Senior School Profile - International School of Duesseldorf

Learning to Be a World Citizen
Senior School Profile
Welcome to one of the
IB flagship schools in Europe
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Of DüSSELDORf E.V.
Niederrheinstraße 336, D-40489 Düsseldorf, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)211 9406 6
Fax: +49 (0)211 9406 804
info@isdedu.de | www.isdedu.de
UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS OffICE:
Tel: +49 (0)211 9406 722
Fax: +49 (0)211 9406 860
CEEB Code: 734315
ISD is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges and the Council of International Schools (CIS).
Director
Neil A. McWilliam
Senior School Principal
Michael Coffey | coffeym@isdedu.de
University Admissions Counselors
Keith Layman | layman@isdedu.de
Ginny Reiss | reiss@isdedu.de
University Admissions Counselors for
German Universities
Marion Pahlen | pahlen@isdedu.de
Christiane Güldner | gueldner@isdedu.de
University Admissions Counselor for
Japanese Universities
Takashi Yoshida | yoshida@isdedu.de
IB Diploma Coordinator
Barry O‘Farrell | ofarrell@isdedu.de
University Admissions Office Secretary
Julie Massong | massong@isdedu.de

MISSION
Our goal is to provide the students of the International School of Düsseldorf
with the best possible programme of academic and personal development
in a challenging and supportive environment.
THE SCHOOL
The International School of Düsseldorf, an independent, non-profi t, universitypreparatory
school, was founded in 1968 to serve the educational needs of
the international community in and around Düsseldorf. The school has
approximately 1,050 students enrolled from Reception through Grade 12.
The 649 students enrolled in the Senior School represent 46 nationalities,
with German (25%), American (17%), Japanese (11%) and British (10%)
comprising the four largest groups. The language of instruction is English.
ACCREDITATION
The International School of Düsseldorf is accredited by the New England
Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of
International Schools (CIS).
fACULTY
The Senior School faculty consists of 97 teachers representing 19
nationalities. 54 hold Master’s degrees or the equivalent and 3 hold PhD’s.
The student-faculty ratio is 7 to 1 with an average class size of 15.
CURRICULUM
The International School of Düsseldorf is an International Baccalaureate
World School offering all three IB programmes: Primary Years (Preparatory-
Grade 5), Middle Years (Grades 6-10) and Diploma Programme (Grades 11-
12). Students in grades 9-12 follow a university-preparatory programme
leading to the IB Diploma, IB Certifi cates and/or the ISD High School Diploma.
ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
English as an Additional Language students usually spend three semesters
in the EAL programme, with an average of three to four EAL classes per
day. While in the programme, students also attend mainstream
mathematics and science classes at grade level. Depending on profi ciency,
these students follow a full schedule of mainstream classes after one to
four semesters. After completing the EAL programme, students must
attend mainstream classes for one full year in order to graduate.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
ISD offers a vast array of sporting, cultural, service and personal enrichment
activities including:
n Fine and Performing Arts n Global Issues
n Athletics and Team Sports n Model United Nations
n Student Athlete Advisory Board n Student Council
n Environmental Projects n Speech and Debate
n Judicial Board n Sound and Lights Team
n Ambassador Team n Yearbook Team
n Habitat for Humanity n Project Tanzania
n Choir n Band
n Math Competitions n Music Ensemble
n International Honor Society n ISDifferences
n Gaming Club n Green Team
n Mentoring Programme n Student Academic
n Mother Tongue Language Advisory Committee
Lessons
ISD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS
To be awarded the International School of Düsseldorf High School Diploma
a student must have:
n Completed four years of education in grades 9-12 or their equivalents.
n Successfully completed 9th and 10th grades. At ISD this normally
means having followed years 4 and 5 of the MYP programme including
at least three options with no more than two fi nal academic achievement
grades below 3 in either year.
n Senior School Profi le | International School of Düsseldorf
n Earned a minimum total of 40 points over grades 11 and 12, with no
more than four fi nal academic achievement grades below 3, of which no
more than two may be earned in 12 th grade.
In addition, each student should have:
n Taken at least one year of mainstream English.
n Taken three consecutive years of the same foreign language unless an
exception is made by the principal.
n Studied German to a minimum competency level equivalent to ISD’s
“Advanced German” (normally three years).
EVALUATION SCHEME
ISD conforms to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
system, with grades ranging from 7 (high) to 1 (low). No intermediate (+) or
(-) grades are given. This grading system is used for all internal assessment,
external assessment and for transcripts. Achievement is evaluated twice a
year, in January and June. The fi rst grade indicates progress until the end
of December, while the second indicates achievement for the whole course.
Most courses last a full academic year.
Grade The student has demonstrated:
n A consistent and thorough understanding of the required
knowledge and skills.
n Ability to apply required knowledge and skills routinely in a
7
wide variety of situations.
n Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation
where appropriate.
n Frequent originality and/or insight as appropriate.
n Work of high quality on a regular basis.
