ISI is recognized as an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School, offering immersion programs for its students in the languages of Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

ISI received certification for both programs in 2011, giving them the distinction as the only school in the midwestern United States to offer IB, MYP and PYP diplomas to its students.

In 2014, ISI was recognized by The Washington Post as one of the most challenging high schools in the country, due to their longstanding IB Diploma Programme and because all students are required to take the college-level exams at the end of their senior year.

[5] A new campaign, "ONE ISI" was established in 2019 in the interest of unifying the lower and upper school campuses by the 2021–22 academic year.

Student groups and activities include the Aid to Congo Project, Habitat for Humanity, Literary Arts Society, Model United Nations, an Oxfam banquet, student government, the Timmy Foundation, the Gryphon Voices choir, art club, yearbook and various sports.