AISL is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in the United States and, as such, is authorized to award an American High School Diploma. This is equivalent to a high school diploma from the U.S.A. All students taking the International Baccalaureate Diploma or Course Certificates are also aiming to be awarded a high school diploma.
In addition to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme qualifications, AISL offers a discrete graduation pathway, which is referred to as the High School Diploma Program. The purposes of the Program are to provide opportunities for students who may not be taking the full International Baccalaureate Diploma to attain a recognized qualification, continue to challenge and motivate them to learn, pursue their interest, and to set them up for success in the next phase of their lives.
The High School (HS) Diploma enables successful graduates to apply to a wide variety of post-secondary institutions including all U.S. colleges and universities and many international further and higher education programs. Individual goals and pathways should be discussed with the AISL college counselor, Ms Julie Baldry.
The students taking the HS Diploma Program work closely with the program’s coordinator, Ms. Julie Baldry. A student entering the program will meet with Ms. Baldry, along with their parent/guardian to determine the best course of study ensuring that studies will challenge and motivate while best preparing the student for their future aspirations.
Profile of a High School Diploma Student
The HS Diploma Program allows a certain amount of flexibility by providing a program in the final years of secondary education that meets the individual needs of the student and their post-secondary plans. As far as possible, AISL will adapt the program according to the needs of its diverse and transient student body.
There are a variety of reasons why a student may choose the HS Diploma Program over the full IB DP or DP ‘Courses’:
Students may choose to take one or more IB DP courses, but not the full program. These students follow all IB requirements and sit the exams for specific courses only. Each course completed successfully will appear on the student’s IB Diploma Courses Results Transcript issued by the IB following the grading of exams. The students that choose this option, fill the remainder of their schedule with the AISL course requirements for graduation credits. Assuming a student meets graduation requirements, these students will receive an American High School Diploma issued by AISL, as well as the IB course(s) certificate(s), at the completion of the Grade 12 year.
Students may not need to complete the full IB DP for their post-secondary plans and may therefore choose a personalized education plan to set themselves up for future success. AISL serves a student body with a wide variety of interests. Not all of its students seek to immediately pursue a tertiary education. An individualized program can allow students to earn credits that can be used to apply directly to universities, or lead to a vocational pathway. The High School Diploma Program allows the school to individually tailor the educational experience, to a degree, to help these students prepare for the next stage in their life.
Students joining AISL after 1 Sept of the Grade 11 year. Students who come to AISL after Sept 1st of the junior year, or in the final year of high school, are unable to pursue IB DP courses due to these being two-year courses. The school will individualize the educational program for these students according to their past credits from their previous school as well as the student’s future plans. Students transferring from other schools will be awarded credits after their previous school record has been validated. Students transferring in G 11 or 12 from an IB DP school may be able to continue IB DP studies at the discretion of the IB DP Coordinator and teachers.
Students may have difficulty accessing the curriculum of the IB DP. For a myriad of reasons, some students can have difficulty completing the IB DP courses. If the school, in agreement with parents and the student, feel that this is the case, the student may be enrolled in the High School Diploma Program as an alternative pathway to graduation.
Graduation Requirements
In order to earn a U.S. High School Diploma at AISL, students need (pass with a final grade of 3 or higher) a minimum of twenty-four High School Credits (one semester subject earns 0.5 credits; a year long subject earns 1.0 credit) within the following subject areas. We recommend where possible that you follow the “recommended” pathway to access the DP and to keep more college & university options open.
One credit is awarded for year-long courses based on the final cumulative grade (June). For semester long courses, .5 credit will be awarded at the end of the semester. In order to receive the High School Diploma students must also meet the Service Learning expectations, including documenting and reflection on the required outcomes within Toddle. Students must also complete their CAS requirements as outlined below.
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)
Its holistic approach, creativity, activity, service (CAS) is designed to strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning from the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity and service defined as follows.
Creativity—exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance.
Activity—physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle.
Service—collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need.
CAS aims to develop students who:
enjoy and find significance in a range of CAS experiences
purposefully reflect upon their experiences
identify goals, develop strategies and determine further actions for personal growth
explore new possibilities, embrace new challenges and adapt to new roles
actively participate in planned, sustained and collaborative CAS projects
understand they are members of local and global communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment.