6
5
4
3
2
1
n A consistent and thorough understanding of the required
knowledge and skills.
n Ability to apply required knowledge and skills in a wide
variety of situations.
n Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation
where appropriate.
n Frequent originality and/or insight as appropriate.
n A consistently good understanding of the required knowledge
and skills.
n Ability to apply required knowledge and skills in a variety of
situations.
n Regular evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where
appropriate.
n Occasional originality and/or insight as appropriate.
n Satisfactory general understanding of the required
knowledge and skills.
n Ability to apply required knowledge and skills effectively in
typical situations.
n Occasional evidence of the skills of analysis, synthesis and
evaluation where appropriate.
n Limited achievement against most of the objectives, or clear
diffi culties in some areas.
n Limited understanding of the required knowledge and skills.
n Ability to apply required knowledge and skills fully in typical
classroom situations only with support.
n Very limited achievement against all objectives.
n Diffi culty in understanding the required knowledge and skills.
n Inability to apply required knowledge and skills fully in typical
classroom situations, even with support.
n Minimal achievement in terms of the objectives.

CLASS RANK AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE
Due to the transitory nature of our student body and the diversity of
educational backgrounds from which our students come, it is diffi cult to
provide an accurate or fair class rank. GPA calculations are based solely on
grades earned at ISD and may include anywhere from one to three years
work. We calculate GPA on a 7.00 basis using the equivalency scale below.
All grades are unweighted.
ISD Achievement Equivalent ISD GPA
Grade Descriptor Letter Grade Calculation
7 Exceptional A+ 7.00
6 Superior A/A- 6.00
5 Very Good B 5.00
4 Satisfactory C+ 4.00
3 Mediocre C- 3.00
2 Poor E 0.00
1 Very Poor F 0.00
International Baccalaureate courses are both challenging and
demanding, particularly at the Higher Level, and are therefore
considered honors-level courses.
SAT REASONING TEST SUMMARY 2010/2011
Mean Scores
SAT 1600 1121 SAT 2400 1652
Critical Reading 526 Math 595
Writing 531
At ISD, 22 out of 84 students in the class of 2011 took the SAT, including
14 students for whom English is an additional language.
ACT TEST SUMMARY 2010/2011
Mean Scores
Composite 25.5
English 26.8 Math 24.3
Reading 28.5 Science 22.0
At ISD, 4 out of 84 students in the class of 2011 took the ACT, including
1 student for whom English is an additional language.
THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME AT ISD
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a demanding preuniversity
programme that leads to external exams. It is designed for highly
motivated students in their fi nal two years of school. The curriculum
emphasizes critical thinking, intercultural understanding, research skills
and community service. ISD was one of the earliest schools to offer the IB
Diploma Programme. More than 90% of students in grades 11 and 12 are
enrolled in the full diploma programme with the vast majority of the rest
taking four or more IB individual subject certifi cates. The ISD IB faculty
consists of 36 teachers, 12 of whom are seasoned IB examiners.
To be awarded the IB Diploma a student must earn a minimum of 24 points
in six areas (three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level), including:
language A (best or native language); an additional language; individuals
and societies; experimental sciences; mathematics and a sixth subject, an
elective. In addition, students must successfully complete 150 hours of
CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) activities, the Theory of Knowledge course
and write an original 4,000 word research paper (Extended Essay).
Students who do not pursue the full IB Diploma sit external examinations
at the end of the two-year course, earning individual IB Certifi cates.
IB examinations are written and scored by the International Baccalaureate.
Scores range from 7 (high) to 1 (low).
2011 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE RESULTS
Subject Grade School World
Distribution
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Average Average
*Albanian A1 SL 1 7.00 7.00
*Chinese A1 SL 1 6.00 4.77
*Dutch A1 SL 1 4.00 4.60
English A1 HL 1 3 6 2 5.25 4.74
English A1 SL 1 2 5 6 2 4.63 5.05
German A1 HL 3 7 3 5.00 5.18
German A1 SL 2 5 4 2 5.75 5.85
Japanese A1 HL 3 16 1 6.10 6.14
Japanese A1 SL 1 1 5.00 5.76
Japanese A1 HL 3 16 1 6.10 6.14
Japanese A1 SL 1 1 5.00 5.76
Korean A1 HL 1 7.00 5.90
*Russian A1 SL 1 4.00 4.68
*Spanish A1 SL 1 6.00 5.00
English A2 HL 2 4 6 1 5.54 5.29
English A2 SL 5 11 1 5.24 5.39
German A2 HL 2 4 2 6.00 5.95
German A2 SL 1 1 4 5.50 5.84
English B HL 8 9 4 1 5.09 5.48
English B SL 1 1 5.50 5.84
French B HL 1 4.00 4.96
French B SL 1 1 6.50 4.66
German B HL 2 2 1 6.20 5.66
German B SL 2 6.00 5.11
Spanish B HL 1 1 6.50 5.59
Spanish B SL 4 1 5.80 4.92
German Ab Init SL 1 3 6 5.50 4.87
Economics HL 5 7 6 4 7 4.97 5.11
Economics SL 2 2 5 4 2 4.87 4.84
Hist. Europe HL 5 9 5 5 5.58 4.64
History SL 4 5 2 1 5.00 4.58
ITGS HL 1 2 4 1 3.38 3.98
ITGS SL 1 5.00 4.08
Psychology HL 1 3 3 2 4.33 4.49
Psychology SL 4 1 1 6.50 4.18
Biology HL 3 9 6 9 4.22 4.38
Biology SL 1 3 8 4 7 1 4.33 4.27
Chemistry HL 2 3 1 4 1 4.09 4.54
Chemistry SL 1 2 1 5 3 2 1 3.87 4.08
Physics HL 1 2 3 1 1 2 4.50 4.49
Physics SL 1 2 3 2 1 2 4.45 4.10
Math Studies SL 1 2 5 2 3 1 4.50 4.66
Mathematics HL 2 2 5 2 2 5.00 4.37
Mathematics SL 3 4 17 8 15 9 4.02 4.44
