##### *REVISED*

##### *2005-2006 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program*

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet** Type of School: (Check all that apply) \_\_ Elementary
\_\_ Middle X High \_\_ K-12 \_\_Charter

Name of Principal: Mr. P. Spencer Clapp

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the
official records)

Official School Name: Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address: 857 Forbes Street\_

(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address)

East Haven CT 06118

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

County: Hartford State School Code Number\* 043-63

Telephone [(860 622-5590]{.underline} Fax [(860) 622-5555]{.underline}

Website/URL[:]{.underline} [www.cibanet.org](http://www.cibanet.org/)
E-mail [: clapp.s@easthartford.org]{.underline}

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge all information is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(Principal's Signature)

Name of Superintendent\* [Dr. Marion H. Martinez]{.underline}

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)

District Name[: East Hartford Public Schools]{.underline} Tel. [( 860 )
622-5108]{.underline}

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge it is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
(Superintendent's Signature)

Name of School Board

President/Chairperson: Mrs. Hilde J. Mayranen-O'Brien

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)

I have reviewed the information in this package, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge it is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(School Board President's/Chairperson's Signature)

*\*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable,
write N/A in the space.*

**PART I ‑ ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION**

The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each
of the statements below concerning the school\'s eligibility and
compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
(OCR) requirements is true and correct.

1.  The school has some configuration that includes grades K-12.
    (Schools with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an
    entire school.)

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or been
    identified by the state as \"persistently dangerous\" within the
    last two years. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the
    state's adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2005-2006 school
    year.

3.  If the school includes grades 7 or higher, it has foreign language
    as a part of its core curriculum.

4.  The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from
    at least September 2000 and has not received the 2003, 2004, or 2005
    *No Child Left Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools Award.*

5.  The nominated school or district is not refusing the OCR access to
    information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to
    conduct a district‑wide compliance review.

6.  The OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school
    district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a
    whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A
    violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if
    the OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to
    remedy the violation.

7.  The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging
    that the nominated school, or the school district as a whole, has
    violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the
    Constitution\'s equal protection clause.

8.  There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with
    Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education
    monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in
    question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has
    corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

**PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

1\. Number of schools in the district: 10 Elementary schools

1 Middle schools

0 Junior high schools

2 High schools

2 Other

15 TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: \$9,723 (2004-05)

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: \$10,479

**SCHOOL** (To be completed by all schools)

3\. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:

> \[ \] Urban or large central city
>
> \[X \] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
>
> \[ \] Suburban
>
> \[ \] Small city or town in a rural area
>
> \[ \] Rural

4\. \_\_1\_\_ Number of years the principal has been in her/his position
at this school.

\_\_4\_\_ If fewer than three years, how long was the previous principal
at this school?

5\. Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or
its equivalent in applying school only:

  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------
  **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of                **Grade      **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of     **Grade
              Males**   Females**              Total**                  Males**   Females**   Total**

  **PreK**                                                  **7**                             

  **K**                                                     **8**                             

  **1**                                                     **9**       15        34          49

  **2**                                                     **10**      14        33          47

  **3**                                                     **11**      9         36          45

  **4**                                                     **12**      15        17          32

  **5**                                                     **Other**                         

  **6**                                                                 53        120         173

                                    **TOTAL                                                   173
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL**                                                  
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [50]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: 25% Black or African American

[17]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

[8]{.underline}% Asian/Pacific Islander

0% American Indian/Alaskan Native

**100% Total**

Use only the five standard categories in reporting the racial/ethnic
composition of the school.

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: \_\_\_4\_%

> \[This rate should be calculated using the grid below. The answer to
> (6) is the mobility rate.\]

  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
  **(1)**                   Number of students who      1
                            transferred ***to*** the    
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year.  

  **(2)**                   Number of students who      6
                            transferred ***from*** the  
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year.  

