Brown International Academy Earns International Baccalaureate Authorization

Denver, Colo., January 22, 2009 – Brown International Academy, a Denver Public School in northwest Denver, received notification from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization that it has received its official IB Primary Years Programme authorization. With this milestone behind it, Brown is authorized to teach the IB Primary Years Programme curriculum. Until now, Brown has been implementing the curriculum as a “candidate” IB school.

In its new designation as an IB World School, Brown joins 493 IB Primary Years Programme schools across the globe.

Brown earns its IB World School status after three-and-a-half years of an intensive certification process. The first step involved the completion of a feasibility study and identification of resources, followed by a trial implementation period during which Brown held its candidate status, and finally, an authorization visit by an IB visiting team in the fall of 2008. The certification letter arrived at the school on January 21.

 “We are thrilled, to say the least, to have earned this prestigious status of being an IB World School,” said Suzanne Loughran, Brown’s principal. “It is the result of several years of hard work and dedication on the part of our entire administration, the teaching staff, the parents and the students themselves. We also thank Denver Public Schools for having confidence in us and the support required to make this happen.”

The IB Primary Years Programme is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It is a transdisciplinary program of international education designed to foster the development of the whole child. Brown’s curriculum serves children ages 4 to 12, or preschool through fifth grade.

Since Brown began to implement the IB Primary Years Programme after it was selected for revitalization in 2005, the school has seen significant growth. Achievement as measured by CSAP scores for Brown’s initial three years as an IB school reflects improvements of 27 percent in writing, 20 percent in reading, and 10 percent in math for students who have been continuously enrolled for those years.

“Significant improvement is typically not witnessed in standardized tests until year five of a multiple-year school redesign initiative. We are very proud of this growth,” said Loughran.

Amy Highsmith, Brown’s IB coordinator, added that the school’s success is attributed to a host of other factors as well. “The IB approach adheres to the belief that all kids are learners, thinkers and inquirers, and that all kids have a chance to succeed. This curriculum belief offers huge learning opportunities for kids who go to our school. But the educational model is only part of the puzzle. Critical to our success are the school’s visionary leadership, the opportunity to use innovative, research-based teaching practices, and the incredible parent involvement and support. These were essential to Brown’s ability to earn its IB certification,” Highsmith said.

Brown’s mission is to empower learners to grow and evolve into compassionate, confident, contributing citizens of the world.  Learners will be open-minded to multiple perspectives, advocate for peace, and promote change within our global community.

To learn more about Brown, visit http://brown.dpsk12.org/. More about the IB Primary Years Programme may be found at http://www.ibo.org/.