American International School, Abu Dhabi

The American International School of Abu Dhabi (AISA)
School in 2015
Location
29th Street, Airport Road, Abu Dhabi Emirate of Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
Coordinates	24°25′47″N 54°25′51″E / 24.42972°N 54.43083°E / 24.42972; 54.43083Coordinates: 24°25′47″N 54°25′51″E / 24.42972°N 54.43083°E / 24.42972; 54.43083
Information
School type	Private international school
Motto	Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders, Today
Established	1995; 27 years ago (1995)
Founder	ESOL Education
Sister school	American School Hong Kong Dunecrest American School Fairgreen International School The American International School in Egypt Cairo English School American International School in Cyprus Universal College
School board	International Baccalaureate (IB), American Curriculum
School number	117
Director	Patrick Rich
Secondary School Principal	Omar Ugalde[1]
Elementary School Principal	Danielle Rich
Grades	K-12
Gender	Co-educational in K-5; Gender segregated in 6-12
Student to teacher ratio	10:1 (Student-to-teacher)
Language	English
Hours in school day	7 hours
Student Union/Association	Elementary StuCo, Middle School StuCo, High School StuCo
School fees	$8,386 (AED 30800) to $15,247 (AED 56000)
Affiliations	IB-PYP, IBDP, American Diploma
Alumni	Khalid Al Ameri
Website	aisa.sch.ae

The American International School, Abu Dhabi is a private international K-12 school offering an American curriculum. The college-preparatory IB Diploma Program (IBDP)^[2] is offered in grades 11 and 12, and the IB Primary Years Program (IBPYP)^[3] is offered from KG to Grade 5. The school is coeducational in elementary, and gender-segregated in secondary.

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,^[4] the Council of International Schools,^[5] 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 (ECIS).^[6]

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).

Admissions process[]

In order for admission at AISA, students may be asked to present past academic documents and report cards to the Admissions Office. For application to elementary school, students must meet the age requirements set by AISA. Secondary applicants do not have age requirements, but must have completed all course prerequisites and requirements. Students coming from schools outside Abu Dhabi or schools not following the same curriculum as AISA may be asked to take an admissions test. Students transferring from Abu Dhabi schools following AISA's curriculum may also be asked to take an admissions test along with a Measures of Academic Progress Test (MAP Test).

Activities[]

Sports at American International School in Abu Dhabi

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).^[7] 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.^[8]

Arts and theatre[]

On an annual basis, musicals and plays are performed by both elementary and secondary students. Throughout elementary, the art syllabus covers music, visual arts, drama, and art analysis. In middle school, grade 6 students take music classes, grade 7 students take theatre arts classes, and grade 8 students take visual art. In high school, art subjects are available as electives.^[9]

Technology at AISA[]

Emerging technologies are a part of our everyday lives and change the way in which we access, create and communicate information. These technologies provide educational benefits and have the potential to positively impact teaching and learning. To support this potential, AISA has transitioned to a blended learning, technology- infused environment where students from grade 2–12, bring their own device to school each day .

AISA uses the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards in curriculum technology integration. The school has recently begun the implementation of Design and Innovation courses which work in collaboration with other teachers including tech integrationists to support students as they apply learning and make connections to real world applications.

See also[]

• Americans in the United Arab Emirates

References[]