Inclusion Policy

Smart College is dedicated to ensuring that all students have equal access to academic opportunities
and receive the necessary support and arrangements needed to succeed in the International
Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. Any student willing to engage in a rigorous course of study
is encouraged to enroll and will receive support in teaching, learning, and assessment from grades
10 to 12.

I. IB Principles in Regards to Inclusion in the Diploma

Programme
What is Inclusion?

“Inclusion is an ongoing process that aims to increase access and engagement in learning for all
students by identifying and removing barriers.” (Learning diversity and inclusion in IB programmes,
2016)

What are access arrangements?

Access arrangements are changes or alterations introduced to learning, teaching and assessment to
remove or reduce barriers. They do not change what the student is expected to learn and do not
lower expectations, but instead provide the optimal support to address a range of barriers and enable
the student to work around them.

Who is supported by this policy?

This policy is intended to cover the entire range of diversity of IB students. It addresses provision
of support where required due to issues and challenges. These may be related (but not restricted) to
difficulties due to barriers of language, ability, emotional and mental wellness, economic
deprivation, ethnicity, medical issues, impairments and/or other long-term challenges.
II. Primary and Secondary Barriers
Table 1: Primary and Secondary Barriers
Primary Barrier Sub-area
Additional language (first English/French/German/Japanese/Korean/Spanish (the IB
or best response
language is not the languages) as an additional language (first or best language is
language of not the
instruction) language of instruction)
Cultural variations New or unfamiliar environmental contexts
Socio-communication
Hearing Mild or moderate hearing loss
Severe or profound hearing loss
Intellectual exceptionalities Cognitive delays
Gifted and talented
Movement and Fine motor
coordination Neurological (cerebral palsy)
Oral/verbal
Physical/spatial
Medical Asthma
Cancer
Crohn’s disease/irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Diabetes
Epilepsy
Muscular dystrophy
Rheumatism
Mental health Anxiety
Depression
Eating disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Post-traumatic stress
Numeracy Mathematical anxiety
Numerical operations/Mathematical fluency
Processing Attention and executive processing
Auditory processing
Information processing
Language processing
Long-term retrieval
Scotopic sensitivity (Irlen syndrome)
Short-term memory
Visual–motor
Visual–spatial
Working memory
Reading Reading comprehension
Reading fluency
Seeing Blindness (total)
Colour blindness
Low or partial vision
Nystagmus
Social–emotional Emotional disturbances (depressive, stress, etc.)
Withdrawal/isolation
Neurodevelopmental (autism, Asperger’s, etc.)
Speech and language Expressive language
Receptive language
Stammer/stutter
Writing Handwriting/typing speed
Spelling
Written expression/fluency

Table 2: Examples of Primary and Secondary Barriers

Primary Primary Sub-area of Secondary Sub-area of Secondary
Barrier Barrier primary barrier Barrier Barrier
Student 1 Processing Language Social– Withdrawal/isolation
processing emotional
Student 2 Reading Reading Processing Working memory
comprehension
Student 3 Reading Reading fluency Reading Reading comprehension
Student 4 Social– Withdrawal/isolation Mental health Anxiety
emotional
Student 5 Cultural Socio- Socio- Emotional disturbances
variations communication emotional
Student 6 Speech and Expressive Writing Writing
language language
II. Inclusive Access Arrangement: Decision Pathway
 III. Authorization of access arrangements for IB assessments
The coordinator submits the application for inclusive access arrangements, approved by the head
of the school, on behalf of the student.

The request for access arrangements for IB assessments must be:

• based on the usual way of learning and teaching in the classroom
• in line with the eligibility criteria stated in IB inclusion policy
• submitted along with supporting documents as evidence:
1. An official report.
This includes:
—a psychological/medical report
—evidence from a language test for additional language learners.
2. Educational evidence from the school (e.g., letter/observational report).
• submitted by the deadline stated in the Assessment procedures for the relevant program

IV. List of inclusive access arrangements

1. Flexibility in duration
2. Flexibility in presentation of material and resources/reception of content
3. Flexibility in response
4. Use of human assistance
5. Flexibility in equipment, setting or location
6. Reasonable adjustments

This chart assists teachers in removing or reducing barriers during learning and teaching:

