2013/14 Vientiane International School Annual Report
Vientiane International School Ban Saphanthong Tai Vientiane Lao PDR
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life
Contents Page 1 2 3 4
Content Introduction Student Demographics Service Student Performance
Diploma Results International Schools Assessment Measure of Academic Progress Special Educational Needs
6 8 9 11 12 13
Financial Outcomes Facilities and Infrastructure Staff Information Activities and Events Community Partnerships Strategic Planning
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life
Introduction Dear VIS Community, 2013/14 was a year characterized by development and progress. The school year commenced with a significant new facility being opened offering an array of new curriculum options. The Fitness Centre, incorporates swimming pools and teaching spaces and provides additional resources for teaching to all age groups. The strong ethos of service, which permeates the school community was further enhanced through the development of the Youth Educating Youth School initiative. This provided another tangible element to the sister school relationship with the local Ban Saphanthong Tai school and embedded student to student contact in that relationship.
Student academic performance continued to develop with international assessments showing that students performed as expected. The International School Assessment (ISA) and Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) tests were
administered to students across the school. VIS results match those in other similar international settings and compare well with national systems. The development of English Language is a feature of student performance that is tracked carefully. Growth in English proficiency has been strong, reflecting the additional resources and teachers allocated to this important area. Mandarin was offered in the Language Acquisition course at the school, commencing in the Primary Years Programme. This complemented the established French course and gives students the choice to learn an Asian or European language. The Languages area continued to develop through the expansion in number of students and languages offered in Mother Tongue courses within the school day. Financially, the school planned for, and met the goal of having a balanced operating budget after several years of deficit budgets immediately following the building of the current facility. Refinancing an existing loan on better terms, and continued student growth allowed the school to maintain 2|Page
Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life professional standards, develop facilities to international expectations and return to a positive financial position.
Student Demographics Fast Facts 2013/14 began with 361 enrolled students after the normal exit rate of approximately 20% at the end of the previous year. 80 new students were enrolled for the first day of the school year. This was broadly on-trend with previous years.
The school has continued to thrive during 2013/14. On all measures, the school has developed and grown. The number of students, curricular and co-curricular choices, expertise of staff and strong student performances are all measures of a very successful year. This year is the last of the current Strategic Plan. In 2015 the school will launch the 2020 VISion which will take the school and community through the next five years. The structure of the 2020 VISion was developed by a volunteer group of parents, staff and students through the last half of 2013/14. Actions will commence in early 2014/15 with feasibility studies of key areas.
Thank you for your involvement in the success of 2013/14.
A total of 141 new students entered VIS during the school year.
Student Numbers at Start of 2013/14 50 40 30 20 10 0
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
Greg Smith Director September 2014
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life A total of 125 students left VIS during the year, including 43 at December and 73 in June.
Students studying a Mother Tongue Language PYP MYP DP
TOTAL
2009-10
----
---
11
11
2010-11
17
25
16
58
20
2011-12
36
39
21
96
15
2012-13
49
64
25
138
2013-14
57
81
35
173
Entry of New Students per Grade
10 5 0
Service New Students 2013/14
Staff, students and their families represented a total of 45 different nationalities. Mother Tongue Languages are provided with time within the school regular schedule as an option for families wishing to maintain a language. This option has been taken up by greater numbers of families in recent years and 2013/14 continued that trend. The tables below show the increase in number of students and the number of languages available within the school day. Numbers of Languages Studied PYP
MYP
DP
Total
2009-10
--
--
7
7
2010-11
3
3
6
8
2011-12
5
6
7
9
2012-13
7
9
10
15
2013-14
7
12
5
14
The ethos of providing service and action is an important part of being an International Baccalaureate World School and is a strong element of the Vientiane International School community. The school embeds the concept of service and action through a number of fundamental aspects of the curriculum and school structure. In the Diploma Programme, it is essential to complete a Creativity Action Service (CAS) component in order to gain graduation. This provides a framework for all students to undertake work in all three areas and have it verified by teaching staff. Much of this service work is completed through individual projects and interests, although the school’s major projects also feature. Middle Years Programme students work within the Community and Service (C&S) framework which leads them through a process to identify and action service to various community groups based on interests and projects.
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life The Primary Years Programme students supported the sister school through the Co-Curricular programme on a weekly basis at Ban Saphanthong Tai school to play language games and help to develop links between cultures.
