IB Information

The MYP at ROMS

The Learner Profile

The Middle Years Program

What Is It?

The Middle Years Program (MYP) is one of three high quality international education programs offered worldwide by the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization.  It has been specifically designed for learners aged 11 to 16 to, "help students develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world."  (IB organization)

All of the IB programs are based on a philosophy of developing internationally-minded citizens.  In the MYP, three fundamental concepts create the foundation for this;

1)  Holistic Learning - students can relate content to the real world;

2)  Intercultural Awareness - students develop a deep sense of their own culture through reflection and the awareness of other cultures;

3)  Communication - students use effective verbal and non-verbal communication to become life-long learners;

In addition, the MYP provides a balanced and flexible curriculum framework.  Eight subject areas, (math, language A-English, language B, science, humanities, technology, physical education, and arts), are taught through conceptual units of instruction.  That is, the big idea is presented as an open-ended, guiding question first, and then subject content (state/district benchmarks) is presented and student understanding developed through real world applications.  The MYP promotes the idea that, "learning how to learn and how to evaluate information critically is as important as learning facts."  This is a shift in the way many schools have been delivering instruction.  The MYP requires continued teacher training to develop these best instructional strategies.