This “test” is a joy to observe as are the multiple methods our early childhood specialists employ to establish how to best serve our youngest ones. Last week at Shanghai American School, we welcomed many new students for their own pre-school readiness assessments. They colored on paper, demonstrated their visual and auditory abilities and hopped, skipped and jumped to show that they were all set for the exciting school journey ahead.

As adults, we have been “getting ready,” too. My wife Mona and I have been warmly welcomed to the Shanghai American School community. We are so pleased to be a part of this school, this place rich with opportunities for children to grow from wide-eyed youngsters barely able to reach their far ear to clear-visioned adults capable of creating interesting lives of their own. We are embarking together and will enjoy each step.

 So, what is the Shanghai American School?  What is SAS?  What are the defining elements of this place called “School”? 

Is it buildings and books?  Of course. 
Is it lessons in Chinese and English Lit, in Chemistry and Physics?  Definitely. 
Is it scratching our heads over a multimedia production and touching our toes in Phys Ed?  You bet. 
Is it kindergarteners telling stories at show-and-tell and freshmen giving speeches on genealogy?  Certainly.

But, at the core, SAS is not bricks and mortar, syllabi and SATs.  SAS is a partnership between students and parents and teachers, a gathering of home and school as each child is supported along the path of learning. The best education requires caring adults who engage in cooperatively raising each child. SAS is a belief that each child deserves the concerted efforts of the adults most concerned about their success.

 SAS is a broad spectrum of learning, a place where the expectations for each child and their supporting partners will strive for excellence. Rigorous, appropriate and challenging academics will engage us in multiple languages, mathematics, sciences, and social studies so that each child understands the basics of our heritage. Within these walls, fascinating special fields of discovery in the arts and the humanities will encourage the development of creativity and innovation. We will develop healthy bodies and minds while actively participating in exercise and clearly encouraging positive attitudes toward ourselves and our environment so that we become insightful stewards of each other and the wider world. Each of us can take advantage of extended days, a wide range of after-school activities that expand our capabilities and create curious and lifelong learners. We can expect many chances for service, those interdisciplinary connections that establish the aptitudes required in future leaders in this multi-cultural, very interconnected world.

SAS is a commitment to the future. Obviously, each child is a partner in life in the twenty-first century.  And this year, our commitment to the future includes the SAS institution itself.  This year, we will engage the entire community in a strategic planning effort.   We will look to the future needs of students involved in international education in Shanghai and develop a course that will guide us over the next years. All of you are invited to participate in this visioning process. We will reach for our future together.

As in any great effort, we are required to bring the best of ourselves to the process. And, in this way, we are determined to make SAS a pledge, a place where we energetically engage with our children as parents and staff, as mentors and guides. This promise will ensure that our students develop the skills, attitudes and dispositions so needed in tomorrow’s global society.

This is a most enjoyable stretch.  This is SAS.
SAS is People 

Our school is comprised of students, parents, family members, teachers and support staff.  And, we have excellent leadership to guide us in our efforts.
This year, we are led by two outstanding international educators as deputy superintendents.  Andrew Torris will oversee the schools at the Pudong campus.  Alan Knobloch will direct the daily operations on the Puxi campus.  As opportunities arise for parents, students and staff to work on campus-wide issues, please seek out these deputies to assist with any of your interests.
Other schoolwide personnel join us in providing services to both campuses. 

• David Leung offers accountability and stability as Chief Financial Officer.
• Alicia Lewis coordinates the instructional curriculum and our staff
 professional development program.
• TK Ostrom, Director of Admission, fills our campuses with talented students.
• Helene Reiter, supports all our staff as Director of Human Resources.
• Fred Rogers directs advancement initiatives in communications,
 fund-raising and alumni affairs.

Each division is led by a highly-committed administrative team, principals and vice principals focused on the provision of educational support for the teachers, support staff, parents and students. 

Pudong Campus Elementary – Sacha McVean and Jason Robinson
Puxi Campus Elementary – Debra Lane and Michelle Baxter
Pudong Campus Middle School – Jeff Rosen and Karl Poulin
Puxi Campus Middle School – Brad Latzke and Theron Mott
Pudong Campus High School – Jonathan Borden and Tom Burgess
Puxi Campus High School – Ed Kidd and Michael Sheehan

By Dr. Kerry JACOBSON, Superintendent, Shanghai American School

The Shanghai American School Vision Statement says that “By 2012, the Shanghai American School will be recognized as a leading international school in Asia and the world.” 

