Changing the Face of Study Abroad

.

Study abroad  by American students has doubled over the last decade,

BUT not by African-American, Hispanic and Native American students

(Institute of International Education)

.

.

For example, although African-American students comprise 14 % of postsecondary student enrollment, they make up only 3.4 % of study abroad participants.

Percentage of minorities in the study abroad population (from IIE):

• All minorities: 17%
• Hispanics: 5.6 %,
• Asian Americans: 6.3 %,
• Multiracial: 1 %
• Native Americans: 0.4 %

.

The numbers are pretty abysmal and unfortunate, as we already know that study abroad experiences can improve academic performance, increase graduation rates and even help at-risk students achieve in academic settings.

The good news is that groups like Bardoli Global are working to increase study abroad participation. Anthony Jewett, executive director and CEO, hopes to change “the face of America abroad.”

Bardoli Global works to combat the five barriers to studying abroad—family, faculty, finances, fear and friends—by providing scholarships and preparing students for their time abroad. Upon returning, students work in teams to procure small grants (of $1,000 to $1,500) to develop social projects with a global dimension.

.

Read the full article at InsideHigherEd.com

Join Bardoli Global on Facebook

Going Local… in India

.

This American family sent their daughter to a local school in India… hear more about their experiences, including some very funny stories!

See a previous post on the same family.

Relocating with Children: When Divorce Enters the Equation

By Liz Perelstein, President of School Choice International

Excerpt from ExpatExchange.com

.

Over the past few years I have been asked to provide expert testimony concerning education and relocation. These cases have been associated with two scenarios:

• a potential move in a family where parents had divorced or were divorcing, or,
• where parents have separated while on assignment and the custodial parent wants to move home while the working parent remains abroad.

As society has become more peripatetic, this issue is bound to arise increasingly. The five-year legal battle of David Goldman to gain custody of his son Sean was highly publicized because it was identified as an important precedent in custody battles during the current era of mobility. As the relocation of separated families has become more common, states within the United States have enacted legislation that addresses the issues inevitably raised. These laws vary considerably by state. Parental consent may be required so that when the non-custodial parent does not consent, the issue may be decided by the legal system. Intrastate moves are allowed more frequently than interstate moves which suggests that proximity and ongoing contact is considered crucial.

I have not found articles that deal specifically with legal considerations in international relocation for divided families; however, there have been a few studies (despite small sample sizes) that support the belief that ability to successfully maintain relationships with both parents is significant to a child’s well being (Journal of Family Psychology, 2003). Accordingly, legal requirements for international relocations most likely would be more stringent than those for domestic transfers because of the obvious fact that distance affects the ability to maintain relationships with both parents.

Families need to think about:

• the child’s age;
• how important the move is to the parent;
• whether there are pros as well as cons for the child;
• can parents keep conflict away from the child and his/her education;
• how the child can maintain a relationship with both parents;
• and what is the child’s personality like, in particular, does the child adapt easily to change?

Companies that relocate divorced parents have to consider:

• the child’s age
• legal implications,
• timing in view of these legal issues,
• cost and emotional impact on the employee as well as child.

Report Cards from Around the World: Mexico City, Mexico

For the next several weeks, we’ll look at report cards from around the world.

~ Habla Español! ~

~ 7^th Stop ~ Mexico ~

.

Mexico, with 111 million people, is the 11^th most populous country. While Mexico can be seen as a powerful country, with the largest GDP per capita in Latin America, issues with income disparity and drug violence continue to plague the country. With a rich and ancient history, Mexico remains a popular tourist destination (for more than the sun and lovely beaches!).

Note ~ This is an international and NOT a local school as some other countries.

.

Report Card Basics

• Type of School: British International School
• Curriculum: International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP)
• Academic Year: 2008-2009
• Year: 3

.

Here’s the report card! The blue numbers highlight a few interesting aspects of the report and the numbers correspond to notes below the image.

1. The Five Parts of English

A large portion of the report card is dedicated to assessing English, illustrating the importance of the language at this school (English, rather than Spanish), as well as language acquisition. The assessment has been broken down into five core parts: speaking, listening, reading, writing and handwriting.

2. Look, Hear! ~ Units of Inquiry

Rather than set subjects or courses, this curriculum includes Units of Inquiry, which allow flexibility in teaching and learning. This differs greatly from educational systems that have concrete course expectations and teach to a national, standardized test. The Units of Inquiry this semester are “Look, Hear!” and “Exploration and Encounter.” Sounds fun to me!

