City: Portland, OR

Category: Education

Description: The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is a demanding international college-prep program that tests students in six areas: language, second language, experimental sciences, social sciences and humanities, mathematics, and the arts. This program is more rigorous than programs based on multiple-choice tests; its graduates are skilled in higher-order reasoning and research, and their writing skills are highly prized by the colleges that accept them. Schools that participate in the IB program are Cleveland High School (3400 Southeast 26th Ave.; 503-916-5120) and Lincoln High School (1600 Southwest Salmon; 503-916-5200) in the Portland School District. In Beaverton three schools participate: Beaverton (13000 Southwest 2nd St.; 503-259-5000), Sunset (13840 Northwest Cornell Rd.; 503-259-5050), and Southridge (9625 Southwest 125th Ave.; 503-259-5400). Suburban participants include Gresham High School (1200 North Main; 503-674-5500); Tigard High School (9000 Southwest Durham Rd.; 503-431-5400), and Tualatin High School (22300 Southwest Boones Ferry Rd.; 503-431-5600).