My one year here at SAS confirms that we don’t have to wait until 2012 for this vision to be realized.  We are NOW one of the premier international schools in the world.  This view is supported by a wide range of data:

US News and World Report has developed a measure of school success called the Challenge Index.  One takes the total number of AP and IB exams taken at a school and divides by the number of seniors.  By that measure both SAS campuses rate higher than any other school in Asia, and SAS would rank 30th among all of the very best schools in the United States.

This past year 100% of our IB diploma candidates, on both campuses, received their IB diplomas.

Standardized test scores at every division (elementary, middle and high schools) on both campuses confirm that our students are achieving at an extraordinarily high level.

In our annual community satisfaction survey 90% of our parents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My child is happy to be a student at Shanghai American School.”  More than 83% of our parents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Overall, SAS is an outstanding school that meets the needs of our children and our family.” These are ratings that any school would envy.

For each of the past two years more than two hundred students have transferred to SAS from other schools in Shanghai.  We remain a school of choice within Shanghai.

The number, diversity and quality of extracurricular activities offered at SAS are nothing short of astonishing. 
I have truly been proud to have been a part of SAS this past year.  It has been a joy to attend conferences for heads of international schools who would desire to attain the successes that we have enjoyed at SAS.  Some of the best known international schools in Asia have visited SAS to learn how we implemented technology into our instructional programs so effectively.  Specifically, they are eager to emulate the success of our one-to-one laptop program. (It is important to recognize the extraordinary work of Deputy Superintendent Andy Torris in this regard.) 

Many of our teachers have been asked to present at conferences around the world, and each has represented SAS effectively.  I have been honored to work with committed and capable teachers at all levels, and I simply cannot say enough about the quality and commitment of our administrative team.  Shanghai American School has much of which to be justifiably proud.

As proud of our successes as we have a right to be, no institution can rest on its laurels.  We must continually set goals for ourselves to ensure that in the years to come students at SAS will continue to be able to brag about the quality of their school. The following are challenges we will be facing in the near future:

This coming year SAS will be developing a new strategic plan through which we will identify goals that will drive the school for the next few years. With its two campuses SAS may be one of the more complex international schools in the world, and some of the strategic issues we face may well be unique to SAS.  It is critical that parents and faculty members actively participate in the process.  The school needs input from as broad a range of people committed to SAS as is possible.  Basically, we need to have access to the thoughts and perspectives of every parent and faculty member.

Next spring the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will be sending a visiting committee to SAS to verify that we have been making progress on the eight critical areas for follow up that were left for the school last year.  Led by Andy Torris and Alicia Lewis our educational team has made excellent progress on many of these recommendations.  There are, however, areas that remain to be addressed.

The reputation that Shanghai American School has deservedly earned is predicated on the work of the teachers who work with our students every day.  If our parents lose confidence in their children’s teachers, the school’s reputation will diminish rapidly.  We must ensure our ability to attract and retain great teachers to SAS at every grade level.  The number of international schools is expanding rapidly and with it the options available to teachers.  Statistics confirm that fewer people are entering the teaching profession.  All of this confirms that the competition for great teachers will not diminish in the near future.  We need to ensure that 1) our salary and benefit package remains competitive; 2) our reputation as an excellent place to teach, where teachers at all grade levels are honored and respected, is retained; 3) our current teachers find SAS a school in which they can continue to find professional and personal satisfaction for years to come; and 4) we retain a high quality, long serving administrative team.

The opportunity to join the SAS community this year has been something that my wife Mary and I have greatly appreciated.  As I prepare to leave I do so with the confidence that SAS has the capability of building on the truly inspirational successes of the past to ensure that SAS students in future years will be able to claim as do our current students that SAS is one of the best international schools in the world.

George Bernard Shaw once said that, “It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics.”

While I don’t expect anyone to be moved by the results of our satisfaction survey, but I was buoyed by the positive results.

