Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the IB Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
External review finds mixed outcomes for IB sites; board asks for clearer enrollment and cost details
Summary
An external Hanover Research review presented IB program snapshots showing select proficiency and graduation advantages in diploma coursework but raised concerns about small sample sizes and whole‑school models skewing comparisons; staff will return with precise enrollment numbers and FTE/cost breakdowns.
David Johns summarized findings from Hanover Research comparing International Baccalaureate (IB) program participants to district peers and highlighted participation patterns: "The International Baccalaureate PYP program is in 1 elementary school. The International Baccalaureate bridal years program is in 1 middle school, and in the 9th and 10th grades in 1 high school," he said, noting that some sites are whole‑school models while the diploma pathway at the high school is opt‑in.
Hanover's analysis used prior years' data (2024‑25) because the 2025‑26 state data remained embargoed; the review produced charts of proficiency on the Wisconsin Forward exam, graduation outcomes (distinguishing on‑time graduation vs eventual graduation) and other metrics. Johns said Hanover reported an executive summary and provided staffing‑investment estimates for each program; for IB the presentation listed about 5.1 unique FTE contributions (coordinators, world‑language teachers, fees and testing costs).
Board members raised concerns that whole‑school IB sites (especially at elementary and middle grades) can conflate school culture with program effects and asked staff to provide accurate 'n' counts and clarify whether diploma‑course participation versus full‑diploma enrollment is being reported. Johns agreed to provide more precise enrollment and outcome counts when he returns with the full Hanover report.
