Curriculum
One approach, three programs
AISB is a three-program International Baccalaureate school: Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). We also offer the new Global Impact Diploma as an alternate pathway in Grades 11-12.
The same approach to learning follows your child from their first day in the ELC to their final exams in Grade 12.
Learning across the years
Our approach is to teach students to think, not to memorize. To build deep understanding by asking good questions and embracing curiosity.
That inquiry-led instinct sits at the center of how we teach, and we integrate it into a range of teaching approaches.
Teachers in the ELC draw on the Reggio Emilia approach and the IB PYP. They observe your child closely, document what they see, and shape the next learning experience around your child’s interests.
In ELC, we also use evidence-based phonics and phonemic awareness through UFLI (the University of Florida’s Literacy Institute) and Heggerty – direct instruction taught systematically.
Students investigate real questions across subjects, develop core skills like communication, collaboration, research, self-management, and critical thinking, and take action on what they discover. All building to the Grade 5 PYP Exhibition.
In Elementary, we also use evidence-based phonics and phonemic awareness through UFLI (the University of Florida’s Literacy Institute) and Heggerty – direct instruction taught systematically.
In the MYP, every subject connects to the wider world through Global Contexts (real-world lenses like fairness, sustainability, and identity). Students study across eight subject groups. The Personal Project in Grade 10 is each student’s first major independent work.
In high school, AISB offers four distinct academic pathways, all leading to the AISB High School Diploma.
The AISB High School Diploma
Earned by all graduating students, the AISB High School Diploma is the foundation of every pathway. Students complete the MYP Completion Certificate, choose from full IB courses, GID courses, or high-school level courses, with optional external exams, and fulfill the AISB Service Learning Requirement.
The IB Diploma Programme
The IB Diploma is one of the most respected pre-university qualifications in the world. Students choose six subjects across language, sciences, humanities, mathematics, and the arts, at Standard and Higher Level, plus the DP Core: Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service). AISB’s average DP score is 34, consistently above the world average of 30, with a 100% pass rate in 2025.
The Global Impact Diploma
GID students complete four pillars: a Foundations of Leadership course; The Imperfect Art of Living (a global psychology and wellbeing course); a semester-long internship with a Bucharest organization; and a culminating Impact Project – a community initiative they design, lead, and deliver. Along the way, students build a portfolio of their work across six areas of growth and present it at a public exhibition. GID students can also take individual IB courses for certificates if they want formal IB qualifications alongside their GID pathway.
The GID / IBDP Dual Diploma
Beginning in Grade 10, Dual Diploma students complete five core GID courses alongside their six IB subjects, external exams, and the DP Core. They graduate with three qualifications: the AISB High School Diploma, the Global Impact Diploma, and the IB Diploma.
Celebrating student voice
“Model United Nations helps understand global issues more deeply. We research current events and topics. Working with others improves my academic work.“
– Secondary Student
Language and Support
AISB’s community spans 60+ nationalities, and we treat that multilingualism as a resource. All teaching is in English, but every teacher here is considered a language teacher.
All teachers are language teachers
– Gillian Stevens
EAL support starts from day one. Our team calibrates it to each student’s level, with the goal of full classroom participation as quickly as possible. Teachers encourage students to use all their languages in class.
Frequently Asked Questions
All three: PYP (ELC and Elementary), MYP (Grades 6–10), and DP (Grades 11–12). AISB is accredited by NEASC and authorized by the IB for all three programs.
A two-year pathway for Grades 11–12 built around real-world internships, interdisciplinary courses, and a culminating Impact Project. GID is offered by one of 28 founding schools worldwide. Students earn the AISB High School Diploma alongside the GID credential, and can take IB courses for certificates.
They are separate pathways with different requirements and time commitments. GID students can take individual IB courses for IB Certificates. Additionally, the full IBDP and GID are offered as a dual option starting in grade 10.
Six subject groups: Language and Literature (English, Romanian, mother tongue), Language Acquisition (French, Spanish, English B), Individuals and Societies (Economics, History, Psychology, Business Management, ESS), Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Design Technology, ESS), Mathematics (Analysis & Approaches or Applications & Interpretations), and Arts (Film, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts). Plus the DP Core: Extended Essay, TOK, and CAS.
Assessment is formative first, students practice, receive targeted feedback, and develop skills before summative tasks. In the ELC, assessment is holistic: observation, documentation, and reflection across developmental domains. In the GID, assessment is competency-based and portfolio-driven.
EAL support is integrated from day one across all sections. Teachers use translanguaging practices so your child can draw on their home language while building English. In the ELC, Early Intervention provides developmental screening and targeted support cycles.
Language acquisition in French and Spanish. Mother tongue programs in MYP and DP including full courses in Spanish, French, and Turkish, and additional languages depending on availability.
See how the curriculum works in practice
Your child’s education at AISB follows a single thread from age two to graduation, and two distinct pathways for the final stretch. Come and see how it works.