Student Performance Diploma (IBDP) Results
The major projects undertaken by the school are: Youth Educating Youth School (YEYS) consists of secondary students who plan and action lessons for the students of Ban Saphanthong Tai primary school on a Saturday. These Saturday schools operate approximately ten times through the year and up to 40 VIS students have been involved as teachers and supervisors. Secondary Action Learning Service Activities (SALSA) trips are undertaken by all secondary grades each year. Grade levels return to rural Lao communities to re-engage and provide service and action that the community has negotiated. The Green Team is a school based student action group which meets regularly and encourages strengthening the green credentials of the school.
All students entering grade 11 are encouraged to attempt the full IBDP and graduate with an International Baccalaureate Diploma as well as the VIS High School Diploma. For some students, the IBDP is not necessary to gain admission to their preferred university, however it is a prestigious certificate which helps to support any application. There were 16 VIS DP candidates who attempted the full IBDP in 2013/14. Of these, 75% were successful in gaining a full Diploma. This compares with a global rate of 79%. The diversity of the VIS community, and the support for Mother Tongue at VIS was shown in 83% of successful candidates receiving a bilingual diploma. This requires the student to complete a Literature course in English and their Mother Tongue language. The global average for bilingual diplomas is less than 30%, so the VIS results are outstanding. The following table shows the comparison for the VIS IB Diploma results for grades and total points. Each subject is scored out of a possible 7 points. With Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Action and Service component contributing to the overall graduation, the best possible score for a student is 45 points.
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life Year
2013/14 2012/13 2011/12
Highest Point Score Awarded
VIS Average Total Points
Global Average Total Points
36 40 40
31 31 31.5
29.8 29.8 29.6
International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) The International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) is completed in February of each year for students in grades 3-10. This assessment compares the overall results of students in a grade level with their peers in more than 300 schools across the world. More than 70,000 students were assessed through the ISA last year. Overall, the results show that the performance of VIS students is statistically the same as students in International Schools across the world. There are several specific points where a statistical difference in scores has been noted. These differences provide direction for the school to ensure additional resources are provided to areas requiring extra support. For example average scores for Reading and Writing in grade 8 and 9, and Writing in grade 4 and 5 were below comparative groups in other schools.
The following graphs show the global comparison of scores across grade levels for Reading, Writing and Mathematics in the ISA.
ISA Reading 600 400 200 0
VIS
Global mean
ISA Writing 800 600 400 200 0
VIS
Global mean
ISA Mathematics 800 600 400 200 0
VIS
Global mean
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) The Measure of Academic Progress tests are a computer based assessment for Language Usage, Mathematics and Reading. These three tests are completed by students in grades 2 – 9 twice per year and are used by the teaching staff to identify specific goals for individual students and groups within a class. The assessments provide an additional diagnostic tool for the school, particularly where students are from a non-English speaking background.
The MAP tests are completed in August and May so that students and their teachers can measure progress in identified areas. The MAP system assesses an extensive array of skills which have been determined to reflect most curriculum frameworks. The standards used by the MAP system to develop goal areas is based on US standards including the Common Core, American Education Reaches Out (AERO), and state outcomes.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) VIS can admit students with mild learning difficulties, and is non selective in
academic selection processes. The school employed a full time SEN Coordinator/Learning Support Teacher who worked with students, teachers and parents in all grade levels to provide support to access the curriculum. The following table shows the numbers of students in receipt of SEN Coordinator services during the year. Area of Service SEN Services Monitoring Extension External Therapy Services
Primary
Secondary
56 36 7 28
24 49 0 15
The numbers of students in receipt of services is slightly above the norm and this is likely due to the number of transient families, the impact of acquiring English, and the lack of some external services in Vientiane. Additional staffing for this important area has been made available for 2014/15. The work of external therapists, particularly for speech and occupation therapy, has been highly valued by families and staff.
Financial Outcomes This year has resulted in a balanced budget. The overall student growth forecast was not met, however increased applications, higher than expected return from interest on deposits, and a higher than usual number of EAL students provided income that was 0.6% above that forecast.
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life Total Tuition Income for the year was US$6,182,245. Year on year, the increase in tuition income from 2012-13 is US$617,445, which is growth of 11%.
USD
Income Received 7000000 6000000 5000000 4000000 3000000 2000000 1000000 0
Tuition Fees
Total Income
A corresponding 12% increase in total expenditure from 2012-13 to 2013-14 largely reflects increased staffing to cater for larger student numbers, greater course choice, and educational materials required. Expenditure for 2013/14 was 0.5% below budget.
15% 14%
71%
Operational Expenditure SY13-14 Administration Expenses Instructional Expenses Support Expenses
Total Operational Expenditure for the year was US$6,291,461. Operational expense categories are described below.
