IB and American Curricula
Best of American and international standards
IB and American Curricula
Stamford American International School’s curriculum is designed to help your child achieve their absolute best academically as well as develop confidence and a wider understanding of the world around them – enabling each student to go on and take their place as a successful ‘global citizen’. Best of International and American Learning Stamford offers two rigorous programs of learning: the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program integrated with the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards. Stamford students get the best of international and American education to prepare them to live, learn and work in our increasingly globalized world. The curricula are concept-based, building on children’s natural curiosity through formal content mixed with a broad range of associated ‘real-world’ experiences. This creates a solid platform for information and concepts which students will build on while at Stamford and for the rest of their lives.
American Education Reaches Out (AERO) Standards The AERO standards are supported by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools and the Overseas Schools Advisory Council to assist schools in developing and implementing American standards-based school curricula. AERO provides a framework for curriculum consistency from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 and for stability of curriculum in overseas schools. AERO’s curriculum and resources are in alignment with research-based trends in the development of curriculum worldwide, and in particular with standards-based efforts in the U.S.
The AERO Curriculum Framework connects the process strands, which highlight ways of acquiring and using content knowledge, with the content standards, which outline the big concepts, to develop a coherent understanding. The relationship between process and content standards is critical as students will not develop proficient understanding if either is taught in isolation. The primary goal of AERO is to develop a framework of voluntary academic standards appropriate for American schools overseas. The AERO standards used the Council for Basic Education’s Standards for Excellence in Education as the base. Standards for Excellence in Education is a condensed, edited version of the U.S. national standards, indicating the strong relationship between the U.S. national standards and AERO.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs Stamford offers the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) and the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) and will develop to offer the IB Diploma Program (DP). Stamford is an IB World School authorized for the PYP and MYP and a candidate* school for the DP. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Stamford believes is important for our students.
*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization (IBO) can offer any of its three academic programs: the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP) or the Diploma Program. Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
IB and American Curriculum
IB Primary Years Program (PYP) Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5
IB Middle Years Program (MYP) Grade 6 to Grade 10
The PYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational requirements of students between the ages of 3 and 12 years. The PYP focuses on the total growth of the developing child addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic achievement. The PYP:
The MYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational requirements of students between the ages of 11 and 16 years. The MYP provides a philosophical framework with a holistic approach to education and a rigorous framework for assessment. The MYP aims to educate the whole person and to show the impact of each individual on the world around them. The MYP fosters intercultural awareness and the importance of communication. Its goal is to constantly place learning within a context, and to make explicit the relationship between various disciplines.
• Encourages international-mindedness • Encourages a positive attitude to learning by engaging students in inquiries and developing their awareness of the process of learning so that they become lifelong learners • Reflects real life by encouraging learning beyond traditional subjects with meaningful, in-depth inquiries into real issues • Emphasizes, through the learner profile, the development of the whole student physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically The most significant and distinct feature of the PYP is the six transdisciplinary units. These units of inquiry are about issues that have meaning for, and are important to, all of us. The PYP offers a balance between learning about or through the subject areas, and learning beyond them. Students in Grade 5, their final year of the PYP, participate in a culminating project, the PYP Exhibition. It is not only a celebration as students move from the PYP into the Middle Years Program but also a final assessment where students are required to demonstrate engagement with the essential elements of the PYP: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action.
The MYP consists of eight subject groups integrated through five ‘Areas of Interaction’ that provide a framework for learning within and across the subjects: • Aproaches to Learning – represents learning skills that students will develop and apply • Community and Service – considers how a student engages with family, classmates and friends • Health and Social Education – delves into the range of issues that exist in human societies, such as social structures, relationships and health • Environments – considers how humans interact and the parts we play in our environments • Human Ingenuity – deals with the way human minds have influenced the world e.g., the way we are, think, interact, create, find solutions, cause problems, transform ideas and rationalize thought
IB and American Curriculum
The culminating activity of the MYP is a student-directed extended inquiry called the Personal Project which is completed in Grade 10, the final year of the MYP. The Personal Project is an opportunity for students to draw upon their skills and disciplinary knowledge while investigating a topic that motivates and interests them. The Personal Project provides preparation as students move into the Diploma Program and prepare for AP examinations in Grades 11 and 12.
IB Diploma Program (DP) Grade 11 and Grade 12 The DP is recognized by universities in 138 countries and is designed to be taken over two years (age 16-19). The DP is a comprehensive and challenging pre-university course of study that demands the best from motivated students and teachers. The program culminates in externally assessed examinations and is widely recognized for its high academic standards. The two-year curriculum is rigorous and intellectually coherent, encouraging critical thinking through the study of a wide range of subjects in the traditional academic disciplines while encouraging an international perspective. Beyond completing college-level courses and examinations, DP students are also required to engage in community service, individual research and an inquiry into the nature of knowledge. The DP includes six academic subjects and the central core which consists of the extended essay, theory of knowledge and CAS (creativity, action and service). Students study two modern languages, a humanities or social science subject, an experimental science, mathematics or computer science, and
another subject including the arts. The DP course of study leads to a final examination widely recognized by the world’s leading colleges and universities.
Advanced Placement (AP) Program Established over 40 years ago by the U.S. College Board, the AP has historically been considered the standard of academic excellence at American High Schools. The AP curriculum is created for the U.S. College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in each subject area. Students with a strong academic background may pursue AP studies while in Stamford’s Secondary School through the AP Program. This exam-based program tests students on college-level curriculum in Math, Science, History, Art, English and Foreign Languages. Students take AP exams in Grades 11 and 12 and based on their performance can earn credit, advanced placement or both, for college. AP examinations are administered on set dates each May and consist of: • Multiple-choice questions • Free response (essay, problem-solving) questions Students who take an AP exam receive a score on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. In addition to assisting with university placement, the scores can help students qualify for various types of scholarships. Through the AP Scholar Program, introduced in 1991, students who earn grades of ‘3’ or higher in three or more Advanced Placement examinations are designated ‘AP Scholars’. An AP Scholar with Honors indicates a student who has achieved ‘3’ or higher on 4 or more AP examinations. An AP Scholar with Distinction has achieved a grade of ‘3’ or higher on 5 or more AP examinations.
Accreditation Stamford has received full membership from the Council for International Schools (CIS). To become a member of the CIS, schools must infuse international and intercultural perspective into their programs so that students can move forward with the attitudes and understanding that will provide them with a solid base wherever their studies or work may take them. Stamford has also become the first Nursery to Grade 12 private school to receive the full 4 year Edutrust accreditation from the Council for Private Education (CPE) for maintaining robust academic systems and processes, and upholding quality standards in its delivery of programs. Stamford is also a candidate for Accreditation approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Additionally, Stamford is authorized as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Stamford believes is important for students. In an extremely abbreviated timeline, Stamford has fulfilled all of the requirements and received full authorization for both the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) and the IB Middle Years Program (MYP). Stamford is currently a candidate* school for the IB Diploma Program (DP).
*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization (IBO) can offer any of its three academic programs: the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP) or the Diploma Program. Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
279 Upper Serangoon Road (1 Woodleigh Lane) Singapore, 347691 Next to Woodleigh MRT
Phone: +65 6602 7247 Email: admissions@sais.edu.sg www.sais.edu.sg
Stamford American International School CPE Registration Number: 200823594D Period of Registration: August 10, 2010 to August 9, 2014