Katonah-Lewisboro board hears staff recommendation to explore IB Middle Years Program at middle school

District educators told the board March 26 that an internal exploration of the International Baccalaoreate framework, focused on the Middle Years Program for the middle school, shows promise but would require deliberate supports and phased implementation. Jeff Sweditz, principal of the middle school, introduced the team leading the work.

"Learning is driven by student curiosity," said Melissa Brady, instructional coach, describing inquiry-based learning as a hallmark of IB and a reason the team found the approach appealing. "The kids are the ones that have to keep the cart moving the cart forward." Brady and colleagues said IB emphasizes conceptual understanding and transferable skills, replacing rote fact recall with inquiry and reflection.

The team outlined a multi-step process that began with internal exploration this school year and included school visits to IB sites. Those visits confirmed potential benefits—cohesive instructional language, deeper critical thinking and authentic student exhibitions—but also surfaced practical implementation challenges, such as scheduling, teaming, and the lift of professional learning.

"Adoption and implementation will take time and structural and budgetary support," the presenters told trustees, listing three core takeaways: the need for sustained resources, community and faculty buy-in, and transparency about timelines and expectations. The group emphasized that many practices noted in IB overlap with district initiatives such as PLC work and planned literacy curriculum updates.

Administrators said the exploration team voted to proceed to a feasibility study in fall 2026 that would broaden representation to parents, additional middle-school faculty and board members. If feasibility recommends candidacy, the district would submit a demonstrable expression of interest and work through a multi-year candidacy and implementation process that includes professional development, policy development, and unit development.

Board members asked about grade-level and program impacts. Presenters said MYP would be applied across every middle-school subject through unit planners (for example, pairing a social-studies concept with math problems to provide richer context) and that the MYP can sit alongside explicit skills instruction rather than replacing it.

The presenters also said inclusion is an explicit expectation in IB candidacy documents: policies on inclusion, language and assessment would need to be written and implemented to ensure access for diverse learners. Board members noted this alignment with the district’s inclusion goals.

Next steps: the district plans a feasibility study starting fall 2026; if that work leads to candidacy, professional learning and phased integration would follow over subsequent years.