TheInternational SchoolofBrussels
HIGHSCHOOL PATHWAYSTO GRADUATION
2025/2026
KATTENBERG 19, B-1170
TABLEOFCONTENTS
IndividualisedISBDiploma ISBUSHighSchoolDiploma
TheISBUSHSDiplomaandUniversityBoundStudents
IBPhilosophy&Practices
IntroductiontotheInternationalBaccalaureateatISB
TheIBMissionStatement
TheIBLearnerProfile
ISB’sTransferableSkillsandtheApproachestoLearning
IBCoursesatISB
ISBCourseOfferings
LanguagesandtheIBProgram
OnlineIBCourses
TheIBDiplomaProgram
IBDiplomaRequirements
TheIBDiplomaCore
ExtendedEssay(EE)
TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)
Creativity,ActivityandService(CAS)
Non-RegularIBDiplomas
AwardoftheIBDiploma
PassingconditionsfortheIBDPDiploma
Registrationandfees
TheIBandPost-SecondaryPlanning RecognitionoftheIBDiplomabyuniversities
ProjectedandPredictedGrades
GuidelinesforIBStudentsatISB
Homework
Stressmanagement
CommunicationwithIBstudents
InclusiveLearningandAssessment
ISB&thePathways
School ways
ethatallofourstudents hallengedandincluded, entsareoffereda waystosupportthe theirstrengthsand lpthemmove eirpost-ISBdestinations
AllstudentswhomeetcreditrequirementsatISBgraduatewithaUSHighSchool Diploma.InadditiontotheirHighSchoolDiploma,studentsmayseekexternal credentialstoenablethemtoaccessthepost-secondaryeducationoftheirchoice.
TheseexternalcoursesorcredentialsalsocounttowardthecreditsrequiredfortheHS Diploma,andthereforeallowfordualormultipleadditionalqualificationoptions
Wearecommittedtopersonalizationandallowingstudentstofindthepathway thatisbestsuitedtotheirdestination,studentsmaychoosefromvariousrecognized andrigorousexternalqualificationprograms,includingtheInternational Baccalaureate(IB)DiplomaProgramandthecompletionofIB,BTECorAdvanced Placement(AP)courses.Thishandbookisdesignedtoofferyoudetailedinformation aboutyourchild’sjourneythroughoneofthesepathways,aswellasresourceswhich willhelpmakethisjourneysuccessful.
ISBDiplomas
OneofTheInternationalSchoolofBrusselsacc bodiesistheMiddleStatesAssociation(MSA) T accreditationoutoftheUnitedStatesallowsfo allocateofficialdiplomadocumentsbasedon approvedprocesses.Asaresult,allISBstudent towardeitheranIndividualisedISBDiploma,or HighSchoolDiploma
ITheIndividualisedDiplomaistypicallytheleavingdocumentationforISBstudentswith intensivelearningneeds(ILS),orwhohavealearningprofilethatrequiresbroader flexibilitythantheISBHighSchoolDiplomaallows.
ISBUSHighSchoolDiploma
TheISBHighSchoolDiplomaisafour-yearcreditbaseddegreemodeledafterthe liberalartsapproach(breadthanddepth)intheUnitedStates.Studentsworking towardachievingthisdiplomaearncreditsbypassing(grade3orabove)their accreditedcoursesingrade9to12.Yearlongcoursesearn1credit,semestercourses earn05credits Inordertograduate,studentsmustobtainaminimumof19credits fromaspecificrangeofidentifiedcourseswhichthenallowsspaceforastudentto divedeeperintotheirinterestareas.Studentsmustalsoengagein,reflectuponand documentauthenticpersonallearningexperiencesthatcontributetotheirown personalawarenessandwell-beingaswellastothecommunitiesofothers.The specificrequirementsoftheHighSchoolDiplomaarebelow.
CreditRequirements(Minimum19)
English(canincludeELD)-4creditsrequired
Mathematics-2creditsrequired
SocialSciences-2creditsrequired
SciencesorApprovedTechnology-2creditsrequired Arts-2creditsrequired
PhysicalEducation/Health
AdditionalLanguage-2credits +5additionalcredits
TheISBUSHSDiploma& UniversityBoundStudents
Itishighlyadvisedthatstudentswhoareplanningtostudyinauniversityfollowing graduationthatstudentsobtainadditionalcreditsineachoftheaboveareasaswell asstudyingadditionalLanguage TheHSCounselingteamworkstoadvisestudents theirbestoptionsbasedontheirstrengths,interests,andfutureaspirations.
TheISBHSDiplomaisarecogniseddiplomathatallowsstudentstogainaccessto manyuniversityandcollegeprogramsaroundtheworld Someuniversities/colleges haveadditionalcredentialrequirementswhichcanbeobtainedwhilestudyingatISB TheHSCounsellingteamisbestsuitedtoprovideguidanceandhelpstudentslocate theinformationtheyneedtomakechoicesthatwillsupporttheirambitions.
Personal Learning
TheHighSchoolPersonalLea Programstrivestoprovideea withaspacetogrowbothas memberofourHScommunit individualwithdiverseabilitie andambitions Theprogramm designedtobuildcommunity positiveschoolculture,whilst supportingstudents'socio-em growthandprovidingstuden voiceandchoiceindesigning theirPersonalLearning/CASp Whatdoesitlooklike?
Groupsofapproximately8-10studentsmeetwithanadvisoronceaweekfor35 minstodiscusscommunitytopics,engageindevelopmentallyappropriateand topicallessonsthatsupportwellbeingandsocialgrowthofstudents,engagein team-buildingactivities,planandreflectontheirPersonalLearning/CASjourney, andcompleteessentialadministrativetasks.
RoleoftheAdvisor
SupportstudentsthroughallHSyearsasatrustedadultinwhomtheycanconfide
Gainanoverviewofstudents’learning
Supportstudentssocio-emotionalgrowth
SupportthestudentsinplanningandreflectingontheirPersonalLearning/CAS program
TheCoreComponentsofthePersonalLearningProgramInclude:
CommunityBuilding
Wellbeing
FutureReadiness
PL/CASProgramSupport
CommunityEngagement (throughPLorCAS)
AllstudentsatISBfromGrades10to12participateinarobustCommunityEngagement program.Theprogramaimstohelpstudentsdeveloptheirownidentityandan understandingoftheidentityofothers,creatingastrongerunderstandingof citizenship Thiscaninvolvevolunteeringoncampusbutfocusesonvolunteeringwith organizationsacrossBrusselsthatworktoaddresstheauthenticneedsofthe homeless,elderly,refugees,underprivilegedchildrenetc.
Counselling
HighSchoolCounselling
Student Support
AllstudentsatISBfromGrades10to12areindividuallysupportedbyadedicatedteam ofHighSchoolcounsellorswhooverseestudentpathwayswhileintheHS;thisincludes academicplanning,monitoring,supportandprogress,goal-setting,personaland socialhappiness,balanceandwellness.Counsellorsareapointofcontactfor studentsandparentsrelatedtosuccessatISBandbeyond
AsignificantfocuswithintheHSCounsellingprogramisdeveloping,preparingforand inmanycasesapplyingtopost-ISBpathways.TheHSCounsellorsareglobalexperts andrunateamapproachwhenworkingwithstudents Thisprocessisstudent-led,but weguide,support,scaffoldandtrackallalongtheway.Itisourcommonobjectiveto worktowardseachstudent’sindividualgoalsandsuccess!
CounsellorAllocationisdividedbyfamilynames(withsomeexceptions)asoutlined below:
Forgeneralcommunications,pleaseemailhscounselling@isb.beorISB’sHighSchool CounsellingOfficeCoordinator,Ms MariekeEikendaldeGroot: Eikendaldegrootm@isb.be.Toemailaspecificcounselor,theycanbecontactedatthe followingemailaddresses:KarenSagallsagalk@isbbe,AmyDurrantdurranta@isbbe, JenniFranklinfranklinj@isb.be,CatherineIrvineirvinec@isb.be
SocialEmotionalCounselling
StudentsseekingorinneedofaddedsupportarewelcometoseetheSocial& EmotionalCounsellor,KatieCherry TheSocial&EmotionalCounsellorworkswitha specificfocusonsupportingstudents’psychological,emotional,socialandmental wellbeing Whenastudentmaybeinneedofprolongedsupportoriftherearetopics beyondthescopeofwhataschoolcounselorisabletosupport,ISBmaysuggest continuedsupportoutsideofschool TheSocial&EmotionalCounselorisableto providereferrals.AppointmentscanbemadeviaemaildirectlytoMs.Cherry (cherryk@isbbe)orstudentscandropbyheroffice,room234
Learnin Suppor
ISBprovidesawidespectrum learningsupport,whichinclud provisionsforstudentswhore servicesidentifiedinthreebro althoughweknowstudentsd neatlyintotheseboxes.
Inrealityitisacontinuum,an thedegreeofsupportstuden helpsusdesignanddeliverfl servicedeliveryoptions
TheInternational SchoolofBrussels
Resource
Thisisanindividualisedcourseavailabletostudentswithadiagnosedlearningneed Thefocusisonknowingwhenandhowtoaskforhelp.Withthesupportoftheteacher, studentsidentifyindividualstrengthsandweaknesses.Studentsenrolledinthe resourceclassdevelopanunderstandingoftheirownlearningprofile,developareas oftalent,andfocusonbuildingtheirstrengthswhiletargetingspecific,compensatory learningstrategiestoremediateunderlyingskilldeficiencies.Balancedwiththisskill work,studentsalsoreceivere-teachingandrevisionsupportofthecontentoftheir courses,asnecessary.
IntensiveLearningSupport
TheHighSchooloffersanintensive,life-skillsbasedclassroom,forstudentswith cognitiveordevelopmentaldisabilities.Studentsworkinasmallgroupwith personalisedgoalssupportedbyspecialisedprofessionals,incollaborationwith mainstreamteachersonfunctionalacademicandsocialintegrationopportunities. Individualtherapiesarewellintegratedintotheirdaytoensuretransfertothenatural environment.Thereisanemphasisonindependentlife-skillsandinvocationalstudies, andcommunityskillstoprepareforasuccessfullifeafterISB Atransitionplanis developedcollaborativelywithfamiliestosupportthesenextsteps.Studentsearnan individualiseddiplomabasedontheirILPgoals
Monitoring
Studentswhohavediagnosedlearningneedsbutdonotneeddirectinterventionare monitoredtoensurethatallfacultywhoworkwiththisstudentknowabouttheir learningprofileandwillmakethenecessaryaccommodationsforneedsintheclass. ThestudentisnotscheduledintoaResourceblock,butratherthestudenthascheckin appointmentswiththeircasemanager.
