Annual report 2012 13

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Dear VIS Community, 2012-13 was one of consolidation and refinement for the school. In recent years the school has been awarded authorization and accreditation by a range of agencies and this year has seen registration and licensing under new Lao legislation.

During 2012-13 the student population grew by a little more than 8% reflecting the development of our host city and country, and a desire by families for truly international education. Continued foreign investment and increased interest in private education from local families saw the school exceed the forecast increase in enrolment.

A truly international education is one that is broad and diverse, reflecting the community served by the school.

The year included many student highlights in the arts and sports, academic pursuits and service learning.

The following pages will provide an overview of the performance of the school with regard to student outcomes, financial and resource management, and our involvement in the community.

I am pleased to present the 2012-13 Annual Report for the Vientiane International School to you.

The VIS Community continued to be truly international with families from every corner of the globe. The school placed high importance on supporting students and families through transitions with a total of 145 new students joining the school and 94 students moving to new schools around the world.

The strength of a school comes from ensuring that standards are maintained. The VIS commitment to international accreditation and to continuous improvement was maintained and VIS remained the only school in the Lao PDR which has been awarded accreditation from international standards agencies.

Director September 2013

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Demographics The school continued to have a truly international student body with 40 nationalities represented and celebrated.

Growth was consistently positive with a 10 percent increase in primary numbers, 5 percent increase in the middle school and a 20 percent increase in the high school.

As can be seen in the graphic below, a strong cohort entered high school in grades 9 and 10 which can be expected to flow through the next few years and maintain strong Diploma Programme classes.

Student Distribution

catalyst to create a full day programme for both 3 and 4 year old students. The Early Years facility was redeveloped through the July 2013 vacation to allow full day activities for the academic, social and physical needs of young children.

Service & Partnerships Service and Action continued to be a strong focus of student activities and were supported by the staff and curriculum. The secondary Student Council was joined by the primary Student Action Group this year in supporting a range of projects. Examples of the commitment to service are: Youth Educating Youth – Secondary students plan and implement Saturday activities at VIS for our sister school.

SALSA – Secondary action and service trips around Lao PDR. CAS/Community and Service – Integral to the MYP and DP curriculum are the expectations for providing service to our community.

Student Led Action – The Girl Effect, The Green Team and Pencils for Peace provided resources to our host country Charities – students and staff supported many charities including Team Dai and Movember.

EY3 EY4 Prep Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

50 40 30 20 10 0

Distribution of Students Per Grade Level The Early Years programme of 3 and 4 year old students had included half day sessions for 3 year old students. The growth in numbers of students in the 4 year age group was the

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Student Performance The school used a range of measures to monitor student performance. One key measure of success was student achievement in the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

The key IB Diploma results for this year are as follows; Number of candidates for IB Diploma 11 Successful candidates at VIS 91% Successful candidates worldwide 78% Bilingual Diplomas at VIS 80% Mean Diploma points (max 45) at VIS 31 Mean Diploma points (max 45) 29.8 globally Mean subject grade (max 7) at VIS 4.92 Mean subject grade (max 7) globally 4.67 Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) testing was completed for students in grades 2-10 twice during the year. This information is used by teachers to identify individual areas of weakness and trends across a grade level.

At VIS, all students are encouraged to attempt the IB Diploma. The curriculum is identical for the VIS and IB Diploma, however some students will decide not to sit for the full Diploma examinations and will graduate with a VIS Diploma and potentially with individual subject certificates from the IB. Success in achieving the full IB Diploma provides both a VIS and IB Diploma.

2012-13 was a remarkably successful year for the Diploma students. The awarding of a high rate of bilingual Diplomas is a reflection of the focus on languages at this school. Students are supported through self-study Language options to complete an equivalent course in English and the Mother Tongue.

This year also saw the introduction of school supported on-line Diploma courses to provide an expanded range of subject choices for students. This option can be expected to see further expansion in the future.

The International Schools Assessment is completed each year for students in grades 3 10. This assessment measures Reading, Mathematics and Writing proficiency and compares performance against student performance in international and other schools across the world.

The results for these tests showed that student performance is comparable with students in other similar international standard schools, and that students are progressing at an expected level. As can be seen in the graphics on the following page the line for VIS tracks the global result line closely.

Statistically, there is a correlation between the performance of VIS students and reputable schools world-wide.

