Baku International School

Baku International School (BIS) is an international school located in Baku, Azerbaijan, which was established by the Quality Schools International (QSI) group in 1994. The school provides preschool education, elementary education, middle school, and secondary education. The school programs are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) in the United States.

Baku International School
Address
Ajami Nakhchivani street Baku Azerbaijan
Information
Type	Private, non-profit
Motto	Success For All
Established	1994
School district	Ganjlik District
Oversight	Quality Schools International
Director	Dr. Brian Garner
Grades	K-12
Years offered	Pre-K to 12th Grade
Enrollment	192 (as of November 2023)
Education system	American
Language	English (Spanish, German, and French in the case of foreign languages taught)
Hours in school day	8:00AM-3:15PM
Color(s)	Blue and White
Athletics	Yes
Sports	Football, Basketball, Cross Country, Volleyball, Track & Field
Mascot	Eagle
Nickname	BIS
Team name	BIS Eagles
Accreditation	MSA/CEESA
Affiliations	Quality Schools International
Languages	English
Website	https://baku.qsi.org/

As an international school, there are students from the United States, Azerbaijan, India, Poland, Greece, South Korea, Turkey, Germany, Japan, Colombia, Spain, Russia, Australia, Trinidad, and Romania.

For after-school activities, there are Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and ballet for preschool and elementary students. For middle and high school students, there are sports activities such as cross-country running, soccer, basketball, and track and field.

Study and Programs

Elementary students learn Literacy, Math, Cultural Studies, Science, World Languages, Music, Technology, Art, and PE (physical education). Middle and Secondary Students get to choose electives which include PE/Wellness, Technology, Music (Band/Orchestra/Choir/Guitar), Drama or Art. Students that cannot go yet into the appropriate age program go to IE (Intensive English) classes for Literacy and World Languages. They move up when they can go to the appropriate program for their age. The school has 6 Success Orientations to follow:

• Responsibility
• Kindness & Politeness
• Trustworthiness
• Aesthetic Appreciation
• Concern for Others
• Group Interaction

The school is funded partially by the U.S. Department of State. The school is accredited by CEESA and MSA.

Curriculum

The QSI education system differs from the traditional American system in several aspects. The naming of the key stages in the QSI curricular system diverges from typical naming. Additionally, the different stages cover different age groups. The table below represents all the changes:

QSI Education System
Traditional American Schools	QSI Schools	Age Group
Preschool	Pre-K	3-4
	Kindergarten	4-5
Elementary School		5-6
	Lower Elementary	6-9
	Upper Elementary	9-11
Middle School		11-12
	Middle School	12-14
High School	Secondary	14-18

A variety of AP Courses is offered, ranging from AP World History to AP Chemistry. Intensive English class is compulsory for ESL (English as a Second Language) students who have struggle effectively communicating in English. A university counselor is also offered to the senior class. Study Hall is offered to high school students with tight schedules and/or numerous AP subjects.

The QSI grading system also differs from that of traditional American schools:

QSI Grading System
A level	B Level	N (Not Yet)	W (Withdrawal)	P (In Progress)	H (On Hold)	D (Deficient Effort me)
Student illustrated knowledge beyond mastery, went beyond what was expected of him/her and has completed all the TSW's	Student illustrated mastery in the unit and completed all the TSW's	Student failed to show mastery in the unit and has not completed all the TSW's	Student withdrew from the particular unit or the subject as a whole	Student is in progress of mastering the unit and has not completed the unit at that point in time.	Student is placed on hold and starts attending unit recovery	Student showed lack of effort, therefore, receives a D for a particular unit

TSW ("The Student Will") are a set of guiding points that illustrate what the student should learn in the unit/subject. A TSW sheet is created by a group of teachers with expertise in that particular subject. Every unit in every subject has a TSW sheet.

All QSI schools are based on the course credit system. Each whole-year subject contains 10 units. Each semester-long subject contains 5 units. A single completed unit with a grade of B or above will earn a student 1 credit. A pupil must earn 220 credits throughout his secondary (high school) years and complete all mandatory subjects such as Algebra I and Biology to earn a Standard Diploma. If a student wishes to receive an Academic Diploma, they must earn 240 credits and embark on additional English and Social Science classes. With a student wishes to receive an Academic Diploma with Honors, he/she must complete 2 AP subjects between Secondary 1 and Secondary 4 as well as meeting the requirements of both the Standard and Academic Diploma. The student must complete the subject's AP exam with a score of 3 or above. The mandatory courses for the 3 diplomas are as listed:

QSI Diploma Requirements
	English	Mathematics	Science	Social Science	Arts	Phys. Ed. and Health	Advanced Placement (Only for Academic With Honors)
Standard Diploma	Writing I and II Literature I and II	Algebra I and II Geometry	Physical Science Biology Physics or Chemistry	World Geography Modern World History	2 of the 3: Drama (1 semester) Music Art	Fitness Health (5 credits) Phys. Ed.	Any 2 of the following: U.S. History World History Economics Biology Physics B Physics C Chemistry Calculus AB Literature
Academic Diploma	+ Research Project American Literature British Literature or AP Literature	-------------------------------	--------------------------------	+ U.S. History Economics (5 credits) World Government (5 credits)	------------------------------	-------------------------------
Academic Diploma With Honors	-------------------------------	-------------------------------	--------------------------------	---------------------------------	------------------------------	-------------------------------

See also

• International schools in Azerbaijan
• Lycée Français de Bakou - French school in Baku