Inordertokeepformalaccommodationslegitimateandupdated(regardlessofthe supportmodel),studentsintheLearningSupportprogramneedupdatedpsycho educationaltesting(orotherrelevantassessmentbasedoncondition)everythree yearstoconfirmtheycontinuetoqualifyforsupportandanyformal accommodations.Iftheydonotqualifyandthereisnolongerapresenceofthe previouslyidentifiedconditiontheywillbeexitedfromsupportandwillnolonger receiveformalaccommodations.
EnglishLanguage Development
TheHighSchooloffersaseriesofcoursesforstudentsenteringISBwithadeveloping commandoftheEnglishlanguage.EnglishLanguageLearnerswillbeprovidedwith thespecialistsupportandscaffoldingtheyneedtoenablethemtosuccessfully accessthecurriculuminEnglish,thepredominantlanguageofinstructionatISB.
Forattendingstudents,placementismadebytheELDteacherwiththeguidanceof WIDAtestingandclassresults Forarrivingstudents,aplacementtestwillbearranged bytheCounsellingdepartment.Therearefourlevelstargetinginstructionforstudents toimprovetheircompetenceinEnglish
ISBGrading& ConversionChartfor ExternalPrograms
ThechartbelowisarepresentationoftheISBgradingstructureintheUpperSchool Thechartalsoshowsthealignmentoftheexternalgradingsystemsfrom organisationsofwhichweofferadditionalcourses(IB,AP,BTEC) CoursesthathaveIB, AP,orBTECinthecoursetitleatISBaregradedusingexternalcriteriaanddescriptors providedbytheiraccreditingbodies ThosegradesarethenconvertedtoISBgrades asrepresentedbelowandreportedassuchonISBofficialdocumentation.
ISBisanaccreditedinstitutionandassuchawardsgradesandcreditsforcourses completedatISBandthereforeISBreportsuseISBgrades Predictedorawarded gradesforAP,BTEC,andIBcanbeprovidedasneededonseparatedocumentation, andintheendwillbeawardeddirectlybytheseexternalorganisations
Duetothetransientnatureofinternationalschoolpopulations,andinlinewithour school’smissionandvalues,ISBdoesnotweightgrades,calculateGPA,orrankour students.
APPhilosophy &Practices
AdvancedPlacement(AP)
Collegeboard(anexternalorganisationthatalsocoordinatesthePSATandSAT)has designedanumberofcoursesreferredtoasAdvancedPlacement(AP)Courses Thesecourses,eachoneyearinlength,aremodeledafterintroductory college/universitycoursesintheUnitedStates StudentsareabletoenrollinAP coursesaspartoftheirISBDiplomarequirementsstartingfromgrade10,andon occasiongrade9(whenanidentifiedchallengeisrequired) StudentswhowishtoearnexternalAPqualificationswilltaketheexternalexamsatthe endofthecalendaryearinwhichtheycompletedthecourse Asnotallstudents partakeinexternalcredentialing,thecostchargedbyCollegeboardfortheexamand fortestadministrationispassedonandbilledtotheparentsforeachAPexam StudentswhodonotchoosetotaketheAPexamwillnotbeallowedtohave“AP”inthe coursetitleontheirtranscript
APCoursePlacement
ToenrollinanAPcourseatISBthefollowingpolicyapplies: Allprerequisiterequirementsmustbemet(seeHSProgrammeofStudies), 9thgradestudentsmayonlyenrollinuptooneISBofferedAPcourse, 10thgradestudentsmayonlyenrollinuptotwoISBofferedAPcourses, 11thand12thgradestudentsmayonlyenrollinuptothreeISBofferedAPcourses NewstudentstoISBwishingtoenrollinAPcourseswillneedtocomplete placementtestsasnecessary
APCourseofferings
APCoursesareofferedfromthevarioussubjectareas,someonarotationalbasis everyotheryear(forexample,MicroeconomicsinoneyearandMacroeconomicsin thenext).AfulllistofcourseofferingscanbeseenintheProgrammeofStudies.
APSelf-StudyCourses
StudentswhowishtostudyanAPcoursethatisnotofferedbyISBinthatyearmay choosetoenrolinanindependentstudycourseandselfstudyfortheexam.Some studentschoosetodothisontheirown,otherschoosetoenrollinanonlinecourse. Studentsmayself-studyuptotwoAPcoursesperyear Examinationandadministration feesforself-studycoursesarealsobilledtotheparentsforeachAPexam
AnyintentiontositanAPexaminationshouldbediscussedwiththestudent’scounsellor andregistrationfortheAPexammustbemadebyNovember15thoftheschoolyear theywouldliketotaketheexam.Itisimportanttonotethatstudentsmaynotelectto self-studyanAPcoursewithacourseworkcomponent(suchasAPComputerScience Principles)oranAPcoursewhichisofferedatISB,unlessthereisaschedulingconflict.
APPrerequisitesandPlacement
AsAPcoursesareuniversitylevelcoursesandhaverequiredpre-knowledgeinorder forstudentstobeabletoaccesstheleveloflearning,manyhaveprerequisite recommendationsorrequirementstoenrollinthecourse Somecoursesaremore accessiblethanothersforthisreasonandthereforeastudent'steacherandcounselor shouldbeabletoadvisethembestforenrollments,especiallyforstudentstaking themingrade10,andinsomecases9.Theseprerequisitesarelistedinthe ProgrammeofStudies
APAssessmentandGrading
APCoursesarescoredona1-5scale,eachrepresentinghowqualifiedthestudent wouldbetoearncreditattheuniversitylevelforthedemonstrationoftheirknowledge ThisgradecomessolelyfromtheexternalexamthatisadministeredinMayofthe yearthatthestudentscompletethecourse ThecourseofferedatISBisdesignedto helpthestudentlearnthematerialaswellaspreparefortheexam.ISBwillawarda gradeonitsreportona1-7scalebasedofftheconversionchartlistedinanabove section.
InclusiveLearning andAssessment
AtISB,inclusionisattheheartofourapproachtoallofourprogrammesandour missiontoensurealllearnersarechallenged,includedandsuccessful. Wearecommittedtoensuringthatourlearnersareabletoreachtheirfullpotential throughacultureofcollaboration,mutualrespect,supportandproblem-solving involvingthewholeschoolcommunity
Accessandinclusionarrangementsforlearning,teachingandassessmentforAP coursesareconsideredwhenalearnerisidentifiedasneedingsupportthroughthe StudentStudyTeamprocess Thiswillinclude(butnotbelimitedto)instanceswhena learnerfaceslong-termchallengesorachronicmedicalissue,illnessorconditionthat lastsformorethan12weeks Supportforstudentsexperiencingadverse circumstancesduringtheassessmentprocessorexaminationperiodaretreated separately
TheschoolcanprovideinclusiveaccessarrangementsforstudentstakingAP examinationsthatalignwiththeirnormalwayofworkinginthehighschool.The purposeofthesearrangementsisnotonlytoensurethatallstudentshaveequal opportunitiesforsuccessandalsotohelpstudentsdeveloptheacademicand advocacyskillstheywillneedintheirpost-secondaryendeavors.Theneedforthese arrangementsisdeterminedbytheLearningSupportdepartment,inconsultationwith parentsandteachers.
AccommodationsforassessmentwhichcanbemadewithauthorizationbyCollege Board,include,butarenotlimitedto:
Accesstoadditionaltime
Accesstosupportforwriting,forexampletheuseofawordprocessororascribe Accesstosupportforreading,suchastheuseofareaderorreadingsoftware Otheraccommodations,suchasaccesstosignlanguage
Ifastudentisdeemedtorequireinclusiveassessmentarrangements,anapplication issenttoCollegeBoardforapprovalwiththeconsentofthecandidateandthe candidate’sfamily.Applicationsshouldbesubmittedasearlyaspossibleandbefore November15thofthestudent’sexamyearinordertoqualifyforinclusive arrangementsduringtheirMayexams.
Admissions& enrolmentprocedures
CourseSelection
APcoursesarerigorous,advancedcourseswhichresemblethecoursesastudent maytakeinthefirstyearofuniversity.BeforeenrollinginAPcoursesorqualifications, studentsshould-inconsultationwiththeirfamilies,teachersandtheircounsellor, carefullyplantheiracademicschedulestoaccommodatethedemandsoftheir chosencourses
EnrollmentforISBstudents
Theenrollmentprocessmaytakeplacein8th,9th,10thor11thgradewhenstudents andtheirfamiliesareprovidedwithinformationaboutthedifferentpathways availabletothem.Aspartofthisprocess,familiesattendaCourseInformation evening,whichgivesthemtheopportunitytoaskquestionsaboutthedifferent coursesandreflectonwhatwouldbeappropriatefortheirchild.Studentsalsospeak totheirindividualsubjectteacherswhohelpthemassesstheirstrengthsand weaknesseswithaneyetowardstheselectionofcoursesthatwouldhelpthemmeet theirfutureaspirations Aspartoftheenrollmentprocess,studentsandparentshave anindividualmeetingwiththeircounsellor.Theselectionprocessistypically completedbyearlyMay
Accesstoselectedcourseswilldependontheavailabilityofthecourses,contingent uponsufficientenrollmentorspace.
Enrollmentfortransferstudents
Studentswhoaretransferringfromanotherschoolwillenrollinthesamemanneras currentISBstudents,discussingthepathwaysavailabletothem,aswellastheir coursechoiceswithfamilyandtheircounsellors.
ForstudentstransferringmidwaythroughanAPcourse,everyeffortwillbemadeto accommodatetheirtransition Throughconsultationswiththeircounsellor, coordinatorandtheirteachers,aplanwillbedevelopedtoensurethattheyaddress anygapswhichmayhaveoccurredintheirtransfer
Registrationandfees
Inordertoreceiveexternalqualifications,studentsmustberegisteredwiththe externalbodythatawardsthecertification,CollegeBoard.Studentregistrationtakes placeintheSeptemberoftheyearoftheirAPcourse.
WhenstudentsbegintheirAPcourse,theywillbeexpectedtocreateanaccountwith
CodeofConduct forIBExaminations
Bothmockandexternally-assessed examinationsaregovernedbystrictcodesof conducttomakesurethattheassessment takesplaceinafair,safeandcomfortable environment Allstudentswillneedtobecome familiarwiththeexpectationsforconduct duringtheexaminations.