A CAS experience is a specific event in which the student engages with one or more of the three CAS strands. It can be a single event or an extended series of events. A CAS project is a collaborative series of sequential CAS experiences lasting at least one month. Typically, a student’s CAS programme combines planned/unplanned singular and ongoing experiences. All are valuable and may lead to personal development. However, a meaningful CAS programme must be more than just a series of unplanned/singular experiences. Students must be involved in at least one CAS project during the programme.
Students within the HS Diploma Program will be assessed in the same manner of their peers in their classes. Exceptions are only made when IB DP students’ work is moderated or externally assessed by the IB. All HS Diploma student work will be assessed by AISL teachers using the IB rubrics and criteria.
All students participate in two forms of assessment in all AISL courses: formative and summative. Formative assessment is used as a way of determining how a student is progressing in the course and how well they are meeting the assessment aims of the course. Formative assessments are chosen or created by teachers to measure a student’s progress and determine areas of strengths, areas of improvement, and areas that require the teacher to repeat instruction. These assessments occur throughout a unit of study and require varying degree of time and effort commitments by the students. Examples of formative assessments may be homework, projects, written papers, reflections, etc.
Summative assessments are formal measures of a student’s progress and inform the student’s final scores for the course. Summative assessments are completed at critical times of coursework, including the end of the two-year HS Diploma program, and require a significant time and effort commitment.
Two types of summative assessments are set by the IB Diploma Program and utilized to assess a student’s final score. The first is an internal assessment (IA). IAs are done while students are in the midst of their coursework. Students receive feedback from their teachers on the IA, but do not receive a score for it until the final report. These may include large projects, extensive studies, or oral examinations. For externally moderated assessments, such as internal assessments (IAs), teachers may choose to modify the requirements or waive the assessment altogether for HS Diploma students. The teacher’s choice to modify or waive an IA will be based upon whether the teacher feels that they have a sufficient amount of accurate data to assign a cumulative course grade and by considering the benefit of acquiring skills and knowledge that are gained from completing the assessment.
The second are final assessments, or external assessments for IB DP students. These assessments are not created by AISL teachers. The final assessments are cumulative examinations (except for the Arts) covering all of the material that students have learned and worked with during the two-year program. Examinations for HS Diploma students may include past IB DP papers. Modifications are made for students that join the program after the beginning of the Grade 11 year to reflect the material that they have covered. HS Diploma students are not permitted to sit the final assessments in the same examination room as IB DP students. HS Diploma students will sit the exams with their teachers in the teacher’s classroom. The exam period generally takes up the first three weeks of the month of May in the students’ senior year.
Students in the High School Diploma Program will, as a minimum, participate in the core courses of: Language & Literature, Mathematics, Science, Individuals & Societies, and Arts. AISL views these courses, at the Standard Level (SL), as the equivalent of American high school courses in content and assessment. Therefore, all students will participate in the IB DP SL courses as their core courses. Teachers will accommodate and/or modify the curriculum accordingly for students with diagnosed special educational needs. Some High School Diploma students may choose to take higher level (HL) courses in place of the SL designation. This must be agreed upon by the student, parents, course teacher, and High School Diploma Program Coordinator. For more information about the difference between SL and HL courses, according to the IB requirements, please see the High School Diploma Coordinator.
Within each subject area, students will have options of courses they can choose from. Having extensive knowledge about the courses and understanding the student’s abilities and future plans, the High School Diploma coordinator may provide a strong suggestion on which of these offerings would prove the most successful for the student. All courses are made in agreement with the student, parents, and coordinator.
Students can access IB Diploma courses, they are outlined in the DP section of this handbook. The IB provides extensive guides for each course. The information below was taken directly from these guides. Students and parents are permitted access to the individual guides which will provide a great deal of information. The sections below are to provide students and parents with a general understanding of the course content and how students are assessed in these courses. The medium of instruction is English.
HS English
HS Mathematics
Elective Choice Offerings
The following section gives a brief overview of the eligible elective choices. If a student is interested in any of these choices, more detailed information will be provided by the program coordinator.
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
TOK is a course for all students in grades 11 and 12. Theory of knowledge (TOK) is a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than about learning a specific body of knowledge. It plays a special role in the DP by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, to make connections between areas of knowledge and to become aware of their own perspectives and those of the various groups whose knowledge they share. It is a core element undertaken by all students. The overall aim of TOK is to encourage students to formulate answers to the question, “How do you know?” in a variety of contexts and to see the value of that question. This allows students to develop an enduring fascination with the richness of knowledge.
