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AIS Student & Community Profile Hong Kong is often referred to as Asia’s most international city, offering a stimulating, vibrant and cosmopolitan place to live and work. Like its surroundings, the American International School (AIS) reflects the energy of Hong Kong in the dynamic learning community it supports. AIS is a school committed to the challenges of providing a rich and rewarding educational experience that embraces technology, adopts international best practices, nurtures enduring understandings of Justice, Knowledge and Love, and prepares its students with the skills and knowledge needed to make a positive contribution to the world in which they live. Our Community Founded in 1986, AIS is a firmly established member of Hong Kong’s celebrated international school community. Together with more than 40 other international schools, AIS plays an active role in supporting and promoting international education in Hong Kong. AIS is a private, non-profit, family-owned international school committed to providing a positive and caring environment that supports successful student learning. Serving the needs of local and expatriate families, AIS is one of the few international schools in Hong Kong, offering an American educational program from Early Childhood through to Grade 12. Located in Kowloon Tong, AIS is the main provider of this type of schooling in Kowloon. The signature red-bricked buildings stretch impressively along Waterloo Road, making the 60,000sq ft campus a distinctive landmark in this prestigious residential district. AIS remains a long-standing member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS). As the premier provider of professional support and development for international and US overseas schools, AIS values the support made available to it through EARCOS. Regular attendance at conferences and workshops has helped advance the professional growth of staff, facilitated communication and cooperation between AIS and other international schools in the region, and promoted international friendship and collegiality. AIS is privileged to be part of such an extensive regional community internationally recognized as being a world-leader in the advancement of education. The accreditation of our school by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) validates the integrity of our school programs, assuring our school community that we are committed to excellence through the process of continuous self-improvement. Over the years, AIS and WASC have worked together to ensure that AIS remains focused on achieving successful student learning. Our Focus Our school was founded with a mission to provide local Hong Kong families an opportunity to pursue an American educational program as an alternative to the traditional local school system. California International School, as AIS was originally named, gave local parents another choice for their children. AIS contributed to the expansion of the international school sector in Hong Kong, which had traditionally remained an exclusive privilege to overseas expatriate families and parents employed by the colonial British government. After 22 years of continuous operations, AIS maintains it focus on delivering a high-quality international educational experience for its students and teachers. To successfully meet the needs of our students, both academically and socially we recognize our duty is to ensure the students in our care receive an education that is positive, challenging and well-balanced. This commitment is reflected in the pursuit of a rigorous US standards-based academic program, the extensive variety of extra-curricular activities, our established student support programs and our positive school climate. Our core values are encapsulated in our Expected Schoolwide Learning Results and remain central to our focus of being a school fully committed to successful student learning. As an international school community we are also aware of our privileged position and the responsibilities this places on us. Developing students to be positive, caring and responsible global citizens is our collective responsibility and the cornerstone upon which we believe the future success and growth of AIS rests. Section 1: General Population Indicators Hong Kong’s Geographical Location Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Consisting of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated locations, despite 60% of the territory designated country park. FIGURE 1: Land Area of Hong Kong Our Location The AIS campus is located at 125 Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon. The campus currently occupies a 60,000 sq/ft site, which is predicted to extend to 80,000sq/ft by 2012. Although urban Kowloon has the highest population density per person per sq. foot (see Figure 2), Kowloon Tong is traditionally an exclusive residential district and maintains a prestigious reputation for prime realty. Unlike most of urban Kowloon, Kowloon Tong’s development remains low-rise, with relatively low population density. This exclusivity ensures the Kowloon Tong district remains a prestigious location.
Kowloon Tong lies at the heart of Hong Kong’s most comprehensive transport network. Waterloo Road links Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, the New Territories and Mainland China and is the principal thoroughfare for road transport to the border. Kowloon Tong is a strategic intersection and transport hub for Hong Kong. In addition to a comprehensive public bus and public light-bus terminus, both the Mass Transit Railway’s (MTR) underground and over ground rail networks, including the train service from Lo Wu on the border with China, intersect at Kowloon Tong station. This is particularly significant for the increasing number of students who live in Shenzhen, China, and take the train service from Lo Wu every day to attend AIS. The fact that most students and teachers at AIS use the public transport system to get to and from school underlines how important and convenient the Kowloon Tong location is for AIS. FIGURE 3: Map of Kowloon Tong Our Community For students and families seeking an American international education program, AIS is the single largest provider of this type of schooling in Kowloon. Other American school programs are offered at Hong Kong International School, located on Hong Kong Island and International Christian School recently relocated to the New Territories. Subsequently, as Figure 4 illustrates, the majority of families attending AIS are residentially located in Kowloon and the New Territories. FIGURE 4: Residential Locations of AIS Families 2007-08 Hong Kong’s General Population Figures released in February 2007 by the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Figure 5) confirm Hong Kong’s general population to be 94% Chinese with the remaining 6% drawn from 12 other major nationalities. FIGURE 5: Hong Kong General Population – Nationality by Passport 2006 Hong Kong’s Linguistic Profile The Census and Statistics Department similarly confirms Cantonese to be the strongest first language in Hong Kong, with those who consider English to be their usual language measuring 2.8% of the total population (see Figure 6). FIGURE 6: Hong Kong General Population – Usual Language 2006 Hong Kong’s Economy A number of recent studies and surveys confirm Hong Kong’s status as one of the world’s premier cities. Hong Kong remains the preferred city in Asia for overseas and Mainland companies, according to the results of an annual survey released by Invest HK, a Hong Kong Government department that promotes the many advantages of Hong Kong as a base to locate a business. The ‘Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong Representing Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong’ is conducted by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Positive factors included: (1) a low and simple tax system; (2) free flow of information; (3) absence of exchange controls; (4) corruption–free government; (5) communication, transport and other infrastructure; (6) free port status; (7) geographical location; (8) availability of business services and professional support services; (9) rule of law and independent judiciary; and (10) political stability and security. Hong Kong is one of the world’s financial capitals and as a result is an incredibly wealthy city. It can also be a very expensive place to live (see Figure 5 and Figure 6). FIGURE 7: Mercer’s Human Resource Consulting Cost of Living Survey 2007