Access arrangement When will it be Is authorization required Criteria for eligibility

applied? for IB assessments?
Flexibility in duration Learning and Yes A standard score of
teaching Not available for 90–100 in one or more
Additional time IB assessments listening cognitive processing
comprehension measures that affect
(10%) examinations speed of working (e.g.,
working memory,
processing speed,
long-term/short-term
retrieval, visual–motor
coordination, etc.)
• A standard score of
90–100 on an
assessment of reading
(reading fluency
and/or reading
comprehension)
 • A standard score of
90–100 on an
assessment of writing
(writing fluency and/or
written expression)
• A physical, sensory,
psychological/medical
challenge due to
which additional time
is required
Flexibility in duration Learning and Yes A standard score of 90
teaching • Only applicable for or less on one or more
Additional time IB assessments written cognitive processing
examinations measures that affect
(25%) • Available for speed of working (e.g.,
listening working memory,
comprehension processing speed,
examinations for long-term/short-term
producing written retrieval, visual–motor
responses but only coordination, etc.)
if there is no • A standard score of
request for 90
additional time for or less on an
listening assessment of reading
Not available for (reading fluency and/or
studies in language reading
and literature and comprehension) and
language there is no request for
acquisition additional time for
examinations for listening
additional • A standard score of
language learners 90
or less on an
assessment of writing
(writing fluency and/or
written expression)
and there is no request
for additional time for
listening
• A physical, sensory,
psychological/medical
challenge due to
which additional time
is required and there is
no request for
additional time for
 listening
• A language test
composite standard
score in reading and
writing that is below
competency level
• A language test
composite standard
score in reading and
writing, listening and
speaking that is below
competency level
Flexibility in duration Learning and Yes A standard score of 75
teaching • Only applicable for or less in one or more
Additional time IB assessments written cognitive processing
examinations measures that affect
(50%) • Not applicable for speed of working (e g.,
additional working memory,
language learners processing speed,
• Available for long-term/short-term
listening retrieval, visual–motor
comprehension coordination, etc.)
examinations for • A standard score of
producing written 75
responses or less on an
assessment of reading
(reading fluency
and/or reading
comprehension)
A standard score of 75
or less on an
assessment of writing
(writing fluency and/or
written expression)
• Standard scores
below
90 in at least three
measures (where at
least one includes a
score on an
assessment of reading
or writing) that affect
speed of working and
there is no request for
a scribe or reader/
screen reader
 • A physical, sensory,
psychological/medical
challenge due to
which additional time
is required
Flexibility in duration Learning and Yes A standard score of 90
teaching • Available for oral or less in processing
Additional time IB assessments examinations speed measures that
for oral including in the affect expressive
examinations core subjects and/or receptive
• Is applicable to speech, long-term/
(25%) both preparation short-term memory or
and delivery of the auditory processing
oral examination so • A standard score in a
the additional time language test in
could be split speaking and/or
between the two listening that is below
competent
• Speech and
communication
challenges (e.g.,
stuttering) or
psychological
challenges (e.g., social
phobia, anxiety, etc.
Flexibility in duration Learning and Yes A standard score of 90
teaching • Only applicable to or less in a test of
Additional time IB assessments students with mathematical fluency
for mathematics challenges in
—applicable to mathematical
mathematics and operations
subjects that Not applicable to
require mathematical students who
calculations require additional
time for all subjects
(25%)
Flexibility in duration Learning and Yes A mild or moderate
teaching hearing condition or
Additional time IB assessments auditory processing
for listening in disorder due to which
listening the student would
comprehension require additional time
(25%) for listening and there
is no other request for
additional time
Flexibility in duration Learning and No A physical, sensory,
teaching psychological/medical
Rest breaks IB assessments challenge or any other
difficulty due to which
rest breaks are
required
Flexibility in duration IB assessments Yes A physical, sensory,
psychological/medical
Deferral challenge or any other
difficulty that would
require the student to
defer the examination
to the next or future
session
Flexibility in duration IB assessments Yes A physical, sensory,
psychological/medical
Extensions to IB challenge or any other
submission difficulty that requires
deadlines this access
arrangement
Flexibility in duration IB assessments Yes A severe physical,
sensory,
Additional psychological/medical
retakes challenge or any other
(exceptional— difficulty that requires
provided on a this access
case-by-case arrangement
basis) • Access arrangements
have been in place for
the first three
examination sessions
Flexibility in duration Learning and Not applicable for IB assessments
teaching
Extensions to
homework and
assignment
deadlines
Flexibility in Learning and Yes A physical, sensory,
presentation of material teaching psychological/medical
and resources/reception IB challenge or any other
of content assessments difficulty due to which
the access
Modified paper- arrangement is
based required and is the
examinations usual way of working
(see full list of
modifications)
Vision aids and Learning and No
teaching
devices IB
assessments
Hearing aids and Learning and No
devices (without teaching
IB
Bluetooth) assessments
Memory devices, Learning and Not applicable
organizers, teaching
written list of
instructions and

