Rules & regulations

Downloadable version: MYP rules and regulations.pdf

1.1 The International Baccalaureate Organization (hereinafter “IBO”) has developed the

Middle Years Programme (hereinafter “MYP”) as an inclusive programme aimed at

students in the 11–16 age group. The MYP is designed to give schools and students the

option of registering to receive IBO-validated grades through a process of external

moderation. If this option is chosen, the MYP leads to the award of MYP certificates

and issuance of MYP records of achievement.

1.2 The IBO has established a curriculum framework and assessment requirements for each

subject group in the MYP and the personal project, which cover the MYP in general and

also define the requirements leading to the award of the MYP certificates and issuance

of MYP records of achievement. The IBO is the sole organization entitled to award MYP

certificates and to issue MYP records of achievement, where students have satisfied the

assessment requirements in accordance with these General regulations: Middle Years

Programme (hereinafter “general regulations”). Administrative details relating to these

general regulations are contained in the current MYP coordinator’s handbook, which is

the procedures manual issued by the IBO for schools.

1.3 Because the IBO is not a teaching institution and does not provide teaching services to

students, the MYP is implemented and taught by authorized or candidate schools

(hereinafter the “school(s)”). The schools are private or state entities, all of which are

entirely independent from the IBO and solely responsible for the implementation and

quality of teaching of the MYP. Consequently, the schools bear sole responsibility to

students and legal guardians for any shortcomings in the implementation or quality of

teaching of the MYP. The IBO is excluded from any responsibility in such shortcomings,

particularly concerning the marks and grades obtained by students or their failure to

satisfy all or part of the assessment requirements necessary to obtain the MYP certificates

and MYP records of achievement.

1.4 The schools are responsible for informing students and legal guardians regarding the

general characteristics of the MYP and how the school implements it.

1.5 The IBO cannot guarantee that a school will remain capable and willing to implement

the MYP. Consequently, the schools bear sole responsibility to students if, for any reason,

a candidate school does not become authorized by the IBO or a school’s authorization

to implement the MYP is withdrawn by the IBO or a school decides to terminate its

authorization. The IBO is excluded from any responsibility for any sunk costs and/or

lost opportunities suffered by students as a result of the MYP no longer being taught by

a school.

3.1 Students completing assessment tasks produce materials in a variety of forms. These

materials include all forms of written work, audio and visual materials, computer programs

and data, and in certain cases, may contain images of the students (hereinafter the

“materials”).

3.2 Students retain copyright on all their work that is submitted to the IBO on their behalf,

but, upon submitting materials to the IBO for external moderation for the purpose of

receiving IBO-validated grades or for monitoring of assessment, students thereby grant

the IBO a non-exclusive, charge-free, worldwide licence for the duration of the statutory

copyright protection to reproduce the materials in any medium for assessment, educational,

training and/or promotional purposes in relation to the IBO’s activities or those related

activities of which it approves.

3.3 Wherever materials are held for moderation or monitoring of assessment purposes, for

example, by the school, an IBO moderator or at the International Baccalaureate

Curriculum and Assessment Centre (hereinafter “IBCA”), they are always held on behalf

of the IBO.

3.4 Where the IBO uses these materials for purposes other than assessment, it may modify,

translate or otherwise change them to meet particular needs and, in order to protect the

identity of the student and of the school, will anonymize them before publication in print

or in electronic form.

3.5 Under exceptional circumstances, a student may wish to retain exclusive copyright over

a single piece of work, in which case the IBO must be notified. In accordance with the

procedure described in the current MYP coordinator’s handbook, the student must submit

a written notification to the school’s MYP coordinator who has the duty to inform the

IBO by the due date. In these cases, the IBO will use the material only for moderation

or monitoring of assessment purposes.

3.6 All materials submitted to the IBO for moderation or monitoring of assessment purposes

become the property of the IBO, which, once the moderation or the monitoring of

assessment is complete, is entitled to retain the materials for record-keeping purposes

or destroy them according to its needs.

4.1 Students must use the school’s MYP coordinator as the intermediary for all

communications with the IBO.

