NPHS adapts new teaching strategies in the IB Middle Years Programme
Newbury Park High School [NPHS] is taking the initiative to transition to the International Baccalaureate [IB] Middle Years Programme [MYP].
The IB MYP is designed to teach students aged 11-16, middle schoolers and lower-classmen in high school the fundamental learning skills needed in IB classes. Currently, IB classes are available to juniors and seniors as a part of the IB Diploma Programme. This year, NPHS follows Sequoia Middle School in becoming an MYP candidate.
IB is a non-profit, globally recognized educational foundation of teaching that aims to encourage students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers through holistic learning. There are over 5,000 IB schools worldwide.
On Dec. 5, 2025, MYP consultants held a meeting with NPHS teachers to discuss their evaluations of the school’s progress in adapting the teaching philosophies in the candidacy phase of becoming an authorized MYP school. At the meeting, Jill Magnante, NPHS MYP coordinator, gave a presentation about how to adjust grading rubrics to assess students’ understanding of material, explaining that the core of MYP is to teach students how to learn effectively, in addition to mastering specific content. “[Students in the MYP are] going to develop those skills to demonstrate [their] mastery of content, but those skills are going to benefit [them] for life,” Magnante said.
The IB Programme aims to formulate connections between subjects. “An example of concept based learning is that [students] might be studying in biology class [about] the systems of the body. When [they] think about the way that the systems of the body function, they will learn about how that is very similar to systems of government. When you start to understand what systems are and how they function, you can apply that knowledge in a variety of different contexts or disciplines,” Magnante said.
Deborah Dogancay, NPHS IB coordinator, is working with Magnante to transition into becoming an MYP accredited school. “The hope is that [MYP] brings in better teaching practices that will help our students,” Dogancay said.
At the CVUSD school board meeting on Jan. 14, Magnante and Dogancay gave a presentation in partnership with Michelle McDonald, Cypress Elementary principal. Hailey Rodde, Cypress IB Coordinator, Karla DiDomizio, Sequoia Middle School principal, Karen Hochevar, Sequoia Middle School MYP coordinator, Steve Lepire, NPHS principal, about the district’s gradual integration to the International Baccalaureate program. Jan. 15 marked 30 years of NPHS being an IB school.
Across different subjects, the principles of the MYP program apply in different ways.
Within the history department, beginning with the next class of freshman, ethnic studies will be a required class for graduation, contributing to the global outlook aspect of MYP. Cindy Wade, head chair of the NPHS history department, described that teaching history under an MYP lens focuses on reflection, global perspective and encourages students to engage in independent research. Day-to-day assignments will remain the same as teaching approaches see the main effect. “The more you can have kids involved doing some of their own investigation, their own critical thinking makes them more active learners. And I think in today’s world, having a global context is super, super, important,” Wade said.
In English, teachers, including Greg Coull, head chair of the English department, work with similar principles. “All of our students embody those positive [IB] traits, like being knowledgeable, being inquitrers, thinkers,” Coull said. For example, sophomores participate in a year-long, personal project where they use their own interests to develop independent learning skills through the process-based structure. The project is facilitated during English class because it applies to every students’ schedule, but it is not a part of their English grade.
Meanwhile, Kristen Scaff, chair member of the mathematics department, is working to integrate MYP principles, particularly real-world application in the classroom. In math, the four criteria are knowing and understanding concepts, investigating patterns to find rules, communicating ideas clearly with notation and applying math in real-world contexts to solve problems. “I think math lends itself already to developing some of those characteristics,” Scaff said, “Our assessment isn’t going to change massively.”
While NPHS covers the last two years of MYP, the program begins with middle school. DiDomizio has observed how the integration of MYP into Sequoia’s curriculum has impacted both students and faculty. “Everybody was welcome to this change, because it really united the staff. […] For example, we take a physical education and health teacher, and they’re doing an interdisciplinary project with math,” DiDomizio said.
Previously, about half of Sequoia Middle School students were a part of the Discover Academy, a STEM-based learning program where English, science and social studies classes shared connected themes and students attended these classes with a cohort of about 75 peers. In 2022, Sequoia adapted MYP instead, aiming to connect all subjects and include every student in interdisciplinary learning. “The idea is that [students] will be exposed to the MYP regardless of the level of the classes […] It doesn’t mean that [all students are needing to get the diploma, but our hope is as they go through the MYP program, that the diploma program also grows at Newbury Park with more candidates,” DiDomizio said.
NPHS will continue to adopt MYP characteristics, aiming to become an authorized MYP school in the 2026-2027 school year. “One thing that I really love about IB is that they value the idea of continual growth and reflection […] We should be anticipating another visit in the spring with official visitors to decide if we will be approved for [MYP] authorization. That doesn’t mean that we magically have some major change in September, but that teachers will continue the process of adapting their current units of instruction to ensure that they reflect the MYP principle,” Magnante said.
