The Beginning of the IB diploma course and C.A.S.

We have entered into a new school year at OSC and have been introduced to what the course requires from us. What the IB requires every student to do is to participate in it C.A.S. program. What C.A.S. stands for is Creativity, Action, and Service. By the end of the two year IB diploma course each student must participate in each one of these categories. The IB also hopes that by the end of the diploma program that every student achieves it's 8 Critical Learning Outcomes.

Learning outcomes are differentiated from assessment objective because they are not rated on a scale. The completion decision for the school in relation to each student is, simply, “have these outcomes been achieved?” As a result of their CAS experience as a whole, including their reflections, there should be evidence that students have:

· Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth

They are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward.

· Undertaken new challenges

A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one.

· Planned and initiated activities

Planning and initiation will often be in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that are part of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student-led activities.

· Worked collaboratively with others

Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, action and services, is required.

· Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities

At a minimum, this implies attending regularly and accepting a share of the responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the course of activities.

· Engaged with issues of global importance

Students may be involved in international projects but there are many global issues that can be acted upon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly).

· Considered the ethical implications of their actions

Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationship with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with CAS advisers.

· Developed new skills

As with new challenges, new skills may be shown in activities that the student has not previously undertaken, or in increased expertise in an established area.

All eight outcomes must be present for a student to complete the CAS requirement. Some may be demonstrated many times, in a variety of activities, but completion requires only that there is some evidence for every outcome.

This focus on learning outcomes emphasizes that it is the quality of a CAS activity (its contribution to the student’s development) that is of most importance. The guideline for the minimum amount of CAS activity is approximately the equivalent of half a day per school week (three to four hours per week), or approximately 150 hours in total, with a reasonable balance between creativity, action and service.