Allstudentsshouldarriveatschool30minutesbeforetheexamsarescheduledto begin.Whencandidatesareadmittedtotheexamroom,theymustenterinaquiet andorderlymanner
Intheexamroom
Oncetheyareintheexamroom,studentsmustnotcommunicatewithanyoneother thantheproctorsforthedurationoftheexam Nofoodordrinkcanbetakenintothe examinationroomunlessthecandidatehasamedicalcondition.Theproctorwilltell candidateswheretositandcandidatescantakeonlythefollowingitemstotheir assigneddesk:
TwosharpenedNo 2pencils(witherasers)forcompletingmultiple-choiceanswer sheets.
Twopenswithblackordarkblueinkonly,forcompletingareasontheexam bookletcoversandforfree-responsequestionsinmostexams.
Uptotwoapprovedcalculatorswiththenecessarycapabilitiesiftakinganexamin whichitisrequired
ArulerorstraightedgeforthePhysicsexam
Acomputer(forexamswhichrequireitsuse)andacomputercharger
Nobagsormobilephonesarepermittedintheexamroom Inaddition,studentsmust notbringthefollowingintoanexamroom:
Forallexamsotherthandigitalorhybridexams,electronicequipmentofanykind: phones,smartwatches,orwearabletechnologyofanykind,computers,laptops, tabletcomputers,Bluetoothdevices,portablelisteningorrecordingdevices, camerasorotherphotographicequipment,devicesthatcanaccesstheinternet, separatetimersofanytype,andanyotherelectronicorcommunicationdevices
Books,compasses,correctionfluid,dictionaries,highlighters,ornotes
Mechanicalpencils,No.3pencils,orcoloredpencils
Rulersorstraightedges(theseareallowedonlyforPhysicsexams)
Protractors
Scratchpaper
Calculators(exceptaspreviouslynotedforallowedexams)
Referenceguides,keyboardmaps,orothertypinginstructions
Foodordrink
Clothingorshoeswithsubject-relatedinformation
Earplugs
Clipboards
Academicmisconductduringexaminations
Nocandidateisallowedtoborrowanythingfromanothercandidateduringan examination Onceintheexamroom,studentsmustlistencarefullytotheproctor’s instructions Theyarenotallowedtoworkonasectiondifferenttotheonethatis expected,oropentheexambookletbeforethestartofaparticularsection.Using unauthorizedelectronicequipment,copying,givingorreceivingassistanceofany kind,orleavingthedesignatedbreakareaareconsideredexamplesofmisconduct andmayleadtoastudent’sdisqualificationfromtheexam.
TardiesandAbsences
Ifalatecomerarrivestotheexamroombeforetheotherexam-takershavefinished fillingouttheidentificationinformationontheiranswersheets,andtheschool considersthecauseofthestudent’slatearrivaltobebeyondthestudent’scontrol,the latecomermaybeadmittedandtested (Heavytraffic,oversleeping,missedpublic transportation,roadworksaresomeexamplesofwhatisnotbeyondstudentcontrol)
Ifastudentistooillthedayofanexam,adoctor’snotemustbeprovided.
Endinganexamination
Allstudentsarerequiredtostayquietlyintheexamroomuntiltheendofthe examination.Therearenoearlydismissals.
Dedicatedsessionswillbeheldtofamiliarizeallstudentswiththerulesand regulationspertainingtotheexamsbeforethemockexamstakeplace.
CollegeBoard,APCoursesand UniversityBoundStudents
SomeuniversitieswillwantrequiredstandardisedmeasurestoaccompanytheISBHS Diplomainordertoreceivedirectentrytotheirprograms.Thismayinclude demonstratingproficiencyonaCollegeBoardSATscore,orbypassingacertain numberofAPexams.Universitiesaroundtheworldunderstandthevalueofthe standardisedAPexamscoreandthereforeoftenwillarticulatetheirrequirementson theirwebsites.TheHScounsellorswillhelpguidestudentstofindthisinformationand tomakethebestchoicestosupporttheirfutureambitions
BTECPhilosophy &Practices
BTECInternationalLevel3Programme
TheBTECInternationalLevel3programmeisawidelyrecognizedqualificationwhich aimstoprovidestudentswiththeskillsandknowledgenecessaryforasuccessful career Thecoursescombineacademicrigourandlearningwithhands-on experiencesthroughpracticalprojectswhicharedesignedtoreflectreal-world situationsandpreparestudentsfortheirfuture TheBTECcoursesareinternally assessedandexternallymoderated,whichutilizeavarietyofassessmentmethods suchascoursework,assignments,andpracticalprojects Thisprovidesstudentswith theopportunitytodemonstratetheirknowledgeandskillsinapracticalandapplied manner,andtherearenoformalexamsaspartofBTECcourses
BTECCourseOfferings
BTECcoursesareofferedwheninterestwarrantsitsoffering Overtheyearscourses havebeenofferedinArtandDesign,Business,Hospitality,andSport.Studentswho takeBTECofferingswillattend3periodseachyearingrade11and12toallowforthe focusednatureoftheprojectbasedprogramme.AsISBoffersthesecoursesby Pearson,anexternalorganisationwhichpassesfeesontotheschool,andasnotall studentsparticipateinthisprogramming,thereisanadditionalcostwhichispassed on/billedtoparentsseparately.
BTECAssessment
BTECqualificationsaredeterminedbythequalityandnumberofunitsthathavebeen successfullycompleted.Theseunitsaremadeupofassignments,tasksand/or projectsthatlinktheoryworkwithpracticalexercises
StudentworkisassessedandmoderatedinternallybytheBTECteachers Once studentworkhasbeencompletedforthelevelofBTECqualificationbeingassessed, allunitgradesareconvertedintoapointsscoreasdeterminedthroughPearson ThesepointsarethenaddedtogethertocalculatetheoverallgradefortheBTEC qualification BTECPearsonthenverifiestheunitgradesarecorrect,througha samplingprocesscalledstandardsverification.Standardsverificationisnecessaryto makesurethatallstudentshavetheirassignmentsassessedaccordingtothe nationalstandard.Standardsverificationtakesplacetwiceperschoolyear.
BTECGrading
Foreachunit,studentsareaskedtodemonstratetheirknowledgeandunderstanding bycompletingtasksthatareassessedaccordingtocriteriaatdifferentlevelsofPass, MeritandDistinction.Uponcompletionofaunit,theoverallgradeisdetermined holistically:
IfallofthePasscriteriaaredemonstratedsuccessfully,aPassisearnedforthe unit.
IfallofthePassandalloftheMeritcriteriaaredemonstratedsuccessfully,aMerit isearnedfortheunit.
IfallofthePass,MeritandDistinctioncriteriaaredemonstratedsuccessfully,a Distinctionisearnedfortheunit.
BTECWorkSubmission
Ineachunit,thereareusuallyseveraltaskstocompletethataresummativelyassessed TheBTECprogrammemodelsreal-lifesituationsinthatstudentsareexpectedto i i i i i
TheBTECprogrammedoesoffertheopportunitytobuildonstudentlearningandto improvetheirgradesiftheydonotgettotheleveltheywantontheirfirstsubmissionof theirwork Hence,ifastudentdoesnotdemonstrateanyofthecriteriaatapointintime whentheysubmittheirworksummativelyforthefirsttime,studentsareallowedto resubmittheirwork,aslongasallofthefollowingrequirementsaremet:
1.
Theinitialdeadlinessetintheassignmenthavebeenmet,ortheagreeddeadline extensionhasbeenmet.
2.
Theteacherjudgesthatthestudentwillbeabletoprovideimprovedevidence withoutfurtherguidance.
3.
Theteacherhasauthenticatedtheevidencesubmittedforassessmentandthe evidenceisaccompaniedbyasignedanddatedlearnerdeclarationofauthenticity.
WorkthatisbeingresubmittedcanbedoneinordertomeetPass,MeritorDistinction criteria.Everytaskinaunitthatissubmittedontimeiseligibleforoneresubmission. Whenworkisresubmitted,thefollowingrequirementsmustbemetfortheresubmitted work:
Theworkcanbecompletedbythestudentwithnofurtherguidancefromthe teacher 1.
Iftheresubmissionisaneditedandimprovedversionoftheoriginalwork,thenthe newworkmustbeclearlyindicatedintheworkproduced-forexample,eitherina differentcolorfontorhighlightedfont.
3
2. Theresubmissionassessmentrecordsheetmustbecompletedandsubmittedwith thework.
Thedeadlineforresubmissionwillbedeterminedbytheteacher,butmustbewithin 15workingdaysfromthedaytheassignmentandassessmentresultsarereturned. 4
Retake
If,afterthefirstsubmissionandaresubmissionofstudentwork,astudentstillhasnot metallofthePasscriteriaforaunit,theywillbeallowedtoretaketheunitatthePass criterialevelonly,underthefollowingcondition:
ThestudenthasmetalloftheconditionslistedaboveintheResubmissionofWork section.
TheRetakeassignmentwillthenfollowtheseguidelines:
Theretakewillbeanewtaskorassignmenttargetedonlytothepasscriteriawhich werenotachievedintheoriginalassignment Youwillnotbeabletoearnameritor adistinctiongradeforaretakeassignment.
Theteachermustagreeandrecordacleardeadlinebeforethestudentstartsa retake.Therewillbenofurtherresubmissionsorretakeopportunitiesfortheunit. Thestudentandtheteachermustsigndeclarationsofauthenticationastheyboth didfortheprevioussubmissions,andacompletedassessmentrecordsheetmust besubmittedwiththeretakeassignment
Asthisisamodelofcontinuousandon-goingwork,itisimportanttohavewelldevelopedself-managementskills.TheBTECmodelofassessmentsuitsmany learnersasthereisanemphasisonapplyingknowledgetoreal-lifesituationsandon usingdifferentmodesofcommunicationtoexplain,analyseandevaluateconceptsin context.However,thisdoesnotmeanthatthecourseiswithoutintellectualrigour,and theassessmentstructureofcontinuousandregulartasksthataresetfromthe beginningofthecourseaddschallenge.Studentswillbemostsuccessfulifthey developandusestrategiestoorganisetheirtimeandremainengagedwiththeir teacherssothattheprocessofcontinuouslearningismosteffective.
InclusiveLearning andAssessment
AtISB,wearecommittedtoprovidingasupportivelearningenvironmentresponsiveto individuallearner’sacademicandpastoralneeds,toidentifythosewhoneed additionallearningsupportandtoinformlearnersoftheresourcesandfacilities availablefortheirsuccessfulcompletionoftheprogramme Inkeepingwithour school’sLearningSupportPolicy,weregularlymonitorourlearners’academicand pastoralneeds,identifylearnerswhomayneedadditionalsupportandputinplacethe requiredsupportandresourcestoensuretheirsuccess.
