Policies

Lalaji Memorial Omega International School provides its students access to a wireless network and the option of bringing in a personal laptop as a means to enhance their education. The purpose of this policy is to assure that students recognize the limitations that the school imposes on the usage of personal laptops. In addition to this policy, the use of any school computer, including laptop computers, also requires students to abide by the school’s policy for Internet Use.

Omega reserves the right to amend the Laptop policy during the course of the school year.

Bring your own laptop initiative

Bring Your Own Laptop initiative at Omega assists students of IB, AS and A level (Computer Science and Global Perspective) to do independent learning for developing skills, applying, creating, investigating and collaborating throughout the curriculum.

Guidelines for the use of laptop in Omega:
Educational Activities

Student devices will be used to access resources, complete assignments, and for personal organization. Educational activities may include researching information, producing documents, analysing data, participating in surveys, producing videos, reading e-books, creating blogs, taking notes, or scheduling events.

Safety, Security and Responsibility

To maintain a safe and secure learning environment, a filtered Internet connection will be provided for students. They are prohibited from using a personal broadband connection. In addition, students will only be able to use their device under the direct supervision of their teacher. Any unauthorized use can result in the device being confiscated, searched, and privileges being revoked apart from disciplinary action.

• The laptop must have virus protection software which is up-to-date.

• Flash drives will not be permitted on campus.

• There shall be no claim on the school for loss, theft or damage to the laptop.

• All peer-to-peer (music/video/file-sharing) software or web-hosting services on your device while connected to the school wired network must be disabled

• The security, care and maintenance of the laptop is student’s sole responsibility.

• An endpoint security tool and sentry will be installed into the laptop.

While using the laptops within school premises, students should not

• Disrupt the education process in the school premises.

• Endanger the health or safety of any student or anyone else.

• Invade the rights of others at school.

• Involve illegal or prohibited conduct of any kind.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that no objectionable, obscene photographs, videos, animations or textual contents are stored in the laptop.

In addition,

• Students should not use laptops to transfer videos

• Usage of Laptops other than the class rooms and labs is strictly prohibited

• Students who bring laptops to school are responsible for keeping them turned off/silenced and stored out of sight under lock and key in the permitted areas of usage.

• The School has firewalls which will detect any illegal activity such as surfing objectionable material. If such activity is detected, the students will be suspended immediately pending further enquiry into the nature of intended activity. This may result in removal of the student from the School.

• Students and parents shall be informed of this policy and related consequences for inappropriate laptop use.

Technical Support

Resources will be provided to help students connect their laptop to the school’s wired network. Ensure that your ward is completely familiar with the usage of device. Teachers will incorporate the use of your ward’s device into learning. However, they will not provide technical support.

Basic Rules:

• OS Language should be English (for example Korean, German and Russian students).

• Students are not allowed to store any music and movie files in their laptops.

• Students must enable an updated Antivirus at all times.

• Download of applications like u-torrent, bit torrent, lime wire etc. is prohibited.

• Once a student hands over his laptop and gets it configured in the school, he /she must not tamper with the settings.

General Usage

Omega provides the opportunity for students to bring a personal laptop to school to use as an educational tool. The use of these laptops will be at teacher discretion.

• Students must obtain teacher permission before using a personal laptop during class room instruction.

• Student use of a personal laptop must support the instructional activities currently occurring in each classroom and lab.

• Students must turn off and put away a personal laptop when requested by a teacher.

• Students should be aware that their usage of laptop could cause distraction for others in the classroom, especially in regards to audio. Therefore, audio should be muted, since headphones should not be used during instructional time.

Students may use their personal laptop during school hours under teachers’ supervision only, such as at the Media Centre or classrooms. The laptop should be used for educational purposes during these times also. If a teacher asks a student to put the laptop away, the student must comply.
Dial-up/Broadband Connections

Computer systems that are part of the LMOIS campus-wide network, whether Laptops or PC’s, should not be used for dial-up/broadband connections, as it violates the LMOIS security by way of bypassing the firewalls and other network monitoring servers. Non-compliance with this policy may result in withdrawing the IP address allotted to that computer system

Consequences of Violating General Usage

Omega reserves the right to perlustration. Any student found violating the rules mentioned above, will be considered as an offence and the following will apply:

• 1st Offense – Laptop will be confiscated for a week

• 2^nd Offense – Laptop will be confiscated until the end of the academic year or it will be seized by the school management and not returned to the student/parent.

Policy towards usage of email:

In an effort to increase the efficient exchange of critical information and resources to all staff and students, and the Omega administrators, it is recommended to utilize the schools e-mail services, for formal / academic & other purposes.

E-mail for formal communications will facilitate the delivery of messages and documents to campus and extended communities or to distinct student groups and individuals. Formal communications are official notices from the school to staff and students. These communications may include administrative content, such as general messages, official announcements, etc. To receive these notices, it is essential that the e-mail address be kept active by using it regularly. Staff and students may use the email facility by logging with their Student ID and password. For obtaining the university’s email account, students may contact IBDP coordinator for email account and default password by submitting an application

Students may be aware that by using the email facility, the students are agreeing to abide by the following policies:

1. The facility should be used primarily for academic and official purposes and to a limited extent for personal purposes.

