International School of Portland

For over 30 years, the International School of Portland (ISP) has provided a warm, multicultural environment where children are fully immersed in Spanish, Japanese or Chinese from preschool through 5th grade.
Its small classes and inquiry-based, International Baccalaureate curriculum enable children to acquire language and culture as they learn to pursue knowledge beyond the classroom and throughout life.
ISP is Portland's first International Baccalaureate elementary school.  It was founded in 1990 and today educates approximately 400 students from age 3 through 5th grade.

Quick Stats (2024)

Top Rankings

International School of Portland ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Oregon for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-5
ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Year Founded
1990
Summer School Offered
Yes
Summer Program Details

Student Body

Total Students
385 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
37%
State avg.: 25%
Students by Grade
International School of Portland Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
61 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
6:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
20%
Average Class Size
13 students
Classroom Dress Code
Casual

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
None / Rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
Tuition Notes
Tuition varies according to payment plan and schedule. Please see intlschool.org for details.
% on Financial Aid
20%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$8,300
Acceptance Rate
90%
National avg.: 85%
Admissions Director
Jan Williams
Admissions Associate
Sarah Loepp

School Notes

  • For our children, a world of possibilities awaits. If we are to send them out to explore beyond the bounds of our neighborhoods, we must prepare them for the journey-mentally, emotionally, and linguistically. For a child capable of learning a language and absorbing a culture beyond their own will thrive anywhere they go. So we've created a school where tomorrow's young explorers can be immersed in a language and comprehend cultures unlike their own.
  • Welcome to the International Schoolof Portland. For over three decades, we've been helping to guide and prepare today's generation of explorers for the challenges of tomorrow.
  • But we didn't stop there. Exploration, leadership, and distinction require more than language proficiency. They require skill and an inclination to think critically, make connections, and challenge oneself to continually do better. So we chose a curriculum and recruited teachers that help young minds do just that.
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does International School of Portland cost?
International School of Portland's tuition is approximately $20,990 for private students.
What is the acceptance rate of International School of Portland?
The acceptance rate of International School of Portland is 90%, which is higher than the national average of 89%.
Does International School of Portland offer a summer program?
Yes, International School of Portland offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.
What is International School of Portland's ranking?
International School of Portland ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Oregon for: Largest student body.
When is the application deadline for International School of Portland?
The application deadline for International School of Portland is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).
What neighborhood is International School of Portland located?
International School of Portland is located in the Southwest Portland neighborhood of Portland, OR. There are 26 other private schools located in Southwest Portland.