Wealsoaimtosupportaccesstoqualificationsforlearnerswhoareeligiblefor reasonableadjustmentorspecialconsiderationininternalassessments,without compromisingtheassessmentoftheskills,knowledge,understandingorcompetence beingmeasured Itisourpolicytoreducetheeffectofanydisabilityordifficultywhich wouldplacealearneratadisadvantageinanassessment.Inordertodoso,we identifyinadvancewhetheranyactionisneededtohelpreducetheeffectofa disabilityordifficulty,whichwillplacealearneratasubstantialdisadvantageinthe assessment Wealsoensurethatthereasonableadjustmentdoesnotaffectthe reliabilityorvalidityofassessmentoutcomesorgivealearneranadvantageoverother learnersundertakingthesameorsimilarassessments
AcademicIntegrityinBTEC
AllstudentsatISBareheldtoahighstandardofacademicintegrity.WithinBTEC courses,weseektominimizethetheriskofmalpracticebylearners,respondtoany incidentofallegedmalpracticepromptlyandobjectively,andimposeappropriate penaltiesorsanctionsonlearnerswhereincidentsofmalpracticeareproveninorder toprotecttheintegrityofthiscentreandBTECqualifications.
Thefollowingdefinitionsrelatedtomalpracticeareprovided:
Learnermalpractice:anyactionbythelearnerwhichhasthepotentialtoundermine theintegrityandvalidityoftheassessmentofthelearner’swork (plagiarism,collusion, cheating,etc.)
Assessormalpractice:anydeliberateactionbyanAssessorwhichhasthepotential tounderminetheintegrityofBTECqualifications
Plagiarism:takingandusinganother’sthoughts,writings,inventions,etc asone’sown
InordertoprotecttheintegrityofallBTECassessments,thecentrewillseektoavoid potentialmalpracticebyusingtheinductionperiodtoinformlearnersofthecentre’s policyonmalpracticeandthepenaltiesforattemptedandactualincidentsof malpractice.Learnerswillbeshowntheappropriateformatstorecordcitedtextsand othermaterialsorinformationsources.Learnerswillalsobeaskedtodeclarethattheir workistheirown,toprovideevidencethattheyhaveinterpretedandsynthesised appropriateinformationandacknowledgedanysourcesused.Ifmalpracticeis suspected,theschoolwillconductaninvestigationwhichwillproceedthroughthe followingstages:
maketheindividualfullyawareattheearliestopportunityofthenatureofthe allegedmalpracticeandofthepossibleconsequencesshouldmalpracticebe proven givetheindividualtheopportunitytorespondtotheallegationsmade informtheindividualoftheavenuesforappealingagainstanyjudgmentmade documentallstagesofanyinvestigation
Wheremalpracticeisproven,thiscentrewillapplypenaltiesandsanctionsaccording totheHighSchoolAcademicIntegrityPolicyintheHSStudentandParentHandbook.
Appeals
Toprotecttheinterestsofalllearnersandtheintegrityofthequalification,BTEC learnersareentitledtoenquire,questionorappealagainstanassessmentdecisionif theybelievethatthedecisionhasnotbeenaccurateorfair Learnersalsohavethe righttoappealtoPearson,whereappropriate.
Inordertodoso,ISBwillinformthelearneratinduction,oftheAppealsPolicyand procedure record,trackandvalidateanyappealthatisputforward.Theywillalsofacilitatean appealtoPearsonwhenalearnerconsidersthatadecisioncontinuesto disadvantageher/himaftertheinternalappealsprocesshasbeenexhausted.
Theappealsprocessfollowsthestagesbelow:
Stage1–Informal:LearnerconsultswithAssessorwithinadefinedperiodoftime followingtheassessmentdecision,todiscussanassessmentdecision.Ifunresolved, thentheissuesaredocumentedbeforemovingtostage2
Stage2–Review:ReviewofassessmentdecisionsbytheInternalVerifierandthe ProgrammeCoordinator.Thelearnerisnotifiedoffindingsandagreesordisagrees,in writing,withoutcome Ifunresolved,movetostage3
Stage3–Appealhearing:TheHeadofHighSchoolorAssistantHeadofHighSchool hearstheappeal:laststagebythecentre.Ifunresolved,movetostage4.
Stage4–Externalappeal:Thegroundsforappealandanysupportingdocumentation mustbesubmittedbythecentretoPearsonwithin14daysofthecompletionofStage 4:afeeislevied.
Eachstageoftheappealsprocessiscarefullydocumentedanddocumentsmustbe keptforaminimumof18months
Admissionsand enrolmentprocedures
CourseSelection
BTECcoursesrequireself-managementskillssothatstudentsareabletomeet internaldeadlinesandperformthetaskstothebestoftheirabilities.Beforeenrollingin BTECcoursesorqualifications,studentsshould-inconsultationwiththeirfamilies, teachersandtheircounsellor,carefullyplantheiracademicschedulesto accommodatethedemandsoftheircourseworkfortheirchosenqualification.
EnrollmentforISBstudents
Theenrollmentprocessmaytakeplacein9th,10thor11thgradewhenstudentsand theirfamiliesareprovidedwithinformationaboutthedifferentpathwaysavailableto them.Aspartofthisprocess,familiesattendaCourseInformationevening,which givesthemtheopportunitytoaskquestionsaboutthedifferentcoursesandreflecton whatwouldbeappropriatefortheirchild.Studentsalsospeaktotheirindividual subjectteacherswhohelpthemassesstheirstrengthsandweaknesseswithaneye towardstheselectionofcoursesthatwouldhelpthemmeettheirfutureaspirations.
Aspartoftheenrollmentprocess,studentsandparentshaveanindividualmeeting withtheircounsellor.Duringthatmeeting,counsellorswillbeabletohelpfamilies decidewhichpathwaywillbethebestfortheirchild.Theselectionprocessistypically completedbyearlyMay.
Enrollmentfortransferstudents
Studentswhoaretransferringfromanotherschoolwillenrollinthesamemanneras currentISBstudents,discussingthepathwaysavailabletothem,aswellastheir coursechoiceswithfamilyandtheircounsellors.
ForstudentstransferringhalfwaythroughaBTECqualification,everyeffortwillbe madetoaccommodatetheirtransition Throughconsultationswiththeircounsellor, coordinatorandtheirteachers,aplanwillbedevelopedtoensurethattheyaddress anygapswhichmayhaveoccurredintheirtransfer Theywillalsobeexpectedto supportthetransferofalldocumentationandpreviouslycompletedcourseworkfrom theirpreviousschool
Registrationandfees
Inordertoreceiveexternalqualifications,studentsmustberegisteredwiththe externalbodythatawardsthecertification Studentregistrationtakesplaceinthefirst monthoftheiryearofstudy.Studentswhochoosenottoreceiveanexternalcredential willreceiveISBcreditfortheirwork Inthiscase,theywillnotberegisteredwith Pearson.
Howregistrationworks
StudentswillreceivealetterinSeptemberaskingthemtoconfirmtheirpersonal detailsandwhethertheyintendtoachieveanexternalcredential Oncestudents returnthisletter,theyareregisteredwithPearson.Studentswillbeabletochangetheir registrationstatusuntilOctober15th.Afterthisdeadline,registrationisfinalizedand familiesareinvoicedfortheexternalqualification.Anychangestoregistrationstatus afterOctober15thmayincurlatefees.
BTECCoursesand UniversityBoundStudents
WithintheUK,over100,000studentsenterhighereducationwithaBTECeveryyear Internationally,over260universitiesrecogniseBTECNationalsforadmissionto undergraduatestudy NorthAmericaisoftenhappytoacceptitinadditiontotheUS HSDiplomaandinmanycasesEuropeanuniversitieswillacceptitaspartoftheUSHS Diplomaorevenonitsown
Manyuniversitiesdonothavesubject-specificrequirementsforBTEC Studentsare abletoapplytoawidevarietyofdifferentsubjectsaswellasthoserelatedtotheir BTECprogrammeofstudy
MostuniversitiesacceptBTECsaspartofthestudent’sacademicprofileasa minimumrequirementformostoftheirhighereducationdegrees.
BTECExtendedDiplomaisconsideredauniversitypreparationqualificationandin mostcasesallowsforthesameeligibilityasanIBDiplomaorUSHSDiplomawith3 APs.ISBalsomakesitpossibleforstudentstocompletedifferentBTECqualifications; thesequalificationscanbecombinedwithIBCertificates,APsandISBcoursesfor
IBPhilosophy &Practices
IntroductiontotheInternationalBaccalaureateatISB
TheInternationalBaccalaureateisaninternationalorganizationthatoffersexternally assessedandcredentialedcoursesandprogrammesthatcanbecompletedduring thefinaltwoyearsofhighschool.
AtISBstudentsingrades11and12canchoosefromanumberoftwo-yearcourses whichincludeanoptiontoearncertificatesawardedbytheIBuponcompletion. StudentsmayalsochoosetocompletetheInternationalBaccalaureateDiploma Program(IBDP),wheretheycompletesixtwo-yearcourses,3atHigherLeveland3at StandardLevel,andmeettheCorerequirementsinordertobeawardedanIB Diploma.StudentsnotwishingtopursuethefullIBDPmayselectindividualIBcourses withintheirUSHighSchoolDiploma.Theseareofficiallyknownas“Diploma Programme(DP)Courses”andarerecognizedinternationally.Studentscanalso choosetoenrolinthesecoursesforoneortwoyearsaspartoftheirISBDiplomaonly, andnotsittheexamsthattakeplaceafterthesecondyearinMayforexternal credentials.
StudentswhoworktoearntheIBDiploma,orstudentswishingtoearnIBCertificates fortheirIBCourses,willtaketheexternalexamsattheendofthesecondyearofthe programme.StudentsmayalsoenrolinIBCourseswithoutearningtheIBCertificate.In thiscase,studentswillbeassessedonISBgradingcriteriaandnottaketheIBexamat theendofgrade12.
TheIBMissionStatement
“TheIBaimstodevelopinquiring,knowledgeableandcaringyoungpeoplewhohelp tocreateabetterandmorepeacefulworldthroughinterculturalunderstandingand respect.Tothisend,theorganizationworkswithschools,governmentsand internationalorganizationstodevelopchallengingprogramsofinternational educationandrigorousassessment.Theseprogramsencouragestudentsacrossthe worldtobecomeactive,compassionateandlifelonglearnerswhounderstandthat otherpeople,withtheirdifferences,canalsoberight.”
(InternationalBaccalaureateOrganization,2023)
TheIBLearnerProfile
TheIBDiplomaProgramandIBCoursesaimtohelpallmembersoftheschool communitylearntorespectthemselves,othersandtheworldaroundthemthrough thedevelopmentoftheattributesoftheIBlearnerprofile.
