IB and AP Programs, Exams & Grade Projections/Predictions

External Examination Boards

At JIS we are lucky to be able to offer both the Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate Programs. We regard both programs as distinct but equally valuable. Thus the choice of which pathway to pursue is entirely dependent on which matches best the profile of the individual student.

NOTE: Our AP and IB website is here and contains a lot more information.

Advanced Placement (AP)

The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program provides rigorous university-level curriculum and assessment for courses in the final two years of high school.

AP Courses may be taken individually or as part of the AP Capstone Diploma Program. The AP is widely recognized and highly respected by hundreds of colleges and universities in the US and more than fifty countries outside the US. Students who complete the AP Capstone Program or courses may be granted credit or allowed to take more advanced courses in many colleges and universities.

To earn an AP Capstone Diploma, a student must take and pass AP Seminar, AP Research, and four additional AP courses of their choosing. Students who take and pass only AP Seminar and AP Research, but not four additional AP Courses will earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

JIS offers the following AP courses in each discipline (subject to sufficient enrollment). 

AP Course offerings 

AP Capstone

• Seminar

• Research 

English

• Language and Composition

• Literature and Composition

Social Studies

• European History

• Modern World History

• United States History

• Human Geography

• Macroeconomics

• Microeconomics

• Psychology

• Comparative Government and Politics

• US Government and Politics

Science

• Chemistry

• Computer Science

• Computer Science Principles

• Environmental Science

• Physics 1

• Physics 2

• Physics C: Mechanics

• Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

Mathematics

• Calculus AB

• Calculus BC

• Precalculus

• Statistics

Creative Arts

• Studio Art: 2D, 3D, and Drawing (separate courses, scheduled together)

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) provides rigorous university-level curriculum and assessment for courses in the final two years of high school. IB Courses may be taken individually or as part of the IB Diploma Program (DP). The IB is widely recognized by colleges and universities and highly respected worldwide. Students who complete the IB Diploma Program or Courses may be granted credit or allowed to take more advanced courses in many colleges and universities.

To earn an IB Diploma, in contrast to taking individual Courses, a student must successfully complete the Core of the DP as well as the required distribution of Courses. The three elements of the Core are: (1) the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, (2) Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), and (3) the Extended Essay (EE). The Course distribution requires one course each in the following Groups: studies in language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, science, math, and one additional course which may be in the arts or an second course in one of the aforementioned groups. Three of these courses must be taken at the Higher Level (HL) and three at the Standard Level (SL).

 JIS offers the following IB Courses in each Group (subject to sufficient enrollment). Courses are offered at both the HL and SL levels unless otherwise noted.

IB Course Offerings

Core - Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

Group 1 - Studies in Language and Literature (Language A)

• English Literature

• English Language and Literature

• Indonesian Language and Literature

• Japanese Language and Literature

• Korean Language and Literature 

• School-supported self-taught Language A Literature (“Mother Tongue”) (SL) in any IB recognized language

Group 2 - Language Acquisition (Language B)

• English (HL)

• French

• Indonesian (including ab initio, for students with little or no experience in the language)

• Mandarin (including ab initio, for students with little or no experience in the language)

• Japanese

• Spanish (including ab initio, for students with little or no experience in the language)

Group 3 - Individuals and Societies

• Business Management

• Economics

• Geography

• Global Politics

• History

• Psychology

• Environmental Systems and Societies

Group 4 - Sciences

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Environmental Systems and Societies

• Physics

• Computer Science

• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 

Group 5 - Mathematics

• Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches 

• Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation 

Group 6 - The Arts 

• Dance

• Film

• Theatre

• Visual Arts

* Environmental Systems and Societies is a trans-disciplinary course, which can be taken as either a Group 3 or Group 4 or both.