Instructional Expenses: Includes teacher salaries and benefits, teaching materials, programme resources and any other student activities such as MRISA and SALSA trips. Approximately US$4,490,000 in 2013-14. Administrative Expenses: Includes administration staff salaries and benefits, accreditation memberships, accounting and auditing, printing, software licenses and other administrative costs. Approximately US$844,000 in 2013-14. Support Expenses: Includes ground staff salaries and benefits, premises leasehold, loan interest, profit taxes, utilities, transport, ICT and school maintenance. Approximately US$957,000 in 2013-14. Capital income from the Annual Capital Fee is directed to the development of the facilities and significant capital investments. The section on Infrastructure and Facilities gives details on the projects within this financial area. Total Capital Income for the year amounted to $983,000. The major individual cost items within the Capital expenditure were: Furniture, air-conditioners and ICT for curriculum use: US$480,000. Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre and surrounds: US$267,000. Principal payment of bank loan: US$250,000. Renovation work on existing buildings: US$146,000.
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life Operational Income and Expenditure 7000000 6000000 5000000
Registration as a business has 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 is subject to 10% VAT. The school negotiated that the Annual Capital Fee is not subject to profit tax.
4000000 3000000 2000000 1000000 0 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 Tuition Fees Total Income Operational Expenditure
Lao law has no category for international, non-profit organizations and therefore ‘ownership’ of VIS is vested in the Director of the school, which is registered as a business. 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 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.
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 Infrastructure The school opened the new Fitness Centre and Swimming Pool for use in September 2013. This new building incorporates A weights training room A multi-purpose fitness room Two teaching spaces Change rooms and showers Office spaces for Physical Education staff Storage facilities A swim meet recording room An outdoor kitchen and café area Main 25 m x 8 lane pool Learn to swim pool
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Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life This new facility provided for curriculum expansion with the PYP students undertaking swimming lessons throughout the year. MYP students each added one swimming or aquatics based unit to the Physical Education and Health programme. The total cost for the facility, including the equipment and surrounds is approximately US$1,400,000. The Co-Curricular programme took advantage of the new pools with learn to swim sessions and a significant expansion of the swim team. A trial of recreational use of the swimming facilities for families on weekends was commenced and remains in place for the beginning of 2014/15.
The Early Years programme was revamped for 2013/14 as a Centre rather than separate programmes for age groups. This led to a redevelopment of the space including installation of drainpipes and coverage of the open canal to create a secluded play area. The construction of a new building which provided for supervised creative play completed the first stage of the Centre. Safety was improved through a reorganization of the car parking and drop off zones that was made possible when the new Fitness Centre was opened. The Drop Off Zone is now separated from the car parking and students can make their way to class under cover from the zone.
Staff Information
A one-to-one laptop programme was initiated for 2013/14 with students from grade 5 through grade 12 being provided with a leased Dell ultrabook with Microsoft Office suite. Students also had the option of selecting an Apple Macbook Air or Pro, or providing their own device which met the school’s specifications. Grades 4 and below were provided with a mixture of netbooks and iPads to ensure the availability of computer technology at all times in every classroom.
The school is reliant on the quality of staff to maintain the standards of education and support provided to students and families. Staffing policies continued to focus on retaining and attracting high quality expertise and ensuring that the structures within the school support collaborative practice. To that end, the school has continued the support for middle level leadership with provision of a formal leadership course which results in the awarding of a Diploma of Management to successful staff participants.
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Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life increased student numbers in the EAL programme and to allow for dual streams of mathematics classes in the MYP. The transition rate of teachers sits at between 15 and 20% per annum. This year we said farewell to a committed and professional group of staff who have contributed greatly to the development of the school during their tenure.
The staff compensation strategy was brought to completion this year with a major benchmarking process against regional international schools and organizations. This process set standards for roles and compensation for support staff and teaching staff. The outcome of the compensation strategy can be seen in the improvement of average retention periods of teaching staff increasing by six months in the past three years and these retention periods are now at a regional average. This enhanced retention of teaching staff improves the continuity and sustainability of the programmes. This year saw the commencement of an additional language acquisition course in Mandarin Chinese resulting in the addition of one new teacher for the course, initially in the PYP. In forthcoming years, the increased choices for students will require the addition of more Mandarin Chinese teachers in the MYP and DP. Mandarin Chinese joins French as the languages for study. Other additions to the staff were provided to cater for
Leaving Staff in 2013-2014 Name Position Kim Green Secondary Principal Philip Graham Activities Director/PE Orisa (Addie) Assistant to the Secondary Thavisack Principal Anna Cervantes PYP Performing Arts Merrilee Mills MYP Performing Arts Yoris Wilson MYP Performing Arts/PE Nick Broom MYP/DP Science Kerryn Arthur PYP Dana Mamish PYP Helen Keogh PYP Patrick Durkin MYP Mathematics Catherine O’Brien PYP Claire Butler MYP Humanities Ulrich Gibitz German Mother Tongue Kathy Burtcher PYP Peterson Shyama Youenis PYP A continued focus of the school has been investment in training and professional Development. A significant project based around Inquiry Learning was brought to a close with a series of workshops hosted by VIS for regional schools. The workshops were presented by internationally renowned educator, Kath Murdoch.