2. Using the facility for illegal/commercial purposes is a direct violation of the Omega IT policy and may entail withdrawal of the facility. The illegal use includes, but is not limited to, the unlicensed and illegal copying or distribution of software, sending of unsolicited bulk e-mail messages. And generation of threatening, harassing, abusive, obscene or fraudulent messages/images.

3. While sending large attachments to others, student should make sure that the recipient has email facility that allows him to receive such large attachments.

4. Student should keep the mail box used space within about 80% usage threshold, as ‘mail box full’ or ‘mailbox all most full’ situation will result in return of emails, especially when the incoming mail contains large attachments.

5. Student should not open any mail or attachment that is from unknown and suspicious source. Even if it is from known source, and if it contains any attachment that is of suspicious nature or looks dubious, student should get confirmation from the sender about its authenticity before opening it. This is very much essential from the point of security of the student’s computer, as such messages may contain viruses that have potential to damage the valuable information on your computer.

6. Students should configure messaging software (Outlook Express/Netscape messaging client etc.,) on the computer that they use on permanent basis, so that periodically they can download the mails in the mailbox on to their computer thereby releasing the disk space on the server. It is the student’s responsibility to keep a backup of the incoming and outgoing mails of their account.

7. Student should not share his/her email account with others, as the individual account holder is personally held accountable, in case of any misuse of that email account.

8. Student should refrain from intercepting, or trying to break into other’s email accounts, as it is infringing the privacy of other students.

9. While using the computers that are shared by other students as well, any email account that was accidentally left open by another student, should be promptly closed without peeping into its contents, by the student who has occupied that computer for its use.

10. Impersonating email account of others will be taken as a serious offence under the IT security policy.

11. It is ultimately each individual’s responsibility to keep their e-mail account free from violations of school’s email usage policy.

12. Any Spam mail received by the user into their Inbox should be deleted.

    The above laid down policies particularly 1 to 11 are broadly applicable even to the mail services that are provided by other sources such as Hotmail.com, Yahoo.com etc., as long as they are being used from the Omega campus network, or by using the resources provided by the school to the individual for official use even from outside.

Features disabled in Laptops while at school:

• USB

• CD / DVD drives.

• Audio/Video*(except those relating to academics)

User Policy and Safety rules:

Laptop users are expected to exercise reasonable care and take the following precautions:

• Take appropriate steps to protect your laptop from theft

• Laptops, where possible, should not be left unattended. On those occasions when there is no alternative, leave your laptop with your class teacher. There shall be no claim on the school for loss, theft or damage to the laptop. Any damage or loss must be reported to the Principal or IBDP Co-ordinator as soon as possible

• Laptops should be carried and stored in a padded laptop computer bag or strong case to reduce the chance of accidental damage

• Laptops should not be used in environments/outdoors that might increase the likelihood of damage

• Do not work or save sensitive information (e.g. family photographs/videos, personally identifiable information, and confidential information) on the laptop

• All students are accountable for all network and systems access under their individual user ID. Passwords should be kept absolutely secret. It should never be shared with anyone

• Laptops are allowed in school for research work. Your laptops must not be loaned or be allowed to be used by others

• Avoid leaving your laptop unattended and logged on. Always shut down, log off or lock the screen before walking away from the machine

• Laptops should have anti-virus software installed, your laptop is vulnerable if the software is not kept up to date.

• Laptops can be connected to the school wi-fi network and it is always monitored by school’s network manager.

• E-mail attachments are one of the main sources of virus – avoid opening any e-mail attachment unless they are expected from a legitimate source

• Report any security incidents (such as virus infections) to the IBDP coordinator immediately in order to minimize the risk

• Do not download, install or use unauthorised software programmes. All peer-to-peer (music/video/file-sharing) software or web-hosting services on your device while connected to the school wired network must be disabled

• Flash drives will not be permitted on campus.

• The student must comply with relevant laws, regulations and policies applying to the use of computers and information, e.g. license, copyright, and privacy laws

• School will not tolerate inappropriate materials such as pornographic, racist, defamatory or harassing files, photographs, videos or e-mail messages that might cause offence or embarrassment. Never store, use, copy or circulate such material on the laptop. Do not involve in any illegal or prohibited conduct of any kind.

• The security, care and maintenance of the laptop is student’s sole responsibility.

• An endpoint security tool and sentry will be installed into the laptop.

• Student should not disrupt the education process of any student in the school premises. Endanger the health or safety of any student or anyone else. Invade the rights of others at school.

Lalaji Memorial Omega International School is associated with Shri Ram Chandra Mission, a non-profit spiritual organization. The Mission is an affiliate of the United Nations, and a member of UNDPI. The Mission has branches in more than 120 countries around the world. Parents from these countries want their children to be not only well educated but also want them to imbibe values and skills for life. The school draws on this international community, and the students are from a host of countries namely, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Russian Federation, Korea, East Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the United States of America and so on. The staff too, are drawn from various countries, and we have a wealth of cultural and linguistic diversity among the student body and staff. The school is recognized by the German Government as an official German teaching school.

Strong language skills lay the foundation for a lifetime of effective communication. It empowers learners to create and sustain their social and cultural identities and provides them opportunities for social interaction, multicultural understanding and fosters awareness and understanding of perspectives.

With this in mind, the school has instituted a Language Policy that will provide it a framework that will ensure that its values are reflected in the institution’s everyday activities.