  **(3)**                   Total of all transferred    7
                            students \[sum of rows (1)  
                            and (2)\]                   

  **(4)**                   Total number of students in 173
                            the school as of October 1  

  **(5)**                   Total transferred students  .04
                            in row (3) divided by total 
                            students in row (4)         

  **(6)**                   Amount in row (5)           4%
                            multiplied by 100           
  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school: \_\_\_19\_\_\_%

\_\_32\_\_\_Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: \_\_\_12\_\_\_\_\_ (Arabic, Polish,
Spanish, Czech, Albanian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Twi/Fante, Lao,
Gujarati, Greek, Hindi)

Specify languages:

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 32%

Total number students who qualify: 54

> If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage
> of students from low‑income families or the school does not
> participate in the federally‑supported lunch program, specify a more
> accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it
> arrived at this estimate.

10\. Students receiving special education services: 0 %

1 Total Number of Students Served

> Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to
> conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education
> Act. Do not add additional categories.

\_\_\_\_Autism \_\_\_\_Orthopedic Impairment

\_\_\_\_Deafness \_\_\_\_Other Health Impaired

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness 1 Specific Learning Disability

\_\_\_\_Emotional Disturbance \_\_\_\_Speech or Language Impairment

\_\_\_\_Hearing Impairment \_\_\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

> \_\_\_\_Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Visual Impairment Including
> Blindness
>
> \_\_\_\_Multiple Disabilities

11. Indicate number of full‑time and part‑time staff members in each of
    the categories below:

    **Number of Staff**

**[Full-time]{.underline}** **[Part-Time]{.underline}**

Administrator(s) \_\_\_\_1\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_0\_\_\_

Classroom teachers \_\_\_11\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_5\_\_\_\_\_

Special resource teachers/specialists \_\_\_\_1\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_0\_\_\_\_

Paraprofessionals \_\_\_\_0\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_0\_\_\_\_

> Support staff \_\_\_\_2\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_1\_\_\_
>
> Total number \_\_\_15\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_6\_\_\_

12. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio, that is, the
    number of

students in the school divided by the FTE of classroom teachers:
\_\_15:1\_\_\_

13\. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a
percentage. The student dropout rate is defined by the state. The
student drop-off rate is the difference between the number of entering
students and the number of exiting students from the same cohort. (From
the same cohort, subtract the number of exiting students from the number
of entering students; divide that number by the number of entering
students; multiply by 100 to get the percentage drop-off rate.) Briefly
explain in 100 words or fewer any major discrepancy between the dropout
rate and the drop-off rate. Only middle and high schools need to supply
dropout rates and only high schools need to supply drop-off rates.

  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --------
                             2004-2005   2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   

  Daily student attendance   93%         94%         95%         94%         

  Daily teacher attendance   93%         90%         96%         95%         

  Teacher turnover rate      5%          0%          0%          0%          

  Student dropout rate       0%          0%          0%          N/A%        
  (middle/high)                                                              

  Student drop-off rate      50%         53%         56%         N/A%        
  (high school)                                                              
  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --------

**Explanation of drop-off versus drop-out rate**.

As an International Baccalaureate school with an open enrollment policy
for admissions, CIBA is unique among IB Diploma schools. In the first
few years students and parents did not recognize the rigorous nature of
the IB program and curriculum; consequently, many students returned to
their sending school districts during their junior and senior years when
the IB curriculum and assessments are implemented. Retention of students
has improved each year so that now the class of 2006 is 31 students and
the Class of 2007 is 45 students.

14\. **(*High Schools Only*)** Show what the students who graduated in
Spring 2004 are doing as of September 2004.

