1.1 Philosophy

Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science (HUMS) believes that language is the foundation of all learning and a vehicle for developing identity, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding. Grounded in the IB principle that every teacher is a language teacher, we are committed to developing multilingual learners who communicate effectively across disciplines and cultures. We affirm the value of every student's home language and cultural background.

1.2 Language of Instruction

English is the language of instruction at HUMS. All curriculum, assessment, and communication are conducted in English. This policy recognizes that many students are developing academic English proficiency while simultaneously engaging with demanding STEM content.

1.3 Language and Literature

All students in MYP Years 1–5 study Language and Literature (English) as a core subject group, developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through authentic, inquiry-based tasks. Assessment is criterion-referenced using four MYP criteria: Analyzing, Organizing, Producing Text, and Using Language.

1.4 Language Acquisition

HUMS offers Spanish as a Language Acquisition course across all MYP year groups, aligned to the IB's six-phase continuum. Students are placed in an appropriate phase based on prior experience and an initial assessment, reviewed annually. All language acquisition courses address the four criteria: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.

1.5 Language Across the Curriculum

All subject-area teachers are language teachers. Teachers collaborate to identify language demands within each subject group and implement explicit academic language strategies school-wide, including:

• Explicit instruction in academic vocabulary and discipline-specific language structures
• Graphic organizers, concept maps, and visual supports
• Structured academic discussion protocols (Socratic seminar, think-pair-share)
• Citation and research skills embedded in all subject areas
• Collaborative planning with explicit language objectives alongside content objectives

1.6 Supporting English Language Learners

Students developing English proficiency receive targeted support to access the MYP curriculum. HUMS provides:

• Initial language proficiency assessments upon enrollment
• Differentiated instruction and scaffolded materials in mainstream classrooms
• Collaboration between ELL specialists and subject-area teachers
• Regular monitoring of language and academic progress
• Family communication accessible in home languages where possible

1.7 Home Language and Multilingualism

HUMS celebrates linguistic diversity. Students' home languages are assets, not obstacles. The school encourages translanguaging — using home language knowledge as a cognitive bridge to academic English — and validates home language use as part of authentic learning.

1.8 Roles and Responsibilities

1.9 Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the MYP Coordinator in collaboration with teaching staff, informed by student language data, teacher feedback, and updated IB documentation.

2.1 Philosophy

HUMS believes academic honesty is central to the IB mission and to developing principled, reflective learners. Grounded in the IB's five fundamentals — honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility — we view integrity not as a set of rules but as a reflection of character and a precondition for authentic intellectual growth. A student who submits work that is not their own is deprived of the very learning the assignment is designed to create.

2.2 Key Definitions

2.3 Citation and Referencing

All students are expected to cite sources across all MYP subjects. HUMS uses MLA citation format as the school-wide standard. Students are taught citation and referencing skills from MYP Year 1, reinforced across all subject areas. Students must cite:

• All direct quotations and paraphrased ideas
• Images, graphs, data, and multimedia
• AI-generated content (clearly labeled)
• Interviews, personal communications, and observations

2.4 Teaching Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is an explicit, scaffolded part of the HUMS curriculum, not an afterthought. School-wide practices include:

• Annual academic honesty orientation for all students and parents
• Library research and citation workshops in each MYP year group
• Citation instruction embedded in Language and Literature, Individuals and Societies, and Sciences
• Signed student acknowledgment forms for all major assessments and the Personal Project
• Use of plagiarism detection software for summative assessments
• AI literacy education integrated into the curriculum

2.5 Roles and Responsibilities

2.6 Consequences for Misconduct

HUMS responds to misconduct in a restorative, educative manner proportionate to the offense. The primary goal is to ensure the student understands why honesty matters and how to act with integrity going forward. Consequences may include:

• Educational conversation with the student about the impact of the misconduct
• Requirement to resubmit authentic work, which may receive a reduced grade
• Parent/guardian notification and meeting; formal record in the student's file
• Referral to school administration for serious or repeated offenses
• For the most serious cases, potential impact on the MYP Certificate per IB regulations

2.7 Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually, incorporating new IB guidance on emerging technologies such as AI and feedback from the school community.

3.1 Philosophy

Assessment at HUMS is a purposeful, ongoing process designed to support and extend student learning — not merely measure it. We are committed to assessment practices that are transparent, criterion-referenced, connected to real-world global contexts, and equitable for all learners. Assessment serves three interrelated purposes: assessing for learning (formative), assessing of learning (summative), and assessing as learning (self-assessment and reflection).

3.2 MYP Criterion-Referenced Assessment

The IB MYP uses criterion-related assessment: student achievement is measured against established criteria and level descriptors, not against other students. Each subject group has four criteria, each assessed on a 0–8 scale. Final grades are reported on the IB 1–7 scale.

3.3 Formative Assessment

Formative assessments are ongoing and inform both teaching and learning. They are not graded using MYP criteria but provide valuable feedback about progress toward learning goals. Examples include exit tickets, peer/self-assessment, draft feedback, class discussions, and teacher observations. Formative results are shared with students and families but do not count toward MYP final grades.