Languages in the School Curriculum

In the Cambridge Stream, English is a compulsory subject. Since English is acceptable to all parents who admit their children to our school, teachers and other stake-holders, the medium of communication as well as official transactions is English.

Hindi, the national language is offered as a second language of study. Tamil the regional language is a compulsory language for all students of classes 1 to 5. Tamil is also offered as a second language of study. French, German and Spanish are the foreign languages offered as optional second languages.

Language Philosophy at Omega

The Language Policy at Omega forms a foundation for all communication inside and outside the classrooms.

• It provides uniformity in the means of communication for academic as well as administrative transactions.

• English as a mainstay would give the students confidence and access to a lot of self-learning.

• The students getting to learn an additional language, be it Indian or Foreign, in addition to English, aids in promoting international-mindedness.

• The learning of English along with another language makes for a multicultural outlook in life.

• Though English is the main medium of communication, school encourages use of mother tongue for various events and celebrations.

Aims and Objectives

The Language Policy at Omega has been framed to enable students to:

• Gain fluency and accuracy in communicating effectively and confidently both in spoken and written modes.

• Develop the skill of using language for different contexts and purposes.

• Extend the use of language skills in other subjects through accurate expression.

• Develop communication skills for later life, for instance at presentations, interviews, etc.

• To build a rapport with students of other cultures and nationalities through communication and understanding

• Build up the capacity to use languages globally and for wider perspectives.

Omega Language Profile:

The CBSE stream, in keeping with the Indian national curriculum standards, offers a tri-language formula as follows:

• English as a compulsory language and medium of instruction

• Hindi as Second language for classes I to X and also as third languages from V to VIII

• Tamil as a compulsory language for class I to III and as a Second language for classes IV to X and also as a third language from IV to VIII

• Sanskrit, French or German as a second language from IV to X and also as a third language for classes IV to VIII

In the Cambridge Stream, about 80% of the students are of Indian origin and the rest are from other nationalities. In line with Cambridge standards, the school has the following language profile:

• English is offered as a compulsory language for all grades from Kindergarten to Class XII

• Students’ performance is benchmarked at the Primary and Lower Secondary levels through the Checkpoint Exams conducted by the CIE.

• Students are evaluated at the IGCSE, by CIE at the end of Class X. In the XI and XII grades, English Language is compulsory for all students and they prepare for the AS and A respectively.

• The needs of students who require extra support with the English language are addressed through the ESL programme in Grades I to VIII. This programme is aimed at bridging their linguistic skills, in spoken and written language. They are evaluated periodically, so that, they may then be able join the mainstream.

In Grade 1 Hindi, Tamil or French is offered as second language. From Grade IV, Spanish and German are added to the list. At the time of admission language selection is done by the students. A proficiency test is conducted in language in case a student opts for a change in the language after Grade 5.

Spanish, French and German are offered to students as foreign languages.

The second / foreign language aims to foster fluency, accuracy and language skills in the chosen language

Selection process for IB Diploma Programme:

Students who have completed grade 10 in any stream such as IGCSE, CBSE, ICSE, IB MYP or any State board equivalent are eligible to apply. Association of Indian Universities offers support in procurement of certificate of equivalency.

Upon submission of the online application forms, parents are notified about the entrance test via email. Once the applications are verified, the applicant is called for an entrance test in English, Mathematics and Science. Further a counselling session for group selection is facilitated.
Based on the test results provisional admission will be granted which will be confirmed on the submission of the relevant documents.

Documents required for admission are: (with self-attestation)

• Birth certificate of the student (with name).

• Aadhar card

• A Certificate from a qualified and licensed medical practitioner mentioning details of blood group and details of allergies and special medical conditions of the child, if any.

• Community certificate – if applicable (SC/STMBC/OBC/DNC/BC)

• 3 recent passport size photographs of the students

• Proof of address

• Professional particulars of parents (Parents pan card and income proof)

• Previous grade assessment records

• Transfer certificate from previous school.

The student details filled in the application form must match the original documents produced. Any discrepancies found would lead to forfeiture of the admission without any further obligation resting with the school.

For Foreign Nationals:

Foreign national students are requested to visit the FRRO website (https://indianfrro.gov.in/frro/) and complete the registration.
The additional documents to be submitted are:

• Passport copy

• Visa copy

• E-FRRO registration copy

It is the responsibility of the candidate holding citizenship of countries, other than the Republic of India to ensure that they satisfy the conditions stipulated by the Government of India for stay and study in India.

Lalaji Memorial Omega International School (LMOIS) emphasizes assessment to enhance perfection to achieve excellence in education. It plays a major role and also constitutes an integral part of any teaching and learning process.

The school’s Assessment Policy aligns with the requirements of the IB programme which enables the students to demonstrate critical thinking skills. Effective assessment allows students to:

• Develop an intellectually independent and creative way of thinking

• Relate their philosophical understanding to other disciplines and to personal, social and civic life

• Formulate arguments in a sound and purposeful way

• Examine critically their own experience and their ideological and cultural perspectives

• Appreciate the diversity of philosophical thinking

• Appreciate the impact of cultural diversity upon philosophical thinking. 

Effective assessment allows parents to:

• Provide opportunity to support their wards

• Monitor evidence of student learning.