It has been a traditional activity at SAS to collect information from our parent community about their satisfaction of the programs and ancillary services at SAS.  This collection of

statistics has been quoted in annual reports, as they are this year, used in accreditation and quoted by administrators and board members.  I don’t know if the aforementioned Mr. Shaw was right but the SAS community may consider the following numbers as a clear indication of our school community’s belief in our programs. It is clear from the respondents, that the community seems happy with the programs provided for their children.

According to the results of the 2009-2010 SAS Community Satisfaction Survey say that…
90% strongly agree or agree that their children are happy at Shanghai American School.  Among the respondents only 8 people responded with a disagree or strongly disagree response. 84% of the respondents strongly agree or agree that SAS is an outstanding school that meets the needs of their children and their family.
95% and 96% respectively goes to the security and safety measures at SAS.  The community respondents feel that the school is both safe and secure as well as well maintained.
Shanghai American School is a well-resourced school with excellent technology resources for our students.  87% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that SAS has very good educational resources and 82% felt strongly that the technology resources were strong.  
85% strongly agree or agree that high quality instruction is provided in the Language Arts (English speaking, reading and writing).
85% strongly agree or agree that the instruction in Physical Education is of high quality.

Science, mathematics, social studies, Chinese, French and Spanish languages are also believed to be strong by our school community.  These areas average to 75% with the low percentage being Math and the high returns to the languages.  

Resources for parents and families also saw a dramatic increase in this years survey. Responding to strongly agree or agree the SAS parent community believe that SAS uses technology to share information (86%), that parents feel welcome at the school (82%), and showing a 21 point percentage jump, parents reported that they were able to access the online teacher survey.

Teachers and their efforts do not go unnoticed. Parents report that the reporting and grading practices are clear and easy to understand. They report that teachers have high expectations and challenge the SAS students to do their best work.

85% of parents feel that the counseling services support their child’s learning, social and emotional development. 
70% of parents strongly agree or agree that the board and administration effectively guide the work of the school and keep them informed of what is going on in the community. This measure shows an 11 percentage point jump from last year.

The survey, by and large, is very positive and in nearly all categories there were some increases. This being only the 2nd year that we have used this version of the survey, I believe it may be a bit premature to make any assumptions from our work. Areas that need to be watched or more questions need to be asked focus on:

45% of the parent community feels we use financial resources appropriately. It should be noted that this figure increased 7% from last year.
54% of the parent community believes that the board is effective in doing their work. This number is up 13 percentage points from last year.
40% believe that the food service is a good value.
56% believe the transportation operations are safely operated. 
The entire community satisfaction survey summary can be found in the 2010 Annual Report being sent home in the month of May.  
Parent-To-Teacher Survey Numbers Jump by 50%

Another important survey administered this year was the Parent –to- Teacher Feedback Survey.  This year the numbers of submitted surveys jumped dramatically.   The results are:
4055 individual surveys submitted by 915 different parents to 316 teachers. This is an increase of over 50% from last year in all areas.  Last year, on average teachers received feedback from only 6 parents. This year that figure more than doubles to 13 surveys per teacher.

Teachers use the feedback in their annual evaluation review and the information is included in their professional portfolio.

It should be noted that 100% of the students at SAS were given the opportunity to give anonymous feedback to their teachers this spring.
By Andrew TORRIS, Deputy Superintendent

Orientation days, conducted for our new families twice a year, are coordinated by the Office of Admission with the invaluable support of administrators, counselors, student ambassadors, PTSA representatives and our support service staff. When employees and volunteers from every facet of SAS life are involved, it takes a great deal of coordination.
Implementation can be a challenge, but the benefits of a thorough introduction to SAS are many. Orientation touches the lives of everyone in our school community. During Orientation, we warmly welcome all new parents and students into our SAS community. We provide an opportunity for them to learn about every aspect of school, and to meet administrators, teachers and counselors. To further their understanding of our school and ensure an easier transition into our community, we provide both visual and printed information, including an orientation booklet and other materials. 

By enhancing their understanding of our educational programs, bus service, food service, and all other aspects of life at our school, families new to Shanghai American School are better able to build partnerships within the school and to gain the most from the rich academic and co-curricular experiences SAS offers.