At the school level, these tests show a favourable statistical comparison with schools across the world. At the individual student level, the tests allow comparisons for families providing a guide to performance that can be compared to any curriculum used in a school, not just the International Baccalaureate.

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education The following graphs show the comparison between VIS mean scores and the global mean for three key aspects tested within the International Schools Assessment (ISA)

ISA Mathematical Literacy 600

Study and support for languages continued as an important part of VIS where many students are learning English as well as new languages.

The support for Mother Tongue Language has been a focus for several years and the school continued to provide opportunities for families to support Mother Tongue development for their child.

400 200 0 3

4

5

6

VIS

7

8

9

10

Global Mean

Mathematical Literacy Across The School

ISA Reading 600 400 200 0 3

4

5

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VIS

7

8

9

10

Global Mean

Reading Skills Across The School

PYP MYP DP 2009-10 0 0 7 2010-11 3 3 6 2011-12 5 6 7 2012-13 7 9 10 Mother Tongue Languages on Offer

ISA Writing: Expository 1000 500 0 3

4

5 VIS

6

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9

The chart below shows the number of languages supported across the school and how the provision of Mother Tongue languages has expanded. This development has been noted by regional schools as a feature to be emulated.

10

Global Mean

Non-Fiction Writing Skills Across the School

PYP MYP DP 2009-10 0 0 8 2010-11 17 25 16 2011-12 36 39 21 2012-13 49 64 25 Students Accessing Mother Tongue Languages

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Financial Information In another strong growth year, VIS experienced 8% increase in student based income. The forecast of 375 fee paying students was exceeded and the school admitted the equivalent of 405. (Taking into account students who come during the year and pay a full semester tuition) Expenditure was 5% above forecast providing VIS with a balanced budget instead of the forecast deficit.

Tuition Fees Income Actual Tuition

Budget Tuition

$6,000,000 $5,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,000,000

Expenses 2012-13 13% 14%

Administration Expenses Instructional Expenses

73%

Support Expenses

Instructional Expenses: Includes teacher salaries and benefits, teaching materials, programme resources and any other student activities such as MRISA and SALSA trips.

Approximately $4.1 million in 2012-13 Administrative Expenses: Includes administration staff salaries and benefits, accreditation memberships, accounting and auditing, printing, software licenses and other administrative costs. Approximately $795,000 in 2012-13

$2,000,000 $1,000,000 $0

2012-13

Year on year, the increase in income from 2011-12 is 1.184 million USD (25.6%).

A corresponding 25.3% increase in expenditure from 2011-12 to 2012-13 largely reflects increased staffing to cater for larger student numbers, greater course choice, and educational materials required.

Operational Expenditure is divided into three categories as shown in the following diagram.

The proportions of overall budget expenditure at VIS are comparable to similar standard international schools.

Support Expenses: Includes ground staff salaries and benefits, premises leasehold, utilities, transport, ICT and school maintenance. Approximately $725,000 in 2012-13 In September 2012, the Foreign Investment License held by the school for the last 15 years expired and the school was obliged to obtain a Business Enterprise License from the Ministry of Commerce. VIS is also licensed by the Ministry of Education and Sport.

Lao law has no category for international, nonprofit organizations and therefore ‘ownership’ of VIS is vested in the Director of the school.

Each Director transfers this ownership to the Board of Trustees as a condition of their employment. Parents act as ‘shareholders’ during the period that their children are enrolled at VIS through the election of

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Trustees. This structure enables VIS to operate with a parent-elected Board of Trustees holding strategic and fiduciary responsibility while the Director holds operational responsibility.

Registration as a business had a financial impact on the school in terms of profit tax and Value Added Tax (VAT). Tuition fees are exempt from VAT but everything the school purchased was subject to 10% VAT. This, as well as the new Personal Income Tax rate introduced last year, had a major impact on the cost of operating the school. The school had been working closely with the tax authorities and negotiated that the Annual Capital Fee will not be subject to profit tax. In addition the school was able to clear all issues surrounding outstanding taxes up to 31st December 2012.

These agreements provide enhanced certainty for the school in budget planning for the future.

The school undertakes two audits with the official audit of accounts through Lao Accounting methods by Chanthavong and Associates, and through a review of management and internal controls performed

by Price Waterhouse Coopers for international processes.

