BFIS expands the IB Program to MYP

BFIS is an American International School in the pursuit of educational excellence and success for all students. In this pursuit of educational excellence, BFIS is always looking for ways to enhance even more the learning experiences for our students.

In the last several months the BFIS leadership team and key staff have been observing classrooms, speaking with students and staff, looking at student learning data and assessing teacher and parent feedback including the 2021-22 Parent Survey data. Throughout these conversations we have focused on how we can best amplify the great teaching and learning practices existing already at BFIS and make them more consistent and systematic. Key to our conversions is how we know students as learners, how students see themselves as learners and how we assess, feedback and report learning so that each child can move up the rungs of their learning ladder with clear direction and confidence.

Our conclusion has been that we could enhance student learning by framing our existing learning and teaching within the IB Middle Years Program (IBMYP) framework in grades 6-10. We are still at our heart and soul, an American International School and our foundational US curriculum in core subjects will remain. This is a next step in BFIS’s journey as a World class American International School in terms of how we facilitate and assess student learning in a changing world. Our commitment to you -an outstanding education for your children -remains the same. We just think we can do even better. 

We invite you to join us for a very brief introduction to MYP as part of the Head of School coffee on January 24th and to a deeper dive workshop on MYP on February 7th. In the meantime you may be interested in accessing:

MYP Frequently Asked Questions (English)

MYP Frequently Asked Questions (Spanish)

Becoming an MYP School

Becoming an IB school 6-12 means holding ourselves to high standardsand ensuring that we have the framework and internal/external checks and balances to do what we have already committed to you at a high and consistent standard. As students move between teachers, subject areas and from year to year and teachers come and go it means consistency of approach. MYP means attracting and retaining teachers and school leaders who speak the language of international education and the IB and can ensure continuity for learners. 

We see a lot of benefits for your children including enhanced assessment and reporting structures, deeper interdisciplinary connections, deeper enduring understanding, higher levels of challenge and scaffolded support and an improved student ability to set their learning in a global context.  The MYP at BFIS will also effect change that will make your child’s journey into the rigorous 11th and 12th grade IB Diploma more seamless. 

The first few steps in becoming an IBMYP school mean applying for candidate status followed by gradually implementing the necessary elements to receive program authorization by the IB.  It can be three years until a school obtains full authorization for the IB MYP program. As we implement changes we´ll keep our school community posted.