Effective assessment requires teachers to:

• Engage in self-reflection on their teaching methodologies

• Provide timely and clear feedback that is constructive towards future learning for students and updating for their developments.

Assessment aims and objectives

The aim of the assessment policy is to enable students to get international mindedness, to achieve fundamental cognitive skills like knowledge, understanding and application which leads to a higher order cognitive skills like critical thinking, reflection and evaluation.

Assessment objectives

The school frames assessment to be able to provide:

1. Student centered learning

2. Effective teaching and learning

3. Measures to identify student’s achievement level

4. Ways to identify the strengths and areas of focus of every student

5. Methods to improve the student learning outcomes

6. Feedback on progress to students, parents and other stakeholders

7. Development of research and independent learning skill

8. Uniqueness and team work

9. A learning environment that is conducive to lifelong learning.

Assessment practices

Assessment allows students to demonstrate a wide range of conceptual understanding. These assessments are designed to provide unbiased, significant and regular opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of concepts and skills. Different assessment methods are used to measure student achievement against objectives for each subject

Internal Assessment is undertaken by Omega teachers. In each subject, the award of a summative semester grade requires the translation of a variety of criteria-referenced grades awarded through each semester into a single 7 (high)-1 (low) grade. Each subject has different criteria and these criteria are measured on numeric scales, which differ by subject/course. Each subject teacher must have these criteria clearly identified in their curriculum documentation. Periodically the progress taking place in core elements of IBDP will also be checked. These assessment practices provide ample opportunities for students to internalize academic honesty as a value in them and it becomes a lifelong learning in them.

At the end of the two-year programme, students will be assessed both internally and externally. In all subjects some of the assessments will be carried out internally by teachers of Omega before it is moderated by an external moderator, who mark individual pieces of work produced as part of study.

Assessment strategies

1. Observations

• Assessing the student’s prior knowledge and experience

• Focuses on academic skills, social skills and behavioural patterns as individuals and in a group.

2. Performance assessments

• To evaluate and analyse student performance in goal directed tasks

• Capacity to face challenges and meet deadlines and

• Use of technology in an appropriate manner.

3. Process focused assessments

• Focuses on the attitude of the students towards challenges throughout the course of an assessment.

4. Selected responses

• To estimate the balance, reflective and objective response to students for a particular task.

5. Open ended tasks

• To understand the ability of students to explore concepts in real life situations.

6. Student Assessment

• This strategy is designed to create a competitive spirit with a global perspective

• Students are trained to identify their personal strengths and skills and their areas of improvement in a balanced rational manner.

Assessment methods

The following is an example of methodology adopted by teachers of Omega to assess students. This is likely to change based on the choices of subjects.

• Pen on paper test

• Classroom presentations

• Essays

• Projects

• MCQ – Multiple Choice Question

• Oral questioning

• Field work

• Research

• Practical laboratory work

• Portfolios

• Homework

• Exhibition

• Role play

• Self-assessment 

Assessment Tools

Rubrics

Set of performance criteria for rating students in all areas of learning. Rubrics for each unit of DP subjects have been framed by the respective teacher as per the objectives of formative assessment. Each component of the rubric is assessed by awarding marks on different skills developed during the teaching- learning process.

Exemplars

Samples used as concrete standards used for judging other samples. It becomes the bench mark.

Checklist

Yard stick for evaluation Example: Marking scheme

Anecdotal Records

Written notes based on observation of students. Systematically compiled and organized. It may be used later for analysis.

Continuums

Visual representation of developmental stages of learning. Progress of achievement of a student. Identify a student in a process.

School based assessment:

Assessment Patterns

Assessment of Learning (Formative Assessment) and Assessment for Learning (Summative Assessment) are both provided for in the assessment pattern given below:

Formative and Summative Assessment

An academic year typically is divided into two terms / two semesters. Each semester has two consolidated Formative Assessments and a Summative Assessment. In all, there will be four semesters and the final semester will have two revisions and a mock examination in place of FAs (Unit Test) and Summative Assessment.

(a) Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment involves the ongoing process of gathering and interpreting evidence to monitor progress in student learning. It also provides opportunities for students to assess their own work, and that of peers, to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, and develop strategies for improvement. Formative assessments identify the learning needs of students, shape learning, and prepare students for summative assessments.

Assessment for Learning is usually done before, during and after any unit to give both student and teacher a clear idea of what needs to be learnt next.

This could take the form of a

• Short written test

• A quiz

• Observation of students in class

• Self assessment

• Observation of students completing at least one aspect of IA criteria.

The teacher is then able to use the data gathered to adjust the lessons to suit the needs of the students.

Learner profile attributes:

The rubrics of Formative Assessment for all topics of various DP subjects will include learner profile attributes of students which help to assess the development of learner profile attributes and learning outcomes. Further, through these assessments students learn how to be academically honest, what tantamount to plagiarism, collusion, duplication of work, etc and their  consequences.

(a) Summative Assessment:

Summative assessment involves the process of gathering and interpreting evidence to assess a student’s understanding of the course material. Every SA will include all the aspects of EAs from question pattern to mark allocation. These will eventually prepare the students for final IB examination with an adequate exposure to different aspects of EAs and a training for better time management, Summative assessments measure achievement based on established criteria used to assign a value to represent the quality of student learning at the end of a period of learning.

Summative assessment is done at the end of each semester. Based on the established criteria for each subject the assessment is done. Student’s performance is analysed and an evaluation report is prepared for the parents and students to understand their level. This will help the teachers and students to prepare a plan of action for better performance in the revision and mock examinations that will be conducted in the last semester before final examination.

Summative assessments simulate IB final exam atmosphere and the assessment procedure as per the IB requirements will be followed. These efforts prepare the students for Final IB exam in all the aspects including academic honesty.

Assessment Programme:

IBDP Coordinator and Subject Teachers will frame assessment criteria for each subject in the beginning of the academic year.

• IBDP Coordinator and Examination Department will decide suitable date for Assessment task. The assessment dates will be indicated in the school calendar.

• Three weeks before the commencement of the examination the coordinator will give the specific date and details of the task.

• The assessment criteria will be made available to students to indicate what is expected from students to meet the requirement of a given aspect.

Assessment for Learning is usually done before, during and after any unit to give both student and teacher a clear idea of what needs to be learnt next. This could take the form of a short written test, a quiz, observation of students in class, self assessment, and observation of students completing practical activities. The teacher is then able to use the data gathered to adjust the lessons to suit the needs of the student. They can also share the information with students and parents so that they are able to see what specific targets students should aim for next.

Recording and Reporting to Parents

All assessments details are carefully recorded by each subject teacher and submitted to class teachers within 3 working days after CFA (Consolidated Formative Assessment) and within a week after CFA the class teachers will be reporting the same to IBDP Coordinator. Parent teachers meetings are held after every school based assessment to clarify IB grading and answer any questions parents may have concerning IB assessments. End semester report will be generated and given to the parents and a soft copy of the same will be with the school. Curriculum orientations for parents will be held in the beginning of the academic year to inform parents and guardians about course objectives and assessment practices.

Ways of reporting to parents

• Report cards—in which all teachers contribute assessment data from their subject, and which will include grades and remarks.

• Parent Teacher meeting (Open Day) —in which teachers communicate assessment data to parents openly and transparently, possibly supported by examples of each student’s work.

• Student-led Reflection—in which students share assessment data about their learning with the subject teachers and Head of School to plan for a remedial class.

Assessment Grades

The internal semester grades will be based on the subject marks and is converted to 1-7 scale

IB Assessment

IB teachers use a variety of formative and summative assessments to support and encourage student learning. IB assessment is criterion-referenced rather than norm-referenced. This means that student work is marked in relation to, clearly defined levels of skill attainment rather than against the work of other students. The levels of skill attainment for each subject are derived from the aims and objectives of the course and established by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). They are designed to be fair to students all over the world. The criteria for achievement are explained to students in each course and are the focus of class and homework activities.

Students in the IB Diploma Programme must take one course in each of five academic groups: Studies in Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals & Societies, Experimental Sciences, and Mathematics. Students must also take a sixth course, either an Arts course or an additional course from groups 1 to 4 mentioned in the diploma programme model.

IB External Assessment

Examinations form the basis of the assessment for most courses because of their high levels of objectivity and reliability. They include:

• Essays

• Structured problems

• Short-response questions

• Data-response questions

• Text-response questions

• Case-study questions

• Multiple-choice questions. 

IB Internal Assessment

Teacher assessment is also used for most courses. This includes:

• Oral work in languages

• Fieldwork in ESS

• Laboratory work in the sciences

• Investigations in mathematics

• Artistic performances.

• Portfolios, Case study analysis and Presentation

Internal Assessments are conducted and evaluated by the internal examiners / Subject experts who teach the student and are externally moderated. Weightage for IA range between 20% and 50% depending upon the subjects.

IB Diploma grades boundaries & descriptors

Grade Boundaries

Diploma Awards

All assessment components for each of the six subjects and the additional Diploma requirements must be completed in order to qualify for the award of the IB Diploma, except under the conditions stipulated in articles 18 and 19 of these regulations

The IB Diploma will be awarded to a candidate provided all the following requirements have been met.

1. CAS requirements have been met.

2. The candidate’s total points are 24 or more.

3. There is no “N” awarded for Theory of Knowledge, the extended essay or for a contributing subject.

4. There is no Grade E awarded for Theory of Knowledge and/or the Extended Essay.

5. There is no Grade 1 awarded in a subject / level.

6. There are no more than two Grade 2s awarded (HL or SL).

7. There are no more than three Grade 3s or below awarded (HL or SL).

8. The candidate has gained 12 points or more on HL subjects (for candidates who register for four HL subjects, the three highest grades count).

9. The candidate has gained 9 points or more on SL subjects (candidates who register for two SL subjects must gain at least 5 points at SL).

10. The candidate has not received a penalty for academic misconduct from the Final Award Committee.

A maximum of three examination sessions is allowed in which to satisfy the requirements for the award of the IB Diploma. The examination sessions need not be consecutive.

Core Components

Students must also complete:

• Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

• Extended Essay (EE) and

• Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) requirements 

1. Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

Theory of knowledge (TOK) encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself and aims to help young people make sense of what they encounter. Its core content focuses on questions such as:

• What counts as knowledge?

• How does it grow?

• What are its limits?

• Who owns knowledge?

• What is the value of knowledge?

• What are the implications of having, or not having knowledge?