The aims of the TOK course are to:
make connections between a critical approach to the construction of knowledge, the academic disciplines and the wider world
develop an awareness of how individuals and communities construct knowledge and how this is critically examined
develop an interest in the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives and an awareness of personal and ideological assumptions
critically reflect on their own beliefs and assumptions, leading to more thoughtful, responsible and purposeful lives
understand that knowledge brings responsibility which leads to commitment and action.
AISL Internship Program
AISL provides a unique opportunity for its High School Diploma Program through the student internship program. AISL has partnered with local businesses and organizations to allow students to gain work experience and the opportunity to reflect upon what they have learned. Some internships also take place at school. The internship provides students with a view into the working world and the skill set that it takes to be successful. The offerings for internships vary from year to year. Students interested in participating will work with the High School Diploma Program coordinator, alongside parents, to decide upon the best option considering the students’ strengths and future plans. Students participating in the program attend the internship once or twice a week during one of their free blocks. All participants taking the internship must keep a reflection journal with an entry after each visit as well as complete a culminating project.
Expectation for Interns
Punctuality – Student arrives to internship at designated time, if they are going to be absent the student’s Internship Coordinator and Site Manager must be notified. All students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the internship.
Cooperation – Student supports the worksite by assisting others when asked, contributing to group work, and staying focused and on task.
Positive Attitude – Student demonstrates a willingness to learn and respect themselves, others and resources. Student displays cultural sensitivity and demonstrates an understanding of internationalism.
Quality Work – Student works on given assignments and meets or exceeds the expectation of the Site Manager. Student challenges their self and submits in-depth, high quality written reflections. Student identifies linkages between internship experience and school academics.
Student arrives at internship with all necessary materials that are appropriate for the environment as specified in advance by the Site Manager. This may include (but is not limited to) proper clothing and safety gear, working cell phone, pens, pencils, paper, notebook, laptop, reusable water bottle, etc.
Meets Deadlines – Student completes work assignments on or before deadline. Student informs Site Manager if they will not meet the deadline.
Reflection - Student will keep a journal with dated entries that explain what was done that day, problems that were encountered and positives of the day and feelings that occurred. Student identifies linkages between internship experience and school academics.
Behavioral Rules - Student will follow school behavioral rules while on internship. Students conduct themselves appropriately and ethically in their choices and behaviors. School rules and local laws must be followed during internship and failing to do so may result in the internship being canceled for the students and/or the internship location and/or school-based disciplinary action in line with the school’s policies.
Site Feedback - Site Manager Feedback - Student will collect feedback form from Site Manager at the end of each week, schedule a time to meet with the internship coordinator and place in journal
Goals - Student will create 2-3 SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound) and identify objectives to attain the goals/
Identified Need - Collaborating with the Site Manager, student identifies a need or concern that they will work towards addressing while at the internship. This will include researching pros and cons and presenting a possible solution. If the Site Manager decides to implement the suggestion the student may be involved in the implementation and then must evaluate the effectiveness and make correction recommendations.
Self-Assessment - Student will twice evaluate, using a rubric, their progress towards their identified goals of the internship.
Summative Assessment
The student will create a presentation at the end of the internship that provides a summary of the experience and includes learning outcomes, an analysis of positive and negative occurrences, and how the internship contributes to their next life stage.
Scoring of the summative presentations is as follows:
3
1-2
Focus
The student selects an appropriate topic that directly relates to their internship
The student selects a topic that pertains to the internship but lacks specific focus
The student selects a topic that does not relate to the internship
Method
The student reviews at least (adequate) sources and identifies bias and validity from the resources
The student reviews less than (# of adequate) sources and/or does not identify bias and validity from the resources
The student is only able to synthesize information
Knowledge
The student presents information indicating knowledge of the issue that includes different perspectives
The student presents information indicating knowledge but does not include different perspectives
The student presents information indicating a partial knowledge of the issue and/or perspectives
Critical Thinking
The student presents evidence that shows the reason for the project, a solution, possible problems and possible outcomes
The student presents evidence that omits one of the areas described in the 3 level
The student presents evidence that omits two or more of the areas described in the 3 level
Communication
The student presents information in a manner so as the reader/ listener/viewer clearly understands the project, process and outcome
The student presents information that leaves the reader/ listener/viewer with lack of clarity for either the project, process or outcome
The reader/ listener/viewer does not understand the project, process and/or the outcome
Engagement
The student attends all internship project meetings or informs the coordinator prior to the meeting of an excused absence and meets all deadlines
The student missed a meeting and did not inform the coordinator prior to the meeting of an absence and/or missed one deadline
The student missed more than one meeting and did not inform the coordinator prior to the meeting of an absence and/or missed more than one deadline
Reflection
The student identifies and describes 3 strengths displayed during the project and 3 areas that could be improved and explaining how
The student identifies and describes 2 strengths displayed during the project and 2 areas that could be improved and explaining how
The student identifies and describes 1 strength displayed during the project and 1 area that could be improved and how
Total Points
/21 PASSING - 16pts
Applying for the Internship Program
Student contacts the High School Diploma Program coordinator about involvement in internship.