4.2 The MYP is designed as a five-year programme where students are exposed to structured

learning in eight subject groups each year. Where a five-year programme is not possible,

schools may be authorized by the IBO to implement a shorter programme.

4.3 Objectives and final assessment criteria are prescribed for all MYP subjects and the

personal project. However, prescription regarding curriculum content is kept to a minimum

to preserve the flexibility of the programme.

4.4 To be eligible for the MYP certificate and MYP record of achievement students must

satisfy the assessment requirements in all eight subject groups. An exception to this is

that bilingual students may register for final assessment in two languages A instead of

one language A and one language B.

4.5 As an exception, the IBO may approve a course of study that does not include all eight

subject groups in both MYP years 4 and/or 5, provided that certain conditions are met.

2 © International Baccalaureate Organization 2006

4.6 In addition to satisfying the assessment requirements of the eight subject groups, students

must:

(a) submit a personal project—a significant body of work produced over an extended

period in the final year of the programme

(b) have met the expectations of community and service to the satisfaction of the

school.

Only students who have participated in years 4 and 5 of the programme are eligible for moderation.

It is the responsibility of schools to ensure that students comply with all the assessment requirements

of the MYP. It is also the responsibility of schools to submit samples of students’ work for

moderation in line with IBO requirements and deadlines. Non-compliance with these requirements

may mean that MYP certificates and MYP records of achievement cannot be awarded.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006 3

11.1 Teachers must assess each student’s work against IBO-prescribed criteria for each subject

in which the student is registered. The personal project is also assessed by teachers against

IBO-prescribed criteria. The levels achieved for each criterion are added together to give

a criterion levels total for each student in each subject and the personal project.

11.2 The final grade is determined by the IBO, following a process of external moderation

(see Article 11 and Article 12).

11.3 Grades range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). IBO grade descriptors are published that

indicate the standard achieved for each grade.

12.1 Moderators appointed by the IBO review and assess samples of students’ work according

to the same IBO subject-specific assessment criteria used by teachers.

12.2 Validated grades are determined by the IBO by applying the grade boundaries to the

moderated criterion levels totals. Students’ grades may or may not be adjusted depending

on whether or not teachers’ assessments in their school meet predetermined standards

for each subject and the personal project.

eligible for the MYP certificate and MYP record of achievement. However, where a student’s

disability makes assessment of some of the objectives impossible the student’s eligibility for the

MYP certificate may be affected.

16.2 In these cases, schools are expected to make every effort to accommodate the needs of

the student. The IBO will consider any requests for special arrangements according to

principles stated in the current MYP coordinator’s handbook.

16.3 When the disabilities of a student are such that an objective for a subject cannot be

assessed, a grade for that subject cannot be awarded. However, the IBO may, in certain

circumstances and under certain conditions, where a request from the school has been

supported by all the necessary information and documentation, and evidence of work

achieved, award the MYP certificate and MYP record of achievement to a student with

disabilities who has not met all the objectives for a particular subject, provided all other

conditions for the award of the MYP certificate have been met.

IBCA as soon as possible by the school’s MYP coordinator on behalf of the student(s).

includes the following.

(a) Plagiarism: this is defined as the representation of the ideas or work of another

person as the student’s own.

(b) Collusion: this is defined as supporting malpractice by another student, as in

allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another.

19.2 The IBO recognizes that work submitted by students for moderation of internal assessment

may contravene the standard academic practice of clearly acknowledging all ideas and

words of other persons. Where the school considers this is not a deliberate attempt by a

student to gain an unfair advantage it is not classed as malpractice, although the school

may require the student to resubmit the work. If plagiarism is found by a moderator, the

piece of work is not moderated. The school is contacted by the IBO and asked to deal

with the issue.

the individual work of the student. If a school has any doubts about the authenticity of

students’ work, results should be withheld by the school for those students until it resolves

the matter.

by one arbitrator in accordance with the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration of the Swiss

Chambers of Commerce. The seat of the arbitration shall be Geneva, Switzerland. The proceedings

shall be confidential and the language of the arbitration shall be English.