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SAISD is the city’s only school district offering students at all grade levels the opportunity to earn a prestigious International Baccalaureate (known as IB) education.

The District has the distinction of having six designated IB World Schools -- Burbank and Jefferson high schools, Harris and Longfellow middle schools, Woodlawn Academy and Briscoe Elementary School -- and between them, the schools provide programmes for students in elementary, middle and high school.

Burbank High School has been a designated IB World School for more than 20 years offering the Diploma Programme and recently earned its second designation for the Middle Years Programme in 2019.  In 2017, Woodlawn Academy became authorized as an IB World School offering the Middle Years and Primary Years Programmes - the only school in Bexar County to offer both programmes. In 2018, Jefferson High School was designated an IB World School for the Diploma Programme and earned its second designation for the Middle Years Programme in 2019.  Harris Middle School was designated an IB World School for the Middle Years Programme in 2018; Briscoe Elementary School in 2019 for the Primary Years Programme; and Longfellow Middle School in 2020 for the Middle Years Programme.

Both the Burbank and Jefferson feeder patterns offer the only full IB continuum – Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes – in San Antonio.

SAISD also has three additional IB-candidate schools in the midst of the multi-year authorization process.

In order for a school to offer one or more of the IB programmes of education, it must first be approved as a candidate school by the International Baccalaureate Organization, and then must complete the authorization process. The authorization process varies by school and IB programme, but typically takes between two and three years.

About IB Education
An International Baccalaureate education is acclaimed because of its rigorous academic and personal standards. An IB education challenges students to excel not only in their studies but also in their personal growth. The IB concept emphasizes learning how to learn, encouraging students to value learning as an essential and integral part of their everyday lives.

IB learners strive to be:

• Inquirers
• Knowledgeable
• Thinkers
• Communicators
• Principled
• Open-minded
• Caring
• Risk-takers
• Balanced
• Reflective

To that end, IB learners are better prepared for higher education. The IB Diploma represents one of the highest standards in college-preparatory education. Research suggests IB students are more likely than their peers to complete their undergraduate degrees and pursue graduate work; and they are more likely to be engaged in various aspects of university life, and life itself.

A continuum of international education
IB has several programmes of education, with many schools offering more than one.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child, preparing students to become active, caring, lifelong learners. PYP students are encouraged to demonstrate respect for themselves and others, and to participate in the world around them.

Age range:  3-12

A five-year-long programme, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) can be offered in two, three or four-year formats. The MYP prepares students to undertake the Diploma Programme. Research suggests that the programme contributes positively to the students’ emotional and social wellbeing.

Age range:  11-16

The Diploma Programme (DP) prepares students to succeed in higher education and beyond. Students are encouraged to develop breadth and depth of knowledge and to flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.

Age range:  16-19*

*At the end of the programme, students take written examinations for which they may earn up to 45 hours college credit, depending upon their scores.