ISB’sTransferableSkills&theApproachestoLearning
BothISBandtheIBidentifykeytransferableskillsorapproachestolearningthatareembedded instudentlearningandshouldhelpallofourstudentssucceedintheirchosenpathwayand beyondhighschool
1.Socialskills
Learningisacollaborativeprocessandstudentswillneedtoworkconstructivelywithother studentsandteachers Bydiscussingunderstanding,plansorconcernswithothers,students willmakemoreprogressthantryingtogoitalone.Attimesstudentsmayalsohavetousetheir skillstoresolveconflictswhichmightarisewithinschool,orbetweentheiracademicandsocial lives
2.SelfManagementskills
Oneimportantsteptowardssuccessisacceptingresponsibilityforworktobedoneandbeing abletosetshortorlongtermgoals Studentsneedtodevelopemotionalmanagement,selfmotivation,perseveranceandresilience,astheseareskillswhichwillberequiredthroughout theirlivestofaceandovercomechallengesThelearningscheduleforstudentsingrades11and 12isdesignedtoensuretheycanachievebalanceintheirdailylives Moststudentswillhave timeduringthedaywhentheydonothaveclassesandtherearemanyspacesthroughoutthe schoolwherestudentscanworkeffectivelyduringthesestudyblocks Itisessentialthat studentsplancarefullyandmanagetheirtimeandtaskseffectively
Finally,mindfulnessandself-carearealsoimportantforstudentsuccess.Studentsshould ensurethattheyadoptahealthylifestylethatincludesenoughrestandrelaxation,aswellas ampleopportunitiestoexploretheirextra-curricularpassions
3.Communicationskills
Thekeycommunicationskillsweemployarelistening,speaking,writingandreadingand studentswillbeusingalloftheseintheirlearningandassessment.InmanyIBcoursesthere arespecificcriteriatoassesstheseskillsanditisimportantforstudentstoidentifytheir strengthsandareasfordevelopment Onestudentmayneedtodeveloptheabilitytowrite moreclearly,especiallywhenunderpressure,whileanothermayneedtoworkon understandingandrespondingtoverbalinstructionsinvariouslearningenvironments.
4.Researchskills
Independentlearnersemployavarietyoftoolstogathertheinformationtheyneedandhave systemstomanagethisinformation Technologycanhelpinmanagingresearch Studentswill needtoplanaheadtomakeeffectiveuseoftheinformationgathered,aswellas understandingappropriatesystemsforreferencingandcitation.
5.Thinkingskills
AllIBcoursesaredesignedtohelpstudentsdeveloparangeofthinkingskills,fromrecallto transfertoanalysisandreflection.Studentswillbeabletodeveloptheseskillsthroughouttheir lessonsbutalsointheirownindependentrevision
TheInternational SchoolofBrussels
IBCoursesatISB
ThefollowingIBcoursesareregularlyofferedatISB,subjecttosufficientenrollment.
Group1:Studies inlanguageand literature
Group2: Language acquisition
Group3: Individuals andsocieties
EnglishA Literature(HL/SL)
French B(HL/SL)
Group4: Sciences
Group5: Mathematics
Group6: TheArts
EnglishA
Languageand Literature(HL/SL)
EnvironmentalSystemsand Societies(SL/HL)
FrenchAb Initio(SL) History (HL/SL) Chemistry (HL/SL)
Mathematics: Applications and interpretation (HL/SL) VisualArts (HL/SL)
Mathematics: Analysisand approaches (HL/SL) Theatre (HL/SL)
FrenchA Literature(HL/SL) DutchB (HL/SL) Economics (HL/SL) Physics (HL/SL) Music (HL/SL)
FrenchA
Languageand Literature(HL/SL)
DutchA
Languageand Literature(HL/SL)
JapaneseA
Languageand Literature(HL/SL)
LanguageA MotherTongueSchoolSupportedSelfTaught(SL)
DutchAb Initio(SL) Business Management (HL/SL) Biology (HL/SL)
SpanishB (HL/SL)
GlobalPolitics (HL/SL)
SpanishAb Initio(SL) Geography (HL/SL)
Sports Exerciseand Health Science (HL/SL)
Design Technology (HL/SL)
EnglishB (HL/SL) Psychology (HL/SL)
Computer Science (HL/SL)
MoreinformationaboutcourseofferingsatISBcanbefoundintheHSProgrammeof Studies.DetailedsubjectbriefscanbefoundontheIB@ISBPortal.
Language andtheIB Program
Formostcourses,EnglishisthelanguageofinstructionatISB Forthisreason,students musthavedemonstratedproficiencyintheEnglishlanguageinordertoaccessIB coursesandtheIBDiplomaprogram CurrentISBstudentsmustenterthe“Bridging” classorbeexitedfromtheELDprogramatISBaltogetherbygrade11.External candidatesareexpectedtoscoreaWIDALevel5inallareasinordertodemonstrate proficiencybeforetheybeginthemajorityoftheirIBcoursesorDiplomaprogram.
Studentsstudyanadditionallanguage,eitherasaforeignlanguageorthroughthe languageandliteratureofalanguagetheyarehighlyproficientin.Byoffering studentsthepossibilitytolearnadditionallanguagesorreinforcetheirmothertongue, IBcoursesallowforstudentstobecomemultilingual,withaccesstoeducationaland professionalopportunitiesworldwideandalsotodifferentculturesandperspectives
Itiscrucialthatstudentsarecarefullyplacedinthelanguageclassesthatallowthem theappropriatelevelofchallenge.Studentsenterlanguageacquisitioncourseswith varyingdegreesofexposuretothetargetlanguage(s) Itis,therefore,importantthat studentsareplacedintoacoursethatismostsuitedtotheirlanguagedevelopment needs Thestudytitled“BenchmarkingSelectedIBDiplomaProgrammeLanguage CoursestotheCommonEuropeanFrameworkofReferenceforLanguages”suggests thatstudentsalreadyatCEFRA2orB1inthetargetlanguagecancomfortablytake languageBSL.StudentsalreadyatCEFRB1orB2cancomfortablytakelanguageBHL.
Itisimportanttonotethatmisrepresentationofastudent’slanguageproficiencyin theselectionofIBcoursesisconsideredtoundermineIBassessmentsand,assuch,is academicmalpractice.MoreinformationaboutlanguagesatISBisprovidedthrough courseselectionworkshopsandtheCourseSelectionPolicyforHSLanguages
HomeLanguages(School-SupportedSelf-Taught)
Forbothculturalandcurriculumaccessreasons,awidevarietyofLanguageAcourses areofferedannuallythroughourHomeLanguageProgramme Throughthese LanguageAcourses,studentsareabletodevelopadeeperconnectionwiththeir nativeculture,maintainanacademiclevelofproficiencyandhavetheopportunityto obtaintheIB’sBilingualDiploma.
Courseswithinthisprogrammesupportstudentswhowanttostudyintheirhome language,developtheirwrittenskillsandenhancetheirunderstandingoftheirhome culturethroughthestudyofarangeoftexts.Itisanidealpreparationforuniversityor collegeasthecourseaimstodeveloporal,writingandcomprehensionskills,aswell astoencourageindependentlearning.Emphasisisplacedonthedevelopmentof analyticalskills,throughessayassignmentsandcommentariesontexts Studentsalso makefrequentoralpresentationstodevelopcriticalthinkingskillsandtheabilityto communicateclearlyandeffectivelyinanacademiccontext
StudentswhoopttostudytheirHomeLanguagethroughthisprogramwillbeenrolled intheIBLanguageALiteratureSelf-taughtprogrammewhichisonlyofferedat StandardLevel(SL).Theywillreceiveregularsupport(oneclassperweek)froma school-approvedtutor,usuallyduringschoolhours.Inthefirstyear,amemberofthe Englishdepartmentwillalsomeetstudentsonceaweektosupportstudentsintheir learninganddevelopmentofanalyticalskills.
OnlineIBCourses
InordertobesttailortheIBDiplomaProgramtotheneedsofeachlearner,ISBmayoffer studentstheoptionofcompletingoneoftheirIBcourseswithPamojaEducation.Foran additionalcost,studentscanenrollincoursesnotcurrentlyofferedatISBandcomplete themonline.Thisoptionshouldbediscussedwithandapprovedbythestudent’sSchool CounsellorandIBCoordinator
GiventhebroadrangeofcoursesavailableatISB,onlinecoursesareonly recommendedinuniquecircumstances,wherestudentscannotsatisfyrequirements, duetoschedulingorotherconstraints,withthecoursesofferedatschool,oraspartofa student’sapprovedIndependentStudyprogram.Studentsshouldnotethatnotall DiplomaclassesareavailableonPamoja CoursescurrentlyofferedbyPamojainclude:
MandarinAbInitioSL
SpanishAbInitioSL
SpanishBSL
DigitalSocietyHL/SL
PsychologyHL/SL
PhilosophySL
BusinessManagementHL/SL
AdetailedandupdatedlistofonlinecoursesofferedisavailableonthePamojawebsite
Studentsconsideringthisoptionshouldbeawarethattheremaybespecific prerequisitestoaccessPamojacourses,particularlyforthosesubjectsofferedata HigherLevel.Inaddition,studentsselectingthesecoursesmustbehighlymotivatedand committedtocompletingthecourseindependentlyduringdesignatedstudyperiods eachweek.
ThecostofthePamojacourseistheresponsibilityofthestudentandtheirfamily.If studentswishtoenroll,theywillbeaskedtosignacommitmentletter Enrolmentfees willbepaidbyISBandinvoicedtothefamiliesuponconfirmationofenrolment.Formore informationaboutthecosts,pleaseseethePamojawebsite
TheIBDiplomaProgram
IBDiplomaRequirements
ToearnanIBDiploma,studentsstudyonecoursefromeachofthesixgroups,threeatHigher LevelandthreeatStandardLevel.
1StudiesinLanguageandLiterature
2LanguageAcquisition .
3IndividualsandSocieties .
4Sciences
5Mathematics
6TheArts .
