Download the Special Needs Profile (2023 Special Needs- Costa Rica, San Jose, AISCR) for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.
The American International School of Costa Rica (AIS) is a private, nonprofit association founded in 1970. The school serves students from preschool through grade 12. The school year runs from August through June. At least 80% of our graduates every year continue their college education overseas.
Organization: Parents of enrolled students are the voting members of the Association, which is governed by a Board of Directors (6 positions + 1 fiscal). The Board is elected from and by the parents every 2 years. The school is a member of the following organizations: AASCA (Association of American Schools Central America), Tri-Association, NHS, NCAA, ACEP (Association of Private Schools in CR), and NAESP. AIS is a UNESCO Candidate School, which reinforces its commitment to Child Protection and Environmental Care.
Curriculum: English is the official language of instruction; fluency in Spanish is also achieved. Student-centered education is provided through small class sizes. Students at AIS can earn both the U.S. and Costa Rican High School Diplomas. The school offers Advanced Placement courses (APs) for U.S. college credits and MATEM courses for local university credits. Standardized exams are taken at school (MAP, PSAT and SAT). The curriculum is aligned with SACS, and class programming is supported by AERO. AIS is accredited by AdvancED / Cognia and the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. The school offers a very strong Learning Support Program (LSP) to service students with unique learning requirements. English-as-Second-Language (ESL) and Spanish-as-Second-Language (SSL) programs are also available. The school offers online – asynchronous hybrid education for the students who need to travel and/or stay home due to special situations.
This is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2022 and provided by the school.
NOTE: School situations can change quickly, particularly as schools face cutbacks to learning support programs due to the pandemic, unrest, and economic uncertainty. For the most current information, work with the REO and school. Information in this document was collected by the Department of State’s Office of Overseas Schools directly from the school in fall 2022 and shows the availability of services rather than an assessment of the quality of the services. The profile is intended as a jumping off point for a conversation with the REO and school to understand the best fit for your child. Definitions may vary school to school.
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