Student checks with counselor confirming eligibility.
Student proposes an internship site.
Student completes liability waiver and submits to High School Diploma Program coordinator.
Students gets Principal approval.
Physical Wellness
As an elective choice, students may utilize one of their free periods for physical wellness. AISL understands that one’s physical well being, including regular exercise, is beneficial to the individual in many facets including physical health, emotional well being, better sleep, positive self-image, etc. Therefore, the school offers, when available, the option to explore a personal health program as an elective choice.
Students that wish to pursue this option may choose to join a grade 10 PHE class if it is available during one of the HS Diploma student’s free blocks. Any student that joins a PHE section of underclassmen must:
Have a positive attitude and be a positive contributor to the class. The teacher holds the right to discontinue the option if students are a detriment to the class.
Complete all course work as the other grade 10 class participants.
Students whose free blocks to not align with a grade 10 PHE class may still have the option to pursue physical wellness as an elective choice. These students must:
Present a plan for physical wellness to the High School Diploma Program coordinator. The student cannot present a plan that is an extension of an after school activity. AISL believes it is important for students to expand their horizons and explore other self-improvement pursuits.
If approved by the coordinator, the student must meet with the PHE and athletics department to determine a supervision schedule and the resources the student needs. All students must understand that if it is not possible for the staff to provide supervision of some types of physical wellness interests, such as weight lifting or swimming, the elective choice may not be possible.
If supervision is possible, students must find a wellness mentor. This mentor helps the student set quarterly goals, reflect weekly in a journal about their progress and how they feel, and reevaluate and rewrite goals at the end of the quarter.
Students will be assessed and receive credit upon a pass/fail basis. In order to pass, students must complete the following in a digital journal:
Set quarterly wellness goals
Create a wellness plan, with the help of an approved mentor, for how he/she will accomplish these goals.
Write a weekly reflection based upon progressing towards the goals and additional thoughts about how their personal wellness is being affected by the program.
Evaluating and rewriting goals at the beginning of each quarter and creating a corresponding wellness plan.
Submit to the HS Diploma Coordinator after June 1 of grade 11 and/or May 1 of grade 12.
Online Electives
Being a small school, AISL has limited course offerings. These offerings are dictated by the IB’s Middle Years Program (MYP) and DP, as well as staffing and scheduling constraints. However, High School Diploma students have the liberty to pursue electives through online courses. Students may only select this option if the course is not provided by AISL or there is a scheduling conflict that does not permit students to take the course at the time it is offered. Online courses are an opportunity for students to explore subjects that they are genuinely interested in. A limited number of courses are available through Pamoja Education allowing students to receive IB DP course credit. Other frequently used high school equivalency courses are provided through k12online and the University of Nebraska high school courses program.
Students that choose this option:
Are responsible for finding the course that they are interested in taking
Must receive approval from the High School Diploma Program coordinator
Are responsible for the course cost
Will be signed up through the school by the coordinator
Must meet frequently with the coordinator to ensure course is being completed in a timely fashion.
Extended Essay (EE)
The extended essay (EE) is an externally assessed piece of independent research into a topic chosen by the student and presented as a formal piece of academic writing that is compulsory for full IB DP students. The extended essay is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity while engaging students in personal research. This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing of up to 4,000 words in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned, coherent and appropriate manner. Students are guided through the process of research and writing by an assigned supervisor (a teacher in the school). All students undertake three mandatory reflection sessions with their supervisor, including a short interview, or viva voce, following the completion of the extended essay.
