Academics

Graduation Requirements

Classes

Competency- Based Education

Our instruction, assessment, feedback, and grades are based on students demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge, skills, and work habits (outcomes) expected of them as they progress through their high school education.

Regents & Portfolio

Our students are required to pass Regents exams in ELA and Algebra. In Fall 2015, IHS-US became a New York Performance Standards school, and we received an ELL Waiver for other Regents (science & social studies). We administer Performance Based Assessment Tests (PBATs) to meet NY State Graduation Requirements. Through students’ in-depth research and analysis, their PBATs demonstrate how they have met State Standards in each discipline. Students learn through interdisciplinary project-based learning. College and career readiness skills are integrated into the curriculum. In addition, students must score at least a ‘competent’ on the NYSED performance-based assessment rubric for Math, ELA, Science, and History.

Internship Program

• Internship takes place in the Spring semester of Junior year
• It runs for approximately twelve weeks from March to May. Students are required to work a minimum of 9 hours per week in the afternoons after they complete their morning classes. Most students work Tuesday through Thursday from approximately 1:00-4:00 p.m., but a different schedule can possibly be arranged if those hours are not compatible with the needs of the internship site. Since Covid, the spring internship schedule has changed each year to adapt to the safety guidelines provided by the DOE and NYC.
• Internship provides students with the opportunity to explore a particular career interest, develop important workplace competencies, develop their English skills (and in some cases, their native language skills) in a professional work environment, and grow in confidence and maturity.
• Its mission is to assist its international population of students in developing their linguistic, intellectual, cultural, and collaborative abilities so that they may become active participants in today’s interdependent world.

College Classes

Students can take advanced level, college credit-bearing courses through CUNY College Now.

Arts

• Our arts curriculum is based on the Shubert Foundation’s Blueprint for the Arts. In addition to developing our students’ arts skills, the curriculum is interdisciplinary and connects to content that students learn in their other courses.
• 9th/10th Grade: Arts & Design, Visual Arts
• 11th Grade: Visual Arts

Technology

• Technology is used across disciplines starting in 9th grade
• In 12th Grade, students take Computer Programming