Synchronized VISIT

These visits may also coincide with visits from other evaluation organizations, such as the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). In these cases, if the organization has an agreement with CIS, the visit will be synchronized using the CIS protocol. If, however, there is no formal agreement in place with CIS, the IB will cooperate with the other accreditation partner organization(s) to best support the school but will not engage in a formal synchronization process using this shared protocol.

The IB, CIS, NEASC and ACS WASC are committed to the learning and well-being of all students through a process that supports a school’s continuous improvement.

The purpose of the synchronized multi-organization visit is to provide a cohesive, streamlined, integrative approach for a school’s self-reflection and self-evaluation of the impact of their programme(s) on student learning and well-being. The ultimate product is an integrated schoolwide development plan designed, implemented, monitored and refined by all stakeholders of the school.

A synchronized visit provides:

• an effective and efficient integrative process for accreditation and IB evaluation with the shared focus on learning

• the opportunity to use one unified set of recommendations that supports a school’s overarching development plan

• the ability to meet the requirements of multiple organizations simultaneously and to minimize repetition of information, data, evidence and meetings

• enrichment of dialogue across the school community and multiple perspectives during the visit

• the opportunity for the visiting team to combine personnel throughout the visit

• a saving of time and resources for the school.

IB World Schools planning for their programme evaluation may request a synchronized visit in the following circumstances.

• The school is CIS, NEASC or ACS WASC accredited or is going through the accreditation process, including schools that are approved to use the IB/NEASC Collaborative learning protocol manual.

and

• The school is a multi-section school authorized for two or more IB programmes.
  
  

or

• The school has only one section (primary, middle or senior) and is authorized to deliver the relevant IB programme for that section (Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP) or Career-related Programme (CP)).

For CIS Pathway 2 visits only: Schools interested in a Pathway 2 visit must first meet the synchronized visit eligibility requirements referenced above.

Specific Pathway 2 eligibility criteria are:

• good alignment with the team evaluation criteria at the CIS preparatory evaluation stage

• no significant substantive changes anticipated in the CIS self-study period

• a clear rationale and a firm commitment to undertake a Pathway 2 process and demonstrate good progress.

Schools will contact CIS to request participation in Pathway 2. CIS determines whether schools participate in Pathway 2.

A synchronized visit is not compulsory in any of the above circumstances, and schools may wish to hold their IB programme evaluations and other organizations’ accreditation visits separately.

A synchronized visit will not be offered at the CIS preparatory evaluation stage, the NEASC foundation principles stage, or the ACS WASC mid-cycle stage, only at team visit stage.