+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Graduating class size                                   | > \_17\_   |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Enrolled in a 4-year college or university              | >          |
|                                                         |  \_88\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Enrolled in a community college                         | >          |
|                                                         |  \_12\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Enrolled in vocational training                         | >          |
|                                                         | \_\_0\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Found employment                                        | >          |
|                                                         | \_\_0\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Military service                                        | >          |
|                                                         | \_\_0\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Other (travel, staying home, etc.)                      | >          |
|                                                         | \_\_0\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Unknown                                                 | >          |
|                                                         | \_\_\_0\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| **Total**                                               | > 100 %    |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+

**PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

Our school was founded in 1999 as a public inter-district magnet school
seeking to reduce racial isolation and to provide a rigorous academic
program for students in the Greater Hartford area. We moved into our new
technology-rich building in 2003. We have ten sending school districts
that range from large urban cities to small rural towns. Consequently,
we have a very diverse student population with white, African-American,
Hispanic, Asian and East Asian students. Admission to C.I.B.A. is based
upon the number of available slots per town, an application with two
essays, and middle school counselor recommendation. Thus, we are an
"open enrollment" school and one of the few International Baccalaureate
schools that does not admit students based upon an entrance examination
or grades. Our projected enrollment for the 2006-2007 school year is 192
students in grades 9-12.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma program for high school students
is considered to be the most academically rigorous curriculum in the
world. Our school mission is to "connect a rigorous, pre-university
curriculum to the world beyond the classroom by demonstrating the
interrelationships among the academic disciplines, by promoting
international understanding, and by establishing a balance among
academic, artistic, and social activities in order to produce
responsible, ethical, thoughtful, and informed citizens who are prepared
to be global leaders." IB Diploma students here and abroad take six
externally assessed examinations, complete a 4,000 word graded research
paper and complete 150 hours of community service. Students also take a
foreign language for four years: Chinese or Spanish. This year 66% of
the senior class or 21 students have registered for the full complement
of six IB examinations.

For more information about the IB Diploma program, there is an excellent
website: [www.ibo.org](http://www.ibo.org/). The C.I.B.A. website is
[www.cibanet.org](http://www.cibanet.org/) . All of our IB and pre-IB
classes are weighted as honors classes. To give you an example of the
academic rigor, our pre-IB social studies classes for ninth and tenth
grade consists of one semester of Civics, a state of Connecticut
requirement and then three semesters of AP World History. These students
then take the AP exam at the end of their sophomore year. Last year of
our 37 graduates, 100% went on to college. C.I.B.A. graduates have been
accepted to some of the most selective colleges and universities,
including Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Cornell University,
Brown University, Barnard College, Smith College, Vassar College,
Williams College and the University of Connecticut. Class rank is not
calculated because our entire program is honors level, although a
cumulative grade point average is included on the student's transcript.

Our students participate in interscholastic sports at East Hartford High
School which is connected to our school via a skywalk. We are also
developing after-school enrichment programs in music, dance, and
theater. Students access East Hartford High School for music classes, as
well as the school nurse and social worker. Students are able to
participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities including Model
United Nations, Yearbook, Poetry Club, Outdoor Club, Dance Club,
Robotics Club, and many more. In addition, we are developing sister
school relationships with other IB Diploma schools in China, Mexico and
Costa Rica; student foreign exchange trips are currently planned to
visit those countries in 2006.

**PART IV -- INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS**

1.  **Assessment Results:**

The Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy (CIBA) was nominated
as an NCLB Blue Ribbon school by Connecticut Commissioner of Education
Dr. Betty Sternberg because our students consistently achieve in the top
10% of Connecticut high schools whose tenth grade students take the
Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). This is a remarkable
achievement given that over 30% of CIBA students are eligible for free
or reduced lunch and fifty percent are nonwhite.

The CAPT is actually a battery of tests lasting a total of approximately
eight hours given to tenth graders over a two week period in March. The
tests assess critical skills needed for success in the workplace and in
higher education. Since 1994, parents and teachers have used the CAPT to
measure growth and achievement levels of Connecticut high school
students. The CAPT was designed to:

-   establish high performance standards for all high school sophomores
    on a range of skills and knowledge;

-   emphasize the application of skills and knowledge in realistic
    contexts;

-   promote better instruction and curricula by providing information on
    student and district strengths and weaknesses; and

-   increase the accountability for Connecticut's educational system at
    the high school level.

