GENERAL INFORMATION

The International School of Panama (ISP) was founded in 1982 by a group of interested parents from the Panamanian and International community. ISP is a private, independent, non-profit educational institution providing instruction in English for the multinational and Panamanian population residing in Panama City, Panama. The student body presently consists of approximately 620 students in Pre Kindergarten (age 3) through Grade Twelve. The school operates under a license granted by the Ministry of Education of Panama, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and is affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). ISP maintains a diverse student body by admitting from a pool of nationalities, always keeping the ratio of Panamanian students in balance with the other national groups.  In this way, the international quality of the school, and availability of space to incoming families is assured by the turnover within the non-resident community. The Director is responsible for administration and daily operation of the school.  A board of eleven directors, elected at the General Assembly of parents each year, sets policy.  All parents with children in the school are members of the General Assembly.  A Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) organizes social and educational activities for parents and students and raises funds for specific projects of the school.

The International School of Panama is located on the Golf Club Road in Cerro Viento in the eastern suburbs of Panama City.  Though stretches of forest and pasture remain, they are under intensive residential development and have been linked closer to downtown Panama City by the Southern Corridor highway.  Completion of the Northern Corridor in two to three years will improve ISP’s accessibility from all parts of the urban center.  The school facilities include 6,000 square meters of buildings, 2,900 square meters of covered athletic courts and walkways, and 3,200 square meters of paved parking.  All classrooms are spacious and air-conditioned.  The library/media center contains 14,000 volumes.  The buildings hold space for administrative offices, counseling, infirmary, and a student union.  The facilities include outdoor play areas, a track and field, and gymnasium. You may like to use the MAP to locate the school.

Technology

ISP is connected to the Internet by a 384K high-speed dedicated line with a capability of increasing the required bandwidth to T-1.  Each classroom on the ISP campus connects to the school's optical backbone network that can transmit at speeds up to 100mb per second.  At least one, sometimes two or three networked computers are found in each classroom depending on the educational mission of that area.  The school has three computer labs with twenty-five networked computers in each lab.  The libraries are connected to the Internet and all media information is accessed and circulated through dedicated library systems.  The school has subscriptions to web-based search engines that can access full text and image files from hundreds of magazines and newspapers.  The Middle/High School library has ten work stations dedicated to student research.   All software programs are licensed for legal use.  Two full-time technology specialists support the hardware, software and network systems. The International School of Panama has also implemented a new Wireless Network which permits internet access, printing and server resources from almost any area on campus.

THE ISP COMMUNITY

Student Body

ACADEMICS

School calendar

The school year consists of 182 teaching days from early August to early-June divided into two semesters. There are two lengthened vacation breaks, one at Christmas to coincide with the Panamanian summer season and one in July to coincide with the temperate summer. There is a marking period at the end of each of the 4 bimesters. The school provides a demanding academic program with an international emphasis. Instruction begins for all students at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. for Junior Kindergarten, at 1:00 p.m. for Kindergarten, and at 2:35 p.m. for grades 1-12. Meeting both U.S. and Panamanian requirements, the program is taught in English except for Spanish language and Panamanian History classes.
 

Program of Studies

ISP sets a high academic standard.  Small class size, a challenging curriculum, and highly qualified teachers have made ISP a leading school in the region.  ISP offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB) for students in the final two years of high school.  The Swiss-headquartered IB organization establishes a common curriculum and university entry credentials for geographically mobile students. A network of regional offices in New York, Geneva, Buenos Aires and Singapore provides services to member schools.

IB is now the overwhelming first choice of overseas American and International schools as the core of the academic curriculum in the 11th and 12th grades. Since international schools often have higher faculty turnover than US-based schools, and usually are much less of a known quantity to college admissions officers, an independent annual evaluation of the academic results in a rigorous program like IB establishes a school's academic credentials.
 

Elementary School (PK-5th GRADE)

Jr. Kindergarten: The formative year spent in the Jr. Kindergarten supplements and extends early home experiences by planning the child's development through living and learning in a group. The program provides a stimulating variety of developmental and social growth activities. Emphasis is given to language acquisition for non-English as well as native English-speaking children. Auditory and visual skills are stressed as well as basic number and letter concepts. The child's development of social relationships, independence and self-confidence are an integral part of the program.

Kindergarten: The kindergarten program encourages further development as the child explores and learns about the world around him/her. Experiential learning provides the student with the foundation to make connections in subjects such as science, social studies and math. The language arts portion of the program provides a rich background through the use of literature as well as a phonetic approach. The child's development of social relationships, independence and self-confidence continues to be important.

