as "exceptional" and therefore justify a particular special arrangement.
Invigilator – A person, or persons, responsible for supervising an examination; also referred to as a
"proctor" or a "supervisor". The invigilator of an IB examination may or may not be the coordinator.
Inclusive access arrangements – Changed or additional conditions during the assessment process for a
candidate with special educational needs. These enable the candidate to demonstrate his or her level of
attainment more fairly and are not intended to compensate for any lack of ability.
Assessment access requirements – A candidate with assessment access requirements is one who requires access arrangements in assessment conditions to demonstrate his or her level of attainment.

Learning Support Requirements – Support and/or access to required to enable some candidates, who
have the aptitude to meet all curriculum and assessment requirements, reach their full potential in
learning and assessment. Candidates who require inclusive access arrangements may have learning
support requirements due to one or more of the following:

• Autism
• Learning disability
• Medical conditions
• Mental health issues
• Multiple disabilities
• Physical and/or sensory challenges
• Social, emotional and behavioral difficulties
• Specific Learning difficulties
• Speech and/or communication difficulties

Roles & Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the School District of Palm Beach County:

The School District of Palm Beach County serves approximately 38,000 students identified as eligible for
Exceptional Student Education (ESE); this includes 9,252 students identified as gifted. Eligible students
with disabilities are provided services from birth through age 22. ESE services are available at all public
school sites throughout the district. The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to providing
exceptional students a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in accordance with federal, state, and
local mandates. In keeping with this philosophy, the School District:

• Provides every exceptional student with an appropriate individualized education program (IEP)
• Offers exceptional student services that are available to every other student
• Provides placement alternatives that enable students to be educated in the least restrictive environment.
• Encourages the participation of parents in the educational process
• Ensures the right to due process and equal protection under the law

Responsibility of the School:

• The school will work the School District’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department to make sure the program follows federal and local laws regarding students with special education needs.
• The school will provide guidance to students with special education needs to help them make informed decisions concerning application to our program.
• The school, along with the district’s ESE Department, will raise staff awareness/provide professional development regarding the needs of our exceptional students
• The school will provide resources for the implementation and continuation of Inclusion Policy.
• Our ESE Coordinator, ESE Case Managers, and our School Counselors will provide teachers with all IEP and 504 plans.
• ESE personnel, School Counselors, Case Managers, Support Facilitators, and School Psychologists will provide updates and facilitate IEP/504 annual reviews.
• The school will facilitate the provision of appropriate accommodations as outlined by the School District of Palm Beach County’s ESE Department.

Responsibilities of the IB Coordinator:

• The IB Coordinator will facilitate the application process for students who qualify for access arrangements.
• The IB Coordinator will work collaboratively with faculty to support students with special education needs.
• The IB Coordinator will provide examination accommodations as needed and approved by the IB.
• The IB Coordinator will maintain discretion and confidence in providing access arrangements/accommodations.

Responsibilities of the Faculty:

• The classroom teacher will comply with all federal and local laws regarding special education needs
• The classroom teacher will participate in all required training when available.
• The classroom teacher will identify struggling learners and refer the student to the counselor or IB Coordinator as needed
• The classroom teacher will implement the appropriate interventions as outlined in the MultiTiered Support System
• The classroom teacher will maintain accurate records of students' progress.
• The classroom teacher with the assistance of the exceptional student services facilitator and counselor will become familiar with the special needs of the student
• The classroom teacher will provide differentiate instructions as outlined by the students' IEP or 504 Plan.
• The teacher will maintain discretion and confidentiality in providing special education needs services.

Responsibilities of the Parent/Guardian:

• Parent/Guardians will play an active role in their child's education.
• Parents will have knowledge of their child's entitlement within the school district policy.
• Parents will communicate to the school all information and documentation regarding their child’s special education needs.
• Parents will communicate with the school regarding any changes in their child's special education needs.
• Parents will make request for needed child studies and services from the school or school district in a proactive manner.
• Parents will provide documentation needed for IBO accommodation requests.