The CAPT compares each student's achievement to a set of established
standards. These standards translate into five levels of performance:
Advanced, Goal, Proficient, Basic and Below Basic. The top two levels
define the goal range, while the proficient level is used as the minimum
standard for achievement under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
CAPT assesses students in writing, reading, mathematics and science. The
test content is aligned with the Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular
Goals and Standards as well as the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching.
For example, the writing assessment consists of three parts; two
Interdisciplinary Writing tests in which students must read three
separate articles and use the information to write a persuasive essay,
and an Editing & Revising test that requires students to identify and
correct errors in organization word choice, syntax, punctuation, usage
and spelling. Students' reading skills are measured with a Response to
Literature test and a three-part Reading for Information test
(non-fiction). Both parts of the test require students to use critical
thinking skills to interpret and evaluate the author's intent. The
mathematics test assesses how well students can compute, estimate, solve
real life problems and communicate their understanding. The science test
assesses concepts in life, physical and earth sciences, as well as
students' abilities to apply those concepts to authentic problems. There
is a focus on experimentation skills and scientific reasoning.

CIBA students, as noted in the data tables, consistently score at the
goal level across all subgroups. This is due to the fact that the
instruction at CIBA is closely aligned with the state standards and
teachers develop the foundation skills for high student achievement and
hold students accountable for their own academic success. All members of
the school community including parents, teachers, the principal, the
guidance counselor and support staff maintain a laser-like focus on
student achievement as well as ethical, responsible, compassionate, and
respectful behavior.

Information on the state assessment system may be found at
www.state.ct.us/sde

2.  **Using Assessment Results:** .

Across all disciplines, including Art and Physical Education,
instruction at CIBA is designed to integrate the Connecticut Frameworks
that are aligned with the CAPT goals and objectives. CIBA teachers
understand the standards and what students are expected to know and be
able to demonstrate. For example, in the ninth grade pre-IB Art History
class students are expected to analyze a work of art and be able to
defend their opinion of the particular work of art using specific
terminology. This is the content strand of "taking a critical stance"
that a student might apply in the Response to Literature test of the
CAPT in tenth grade even though it is a skill that is being developed in
an Art class. Ninth and tenth grade students in the AP World History
class frequently interpret graphs and analyze data which are skills that
will be assessed on the math and science portions of the CAPT.

Teachers of ninth and tenth graders use CAPT -based assessments in their
curricula to assess students' strengths and weaknesses throughout the
year. CIBA students read, write, and compute at challenging levels every
school day. Teachers offer students clear, constructive feedback and
expect students to use this feedback to improve their own performance.
Every day students can be found in teachers' rooms after school seeking
extra help and tutoring. There is no stigma at CIBA attached to seeking
help because the students know that the material is difficult and that
all the teachers are willing to assist them.

3.  **Communicating Assessment Results:**

Although parents and students receive official grade reports eight times
during the academic year, teachers give students feedback on their
performance on a daily basis. Student achievement meetings that include
the principal, guidance counselor and teachers are held on a regular
basis to assess the needs of particular students. Teachers post "data
walls" comparing and contrasting student achievement between classes in
order to promote a healthy spirit of academic competition. Students on
the honor roll have their names and photos posted on the most visible
and prominent wall in the school. Parents are given "Honor Roll" bumper
stickers for their cars, and the honor roll is posted in the local
newspaper. The principal openly applauds students who achieve at the
highest levels and extends special privileges to students who excel
academically. For example, student eligibility for the foreign trips to
China and Costa Rica is determined in part by academic achievement and
compliance with the CIBA community service requirement.

4.  **Sharing Success:**

Because CIBA is a magnet school that attracts motivated students from
ten sending towns and cities, the academic success of our students is
also communicated to eighth grade students and parents. Much of this
takes place during the fall and winter recruiting season when the
principal and guidance counselor conduct over twenty information
sessions at more than a dozen schools. In the fall, middle school
guidance counselors are invited to an informational breakfast where the
mission of the school, the academic achievement levels of our students,
and the application process are explained in detail.

