ISG students have so much to say. Their intellectual curiosity is nurtured with care by our faculty in an academic program guided by preparation for the French Baccalaureate and renowned for its rigor, depth and breadth of subject areas.
The ISG’s upper school program prepares students to thrive in colleges and universities around the world.
Students follow the French curriculum taught by French/Francophone teachers integrated with classes in English similar to what students find in the best SC independent schools and taught by US-educated teachers. Secondary students spend 30% of their class time in English.
High School | Grade 10-12
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Our 10th grade students complete a one-week internship in a company of their choice in order to refine their professional projects and to allow them to better evaluate the world of work.
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Tenth grade is a gateway to our Baccalaureate program and early preparation for college. Students continue to follow a focused course of study in math, science, history, geography, their world language of choice, English literature, French literature, coding, economics and PE.
Students begin work with a College Counseling along with early career exploration through science or business schools presentations.
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Eleventh graders begin their Baccalaureate program, which includes a common core of subjects: science, French literature, English literature, civics, world language, and PE. Students elect an additional 3 classes, speciality subjects, in economics, history-geopolitics, engineering sciences, math, physics and chemistry or biology and geology sciences.
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Seniors complete the second year of their Baccalaureate program, with a common core of subjects: philosophy (in place of French literature), history-geography, civics, English, PE, science and their world language. They continue with a choice of 2 speciality subjects.
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The French Baccalaureate or “le Bac”, is an extensive, national examination taken at the end of the “Lycée” (High School), upon completion of 11th and 12th grade. It marks the successful conclusion of secondary studies and it is the required qualification in France for students wishing to carry on their studies in Higher Education.
Worldwide, more than 800.000 students sit the Baccalaureate each year The French Baccalaureate is prepared by more than 12000 students in 250 French accredited schools abroad in more than 100 countries. 14 French International high schools are in the United States where the success rate on the French Baccalaureate is an average of 98% to 100%. More than 83% of US students graduate with honors, of whom 35% earn “summa cum laude”.
A diploma from a French International high school reflects success in a demanding, comprehensive, integrated, internationally-based college preparatory program unique in the US. Most students in French high schools simultaneously earn a US high school diploma by meeting any extra state or local requirement, such as US History. Most of the students in the French high schools in the US have followed a bilingual curriculum from K to 12, and, besides, they also master a third language. The French high schools in the US offer more than one level of English in the standard.
Baccalaureate program.
Courses that prepare students for the French Baccalaureate are taught at the college level. As a result, most of both Canadian and US colleges and universities grant college credit or scholarship to French secondary graduates on the basis of their performance on the Baccalaureate.
The French Baccalaureate combines ongoing assessments and final examinations.
Ongoing assessments (“contrôle continu”) :
During 11th and 12th grade, students take different exams based on nationally designed exercises, focused on History and Geography, Foreign languages A and B, Science culture, PE and 2 specialty subjects they have chosen. These ongoing assessments constitute 30% of the final grade.
Throughout the two years, students also take different tests given by their teachers for each mandatory subject. These assessments (“livret scolaire”) constitute 10% of the final grade.
Final examinations (nationally designed written test) :
At the end of 11th grade, students take a French language and literature final exam in June, as the first part of the Baccalaureate. They are tested on their written skills and on an oral presentation of a text.
At the end of 12th grade, students take 3 written exams (Philosophy and two specialty subjects they have chosen and studied during 11 and 12th grade) and one oral exam about a personal project linked to a specialty subject. These exams constitute 60% of the final grade.