International School Sosua - Working Together to Give our Children the Best Education

In 1988, a group of diverse parents and community leaders joined together and established a school to provide quality education with a strong foundation in family values. The International School of Sosúa (ISS) is the realization of the founders’ dreams, providing superior educational opportunities for children and youth living on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

In 1989, ISS employed one U.S. certified teacher and began offering educational services in kindergarten and grade one.

Early community response confirmed the demand for quality education in the region. In order to meet demand and community needs, ISS expanded to include additional grade levels.

Initially, ISS adopted the Calvert School correspondence curriculum. However, as the school grew and international community needs expanded, ISS developed its own program of study and curriculum.

In 1998, the Dominican Ministry of Education recognized and accredited the ISS program of study up to Grade 8.

In 2001, ISS achieved accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), now referred to as AdvancED. Since then, 35 students have graduated with US High School Diplomas.

In 2007, the Dominican Ministry of Education recognized the high school program of study. ISS continues to work toward full accreditation which will permit our graduates to earn the Dominican High School Diploma directly from our school instead of having to earn it from a partner school.

Today, teachers recruited abroad and locally teach classes and implement a US style curriculum. ISS enrolls 232 students from PreK- grade 12. More than 20 nationalities are represented among our student body with English being the language that unites our diverse community of learners.

The International School of Sosúa is accredited by and recognized by the local Dominican Ministry of Education.

A Board of Trustees formed by the school founders first governed ISS. In 2002, the Board of Trustees named a school board to oversee the educational process at the school. The ISS School Board hires and works directly with the head of the school (director) who is responsible for day-to-day school operations.

ISS is located on a ten acre campus, with facilities that include: nineteen classrooms, a science laboratory, computer laboratory, audio-visual room, art room, music room, two-story library, full service cafeteria and administrative offices. Outdoor facilities include a soccer field, basketball court, playground with equipment, and shaded areas for recreation and socializing.

Facilities are upgraded in accordance with school growth. Future projects detailed in the Five Year Strategic Development Plan include the construction of two classrooms, a new maintenance facility, and the ISS Coliseum.

The ISS cafeteria is run by a private company. Students who choose to use the cafeteria service are served a nutritious snack and a well balanced lunch daily. No sweets, snacks or soft drinks are sold on campus.

The school year includes a minimum of 180 days of instruction. It is divided into two semesters, which are further subdivided into quarters (four quarters in the year). ISS observes some US and all Dominican Republic holidays. Teachers are required to work an additional ten (10) days which are used for orientation and professional development.

Each school day is divided into seven, forty-five minute periods, a 15 minute snack, a 40 minute lunch, and a 20 minute sustained silent reading (SSR) period. Morning Circle is celebrated every Monday and Wednesday. Morning Circle provides an opportunity for students to sing the school pledge and the National Anthem of the Dominican Republic as well as to share announcements and acknowledge special events and/or awards. The official school day begins at 8:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm. Club activities are run after school from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.

ISS School Board: Ricardo Straus (president), Jose Loinaz (vice-president), Marie Jose Barshi, Juan Perdomo, Michel Lulo, Roberto Cassoni, Anahid Avakian, Silke Sadeghi, Maria Isabel Silverio, Jenny Estrella, and Ivonne Milz
Director and High School Principal: Mr. Craig Selig
Elementary Principal: Ms. Megan Howe
School Manager: Ms. Gina Gonzalez
School Counselor: Mr. Adam Shade
Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator: Mrs. Jenny Olson
Librarian: Mr. David Foster

The ISS Curriculum evolved from research-based best practice. ISS adopted learning standards from the U.S. National Councils of English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Sciences and other exemplar institutions. Resources from National Council publications, exemplar schools, and our text book series helped shape the learning objectives that support the standards.

Spanish, Sociales and Civicas teachers implement the curriculum mandated by the Dominican Ministry of Education.

All ISS students are encouraged to participate in club activities to strengthen interpersonal and leadership skills. Participants in the ISS Student Council, Model United Nations Group, and ISS Community Service Club organize special events to promote leadership, learning and the integration of ISS students with other children from around the country. Other sports-orientated clubs (soccer, yoga, karate, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and track and field) encourage the development of healthy lifestyles and teamwork skills.