In the early part of the second semester the principal and guidance
counselor contact high schools in the sending school districts to
solicit students who may want to consider transferring to CIBA for their
sophomore year. This is another vehicle for sharing the achievement
success of CIBA students with other schools. CIBA seeks students who are
motivated, engaged learners with strong emotional intelligence. If they
are willing to learn and work hard then they are welcome to challenge
themselves in the CIBA community of teachers and learners.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

1.  **Curriculum:**

Offering a depth of study that exceeds traditional academic norms for
public high schools, CIBA prepares students for entrance into the
world's most competitive colleges and universities. A major goal at CIBA
is to have students learn how to learn, so that they can continue to
develop knowledge and new skills for the rest of their lives. The actual
curriculum is grounded in the six advanced-level science and humanities
areas that form the core of the International Baccalaureate Diploma
program during the eleventh and twelfth grades. Students who score at a
high level on the six IB exams, complete an IB Theory of Knowledge
class, write a 4,000 word research paper( the Extended Essay), and
complete 150 hours of community service are eligible for the IB Diploma,
which is recognized for college credit at over 700 universities around
the world.

In order to prepare students for the advanced IB program in their last
two years of high school, the CIBA curriculum "scaffolds" pre-IB classes
during the freshmen and sophomore years. CIBA students take four years
of literature-based English (two years of pre-IB and two years of IB
English HL), four years of Social Studies (Civics, AP World History, and
IB History of the Americas HL), four years of math (Algebra1, Algebra 2,
Geometry, and pre-Calculus), four years of science (pre-IB Biology,
Chemistry, IB Biology HL and IB Physics the latter of which will be
offered in 2006-07), and four years of a foreign language (either IB
Chinese SL or IB Spanish SL). (CIBA has the largest Chinese studies
program in Connecticut with over 110 students studying Mandarin.)
Students can also take electives such as IB Computer Science SL, IB
Chemistry SL, or IB Visual Arts SL. All ninth graders take Art History,
a rigorous class which introduces them to the major periods of art and
prepares them with the skills to critically assess an art object. The
school is hoping to offer IB Physics SL for the coming 2006-07 school
year. (Of the six required IB examinations to qualify for the IB
Diploma, three must be two year Higher Level (HL) classes and three must
be one year Standard Level (SL) classes.)

Because all CIBA students typically take several of the IB examinations,
even if they are not full Diploma candidates, students and teachers
receive examination assessment results. These results show CIBA student
achievement compared to the level of student achievement for students
around the world who took the same examinations.

Thus, CIBA students and teachers, in essence, serve two masters in their
quest for academic excellence: the Connecticut state standards and the
IB world standards. Knowing that students must take the Connecticut CAPT
test in the spring of their sophomore year, CIBA teachers focus on the
content standards necessary to succeed on the CAPT test during ninth and
tenth grades. Moreover, teachers and students know that they are
ultimately preparing for the IB Diploma during their junior and senior
years. Therefore, those two years are intensely focused on preparing for
the rigorous IB exams.

2b. **(Secondary Schools)** **English:**

Students in pre-IB English study literature and language in a series of
genre-based units designed to enable them to develop analytical,
critical and creative thinking skills necessary to communicate clearly,
imaginatively and effectively, both in writing and in speech. Through
genre-based units, students begin to recognize characteristic elements
of the different forms of writing, including short stories, poetry,
drama, and memoir. They explore the writing process through frequent
formal, informal and creative writing opportunities. Students learn to
listen and speak effectively, to discuss, debate, and defend their
opinions. In the tenth grade students increase their vocabulary skills
with an emphasis on powerful writing. Importance is placed on the formal
expository essay, as well as the formal research paper. Students master
the ability to take a position and defend it with textual support, both
orally and in writing. IB English A1 is a two-year, intensive study of
English literature and language designed to develop students' analytical
and creative powers of expression. Various genres, styles, and contexts
are examined through the analysis of thematically grouped works.
Students engage in detailed and critical examination of major literary
works both classical and contemporary.

