Harding Primary Years Programme
updated: Oct 10, 2012, 12:33 PM

Source: Unified School District

Harding University Partnership School Reaches Major Milestone

Harding University Partnership School is proud to announce that on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, the International Baccalaureate Organization authorized the school as an International Baccalaureate World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP).

Harding University Partnership School is the first elementary school in Santa Barbara County to receive the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) designation.

The journey toward authorization began over four years ago and has been an intensive learning period for the school community, including leadership, teachers, support staff, parents, students, and school partners.

The process has ensured understanding of the PYP. Professional development and collaboration has been a very significant part of the process.

The authorization process is the same for schools across the globe. The process included: · making the decision to become an IB World School; · understanding the nature and requirements of the IB programme standards and practices; · defining their readiness to implement the programme; · planning to sustain the programme in the long term; · development and revision of the Programme of Inquiry; · implementation of the PYP essential elements.

Harding's staff has worked diligently to build their school community around the International Baccalaureate mission statement:

"The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

"To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

"These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."

The school community at Harding University Partnership School will continue to further develop education for international mindedness, conceptual understanding and inquiry-based teaching and learning that form the hallmarks of an IB education.

A school-wide celebration is planned for November 8, 2012.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 330025	2012-10-10 01:07 PM
"programme" with two -m's AND an -e? Well, that is something...
COMMENT 330030P	2012-10-10 01:17 PM
It is an international recognition, so, for whatever reason they used the UK spelling of the word program.
COMMENT 330042	2012-10-10 02:14 PM
My niece just graduated in this program in Richmond Virginia and is now attending William and Mary. It is a very prestigious program(me) there and requires intensive study and summer projects. The schools there offer it K-12. If Harding is doing it, that means they have committed significant resources to meeting the requirements on an ongoing basis. I wonder how this affects that recent discussion about the merits of Harding School that we had on Edhat?
COMMENT 330073	2012-10-10 03:59 PM
This is ridiculous. How about first getting off the California Black List for being a non-performing school. I think parents sending their kids to Harding are more concerned about getting free breakfast/lunches/school transportation and after school day care for their kids.
REXOFSB	2012-10-10 04:15 PM
Silk purse, meet sow's ear. It's going to take more than a lot of purty words and fancy "programmes" to turn this train wreck of a school into one that I'd ever send my kids to.
COMMENT 330096P	2012-10-10 04:31 PM
Train wreck, maybe, but there are some very good teachers there working really hard to teach the basics that kids need! Not easy when so many parents don't even speak English, can not assist their children with their homework.
COMMENT 330105	2012-10-10 04:54 PM
Maybe 073 is right about what parents want, but it's good news that Harding wants to do far more than serve "free breakfast." This is an ambitious program with proven results toward improving students' graduation and college enrollment rates. They are putting the hard work into providing support and motivation for some of the most at-risk students--and the latest scores show it's working. These kids are as bright as any in SB. This is a great opportunity for them to learn to set their goals high.
COMMENT 330115P	2012-10-10 05:20 PM
Hopefully the program will at the very minimum bring the kids up to grade level in math, Harding has horrendous math scores, and the school does a huge disservice to its students in that subject area.
COMMENT 330146	2012-10-10 06:04 PM
I know of families who live in the Hope School district but send their kids to Harding? Why? More free services. Instead of paying the YMCA for aftershcool daycare - they get it for free at Harding. They are also not pressured to donate any money and making sure their kids keep up with homework - so Harding becomes the path of least resistance. Sad but true.
COMMENT 330201P	2012-10-10 07:58 PM
@146: It's not that I find that hard to believe, I find it impossible to believe. There is no way that any thinking family would leave the Hope District for Harding, let alone "families" (plural). Absolutely, positively no way.
COMMENT 330231	2012-10-11 07:33 AM
I've worked at this school as a sub teacher - it is a total joke. The 6th graders read at 2nd/3rd grade levels at best. The teachers try but the kids themselves come from homes where they don't even know what a book is - and the kids don't care - they'll all be dropouts in a few years. This school should be dismantled - it is a total joke. These periodic awards to the school are a joke - I love the puff piece on the outgoing principle last year, who was actually forced out - they made it look like she was moving on from one success to another. This is the educational establishment today. If you knew what was going on at the SB elementary schools you wouldn't vote them one additional dime.
COMMENT 330232	2012-10-11 07:41 AM
Whatever happened to their principal sally Kingston? Where did she go? Wasn't she instrumental in getting this program off the ground? Why didn't she stay to see it happen? I remember her at Roosevelte when my son was there. She seems to be one of those administrators who is never in one position for longer than 3 years... Just wondering what the effect on an elementary school when tge principal changes after being there long enough to instigate but not complete ideas...
COMMENT 330311	2012-10-11 10:06 AM
Are you still a sub, 231? I know quite a few teachers, parents, administrators, and others involved with this school who pour their hearts into this school and disagree with the bitter assessment you've made as sub teacher. Maybe it's time for you to switch careers. Kingston got results, and wasn't concerned about upsetting people. The idea that she was "forced out" is ridiculous. At Harding, she instigated and completed a lot of changes for the better. The new Harding principal should be impressive too. These kids need all the support the school can provide, as many are not coming from the same homes as kids in the Hope district. It benefits our entire community to have Harding succeed.
COMMENT 330439	2012-10-11 02:33 PM
Thread full of trolls. Ed, when are you going to start requiring handles to post a comment?

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