Music HL 2 2 5.00 4.50
Music So. Perf SL 1 1 4.50 4.35
Visual Arts A HL 3 4 3 4 3 1 4.83 4.91
Visual Arts A SL 2 3 1 3 1 1 4.91 4.47
HL: Higher Level | SL: Standard Level | Scale: 7 (high) to 1 (low) * Self-taught
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE EXAMS
Mean total score for IB Diploma candidates:
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
32.0 33.0 33.5 33.0 34.0 34.0 34.0
Mean individual subject score for all subjects:
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
5.15 5.30 5.40 5.30 5.40 5.40 5.40
Senior School Profi le | International School of Düsseldorf n

Ninety-eight percent of ISD students pursue higher education following graduation. Students who do not go directly to university
typically take a year off to travel, pursue a gap year, or fulfill military/civil service obligations. The following is a list of universities
and colleges where ISD students have been accepted over the past four years.
CANADA
Acadia University
Concordia University
Dalhousie University
McGill University
McMaster University
Queen’s University
Simon Fraser University
St. Mary’s University
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo
York University
GERMANY
EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und
Recht
Frankfurt School of Finance and
Management
Freie Universität Berlin
Hamburger Technische
Kunstschule
Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf
Jacobs University Bremen
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität-
München
Munich Business School
RWTH Aachen
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Technische Universität München
Universität Bonn
Universität Duisburg-Essen
Uiversität Karlsruhe (TH)
Universität Kiel
Universität zu Köln
Universität München
Universität Osnabrück
WHU – Otto Beisheim School of
Management
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität
Münster
IRELAND
Shannon College of Hotel
Management
University College Dublin
ITALY
Università Commerciale Luigi
Bocconi
JAPAN
Chiba University
Doshisha University
Gakushuin University
Hitotsubashi University
International Christian University
Kanazawa University
Keio University Fujisawa
Keio University
Kwansei Gakuin University
Meiji University
Nara Women’s University
Ochanomizu University
Osaka Prefecture University
(Osaka Furitsu)
Rikkyo University
Sophia University
Tokyo Gakugei University
Tokyo University of Science
(Tokyo Rika)
Tokyo Woman’s Christian University
University of Tokyo
University of Tsukuba
University of the Sacred Heart
(Seishin)
Waseda University
Yokohama City University
Yokohama National University
KOREA
Korea University
Seoul National University
Sogang University
Sung Kyun Kwan University
Yonsei University
THE NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam University College
Erasmus University, Rotterdam
Hanze University Groningen
Leiden University College
Maastricht University
Tilburg University
Universiteit Utrecht
Universiteit van Amsterdam
University College Maastricht
University College Utrecht
University of Groningen
University of Twente
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
SPAIN
IE University
Suffolk University, Madrid
n Senior School Profile | International School of Düsseldorf
SWITZERLAND
César Ritz Colleges Switzerland
Franklin College
TAIWAN
National Taiwan University
UNITED KINGDOM
Aberystwyth University
Bournemouth University
Cardiff University
City University
Courtauld Institute of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Goldsmiths, University of London
Heriot-Watt University
Imperial College London
Keele University
King’s College London
Lancaster University
Loughborough University
Newcastle University
Queen Mary, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London
University College London
University of Aberdeen
University of Bath
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
University of Dundee
University of Durham
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
University of Essex
University of Exeter
University of Glasgow
University of Hull
University of Kent
University of Leeds
University of Leicester
University of Liverpool
University of Manchester
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
University of Reading
University of St Andrews
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Stirling
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
University of Warwick
University of York
UNITED STATES
Adelphi University
Bard College
Baylor University
Bennington College
Bentley University
Binghamton University
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Chapman University
Clark University
College of William and Mary
Cornell University
Duke University
Georgetown University
Hofstra University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
James Madison University
Loyola Marymount University
Mercyhurst College
Miami University, Oxford
Michigan State University
New York University
Northeastern University
Pennsylvania State, University Park
Pepperdine University
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Rhodes College
Sacred Heart University
Saint Anselm College
State University of New York at Albany
Suffolk University
Syracuse University
The George Washington University
Trinity University, San Antonio
University of California at Berkeley
University of California at
Los Angeles
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Chicago
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Georgia
University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
University of Miami
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of New Hampshire
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Villanova University
Whitman College