In 2007, ISS adopted policy that capped the number of students per classroom at 12 (18 with assistant) in the preschool program and 18 (20 with assistant) in the elementary and secondary programs. The policy also capped the number of classrooms at one per grade level with a waiting list for those grades that reach capacity. Even with this policy in place, the average class size in each section still remains below the maximum permitted level.

PreSchool = Infant and PreK
Elementary School = Early Elementary (Kinder-Grade 2) and Upper Elementary (Grades 3-5)
Secondary School = Middle School (Grades 6-8) and High School (Grades 9-12)

Preschool
The preschool is located in a separate structure equipped with its own playground and a gazebo for outdoor activities and play. In 2008, the ISS School Board adopted the Montessori philosophy. The preschool is divided into two groups, the infant group serving students that range in age from 1 ½ to 2 ½ and the PreK group for three and four year olds. There are three lead teachers, one teacher assistant, and one nanny who facilitate and guide the learning process using Montessori instructional strategies and resources.

Elementary
The elementary school includes seven homeroom teachers, two teacher assistants and a number of part and full time specialty teachers (Spanish language, music, art and physical education). Teachers are provided with materials and texts from the U.S. as well as local resources for Spanish classes. All subjects (English, math, social studies, science, music, art, technology, and physical education) are taught in English and Spanish. Spanish classes are added to the curriculum at the beginning of Kinder after students have developed a solid foundation in phonics and literacy in English.

Elementary teachers integrate subject areas whenever possible. The art teacher, librarian and technology coordinator collaborate with the classroom teachers and provide additional instructional and student resources to support the needs of the classroom teacher and students. Real world lessons and experiences are incorporated within daily instruction to link theory with practice.

The wide range of student language abilities requires teachers to plan and implement a variety of instructional strategies, engaging the students in learning, facilitating their growth, and encouraging success. Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) classes are available for non-Spanish speakers and English language support is given to students when possible.

During the 2008-2009 school year, elementary students and teachers began the process of building portfolios to demonstrate student learning and achievement. Twice a year, students will present selected work from their portfolio to their parents and discuss their progress and goals.

We encourage our parents to be actively involved in their child’s education. Parents are asked to read to their child nightly and to encourage their child to make his/her best effort and to strive for excellence. Parents are welcome to volunteer on campus in classrooms, the library or in other areas.

Secondary School
ISS recognizes the unique characteristics of the adolescent learner and is committed to the ongoing development of academic and life skills. ISS teachers implement a diverse curriculum ensuring that all students are exposed to a wide variety of career and life options.

ISS strives to equip students with a strong foundation of basic skills and encourages students to perform research and use technology to supplement learning. The new ISS library provides the space and resources for reading, researching, and media services. Our librarian works collaboratively with the teachers to reinforce and support daily instruction.

Seven teachers are involved in full-time secondary instruction, while another four teachers provide part-time instruction. Specialty teachers instruct most core subjects.

All students in the secondary school must complete an annual portfolio. Within the portfolio, students must demonstrate basic competency in reading, writing, mathematics and research skills. Students also must show proof of completion of the community service requirement.

ISS is currently exploring options to incorporate Advanced Placement (AP) classes within the ISS Program of Study. During the 2009-2010 school year, all students will choose between AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature during their senior year. By the 2010-2011 school year, all students will be required to complete a minimum of two AP classes to graduate.

School/Home Communication

Every student in grades two through twelve receives a school agenda at the beginning of the school year. Students record pertinent information such as homework assignments and scheduled tests in the agenda. Periodically, students are required to have their parents sign the agenda. The ISS Agenda allows parents to better understand what their child is doing in class and serves as a reminder of work and skills requiring home reinforcement.

Each month, the “Director’s News” is sent home with the youngest member of each family. The newsletter communicates upcoming events and reminds stakeholders of important policies and procedures. A weekly calendar is circulated to all teachers and posted in strategic areas throughout the school.

In addition to traditional newsletters and memos, ISS communicates with parents through internet technology. ISS strives to become electronically based whereby all newsletters and memos will be sent via email and posted online at the school web site (www.issosua.com).

