About BIA East
About BIA East
Baltimore International Academy (BIA) East is a free, public charter school chartered by Baltimore City Public Schools and open to all Baltimore City residents. BIA serves students in Grades K-8. Kindergarten and First Grades are the typical entry points for language immersion programs. BIA receives funding from Baltimore City Public schools, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and the United States Department of Education.
Mission
Baltimore International Academy is committed to providing an academically rigorous, internationally oriented, and socially responsible learning environment that challenges all students to achieve. Our programs provide a culturally and linguistically diverse education to help students develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to participate responsibly in a changing world.
To this end, BIA endeavors to be a true “community school”, partnering with families and local organizations, explicitly creating links with Spanish and Latin X, Chinese, Arabic, Russian and French/Francophone community groups, organizations and businesses that already exist in Baltimore, Target language embassies and with the Foreign Language Departments at nearby higher learning institutions to create a vital international educational community that serves Baltimore children of all races, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
PBIS
BIA has invested in the PBIS to help manage student behavior with positive intervention strategies. PBIS focuses on rewarding students for positive behavior instead of focusing on punishing students for inappropriate behavior.
Policies
Policies are an important part of all organizations. They ensure that there are viable processes and procedures that the organization uses to conduct their business. As a public school, BIA is accountable to the Maryland State Department of Education and Baltimore City Public Schools. These educational organizations have very specific regulations that must be followed by everyone involved in the education systems.Baltimore International Academy West (BIA West) is an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for the Middle Years Programme and a candidate for the Primary Years Programmes.
Our Programs
BIA East offers both language immersion and International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes in the Primary and Middle Years Programs.
Students’ families choose one of five language immersion tracks:
SPANISH IMMERSION
CHINESE IMMERSION
FRENCH IMMERSION
ARABIC IMMERSION
ENGLISH IMMERSION
Students become fully immersed in their target language for their academic careers at BIA East. By the end of the program, students will be bilingual and bi-literate in both English and their chosen target language. Students will also have the opportunity to take another language as an elective once they reach the Middle School level.
History of Language Immersion
Language immersion programs originated in Canada in the 1960s and are designed for students who are not native speakers of the target language. Over 95% of BIA East students speak only English at home. Students typically enter the program in kindergarten or first grade, and most need to gain a background in the target language.
English
Learning English at an International School
In Kindergarten and First Grade, BIA East students learn to read and write only in their target language in school. However, in 2nd Grade, English Language Arts (ELA) is introduced as a formal subject for one hour per day.
Students will go to a separate teacher who specializes in English Language Arts. Students will continue receiving ELA for one hour daily from 2nd through 8th Grade. While BIA introduces English in the 2nd Grade, some immersion programs wait until the 5th Grade to teach English.
Homework
Homework will come home in the target language. We do not expect our parents to be proficient in the target language, and we know that most are not! Homework is a valuable tool for reviewing what students learn in class. It helps students practice and reinforce the concepts learned in class, contributing to their understanding and retention of the material. We encourage you to work with your child to complete the assignments together, and if you need any additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Parents should ensure that their children have a calm and quiet environment in which to complete their homework and motivate them to do it to the best of their ability. On the other hand, the teacher assesses the student’s comprehension and ensures that they understand the concepts taught in class. Teachers will send parents an English homework calendar so that they know what assignments their children should work on each night. Homework assignments will also be available on the BIA East website.
Accreditation
Baltimore International Academy (BIA) opened in 2007 as a K-8 school that offered Baltimore residents their first opportunity to have their children become bilingual through a public language immersion program. Parents of students who are in Kindergarten and Grade 1 are able to choose to immerse their children in Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic, Russian or French as their language of instruction.
English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic, Russian and French are the 6 official languages that are used by the United Nations for inter-governmental meetings and for document publication; Russian and Chinese are also on the U.S. government’s list of critically needed languages. Additionally, the Baltimore International Academy is certified as an “IB World School” under the prestigious International Baccalaureate Organization’s Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme.
Research and local experience with other language immersion programs show that these programs develop students who show strong academic performance. The Maryland State Assessments results for students in immersion programs are amongst the highest in the state, with students of all races and socio-economic levels performing well above average. Structural aspects of immersion programs are particularly helpful for students with limited proficiency in English.
The BIA’s Board of Trustees is well-endowed with skilled and dedicated professionals with expertise in all areas necessary for the establishment and oversight of a public charter schools Its Board members have designed a truly innovative, exciting and educationally rigorous program and they have the relevant experience in language immersion and international education, in educational administration and management, in accounting, in law and in community activism to ensure the successful operation of the Baltimore International Academy.
In short, Baltimore International Academy is a thriving school known for its culture of inclusion and excellence, and for its strong links to organizations and communities throughout Baltimore