2. Extended Essay

Students are expected to write extended essay of around 4,000 words that offers an opportunity for IB students to investigate a topic of special interest, usually one of the student’s six Diploma Programme subjects, and acquaints them with the independent research and writing skills expected at University. It is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity—resulting in approximately 40 hours of work. It provides students with an opportunity to engage in personal research on a topic of choice, under the guidance of a Supervisor.

The Extended Essay contributes to the overall Diploma score through the award of points in conjunction with Theory of Knowledge. A maximum of three points are awarded according to a student’s combined performance in both the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge.

Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essays are evaluated using a letter grade scale. Each of the IB subjects are graded on a 1-7 scale. To determine diploma eligibility the marks in each of the six subjects are totalled. Combined performance in the Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, which are marked on an A-E basis, contribute up to three additional points to a student’s total, according to the chart below:

Change from The diploma points matrix (May 2010 – November 2014):

• B + C combination now results in 2 additional points (previously 1 point).

• A + E combination now results in zero points and failing condition (previously 1 point).

CAS

Creativity, action, service is at the heart of the Diploma Programme, involving students in a range of activities that take place alongside their academic studies throughout the IB Diploma Programme. The component’s three strands, often interwoven with particular activities, are characterized as follows:

(a) Creativity: Arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking
(b) Action: Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the IB Diploma Programme
(c) Service an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student

Students as well as parents will receive regular feedback from the CAS portal on which the student will upload evidence of his / her achievements, tasks accomplished, learning outcomes, own reflections, etc from time to time. It is on the basis of this and upon verification of the claims of the work done, will a student receive the grade.

Predicated Grades:

Predicted grades are prepared prior to the final board examination. Predicted grades are accurate representation of student’s final grade as far as possible and confidentiality of the same is kept.

Special Provisions:

As mentioned in the SEN policy, School makes sure that special needs of the candidate is addressed and all necessary inclusive arrangements are made to enable students to complete their IB diploma programme as per the requirements authorized by IBO.

Responsibilities of IBDP Teachers in assessing student’s work

• IBDP Teachers must abide by the instructions and guidelines given by the IBDP Coordinator

• All assessment materials like cover sheets, forms and any supporting documents should be submitted to the IBDP Coordinator.

• Any concern on not meeting the deadlines for internal assessment should be brought to the notice of the IBDP Coordinator at least two months before, in writing and immediate corrective measures should be taken so that the deadlines are not breached.

• If the deadline has not been met due to the negligence on the part of the student, it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that a meeting is called with the parent in the presence of the IBDP Coordinator. The minutes of the meeting should be acknowledged by the student and the parent, and the same to be given to the IBDP Coordinator for the record.

• This document is a working document which will be reviewed every 2 years or when there is a change in IB policy or as and when need arises.

References:

http://www.ibo.org/diploma/assessment/
http://www.ibo.org/diploma/assessment/methods/
https://www.ibo.org/ibna/actionkits/documents/Continuum.pdf
http://www.sevenoaksphilosophy.org/downloads/philosophy.pdf
http://theheritageschool.org/Assessment%20Policy.pdf
http://www.ibo.org/documentlibrary/regs_ibworldschools/documents/DP_regs_en.pdf
http://www.pahs.ednet.ns.ca/IB/assessment_policy.htm
http://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2014/06/26/portfolio-as-assessment-data/
http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod21_assessment_strgs.pdf

Lalaji Memorial Omega International School has in place a Special Education Needs policy, to give equal access of the curriculum, regardless of individual abilities and needs. At the school, the process of identifying and dealing with special children is well laid out and begins with identifying the nature of the problem.
The area to address could be related to learning difficulties or related to ADHD, ADD or Dyslexia.

At the school we assist special needs children using the methodology from Davis Dyslexia Association International, founded in 1982 by Ron Davis, author of The Gift of Dyslexia and The Gift of Learning.?We are the ONLY school in Asia to have two trained Davis facilitators, out of a total of only six in India.The school has been recognized by the Davis Dyslexia Association Inc., of Burlingame, California USA. The school also has 115 Primary Class Teachers trained in Davis Learning Strategies.

Davis Learning Strategies are an effective and efficient way to provide the student with necessary reading skills, and to develop a beginning reader into an accomplished reader, by the end of the third grade. Davis Learning Strategies helps children to cross the barrier of writing and reading difficulty.

At Omega International School, we have the ability to handle children with ADD/ADHD and Dyslexia manifested as Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia and Hyperactivity. As yet, we do not have the capability to handle autistic children, other than to give them extra care.

Department of Special Education at Omega

Identification of differential learning needs of a student:

1. By the school

Usually, the class teacher or the Unit Head refers a child to the School Counselor, based on their observation in class, on parameters that have been given to them.

1. By parents

When parents identify special needs of their child, they can approach school for help, or they can take their child to a Psychologist of their choice and produce a report to school. These parameters deal with both academic performance and behavioural aspects, some of which are listed below:

Academic flags:

• Difficulty in reading writing, spelling and comprehension

• Poor performance in academic assessments over a full school year, and

• Inability to manage school work, both in class and at home.

Behavioural flags:

• Short attentions span. Fidgety, restless and unable to sit through a class period.

• Introverted, has difficulty forming relationships, emotional without reason, and

• Aggressive, gets into fights for no apparent reason.