Guidance for students wishing to take Ab Initio courses 

For students who are true beginners in the language, with little to no prior experience. Students who have completed only one year of formal study (Level 1) may enroll in Ab Initio language courses, provided they do not speak the language at home or have other significant exposure. Ab Initio is intended for students who struggle with basic greetings or forming simple sentences in the language. For example, a student who has studied Japanese in grades 9 and 10 would not be eligible for Japanese Ab Initio and should take Japanese B instead.

Guidance for students wishing to take 4 HL courses 

The school's position is that in most cases, taking 4 Higher Level courses is strongly not advised. Moreover, doing so can be counterproductive by lowering overall diploma scores for students due to the increased burden impacting all subjects and in turn, this can harm university applications. Furthermore, four higher levels could be seen as contradicting our commitment to balance and holistic education so we do typically advise against it. That said, taking four higher levels is not forbidden, and if you do wish to take four higher levels, we would ask that you put a lot of thought and careful consideration into your decision. Here are the specific steps to take if you wish to take four higher levels:

1. Prepare your reasons for wanting to do four higher levels. These should be tied to your specific situation and university ambitions and not generic. 

2. Book a meeting with your university counselor to discuss: In this meeting you will need to be as specific as possible as to your reasons for undertaking 4 HLs

3. Book a meeting with the IB Coordinator to discuss how you plan to manage the overall burden of such a demanding program.

4. The HS Associate Principal for Curriculum and Learning will then take your case to HS administration for a final decision.  

Once these steps have all been satisfied and you have been given approval, it is possible to undertake four higher-level subjects as part of an IB Diploma program at JIS. Some students may be allowed to take four higher-level subjects but will be expected to complete "against advisement" forms. 

Important note: Four Higher Levels are not part of a standard diploma, and to ensure a level ‘playing field,’ students with four HL courses will not be given any direct or indirect advantage while being considered for valedictorian or other academic awards.

Grade Projections/Predictions

University/College IB Projected Grades

Why Project Grades?

University "Projected IB grades" are a critical college application element for the vast majority of our students. The formal "IB Predicted Grades" are used internally by the IB as a tool to judge school accuracy in terms of assessment and IB Diploma delivery. The IB Predicted Grades are not used to determine student scores and are released only to the IB.

University IB Projected Grades and IB Predicted Grades

University Projected Grades are produced two times during the students Senior year. 

• Mid-October — Open University IB Projected Grades. If students are Oxbridge/Medical Applicants, the University Counselor will ensure that the Projected Grade meets the required deadlines. This is early October.

• Mid December - Open University IB Projected Grades: used for adjustment if required for students whose applications have not yet been sent (regular decision USA, Canada, UK, Korea). These grades can go up or down.

*April - Closed IB Predicted Grades for the purpose of program evaluation by the IBO - these are not shared with universities.

Considerations

• University IB Projections and IB Predicted Grades should be realistic and fairly reflective of PowerSchool grades and school grading policy.

• University IB Projected Grades and IB Predicted Grades belong to the school and not individual teachers.

• The goal is accuracy and fairness; neither an overprediction nor an underprediction is advantageous to the student, teacher, or school. University IB Projected Grades and IB Predicted Grades should always be evidence-based. 

• Students and parents should not persuade teachers to change grades.  This may be considered an academic integrity issue.

• If a student or parent requests a change the teacher will refer the request to the AP for Curriculum and Learning and the IB Coordinator.

• October and December University IB Projections will be placed in Powerschool and are available to parents and students.

• Bonus points will be awarded using historical data from JIS Bonus Point Scores using the past 7 years of results following this breakdown:

  • 3 points 37-42

  • 2 points 25-36

  • 1 point 0-24

Criteria for Judgement - In Order of Importance

• Completed & Graded IB Internal Assessments 

• End of Semester 2 exam performance from Grade 11

• Overall Grade 11 grades and performance

• Current Grade 12 performance

• Evidence-based professional judgment and collaboration with same-subject teachers within teaching teams.

• University IB Projections and IB Predicted Grades are not awarded by individual teachers but by teams of teachers in cooperation with Heads of Departments and the IB Coordinator.