Provisionsintheprogrammecanbemadeinaccordancewithparticularneeds:studentsmay chooseadditionalsubjectsfromGroups1,2,3,4inlieuofaGroup6subject;studentsmaytake thetrans-disciplinaryGroup3-4EnvironmentalSystemsandSocietiespermittingfurther flexibilityintheprogramme
StudentswhoworktoearntheIBDiploma,orstudentswishingtoearnIBCertificatesfortheirIB Courses,willtaketheexternalexamsattheendofthesecondyearoftheprogramme. Inaddition,allfullIBDiplomacandidatesmustfulfilthreecentralrequirements:Theoryof Knowledge,ExtendedEssay,andCAS
TheIB DiplomaCore
Inadditiontothesixacademicsubjectsstudents takeintheDiplomaProgram,studentsmustalso completetheCore,whichincludeanExtended Essay(EE),aTheoryofKnowledge(TOK)course andtheCreativity,ActivityandService(CAS) requirements
ExtendedEssay(EE)
TheEEisaresearchessayof4,000wordswhichofferstheopportunityforIBstudents toinvestigateatopicofspecialinterest.Itisoftenbasedononeofthestudent’sHL subjectsanditissupervisedbyaspecialistwithintheschool TheEEisintendedto promotehighlevelresearchandwritingskills,intellectualdiscoveryandcreativity. SuccessfulcompletionoftheEEisrequiredforreceiptoftheIBDiploma
TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)
TheTOKcourseisdesignedtodevelopacoherentapproachtolearningthatties togethertheacademicareasandencouragesappreciationofothercultural perspectives TOKencouragescriticalthinkingaboutknowledgeitselfandaimstohelp studentsmakesenseofwhattheyencounter.AllIBDiplomacandidatesmust successfullycompletetwoTOKassessments,anexhibitionandanessay,inordertobe awardedtheIBDiploma.
ThegoaloftheTOKcourseistogivestudentstheopportunitytosynthesizeandreflect uponknowledgetheyhaveacquiredintheirotherclassesandtodeveloptheircritical thinkingskills Itscorecontentiscenteredaroundquestionssuchas:Whatcountsas knowledge?Howdoesitgrow?Whatareitslimits?Whoownsknowledge?Whatisthe valueofknowledge?Whataretheimplicationsofhaving,ornothaving,knowledge? (IBO.org).
Creativity,ActivityandService(CAS)
CASisattheheartoftheDiplomaprogram,involvingstudentsinarangeofactivities thattakeplacealongsidetheiracademicstudiesthroughouttheIBDiplomaProgram Thecomponent’sthreestrands,ofteninterwovenwithparticularactivities,are characterizedasfollows:
Creativity–exploringandextendingideasleadingtoanoriginalorinterpretive productorperformance; Activity–physicalexertioncontributingtoahealthylifestyle,complementing academicworkelsewhereintheIBDiplomaProgram; Service–collaborativeandreciprocalengagementwiththecommunityin responsetoanauthenticneed.
CASatISBispilotingtheIB’snewvisionforCAS.Forthepilot,studentsmustfocuson twoquestions:
Whatareyoudoingtotakecareofyourself?(Thisisdemonstratedthroughactive engagementinexperiencesthatarebeneficialforastudent’sphysicaland/ormental health.
Whatareyoudoingtotakecareofothers?(Thisisdemonstratedthroughsustained engagementinthecommunity)
CoreClassatISB
AsTheoryofKnowledgeisamandatorycourseforIBDiplomaCandidates,students mustmeettherequirednumberofcoursehours Themandatory100hoursofTOK takesplacewithintheCoreperiod.Inaddition,timeisprovidedduringthisCoreperiod
Tointroduce,supportandcheck-inwithCASrequirementsandprogress
Tointroduce,support,andguidestudentsthroughtheExtendedEssayprocess.
Toaddressandbuildtransferableskills,academicintegrityandreflection
Tomeetwithhighschoolcounselorsregardingtopicssuchasthepost-ISB applicationprocessandcareerguidance
Non-RegularIBDiplomas
Iftheentryconditionstoauniversityorcollegeofhighereducationrequireastudent totakeacombinationofsubjectsoutsidethescopeofaregularorbilingualdiploma, thestudentmayapplytotheIBforpermissiontotakeanon-regularDiploma
Inordertoapply,studentsmustpresentdocumentaryevidence,whichcaninclude pagesfromauniversityorcollegeprospectus,toshowthattheentryconditionsfor theirproposedhighereducationcoursecannotbemetbythecoursesofaregularor bilingualDiploma.Whenpossible,studentsareencouragedtotakeaseventhsubject, outsideoftheIBprogramme,tomeettheserequirements Acandidatewillnotbe allowedtomakeasubstitutionforastudiesinlanguageandliteratureorlanguage acquisitionsubject
Ifastudentchoosestoapply,theirapplication(togetherwithalldocumentary evidence)willbesubmittedbyNovember15thoftheirfirstyearintheprogram. StudentsmayexpecttoreceivearesponsefromtheIBbytheendofthecalendar year.Untilthenon-regulardiplomaisgrantedtothestudent,theyareexpectedto takeaseventhcoursewhichwouldmakethemeligiblefortheIBDiplomaifthenonregulardiplomaisnotgranted.Ifthenon-regulardiplomaisgranted,thestudentwill beabletoexittheirseventhcourse
ForstudentswhowouldliketostudymedicineinFinland,India,Kuwait,the Netherlands,Pakistan,SaudiArabiaandSweden,afast-trackschemeisopenforthe Non-RegularDiploma.Studentsapplyingtomedicineprogramsinthesecountrieswill notberequiredtosubmitevidenceaspartoftheirapplicationforaNon-Regular Diploma.
AwardoftheIBDiploma
PassingconditionsfortheIBDPDiploma
Thetotalnumberofpointsawardedis24ormore. CASrequirementshavebeenmet.
Thereisno“N”awardedforTOK,theEEorforacontributingsubject. ThereisnogradeEawardedforTOKand/ortheEE. Thereisnograde1awardedinasubject/level
Therearenomorethantwograde2sawarded(SLorHL). Therearenomorethanthreegrade3sorbelowawarded(SLorHL)
Thecandidatehasgained12pointsormoreonHLsubjects.
Thecandidatehasgained9pointsormoreonSLsubjects
ThecandidatehasnotreceivedapenaltyforacademicmisconductfromtheFinal AwardCommittee
TheAwardofBonusPoints
ForIBDiplomastudents,successfulcompletionofCAS,theEEandTOKsarea requirementforawardoftheIBDiploma.CASisnotassessedbutwillbereportedas completedornot ForTOKandtheExtendedEssay,uptothreeextraDiplomapoints areavailable.TheExtendedEssayandtheTOKessayandexhibitionaremeasured againstassessmentcriteriaandstudentsareawardedalettergrade(A-E)foreach Thetotalnumberofbonuspointsawardedisdeterminedaccordingtothefollowing matrix:
IBCoursestudentsmaychoosetocompleteanexternallyassessedCAS,EEorTOK certificate.Studentsshouldnote,however,thatServiceLearningorCASisagraduation requirementofallISBstudents
Re-takingIBExaminations
IfstudentsdidnotmeettheconditionstoreceiveanIBDiploma,orwerenotsatisfied withtheresultsoftheirexaminations,theymayre-takesomeoralloftheir examinationsinthefollowingNovembersession.Pleasenotethatre-takesinthe NovembersessionmustberegisteredbytheIBCoordinatorbeforetheendofJulyof theirexaminationsession.Candidatesregisteredtore-taketheirexaminationswillbe invoicedIBfeesforeachoftheirexaminations,aswellasaschoolfeeforthe administrationoftheirexams.
AssessmentintheIBProgram
InIBCourses,therearethreetypesofassessment:
School-basedassessment
IBInternalAssessment
IBExternalAssessment
School-basedassessment
isusedbyteacherstomonitorhowwellastudentisprogressinginaparticular subject.Thiscanincludeassignmentscompletedinclassorathome,tests,quizzes, projectsormockexaminations.Theseassessmentsarecreatedby,assignedbyand markedbytheteacher.School-basedassessmentcanbeassessmentfor,asorof learning,asdescribedabove School-basedassessmentisstandards-based,which meansitisbasedontheevaluationofcourseaimsandobjectives Italsotakesinto accountthecomponentsofeachindividualIBcourse,whicharecommunicated clearlytostudentsattheoutsetofthecourse.Allschool-basedassessmentis designedtohelpstudentsunderstandwhattheassessmentexpectations,standards andpracticesareintheirIBcourses.
Internalassessment(IA)
isassessmentthatiscompletedduringthedurationofthecourse,withtheguidance andsupervisionofateacher.Theworkisthenmarkedbytheteacherandasampleis senttoanIBmoderator Thissampleischeckedagainstworldwidemarkingstandards andadjusted,ifrequired Internalassessmentsaresetaccordingtosubjectandeach subjecthasadifferentweightingattachedtoitsIA.Internalassessmentdatesare spreadoverthe2yearsofthecourses,accordingtotheinternaldeadlinescalendar. Theinternalassessmentscanmakeupbetween20%and50%ofasubject’soverall mark.AttheDepartment’sdiscretion,andwithadvancedwarning,studentsmaybe givenaschool-based-grade(1-7)fortheirexternalorinternalassessmentsthatcount asamajorassessment ThishasnoimpactonthefinalIBscoreawarded
Externalassessments
aresubmittedtobeexaminedexternally.Unlikeinternalassessments,external assessmentsarenotmarkedbytheteacher Instead,themarkisdeterminedsolelyby anexternalexaminer.ExamplesofexternalassessmentsincludetheExtendedEssay, LanguageAHLessays,theTOKessayandallexaminations Dependingonthesubject, upto80%ofagradeawardedcanbebasedonexternallymarkedexams(usually comprisedoftwoorthreeexampapers)attheendofthetwo-yearcourse.
Admissions& enrolmentprocedures
CourseSelection
IBcoursesarerigorous Theyaretaughtatthecollegelevelandcoverextensive bodiesofknowledge.BeforeenrollinginIBcoursesortheIBDiploma,studentsshouldinconsultationwiththeirfamilies,teachersandtheircounsellor,carefullyplantheir academicandextracurricularschedulestoaccommodatethedemandsoftheir coursework.
EnrollmentforISBstudents
Theenrollmentprocesstakesplacein10thgradewhenstudentsandtheirfamiliesare providedwithinformationaboutthedifferentpathwaysavailabletothem,aswellas anoverviewofallIBcoursesonoffer.Aspartofthisprocess,familiesattendaCourse Informationevening,whichgivesthem theopportunitytoaskquestionsaboutthe differentcoursesandreflectonwhatwouldbeappropriatefortheirchild.Students alsospeaktotheirindividualsubjectteacherswhohelpthemassesstheirstrengths andweaknesseswithaneyetowardstheselectionofDPcoursesthatwouldhelpthem meettheirfutureaspirations.