Role of School Counselor:

Based on the observations and referral, the Counselor meets with the child and the parents (if needed at this stage) and the teacher, and gathers information about the child. The Counselor then observes the child in and out of classroom but within the school campus.
In the event that the child’s problem arises out of lack of competence in English, the child and the parents will be counselled and the child placed in the English as a Second Language (ESL) stream, with the parents consent. Here, the child will receive additional remedial English language support, till such time that the child is on par with the rest of the class.
For the other children, a decision is then made as to whether the child needs a clinical assessment or not.

Clinical assessment:

A clinical assessment is conducted to establish the nature of the child’s disability. The Clinical Psychologist uses standardized and age-appropriate tests to establish the nature of the disability.
This assessment helps both the parents and the school to better deal with the child’s problem.

Procedure after clinical assessment:

Based on the child’s academic track record, recent observations and clinical assessment, a decision is taken on whether the child needs to be shifted to the Indigo Special Needs Section, if the child is in CBSE stream, where he/she would benefit from the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program and the structured remedial help provided by trained Davis Counselors and Special Educators.
Parents are invited to a briefing session and are informed about the needs and difficulties of their child. A brochure detailing the objectives and methodologies followed in the Indigo sections is also issued.
Once the parents agree to shift the child to the Indigo Section, they are made aware of the terms and conditions relating to the same and are requested to sign a consent form agreeing to this shift in sections.
If the child is in CIE stream, counselling will be provided by trained Davis Counselors and Special Educators. In the case of a specific learning difficulty, Davis Counselor takes the child out of his/her regular class for 30 hours (over a period of one month or more) through Davis Dyslexia Correction programme. The student is observed by the Counselor and special educator for future assistance and progress reviews. 

Minimum age before a child can be corrected:

Children must be 8 years old before they can undergo the Davis Dyslexia Correction program, and derive its benefit.

Omega in the ONLY school in Asia to have two trained Davis facilitators, out of a total of only four in India and eight in Asia.

The school has been recognized by the Davis Dyslexia Association Inc., of Burlingame, California USA for the work being done in the area of implementing Davis Methodologies in the regular school curriculum.

The school also has 66 primary class teachers trained in Davis Learning Strategies.

Davis Learning Strategies are an effective and efficient way to provide the student with necessary reading skills and to develop the beginning reader into an accomplished reader by the end of the third grade.

Davis Learning Strategies help children to cross the barrier of writing and reading difficulty. The children are also equipped with tools to de-stress, focus and handle independently the energy levels in their body. In other words, the children are trained to prepare themselves both in body mind for effective learning.     

Every week, grades I-III have DLS classes for forty minutes as a whole class activity.  In addition to the above, training in yoga, brain gym exercises and physical education is imparted by professionals, to improve the child’s focus and dexterity.

Plasticine clay is provided to the children to help them learn concepts using multi-sensory approach. Children are encouraged and assisted to identify their strengths and are taught to use these strengths for better understanding of concepts. Audio and Visual resources are extensively used for teaching concepts. Children are provided personalized professional attention.

Tools given to children in DLS Classrooms

1. Davis Focusing Skills

These are an innovative set of self-regulation skills, which provide students with the self-directed ability to be focused on the learning task at hand.
The tools are as follows:

• Release – Breathing exercises to stay calm.

• Energy dial – To understand and independently regulate the body energy level depending upon the task at hand.

• Focus – Body alignment tool that helps the child to be present both in body and mind.

2. Strategies used to improve reading

• Alphabet mastery – Both the upper-case and lower-case letters are mastered using clay. Every child takes ownership of the letters created by him.

• Trigger word mastery with clay – A list of 250 words commonly known as the sight words are mastered in this process. Mastery of these words helps the child to improve his grammar and prevents disorientation.

• Sweep, sweep spell – To read new/difficult words without causing any stress to the child.

• Dictionary mastery – The children are guided systematically to handle dictionary. This helps them to develop vocabulary and makes them independent readers.

3. Strategies used to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary:

• Picture at punctuation – The child is asked to picture the sentence that he has read each time he completes a sentence.

• Visualization techniques – This helps the child to learn spellings along with the meaning of the word.

4. Strategies to improve writing skills – All the above tools and strategies help the child as follows:

• Improves the child’s muscle tone (fine motor muscle), as clay is used on daily basis.

• Helps to perceive letters accurately.

• Removes triggers in letters/sight words.

• Helps to correct spelling mistakes.

• Improves vocabulary and comprehension skills.

• Helps to improve creative writing skills.

5. Concept Mastery:

Concepts in Math, Science and Social Studies are mastered using clay. The child creates a model of the concept taught. This helps the teacher to understand the accuracy of his perception. The child masters the concept for life as the concept is taught using tactile, kinaesthetic and visual intelligence.