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA), comprised of parent representatives from each grade, support learning and provide assistance in organizing, planning and celebrating school events and successes. The PTA manages a phone tree in case of emergencies.

The ISS Student/Parent Handbook outlines the policies, procedures and regulations that dictate the code of conduct and ethics for the school. As part of the Code of Conduct, all students are required to sign the ISS Internet User Agreement.

Beginning in 2008-2009, all students who enter ISS in the Elementary School will be required to pursue dual diplomas. To earn the Dominican diploma, at the end of grades 8 and 12 students must perform and pass the national standardized tests (Pruebas Nacionales) in the subjects of Spanish, social studies and mathematics. Due to these requirements and the rigor of the standardized tests, students who are not native Spanish speakers, when entering secondary school may opt out of the Dominican diploma.

At graduation, students who complete the required credits and community service receive a US High School Diploma. Because ISS in not completely accredited by the Dominican Ministry of Education, ISS students that complete the requirements for the Dominican “Bachillerato” receive their actual diploma from a local public school that acts as a sister school to ISS.

The secondary principal and counselor works with each student to ensure a plan for completing the necessary coursework by graduation. To date, 35 students have graduated from ISS, all of whom have earned US High School Diploma. Statistics on the percentage of students earning the Dominican “Bachillerato” are not available since students earn the degree from a partner school; however, it is estimated that approximately half of our graduates receive dual diplomas.

To obtain the US high school diplomas, students must complete the following credits between 9th and 12th grade (1 credit represents 130 hours of study):

English	4
Modern Foreign Language (Spanish)	2*
Social Studies (World History I, World History II, US History)	4
Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)	4
Mathematics (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, PreCalculus**)	4
Fine Arts (Art or Music)	1
Computer Science	1
Physical Education	2
Electives	4
Community Service	60 hours
* Students are encouraged to select a full year course in each grade (9-12) for these courses.
** Students may reach Calculus if they are fast tracked in mathematics.

ISS Stakeholders Demographics

ISS School Team

ISS recognizes that educating children is a shared responsibility and that all school employees play an important role in providing quality service to the community.

The ISS Administrative Council is formed by the director, the school level principals, the curriculum coordinator, the librarian, and the counselor. The Administrative Council works together to develop goals and to manage the day to day operation of the school.

ISS recruits teachers and administrators world-wide. Approximately 73% of the teaching staff are foreign hires and involved in instruction in English, while 27% of the teaching staff are local hires and involved in instruction in both English and Spanish.

In order to ensure compliance with the standards established by AdvancED and the Dominican Ministry of Education, ISS employs experienced teachers and administrators who are certified by their home countries and/or states. Each year, ISS aims to hire the most highly qualified candidates available. When a certified teacher is not available, ISS will hire uncertified teachers providing that the teacher agrees to develop and execute a plan to work toward certification within an established timeline.

The ISS team of teachers and administrators is not only highly qualified, but it also includes a balance of veteran and “new” teachers.

The average turnover of instructional staff (teachers and administrators) at ISS has exceeded 25% in the past. Although turnover is high, a core group of teachers who have consistently renewed their contracts has provided stability over the last number of years.

ISS allots approximately ten (10) days to teacher orientation and whole school professional development. In addition, each teacher can apply for a grant of up to US $500 for individual professional development. Teachers and administrators may use the funding to enroll in online or local university courses or to participate in programs offered at partner schools including the Carol Morgan School or Santiago Christian School. In-house professional development is co-lead by administrators and teachers. As part of the Five Year Development Plan, the school board has committed additional funds to implement a Professional Development and Technology Plan that supports improvement plans.

ISS students come from diverse backgrounds, nations, and world cultures including: Argentina, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United States, etc. Although the majority of our students hold dual citizenship, students listed 22 different nations as their primary nationality.

ISS students can be heard speaking several languages; however English is the language that unites the school community.

Class size fluctuates between 11 and 23 depending upon the grade level, with an average class size of 15 students.

Understanding the history of the school and the stakeholder demographic data provides insights that help to better understand student achievement data.

