International Polytechnic High School

International Polytechnic High School (or IPoly, iPoly, I-Poly, IPolyHS) is a high school focused on project-based learning (PBL) and college prep. It provides students with a comprehensive high school (9-12) curriculum, as well as with a technological, cultural, and global foundation. As citizens of the world, graduates of IPoly are prepared to apply their global knowledge and experience toward assuming leadership roles in the community, nation, and world.

IPoly, which opened in September 1993, is operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), in partnership with the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona  (CalPoly Pomona). The high school has the unique status of being an academic program affiliated with the College of Education and Integrative Studies at Cal Poly. IPoly is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Etymology
"Polytechnic" means "an institution of higher education offering courses in many subjects, especially vocational or technical subjects", which encapsulates IPoly's original mission statement quite well. IPoly was always meant to be have a technological focus.

The "International" part is what confuses many that try to dissect the name of the school. According to Jordan Vysma, and IPoly graduate, the houses (North, South, East, and West) used to also have an assigned continent, and each houses' curriculum was centered around that. However, the California State Standards required the school to adjust the curriculum. Another IPoly graduate, Johnnya Burruss, expanded upon this, claiming that "the school was based on creating a global society locally". She also said there were classes that went to Trinidad/Tobago and Puerto Rico, along with several international exchange students.

Culture
The culture of IPoly is known to be different from many other high schools. Teachers are well versed in their topics and are ready to not just talk to and motivate students, but also to support them in projects outside of school. Students often identify themselves as nerds, geeks, and gamers, and come from varied backgrounds. This has created a unique blend of world, American, and Internet culture. Teachers, staff, and students often share inside jokes and memes, and many of the older jokes are still seen in IPoly's classrooms today and are relevant to current conversations. This culture has been greatly influenced by project-based learning, where students are grouped together for projects.

The 6 C's
The 6 C's can be found just about anywhere on IPoly's campus, from classroom walls to the backs of handbooks and t-shirts. They are meant to be IPoly's core values, and projects are supposed to build on them.

They are:
 * Develop Creativity
 * Think Critically
 * Communicate Effectively
 * Work Collaboratively
 * Embrace Culture
 * Demonstrate Character

The 6 C's were the successor to the ESLRs, or Expected School-wide Learning Results. These were:


 * Effective Learner
 * Effective Communicator
 * Effective User of Technology
 * Effective I-Poly Citizen

Even before the 6 C's and the ESLRs, IPoly used S.T.A.R.S.

Language
Although most IPoly students speak English, they have a special lingo that might be hard for a newcomer to understand. This "language" is unofficially called IPolynese, as Mr. Hogan named it.

Community Service
A sometimes daunting graduation requirement is 100 hours of community service, reduced from 200 prior to the 2017-18 school year. Before the change, volunteers received double hours for helping with school events.

Cost
IPoly is a public school, and therefore tuition-free. Students do not pay for textbooks and such. However, additional costs may include Associated Student Body (ASB) membership and some Concurrent Enrollment classes.

Campus
IPoly is located on CalPoly Pomona's campus, on Temple and University Drive.

1993 to 2012
When the school opened in 1993, there were no permanent buildings. Instead, portables were set up in Cal Poly's Lot K. In March 2011, construction on a $19.9 million dollar two-story building began.

2012 to Current
On September 28, 2012, IPoly celebrated the grand opening of the new campus. It features a quad with 21 rooms surrounding it. Along with desks, each classroom has 6 iMacs for student use, an interactive SMART board, a document camera, and two whiteboards. The ROP Room contains video and audio recording equipment and two rows of iMacs for media editing. The computer lab has 36 iMacs, two whiteboards, and an interactive SMART board. The MPR, or Multi-Purpose Room, is effectively the auditorium. It has a stage, complete with stage lights and a back door, along with wall patches for audio and video mixing. Many classrooms have course-specific technology. For example, every science classroom has a storage room separate but attached to it. Each math classroom has four sets of 32 basic scientific calculators, one for each house to borrow.

Transportation
Students must provide their own transportation. Foothill Transit bus lines 190, 194, 289, 480, and 486 stop in front of and behind IPoly campus. IPoly does not send school buses to take students to school, because many students do not live in Pomona.

Gates & Wall
In the past, IPoly has been a completely open campus. Recently, because of its location, some considered it a security and safety risk to allow anyone on campus, especially during school hours. To combat this, a wall has been built to enclose the entry points of the campus, along with lockable gates. According to the Administration, the gates should be locked from 8AM to 12:36 PM (school start to when lunch starts). However, many have noted that some gates are often not locked when they should be.

Southlands High School Athletics
IPoly does not have its own sports or athletics programs, primarily because the campus does not have the appropriate facilities. Instead, IPoly students are invited to participate in some of the programs offered at Southlands Christian High School, a local school. Such programs include football, volleyball, cross country, boys/girls soccer, boys/girls basketball, baseball, softball, badminton, and cheer.

Student Selection
Students must complete all steps outlined in the following. The enrollment process starts during the second semester of eighth grade.

Shadowing
During shadowing days, prospective students first attend a short orientation and are then allowed to choose two of four classes to visit for the day. These visiting students are called "shadows", as they are following a current IPoly student that will act as their personal guide for the visit. However, IPoly teachers and students are welcoming and including of shadows. Parents must call in advance.

Applications
Students interested in enrolling must submit transcripts from their previous school. They must also have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher from the past two years. Other requirements may include: If a student is missing a document, a letter will be sent home to request said missing documents. If a student does not currently meet the minimum entrance requirements, they may be put on hold until they do.
 * Review of standardized tests
 * Discipline and attendance history
 * Letters of recommendation (from 8th grade teachers)

Entrance Exams
After a student's application has been accepted, a notification letter will be sent home. On designated days, approved applicants will take middle-school level math and English exams, and participate in a group activity. Students must score higher than 70%, and transfer students must score higher than 80%. The results of the math exam can be viewed immediately after completion, and other exam results will be mailed home within four weeks after testing.

Lottery Drawing
After a student completes the entrance exams with favorable results, they are entered in the lottery, a random drawing of 140 students. If more than one student from a family is entered in the lottery, those students get sibling preference. Sibling preference means that if one student is picked in the lottery, all of their siblings also in the lottery are automatically picked as well. Notification letters are usually sent home by the end of the week of the drawing.

Graduation
As IPoly does not have a sufficiently-sized auditorium, IPoly's graduation takes place the Monday after Cal Poly Pomona's graduation so that we can use their setup.

Governance
IPoly is run primarily by the Administration, as they are the only governing body that is composed completely by hired staff. PTSA and ASB are also governing bodies, and as such they are meant to work closely with the Administration and teachers. However, these three groups rarely communicate with each other.

In the 2018-2019 school year, current principal Mrs. Paul put together the Leadership Council, which is meant to open communication with four governing bodies composed of students.