Both audits reported that VIS met obligations for disclosure and accuracy in financial processing and management.

Facilities and Buildings This year was one of significant facilities development. The year commenced opening the new secondary wing containing Performing Arts spaces including a Black Box theatre and music practice rooms. This provided the opportunity to expand secondary courses to include theatre studies. The wing also includes Visual Arts and Design spaces which enabled the expansion of design courses to include the construction of simple products.

Information Communication Technology in the new wing includes a space for students in grades 11 and 12 to access courses delivered via the internet. VIS contracted the provider, Pamoja, to provide accredited courses in additional specialist areas. The wifi network at the school was significantly upgraded to provide for the increased use of technology across all grade levels.

The grounds were upgraded and a new football field was installed including drainage and new turf. The upgrade has provided a year-round playing surface and also enabled VIS to host significantly more student sports in the cocurricular programme.

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Staff Information The school employed 125 employees and established contracts for additional staff including Mother Tongue teachers, drivers and food services. Altogether, there were approximately 150 people working to provide a VIS education in 2012-13.

Another major project commenced in 2012 with the construction of a swimming pool and fitness complex, including shade structures around the pool. This was financed through a bank loan established in mid-2012 and capital fee contributions. The project total was USD$1.4 million. The loan facility shares the cost of development across ten years.

This complex completed an important element of the 2009-2014 Strategic Plan and opened significant new options within the curriculum and co-curricular programme. The 25 metre main pool and 12 metre nonswimmer’s pool will open for use in the 201314 school year.

The Fitness Complex includes offices for the Physical Education staff, and specialist fitness facilities for secondary curriculum.

The most significant project during the year was the reform of the support staff structure. The school benchmarked salary and conditions with major employers in Vientiane. As a result, Instructional and Administrative Assistants have an enhanced career structure rewarding those who take on additional responsibility.

VIS appreciates the contribution made by the staff who left VIS in 2012-13;

 Todd Richer  Alison Francis  Nikki Hutchison  Anja Debo  Geoff Piggott  Emily Goodrum  John Fortin  Harris Kara

 Olafur Asgiersson  Anousit Koulavong  Soulasith Nilavong  Netmalayngeun Duangdara  Sikanda Phommavong  Vongphet Souvannarath  Ekkalath Sithiboune  Khamsay Teungthanouansy  Pinkham Thongpanith

Congratulations are extended to our Lao Mother Tongue teacher, Mr Bounlerth Yilatchay, who was awarded an internationally recognized teaching qualification in addition to his Lao teaching qualifications during the year.

Annual Report 2012 - 2013

Vientiane International School

Truly International Education Community Involvement The P&F Association continued to be a strong supporter of school projects. Significant funding support was given to the Sister School project allowing the construction of drainage and playing court.

The standard of coaching and organization improved and new ideas such as weekend camps, or additional practices on weekends and early mornings were welcomed.

The Vientiane Schools Sports Association gave a boost to sport with large numbers seeking to be involved. All teams are oversubscribed and, as a result, more competitive.

With an anonymous donor plus contributions from the P & F a financial hardship fund was established. This allowed three students to receive financial assistance enabling them to attend a MRISA tournament.

The contribution by the P&F and parents was seen in the support offered through the Class Parent network and community events through the year including The Welcome BBQ, Fun Fair, Halloween, and Garage Sale.

The well-patronised and appreciated Book Club was run by parent volunteers.

The P&F executive worked with the school to identify special projects to fund and in 2012-13 donations provided kindles for EAL classes, bleachers and furniture for the new pool area.

Activities & Events 2012-13 saw the highest level of MRISA participation with attendance at all tournaments, The Arts Festival, Leadership Summit and Model United Nations.

Tournament results were mixed with the highest ranking being 3rd by the Junior Soccer Girls.

The Co-Curricular Programme (CCP) continued to offer a wide range of student activities. During 2012-13, 53 choices were offered to primary students and 47 different courses were offered to secondary students. The extension of CCP hours to allow secondary students to engage in activities and sports coaching has provided a boost to involvement. A significant number of secondary CCP also provided for Community and Service graduation requirements to be met.

A full time coordinator of Special Activities was employed to administer the MRISA and CCP activities. This has provided better liaison with the community for these important aspects of the school.

Annual Report 2012 - 2013