India, Chennai: American International School - Chennai
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Released by the Office of Overseas Schools
Washington, DC
American International School-ChennaiWeb: www.aisch.org
The American International School - Chennai (AISC), founded in 1995, is a non-profit, independent, coeducational day school. It offers a U.S.-style educational program from preschool (3+ years) through grade 12 for American and international students who are temporary residents of India.
2008-2009
Organization: The School is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors. The U.S. Ambassador appoints 3 members, one of whom serves as his personal representative and usually is the Chair of the Board. The remaining 4 members are elected from the School Association, comprised of the parents and guardians of registered AISC students.
Curriculum: The curriculum follows a college-preparatory program, leading to a U.S. High School Diploma. Instruction is in English, and most study materials are imported from the United States. Core and non-core subjects include language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages (French and Spanish), and computer studies in grades K-12. There are also specialized classes for art, health and PE, music, library, publications, programming and multimedia (high school), ESL, learning disabilities, and Indian Studies. AISC offers the Advanced Placement Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP); courses are scheduled on a year-to-year basis. Field trips are incorporated into the curriculum wherever possible. The School offers a full program of after-school activities in grades 1-12. AISC is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Council of International Schools and is approved by the Association of Indian Colleges and Universities.
Faculty: In the 2008-2009 school year, there are 97 full-time faculty members, of whom 69 hold advanced degrees. The faculty comes from the United States, Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Malaysia, and France. The student/teacher ratio is 7:1. The ratio of overseas-hired staff to local staff is 56:44.
Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, enrollment was 702, representing 29 nationalities (PK- Kdg: 77, grades 1-5: 311; grades 6-8: 133; and grades 9-12: 181). Of the total, 173 were U.S. citizens, 59 were host-country nationals, and 470 were third-country nationals. Of the U.S. enrollment, 22 were children of U.S. government direct-hire or contract employees and 151of private U.S. companies.
Facilities: The main classroom wing houses two floors of classrooms, libraries with 23,000 volumes, health office, elementary art studio, computer labs with 377 dedicated instructional computers, and ESL and special needs suites. Three science labs, two art studios, the foreign languages complex, the music room, the cafeteria, and the administrative offices are housed in the adjoining building. All classrooms are air-conditioned. Indoor facilities at the air-conditioned Sports Hall include a full-size basketball arena, indoor soccer, badminton and volleyball courts, and a fitness room. Four rooftop tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court, a soccer pitch, running tracks, and a 25-meter swimming pool complete the sports facilities.
Finances: In the 2008-2009 school year, annual tuition rates are as follows: PS: $3,600; Kdg.-grade 5: $16,300; grades 6-8: $16,600; and grades 9-12: $18,600. The School charges a registration fee of $3,000 and a capital fee of $5,000 (both one-time and nonrefundable) and an application fee of $150. Fees, except for the application fee, are payable in U.S. dollars. (All fees are quoted in U.S. dollars.)
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