One of the difficulties facing Department-assisted overseas schools is their isolation from current education developments in the United States. To help overcome the obstacles caused by distance from the United States, OS has long supported, through technical and grant assistance, the development of regional associations. These associations provide Department-assisted overseas schools with a variety of educational services, including in-service training of staff, purchasing and recruitment services, and materials development. OS has established and assists the following eight regional education associations.
Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA)
Established in 1961 AASSA's mission is to broaden the dimensions of education and to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in member schools. The schools it serves are international schools throughout South America. They vary in size, facilities, and composition of student bodies, and they are all private, nonprofit, college preparatory schools offering a predominantly American curriculum taught in English. By combining U.S. and host country courses of study, many of the schools grant both host-country and U.S. diplomas. All AASSA schools are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
A major focus of AASSA's efforts is devoted to annual in-service programs for overseas school personnel. These programs occur at the annual conference and at training workshops held throughout the academic year and during the summer. In September 2007, AASSA held its annual School Head and Board Member Conference in Miami, Florida. Among the topics discussed were the roles of and boundaries between the school board, the head of school, the faculty and the parent body and principles of leadership. AASSA's annual education conference for school directors, curriculum coordinators and teachers was held in October 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The conference agenda included presentations on leading schools through the accreditation process, coaching for teachers, and building and sustaining professional learning communities. The Association will also host an International Chief Administrators Conference in December 2007 in Miami, Florida. Plans for 2008 include a Teachers' Conference with the theme "Embracing Our Connections" to be held in January in Valencia, Venezuela. The 2008 Spring conference for teachers, librarians, and business managers will be held in April in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and the annual educators' conference will take place in Bogota, Colombia, in October, 2008.
Association of American Schools of Schools in Central America, Columbia-Caribbean, and Mexico (Tri-Association)
The Tri-Association was established to provide services and information to three regional educational associations: the Association of American Schools of Central America, the Association of Colombian-Caribbean American Schools, and the Association of American Schools of Mexico. The combined membership of these associations totals approximately 60 schools.
In 2007, the Tri-Association held its annual conference, Developing an Environment for Student Well-Being and Learning, in October in Puerto Vallarta. Topics included curriculum design, advanced placement strategies, a comprehensive orientation program for new hires, school finances, and school boards.
In the 2007-2008 school year, the Association will develop a project for OSAC, Building Acculturation Resilience in International/American Students, which addresses the development, implementation, and support for a counseling program specifically designed for international/American students.
Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA)AISA has a membership of approximately 98 international schools (nursery, elementary and/or secondary), representing international schools in the continent of Africa. These schools range in size from 20 to 3,600 students and comprise a total of nearly 26,000 students and over 1,500 teachers and administrators.
AISA's mission "is to facilitate improvement in learning and teaching through communication and cooperation among member schools, and to promote professional growth of teachers, administrators, and board members." The Association hosts two regional conferences each year for teachers and administrators in the organization. In addition, an All-Africa Administrators' conference is also held each year on a rotating regional basis. In October 2007, AISA held the East Africa Teachers' Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, and the West Africa Teachers' Conference and an All Africa Administrators in Accra, Ghana. Topics at the pre-conference institutes and at the conferences included presentations on leadership, teaching strategies, literacy activities, conflict resolution and cultural awareness, and early childhood literacy.
AISA has also contributed several projects, sponsored by the Overseas Schools Advisory Council, to improve the educational programs of international schools. Among these is a comprehensive web site dedicated to guidance and counseling for trained counselors as well as teachers and administrators not trained in this subject. The site includes topics on designing a comprehensive guidance and counseling program, information on college counseling, crisis intervention, and personal and social counseling. It also includes an extensive Internet resource section. Another project that AISA contributed is Count Me In - Developing Inclusive International Schools, which assists schools in implementing inclusive programs for special needs children. It is now in its fourth printing and is available at www.state.gov/m/a/os/c14528.htm. In 2007-2008, in cooperation with the East Asia Regional Council of International Schools, AISA is developing a project, Managing the Journey: Managing Change for Differentiated Instruction in International Schools in Africa and East Asia, which will provide training for teachers in differentiated instruction and guidance for administrators on how to ensure that classroom implementation is successful. In addition, the project will contain provision for parent workshops and advice on how they can advocate for their children while, at the same time, building a strong partnership with the school.
The Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA)
CEESA was founded as a result of the growth of American and international schools in Central and Eastern Europe, which, in many cases, were geographically isolated from each other and from the mainstream of American and international education. CEESA's main mission is to promote professional growth by providing services for its member schools, educators and administrative staff, and by developing programs for students in these schools. CEESA sponsors non-athletic events for students such as debate tournaments, high school and middle school knowledge bowl competitions, and a music festival. It also sponsors a sports league with 28 competitive areas for middle and high school students. Among the many services CEESA offers to member schools is a group medical program and discounts with shipping companies for school equipment and supplies.
The Association holds an annual conference for teachers, a small school institute for administrators, and a fall and spring Board of Directors' meeting for school board members. In 2007, the conference was held in March in Prague, Czech Republic. Among the topics covered were letters of recommendation, conflict mediation program, peer coaching, and storytelling in the classroom. In addition to the annual conference, CEESA sponsored a special needs institute with session on giftedness and on learning disabilities in October. In 2008, the annual conference will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.
CEESA has contributed several projects that the Overseas Schools Advisory Council has sponsored. These include Creating a Comprehensive Emergency Procedures Manual for Overseas Schools in 1998 and two additional revisions, one in 2003 and one in 2006. The 2006 revision includes a new chapter entitled Emerging Infectious Diseases/Pandemic Flu with a series of charts outlining steps to be taken in the event of a pandemic disease. The revised/updated version has been widely distributed to Department-assisted overseas schools and other international schools. It can also be accessed on the Internet at www.state.gov/m/a/os/c17197.htm. In 2007-2008, CEESA will develop another revision to the Manual dealing with terrorism and trauma.
East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS)
EARCOS' membership numbers 105 elementary and secondary schools in East Asia. These schools have a total of more than 72,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students.
EARCOS' primary goal is to provide professional development for educators in the overseas schools in the East Asia region. EARCOS sponsors two conferences a year: one for administrators in November and one for teachers in March. These conferences consist of workshops, job-alike sessions, keynote addresses, and vendor exhibits on current educational materials and supplies. EARCOS also coordinates weekend workshops for teachers during the school year, hosted by member schools, on such topics as learning styles, assessment, writing skills, organizational development, early childhood literacy, English language learners, and technology.
In 2007, the annual teachers' conference was held in March in Bangkok, Thailand. Topics included multiple intelligence, children's literature, learning and behavioral difficulties, technology, and understanding children's temperament. The theme of the administrators' conference, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November 2007 was "Envision the Future." Some of the topics covered were on creating a teachers' evaluation program, a cross-cultural perspective on educational leadership and creative tools for teaching values.
In 2007-2008, EARCOS is cooperating with AISA in developing the OSAC project Managing the Journey: Managing Change for Differentiated Instruction in International Schools in Africa and East Asia. (see AISA above for additional information).
European Council of International Schools (ECIS)
ECIS is an international school membership organization that provides services to support the professional development of teachers, staff administrators, and board trustees, to develop and evaluate school curriculum and instruction, and to strengthen leadership and school governance. Member schools are located in Europe and throughout the world.
Among its many services, ECIS holds an annual conference in the fall, which includes not only teachers and school administrative staff, but also administrative assistants and secretaries. Approximately 3,000 delegates attend this conference. Some of the topics are teaching art, Advanced Placement, teaching music, community service, cross-cultural issues, special needs for both gifted and learning disabled children, early childhood education, guidance and counseling, environmental education, and information technology. ECIS also holds an annual administrator's conference in April, which attracts approximately 500 school directors, their deputies, senior teachers, board trustees, development officers, and business managers. This conference is an in-depth review of current educational issues.
In November 2007, the annual ECIS conference, held in Madrid, Spain, included the presentation "American Education Update: New Initiative and Best Practices" followed by a panel discussion .on the latest developments in U.S. public and private education. Participants included Robert Gross, Regional Education Officer, Office of Overseas Schools; Dr. Edward Hatrick, Superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia; Dr. Gerald Tirozzi, Executive Director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals; Barry Stark, President of the National Association of Secondary School Principals and Principal of Norris Middle School, Firth, Nebraska; and Alan Michelson, past President of the National Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals and Principal, Crodill-Mason Elementary School, Blue Springs, Missouri.
Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS)MAIS was established in 1981 and represents 25 schools located in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Cyprus. All MAIS schools offer an American-based curriculum, although their geographic location and diversity of their student bodies and communities are an important influence on their educational programs.
The Association emphasizes professional development in its services for teachers, administrators, and school board members. MAIS sponsors an annual conference in November for teachers and administrators. In 2007, the annual conference, "Carpe Diem: Seizing the Teachable Moments," was held in November in Rome, Italy.
MAIS has developed several projects funded by the Overseas Schools Advisory Council, among which are MAIS ZOOM, which integrates new technology into the science curricula in grades 6-8; Integration of Science and Mathematics Instruction in Grades K-6; a standards-based science and mathematics curriculum instruction and assessment project; and ECO-MAIS, which assists international schools to develop, construct and use schoolyard habitats as study sites. In 2007-2008, MAIS will develop MAIS ZOOM/2, an extension of MAIS ZOOM. This project will extend the project to students in grades 3 through 5 plus transitional grade 6, combining microscopy with digital cameras and computers to zoom in on microscopic worlds.
Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA)
NESA's membership includes more than 75 international schools in the Near East and South Asia. Its mission is to facilitate sustainable and systemic school improvement, based on the best practices of American and international education in order to maximize student learning. In October of the 2006-2007 school year, the Association held its annual Leadership Conference in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, for administrators, business managers, trustees, technology coordinators, and curriculum coordinators. Several institutes were offered, two of which were for school board members and for business managers. Topics covered at the conference included accreditation, best practices in math and science, teacher supervision, and teaching in the digital age.
During the 2007-2008 school year, NESA will offer a number of professional development opportunities for educators working in member schools: the Fall Leadership Conference in Bangkok, October 25-28; the Fall Training Institute in Bahrain, November 2-3; the Winter Training Institute in Bahrain, January 25-26; and the Spring Educators Conference in Bangkok, April 5-7. The programs feature keynote presentations, general interest seminars, extended ?institutes' and member-produced workshops. More information about these events can be found on the NESA website at www.nesascenter.org.
In addition, NESA is involved in developing several major projects to improve the educational programs of member schools.
? NESA Virtual School: This project, supported by OS, provides a means for students and teachers, within and among the 18 participating school communities to learn about and benefit from an online academic environment. Now going into its sixth year, the project has developed momentum from the broad utility of a shared Blackboard online learning platform for support of ongoing academic programs, community and emergency communication, and professional development - both locally and regionally.
? NESA Virtual Science Fair (NVSF) and NESA Virtual Science Fair 5th Project (NVSF5th ): NVSF involves 12 middle schools of which ten are in NESA, one in AISA and one in EARCOS. The NVSF allows students to shift from the traditional science fair, which is totally physical in nature to a hybrid science fair which allows for virtual modes. Using "Blackboard", which is currently used in many NESA schools, as the platform to create virtual communities of schools and virtual regions lends to a more transformative view wherein students can use the power of e-learning and to enhance their "hands-on" science skills above and beyond the realm of the lab: sharing and interacting with both other students in other schools and with experts in science, academia, and professional life. This middle school based program has become a very successful project that crosses geopolitical borders in the Middle East and allows students from over 60 countries to participate in a scientific research and multi-cultural exchange project. At the end of 2006/07, almost 900 students in 9 schools interacted with 350 virtual e-mentors from over 50 U.S. universities including additional science education faculty in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
In spring 2007, the NVSF also expanded vertically by creating the 5th grade NVSF called the NVSF5th Project, which is supported by OS and Overseas Schools Advisory Council. NESA administered a beta test with three schools and then was awarded a seed-grant through OS to expand the project by providing training, curriculum development, and support for 5th grade teachers. Through a grant from OSAC, the project has expanded to seven schools for the 2007-2008 school year. The NVSF continues to break new ground in the areas of collaborative online education.
MAPS: This project will develop a standardized "Measure of Academic Progress" (MAP) instrument for use in NESA schools, one that is grounded in standards, including the "Project AERO" standards. It is a multi-year collaborative effort among ten NESA schools, the NESA Center and the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), which has developed the MAPS concept.
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