Moving a Mountain: How to Create Change

Audience: Primary Years Programme
Session: Block 3: Friday 3:45 to 5:00, Room: Pacific J

What happens to a school community when a school begins the journey towards being an authorized IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme? This session will focus on the multiple factors that are necessary to create action that leads to effective change. Inquiry will focus on what is effective change, what determines the factors of change, and how to utilize these change factors to analyze a school's strengths and areas of growth.


Nichole Rens, PYP Coordinator, Earle Brown Elementary IB World School

Nichole Rens is the Primary Years Programme Coordinator at the newly authorized Earle Brown Elementary IB World School. She has been the coordinator at Earle Brown for four years. During that time period, she has assisted the staff in the very first steps of the IB journey through the stages of authorization. Previous to becoming the PYP coordinator, Ms Rens was an English teacher at the secondary level.


Organization website: http://brookcntr.k12.mn.us/earlebrown/Home.html

Randy Koch, Principal, Earle Brown Elementary IB World School

Randy Koch is the Principal at Earle Brown Elementary School in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota and an Adjunct Professor at Hamline University. During his 11 years as principal, he lists involving the community in building a new school and becoming authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme as two of his greatest accomplishments. Additionally, Mr Koch has increased the student population from 700 to 1150, worked with the University of Minnesota as a Reading First School, became an UM teaching and learning site for prospective teachers, advocated for every child in grades 4-6 to have their own laptop computer, and worked with outside agencies to extend the student day.


Organization website: http://brookcntr.k12.mn.us/earlebrown/Home.html