▁Program me ▁( DP ), ▁officially ▁making ▁the ▁institution ▁an ▁IB ▁School . ▁▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁I SI ▁saw ▁its ▁first ▁gradu ating ▁class , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 8 ▁students . ▁▁▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁was ▁a ▁form ative ▁year ▁for ▁the ▁school , ▁where ▁the ▁IB ▁Primary ▁Years ▁Program me ▁( PY P ) ▁and ▁Middle ▁Years ▁Program me ▁( MY P ) ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁curr icul um ▁in ▁gr ades ▁ 1 - 5 ▁and ▁ 6 - 1 0 ▁respectively . ▁I SI ▁received ▁cert ification ▁for ▁both ▁programs ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁giving ▁them ▁the ▁distinct ive ▁honor ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁school ▁in ▁the ▁Mid western ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁offer ▁IB , ▁MY P ▁and ▁P Y P ▁diplom as ▁to ▁its ▁students . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁this , ▁I SI ▁announced ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁its ▁Mand arin ▁Chinese ▁imm ersion ▁program ▁for ▁students ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁I SI ▁was ▁recognized ▁by ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁challeng ing ▁High ▁School s ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁end uring ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁IB ▁Di pl oma ▁Program me ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁all ▁students ▁are ▁required ▁to ▁sit ▁for ▁these ▁college - level ▁ex ams ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁their ▁Senior ▁year . ▁▁ ▁The ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁ON E ▁I SI ▁campaign ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9