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School Design

Each International Studies School has a mission to create a learning and child development environment in which every student is ready to compete, connect, and cooperate within a global community. All students will be ready for college or other post-secondary education of their choice.

To achieve this mission, each school must help students develop the new knowledge and skills that they will need in an ever-shrinking world and to blend it with a core curriculum in ways that ultimately contribute to students’ overall intelligence.

ISSN school design begins with a definition of “what success looks like” in the form of a Graduate Profile. The Graduate Profile delineates the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to be college ready and globally competent. In turn, the School Design Matrix provides a comprehensive approach to school mission and culture; curriculum, assessment, and instruction; school organization and governance; teachers’ professional development; and parent and community involvement. The matrix guides the implementation of best practices needed to achieve the tenets of the Graduate Profile.

The ISSN school design enables schools to develop:

  • An intellectual mission focused on international studies that targets educational excellence for every student
  • A curriculum that meets state standards and integrates international content throughout all subject areas
  • Engaging, inquiry-based instruction and multiple forms of assessment that promote deep understanding
  • The opportunity for students to study one or more world languages, including an Asian language
  • Innovative uses of technology that support instruction and linkages to schools around the world
  • A school culture that promotes a sense of belonging for every student and supports students’ personal growth
  • Opportunities for student and teacher international travel and exchanges
  • Internships and community service opportunities at internationally oriented businesses, cultural institutions, and universities
  • Engagement of faculty in continuous high-quality professional development including international travel and exchange

 

 

 


 

Graduate profile

School design matrix

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