Additionally, each April and August the Office of Admission, along with the early childhood staff holds a Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Visitation Day.  This day is designed to welcome our youngest learners and their parents into the SAS learning community.  The classroom teachers, counselors, academic support staff, school psychologists, admission staff, and elementary principals from both the Pudong and Puxi campuses work together to create a warm, inviting, and informative experience for new PK 4 and Kindergarten students and their parents.
Another important function within the Office of Admission is the annual re-enrollment process.  During this annual event we gather important data on all parents and students who will re-enroll for the next school year.  In the past, the Office of Admission sent via registered mail the Re-Enrollment Packet or the Packet went home with the youngest child.  However, with the rollout of PowerSchool’s award winning Parent Portal, we will now re-enroll students using the Parent Portal. 

By admitting, enrolling and matriculating admission-appropriate students, we  ensure the long-term success of the school by establishing and maintaining comprehensive infrastructures to support a smooth transition into our school environment. 

Important Dates and Details from the Office of Admission

Puxi Campus Orientation:

Friday, August 13, 2010: (Orientation Areas Open from 8am-3pm)

8am-2:30 pm: Meet & Greet Breakfast, Parent Session, Student Session, Principal Nuts & Bolts Session, 1:1 Laptop orientation for parents and students entering grades 7 – 11

12:30pm-1:30pm: Lunch in the cafeteria – on your own

11am-3pm: The Eagle Shop (school store) will be open and representatives from Yeap Transportation and Eurest Food Service will be available to answer questions and add money to student’s ID or Lunch Card

Bus Transportation: Provided from Designated Pick-up Points
Arrival: 8am-8:30am
Departure: 1:30pm and 3pm

Pudong Campus Orientation

Monday, August 16, 2010: (Orientation Areas Open, 8am-3pm)

8am-2:30pm: Meet & Greet Breakfast, Parent Session, Student Session, Principal Nuts & Bolts Session, 1:1 Laptop orientation for parents and students entering grades 7 – 11

12:30pm-1:30pm: Lunch in the cafeteria – on your own

11am-3pm: The Eagle Shop (school store) will be open and representatives from Yeap Transportation and Eurest Food Service will be available to answer questions and add money to student’s ID or Lunch Card

Bus Transportation: Provided from Designated Pick-up Points
Arrival: 8am-8:30 am
Departure: 1:30pm & 3pm

Visitation for New Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Students

We will have visitation for all new Pre-K 4 and Kindergarten students on the following dates:

Puxi campus: Thursday, April 22, 2010 for those students living in Shanghai or surrounding cities.  (PK 4 – begins at 9:00 am and Kindergarten at 11:30 am).
Puxi and Pudong campuses: Thursday, August 11, 2009 for those students living outside of Shanghai and others that could not attend the previous visitation

Re-Enrollment Packet – May 14, 2010
Detailed email with instructions located on the Parent Portal of PowerSchool.  More information on the re-enrollment process will be in the next few issues of the EAGLE. 
Please contact admission@saschina.org if you have questions about the events and/or processes detailed in this article.

By T.K. OSTROM, Director of the Office of Admission

Shanghai American School has much to be proud of.  Its academic and co-curricular offerings—and the results our students achieve—are the reasons SAS has become the leading international school in Shanghai. We deliver an American college-preparatory education, and we deliver it well.  To maintain our leading edge and to achieve our vision of 2012 — to be recognized as a leading international school in Asia and the world — we need to pull together as one-school two campuses to form a united community of families.

Shanghai is a big city, and SAS is a large school. We have the distinctive advantage of embracing two campus settings, which challenges us to offer both consistency and diversity of approach in our educational programs. Each campus naturally has its own culture, but we should never lose sight of the fact that we are, in the broad sense, one school.

The Gala reminds us that our two campuses—with nearly 3,000 students in 13 grade levels representing 40 nationalities—are one school with a shared vision of excellence that traces a common history to its adventurous founding in 1912.  And, this year we will have seven pre-revolution (1949) alumni in attendance, who will also take part in our Alumni Lecture series the following week.

The Gala, held at the historic British Consulate building, seeks to be a meeting point between the cultures of east and west, and modern meets classic.  The all-inclusive evening will feature the band Rock Suey, gaming tables, a fortune teller and many special Lucky Draw prizes.  And, we will be presenting our new Superintendent, Kerry Jacobson, in a social setting for all to meet.

