The main focus of the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) is to develop student agency. Student agency can be defined as giving students increased voice, choice and ownership for their learning. It also supports students’ ability to take meaningful and intentional action (locally and globally) and to contribute to and participate in our learning community.
At McGraw we are providing students with multiple avenues to take greater agency for their learning, including:
* Students setting their own goals related to the IB Learner Profile attributes and the PYP Approaches to Learning skills
* Involving students in the development of questions and lines of inquiry that help guide class exploration of PYP units
* Student-led conferences in the spring and student participation in parent-teacher conferences in the fall
* Students' active involvement in the assessment of their learning
* Student development and presentation of their 5th Grade PYP Exhibition projects
* The McGraw Student Leadership Team
* Student involvement in the development of individual learning plans
* Providing daily opportunities for students to inquire about, reflect, and take action based on what they are learning and are passionate about
The following IB document provides more details about how PYP schools are being encouraged promote student agency: Examining Learner Agency in Your Setting
Look for further examples of student agency in communications from your child’s teachers and when you have the opportunity to be in our school. As always, let us know if you have any questions!