Students who struggle with reading skills or writing are identified in
the ninth grade and offered additional support by the classroom teacher
and/or a student tutor.

**Chinese Studies:**

CIBA has developed the largest Chinese Studies program of any public
school in Connecticut. Over 50% of CIBA students take a four-year course
of studies in Mandarin with the ultimate goal of taking and excelling on
the IB Mandarin SL examination. In 2005 all eleven twelfth graders who
took the IB examination in Chinese scored a four or better, which is
proficient under the IB standards. It has been estimated that Chinese
requires approximately 1,300 hours of instruction to become proficient
in Mandarin, compared to about 480 hours for the same degree of mastery
of Spanish or French. The difficulty is based in the pictographic
characters which comprise the written language as well as the four tone
framework for the oral portion of the language.

As an International Baccalaureate Diploma school with a mission to
develop future global leaders, CIBA's Chinese Studies program is
preparing our students to enter a new global world order where China,
with its 1.2 billion people, will become a major political and economic
force in the world. CIBA students recently participated in the Chinese
New Year's celebration sponsored by the Chinese Cultural center of
Connecticut. In October of 2005 CIBA hosted a U.S.-China Business Forum
where CIBA Chinese Studies students served as student ambassadors and
hosts. These initiatives reflect a desire to allow CIBA students to
engage the wider community to demonstrate their language skills. And
finally, in the summer of 2006 it is anticipated that between 16-27 CIBA
students in the eleventh and twelfth grades will travel to China for a
14 day cultural excursion. This experience will directly connect
students' language learning to the world in which it can be directly
applied, while at the same time involving them directly in a new and
different culture.

3.  **Instructional Methods:**

Instructional methods are clearly an area where CIBA instructors excel.
They understand the concept of "learning styles" as well as Gardner's
Multiple Intelligence model and they apply it constantly in their lesson
plans. Although our school does not follow a block schedule there is no
doubt that CIBA instructors would thrive in such a setting because they
understand the need to vary instructional methods and strategies even in
a 47 minute period.

Teachers across all disciplines engage students with learning objectives
that are on the top end of Bloom's taxonomy, analyzing, synthesizing,
comparing, contrasting and evaluating. On a daily basis, CIBA students
read material at a challenging pace, and communicate their knowledge in
writing or orally, individually, in pairs, or as part of a small group.
One way to visually monitor the diversity of instructional methods is to
note how often teachers use a variety of classroom configurations to
achieve their learning objectives. Often, a classroom will be arranged
in the traditional rows only during an examination or full-period test.
Otherwise, student desks are often in small groups, pairs, or set-up in
a horseshoe as a "dialogue center". The fact that our school is a
technology-rich environment allows teachers to conduct and facilitate
web quests and have students demonstrate their knowledge through
Powerpoint presentations. All teachers have Smartboards in their
classrooms and have been trained in their use. Math teachers will
routinely bring up the TI-85 graphing calculator on the Smartboard and
walk students through a multi-step equation conversion or analysis.
Science instruction is grounded in inquiry-based learning with a strong
emphasis on the scientific method and lab work. Social studies and world
languages use simulations, role playing and creative expression to
engage students in their learning. One CIBA teacher was recently
nominated by a former student for a Disney Creativity in Teaching Award.

4.  **Professional Development:**

CIBA's professional development program focuses on maintaining and
improving student achievement through data collection and analysis
(*Accountability in Action*, Reeves, D. Center for Performance
Assessment 2004), personal professional growth plans, and collaborative
investigation of all aspects of teaching and learning. Specifically,
CIBA staff conducted a self-analysis using the *Breaking Ranks II*
(NASSP 2004) Assessment Survey as well as the Inventory of Instructional
Practices in August of 2005 as a means to focus the School Improvement
Plan (SIP) on those areas of greatest need. The result of this ongoing
reflective practice identified the need for some form of advisor/advisee
program to strengthen relationships among students and between students
and staff. A committee of teachers volunteered to survey various models
for an advisor program and will develop a proposed model for CIBA to
implement in the fall of 2006.