3. A Big Old for Effort!

How age appropriate! Rather than assign a number or letter assessment of effort, this report card uses smiley faces, which can be understood regardless of age or culture. Colon, Capital D for a great practice!

4. A Descriptive Grading Scale

This report card has a slightly different grading scale than other assessments we’ve seen: good, very good and excellent, as well as reaching expectations. Reaching expectations seems to be given when a mark of “good” might be subjective, for instance, what is “good” use of information technology or  “excellent” in music at 9 years old?

5. Spanish and Social Studies… Get Numbers Grades

Though I’m not sure why (and I’ve scoured the internet!) Spanish and Social Studies get numbers instead of “descriptive” grades. Hm… I’m stumped. Any suggestions?

.

See Report Cards from:    Staffordshire, England;    Zomba, Malawi; Sydney, Australia, week 1;     Sydney, Australia, week 2;    Dalhousie, India; Kathmandu, Nepal;     Soro, Denmark

Report card analysis to look forward to: Palestine, Canada and more!

Report Cards from Around the World: Staffordshire, England

For the next several weeks, we’ll look at report cards from around the world.

~ A Spot of Tea ~

~ 6^th Stop ~ England ~

.

You may be familiar with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but do you know where they were originally bred? Staffordshire, a county in the West Midlands region of England, has a little over a million residents living in 2 cities and about 6 towns. Known for its porcelain and cathedrals (and a rock formation called The Roaches), Staffordshire has its fair share of tourists. In terms of education, the county has a handful of independent schools and two major universities Keele University and Staffordshire University.

.

Report Card Basics

• Type of School: Independent Local School
• Academic Year: 1999 – 2000
• Class: 3^rd Year (8^th year of education)

Here’s the report card! The blue numbers highlight a few interesting aspects of the report and the numbers correspond to notes below the image.

1. 14 Years Old in… Year 3

The top of this report card reads. “Third Year Progress Card,” which would indicate elementary school to an American. However, in England, the Year 3 can mean the third year of secondary school, which is 8^th Grade in the U.S.

2. A Letters & Numbers Report Card

Unlike some 7 to 11 page report cards we’ve seen so far, this report card consists of just 1 page of (mostly) letters and numbers. While the card contains much less comment space than the Australian report cards, the grading system is much more flexible than India’s card of exam scores. The focus of this report is student’s measurable performance and effort.

3. A is for Excellent!

Unlike the U.S., the British system does not have a grade point average (GPA) system, which correlates to the letter grade. The letter system in this report card seems more flexible (and some would argue more subjective) than a number based on 100, for instance an 88 percent (which is a B+ in the U.S.). Not that American students have anything to complain about; British students will sit for Board Exams, which can be very competitive and strictly scored. Note that the effort grade—based on a 5-point system—receives as much space and importance as the performance grade.

4. I’m Giving You an A… I mean a B… How about an A/B?

Another example of the flexibility of this reporting system is the use of an A/B. In many American schools (especially where the grading system is computerized, and every box needs to be filled.

5. Classes ~ E, H, G, F, RE… Take A Guess!

On this report card, the course names are abbreviated to a letter or two… so the students better know what classes they are taking, so they can tell their parents. Here’s my best guess as to what all the abbreviations stand for:

E – English

H – History

G – Geography

F – Foreign Language

RE – Religious Education

M – Math

P­ – Physics

C – Chemistry

B – Biology

We’ll see how close I got… UPDATE ~ All the classes are correct!

See Report Card from: Zomba, Malawi; Sydney, Australia, week 1;    Sydney, Australia, week 2;   Dalhousie, India; Kathmandu, Nepal;    Soro, Denmark

Report card analysis to look forward to: Palestine, Canada, Mexico and more!

Report Cards from Around the World: Zomba, Malawi

For the next several weeks, we’ll look at report cards from around the world.

~ Safari Time! ~

~ 5^th Stop ~ Malawi ~

.

A landlocked country in southeast Africa, the Republic of Malawi is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Lake Malawi National Park and Chongoni Rock Art Area. Another impressive geologic formation, the Great Rift Valley, runs through Malawi like a vein. Malawi gained independence from the British in 1964 (only 45 years ago), though examples of colonization remain, such as British standard schools. Unfortunately Malawi ranks as one of the least developed and most populated countries in the world. With a population of about 14 million, low life expectancy and high infant mortality, Malawi relies on foreign aid to develop.

Note ~ This is an international and NOT a local school as some other countries.

.

Report Card Basics

• Type of School: International Primary School (British Standard)
• Academic Year: 1996 – 1997
• Year: 6

.

.