Aspartoftheenrollmentprocess,allgrade10studentsandparentshaveanindividual meetingwiththeirCollegeandCareersCounselor Duringthatmeeting,counselorswill beabletohelpfamiliesdecidewhichpathwaywillbethebestfortheirchild.Theywill gothroughtheoptionofcompletingtheUSHighSchoolDiplomarequirementsonly, completingtheIBDPorcompletingtheIBCoursesorotherexternalcredentials.The selectionprocessistypicallycompletedbyearlyMay Accesstoselectedcourseswill dependontheavailabilityofthecourses,contingentuponsufficientenrollmentor space FormoreinformationaboutadmissionsintotheIBProgramatISB,pleasesee theschool’sIBAdmissionsPolicy.
Enrollmentfortransferstudents
Studentswhoaretransferringfromanotherschoolwillenrollinthesamemanneras currentISBstudents,discussingthepathwaysavailabletothem,aswellastheir coursechoiceswithfamilyandtheircounsellors
ForstudentstransferringhalfwaythroughtheirIBDPprogram,everyeffortwillbemade toaccommodatetheircourses.Throughconsultationswiththeircounsellor, coordinatorandtheirteachers,aplanwillbedevelopedtoensurethattheyaddress anygapswhichmayhaveoccurredintheirtransfer.Theywillalsobeexpectedto supportthetransferofalldocumentationandpreviouslycompletedcourseworkfrom theirpreviousschool
Registrationandfees
Inordertotakeexternalexaminations,studentsmustberegisteredwiththeexternal bodythatawardsthecertification.ForIBcoursesorforanIBDiploma,studentsmust beregisteredontheIB’ssystemIBIS Studentregistrationtakesplaceattheendof Grade11.StudentswhochosenottotakeanIBexammaystillcompletetheIBcourse andreceiveISBcreditfortheirwork Inthiscase,theywillnotberegisteredonIBIS
Howregistrationworks
StudentsreceivealetterinJuneofgrade11askingthemtoconfirmtheirpersonal detailsandwhethertheyintendtotakeexamsinalloftheirIBclasses.Itisimportant forstudentstoverifytheirpersonaldetailsasthesewillappearontheirDiplomaor resultssummary.
Oncestudentsreturnthisletter,theyareregisteredonIBIS.Studentswillbeableto changetheirregistrationstatusuntilOctober15thoftheirsenioryear Theywillbe askedtoconfirmtheirchoicesbyOctober15th.
InNovemberoftheirsenioryear,registrationisfinalizedbytheIBandfamiliesare invoicedforIBexaminationfees(approximately85EURpercourse)aswellasISB examadministrationfees.AnychangestoregistrationstatusafterOctober15thmay incurlatefees.
TheIB&Post-SecondaryPlanning
RecognitionoftheIBDiplomabyuniversities
TheIBDiplomaandCoursesprovideexcellentpreparationforuniversityandlife beyond IBstudentsconsistentlydemonstratethecriticalthinkingandresearchskills neededtoexcelintheiruniversitystudiesandsomecollegesoruniversitiesmayoffer advancedcredittostudentswithstrongexaminationresults.
TheIBOpublishedandmaintainsinformationaboutuniversityrecognitionontheir publicwebsite:https://www.ibo.org/recognition
ProjectedandPredictedGrades
WhenastudenttakesIBcourses,teachersareaskedtoreportontheirforecasted progressthreetimesduringthetwo-yearcourse.Theseforecastsareinlinewiththe gradesthatstudentsmayreceiveontheirprogressreportsbutserveadifferent purpose.Thegradesonprogressreportswillreportthestudent’sachievementinthe reportingperiodinaparticularcourse Theprojectedorpredictedgrades,ontheother hand,willreporthowtheteacherbelievesthestudentwillperformattheendofthe two-yearcourse,basedontheevidencegatheredatthatpointintime.
ISBReportCard Grades(including ProgressReports)
Thesegrades representthe achievementlevel studentshave demonstrated duringthereporting period Theyare evidence-based andwillappearon astudent’s transcriptUsesa1-7 gradingscale acrossallsubjects
Thesegrades indicatetheresults thatteachers believeastudent couldachieveon theexternal credential Theyare realistically optimisticand evidence-based. Thesecondand thirdprojected gradesmaybe sharedwithpostsecondary institutions
Thesegrades indicatetheresults teacherspredicta studentwill achieve Theyare basedonevidence ofthestudent’s progress throughoutthe course Theyare sharedonlywith theIB.
Thesearegrades awardedby externalbodies (suchastheIBand CollegeBoardfor APs)onceall courseworkand examshavebeen completedand assessed
ProjectedgradesareawardedthreetimesduringastudentsIBcourse:inJuneof grade11,inOctoberofgrade12andinJanuaryofgrade12 Theprojectedgrades awardedinJunearedesignedtohelpfacilitateadiscussionwithteachersabouttheir progresstodateandareasforimprovement.TheprojectedgradesinOctoberand Januarycanbesharedwithuniversitiesaspartoftheuniversityapplicationprocess.
Attheendofthetwoyearcourse,inMarchofthesenioryear,studentsareawarded predictedgrades,whichreflectthegradetheteacherbelievesthestudentwillbe awardedforthecourse,basedonallavailableevidence.Thesepredictedgradesare notsharedwithuniversitiesand,undernormalcircumstances,donothaveanimpact onstudentachievement.
GuidelinesforIB StudentsatISB
Homework
Homeworkisgiveninallcourses Long-termassignmentswillrequirecarefulplanning ForstudentsinIBcourses,aninternalassessmentcalendarisproducedeachyearin ordertospreadoutmanyofthedifferentIBassessmenttasks.Theideaforthisisto helpyoumanageyourtimeeffectivelyandalsotoenableyouandyourteachersto checktheacademicintegrityofyourworkandassessit.
Allstudentsareexpectedtorespectthesedeadlines Arequestforanextensionshould onlybemadeinextremecircumstancessuchasaprolongedillness.Failuretomakea deadlinecannotonlyhavenegativeconsequencesforyou,butcanalsobeperceived asarequestforunfairtreatmentwhencomparedtoyourclassmates,andcouldwell preventteachersfrompreparingyourworkforsubmissiontotheIBontime.Youare thereforeexpectedtousethedeadlinecalendartocreateapersonalworkschedule thatdoesnotinvolveworkingonataskonlyinthelastfewdaysbeforeitisdue
Teachersarealsoresponsibleformonitoringtheprogressofyourwork,andfor providingformalandwrittenfeedbackononedraft.Becauseofthis,youarerequired tocreateallwrittenworkthatispartofyourIAoreCourseworkusingGoogledocsthat aresharedwithyourteachers
Thesubmissionofadraftontimeisavitalstepintheprocess.Teacherswillstorea copyofyourdraftbeforeprovidingyouwithfeedback.Thisdraftwillbeusedasthe finaldocumentintheunlikelyeventofyounotsubmittingafinalpieceofworkontime
Allyourcourseworkwillbecheckedforacademicintegrity Facultyarerequiredto declarethattheybelievethattheworksubmittedisyourown,andthismeansthat theyhavetobeconfidentthatcollusionwithothersorplagiarismhavenottaken placeandthatanyprimarydatapresentedbyyouisauthentic.Missingdeadlinescan beinterpretedasadeliberateattempttopreventteachersfromcarryingoutthisduty andmayresultinworknotbeingsubmitted
Itisthereforeyourresponsibilitytoensurethat:
Youdonotworkwithotherpeople,eitherinsideoroutofschool,whencompleting anassessmentunlessyouareexpresslyrequiredtoworkinagroup.
Youcorrectlyandcompletelyciteanyworkofothers(includingAItools)thatyou refertooruseinyourwork Thisincludesnumericaldataandimagesaswellas text.
Youdonotreceivenon-permittedassistanceinthecompletionoreditingofwork, suchasfromfriends,relatives,otherstudents,privatetutors,essaywritingorcopyeditingservices,prewrittenessaybanksorfilesharingwebsites
Youareabletoprovideevidenceofthecollectionofanyprimarydata
Bybeingfamiliarwithyourusualstyleofwriting,byfollowingtheprocessof developingyourdocumentsinGoogleandbyusinginternetchecksincludingTurnitin, yourteacherswillbeabletoverifytheauthenticityofyourwork
Stressmanagement
IBcoursesarerigorousanddemandthatstudentsworkconsistentlythroughthe durationofthecoursebutalsomaintainabalancedlifestyle.Carefullythoughtshould begiventostrategiesstudentscanusetomanagetheirstressduringmore demandingperiodsoftheprogram Thismayinclude:
Exercisingregularly
Maintainingregularsleepandeatinghabits
Recognizingearlywarningsignsofstressandtakingaction
Thinkingandplanningaheadtoachieveobjectives
Givingtreatsorrewardsforachievingshort-termgoals
Tryingtokeepthingsinproportion
Whenpressurebuilds,seekhelpfromcounsellors,teachers,coordinators
CommunicationwithIBstudents
AllimportantIBinformation,documentsanddeadlineswillbepostedontheschool’s IB@ISBPortal(https://sites.google.com/isb.be/ibnews/home)andintheIB SchoologyCourse
InclusiveLearning&Assessment
AtISB,inclusionisattheheartofourapproachtoourIBprogrammeandourmission toensurealllearnersarechallenged,includedandsuccessful Wearecommittedto supportingtheIB’sAccessandInclusionPolicybyensuringthatourIBlearnersare abletoreachtheirfullpotentialthroughacultureofcollaboration,mutualrespect, supportandproblem-solvinginvolvingthewholeschoolcommunity.
TheIBdefinesinclusionas“anongoingprocessthataimstoincreaseaccessand engagementinlearningforallstudentsbyidentifyingandremovingbarriers.” (LearningdiversityandinclusioninIBprogrammes,2016).Barriersaredefinedas “obstaclesthatmaypreventordisadvantageastudentfromparticipatingor effectivelyengagingintheirlearningandteachingandassessment”(Accessand InclusionPolicy,2022) InclusioninourIBprogrammeisbasedontheprinciplesand proceduresoutlinedinthisdocumentandtheIB’s“Accessandinclusionpolicy.” Inclusivepracticescantakemanyforms.Inteachingandlearning,thiscaninclude affirmingindividualidentitytobuildself-esteem,buildingonpriorknowledge, scaffoldinglearningandextendingthosestudentswhoarereadyandable(Learning DiversityandInclusioninIBProgrammes,2020) Thiscanalsoinvolveinclusive assessmentpractices,accordingtotheprovisionsmadebytheIB
Accessandinclusionarrangementsforlearning,teachingandassessmentforIB coursesareconsideredwhenalearnerisidentifiedasneedingsupportthroughthe StudentStudyTeamprocess ForIBcourses,thiswillinclude(butnotbelimitedto) instanceswhenalearnerfaceslong-termchallengesorachronicmedicalissue, illnessorconditionthatlastsformorethan12weeks.Supportforstudentsexperiencing adversecircumstancesduringtheassessmentprocessorexaminationperiodare treatedseparately.
