The ISA was a co-educational day school sponsored by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). ISA offered a high quality, internationally acceptable program, primarily for the children of ICARDA employees. At the time of its closure, there were 385 students enrolled in grades K-12 representing 37 countries.
This school had a high range of facilities and a very strong athletic department. The campus had 14 buses, various administrative buildings and many green parks. The school had one soccer field, a tennis and badminton court, a volleyball court and a basketball court.
The elementary school had a swimming program as well as many other after-school extra-curriculars. The secondary school also offered various extra-curricular and other opportunities outside of school. For instance, students in Grade 6-12 participated in "Regional Studies Trips" where they traveled to other regions in Syria and around the Middle East to learn about new cultures.