International Baccalaureate School Transformation Research System (STaRS) (2012)

NCREST, in collaboration with another research organization, is assisting IB to develop a system for the ongoing collection of data from schools on their transformation as a result of becoming IB schools. To this end, we are identifying or creating data-collection tools that will be administered or implemented at certain points in a school's relationship with IB, e.g. when they first express interest in becoming an IB school, when they finish authorization, and two years post-authorization. The resulting data will be periodically analyzed and shared within the IB organization; the data will also be available for use in studies with a particular focus.

About the partner organization
International Baccalaureate (IB) is a school development organization founded in 1963 that works with over 3100 schools in 140 countries. These schools offer one or more of the three rigorous, engaging IB programs to students from pre-K through high school graduation. To continuously improve their practices in the context of very rapid growth, the IB organization is engaged in a series of projects to review and strengthen their core services, using external organizations as a resource.

Key activities
NCREST’s work on this project will include the following:

• A review of the literature on school transformation as well as on ways that it can be measured.
• The development of a framework for the STaRS.
• Identification of existing data and data collection capability within the IB system.
• Selection of existing data collection tools from IB or other sources.
• Development of new data collection tools.
• Pilot testing of aspects of the system.
• Reporting and research template development for use with data generated by the system.