Baku International School Admissions Policy
Baku International School was founded in order to provide a quality education, in the English language, based on North American and international educational standards for expatriates. Local citizens who want their children to be educated in English may also apply to the school.
Below are some guidelines that inform our admissions decisions and while they are not exhaustive, they provide some indication of our requirements.
Admissions Guidelines
- ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
- ENTRANCE AGE (GRADE LEVEL) AND PLACEMENT
- SECONDARY CREDITS
- PREREQUISTES FOR PRESCHOOL
- SPECIAL NEEDS
- INTENSIVE ENGLISH
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
ENTRANCE AGE (GRADE LEVEL) AND PLACEMENT
Class Placement
Literacy and Mathematics Placement
Exceptions for Placement
Preschool and Elementary Placement
Preschool/Elementary
Our Preschool and Elementary program is for students ages 2 through 10-11. Class sizes are small with between 6 and 15 students in Pre-K classes and between 12 and 20 students in Elementary classes. Each class through 8 year old has two dedicated educators – a lead teacher and an assistant. Music, Art, Languages Other than English, Intensive English, and Physical Education courses are taught by specialist teachers.
BIS Class |
Age |
US Grade Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 year old | 2 - 3 | Preschool |
3 year old |
3 - 4 | Preschool |
4 year old | 4 - 5 | Preschool |
5 year old | 5 - 6 | Kindergarten |
6 year old | 6 - 7 | 1st Grade |
7 year old | 7 - 8 | 2nd Grade |
8 year old | 8 - 9 | 3rd Grade |
9 year old | 9 - 10 | 4th Grade |
10 year old | 10 - 11 | 5th Grade |
Middle School Placement
Middle School
Our Middle School is for students ages 10 – 11 through 13 – 14. Class sizes are small with between 12 and 20 students in each class. Each subject is taught by specialist in that content area.
BIS Class | Age | US Grade Equivalent |
11 year old | 11 - 12 | 6th Grade |
12 year old | 12 - 13 | 7th Grade |
13 year old | 13 - 14 | 8th Grade |
Secondary Placement
Secondary Program
Our Secondary School consists of students who have successfully completed Middle School and are on one of our diploma tracks. Class sizes are small with between 12 and 20 students in each class and subjects are taught by specialist in that content area.
BIS Class | Age | US Grade Equivalent |
Secondary I | 14 - 15 | 9th Grade |
Secondary II | 15 - 16 | 10th Grade |
Secondary III | 16 - 17 | 11th Grade |
Secondary IV | 17 - 18 | 12th Grade |
SECONDARY CREDITS
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Some middle school students entering BIS might have secondary credits from other institutions. If this is the case, then their transcript must clearly state that such credits are secondary level so that these courses might be considered as counting towards graduation requirements.
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Courses taken during the Sec I-IV years at another school may be eligible for transfer to BIS for graduation. The counselor will work with families to determine which courses apply toward transfer credits for each class.
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Grades of A, B and C (or their national equivalent) may be transferred into BIS from other schools. Any other grades will not be accepted at a mastery level.
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In order for any completed courses to be transferred for credit, an official transcript from the school must be provided to BIS.
PREREQUISTES FOR PRESCHOOL
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The child must turn two before November 1 in order to be admitted to the program. Exceptions may be made only by the school director, and only in coordination with the parents and preschool teachers.
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Children must be aware of their toileting needs and be toilet trained—which means that children must consistently demonstrate the following habits: recognize when they need to use the toilet; ask to go to the toilet or seek to go to the toilet on their own; be able to manipulate clothing to assist in using the toilet; be able to use the toilet.
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We understand that accidents happen and that small children often don’t have the fine motor skills to perfectly manipulate buttons, snaps, and zippers—and we are prepared to help children with these obstacles. It is essential, however, that children have moved out of diapers or pull-ups before they enter this program.
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Children must be able to feed themselves. They should be able to use basic utensils to eat their snacks and lunches when required. We will open bottles and assist children with their lunch needs; however, we do not feed children at snack or lunch time.
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Children must demonstrate both the willingness and ability to appropriately engage with peers and be led by the teacher.
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Any exceptions to the admission policies must be approved by the school director.
SPECIAL NEEDS
BIS may admit a student with limited learning needs, problems or disabilities and within the scope of meeting the student’s needs in the classroom. However, it is important to know that BIS does not have a resource department and so there may be a limitation in accepting a student with special needs. For students with moderate disabilities, the school will review additional information including evaluations, reports, IEPs, or school referrals required to help the school assess whether a program can be provided to meet the academic needs of the applicant. At times, BIS accepts special needs students based on the family or sponsor providing the additional school fees to cover the cost of additional professional services.
INTENSIVE ENGLISH
The Intensive English program is for students in BIS who are in need of additional instruction in verbal and written English, particularly those for whom English is not a first language. The principal goal of Intensive English is to bring students to a level of academic English, including oral competency, which allows them to transfer to regular classes as rapidly as possible. Students of different ages, maturities, linguistic backgrounds, and previous exposure to English will progress at different rates. Students are assigned to the appropriate level to best meet individual needs. The content of Intensive English parallels that of the Elementary and Middle School literacy courses while building a foundation for academic success.