The aims of the extended essay are to provide students with the opportunity to:
engage in independent research with intellectual initiative and rigour
develop research, thinking, self-management and communication skills
reflect on what has been learned
Students in the High School Diploma Program may opt to do the EE. Choosing to do so would allow them to gain experience in writing a detailed research paper, a critical skill for university. Students who choose to follow the full EE component may have their essay externally assessed by the IB and receive formal credit from the IB on the completion of the EE. Other students may choose to do a lighter version of the EE (smaller word count) to gain experience in research writing and have the final product assessed by a AISL teacher. Students that are interested in either of these options must notify the program coordinator. Please note that the choice to complete the EE and have it assessed by the IB does have time limitations.
In February of Grade 12, all students will sit Mock Exams. These exams serve multiple purposes. They serve as a standard summative assessment given by teachers that contribute to the overall achievement score. The exams also provide valuable feedback to teachers regarding strengths and areas for improvement among the students to determine how to structure the final months of the school year prior to exams. Finally, it simulates the final exam experience in May.
HS DP students will take mock exams in all of their required courses with the exception of CAS. Students that take Language Acquisition as an elective will also be required to sit for a mock exam.
The mock exam provided by a teacher may be cumulative covering the course content from the prior year and a half or may concentrate on specific content depending on what the instructor feels is most beneficial to the students. The students will be given sufficient prior notice of the exams content allowing them to properly prepare.
Students that will not take May exams that are externally moderated by the IB, are not allowed to take their exams in the same location as the students who are taking IB specific exams and will be given an alternative location to complete these.
All Grade 12 students are required to take final exams in May unless the student has a learning accommodation program. Students without a learning accommodation, and who are are not taking IB moderated exams, will be provided cumulative exams created by their teachers using past IB exam papers. Students will be given sufficient prior notice of the exams’ content in order to properly prepare for the exams.
HS DP students will take final exams in all of their required courses with the exception of CAS. Students that take Language Acquisition as an elective will also be required to sit for a final exam. All students will sit the same exam schedule provided by the IB. However, HS DP students will take the exams in the classroom of the teacher of that course.
The final examination will be considered a summative assessment and will contribute to a student’s final achievement score to be recorded on the official AISL transcript.
High School Diploma students are graded using the criteria stipulated by the IB in each individual subject. For IB assessments, students are marked using IB rubrics, and their rubric score is converted into a grade from 7-1. Their AISL semester grades and IB course grades, both of which are also on a 7-1 scale, are informed by performance on their assignments. General descriptors of each grade appear below, but each course has subject-specific criteria and descriptors in addition to this general narrative. A passing grade is 3 and above.
7
Consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a wide variety of situations. The student consistently demonstrates originality, insight, and analytical thinking. The student produces work of high quality.
6
Consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of situations. The student consistently demonstrates originality, insight, and analytical thinking.
5
Thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a variety of situations. The student occasionally demonstrates originality, insight and analytical thinking.
4
General understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them effectively in normal situations. There is occasional evidence of analytical thinking.
3
Limited achievement against most of the objectives, or clear difficulties in some areas. The student demonstrates a limited understanding of the required knowledge and skills and is only able to apply them fully in normal situations with support.
2
Very limited achievement in terms of the objectives. The student has difficulty in understanding the required knowledge and skills and is unable to apply them fully to normal situations, even with support.
1
Minimal achievement in terms of objectives.
N/A
Not Yet Assessed.
The Internship and Physical Wellness programs are graded on a Pass/Fail basis according to the criteria described in the previous section of this handbook.
There are rare occasions when the 7-1 and Pass/Fail grading scales are required to be converted to a 4.00 or
A - F scale by USA colleges or universities. When evidence is presented to the College Counselor/High School Diploma Coordinator that an application will not be considered without a conversion, the following school-approved conversion scale, presented below, will be used. Conversion of grades will only be made on a student’s Official High School Transcript and submitted as an official document in the unusual case of a university or college requesting a conversion.
Internship and Physical Wellness:
Pass = D = 1.00
Fail = F = 0.00
IB DP Courses
7 = A+= 4.33
6 = A = 4.00
5 = B+ = 3.67
4 = B = 3.33
3 = C = 3.00
2 = D = 2.00
1 = F = 0.00
IB DP Courses at HL (Higher Level) and ToK grades are weighted by 0.33 on a 4.00 scale, or ascribed the higher grade boundary on the IB DP Courses scale (e.g., B ascribed as B+).