In IB programs in the US, students are typically given regular grades by the school, like any other high school grades, in addition to scores generated by the international IB program.
My kids attended an IB program (the same one as CountingDown’s son, I believe), and it was a good fit for them. It was a lot of work, but they did feel that it prepared them well for college, especially with respect to writing papers. I do not think it would have been a good fit for an advanced STEM-focused kid–both of my kids were more interested in the humanities.
But what really matters is how well the program is delivered in your local school. This is true for both IB and AP.