Lebanese International School
TAMAM Improvement Project (2017-Present)
Empowering students with the School’s Moral Values reflected in “Fastaqim” program, especially the values of responsibility, respect and open-mindedness
*This improvement initiative was under the supervision of peer coaches.
The ethical educational program “Fastaqim” at the Lebanese International School is a value-based moral program that is designed to work on the character building of the learners in the school and nurturing their personalities to become active and balanced individuals serving both the school and the outside community. This program consists of six values, namely respect, open-mindedness, responsibility, belongingness, love, and integrity. The team featured many questions related to “Fastaqim” program. What needs does this program meet? How can it be implemented and how to measure its impact? Who is concerned with the trainings related to it? What are the worrying aspects of students’ behavior in the school and what are their causes? To answer these questions, the team collected data through questionnaires addressed to teachers, in addition to two focus groups: one held with the student council members and another with teachers of all cycles. The team then analyzed the data and identified the improvement need in the Lebanese International School, which is “Empowering students with the school’s moral values reflected in the “Fastaqim” program, especially the values of responsibility, respect and open-mindedness”. Later, the team developed the ideal scenario of the values with their characteristics of the student the school looks forward to. This scenario was formed using all the collected data from the focus groups, “Fastaqim” guide in the school, “TAMAM Student Profile”, and the twenty-first century learning skills. This contributed in shaping The Lebanese International School Student Profile especially its moral and values dimension. . Then the team undertook a pioneer initiative that does not exist in many schools, and added to the student’s profile a learner’s profile rubric, which combines both the behavioral and academic traits thus emphasizing the school’s philosophy in the holistic view of the learner. This rubric was prepared after collecting and researching many scientific references, existing models, and after attending workshops done by the PST and the continuous feedback from them.
TAMAM Improvement Project (2019-Present)
Desgining an Induction Program for New teachers
*This improvement initiative was under the supervision of peer coaches.
Dealing with new teachers was a major concern to the school administration. The weak performance of new teachers, their slow engagement in the school community, their weak acquisition of the school programs, in addition to problems in classroom management and teaching pedagogy, resulted in a high turnover rate during the last three years. The team collected the school administration concerns, as well as data from focus groups with the new teachers and with the coordinators. The team also looked at available induction programs as well as the academic achievement of students taught by new teachers in the school. After analyzing the data, the team noticed that there is a need for designing an induction program for new teachers, which highlights the school mission and vision and plans for professional development activities that train them on the school’s special programs as well as the necessary classroom strategies, pedagogical methods, and subject matters.
TAMAM Improvement Project (2017-Present)
Developing Learners’ Abilities in Creative Writing
*This improvement initiative was under the supervision of peer coaches
The Arabic Language Department at the Lebanese International School had many questions regarding the difficulties and challenges that the learners faced while writing. The team studied the performance results of the learners and found weakness in the students’ abilities in creative writing. The team also evaluated their students’ participation in writing competitions outside the school and noticed their weak performance. They also listened to parents’ concerns and the difficulties their children are facing while writing Arabic essays. Hence, the need for the Arabic Language Department at the Lebanese International School was identified, developing learners’ abilities in creative writing. Creative writing is a form of writing that can be revised, amended and evaluated, and in which the learner uses his linguistic wealth and mental capabilities to express his thoughts, feelings, and needs, to embody his real and fictional experiences by following the necessary steps for creative writing in an accurate manner according to the writing techniques. After that, the team developed an improvement plan to develop the level of creative writing of the learners and proceeded with the implementation and monitoring plans. The plan included different monitoring stations. The first station was at the end of the academic year 2018-2019, when it was found that approximately 60% of the improvement objectives were fulfilled. The team decided to continue the work and focus on the remaining objectives for the academic year 2019-2020.
The head of the department is currently training teachers specially the new ones during the weekly departmental meetings. More follow up with the teachers will take place during coordination sessions and through classroom observations.
TAMAM Improvement Project (2017-2020)
Promoting creativity and scientific innovation among learners in science
*This improvement initiative was under the supervision of peer coaches.
The Science Department at the Lebanese International School had many questions regarding the weaknesses in science as a subject matter and the role of the department in developing the researcher, creative thinker and innovator learner they are looking for. The team made a SWOT analysis, from which they concluded that there is weakness in the scientific creativity that should improve the students’ scientific skills, broaden their comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, and enable them to apply it to real life situations. The team used questionnaires with students of the second, third and fourth cycles to study the impact of science on their daily life. After analyzing the questionnaires, weakness in the scientific creativity of students at all levels was observed. The team also attended the SMEC conference in 2017-2018 at the American University of Beirut, in which the concept of STEM \ STEAM was thoroughly discussed. Hence, the team concluded that the department’s need is to promote creativity and scientific innovation that challenges students’ minds and fosters scientific reasoning and problem solving. The team defined scientific creativity as, Flexibility in integrating knowledge and relating learning to real life situations, and employing mental and technical skills in the production of knowledge and creative work. The science department’s plan for this year (2019-2020) is very similar to the plan of the previous year, with some additions and modifications based on the emerging needs and variables. One of the major achievements of this improvement initiative was contracting with specialized consultants in the field of technology to train teachers on Integrated Science and Technologies concepts and procedures. In addition, a weekly technology class for learners from grade six to grade eleven (grade nine being excluded) was introduced to train them on creativity and scientific innovation.
TAMAM Improvement Project (2015-2018)
Improving the process of instructional supervision at the Lebanese International School
*This improvement initiative was under the supervision of TAMAM Steering Team.
TAMAM journey at the Lebanese International School (LIS) started in 2013-2014. The school team collected data from focus groups with teachers and coordinators in all levels, analyzed this data, and reached the school improvement need, which is improving the formative evaluation and the instructional supervision process. The school team members then set their goals, improvement and operational objectives, criteria and indicators of success, which mainly focused on developing coordinators as mentors and as academic references. Implementation of the plan was accompanied with regular monitoring stations to overcome the challenges faced. This report describes the final evaluation Phase of TAMAM improvement journey at LIS, which involves detailed elaboration of all its stages over four years. This paper ends with the results obtained which show major development of the coordinator as an academic reference and as a mentor\coach. Results also show the institutionalization and adoption of all documents prepared by the team about instructional supervision at LIS. Moreover, all academic departments are currently working in the same way and for building capacity of its members. TAMAM Pillars are disseminated in the school culture and professional norms and TAMAM reform model currently leads all LIS school-based reforms. From here, TAMAM program expanded at LIS for achieving sustainable school improvement and organizational development.