Heights

High School
International Baccalaureate
Extended Essay Supervisor Guide

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for considering being an IB Extended Essay supervisor. Whether or not youre presently an IB teacher, you have valuable
talent and expertise that can benefit our IB diploma candidates as they journey through the research and writing of their Extended
Essay (EE) requirement.

The EE introduces students to independent, scholarly research. The essay is based on a topic of the student's choice, chosen from one
of the six IB subject areas. The EE is written outside of the classroom on a student's own time. Heights students begin the EE process
in the spring of their junior year and submit their essays at the end of the first semester of their senior year. Each EE student will
proactively obtain a HHS teacher to mentor and guide him/her during the months spent researching and writing. The EE is excellent
preparation for assignments students can expect in the next stages of their academic career and beyond.

This guide provides a basic overview of the supervisors role in the EE process. It is adapted from the International Baccalaureate
Organizations Extended Essay Guide (which can be found on the OCC under IB Teacher Support Materials https://goo.gl/7VnGbV )
as well as from EE materials from other IB schools experienced in EE coordination. This guide should be used in conjunction with
the Extended Essay Student Handbook and the IBOs Extended Essay Guide, which contains subject-specific information. The EE
Student Handbook will be distributed to all EE students and a digital version also will be available on the HUB.

If you choose to supervise an EE candidate, I will meet with you to review the subject-specific requirements for the EE. At any time,
feel free to contact me if you need clarification or if you have concerns relating to the Extended Essay.

I thank you for once again using your talents and gifts to benefit the students of Heights.

All the best,

H. Shane Kenney

H. Shane Kenney
Extended Essay Coordinator
Librarian
W: (713) 685-4400, ext. 012115
C: (512) 547-7119
hkenney@houstonisd.org
What documents will I need as an Extended Essay Supervisor?

- Extended Essay Guide: available on the OCC (https://goo.gl/1u8DF5 )

- Assessment Criteria: both general and subject-specific to your subject available in the Extended Essay Guide (see above)

- Examples of good quality subject-specific EEs: available on the HUB and through On-line Curriculum Center (OCC)

What is expected of an EE supervisor?

- Spend approximately 6 hours over the course of two semesters with each student.

- Provide advice, guidance, and support to the student in:

o the students development of a specific research question that is appropriate for the subject, the EE format, and one
that can be competently addressed in an essay of no more than 4,000 words.
o the students research of the topic and question (where to find resources)
o the students organization and writing of the EE

- In terms of documentation:

o sign the choice of research question form (student will bring this to you)
o read and comment upon one completed draft of the EE (you cannot edit it)
o submit a predicted grade for the student (early April of students senior year)
o conduct with EE coordinator a viva voce exit interview
o sign the final submitted EE and write a brief supervisors report

What should an EE Supervisor not do?

- Should not write the EE for the student

- Should not edit student EE draft
- Should not allow students to choose a research topic that is not appropriate for the EE format
- Should not allow the student to slide without working on his/her EE

What are the deadlines the student has to meet?

Junior Year
- Read the EE Handbook, Complete Initial EE Sheet and Read Extended Essay IB Prepared Workbook through page 19 prior
to Asking Faculty Member to be Supervisor
- EE Topic and Supervisor Choice Due to EE Coordinator/IB Coordinator: By end of March
- Initial Check-In Meeting with Supervisor: Mid-April
- Attend Research Resource Workshop with HHS Librarian: First 3 weeks of March
- Plan of Research Submitted to Supervisor: By End of April
- Outline/Abbreviated Draft with Annotated Bibliography due to Supervisor: By End of May-Beginning of June

Senior Year
- Mandatory Check-In with Supervisor: End of August
- First Rough Draft Due to Supervisors: Early September
- Check-In Meeting with Supervisor: By Early October
- Final Draft Due to Supervisors: By Early-November
- Final Copy Due to EE Coordinator/IB Coordinator: Early December
- Predicted Grades for EE due to IB Coordinator & IBO: Early February 2018.
What if the student does not meet these deadlines?

- Speak to the student and the EE Coordinator

- Be specific as to what you expect from the student and when you expect it
- Remind student that not meeting deadlines makes the EE more difficult to complete and threatens chance for earning an IB
Diploma

What if the student is in danger of not achieving the minimum grade needed for the EE?

- Speak to the student and the EE Coordinator

- Be specific as to what you expect from the student and when you expect it
- Help the student to make a detailed plan about how to meet the requirements

How are the Extended Essays graded?

- Schools (supervisors) provide predicted grades for each EE.

- External examiners from around the world grade the EEs using the Assessment Criteria detailed in the
o Extended Essay Guide on the OCC (IB Teacher Support Materials).
- The Assessment Criteria are provided in the Extended Essay Guide the maximum score is 36.
- The score is used to award the EE a grade from A to E.
- Significant discrepancies between a predicted grade and an externally assessed grade will mean that the EE gets re-examined
for moderation.

How does the EE contribute to the IB Diploma candidates final point score?

- Grade given for the students EE are combined with his/her grade for the Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course.
- A maximum of 3 points are awarded according to a students combined performance in both EE and ToK.
- Failure to submit an EE means the student will fail to receive an IB Diploma.
- Earning a grade E for the EE and a grade E for ToK is also a failing condition for the IB Diploma.


Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Grade


Excellent Good Satisfactory Mediocre Elementary Not Submitted

Excellent 3 3 2 2 1 N
Extended Essay

Good 3 2 1 1 0 N

Grade

Satisfactory 2 1 1 0 0 N
Mediocre 2 1 0 0 0 N
Elementary 1 0 0 0 N N
Not Submitted N N N N N N
N = condition which prevents student from earning the IB Diploma

What is the role of the EE Coordinator in the EE?

- Role is to support faculty supervisors and students in the process and to help all parties to understand the requirements and
procedures
- Help make the EE a positive experience
o How am I doing?
What is the viva voce?

- Once the students have completed their EEs, they conclude their EE experience with an exit interview (viva voce). This
interview lasts approximately 10 minutes and takes place with the EE supervisor and EE coordinator.
- The purpose of the interview is to:
o check for plagiarism
o provide the students with an opportunity to reflect on their EE experiences
o to help the supervisor construct the supervisors report

Any advice from experienced EE supervisors?

- Developing an appropriate research question is vitally important for a successful EE.

- Each EE is registered with the IBO under a specific subject heading (Music, Mathematics, Biology) and will be scored
according to its subject-specific content using the assessment criteria (in IBO Extended Essay Guide) a working
knowledge of these assessment criteria is important.

- The research question must be manageable from the point of view of time and the 4,000 word limit. One of the big student
pitfalls is making the research question too broad.

- It is best to avoid subjects that are over-exposed as they will restrict the students ability to develop personal judgments.

- The research topic should be stated in the form of a question. This equates with the enquiry spirit of the IB, helps the
student keep the EE focused and makes it easier to come to a conclusion based on a logical, systematic, investigation.

- It is best to avoid questions that lead to a narrative and/or descriptive response. Points are awarded for the student
developing a reasoned argument, analysis, and evaluation rather than a description of events. Students should generally
avoid biographical topics, unless they are pursuing a History EE which will lead to an evaluation of the individuals
historical significance.

- The IBO Extended Essay Guide has a great deal of subject-specific advice to assist you in guiding the students
development of his/her research question.