We hope that everyone in our extended SAS community will view this year’s Gala not just as a wonderful social event—and we promise it will be that—but also as a chance to rediscover and celebrate our common ambition, across two campuses, to be a leading international school in Asia and the world. Join us on April 24th.

The SAS Gala: An Evening of Celebration is a ticketed event held on April 24, from 7:00–11:00 p.m., at YongFoo Elite, the former British Consulate, at 200 Yongfu Road. Tickets are 888 RMB per person, or 1776 RMB for two, and include all drinks, food and entertainment, and the chance to participate in a Lucky Draw with fabulous prizes.

Invitations were sent to the community by e-mail on March 12. Purchase tickets online with a credit card at www.saschina.org/gala, or in person at the cashier’s window on each campus. All tickets will be held for guests at the door.

Questions? Write gala@saschina.org.

By Sarah VOGEL, Director of Marketing

But for a second year, through its Edge for Excellence annual fund, SAS is doing something more. It is creating a future for itself as an institution. On the example of other distinguished schools like SAS, a strong giving program does have the power to remake the future and open new pathways to student success.

It’s hard to remember a time when SAS was not considered among the world’s leading international schools. This was true before 1949 when SAS was abruptly closed, and true since reopening in the early 1980s.

This reputation, however, developed without what today is regarded as standard operating equipment for any world-class school: a vigorous, volunteer-led tradition of annual giving.
Currently, SAS depends solely on tuition and fees for nearly 100% of its annual operating revenue. This is a difficult model to sustain. With the rapidly escalating cost of educational excellence — attracting and retaining the best teachers from around the world, outfitting libraries and laboratories with 21st-century learning tools — each expenditure must be scrutinized, mindful of its financial effect on SAS families.

Every school must wield a sharp scalpel in its yearly budget planning. But what is the secret other leading schools have discovered to meet the challenge of balancing revenue and expense?

The answer is partly cultural. Leading U.S. independent schools, and a growing number of international schools, place a high community value on annual giving. At these schools, it’s a shared attitude, felt immediately and by all. Voluntary giving — in addition to paying tuition — is celebrated, is encouraged from everyone, and is even thought to be a privilege. The annual fund is recognized as a landmark event of every school year.

Shanghai American School in other respects has all that these other schools possess: a rigorous curriculum taught by brilliant teachers on two state-of-the-art campuses; committed students with engaged parents; and a shared ethic of hard work and individual improvement. Everything, that is, except for a well-established tradition of annual giving in support of the operating budget.

But in its second year of existence, the Edge for Excellence annual fund is creating a changed attitude at SAS. The campaign is already transforming that faint “path across the countryside” into a highway to a new future of school achievement. It is a trail that becomes more distinct, and better understood, the more it is walked upon — gift by gift, and year by year.

Campaign co-chairs Mery Montgomery and Fanghua Jiang invite every member of the SAS community to consider a voluntary personal gift this year. Now nearing 45% of its $250,000 goal, the Edge for Excellence fund will provide crucial enhancements to the school’s four-library system serving all six divisions.

For more information, please visit the “Giving to SAS” pages at the school’s website, www.saschina.org. To give quickly and easily online, visit www.saschina.org/giving.  For questions, or to volunteer to help, send an e-mail to edge@saschina.org or call the Office of Advancement at 6221-1445 x2415.

The Board of Directors and the students, faculty and staff of SAS thank you for considering the role your gift can play in making the future of Shanghai American School even stronger. But hurry! The campaign ends March 12.

For a current list of annual fund donors, please see page 7.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

The Edge for Excellence campaign runs until March 12. The school will gratefully recognize every donor at every level of support. Here’s how you can help:

Guanxi Circle: Gifts up to $149 or RMB 999
Shanghai Circle: Gifts $150 or more, or RMB 1,000 or more
Consulate Circle: Gifts $500 or more, or RMB 3,500 or more
Ambassador Circle: Gifts $1,000 or more, or RMB 7,000 or more
Eagles Circle: Gifts $5,000 or more, or RMB 35,000 or more
Soaring Eagles Circle: Gifts $50,000 or more or RMB 345,000 or more

Please visit www.saschina.org/giving to learn more.

