The International School of Beaverton is an option school that serves grades 6-12 in the Beaverton School District. It is the only school in the district to be a full IB school, where all students take IB courses and complete additional work for the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme, including the personal project and the extended essay. In 2012, U.S. News and World Report ranked the school as the best public high school in the state, and 20th in the nation. The current principal is Jill O'Neill and the assistant principal is Scott Carey Gladney.
Academics
The school offers various courses in the areas of English, math, science, and social studies, as well as electives such as band, art, and choir. ISB also offers language courses, including Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin. Students in sixth grade are placed in regular classes, but they have the option to choose whether to take the Bandelective for the whole year, or to take Choir and Art each for a semester. Students may also try out two of the three language courses offered at ISB for a semester each, and they may choose which they wish to take for the rest of their time at ISB. Native Speakers of a language or those with prior experience may enroll in a language course one level maximum higher than their peers, however, it is recommended that students take a course in a language they do not speak. Students may also take Spanish and Japanese AB in 11th and 12th grade. In 6th grade, students are either placed in math 6/7, or math 6/7/8. In math 6/7/8, if students achieve a grade of at least a 6 in criterion A, and 5in criterion B-D, they make take AGS 1-3 in 7-9th grade, precalculus in 10th grade, and IB Math HL in 11th and 12th grade. Students in math 6/7 will then take math 7/8, and should they receive a score of at least 5in criterion A and 4 in Criterion B-D, they will take AGS 1-3 in 8-10th grade and take IB Math SL in 11th and 12th grade. Should they not receive a satisfactory score, they will take Math 8 in 8th grade, and take AGS 1-2 in 9 and 10th grade, and take IB Math studies for 11th and 12th grade. When asked, many students said the reason they decided to apply for ISB was because they wanted to take a language other than Spanish, participate in the IB art program, receive an IB diploma, and reach their highest potential in math. They said that the pros of the school are the small school setting and the academic rigor and as cons pointed out the lack of electives, sports and other activities. Some fun aspects of ISB are its fun, multi-cultural passing time music and first lunch is at 9:45 AM on Wednesdays. Many students call it “brunch”.
International Baccalaureate programs at ISB
At ISB, all students are full IB students, unless changes must be made to support graduation. For 6-10th grade, all students take the middle years programme, where all students are enrolled in MYP courses and all students must do the personal project in 10th grade. Following successful completion of the personal project, completion of the required community service hours, and satisfactory scores in all subjects, students will be awarded the MYP certificate. In 11th and 12th grade, all students take the diploma programme, and all students are required to take English A HL, Biology HL, and History HL. Also, all students are required to write the extended essay, take a theory of knowledge class, and fulfill creativity, activity, servicerequirements. If a students completes those, and receives a satisfactory score on all courses and exams, they will be awarded the IB Diploma. Around 70% of students at ISB who try for the diploma are successful.
