Beecher Hills Elementary School

Article 1: Scope

The International Baccalaureate Organization (herein after the IB Organization) is a foundation that has developed and offers three programmes of international education entitled the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme. It authorizes schools to offer one or more of these programmes to its students.

An IB World School is a school that has been authorized by the IB Organization to offer one or more of its programmes.

This document describes the regulations that apply to those schools that have been authorized as IB World Schools to offer the PYP.

When used herein the term legal guardians encompasses parents and individuals with guardianship of any IB student enrolled in the PYP.

Article 2: Role and responsibilities of schools

2.1 The IB Organization has established a curriculum framework and requirements, as well as standards and practices for the implementation of the PYP, which is an inclusive programme aimed at students in the 12 age group.

2.2 Because the IB Organization is not a teaching institution and does not provide teaching services to students, the PYP is implemented and taught by IB World Schools (herein after school(s)). The schools are private or state entities, all of which are entirely independent from the IB Organization and solely responsible for the implementation and quality of teaching of the PYP.

2.3 The schools are responsible for informing legal guardians regarding the general characteristics of the PYP and how the school implements it.

2.4 The IB Organization cannot guarantee that a school will remain capable and willing to implement the PYP. Consequently, the schools bear sole responsibility towards students and legal guardians if a schools authorization to implement the PYP is withdrawn by the IB Organization or a school decides to terminate its authorization.

Article 3: Content and implementation of the programme

3.1 A primary school, or primary section of a school, must offer the PYP as an inclusive programme for all students.

3.2 The schools must implement the PYP in conformity with Making the PYP happen: A curriculum framework for international primary education, which is the curriculum framework issued by the IB Organization for schools, and the current PYP coordinator's handbook, which is the procedures manual issued by the IB Organization for schools.

3.3 The teaching and learning in the PYP are predominantly in the context of transdisciplinary themes and through the pedagogy of inquiry that promotes the construction of meaning by students.

3.4 Schools must provide instruction in the learning of a language other than the principal language of instruction of the school from the age of at least seven. Bilingual/dual-language schools are not required to offer a third language to their students.

3.5 The schools carry out all teaching and assessment alone without any intervention or supervision from the IB Organization. This includes the assessment of each student's development in the areas described in the IB learner profile and of each student's learning as demonstrated during the PYP exhibition in the final year of the programme.

3.6 The IB Organization does not award any form of diploma or certificate in connection with the PYP.

3.7 Legal guardians must use the school's PYP coordinator as the intermediary for any communication with the IB Organization.

3.8 If legal guardians have any questions regarding the general content (curriculum and philosophy) of the PYP or how a school implements it, they must address themselves to the school's PYP coordinator.

Article 4: Use of materials produced by students

4.1 Students produce materials in a variety of forms during the course of their schoolwork. These materials (herein after the materials) include all forms of written work, audio and visual materials and, in certain cases, materials containing images of the students. From time to time, the IB Organization may ask schools for samples of these materials to use for educational, training, and/or promotional purposes relating to the IB Organization's activities, or to those related activities of which it approves.

4.2 Upon students entering the PYP, schools should ask legal guardians to indicate in writing whether they agree to their child's materials being submitted to the IB Organization from time to time for educational, training and/or promotional purposes relating to the IB Organization's activities, or to those related activities of which it approves.

4.3 By providing written consent to the schools, legal guardians are granting the IB Organization a non-exclusive, charge-free, worldwide licence, for the duration of the statutory copyright protection, to reproduce submitted materials in any medium for the uses outlined in article 4.1.

4.4 Where the IB Organization uses these materials, it may modify, translate or otherwise change them to meet particular needs and, in order to protect the identity of the student and of the school, will anonymize them before publication in print or in electronic form.

Article 5: Governing law

Swiss law governs these General regulations: Primary Years Programme.

Article 6: Arbitration

Any dispute arising from or in connection with these General regulations: Primary Years Programme shall be finally settled by one arbitrator in accordance with the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration of the Swiss Chambers of Commerce. The seat of the arbitration shall be Geneva, Switzerland. The proceedings shall be confidential and the language of the arbitration shall be English.

Article 7: Entry into force and transitory rules

This version shall enter into force on 1September 2007 for PYP schools whose school year begins in August/ September or on 1January 2008 for PYP schools whose school year begins in January/February. The IB Organization may amend these General regulations: Primary Years Programme from time to time.