Responsibilities of the Student:

• Students will be active in asking for assistance from the school administrators, faculty, and staff.
• Students will be an active participant in classes and meetings.
• Students will follow all Palm Beach County Public School and William T. Dwyer IB policies and procedures.

Communication to all Stakeholders

The Language Policy will be placed on the school webpage under the category “International Baccalaureate Policies” and hard copies of these policies will be distributed to all IB teachers and support staff, and to any who request one by writing to the DP coordinator at deanna.schneider@palmbeachschools.org

  The school recognizes and understands the centrality and the importance of language in communicating
ideas from the most basic to the staggeringly complex. Because William T. Dwyer High School is located in
an area of South Florida in which a large number of speakers of languages other than English live, work,
and attend school, we understand the desire and requirement to teach each student regardless of their
first language or their current level of fluency in English. In compliance with the M.E.T.A. agreement, we
have resources at the district level that enable us to obtain translations of district communications with a
reasonable turnaround time and we are willing and able to accommodate our English Language Learners
(ELL) and will ensure that accurate communication with all students and their parents remains a top
priority throughout the school and this program.

Purpose of the School Language Policy

William T. Dwyer High School developed this language policy to communicate beliefs about language
teaching and learning to school stakeholders and to outline common efforts toward second language and
multilingualism. The language policy will reflect the interests and support of the school community and
invite changes in the current language learning programs, as deemed necessary for student success. The
school community should understand that the language policy is designed to:

1. Communicate the role of all teachers as language teachers.
2. Establish school curricular practices that promote student proficiency in at least one language in
3. addition to their mother tongue, in order to promote multilingualism.
4. Support the maintenance and development of the mother tongue language.
5. Promote inclusion and equity of access to the IB Program to all students.
6. Foster appreciation of students’ native languages.

School Language Implementation

The Administration, ESOL coordinator, Language facilitators, World Language Department Chair, and IB
Coordinator are responsible for communicating and implementing the language policy. The language
policy will be placed on the Dwyer High School webpage, under the Programs tab: International
Baccalaureate Program: Policies and Practices. The policy will be reviewed every year at the start of the
year during pre-school week in order to update and refine practices by the Administration, World
Language Department Chair, IB Coordinator and Language Teachers. WTDHS teachers should use the
language policy to:

1. Design a curriculum that supports the development of highly proficient, literate and knowledgeable bilingual IB students.
2. Understand the teacher’s role in implementing appropriate teaching practices that facilitate learner participation and engagement. Research suggests that to acquire an additional language, other than the mother tongue, can take up to seven years to achieve proficiency.
3. Provide information to the staff regarding the resources available to them and to the students to assist in acquiring English fluency.
4. Demonstrate effective teaching practices that utilize constructivist approaches in activating prior knowledge and constructing personal meaning during instruction.
5. Foster meaningful interactions within the school community and to provide a richness of school culture with intercultural awareness.
6. Provide experiences that support the native and local cultures and traditions.
7. Build and reinforce students’ sense of identity.

Admission to Language Learning

World Language Learning

1. Ninth grade students will enroll in the appropriate level placement in the language B program determined by the language department as well as recommendations from their 8th grade language teachers (if applicable)
i.e. level 1, 2, or 3.

English Language Proficiency

1. English will be acquired with proficiency through Group 1 classroom instruction.
2. WTDHS Pre-IB students must maintain a semester grade of “D” or above in English I and English II before admission into the IB Program.
   1. Semester grade of F will place student on academic probation by the IB Coordinator and remanded to English tutorial for the remainder of the school year.
   2. Student with semester grade of F will be dismissed from the WTDHS Pre-IB Program if the semester grade does not show improvement by the next semester.
   3. Rule applies to English speaking students and students whose first language is not English.
3. English teachers are expected to identify students with a semester grade below “D” and notify the IB Coordinator immediately.
   1. Teachers need to identify prerequisite skill deficiencies of students to be addressed in English tutorial sessions.
   2. Teachers are expected to analyze school-based data i.e. EDW, course-based exams, mock AP and IB exams, to provide remediation in skills and to support students in preparation for IB English Level 3 studies.
4. English teachers communicate clearly with parents regarding student accomplishments and needs as they progress through language development.

