About Our High School
IB DP
The Diploma Programme (DP) is a rigorous pre-university course of study designed for students in the 16-19 age range. It is a broad-based two-year course that aims to encourage students to be knowledgeable and inquiring, but also caring and compassionate. There is a strong emphasis on encouraging students to develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and the attitudes necessary for them to respect and evaluate a range of points of view.
We aim to provide access to the IB Diploma Programme to all students who show outstanding determination and motivation, and who have highly developed personal organisation and time-management skills. To that effect, we provide support for students whose first language is not English, and we frequently give students a chance to prove themselves if we believe they have the potential to succeed. This differentiated support has meant that over 95% of our students on the programme are awarded the IB Diploma, and our more able students continue to achieve top scores.
The curriculum is made up of the Diploma core and six subject groups. The DP core aims to broaden students ‘educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills. For the subject groups, students choose a minimum of three or a maximum of four subjects at higher level, and the remaining at standard level. In ISS International School, the students choose subjects from the following subject groups:
- Language and Literature – English A Language and Literature, Mother Tongue Language A Literature
- Language Acquisition – English B, Chinese B
- Individuals and Societies – Business Management, Psychology
- Sciences – Physics, Chemistry, Biology
- Mathematics – Analysis and Approaches, Applications and Interpretation
- Arts – Visual Arts, Music
In addition to six academic subjects, students must complete a course in Theory of Knowledge (a critical thinking skills course), write an Extended Essay (an independent research-based assignment up to 4000 words), and participate in the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) programme. These areas must be completed satisfactorily as part of the award requirements for the IB Diploma.
ISS places a strong emphasis on the IB Diploma Core components, as it is where students learn most about themselves and where many transferable skills are developed. Our CAS programme is particularly strong and we offer a wide range of after school activities and community service projects, together with unique service-oriented overnight trips, in order to give students abundant opportunities to fully participate in the spirit of CAS.
Students who do not require or who are not suited to the IB Diploma Programme will follow the IB Diploma Course Programme (DC). They will study six IB Diploma courses at either Higher or Standard Level, but do not have to choose a minimum of three courses at Higher Level. The requirements for each chosen subject are the same as those for IB Diploma students and every student sits for the same externally set examinations at the end of the two-year course. In addition, they complete two of the three IB Core components (Theory of Knowledge and CAS programme). Satisfactory completion of both components forms part of the requirements for successful graduation from ISS International School.
Academic integrity in the Diploma Programme is a set of values and behaviours informed by the attributes of the learner profile. In teaching, learning and assessment, academic integrity serves to promote personal integrity, engender respect for the integrity of others and their work, and ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they acquire during their studies.
All coursework – including work submitted for assessment — is to be authentic, based on the student’s individual and original ideas with the ideas and work of others fully acknowledged. Assessment tasks that require teachers to provide guidance to students or that require students to work collaboratively must be completed in full compliance with the detailed guidelines provided by the IB for the relevant subjects.
The Programme uses a variety of assessment methods to evaluate the content and the process of academic achievement and to take into account different learning styles and cultural patterns. Conventional external examination techniques are chosen from a range of options: oral and written, long and short responses, data-based questions, essays, and multiple choice questions. These are complemented by internal assessment of course work by the teachers responsible for evaluating students over the two-year period. With classroom teachers and international examiners working in partnership, students have ample opportunity to demonstrate what they know and are able to communicate.
Each examined subject in Groups 1 to 6 is graded on a scale of 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum). Both Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay are graded on a scale from E (fail) to A (maximum).
The award of the IB Diploma requires:
- The students to meet defined standards and conditions including a minimum total of 24 points and the satisfactory completion of the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge course (TOK) and CAS (creativity, activity, service) activities.
- The students to gain a minimum of 12 points on Higher Level subjects. (For students who register for four Higher Level subjects, the three highest grades count.)
- The students to gain a minimum of 9 points on Standard Level subjects. (Students who register for two Standard Level subjects must gain at least 5 points at Standard Level.)
The maximum score of 45 points includes three bonus points for the combined maximum grades achieved in the Extended Essay and TOK.
IB graduates gain admission to a wide range of selective colleges and universities throughout the world. In North America, students with strong IB examination results may also receive advanced standing or course credit, depending upon the policy of the institution they are attending. In addition, formal agreements exist between the IB and many ministries of education. Information on the recognition of the IB Diploma Programme by universities and ministries throughout the world is available at www.ibo.org/recognition or from the school’s University Advisor.