ISS Student Achievement

ISS measures student achievement through internal and external assessment systems. Assessment data is used as an indicator to measure the depth and quality of our curriculum, to evaluate and develop school improvement plans, and to create individualized education plans for students with identified areas of weakness.

Teachers complete “Green Sheets” to report academic and behavioral progress on a weekly (elementary) and bi-weekly (secondary) basis. In addition to the weekly reports, a mid-term and end of the quarter report are sent home in the middle and at the end of each ten-week period of study. All parents are required to schedule a conference to meet with the teacher at the end of the quarter to discuss their child’s academic and social progress.

ISS recognizes students who excel academically by publishing and awarding Honor Roll certificates to students who maintain an average of 92% (A) or higher at the end of each quarter. Certificates for exemplary values and leadership are also awarded at assemblies.

ISS also performs internal diagnostic tests to collect data to analyze student achievement in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics. At the beginning and end of each academic year, all students in the elementary and middle school are given text book based entrance and exit evaluations to measure basic literacy in mathematics and reading comprehension.

In addition to these measures, during the 2007-2008 school year, ISS developed a standardized ISS Writing Prompt to measure students’ ability to communicate in written language in both English and Spanish. All students from K-12 are tested twice a year using the 6+1 Trait Rubric to determine their level of mastery and progress in writing.

During the 2008-2009 school year, ISS also began to formalize the collection of exemplar work and to develop student portfolios to showcase student learning. In the elementary school, students will present their portfolios to their parents twice a year via the three way conference model. In the secondary school, students will present their portfolios to their parents and peers at the end of the year.

ISS used the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) until the end of the 2006-2007 school year. In 2007, ISS decided to adopt the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test marketed by the Northwestern Evaluation Association (NWEA) in lieu of the IOWA tests. We will begin to apply and receive data from NWEA in November 2008.

To provide additional and improved data in the area of reading, ISS adopted and implemented the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) test in March 2008. The DRA will eventually replace the older Scholastic Tests of Basic Reading.

In addition to these data sources, ISS adopted the use of Accelerated Reader (March 2007) and Accelerated Math (August 2008) and the accompanying STAR reader and STAR math assessment programs to provide additional baseline data and to measure growth in literacy and numeracy.

PSAT, SAT, and ACT are also used to measure student achievement and to assess readiness for post secondary studies. Longitudinal data from test scores on the PSAT and SAT before 2007-2008 may not be reliable as the data may represent the results of only one or two students. The percentage and number of students who chose to sign-up and complete the PSAT and SAT increased significantly during the 2007-2008 school year which will improve the reliability of the data as a measure of school effectiveness.

ISS continues to work on using data from internal and external measures to modify our curriculum and to improve instruction and assessment practices.

All data is collected, analyzed, stored and shared with the community throughout the year. Data from the ITBS and ITED was stored in a manner that permitted the school to analyze student achievement and school improvement in a longitudinal and horizontal manner. One of the disadvantages of the decision to change assessment systems is that it will take a number of years to amass the quantity of data that is necessary to determine trends, to see improvement, and to permit horizontal and longitudinal studies of the data.

The examples of student achievement shown graphically below represent data collected over the last three to five years pertaining to literacy (reading, writing and mathematics).

Writing Data:
ISS recognizes the need for its students to demonstrate strong writing skills throughout their lives. Internal (ISS Standardized Writing Prompt) and external (ITBS, ITED, PSAT and SAT) tests are used to measure student achievement in writing.

During the 2007-2008 school year, ISS implemented the internal ISS Standardized Writing Prompt using the 6+1 Trait Rubric to evaluate student writing. ISS chose to present the data on internally performed assessments in terms of the percentage of students who did not meet the grade level standard.

ISS teachers and administrators continue to improve their ability to use rubrics to assess student writing. Samples of exemplar writing will be stored in student portfolios (K-12) and anchor papers will be selected to compare student performance to grade level standards. ISS teachers are committed to work together to place greater emphasis on writing across the curriculum.

Reading Data:
ISS has worked hard to improve the quality and quantity of books available for instruction in reading at all grade levels. Student achievement in reading is measured through internal measures (running records, projects, tests and quizzes, etc.) as well as external measures (ITBS and ITED, STAR Reader, DRA, and Scholastic Tests).