How often have I heard, “I want to stage an event in the PAC. It seems simple enough.” Easy, not so fast.  Staging a PAC event is very much like raising a child. The event has to be constantly nurtured through its infancy, as well as through its cute toddler years and surly teen phases. All with equal diligence so one day it finally and successfully will make it to the stage and “graduate.”  It is a proud moment when it does happen, a time when the producer can say goodbye to his event without any feelings of guilt or legal ramifications.

And like a child, each PAC event is unique in its own way. I have seen those that have been precocious, organized and a breeze to raise, while others less so. “Problem events” I like to call them. They’re endearing, but slightly more spontaneous and groundless and in desperate need of structure. They lead the PAC staff to often ask, “Who are the producers of this event? How could they let it get like this?” While those responsible for these rebellious events are busy blaming themselves: “I should have been there more when we were planning it” and promising  “we’re not going to make these same mistakes with our next event.”

As the manager of the PAC, I am in a unique position where I can offer some advice when it comes to developing your PAC event and making sure it “graduates”. Offered are four helpful tips.

• Know why you are having your event.  Don’t just spontaneously decide at a party, “Hey, let’s do an event in the PAC.”  Be aware that PAC events take careful initial planning and time. 
• Begin the process by asking yourself essential questions such as  “Why am I doing this event?” and “Is there room in my life right now for staging a PAC event?” 
• Be responsible for your event.  Many times when people rush into producing a PAC event, they are not aware of the time required to do so effectively.  Consequently, they do not devote sufficient time to caring for it. In extreme cases these events are abandoned, left on the doorstep of the PAC with a note attached,  “I have booked the PAC. This is my event.
• Please make it happen.”   Understand that the PAC staff would love to produce everyone’s event, but we simply can’t. There are too many out there to save. Sadly, many of these events never make it to graduation.

It takes a village to raise an event.  Always remember, you are not alone.  Too many times we see people trying to produce a PAC event entirely on their own. Don’t be so proud. Have a support system in place.  The PAC staff is always here to assist as are fellow teachers, parents and students.  Also keep in mind that the greater the number of people involved in the raising of the event, the greater the number of people cheering for it at graduation.
Finally, let your event know how proud you are of it.  Make posters, t-shirts, bulletin announcements, promoting your event.  Don’t shy away from talking about it every chance you get.  Realize that if the producer does not show love for the event, how can its audience?  Furthermore, never compare your event to somebody else’s event. Each event is special in its own way.

Now that you are aware of what it takes to stage an event, here are some major PAC events that are taking place in the upcoming months.  Mark your calendars now.

• February 6: PTSA Carpet Auction — This event is for everyone. There are great deals to be had.
• February  8-9: ES musical — The Nightingale.  ES Drama Teacher Keith Falck pulls another hit out of his bag.
• March 10-3: Fringe Theatre Festival — larger than ever — Don’t miss the very funny farce Noises Off, the festival’s grand finale.
• April  9-10: Shanghai Repertory Theatre’s production of King Lear.  This is a rare opportunity to experience Shakespeare in the PAC by a well-respected professional company.
• April 16: Shanghai Dance Company’s production of Earth. From those who brought you Fragrance last year, comes an internationally renowned modern dance production that celebrates the environment.
• April 30: SAS Dance Concert — Passion,  Vol. 3.  The HS Dance Club will be staging the most ambitious of their productions to date. 

For a complete list of what is happening in the PAC and for more detailed step by step advice on raising your own PAC event, visit the Performing Arts Center Web site: http://teachers.saschina.org/pac/

 –Doug HUNDLEY, Managing Director, Performing Arts Center

Embedded in this answer is the quest for assurance that our intended (written), assessed, and taught curricula are in alignment and agreement.  Interestingly enough, when explaining the role of a curriculum coordinator, the varied way the word curriculum is used often clouds clearly defining what curriculum is, what it should be, and what it hopes to accomplish.
As we continue our ongoing and cyclical curricular work here at Shanghai American School (SAS), the etymology of the word can aid in forming a shared understanding. Currere, the infinitive Latin root of  “curriculum,” means to run a course, or race a chariot along a specified path or track. We can consider each academic year as lap on a track or checkpoint in a marathon race with increasing rigor and expectations for (intellectual and creative) stamina in the quest for “personal best.” At SAS, we look to our own standards and benchmarks as the parameters for the academic expectations and learning targets for each year.  

