In this section
Learner profile: International Baccalaureate learners are internationally-minded people who help to create a better and more peaceful world.
Program design: How this small learning community is structured to support student and teacher success.
Frequently asked questions: Information about BIHS houses, class connections, course credit and more.
Policies: Classroom, academic and discipline policies and procedures for all BIHS students.
About BIHS
Berkeley International High School is a small learning community within Berkeley High School, focusing on international studies for grades nine through twelve. The four-year interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on the study of nations: their cultures, history, artistic expression, and political, economic and belief systems. Students who graduate from the program develop a cultural awareness necessary for constructive relations and understanding with people of all nationalities. This interdisciplinary curriculum forms the core program of BIHS, and covers two or three periods of a student’s day. During the remaining periods, in addition to the option of taking electives during periods zero or seven, BIHS students select from the array of courses offered in the comprehensive school. Students thus have flexibility in taking elective classes while benefiting from a smaller school environment. Moreover, a more integrative program suits the BIHS curriculum, which emphasizes collaboration and the construction of knowledge through well-founded pedagogical principles that are most effectively implemented when supportive and trusting relationships exist among teachers and students who know each other well.
International Baccalaureate Organization
Berkeley High School received authorization in February 2008 to become a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), which was founded in Geneva in 1968 and is a recognized leader in the field of international education. Students in BIHS have the option of becoming candidates for the International Baccalaureate Diploma, which is recognized by many colleges and universities as the equivalent of one year of college. All students in BIHS are offered the same rigorous curricula.