3.4 Summative Assessment

Summative assessments are formal tasks measuring achievement against MYP criteria at the conclusion of a unit. All summative tasks must be:

• Clearly aligned to one or more MYP criteria
• Contextualized within a global context and conceptual understanding
• Accompanied by a published task-specific clarification (rubric)
• Varied in format across the year (written, oral, practical, visual, project-based)

Each criterion must be summatively assessed at least twice per year. Year-end grades reflect the teacher's best-fit judgment of the student's full body of summative evidence.

3.5 Personal Project

All MYP Year 5 (Grade 9) students complete the Personal Project — an independent, extended inquiry demonstrating self-direction, ATL skills, and meaningful product creation. The Personal Project is assessed using IB criteria by a school supervisor and externally moderated by the IB. Academic honesty requirements are strictly enforced, including full citation and an authenticity declaration.

3.6 Interdisciplinary Assessment

Each MYP year includes at least one Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) collaboratively planned by teachers from two or more subject groups. IDUs are assessed using the IB MYP Interdisciplinary criteria — Disciplinary Grounding, Synthesizing, and Reflecting — to develop students' ability to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines in addressing real-world issues.

3.7 Approaches to Learning (ATL)

ATL skills — Communication, Social, Self-Management, Research, and Thinking — are developed and reported throughout the MYP. While not graded on the 1–7 scale, ATL skill development is assessed formatively and communicated to students and families as part of the holistic MYP learning profile.

3.8 Reporting and Communication

• Interim progress reports at the midpoint of each semester
• Semester report cards with MYP criterion scores and final 1–7 subject grades
• Parent-teacher conferences held twice per year
• Real-time access to feedback through the school's learning management system
• Proactive communication with families when students are at risk of not meeting expectations

3.9 Assessment Accommodations

Students with documented learning differences, ELL needs, or other circumstances may receive assessment accommodations. Accommodations remove barriers to demonstrating learning without altering MYP criteria or lowering academic expectations. All accommodations are documented, communicated to all subject teachers, and aligned with the Inclusion Policy and IB guidelines.

3.10 Academic Honesty in Assessment

All assessment practices are governed by the HUMS Academic Honesty Policy. Authenticity declarations are required for all major summative assessments. Any suspected misconduct is handled in accordance with the Academic Honesty Policy.

3.11 Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the MYP Coordinator and subject teachers, incorporating feedback from the school community and updated IB guidance.

4.1 Philosophy

HUMS believes that every student has the right to a high-quality, challenging education that honors their full humanity. We are committed to an inclusive learning environment where differences in learning profile, language background, culture, ability, gender, race, and socioeconomic status are recognized as strengths that enrich our entire community. Inclusion is not a program or placement decision — it is a philosophy embedded in every classroom, every relationship, and every policy at HUMS.

This commitment reflects the IB's vision of international education and aligns with Howard University's historic mission of access and excellence for underserved communities in Washington, D.C.

4.2 Guiding Principles

• Equity over uniformity: Providing each student with what they need to succeed
• High expectations for all: Every student is capable of deep learning and meaningful achievement
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Proactively designing flexible instruction that reduces barriers before they arise
• Collaboration: Effective inclusion requires teachers, specialists, families, and students working together
• Dignity and belonging: Every student deserves to feel valued, safe, and part of the community

4.3 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL principles guide curriculum design, instruction, and assessment across all subject areas. HUMS applies UDL in three dimensions:

4.4 Tiered Support for Learning Needs

4.5 Assessment Accommodations

Accommodations adjust assessment conditions to remove unrelated barriers without altering MYP criteria or reducing academic expectations. Common accommodations include:

• Extended time; oral instead of written responses
• Preferential seating or reduced-distraction environment
• Assistive technology (text-to-speech, speech-to-text)
• Chunked tasks, graphic organizers, or planning scaffolds

All accommodations are documented, communicated to all subject teachers, and implemented in accordance with IB guidelines for MYP summative assessments and the Personal Project.

4.6 English Language Learners

ELL students are full members of the school community and receive scaffolds necessary to access the MYP curriculum while developing academic English. Refer to the Language Policy for full ELL support protocols.

4.7 Gifted and Advanced Learners

As a STEM-focused school on the Howard University campus, HUMS serves gifted and advanced learners through:

• Access to university-level enrichment through Howard University partnerships
• Extension tasks and open-ended challenges embedded in MYP units
• Mentorship and research apprenticeship experiences

4.8 Social-Emotional Wellbeing

Academic inclusion is inseparable from social-emotional wellbeing. HUMS supports student wellbeing through:

• An advisory/homeroom program building community across MYP year groups
• School counseling services for individual and group support
• A restorative approach to conflict resolution
• Anti-bias and culturally responsive pedagogy embedded in MYP global contexts
• Partnerships with Howard University's counseling and psychology programs

4.9 Culturally Responsive Education

HUMS serves a predominantly African American student community on the campus of one of the nation's most distinguished HBCUs. Our inclusion commitment embraces culturally responsive pedagogy as a core practice:

• Curriculum units reflect the histories, contributions, and lived experiences of students' communities
• Text selections and case studies include diverse voices and perspectives
• Howard University's academic and cultural resources are integrated into MYP learning
• Teachers engage in ongoing professional development in culturally responsive and anti-bias pedagogy

4.10 Roles and Responsibilities

4.11 Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the MYP Coordinator, Learning Support Coordinator, and a representative group of teachers and parents. Reviews incorporate student outcome data, family feedback, and updated IB and D.C. legal guidance.