SAS standards are an amalgamation compounded from a variety of respected resources.  These include, but are not limited to U.S. national standards of various disciplines (e.g., the National Council Teachers of Mathematics, Music Educators National Conference, National Council of Teachers of English, National Association for the Education of Young Children), exemplary U.S. state standards, standards from the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) collaborative initiative involving international schools and U.S.-based educational organizations, the objectives of the International Diploma Progamme where applicable, and most importantly, the research and collaborative efforts of our SAS teachers and administrators. 

These standards and benchmarks are housed in Atlas, our internal, internet-based curriculum system through which teachers can choose those benchmarks most relevant to a particular unit of study. 

The Atlas Curriculum Management system is accessible to all teachers and administrators, allowing for transparency and communication for stronger continuity from the students’ perspective as s/he moves from grade to grade.  It also allows us to track our standards alignment and assessment practices — the opportunities to observe student attainment toward learning targets, to note trends, such as those areas deemed essential or of greater import by selected attention and repetition over time, and to generate reports such as the ones below to help further our conversations about curriculum and assessment and appropriately evaluate our practices and curricular decisions. While the SAS Curriculum Coordinator serves both campuses, each campus has its own Atlas expert on the system’s functionality for continued instruction in documenting (the taught) curriculum and support as needed.

Figure 1: Standards Assessment —
Methods

Educators’ understanding of what curriculum should be has changed drastically from the time when we were students.  A long-term veteran of education jokingly shared how teacher-training in curriculum used to be centered around which publisher was best and how to choose a good textbook for the school.  Where basal readers, Multiplication and Periodic charts, rote memorization, and lectures with students (hopefully) taking notes previously sufficed, we now know that this era requires students to extend beyond simply knowing to understanding as engaged collaborators in the educational process, guided by an educational professional while learning through hands-on opportunities which challenge them to explore real-world problems.  With the exponential increase in the amount of information literally at a student’s fingertips over the last fifteen years, graduates of this decadewill be assumed competent in discerning which information is relevant and able to manipulate or apply it to new situations to fulfill the needs of a specific project or task at hand — often referred to as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

SAS’s commitment to developing these necessary skills in our students are most clearly seen through  cross-curricular and co-curricular Established School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) – those dispositions known as our E.A.G.L.E.S. — which are introduced, reinforced, and reiterated across grade levels and disciplines.  We instruct our students in such ways that they increasingly become Empowered — risk-taking and imaginative life-long learners, Adaptable, Globally-Minded, Literate — and communicative, inclusive of artistic expression, Ethical, and Skilled Inquirers. 

These ESLRs (our E.A.G.L.E.S.) and site-created Standards and Benchmarks in their curriculum review process.  Some have an on-going review process; we are currently using a five-year review model established in 2005-06 to examine our curricular practices and set our professional development plans across subject areas.  Currently, Social Studies is under “review,” meaning we are in the process of assuring the departmental philosophy not only aligns with our SAS Mission, Core Values, and Vision Statements, but is reflective of current instructional practices and Essential Agreements.  The Social Studies Task Force, representative of Social Studies educators from each division on both campuses, is extracting from the wealth of information available to students, those skills most essential or enduring understanding — the bullseye of understanding and skills reflected in Figure 2.  Enduring Understandings reflect the knowledge, skills, and understandings educators want the students to retain long after the unit of study or course has ended.

Figure 2 – Enduring Understandings (adapted from Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design)

The strength of our Curriculum Review process is that it is never “finished.”  While students may graduate and pass the proverbial finish line, educators continue to review, renew, implement and adapt the curriculum or educational path to incorporate the latest research and proven best practices to the benefit of Shanghai American School students.

As the end of the year approaches, I find myself in a reflective mode.  As a new principal I have to admit that 2009 has been a momentous year for me.  I have enjoyed the great opportunity to lead what I feel is one of the best schools in the world and I have to give most of the credit for this to our teachers. 

As a principal, I am honored to work with such seasoned professionals.  As an American, it leaves me wondering how we got so lucky.  With little financial incentive and low prestige, teaching is not a very attractive choice, yet somehow the field of education, and SAS in particular, continues to attract highly educated, passionate individuals who are committed to the profession of education.  So the question is, why do teachers choose to teach? 