TheschoolcanprovideinclusiveaccessarrangementsforstudentstakingIB examinationsthatalignwiththeirnormalwayofworkinginthehighschool.The purposeofthesearrangementsisnotonlytoensurethatallstudentshaveequal opportunitiesforsuccessandalsotohelpstudentsdeveloptheacademicand advocacyskillstheywillneedintheirpost-secondaryendeavors Therearetwotypes ofinclusiveaccessarrangements,thosewhichdonotrequireauthorizationfromtheIB andthosewhichdo.TheneedforthesearrangementsisdeterminedbytheLearning Supportdepartment,inconsultationwithparentsandteachers.
AccommodationsforassessmentwhichcanbemadewithoutIBauthorizationare arrangedbytheHeadofLearningSupportintheHSandtheIBDPCoordinator accordingtoastudent’sneeds.Theseincludebutarenotlimitedto:
Takingexaminationsinseparateroomstootherstudents
Providingspecialseatingarrangements(forexampleclosetothefronttoenable easierreadingoftheclock)
Providingacareassistantornurse
Providingmagnifyingaids,colouredoverlays,soundcancelingheadphonesor supportsforhearing
Providingaprompter
AccommodationsforassessmentwhichcanbemadewithIBauthorization,include:
Accesstomodifiedexaminationpapers,forexample Accesstoadditionaltime
Accesstosupportforwriting,forexampletheuseofawordprocessororascribe Accesstosupportforreading,suchastheuseofareaderorreadingsoftware
Otheraccommodations,suchasaccesstosignlanguage
Ifastudentisdeemedtorequireinclusiveassessmentarrangementswhichdorequire IBauthorization,anapplicationissenttotheIBforapprovalwiththeconsentofthe candidateandthecandidate’sfamily.Applicationsshouldbesubmittedasearlyas possibleandbeforeOctober15thofthestudent’ssenioryearinordertoqualifyfor inclusivearrangementsduringtheirMayexams.
AccessarrangementsmustnotonlyapplytostudentsduringsummativeIB assessments butalsobeavailablethroughoutthecourseofstudy(thisincludesallclassroomwork andformativeassessmentsthatarepartofeverydaylearningandteaching).
FormoreinformationaboutinclusionintheIBProgram,pleaseseetheIB’sAccessand InclusionPolicy
AcademicIntegrity
AcademicIntegrityintheIBProgram
“Academicintegrityisaguidingprincipleineducationandachoicetoactina responsiblewaywherebyotherscanhavetrustinusasindividuals Itisthefoundation forethicaldecisionmakingandbehaviourintheproductionoflegitimate,authentic andhonestscholarlywork.
ItisanexpectationthatallIBstudentsunderstand(sic) »theirresponsibilityforproducingauthenticandgenuineindividualandgroupwork »howtocorrectlyattributesources,acknowledgingtheworkandideasofothers »theresponsibleuseofinformationtechnologyandsocialmedia »howtoobserveandadheretoethicalandhonestpracticeduringexaminations.
TheIBdefinesstudentacademicmisconductasdeliberateorinadvertentbehaviour thathasthepotentialtoresultinthestudent,oranyoneelse,gaininganunfair advantageinoneormorecomponentsofassessment.
Behaviourthatmaydisadvantageanotherstudentisalsoregardedasacademic misconduct.ItalsoincludesanyactthatpotentiallythreatenstheintegrityofIB examinationsandassessmentsthathappenbefore,duringorafterthecompletionof theassessmentorexamination,paperbasedoron-screen”
Takenfrom“AcademicIntegrity”©InternationalBaccalaureateOrganization2019
FortheIB,thereareseveraltypesofacademicmisconduct:
Plagiarismiswhenacandidaterepresents,intentionallyorunwittingly,theideas, wordsorworkofanotherpersonwithoutclearandexplicitacknowledgment.Thisalso includestheuseoftranslatedmaterialsiftheyarenotindicatedandacknowledged.In ordertoavoidacademicmisconduct,studentsmustacknowledgetheworkofothers throughcorrectcitationpractices,bothinthebodyofthetextandinthebibliography, usingthereferencingstyleselected.
Collusioniswhenacandidatesupportsacademicmisconductbyanotherstudent,for exampleallowinghisorherworktobecopied.
MisconductduringanIBexaminationincludestakingunauthorizedmaterialintoan examinationroom,disruptivebehaviourandcommunicatingwithothersduringthe examination.
Communicationaboutthecontentofanexamination24hoursbeforeorafterthe examinationwithothersoutsidetheirschoolcommunityisconsideredabreachtoIB regulations.
Duplicationofworkiswhenastudentpresentsthesameworkfordifferent assessmentcomponentsand/orDiplomaProgrammerequirements
AstheIBcannotverifytheintentofastudentwhocommitsacademicmisconduct, intentisnevertakenintoaccountiftheIBinvestigatesanallegedbreachofthe DiplomaProgram’sGeneralRegulations.
Adaptedfrom“AcademicHonestyintheDiplomaProgramme”
Accurateandclearcitationisakeyelementtoacademicintegrity Studentsshould knowhowtoindicateandciteanymaterialthatisnottheirown Pleasenotethatthis alsoappliestoanymaterialproducedbyorwiththeassistanceofAItools. StudentsshouldbeawarethatanybreachofIBregulationswillresultinserious consequences,includingsuspensionandpossiblyevenexpulsionfromtheprogram.
“ TheIBdoesnotregardanyworkproduced evenonlyinpart bysuchtoolstobe theirown Therefore,aswithanyquoteormaterialfromanothersource,itmustbe clearthatanyAI-generatedtext,imageorgraphincludedinapieceofworkhasbeen copiedfromsuchsoftware.Thesoftwaremustbecreditedinthebodyofthetextand appropriatelyreferencedinthebibliography.Ifthisisnotdone,thestudentwouldbe misrepresentingcontent asitwasnotoriginallywrittenbythem whichisaformof academicmisconduct”
FromtheIB’s“Academicintegritypolicy”(updatedMarch2023)
tyandsanctionsforacademic ntegritysectionoftheHSStudentand ctbytheIBmaynolongerbeeligibleto maorcertificatemaybewithdrawnfrom nductisestablishedsubsequenttothe
deofConduct IBExaminations
ckandexternally-assessedexaminations rnedbystrictcodesofconducttomake theassessmenttakesplaceinafair, comfortableenvironment Allstudents tobecomefamiliarwiththe ionsforconductduringthe tions.
sbeforetheexamsarescheduledto examroom,theymustenterinaquiet
Oncetheyareintheexamroom,studentsmustnotcommunicatewithanyoneother thantheproctorsforthedurationoftheexam.Apartfromatransparentbottleof drinkingwater,nofoodordrinkcanbetakenintotheexaminationroomunlessthe candidatehasamedicalcondition.Theproctorwilltellcandidateswheretositand candidatescantakeonlythefollowingitemstotheirassigneddesk:
Pens,pencils,erasers,arule,pencilsharpener,highlighters,atransparentbottleof water
Acalculator(forexamswhichallowsitsuse)
AtranslatingdictionaryifapprovedbytheCoordinator(permittedforallexams exceptlanguageexams)
Nobagsormobilephonesarepermittedintheexamroom. Nocandidateisallowedtoborrowanythingfromanothercandidateduringan examination.
LateArrivals
Candidatesareallowedintotheexamroomduringthefirst60minutesafterthe beginningoftheexam.Afterthistime,theyarenolongerallowedintheexamroom. Candidateswhoarelatewithoutavalidreasonwillnotbegivenadditionaltimefor theirexamination
Endingtheexamination
Candidatesmustensurethattheycompletethecoverpagesforeachexamination beforetheyleavetheexamroom.Theymustgiveallexaminationpapers,answer sheetsandroughnotestotheproctorattheendoftheexam
Academicmisconductduringexaminations
Allworkcompletedduringanexaminationandsubmittedforassessmentmustbethe authenticworkofthecandidate Anycollusion,plagiarism,referencetounauthorized materialorcommunicationbetweencandidatesmayconstitutemisconduct
Anyattempttogaininformationaboutthecontentsofanexamination,ordiscussan examinationwithapersonorpersonoutsideoftheschoolwithinthefirst24hours afterithastakenplace,alsoconstitutesabreachofIBregulations
AnybreachesofIBregulationsorinstancesofacademicmisconductwillbereported totheIB.
Dedicatedsessionswillbeheldtofamiliarizeallstudentswiththerulesand regulationspertainingtotheexamsbeforethemockexamstakeplace.
CAS–Creativity,Activity,andService CASisarequirementforalldiplomacandidates, tobecompletedbetweenthesummerafterthesophomoreyearandthelast semesterofthesenioryear.TheIBrecommendsabalanceofhoursineach component.Sports,theater,musicalproductions,andvolunteercommunityservice areafewoftheoptionsavailable.
DP–DiplomaProgram Thetwo-yearIBprogrambeginningin11thgrade
EA–ExternalAssessment.ThisincludesimportantexamswhicharetakeninMayofthe secondyearbyallIBstudents.TheyaresentouttoqualifiedIBexaminerstobe markedusingIBrubrics
EE–ExtendedEssay.The4,000wordresearchpaperstudentswriteduringtheirtimein theprogram.Studentschoosetheirowntopicandaresupervisedduringtheprocess byafacultymemberwhoservesastheirmentor.
HL–HigherLevel Theseareclassesthatmeetfor240hoursoverthecourseoftwo years DiplomaprogramstudentsenrolinthreeHLclasses
IA–InternalAssessment.Oralexams,projects,essays,experiments,andcasestudies aresomeexamplesofworkthatmightbeassignedandgradedinternallybyteachers. SamplesoftheseassignmentsaresentouttobemoderatedbytheIBtoensurethat teachersarefollowingIBexpectations
IBOorIB–InternationalBaccalaureateOrganization.TheIBheadquartersislocatedin Geneva,Switzerland,wheretheorganizationwasfoundedin1968.
SL–StandardLevel Classesthatmeetfor150hoursoverthecourseoftwoyears DiplomaprogramstudentsenrolinthreeSLclasses.
TOK–TheoryofKnowledge.ArequiredcourseattheheartoftheDiplomaProgram. Thethemesandexperiencesfromthisclassarewoventhroughoutthecurriculum Studentsreflectcriticallyondiversewaysofknowingandareasofknowledge