other visual aids

Sign language Learning and No
teaching
interpreter IB
assessments
Text of audio Learning and Yes
content (not teaching
applicable to IB
listening assessments
comprehension)
Image Learning and Yes
descriptions or teaching
other IB
adaptations to assessments
questions (for
total or severe visual
impairment)
Adaptation to Learning and Yes
questions due to teaching
colour blindness IB
assessments
Designated Learning and No
person for colour teaching
naming (for IB
colour blindness) assessments
Reader Learning and Yes A standard score on a
teaching Available for listening psychological test of
IB comprehension 90 or less in reading
assessments examinations speed/accuracy/
Reading software Learning and Yes comprehension
teaching • A standard score on a
 IB language test in
assessments reading that is below
Reading pen Learning and Yes competent
teaching • A medical, physical
IB or
assessments sensory condition due
to which a student
either cannot read/has
difficulty in reading
Script reader (for Learning and Yes A mild or moderate
lip reading) teaching hearing condition that
For listening IB requires the student to
comprehension assessments lip read
examination in
the DPCP
Audio recordings Learning and Not applicable for IB assessments
of texts and teaching
lessons

Flexibility in response Learning and Yes A physical,

teaching psychological/medical
Word processor IB assessments or sensory condition
due to which a student
requires this access
arrangement
• A standard score in a
language test in
writing that is below
competency level
Scribe Learning and Yes A standard score on a
teaching free writing speed test
IB assessments that is below average
for the student’s age
• A standard score of
90
or less in written
expression/spelling/
information
processing/working
memory
• Handwriting that is
largely illegible to
someone who is not
familiar with it
• A medical, physical
or
 sensory condition
Speech recognition Learning and Yes A standard score on a
software teaching free writing speed test
IB assessments that is below average
for the student’s age
• A standard score of
90
or less in written
expression/spelling/
information
processing/working
memory
• Handwriting that is
largely illegible to
someone who is not
familiar with it
• A medical, physical
or
sensory condition
Graphic organizer Learning and Yes A standard score of 90
teaching or less in written
IB assessments expression/information
processing/working
memory
• A medical, physical
or
sensory condition
Four-function Learning and Yes A standard score of 90
calculator teaching or less in mathematical
IB assessments fluency
Text to speech Learning and Yes A challenge with
teaching speech that requires
IB assessments the student to use this
assistive technology for
the oral component of
the course
Transcriptions Learning and Yes A medical, physical or
teaching sensory condition that
IB assessments causes difficulties in
accessing scantron
(bubble sheets) answer
sheets
Verbatim transcript Learning and No* A physical,
of student teaching psychological/medical
responses in oral IB assessments or sensory condition
examinations due to which a student
(speech) requires this access
arrangement
Talking calculator Learning and Yes A medical, physical or
teaching sensory condition that
IB assessments causes difficulties in
accessing standard
calculators
Audio recording of Learning and Not applicable for IB assessments
responses teaching

Use of human assistance Learning and No A sensory or medical

Care assistant teaching challenge or any other
IB assessments difficulty that requires
a
care assistant
Practical assistant Learning and No A physical, sensory,
teaching psychological/medical
IB assessments challenge or any other
difficulty that requires
a
practical assistant
Prompter Learning and No A physical, sensory,
teaching psychological/medical
IB assessments challenge or any other
difficulty that requires
a
prompter
Communicator (to Learning and No A sensory or medical
clarify instructions teaching challenge or any other
or directions) IB assessments difficulty that requires
a
communicator
Designated person Learning and No Colour blindness
for colour naming teaching
IB assessments
Designated person Learning and Not applicable for IB assessments
reading aloud, or teaching
oral language
modifications
Sign language Learning and Not applicable for IB assessments
interpreter teaching

Reader Refer to the section “Flexibility in presentation of material and

Script reader (for resources/reception of
lip reading) content” in the IB Inclusion Policy
Scribe Refer to the section “Flexibility in response”
Flexibility in equipment, Learning and No A physical, sensory,
setting or location teaching psychological/medical
Separate room IB assessments challenge or any
(within the school) difficulty due to which
for class tests and IB this arrangement is
examinations required
Specific seating Learning and No
location teaching
IB assessments

Special lighting Learning and No

teaching
IB assessments

Alternative venue Learning and Yes

(away from school) teaching Policy covered in
for IB examinations IB assessments Assessment
procedures for
relevant
programme
Noise-cancelling Learning and No
headphones teaching
IB assessments
Learning and
teaching
IB assessments

Adapted desk or Learning and No

seat teaching
IB assessments

Medical aids and Learning and No

equipment teaching
IB assessments

Small-group setting Learning and Not applicable for IB assessments

teaching

Reasonable adjustments Any flexibility introduced to learning, teaching and assessment that is not
covered in the standard list of inclusive access arrangements is termed as a
reasonable adjustment.