In a nationwide study, “How Teachers See the Profession Today,” a teacher interviewed for the project said: “Good teachers don’t join for the money or bonuses. They join because they want to make a difference.”  

In reflecting on the choices I have made in my career, as well as what other teachers have shared with me about their own path to teaching, I have to agree.   Interestingly, the question of why teachers teach was raised on November 12 at the Pudong Campus Finance Forum in a discussion about how to attract and retain top quality teachers in an increasingly competitive market? 

Like the teacher in the project, our SAS Board Chair Mr. David Liu said, “Teachers do not teach for money.”  What is equally true, however, is that teachers do choose schools, in part, based on the competitive financial packages available to them.  This is more than just good economics on the part of the teacher.  Salary and benefits packages demonstrate to a teacher, the value that school communities place on teaching as a profession and their commitment to attracting and retaining high quality and experienced educators.   In general, teachers want to belong to communities where there is a high regard for their efforts to make a difference in this world.

Best selling author, Daniel Pink wrote about the need to “make a difference” in his book A Whole New Mind arguing that this concept has even more relevance in our world today than it did in the past.  Here, Pink suggests that people are beginning to assess their own success on the extent to which they can find meaning in what they are doing in a world that is high-paced, high-tech and in a state of rapid change.  If we use this as our measure for success it is easy to see why teachers not only choose to teach but remain committed to the profession of education.   The intrinsic motivation seems to come from the daily rewards of working with children, helping them to build meaning of their world, and in essence, making a difference in their lives. 

Presenter Megan Tschannen-Moran, reminded EARCOS audiences that, “teachers are at the heart of the work of school, inspiring students to go beyond.” Good teachers not only educate students but lead by example, encouraging students to seek fulfillment by choosing careers that are aligned with their personal values, their hopes and their dreams.

Recognizing the important role good teachers play in the lives of our children, it is important for SAS to continue to attract and retain the highest quality teachers, to demonstrate the value that we, as a school community, place on education. 

A famous proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”  The greatest gift one can give another human being is the gift of education.   In this season of gift giving, I encourage you to reflect on the important work that teachers do each day, choosing this profession to “make a difference” in the lives of your children, your families and our world.  

By Sacha McVean, Elementary school principal, Pudong Campus

Although there are some slight disadvantages to student-led conferencing, most teachers and parents become enthusiastic supporters of the process as it provides opportunities for students to assume greater control of their academic progress and, for even our youngest children, it allows students to accept personal responsibility for their academic growth and performance.  Although a variety of different formats can be used in student-led conferencing, it is the student preparation that takes place before the conference that is the most valuable aspect of this learning strategy and process.

Not only must students develop organizational and oral communication skills successfully to participate in student-led conferencing, the process of reflection and self evaluation are the valuable cornerstones of this learning process.  When we ask students to spend time reflecting on how their learning has changed over time, or what they should focus on to improve their performance, the answers to these questions become powerful incentives for future learning.  Teachers can, of course,  provide this feedback to a child, but when a learner comes to his own conclusions there is a powerful link that is established between what the student knows about him or herself as a learner and how that learning is related to future learning.  Creating opportunities for students to “own” their learning solidifies that growth and can create intrinsic motivation. 

While we cannot guarantee that all students in all conference situations will achieve all of the above-mentioned benefits, we can say that the chances are better than in a more traditional parent-teacher conference.  It is for this reason that our elementary schools are looking at a variety of conferencing models this year with the goal of moving to a student-led conferencing model next school year.  As the elementary schools at SAS evaluate their current parent conferencing model we will work toward creating opportunities for students to be involved as well as time for teachers and parents to talk about areas of concern and/or student progress.  Creating opportunities for students to articulate their progress and take responsibility for setting goals is a powerful tool that supports our Student Learning Outcomes (SAS EAGLES) and allows us as a community to celebrate student achievement. 
As always, we welcome input and feedback regarding our future plans for student-led conferencing or any other area of interest as we work together to create a meaningful and positive learning environment for all of our students.

We thank you for your wonderful participation at our recent conferences and look forward to the many future opportunities to support our students as they embrace their learning and celebrate their achievements.