International Baccalaureate Program
Interlake High School is an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. IB is a part of every student’s experience at Interlake through the approaches all staff use in teaching and the values we hold in common in learning. These values are represented via the IB Learner Profile.
The IB Diploma Program is recognized as one of the most academically rigorous college preparatory programs in the world. This highly respected, two-year curriculum focuses on classical liberal arts and sciences. Founded in the 1960’s to serve international students, IB programs across K-12 education are now available in over 3500 schools around the world. Interlake High School is proud to offer the challenging IB Diploma Program as an end of high school experience designed to prepare students for a wide variety of life options, especially success at university.
Interlake students pursue IB Diploma by taking classes in six subject areas and completing assessments in each of those six subjects, over two years. The students also complete core requirements in Theory of Knowledge (ToK); Extended Essay (EE); and Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). The assessments include work completed over time as part of class (for example, essays, oral presentations, lab reports, portfolios, projects etc.) as well as sit-down exams in May.
The IB Diploma Program is open to all interested Interlake students. Individual success is largely determined by academic motivation and active participation.
What colleges say about IB…
“Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Program on the transcript.” GPA is not nearly as important a factor in university admission as the IB Diploma. If a student has to choose, choose the Diploma over protecting the GPA.”
“One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality. It is a coordinated program, well established, well known and well respected. We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific.”
“The rigour of IB Diploma requirements meets our recommendation for the strongest high school preparation possible. … In sum, the IB diploma candidate who has met the challenge successfully receives strong consideration from the William & Mary admission committee.”
“The IB is a first-rate programme, one we are familiar with, and it prepares students well for a university like ours.”
“A transcript that reveals a student’s enrollment in International Baccalaureate courses serves notice to the admissions officer that the applicant is someone who accepts rather than avoids educational challenges. Further, a successful IB student will enroll at Michigan with some advantages over students who have taken less intensive programs…Unquestionably, a school that graduates each year a number of students with IB diplomas has demonstrated its commitment to high educational standards and that commitment will serve to influence admissions decisions at the University of Michigan.”
To earn the IB Diploma students complete assessments across six subject areas which are known as the IB Groups.
IB Assessment is a combination of in class work (essays, lab reports, oral exams, portfolios etc.) from throughout the two years of the program and written examinations in May. There are two levels of assessment:
Higher Level (HL) – To complete an HL assessment, students must take a 2-year sequence of courses with content from the IB syllabus.
Standard Level (SL) – To complete an SL assessment, students may 1) complete a 2-year sequence of courses with content from the IB syllabus or 2) complete a 1-year course specifically designed to meet SL syllabus requirements.
Students prepared to complete an HL assessment may may choose to take an SL assessment instead.
| Diploma Requirements | Assessment Registration for Diploma | |
| · 3 (or 4) HL assessments
· 3 (or 2) SL assessments · ToK Exhibition and Essay · Extended Essay · CAS Experiences |
· 2 SL Assessments may be taken during the Anticipated year (first year of IB)
· 4 to 6 Assessments are taken during the Diploma year (second year of IB) Students may take extra subjects any year. Students must notify the Diploma Coordinator of extra certificate requests. |
These documents are tools to help students, families and counselors plan coursework over the two years of the IB Diploma.
English A Language and Literature HL and SL
English A Literature HL and SL
English is the primary language of instruction at Interlake. Following Washington State and Bellevue School District graduations requirements, students complete four years of English at high school. During the IB Diploma years, all students at Interlake take IB English courses, choosing from two IB options.
Chinese A Language and Literature SL
Interlake has a large population of students who can already communicate in Chinese on a range of topics in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar contexts. These students are ready to read, analyze and respond to complex literature and non-literary text in Chinese. Even though it is a Group 1 subject, student use Chinese A Language and Literature to meet the Group 2 requirement.
Language A Literature SL School-Supported Self Study
If students would like to study a language A we do not presently offer as a class, they may choose to enroll in IB Native Language SL. Students must be ready to study literature in their chosen language, and be able to read, write, and speak at a level close to native speakers. In the past, students have complete assessments in Literature SL in language such as Arabic, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean. Any language offered by IB can be accessed.
Group 2, Language Acquisition, is also called World Languages or Second Languages at high school. Students assessed in Language B typically start studying the language during middle school. Language ab initio is for students who have no prior experience or very limited previous exposure to the language.
At Interlake we offer:
Chinese B HL and SL; Chinese ab initio SL
French B HL and SL; French ab initio SL
Spanish B HL and SL; Spanish ab initio SL
Students may complete a second Language A to fulfill the Group 2 requirement, instead of Language B or Language ab initio.
History HL and History SL
To align with Washington State and Bellevue School District requirements, almost all of our IB Diploma students complete IB History HL for Group 3 (although it is not an IB requirement). At Interlake we complete the IB History of Americas HL option.
Even though students are all prepared for History HL, some choose to be assessed in History SL.
Students take our remaining subjects from Group 3 in place of the Group 6 Arts IB requirement.
Business and Management HL and SL
Environmental Systems and Societies SL (interdisciplinary, counts as Group 3 and Group 4)
Interlake offers the following subjects in the sciences:
Biology HL and SL
Environmental Systems and Societies SL (interdisciplinary, counts as Group 3 and Group 4)
Physics HL and SL
Both IB Mathematics choices are based on five major units; number and algebra, functions, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, and calculus. Our students have multiple paths through math at Interlake as they have different starting places.
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL and SL
Analysis and Approaches favors calculus over statistics. The assessments ask students to solve problems with little help from technology.
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL and SL
Applications and Interpretation favors statistics over calculus. The assessments rely more on the use of technology to solve complex math problems.
The IB guide to math selection can help students think about their goals after high school and what mathematics choice might be best.
Interlake offers three courses that fulfill the Group 6 requirement.
Visual Arts HL and SL
Students who do not want to complete an art for their IB Diploma may instead choose a second subject from another group. For instance, a student might choose Psychology SL (from Group 3) or Biology SL (from Group 4) in place of an IB art class.
Three central experiences make up the IB Core:
All students pursuing the IB Diploma take ToK as a year-long class that spans their two IB years (second semester of their Anticipated year and then first semester of their Diploma year). ToK is assessed through the ToK Exhibition and Tok Essay.
The Extended Essay is a large research work that students start to work on at the end of their first IB year. Student choose the discipline in which they would like to research and are assigned an advisor. Students develop line of inquiry, conduct research, and eventually develop a question and outline in the first year. In the second year, students work on completing a full draft, and work over the draft with their advisor. The EE is also managed in the ToK class.
Creativity, activity and service (CAS)
CAS experiences are an important aspect to the IB Diploma as CAS ensures that the school supports experiential learning outside of the IB classes and that students are leading well-balanced lives. CAS reflections are managed online through Mangebac and check-ins also happen via the ToK class.
There are a variety of IB assessments that go towards each IB subject grade. See the subject briefs linked under each Group tab to better understand the assessments for each subject. For May 2023, the major assessment windows are:
January through March – Early assessment uploads (Extended Essay, ToK Essay, English HL Essay, Music Exploration, and Film Textual Analysis)
March through April – Late assessment uploads (assessments in each subject area; for instance language orals, science investigations, etc.)
The May exams – The “sit-down” exam papers. See the calendar for the dates of each IB paper (and the AP tests…)