Language Practices

Language A

WTDHS will make the Group 1 Language A exam available to these students at the HL in grade 12. The
students will complete AICE General Paper AS, AICE English Language AS, AP English Literature and
Composition, and IB English HL.

Language B

Language acquisition encourages intercultural awareness and understanding, empathy, and openmindedness to others. Currently, WTDHS offers Language B in Spanish and in French in the IB curriculum. Preferably, students enter the school with a minimum of one year of second language instruction. Students are expected to take four consecutive years of a second language to reach proficiency by grade 12. These students will take the Group 2 Language B exam at SL or HL in grade 12.

The International Baccalaureate Language Program

International education should:

1. Provide international content while responding to local educational requirements and interests.
2. Encourage diversity and flexibility in pedagogical approaches.
3. Equip students with the skills to learn and to acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge across a broad range of areas.
4. View each teacher as a language learner. Practices for language learning should be a collaborative effort that examines planning and implementation of the language curriculum.
5. Include cultural immersion experiences, field trips, and enrichment activities that encourage all students to participate.
6. Include adequate resources for language teaching identified by teachers, department heads, or administration to support the syllabus, goals and objectives of the IB Program.
7. Provide differential paths of instruction based on student ability or need for acceleration while acquiring the language.
8. Include professional development experiences for teachers to foster best language teaching practices – teachers and administrators should attend workshops and conferences to share their experiences with the school in organized presentations.
9. Firmly state that each language teacher remain eager to learn more, update his/her sources and resources to improve instructional practice in their school program.
10. Involve teachers in articulation meetings to collaborate in decision-making school improvement processes.

Roles and Responsibilities

At WTDHS, the entire staff, administration, and IB Coordinator work cooperatively to develop, implement
and revise the school language policy. The school language policy will be part of the new teacher
orientation process. William T. Dwyer High School will comply with all state, local, and IBO regulations
regarding the implementation of the Language Policy.

Support for Students Not Proficient in the Language of Instruction

The goals of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program in Palm Beach County is to
assist students in transitioning to English fluency through an emersion model. This heritage language
support is implemented in a variety of ways.

In communicating with parents and students who have little to no knowledge of English, school ESOL staff
are able to contact the Multicultural Language Line to participate in a 3-way call between the staff,
parent, and translator of a variety of languages. These translators are under contract with the county and
offer these services on demand, free of charge to our ELL students and parents. Additionally, Dwyer High
School also employs a Certified Language Facilitator (CLF) that is able to aid in communication between
the school and community stakeholders, including students and parents.

With the school ESOL/ELL programs, there are three stages of transition to full time English language
fluency. Below are the three instructional models we use at Dwyer. And attached is the full ESOL manual
from the multicultural department. Full explanations of the instructional models are in section 2 of the
manual.

Support (Mainstream) Strand (IM code M): The students in this strand generally have a higher level of
oral English proficiency. These students have limited literacy skills in English and are in the process of
becoming fully proficient in reading and writing skills. All kindergarten ELLs will be placed in this strand.

Sheltered Strand (IM code S): All students (with exception of kindergarten) who have been in
the ESOL program less than two years and are classified with Beginning, Low Intermediate, or High
Intermediate oral English language proficiency levels may be placed into this strand. Placement in this
strand will also be determined by literacy level. Students not recommended for this strand based on their
time in the ESOL program or English Language Development Continuum (ELDC) level may be placed in the
sheltered strand only by a current ELL committee recommendation. Kindergarten students may not be
placed in the sheltered strand.