Facilities provided in the Indigo sections:

Trained facilitators – All the facilitators handling Indigo sections are Special Educators and have been trained in Davis Learning Strategies.
Low Student-Teacher ratio – Total number of students in a class never exceed 20. Extra caretakers are provided for Classes I, II and III.
Curriculum taught using Davis Learning Strategies – Teachers handling Indigo sections use Davis Learning Strategies in the class room. Concepts in different subjects are mastered using clay. All the material required for conducting DLS classes is imported from UK.
Multiple Intelligence Methods of teaching – It is ensured that concepts in all the subjects are taught using multiple intelligence methods like visual, kinaesthetic, tactile and auditory. The focus is on mastery of concepts and not on rote memorization.
Brain Gym Exercise – Trained Edu-Sports teachers frame a need based specific curriculum for each child. Every morning the children are guided into doing brain gym exercise to enhance their potential.
Emphasis on extra-curricular activities – The children are encouraged to participate in activities like drama, dance, art, music, sports etc. They are trained and provided opportunities to anchor programs and make presentation. A lot of emphasis is laid on training them in life skills.
Montessori Room – All the children from Grades I to VII are guided by Ms. Jacqueline a highly experienced Montessori teacher and trainer from France in the use of Montessori techniques to learn concepts and life skills.
Individual counselling for the child and parents – One on one counselling is provided by qualified professionals in case the child is found to have behavioural and/or emotional issues.
Basic Skills Assessments – Basic skills assessments are administered to each child at the beginning, middle and end of the academic year. The assessments are conducted by trained special educators in reading, comprehension, vocabulary, creative writing and other basic skills of the child in English and Mathematics. Standardized graded material is used for these assessments, which help us to determine the Independent level/ Instruction level and Frustration level of the child in reading, writing, comprehension and Math.
Individualised Education Plan – on the basis of Basic skills assessment, an Individualised Education Plan is designed for each child. The IEP is designed to help the child overcome his conceptual and basic skills gaps. The parents are individually briefed about the IEP of their ward.
Counselling & guiding parents / private tutors – Parents and/or private tutors handling the child at home are called for counselling sessions and are briefed about the needs and strengths of the child. They are also made aware of the child’s learning style and what works best for him/her. Interested parents are also made aware of the instruction material that could be used by them at home.

Duration of students’ stay in the Indigo Section: The child remains in the Indigo Section till he/she acquires age/grade appropriate academic and social skill or Grade VII, whichever is earlier.
When the child is able to handle the load at any particular grade level successfully, the child is transferred out of the Indigo Section to the mainstream at that grade level. The child is monitored closely by the Counselor and Class Teacher for a period of time to ensure that the child is comfortable.

Steps taken after the child reaches grade 7: Children who remain in Indigo section till Class VII due to the severity of their difficulty are shifted back into the main stream in Class VIII. The parents are updated about their child?s needs and are requested to consider signing up their child for NIOS, the Open Schooling system (available in Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, for students aged 14 and above), since it is likely that the child will not be able to manage the demands of the traditional CBSE curriculum.

General inclusion practices for Special Educational Needs students in IB Diploma Programme

Special Educational Needs (SEN) – A special need is any permanent or temporary diagnosed need that could put a candidate at a disadvantage and prevent him or her from being able to demonstrate skills and knowledge adequately.

Inclusion – refers to providing access to all components of the IB Diploma programme for students by responding positively to each individual’s unique needs. Inclusion is an ongoing process that aims to increase access and engagement in learning for all students by identifying and removing barriers.

Differentiation – refers to the process of identifying, with each learner, the most effective strategies for achieving individual goals.

Four principles of good practice:

1. Affirming identity and building self-esteem

2. Valuing prior knowledge

3. Scaffolding

4. Extending learning

SEN – Procedure for admission to IB Diploma Programme

• When candidates apply for admission to the Diploma Programme, the school verifies whether the programme includes any requirements that are incompatible with any known diagnosed special needs of the students applying for IB DP.

• Admission to children with SEN will be in consultation with Omega School Student Counselor, Special Educator, IB DP teachers and IB Coordinator.

• All requests for special arrangements would be submitted by the Coordinator with the support of the Principal.

• The school makes sure that the special needs of the candidate, is reported by the candidate or his/her legal guardian to the school’s Diploma Programme coordinator when the candidate is admitted in the programme, with appropriate professional documentation.

• Temporary special needs, resulting from illness or accidents, would be reported to the Diploma Programme coordinator as soon as possible after they arise, together with supporting professional documentation and other relevant information.

• If a candidate with special needs requires special assessment arrangement, the Diploma Programme Coordinator requests the arrangements to be authorized by the IB Organization and follow the guidelines given in the IB organization policy for candidates with special assessment needs.

SEN in the IBDP classrooms:

• Prior to joining suggestions are given to the parents and students to take a suitable programme to ensure successful completion.

• The students are given differentiated activities to complete their activities confidently.

• Relaxation in time is given to them, if there is a need, to complete assignments in the class or at home.

• The space and furniture provided to work in the class room for the students is modified to suit their needs.

• The school counselor and special educator guide and support the teachers in handling the student.

Internal and External Assessment for SEN students of IB Diploma Programme

• Rubrics set to assess the students are modified in consultation with IBO.

• Provision is given to these students to choose the subjects they are keen in, so they would be eligible for certificate in IB rather than a diploma in IB.

• Relaxation of time is given, to complete the assignments to be assessed.

• Prior permission from IBO with relevant documents is sought if the student needs:

• Extended time to complete the test modifications to exam papers, extensions to deadlines, assistance to practical work, additional time, information and communication technology, scribe and transcription, or readers.

• Scribe in case of dyslexic or visually challenged during external and internal examinations.

References

• DP regulations document

• Learning Diversity and the IB continuum of International Education – Jayne Pleaster

• Fridley Public Schools – SEN Policy