International Baccalaureate Program Implementation Plan - Merivale High School
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is planning to introduce a new International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Merivale High School beginning in the Fall of 2019. This would be the second IB program in the district; there is currently an IB program at Colonel By Secondary School.
In order to best serve the community, we asked our community to provide input into some of the implementation issues for the new program. Specifically, decisions need to be made about three things:
- Attendance boundaries for the two IB programs;
- Semestering versus non-semestering at Merivale High School; and
- School start time at Merivale High School.
The implementation plan for the IB program at Merivale High School was discussed at the Committee of the Whole meeting on June 5th. The Committee asked for more information in a number of areas. The following is a summary of the discussion to date. Please note that additional discussion will be held
on June 25, 2018 and this may affect the final decisions.
Committee of the Whole - June 5, 2018
During Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, the following motion was brought forward:
A. THAT Merivale High School adopt a non-semestered program delivery model starting in September 2019 with the incoming grade 9 cohort coincident with the start of the IB Program;
B. THAT a phased in approach of non-semestering continues with grade 10 becoming non-semestered in 2020-2021 and grades 11 and 12 becoming non-semestered in 2021-2022;
C. THAT the attendance boundary for the IB Program as reflected in Appendix A to Report 18-064 be approved; and,
D. THAT students living in the new Merivale High School IB program boundary area who are eligible to enroll in the program and have older siblings attending the Colonel By Secondary School program be provided an option to also attend Colonel By Secondary School.
Results
- Part A of the motion, to adopt a non-semestered program delivery model starting in September 2019 with the incoming grade 9 cohort coincident with the start of the IB Program, was defeated.
- Part B was declared moot with the defeat of Part A.
- Part C regarding the attendance boundary for the IB Program as reflected in Appendix A to Report 18-064 was carried.
- Part D was also carried allowing students living in the new Merivale High School IB program boundary area who are eligible to enroll in the program and have older siblings attending the Colonel By Secondary School program an option to also attend Colonel By Secondary School.
The following amendment was deferred to the Board meeting on 25 June:
THAT the boundary for Merivale High School be moved to Sherbourne Road.
Staff will provide a map and information on the number of secondary students living in the area north of Carling and west of Sherbourne Road.
Staff will also bring back the previous report that points to statistics that reflect the decision and need to implement a new IB program.
In addition, Trustees asked staff to provide the following information prior to the Board meeting on 25 June:
- Clarity on the phase-in of the IB program regarding semestered and non-semestered program delivery;
- Implications for space, staffing, and costs of providing a split program with semestered and non-semestered courses for grade 12 students in 2021-2022;
- Transfer options for current grade 8 students who will be required to switch to non-semestered in grade 12;
- Enrolment projections for Colonel By Secondary School based on historical research and data.