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (16 reviews)
5  
ISP has been a wonderful fit for my family - I'm grateful that it exists in the Portland area. My son has been in the Spanish track since Kindergarten and over the years, I've seen him (and his friends!) develop into a confident, empathetic, culturally fluent, and kind learner. Through the IB curriculum and 100% language immersion, It's clear that ISP has laid the foundations for his future intellectual and emotional growth, as well as global citizenship. It's also worth noting that the faculty is second to none, the administration is transparent, organized, and communicative, and the parent community is tightly knit. Enrolling my son at ISP has been one of the best decisions I've made as a parent. Period.
- Posted by
5  
We wanted to impart a sense of appreciation to our daughter for learning about other cultures, traditions, perspectives, and places while also laying an early foundation for her to be better equipped to participate in an increasingly global economy. So, for us, picking a school where our child would become fluently bilingual at a young age and have the opportunity to interact with and learn from, people from other parts of the world was a key differentiator in choosing ISP. The teachers are all native speakers, so our daughter, who enrolled at age 3 and is now 7, has developed fluency with good pronunciation. There are 17 countries represented by staff, and 53% of students identify as minority or mixed race. There's also a capstone trip in 5th grade where students visit a country where their target language is spoken.ISP offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), a guided inquiry-based teaching method that centers on student questions, which I believe has helped develop our daughter's creativity, independence, and critical thinking skills. We've noticed that at home our child is much more apt to be creating/making things than playing with toys which I suspect is, in part, related to the IB PYP pedagogy. Before enrolling we were a little concerned that other academic subjects may falter while focusing on the acquisition of a second language, but those fears were unwarranted - our daughter and her friends are highly proficient as evidenced by the school's proficiency test scores. I've also been amazed by the high quality of art education - our daughter is now able to identify multiple artists by their style including Van Gogh, Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Eric Karl, and Faith Ringgold, amongst others (I don't think I was exposed to any of these artists in a meaningful way before college!). But what we are most happy with is simply the culture of kindness at the school, which perhaps is fostered by the small average class sizes of 13 students. We recommend ISP without hesitation.
- Posted by
5  
We really love this school for our kids. Great teachers and a great community of like-minded families seeking a global mindset for their kids. Art and music programs are awesome so it's more than a school for language immersion but with that said, our daughters are both fluent in their track languages. Kids really love the environment and get to mix with the kids from the two other language tracks which really creates an inclusive and diverse atmosphere.
- Posted by
5  
Our kids are now 17 & 20 years old and we are deeply grateful for their education at ISP. Not only are my kids still fluent in Spanish (and English of course), they are strong critical thinkers and problem solvers. The inquiry based learning at ISP gave them the skills to navigate this world and prepared them very well for their academic and life challenges.
- Posted by
5  
I can't say enough about ISPs. We have two children in the school and both are thriving. The teachers are talented and caring, the class sizes are perfect, and the administration and parents are involved and committed to continuing to improve each child's experience. My youngest has been there only a year and a half and is already able to understand and speak in her track language. My oldest is in third grade and is debating and writing a book in his track language. The educational and cultural foundation is worth every penny.
- Posted by
5  
We are so impressed with our time at ISP. Our son is in 5th grade and our daughter finished last year. Both kids are fluent in Spanish and have learned to read and write in Spanish along with English. Class sizes and student support are amazing and the global inquirer thinkers they are developing is fantastic to watch. They are building curiosity in our kids about everything in the world and it's so great to experience. Highly Recommend!
- Posted by
5  
Three months into the school year our family couldn't be more pleased with ISP. Our 3.5-year-old is thriving in their pre-k, Spanish track. He has two attentive and warm teachers who've taken a genuine interest in getting to know his personality, preferences, and our family. We've found the school administration to be highly professional and efficient. Communications from faculty and staff are consistent and thorough. We enrolled for the cultural exposure and IB curriculum and we've been met with those positives plus exceptional faculty and a community of engaged parents and students.
- Posted by
5  
ISP is amazing! The faculty, staff, leadership team and community are committed to helping our children become global citizens. The mixture of language immersion with the IB education is extremely impressive. Love the inclusion of English education, music, art and physical education. There is no place like ISP. It is magical.
- Posted by
5  
Our child is in the Japanese track at the International School and it's phenomenal. The classes are small and the teachers give the students amazingly focused goals, support, and challenges. It's especially helpful in our case because no one speaks Japanese at home, but the amazing teacher meant that our child quickly got up to the level of peers who spoke some Japanese at home. Even beyond the language immersion aspect, my child has learned so much about math, science, and all the whole array of elementary school subjects and constantly surprises us by speaking (in English ;) ) at such a high level of articulateness and understanding. The other students and families are a really special community and we love seeing them outside school too. ISP has a great campus with lots of fun different places for kids to play, and the kids especially love tramping about (appropriately covered and warm!) during recess in the rain like true Oregon children. Over the years of school my child has shared so much with the rest of our family about Japanese and Japan, and all the things they've learned about our world! (Our friends in the Chinese and Spanish tracks have only had similarly high praise.)
- Posted by
5  
ISP is amazing! The faculty, staff, leadership team, and community are committed to helping our children become global citizens. The mixture of language immersion with IB education is extremely impressive. There is no place like ISP.
- Posted by
5  
We've navigated and supported our children for the past 10 years at the International School of Portland (ISP). Coming from varying backgrounds with a value in language immersion and cultural importance we knew that ISP, previously TIS (The International School) was the right place for our children. Both of our children---one now alumni (pre-K through 5th grade) and the other still attending---have had the privilege of being immersed across cultures, languages, and enriching backgrounds different than their own. We believe this is the core value of attending ISP to this day; a framework that strengthens cross-cultural collaboration, communication, and diversity of thought as key to social and emotional development for early learning through the 5th grade. The education, leadership, and unique culture of ISP continue to expand, challenge, and engage with families, staff, and community in ways we continue to look forward to each school year. We encourage anyone to reach out to ISP to consider the unique downtown space and its ability to establish core fluency in language (Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese tracks) yet very importantly the early development that directly provides a strong foundation for communication throughout the lifespan---across a multitude of physical, virtual and language spaces as a child grows!
- Posted by
5  
I'm a parent of a 5th grader and 1st grader in Spanish tracks. My kids love the school and can't wait to get to it every day or after long breaks. Since joining, their Spanish has increased significantly and they are able to not only speak the language but read and write it proficiently too. ISP does a great job including English as part of the curriculum and it's the spoken language of PE, Arts, Music, and other subjects. Above all, I've become a true believer in the international baccalaureate program and the inquiry-based approach to learning at the school. The kind and friendly staff make it a safe and inclusive space for everyone from the Principal to everyone engaged in the school's activities. I'm grateful we had the chance to join and would recommend this school to everyone.
- Posted by
5  
The teachers and the programs at TIS are incredible. The way students develop intellectually, emotionally, and socially is amazing to see. I feel like a TIS education has really provided lifelong benefits for my kids. I am already seeing this in them. TIS has been a great experience.
- Posted by
5  
When looking for an elementary school, we toured many schools and spoke to as many teachers as we could. My partner and I were blown away by the kids and teachers at 'Tis. Our child showed no interest in learning a language so we were concerned about our child's transition but we could not have been more pleasantly surprised with how it went. Thank you 'Tis teachers and staff we are looking forward to the next 5 years!
- Posted by
5  
My daughter has attended TIS for three years, Low-K through 1st grade in Spanish. We definitely plan to keep her there through 5th grade. The teachers and staff are all very nurturing, which is the main criterion we wanted from an early learning school. The curriculum is outstanding both the language-based and the English, and the kids also get excellent art, music and PE instruction as well. We`ve been very happy with TIS; my only complaint is that parking and driving in and out of the location can be quite challenging.
- Posted by
5  
TIS is unique in the Portland area for having 3 immersion languages and IBPYP. In fact, it is one of a handful of immersion private schools in the US to offer PYP. The teachers in the languages are all native speakers, so our child has been exposed to several different cultures and dialects and her Spanish is so authentic that native speakers are surprised to learn she lives with two non-speakers. The academics are excellent, with teachers emphasizing STEM through projects and interactive education. Their commitment to diversity and inclusion is important, although limited by Portland demographics, and the Learner Profiles and teachers emphasize cultural diversity through the units of inquiry, field trips, guest speakers and homework assignments. As an institution TIS impresses me most with its commitment to visibility and communication with parents. When a new situation or problem arises, the administration does not ignore it or pretend to have all the answers; they acknowledge the issue, gather community input, and formulate a plan that can accommodate the faculty, families and community while remaining true to the schools' values.
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2024)

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Portland, OR is $12,224 for elementary schools and $14,116 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Portland, OR is 83% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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