Agreements and contracts
Many schools ask students to sign a contract or agreement, defining responsibilities, outlining deadlines and addressing plagiarism. It is good to have such documents in place in order to manage expectations, not only for students but also for supervisors. Below is an example of an agreement, which you can modify for your school's needs, using the MS Word or PDF files. Notice that the dates are open and can be filled in by both the supervisor and candidate. Schools may or may not require common interim deadlines for all candidates. The IB's final deadline of March 15th (May-session schools) or September 15th (November-session schools) is not negotiable.
Sample agreement between EE candidate and supervisor (MS Word)Sample agreement between EE candidate and supervisor (PDF)
Sample agreement between EE candidate and supervisor
As a candidate
As a candidate of the IB Diploma Programme, I recognise that the extended essay is a requirement for which I am responsible.
I will:
- chose a topic and formulate a research question,
- conduct research,
- write my essay,
- acknowledge my sources,
- attend meetings and meet deadlines, including three formal reflection sessions and one session to discuss a complete draft of the essay with my supervisor (see schedule below),
- complete the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF).
As a supervisor
As a supervisor of the extended essay, I recognise that I have a responsibility to support my candidate to the best of my ability.
I will:
- be knowledgeable of the IB rules and regulations, as stated in the extended essay guide,
- be knowledgeable of the DP subject requirements as stated in the extended essay guide,
- spend sufficient time with the candidate as and when needed in informal check-in sessions,
- monitor deadlines and the candidate’s progress on the RPPF,
- meet with the candidate to discuss planning and progress for each of the three required reflection sessions,
- read and comment on one completed draft,
- not annotate or edit the candidate’s essay,
- check the authenticity of the candidate’s work,
- comment on the candidate’s planning and progress on the RPPF.
Schedule of deadlines
| Before this date, | I, the candidate, will: |
|---|---|
| [enter] | read and assess a sample extended essay, using the assessment criteria, and make myself familiar with the EE guide, |
| [enter] | submit a proposal for my EE in which I express interest in a topic and subject and formulate a working research question (RQ), |
| [enter] | meet with my supervisor, discuss my RS with him/her and write my first entry on my Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF), |
| [enter] | finalise my RQ, write a formal outline of my essay, discuss these steps with my supervisor and reflect on them in an interim RPPF session, |
| [enter] | conduct research, make notes, maintain a Researcher’s Reflection Space (RRS) and ‘check-in’ with my supervisor, |
| [enter] | write a complete draft and submit it to my supervisor, |
| [enter] | discuss the complete draft with my supervisor, |
| [enter] | rewrite my EE taking into consideration comments from my supervisor, and submit the final copy, |
| [enter] | engage in a final reflection session (viva voce) with my supervisor, submit a final entry on my RPPF and sign off on my EE. |
Agreement signed by
Candidate's name:
Date:
Signature:
Supervisor's name:
Date: Signature:
ATLs
One of the approaches to learing is self-management skills. Sticking to deadlines can be difficult. Even more difficult is creating a set of realistic deadlines for a project that you have never done before. This is why deadlines are partially determined by experience supervisors and EE coordinators. If candidates sense that a deadline is unrealistic, it is better to re-assess deadlines earlier rather than later. Build into the timeline room for unforseen circumstance.
Tip
Notice how the list of deadlines in this sample agreement reflect the EE journey (explored in the previous section). This is not accidental. Breaking a larger project down into smaller, manageable steps helps to keep you on task. After signing such an agreement, print it and post it in your work space, where it is frequently visible.