Here’s the report card! The blue numbers highlight a few interesting aspects of the report and the numbers correspond to notes below the image.

1. Performance, Effort and Teacher’s comments

This school has a relatively short report card (1 page, as opposed to the 11 page report card from Australia). Using space allocation as a measure of importance, teacher’s comments constitute the main aspect of the report, followed by performance and, equally as important, effort. Note the use of letter grades, as opposed to number or percentages that are popular in some other areas.

2. Enjoy, Good, Able… Positive reinforcement

The teachers use positive reinforcement in their comments, detailing the student’s capabilities, rather than areas for improvement (assuming the Bs indicate at least a little room for improvement).

3. It’s a Matter of Effort!

For music, drama, design and physical education, this school only gives grades for effort (and not participation). This indicates a slightly different value system in regards to extra-curricular classes… This may help develop intrinsic motivation, but also indicates that these subjects are less important than the core academic curriculum.

4. On a Personal Note…

At the end of the report, the teacher includes a personal note to the parents, and thanks them for “your kindness and support over the years.” This personal connection indicates the relatively small size of the school but also the closeness of the school community. (The music teacher also includes a “thank you note” in her comments!)

.

See Report Card from: Sydney, Australia, week 1; Sydney, Australia, week 2; Dalhousie, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; Soro, Denmark

Report card analysis to look forward to: Palestine, Canada, Mexico and more!

Report Cards from Around the World: Sydney, Australia

For the next several weeks, we’ll look at report cards from around the world.

~ Hold on to your hats! ~

~ Fourth Stop ~ Sydney ~

.

Sydney, the largest Australian city and state capital of New South Wales, has a population of about 4.3 million. Known for landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the multicultural city attracts tourists from all over the world. Sydney also boasts a well-established educational system, including public, denominational and independent schools as well as several universities. An Australian degree is recognized and well-regarded around the world.

.

Student Report Basics

• Type of School: Local, Catholic school
• Academic Year: 2002 (Did you know? Australian schools run January to December)
  
• Grade: 2

Here’s the report card! The blue numbers highlight a few interesting aspects of the report and the numbers correspond to notes below the image.

1. Descriptions, Definitions and Instructions

Unlike any other report card we have seen so far, this evaluation is 11 pages long (for instance, the report cards from Dalhousie and Kathmandu are two pages and consist primarily of numbers, rather than words). While many other educational systems attempt to summarize a year’s worth of work into a page or two, this report card include descriptions of the child’s performance, definitions of expected “outcomes” and provides the parents with instructions for interpreting the report card. (Note that this is the first Elementary School report card we have analyzed). Parents, grab a cup of coffee and find a comfy seat, this might take a while!

2. Key Learning Areas determined by the New South Wales Board of Studies

Australians base the educational system and curriculum on Key Learning Areas, which consist of English; mathematics; science and technology; the arts; health and physical education; and study of human society and its environment, which includes languages other than English. The Key Learning Areas and “outcomes and guidelines for indicators” demonstrate the government’s involvement in upholding a certain standard of education.

3. Children are Different

“Children can have different learning needs and may be working towards outcomes at an earlier or later stage.” Translation ~ parents, don’t worry if you’re child is ahead in some areas and behind in others!

.

4. Progress on a Scale!

These scales show this student’s progress for the areas of English and Mathematics. This student has reached the targeted outcomes for Grade 2 (which is the second year of Stage 1), and is ready to begin Grade 3. This visual representation of progress is a relatively unique aspect to report cards!

.

5. English and Mathematics… whole numbers, volume, time, chance…

About 5 pages are dedicated to English and Mathematics and each area is broken down to the subsections listed below.

English

• reading
• writing
• talking and listening

Mathematics

• working mathematically,whole numbers, fractions and decimals
• addition and subtraction, multiplication and division
• chance, data
• patterns and algebra
• length, area, volume capacity, mass
• position, three dimensional space, time, two-dimensional space

6. Your child is Competent… Developing… Needs Support…

Each area listed above includes a list of “indicators.” The teacher then marks the child’s achievement for each indicator as competent, developing or needs support. Note that these categories are stated in the positive form of the meaning (rather than, “is behind the rest of the class”). For instance, in writing, this child:

• Is competent to: write a simple statement or short text for different purposes,
• Is developing to: usually use full stops at the end of sentences,
• Needs support to: use correct pencil grip and maintain correct body position.

Consider how this differs from JUST a letter or number grade for mathematics in general; in comparison to all the information provided, the letter or number illustrates only the child’s standing in relation to the other students in the class. This process explains the child’s progress in relation to each task.