Grades One to Five: The curriculum in grade one through five is designed to lay a firm foundation for future academic study and also to develop a spirit of independence and self-reliance. The emphasis is on developing skills and concepts in the fundamental areas of reading, language and mathematics. Textbooks are primarily from the United States, with many other international resources utilized as well. Students study reading, language, spelling, social studies, mathematics and science. Additionally they have Spanish and Panamanian social studies classes.  They also participate in computer, library, music, art and P. E. classes. English as a Second Language (ESL) and Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) sessions are available to those students whose English or Spanish is limited. Hands-on learning and active student participation provide a motivating atmosphere. Field trips, cultural and musical activities as well as a regular designated time to read silently are an important part of the curriculum.  

Grades in the elementary school are awarded on the percentage system.  Highest grade is 100, with 60 considered the minimum passing grade. The elementary school report card reflects each student’s progress throughout the bimester based on standardized criteria.  Teachers give credit to the effort that the student put forth as it reflects how a child is working at school.  Effort will be evaluated in a range from 1 to 4.  The level of performance is also indicated by an O, S or N underneath the reading, writing and math grades.  To treat each student as a unique individual within the context of his or her academic background, teachers design different activities and ways of assessing students.  The report card shows the modifications of   the program to allow children to perform at a level where they can learn and succeed.

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6TH - 8TH grade)

The Middle School program has been introduced to satisfy two important criteria. It strives to be unique, offering the students a structure and program that differs from elementary and high school. It is also designed to help students make the transition from elementary to high school. These twin emphases, uniqueness and transition, make middle school a place where special things happen. The overall aim of instruction in the middle school is a balance between teacher-directed and student-directed learning. Problem-solving, inquiry-oriented methods help to increase the relevance of the middle school program. Inquiry methods, combined with independent study and other related approaches, help to develop increased self-direction and responsibility among middle school pupils, as do various methods of classroom management and behavior management used by teachers.

Wheel 1(*):  Art, Beginning Band, Creative Writing, Art & crafts, Counselor (Skills for Growth).

Wheel 2(**):  Speech, Health & Life Skills, Chorus, Keyboarding/Counselor.

Electives(***):  Band, Choir, Mass Media, Drama, Titeres, Art.

Electives 2(++):  Author’s Corner, Debate, Intermediate Band, Intermediate English, Study Hall.

HIGH SCHOOL (9TH - 12TH GRADE)

Students with a solid foundation in Middle School will be prepared to be focus in their High School experience. Each year they take the core subjects English, Spanish, math, science, social science, PE, and one or two electives. During the 9th and 10th grades students prepare with introductory courses that promote success in our rigorous college preparatory program of studies. One year of fine arts and one and a half year of physical education are graduation requirements; French is an option. In 11th/12th grades TOK (Theory of Knowledge) and Panamanian social studies (offered in Spanish) form part of the program of studies. At each grade level, various the core subjects are offered so that students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. High school students are required to take English, Spanish, math, science and social studies. Additional course offering include Panamanian social studies, Theory of Knowledge, PE, art and computer classes.  All classes meet every other day for 90 minutes blocks.   At ISP the goal is to graduate life long learners ready to face the demands of the twenty-first century as worthy global citizens and leaders.

COUNSELING SERVICES

Counseling services are available to help students in elementary, middle school, and high school make successful adjustments to school life. If there are concerns, personal or academic, students are encouraged to seek the aid of the counselor. By 10th grade guidance in preparing college applications and personal self-discovery is a major focus.  

ISP provides a Resource Program to serve students with learning disabilities and/or attention disorders in order to develop in those students skills, knowledge, concepts, principles, appreciation and attitudes to meet the standards of an international situation and assist the student in valuing the dignity and worth of himself/herself and others.  The Resource Program is provided within the educational program in support of school policy, regulations, objectives and goals.

GRADING SYSTEM

The standard course curriculum is taught at a college preparation level and above.  The grading system is considered very rigorous when compared to college prep high schools in the United States and Panama.

CONVERSION OF LETTER GRADES TO GRADE POINT EQUIVALENT

The International School of Panama uses a 4.0 scale when reporting grades on transcripts and report cards.  Grades of A+ receive an additional .4 GPE. 

Students who earn International Baccalaureate grades of C- or above will earn an additional 1.0 Grade Point Equivalent for each IB course.  Students who enroll in an IB course but do not complete all IB requirements, do not receive the benefit of grade weighting and their courses will not have the IB designations reflected on their transcripts. 

Due to the diverse international small size and prior educational background of our student body, we do not rank nor give decile ratings.