American International School, Abu Dhabi Explained

American International School, Abu Dhabi should not be confused with Abu Dhabi International School.

The American International School of Abu Dhabi (AISA)
Founder:ESOL Education
School Board:International Baccalaureate (IB), American Curriculum
Director:Andrew Torris
Head Name:Secondary School Principal
Head:Brian Kelley
Head Name2:Elementary School Principal
Head2:Katrina Bloom
Region:Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Ratio:10:1 (Student-to-teacher)
Hours In Day:7 hours
Student Union:Elementary StuCo, Middle School StuCo, High School StuCo
Athletics Conference:Near East Schools Activities Conference (NESAC)
Fees:$8,386 (AED 30800) to $15,247 (AED 56000)
Motto:Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders, Today
Coordinates:24.4297°N 54.4308°W
Affiliations:IB-PYP, IBDP, American Diploma
Alumni:Khalid Al Ameri
School Number:117

The American International School, Abu Dhabi is a private international K-12 school offering an American curriculum. The college-preparatory IB Diploma Program (IBDP)[1] is offered in grades 11 and 12, and the IB Primary Years Program (IBPYP)[2] is offered from KG to Grade 5. The school is coeducational in elementary, and gender-segregated in secondary (except for students taking the IB Diploma Program, where it remains coeducational).

History of AISA

The American International School of Abu Dhabi was founded in 1995 by ESOL Education. It was officially founded to serve American and other expatriate communities residing in Abu Dhabi.

Campus details

The school is located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The school has two libraries, a prayer mosque, a drama room, an art room, a music room, a swimming pool, six science laboratories, 2 AstroTurf pitches, two gymnasiums, two outdoor basketball courts, and a sports field used for soccer tournaments and major outdoor events.

The campus accommodates three levels of schooling. The elementary level consists of 700 students, the middle school level consists of 395 students, and the high school level consists of 650 students. The school is coeducational in elementary, and gender-segregated in secondary. The total number of students is approximately 1,380 students, and the students come from around 75 countries.

The American International School, Abu Dhabi's campus is located in proximity to the Embassy of the United States to the United Arab Emirates.

International and national accreditations

AISA is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools,[3] the Council of International Schools,[4] and the UAE Ministry of Education. It is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programs. AISA is a full member of both the Near East South Asian Association of Overseas Schools (NESA) as well as the European Council of International Schools (ECIS).[5]

Curriculum

The school in offers an American high school diploma program and the International Baccalaureate program. Students in Kindergarten to grade 5 follow the U.S. Curriculum within the IB Primary Years Program (IB-PYP). In grades 6–9, students continue to follow the American curriculum. High school students can choose between the U.S. High School Diploma, or the IB Diploma Program. In secondary, student work is graded using Standard Based Grading (SBG).

Arabic and Islamic subjects are maintained by the UAE Ministry of Education, and secondary science subjects follow the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Activities

AISA is a member of two leagues, the local UAE league that is composed of international schools in the country, called Emirates Athletics Conference (EAC), and the international league that is participated by the schools from all over the MENA region which is the OASIS Activities Conference (OAC).[6] Among the sports offered at AISA are basketball, volleyball, badminton, soccer, swimming, and track and field. Other sports such as softball and handball are only played during P.E., but not after school or in a league.

ADEK Inspection Report

The ADEK Inspection Report has labelled the American International School of Abu Dhabi as a "very good" school. Strengths in academics were outlined; however, the report further published shortcomings of the Arabic language curriculum.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: IB for young pupils offered in capital. 7 January 2009. The National UAE. 7 January 2009.
  2. Web site: International Baccalaureate®. IBO.org. 15 May 2016.
  3. Web site: Search Our Members . MSA-CESS . 2015-11-18 . 2016-01-16 . 2021-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210923173135/https://www.msa-cess.org/default.aspx?RelID=606553 . dead .
  4. Web site: Membership Directory . Councils of International Schools .
  5. Web site: American International School in Abu Dhabi. www.aisa.sch.ae. 2019-01-24.
  6. Web site: OASIS Activities Conference . 2014-11-12 . 2016-01-16.
  7. Web site: Re-appointment of Mr. Patrick Rich. Abushakra. Bassam. The American International School of Abu Dhabi. Esol Education. 16 October 2018.