.

7. Social Development… at a 2^nd grade level

Besides English and mathematics, students receive an assessment for Religious Education, Science and Technology, Human Society and Its Environment, Creative Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Drama) and Health and Physical Education. Teachers also assess Social Development and Work Habits. Looks like this student is “developing well” in some areas and is “highly developed” in others. Well done!

.

8. General Comments

This section allows the teacher to comment on the child’s social and academic development, noting areas that may need attention.

.

See Report Card from Dalhousie, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; Soro, Denmark

Report card analysis to look forward to: Palestine, Malawi, Australia, Canada, Mexico and more!

Report Cards from Around the World: Sorø, Denmark

For the next several weeks, we’ll look at report cards from around the world.

~ Pack Your Coats! ~

~ Third Stop ~ Sorø ~

.

.

Sorø, a small town of 7,708, rests on the island of Zealand in the Kingdom of Denmark. Home to Sorø Akademis Skole (Sorø Academy), the second oldest school in Denmark, Sorø is also a popular residential area for those who work in Copenhagen, the capital city.

The Danish government values education, providing compulsory education free of charge, which results in a 99% education rate for both men and women. About 82 % continue formal education after Flolkeskole (public school), often at one of the public universities.

.

Final Report Card Basics

• Type of School: Local, Danish school
• Academic Years: 2002 – 2005
• Class: 1st to 3rd grade* (equivalent to 11th to 13th grade)
  

* In Denmark, high school consists of three years, called 1st, 2nd and 3rd, though this is not to be confused with elementary school.

.

Here’s the report card! The blue circles highlight a few interesting aspects of the report and the numbers correspond to notes below the image.

Hint ~ If you are having trouble viewing the report card, try the Zoom function under your browser’s View tab.

1. Matematisk Anyone?

Secondary students attend Gymnasium after 10^th grade (no, not the kind of gym you exercise in, but a secondary school, comparable to English grammar schools or U.S. college-prep high schools). Pupils must choose a studieretning or a “line of study,” which usually includes mathmatical or linguistic streams.

2. Obligatoriske fag ~ Compulsory Courses

Like most students around the world, Danish students must take their local language (Danish), math and science, but they have some unique required courses as well, including geography, religion and classical studies (which focuses on the Greek and Roman civilizations).

3. Niveau ~ A, B and C Levels

This may look like the student’s grades, but in fact they are levels. Students may take classes at A, B or C levels (A being the highest). This student explains that many of the C-level courses were mandatory and taken within the first year. Does anyone know of another system that offers 3 levels? (Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate offer 2 levels…)

4. Oh dear! I got a -3 in Geography!

This report card shows an older version of the Danish grading system, the current grading scale is based on 12 points, although negative points are possible too. Here’s a chart of the “Marking Scale.”

-3	For an unacceptable performance.
00	For an inadequate performance.
02	For an adequate performance.
4	For a fair performance.
7	For a good performance.
10	For a very good performance.
12	For an excellent performanc

5. Eksamens-karakter ~ Exam grade

This report card shows both the class grade, as well as an exam grade, however students do not take an exam for every course. At the end of the year, students choose three or four courses in  which to complete an exam. Compare this to India’s education system, which is primarily based on tests!

6. Gymnasium 335088

Danish schools receive an institution number, which helps the national education system run smoothly in terms of file sharing and data base maintenance. This demonstrates unity of the public school system, largely a centralized, federal institution.

7. Specialized Study

Students choose a specialized study program of three courses, usually of 2 high level (A-level) and one medium level (B-C level) courses. Of course, the gifted student may choose to take three high level courses. This student choose matematik (math), samfundsfag (social studies) and Film and TV.

8. What did you study in TV class today?

Students may also choose shorter elective courses in the last year, including: psychology, geography, astronomy, Greek and more. This student chose TV and Film. Here’s her explanation of the class, and film in Denmark.

“I was really interested in Film and TV and it’s a strong growing business, not only in Hollywood. In fact, Denmark is the one country in Europe that releases the most movies a year and we are really good at making low-budget movies.

In class, we would watch movies, analyze and critique them. We would talk about different genres, lighting, camera work, etc., and then make our own little films. We would write scripts, draw story boards, act, direct, shoot and edit. And then, in complete agony, show them to the whole school at morning assembly!!!

It’s just one of those courses that are made to help kids figure out what they want to do. I found it super interesting and now it’s what I want to do. There are some who found out it wasn’t something for them, and are doing completely different things today.”