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Activities and Events Vientiane International School is proud to be a founding member of the Mekong River International Schools Association (MRISA). This association of schools meets for regular sporting, artistic and leadership activities. The sporting tournaments include volleyball, basketball and football (soccer) for girls and boys at junior and senior secondary levels. In 2013/14 VIS was represented in all tournaments with results shown in the table below. Tournament Senior football Junior football Senior basketball Junior basketball Senior volleyball Junior volleyball
Girls Boys 5th 5th 6th 7th 6th 4th 5th 7th 8th 5th Cancelled due to unrest in HCMC
The senior football tournament was hosted by VIS which required a massive effort by the whole community to host all the competitors from participating schools. The support of the community in providing homes allows continued involvement in MRISA events and is a major attraction for the students who are part of travelling teams. Football, volleyball and basketball competitions for primary, junior and senior squads were also held within the Vientiane Schools Sports Association, an organization that has been strongly supported by VIS.
Swimming became a more established sport with the opening of the swimming pool facility in 2013/14. The Mekong Dolphins Swim Team hosted a swim meet at the school in December which was attended by the team members and invited guests from local schools. This was a great success in promoting the sport of swimming. A representative team participated in a swim meet in Phuket in
May to strong acclaim. Nearly every eligible student participated and the team returned having been awarded a special trophy for the best supporter base.
The Co-Curricular Programme consists of sessions of optional activities offered after school. Primary students access activities within four sessions of approximately 8 weeks, and secondary students choose from semester based sessions of approximately 16 weeks. This year there were a total of 85 different activities offered within the Co-Curricular Programme. These activities were undertaken by a total of 352 students out of a possible 450.
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Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life Other significant events arranged by the school during the year which parents and students supported strongly included: PYP concerts, Secondary performing arts musical and theater shows Grade 12 Art Exhibition Grade 10 Personal Project Exhibition PYP Exhibition Pi Mai Lao Assembly VIS Idol Francophone Day Celebrate Mother Tongue Day Athletics and Swimming carnivals Grade 12 graduation
Community Partnerships The Parents and Friends Association (P&F) continued to be a strong contributor to the culture and enrichment of the school. The Association arranged a number of events through the year and provided funds for additional equipment to enrich the education of our students. The P&F was an enthusiastic supporter of the Sister School project and raised funds specifically to support this Student Council initiative. Notable highlights of the year’s support include: International Peace One Day Class liaison parents Fun Fair Halloween Night Garage Sale and Support for purchase of timing equipment for the swimming pool
The P&F and parent members have also been instrumental in support for a number of specific initiatives including the Scholastic Book Club, assisting during field trips, and support for festivals and celebrations. The Dragon Café is a service managed by contractors, who also happen to be parents of a VIS student. The Dragon Café was awarded the food services contract after a competitive tender process during the year. This continues a long association with the school providing service since the campus opened.
Phu Bia Mining Passport To The Future Scholarship
The Phu Bia sponsorship of two students in the Passport To The Future programme came to an end in 2013/14 as scholarship recipient, Natalie Vongkhamsao graduated. This scholarship has supported two very worthy Lao students to attend VIS and gain their IB Diploma. Natalie’s strong performance also resulted in her winning a place in the Australian government scholarship scheme. She joins fellow VIS alumni, Pan Keobolith, as recipients of these prestigious scholarships this year.
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Strategic Planning During the last half of 2013/14 a group of 25 staff, students and community members met over several sessions to map out the major direction for school over the period to 2020. This strategic direction has been called the 2020 VISion. The major areas that the school will focus on for the next five years are: Fostering Diversity Maintaining Strong Languages Recognising Needs and Talents Enriching Curricular Choices Ensuring a Comprehensive Co-Curricular Programme. These major areas were approved by the Board of Trustees and will form the basis of working parties to develop action plans during 2014/15. A clear and strong sense of community was integral to the strategic direction approved by the Board on behalf of the present and future community. Decisions to cap growth at 600 students, and to remain on the current campus as an Early Years to Grade 12 school will be significant in determining the type of school that VIS will continue to be.
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Vientiane International School Inspiring, Challenging and Preparing for Life
Mekong River International Schools Association
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