ISS chose to present the data on the new measures first implemented in 2008 in terms of the percentage of students that did not meet the grade level standard. It is important to note that the STAR Reader Test was only applied to grades three to eight.

Starting in August 2008, the STAR Reader Test and DRA were also applied in grades 6-8.

Reading data for the upper grades is mainly generated from the PSAT and SAT tests which are reported separately.

Mathematics Data:
During the 2007-2008 school year, ISS increased the number of hours of math instruction as part of the measures designed to strengthen basic skills and to improve achievement levels. New text books were purchased for the elementary school for the 2008-2009 school year. ISS will also incorporate the Accelerated Math and STAR Math testing programs during the 2008-2009 school year.

In August of 2008, the STAR Math Test was applied to all students in grades 2 to 12. The data shown represents the percentage of students that scored below grade level standards.

ISS chose to present the data on text book driven internal assessments in terms of the percentage of students that did not meet the grade level standard.

In past years, the small number of students in the high school grades and the low percentage of students that participated in the PSAT make it virtually impossible to use results on these tests as valid measures of overall student achievement and school performance. In many cases between the years of 2003 and 2006, only 1 or 2 students wrote the PSAT at each grade level. During the 2007-2008 school year, more than 70% of the students wrote the test. As students receive additional counsel and information on writing the PSAT, we hope that all students in grades 9 to 11 will perform the test although it will remain voluntary.

Similar to the PSAT, the number of students that wrote the SAT I prior to the 2007-2008 school year significantly affected the validity of the results. During the 2007-2008 school year, 83% of the senior students wrote the SAT.

Attendance at Post Secondary Institutions:
ISS works individually with each high school student to develop a life plan. We use accumulated averages, SAT scores, financial statements, and student interests and aspirations to help the student select a career path and post secondary option for which he/she is most suited. ISS students have attended some of the most prestigious universities and institutes around the globe and have chosen to pursue degrees and certificates in diverse careers, ranging from studies in the Arts to Engineering. ISS has developed a Graduate Profile to introduce our school and students to admission officers (see Appendix B).

Stakeholder Perceptions on School Performance:
In October 2007, the School Improvement Team developed and implemented a community survey to gage stakeholder perceptions. The survey questioned stakeholder satisfaction with School Facilities and Funds, ISS Policies and Procedures, and Communication/Relationships. Twenty-four (24) teacher responses, forty-eight (48) student responses and seventy-eight (78) parent responses were compiled.

Identified Areas of Strength: (measured by strongly agree responses)
Parents: (77 respondents)

Identified Areas of Weakness: (measured by disagree and neutral responses)
Parents: (77 respondents)

Summary of Survey Results:
Overall, the response to the survey was very positive. Clear areas of strengths that emerged after examining all of the quantitative and qualitative results included: excellent communication of policies and procedures, excellent communication of information on academic and social progress of the students, ability to develop relationships among staff and the community, strength in the area of the English program, and definite signs of improvement in the curriculum. Commonalities among the weaknesses that emerged included: need to improve the cleanliness of the facilities, need to improve the playground areas, need to build a covered play area, need to improve teacher and student resources, and the need to improve the Spanish and Music program (especially in the Elementary school).

ISS is committed to providing the community with a voice in the decision-making process and therefore will perform annual surveys and communicate results to the stakeholders through committee work, general meetings and informal conversations.

Overall Summary of Student Achievement and School Effectiveness:
During the 2007-2008 and subsequent school year, the acquisition and implementation of new initiatives led to improved assessment systems that provide a richer and more complete picture of student performance and school effectiveness. Overall, ISS is very concerned with the number of students that are not meeting grade level expectations. Explanations for the weak performance of our students include the high percentage of ESL students within our population, past admission policies that were not sufficiently rigorous, small sample sizes (# of students per class and total enrollment), and lack of continuity and clear learning standards in the curriculum. As a community, ISS is focused on moving forward and stressing improvement. As a clear picture of student achievement levels and school effectiveness emerged, the administration team immediately began addressing the challenges by developing improvements plans during the 2007-2008 school year. ISS strongly believes that the improvement plans that we developed and are implementing will permit the school to accomplish its vision of becoming the leading school in the Caribbean region within the next five years.