See Report Card from: Kathmandu, Nepal; Dalhousie, India

Report card analysis to look forward to: Malawi, Australia, Canada, Mexico and more!

Report Cards from Around the World: Kathmandu, Nepal

For the next several weeks, we’ll look at report cards from around the world.

~Fasten Your Seat Belts~

~Second Stop ~ Kathmandu~

.

.

Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, which is home of the mighty Mount Everest. Though troubled by unrest in the last few years, Kathmandu remains a popular tourist destination, especially among the adventurous. As a developing country, Nepal has made enormous strides, though life expectancy (at 63 years) remains low and infant mortality rates highest in the region. Although Wikipedia suggests a 98% literacy rate in the city of Kathmandu, the World Bank reports a literacy rate of 48.2% for the country, and highlights gender disparity (female: 34.6%, male 62.2%). Regardless, Kathmandu has many schools that offer a quality education.

.

Pupil Progress Report Basics

• Type of School: Local, English-standard school
• Academic Year: 2000 – 2001
• Class: X (10)

Here’s the report card! The blue circles highlight a few interesting aspects of the report and the numbers correspond to notes below the image.

1. Population and Environment

Some schools offer Population and Environment, a class that may be equivalent to Human Geography (offered as an Advanced Placement class in the American system).

2. Percentage and Position in Class

This student received 70s in her classes (which would be a C average in the United States), however this is considered “Very Good to Excellent” in the Nepali education system. Her high achievement becomes evident in her position in class: 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th out of 19 students. Speaking of which, the class rank would rarely be reported in most American classrooms, except for the valedictorian at graduation. This illustrates differing values in competition within the educational system.

3. Division

In the Nepali system, students are separated into three divisions, a sort of “streaming.” Here’s a break down of the divisions:

Here’s the second page of the progress report:

4. Teacher’s Comments… “Try harder and do better”

Unlike the report card from Dalhousie, the Nepali progress report includes teacher’s comments (which covers about 50% of the card). The general theme, even for one of the highest achieving students, seems to be “to do better,” “prove her worth,” and “aspire higher.”

5. “She should shed her over confidence”

This statement clearly demonstrates a cultural difference in the value of confidence versus, perhaps, humility? Has your teacher ever said you were over confident?

See Report Card from Dalhousie, India; Soro, Denmark

Report card analysis to look forward to: Malawi, Australia, Canada, Mexico and more!

You See, in India, Handwriting is Very Important…

I recently interviewed an American family about their experiences while living in India and sending a child to a local school. They told me a fascinating story (I’ve taken a few creative liberties, but the issues are the same).

Mom and Dad attended the parent-teacher meetings at an English-medium, independent school in India. They spoke briefly to each teacher: the “maths” teacher, the science teacher, the Hindi teacher and finally the English teacher. The English teacher said, “You’re daughter is lovely, but her accent is so thick that no one understands her. Also, she speaks too fast.” Well, Dad was perplexed, “Accent? What accent?”

Then the teacher went on to talk about writing. She said, “Your child’s handwriting is very messy and I always have to take points off.” Mom and Dad were not too concerned about handwriting and asked instead about the content of her writing, but the teacher continued to speak about handwriting. “Your daughter must use a computer at home?”

“Well… yes,” Mom replied.

“Does everyone have a computer in the United States? In India, children do not have computers, so handwriting is very important.”

Not sure what to say, mom replied, “But what about the subject matter of her writing?”

The teacher continued, “You see, in India, handwriting is very important because we are preparing our children for The Boards*, and their handwriting must be legible in order to be graded.”

“But she won’t be taking The Boards.”

“She won’t?”

“She will be moving back to the United States.”

The parents ended the story with a laugh, “well, she had much better handwriting when she returned to the United States!”

In a way, the tale is funny, but it’s also telling of educational values. While the parents were trying to find out about the content of their child’s writing, which usually constitutes the most important aspect of writing in the American educational system, the teacher showed much more concern for her handwriting, crucial for passing exams that can open or close doors to higher education in India. The parents and teacher reached an impasse.

This anecdote illustrates important cultural differences in education, that can make an international education challenging. While the value may be a relatively small matter (who spends much time thinking about handwriting in the United States?), it can have serious implications (computers per capita definitely marks wealth disparity on a national level) and serious consequences (failing the all-important exams). These are the small factors parents might not even think to consider when choosing to send a child to a local school.

That being said, this particular child had an overwhelmingly positive, life-changing experience. School Choice International will post a video of the interview soon… tune in to find out more about this fantastic family.

See a video interview on the same family!

---

* Final exams given at the end of Class 10 and 12 through out India.