Additionally, teachers are interested in creating common rubrics for
collaborative projects that will cross disciplines and subjects levels
to create consistency both horizontally and vertically. Another outcome
of the professional development process was a desire to develop
curricular "scaffolding" for the IB Extended Essay that is started in
the junior year and finished in the senior year. Teachers are interested
in exposing students in their freshman and sophomore years to the
research skills and process that they will need to create powerful
research papers and higher scores on the Extended Essay. Finally, two
instructors are collaborating on developing a new curriculum for the IB
Theory of Knowledge class that could be delivered via distance learning
using the Digital Classroom Model developed by the Connecticut Distance
Learning Consortium. This might allow future IB students in other parts
of the country, or even the world, to access and complete an IB Theory
of Knowledge class using distance learning technology and pedagogy.

**PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS**

**Connecticut Academic Proficiency Test (CAPT)**

  ------------- ----------- ------ ------ ------ ------------- --------- ------------- --------- ------------- ---------
  **Student                                      **2004-05**             **2003-04**             **2002-03**   
  Assessment                                                                                                   
  Data- CAPT**                                                                                                 

  Testing                                        Math          Reading   Math          Reading   Math          Reading
  month: April                                                                                                 

                                                                                                               

  C.I.B.A.                                                                                                     
  Scores                                                                                                       

                \% at or                         95            95        97            97        82.5          88
                above Meets                                                                                    
                CT.                                                                                            
                Standard                                                                                       
                (1)                                                                                            

                \% at                            64            90        58            79        50            56
                Exceeds CT                                                                                     
                Standards                                                                                      
                (2)                                                                                            

  Number tested                                  42            42        38            38        34            34

  \% of total                                    100           100       100           100       100           100
  students                                                                                                     
  tested                                                                                                       

  Number                                         0             0         0             0         0             0
  alternately                                                                                                  
  assessed                                                                                                     

  Percent                                        0             0         0             0         0             0
  alternately                                                                                                  
  assessed                                                                                                     

                                                                                                               

  Subgroup                                                                                                     
  scores                                                                                                       

  1\. Free and                                                                                                 
  Reduced Lunch                                                                                                

                \% at or                         93            100       90            90        66            100
                above Meets                                                                                    
                CT.                                                                                            
                Standard                                                                                       

                \% at                            43            86        50            50        0             17
                Exceeds CT                                                                                     
                Standards                                                                                      

  Number tested                                  14            14        10            10        6             6

                                                                                                               

  2\.                                                                                                          
  Non-white\*                                                                                                  

                \% at or                         90            100       90            100       78            89
                above Meets                                                                                    
                CT.                                                                                            
                Standard                                                                                       

                \% at                            45            85        47            70.5      22            39
                Exceeds CT                                                                                     
                Standards                                                                                      

  Number tested                                  20            20        17            17        18            18

                                                 \*                      \*                      \*            

                                                 5 Asian                 2 Asian                 2 Asian       

                                                 8 Black                 11 Black                12 Black      

                                                 7 Hispanic              4 Hispanic              4 Hispanic    

                                                                                                               
  ------------- ----------- ------ ------ ------ ------------- --------- ------------- --------- ------------- ---------

\(1\) **Proficiency** is the third of five levels (Below Basic, Basic,
Proficient, Goal, Mastery) and is used under the No Child Left Behind
law to evaluate secondary schools in Connecticut for purposes of
establishing target goals for student achievement as well as Annual
Yearly Progress (AYP).

\(2\) This is the fourth level of **Goal** and the fifth level of
**Mastery**

**Conclusion:** There has been an upward trend in student achievement
over the three year data assessment period which includes the school as
a whole as well as the major subgroups of free and reduced lunch and
non-white. There is no statistically significant difference between or
among the school population as a whole and major subgroups. It is fully
expected that this trend will continue to be evident with the Class of
2008 which is currently taking the CAPT tests; the results of which will
be available in early July, 2006.