Strategic Development Plan
In September 2007, a Five Year Strategic Development Plan was submitted to the school board by the Director to outline a path toward sustained improvement and growth (appendix C). The Five-Year Strategic Development Plan sets priorities and provides clear guidelines to ensure that adequate funds are allocated to facilitate school improvement plans and to further the vision for learning at ISS.

Strategic Development Goals
Each year, the instructional team in collaboration with SIT, develop Strategic Development Goals (appendix D) to provide benchmarks to measure progress toward the fulfillment of the ISS Vision for Learning. Strategic goals focus on student growth, participation, and compliance with standards.

School Improvement Plans
In October of 2007, the administrative team and SIT identified three major areas for improvement based upon the analysis of the available data. Action plans were developed in the areas of: Curriculum Development (appendix E), Assessment Systems (appendix F), and Intervention Programs (appendix G). Each area was introduced to the teachers who then had the opportunity to share their ideas and to shape the direction and development of the improvement plan. By March of 2008, the plans were finalized and a basic framework was introduced to the community at the General Assembly. The work completed during the 2007-2008 school year was included in the plans in order to emphasize and recognize the tremendous efforts made by the stakeholders and community to immediately address the areas of weakness identified from the data. Between August and September, the administrative council in collaboration with SIT put the finishing touches on the Technology (appendix H) and Professional Development (appendix I) Plans that were designed to support the curriculum, assessment and interventions plans. The ISS Improvement Plans will guide the learning process and program development at ISS through to the 2009-2010 school year. The School Improvement Team will monitor the implementation of the improvement plans and continually adjust and revise the plans to meet the needs of the school community.

School Improvement Process
The self-study process for the Quality Assurance Review (QAR) began during the 2006-2007 school year with the formation of the School Improvement Team (SIT). SIT worked diligently during the 2006-2007 year to address the recommendations left after the 2005 accreditation visit.

During the 2007-2008 school year, the school improvement team developed a school improvement cycle to guide the improvement process and self study. SIT studied the seven standards for quality assurance developed by AdvancED and began to collect evidence and to examine school practices to demonstrate compliance.

School Improvement Cycle:
August – Reviewing vision/profile/improvement plans – Setting strategic development goals
August to June – Collecting and analyzing data
September/October – Updating profile
October or March - Community Survey applied
November – Updated profile presented to community
December – Systematic vision review
January-April – Development/monitoring school improvement plans
April-May – Completion of Executive Summary Review or SAR
June – Reviewing process and celebrating successes

Seven sub-committees were formed by representatives of the ISS stakeholders to perform the Standards Assessment Report (SAR) during the second semester of the 2007-2008 school year. Committees included the following participants:

Vision and Purpose: Mike Sayer (A), Vesna Radivojevic (T), Richard MacKinnon(T), Oscar Zazo (T), Missy Darfron (P), Elah Barshi (S)
Governance and Leadership: Craig Selig (A), Gina Gonzalez (A), Peter Szczepaniak (T), Marcus Jones (T), MJ Barshi (P)
Teaching and Learning: Megan Howe (A), Jessica Pineda (T), Chris Smith (T), Dan Russell (T), Carla Sadler (T), Jenny Estrella (P), Holly Nelson (S)
Documenting and Using Results: Megan Howe (A), Candace Panchyshyn (T), George Casey (T), Jose Morel (T), Fernando Overtick (P), Elena Coutu (S)
Resource and Support Systems: Craig Selig (A), Christine Derosier (T), Sharlene Jones (T), David Foster (T), Anahid Avakian (P), Carla Morales (S)
Stakeholder Communications and Relationships: Mike Sayer (A), Maya Amelingmeier (T), Wanda Ventura (T), Frank Swarz (P), Pedro Duran (S)
Commitment to Continuous Improvement: Craig Selig (A), Leila Hastings (T), Tadeu Demarco (T), Hanah Cabrera (T), Ivonne Milz (P), Rosa Casoni (S)

In October 2008, ISS will undergo a quality assurance review (QAR) and receive a five member QAR team that visit the school to evaluate and provide guidance to assist the school in accomplishing its goals and vision for learning.