Bridgeport International Academy

Description:

A private college preparatory school that is located adjacent to the seaside campus of the University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport International Academy has a well-rounded curriculum with the opportunity for students to take college courses and use university facilities. BIA has an international faculty and student body. The Academy offers a strong college preparatory curriculum for grades 9 through 12 with emphasis on character education and community service. Since1997, eleven classes consisting of 169 students have graduated from the Academy, as of June 3, 2011.

Accreditation and Approvals:

On March 15, 2007, Bridgeport International Academy was elected to institutional membership and was granted accreditation for ten years by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). On March 9, 2007, BIA was again granted state approval as a nonpublic school by the State of Connecticut. In addition, the Academy has approval from the Department of Homeland Security of the U.S. government to issue I-20 forms in order for international students to obtain F-1 non-immigrant, student visas.

Graduation Requirements:

Students must complete a minimum of 23 credits in order to graduate. Required courses include four years of English, three years of social studies, three years of mathematics, three years of science, and two years of a foreign language. A variety of electives are offered, and an English Language Learner program is offered for international students. One credit is the equivalent to a one-year course that meets 200 minutes per week.

Accelerated Courses:

Qualified juniors and seniors may take courses either at the University of Bridgeport (UB) or at Housatonic Community College (HCC). This is a dual credit system in which a student may receive credit simultaneously from college and from high school. Such courses are marked "UB" or "HCC" on a student's transcript.

Grading:

Grade point averages indicated at the end of the transcript are calculated on a 4.0 unweighted scale (college course grades are not currently weighted on our high school transcripts).

Grades are awarded according to the following scale:

Ranking: BIA does not rank students.

Community Service Requirement:

Each student is required to perform 75 hours of community service prior to graduation. BIA students volunteer to work in local agencies, non-profits, elementary schools, or community programs. Students have worked with Habitat for Humanity to help build houses, tutored at the head start program of Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD), visited homes for the elderly, helped in local neighborhood clean up, painted houses at the University of Bridgeport, and volunteered with Groundworks Bridgeport and other local community service projects.

Further Study: BIA graduates were accepted for further study at many excellent colleges and universities, including the following: