Asia Society Intl. Studies Schools Network
Mission
The mission of each ISSN school is to create an environment for learning and development in which every student is prepared to succeed in college or other post secondary education and to compete, connect, and cooperate within an interconnected global community. To achieve this mission, each of these schools faces a common challenge: to understand what the new knowledge and skills are that students need in a global era and how these can be thoughtfully integrated within the core curriculum in ways that ultimately contribute to students’ overall school performance.
Profile
Schools within our research-driven network provide rigorous, engaging education for low-income and minority students, with a vision to prepare them for college, the global workforce, and a lifetime of learning. 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 learning with 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 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.
Results
The Consortium for Policy Research in Education analyzed data on Network schools from 2004-2007, comparing results from ISSN schools to those for schools with similar demographic profiles within the same school district. Across grade levels and core subject areas (English, math, science, social studies / economics), ISSN schools achieved at higher levels in 80% of such comparisons.
In June, 2008, the first two graduating classes in the Asia Society International Studies Schools Network proudly received their diplomas at the Academy for International Studies (AIS) in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Henry Street School for International Studies in Manhattan, New York. Over the past four years, students at AIS had consistently and substantially outpaced district averages and demographically similar schools on state achievement tests. 100% of the AIS first senior class graduated. At Henry Street, which serves a student population that is 100% low income and minority, and includes twice the district average of special education students, over 80% of its senior class graduated on time compared to a district average of about 50%.
The ISSN also conducts a site visit process in the first and third years of implementation of the ISSN model, with an online self-assessment providing data for each school in the interim years. In addition, achievement data from each school is collected and analyzed annually to look at individual school performance as well as performance trends across the network of schools.