It is important to note for students at the secondary level, the number of sheltered classes in which a
student may be scheduled will be determined by their literacy level and/or an ELL committee. Though a
student’s ELDC level or length of time in the ESOL program may indicate placement into the support
strand, ELLs may receive sheltered classes as appropriate when determined by the ELL committee.
Students at this strand will be placed in two courses that are composed of all ESOL students, are allowed
to use translation dictionaries, glossaries in their mother tongue, and are given extended time on all
assessments.

Collaborative Support Instruction (IM code C): ELLs are provided comprehensible instruction in the
mainstream classroom. An ESOL teacher provides small group instruction focusing on academic language
development in the mainstream classroom. ESOL funded teacher and classroom teachers plan
collaboratively to meet the needs of ELLs.

Students transition from one stage of support to the next as determined by the school ESOL coordinator,
Kristin Samartino, through results of teacher response surveys, tests results, and ACCESS testing.

At each stage of the ESOL continuum, instruction and practice in the language and culture of the host
country will be taught and reinforced through a variety of methods including the reading, viewing, and
discussion of national holidays and observations, learning about national figures of historic, political, or
cultural importance. Traditions regarding celebratory events including attire, food, dance, music, art, and
other elements common to the local and national zeitgeist.

Current Demand for ESOL Instruction Accommodation

Currently, as of November 2022, this school has 2,199 total students.

• 86 students are considered LY or active ESOL students
• 16 are considered LF – Proficient but still monitored by the ESOL program
• 114 are labelled as LZ – they have completed monitoring and are considered fluent, but followup does occur.
• 71 of the current ESOL students are native Spanish speakers, while the remaining 15 speak languages including Arabic, French, Haitian-Creole, Japanese, Kanjobal, Mam, Q’eqchi, Thai, and Ukrainian.

Head of School and Administration

• Responsible for the professional development training of language teachers.
• Responsible for providing resources to teachers and students for language development.
• Communicate the values and expectations of the IBO to teachers, parents, students and community stakeholders.
• Responsible for providing resources for library and media services.
• Attract and retain highly qualified and experienced language teachers to support the program.
• Ensure that the IB learner profile is firmly entrenched in the school culture.
• Encourage IB teacher articulation meetings to foster an interdisciplinary approach to learning.

IB Language B Instructor and IB Coordinator

• Informs all the staff of IB procedures and assessment.
• Oversees the implementation of the language program.
• Ensures that appropriate textbooks, resources, and facilities are available.
• Ensures that parents/guardians are informed of their student’s progress in language acquisition development.
• Organizes meetings for vertical and horizontal planning with language teachers.

Teacher Responsibilities

Current instructional practices related to language teaching and learning include:

• Vertical and horizontal teams in the English and World Language departments to ensure smooth transitions of student skill acquisition between instructional levels; to plan instructional strategies, identify instructional resources for language teaching, and to address the goals and objectives of the IB Programme.
• Student celebrations and festivals that allow students to learn other cultures through food, song, dance, instrumentation and to participate in the traditions of other cultures.
• Weekend enrichment activities that include language teachers and students on cultural immersion field trips in and out of the country and students at local immigration offices offering assistance while practicing language skills in real-world situations.
• Assigning meaningful and varied assignments to students that encourage proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
• Providing timely written and verbal descriptive feedback to students on assignments and assessments.
• Communicating with parents, students, and the IB Coordinator regularly regarding student academic progress.
• Focus on the assessment of student learning outcomes in language proficiency more so than covering subject content in textbooks.

Communication to all Stakeholders

The Language Policy will be placed on the school webpage under the category “International
Baccalaureate Policies” and hard copies of these policies will be distributed to all IB teachers and support
staff, and to any who request one by writing to the DP coordinator at deanna.schneider@palmbeachschools.org