Economic Factors Affecting International Schools The rapid rise in the cost of living presents a number of challenges for international schools, particularly in terms of recruitment and retention of students and teachers. The increasing cost of living, the availability and high cost of residential accommodation, rising pollution levels and insufficient international school spaces for a growing number of expatriate children relocating to Hong Kong are regularly reported in the media. Socio-Economic Background of AIS Families Subsequently, these economic factors are reflected in the demographics of the AIS community. Interpreting data collected through the school’s student database allows us to suggest that typical AIS families come from a relatively positive socio-economic background capable of meeting Hong Kong’s high living costs as well as paying for a private education. For example, the occupational background of both fathers and mothers is dominated by business, management, professional and executive positions. While almost 60% of mothers classify themselves as ‘homemakers’ thereby affording not to seek employment, mothers who are employed are also typically engaged in business, management, executive and professional careers. Professional careers suggest parents are probably educated to a comparatively high standard. FIGURE 9: Occupational Background of AIS Families 2007-08: Fathers FIGURE 10: Occupational Background of AIS Families 2007-08: Mothers
AIS Enrollment and Admissions Criteria Applications for enrollment at AIS are open to any family interested in the educational program on offer at the school. Applications are accepted throughout the year. The AIS Admissions Policy outlines three key criterions for families seeking enrollment.
The admissions process, which includes placement tests in Mathematics and English together with a personal interview with the respective school principal, is designed to ensure an appropriate match between prospective students and the school. AIS School Fees As a private fee-paying school, the enrollment of any student at AIS requires a financial commitment to the payment of school fees and the associated costs of the school’s educational program. School fees are calculated on an annual basis and are set by the school’s administration, subject to approval from the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EB). School fees can be paid quarterly, bi-annually or annually at the beginning of the school year. FIGURE 11: AIS Tuition Fee Schedule 2007-08
AIS Enrollment Trends With the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong in February 2003, there was unprecedented damage done to international school enrollment figures, particularly for the period through the final quarter of that school year. Since then, Hong Kong has successfully recovered and the economy rebounded. Like most other international schools in Hong Kong, AIS has experienced consistent growth in its enrollment since then. With current enrollment sitting at 662 students, AIS total student enrollment has grown by approximately 20% since 2003-04. At elementary school (Early Childhood-Grade 5) there has been a 11.5% increase, a 16% increase in middle school (Grades 6-8) and an 30% overall increase at high school (Grades 9-12). FIGURE 12: AIS Student Population Enrollment Trends 2004-05 to 2007-08 AIS Re-Enrollment Trends Student enrollment in international schools has a tendency to be transient. In AIS there is an increased likelihood of family relocation due to the mobile nature of international business. For this reason mobility rates are useful in indicating general trends in enrollment, identifying important intake points and, the relationship between returning students compared to new students enrolling into the school. Data suggests that at AIS the general trend year-on-year for the past 4 years, is to have a higher return of previously enrolled students compared to the number of new students joining the school. According to our most recent statistics, re-enrollment figures for every grade level, except Grade 1 Junior remain higher than the number of new students enrolling into the school. At the high school level there is a significant increase in the number of students re-enrolling compared to the number of new students entering the school. It could be argued that typically there is a preference for students and families to avoid unnecessary disruption during the high school years with preparation for college and university becoming an increasingly important focus. Yet it could also be that these statistics indicate a general level of satisfaction with the school’s program, with students and families opting to re-enroll. In any case the statistics indicate an increasingly stable student-body. FIGURE 13: AIS Student Enrollment Population – Re-Enrollment Trends 2006-07 AIS Student Mobility Trends The impact of student mobility trends is significant in the development of a stable student-body. A common characteristic of international school education is its frequently transient nature. This is especially relevant to Hong Kong where the mobility of the international business community is high. For AIS, statistics for the current academic year indicate the composition of students in every grade level to be a mixture of students who have studied at the school anywhere from more than 5 years to less than one academic year. As no particular grouping is dominant in any grade level, the trend for a typical cohort is to have students with various levels of experience in the school. Excluding Early Childhood 1, where all students are new, and Grade 12 when very few new students join high school, grade levels typically include a significant number of students who have been in the school for less than three years. FIGURE 14: AIS Student Enrollment Population – Mobility 2006-07 AIS Student Demographics Our student population currently consists of 315 girls and 347 boys (Figure 12). Approximately 76% of the current student population does not consider English to be their first language (Figure 13). FIGURE 15: AIS Student Enrollment Population 2007-08: Gender by Grade FIGURE 16: AIS Student Population by First Language (2007-08) Student Academic Performance Indicators Standardized Testing: Iowa Tests Using the Iowa Tests, schoolwide standardized testing takes place annually as a means to benchmark student performance trends in Language and Mathematics compared to grade equivalent performance trends in the United States. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) are administered to all students from Grade 3 through Grade 8, while all students from Grade 9 through Grade 11 take the Iowa Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP). These tests are usually administered in March. Up to 2004, standardized testing was only administered in Grade 3, Grade 5, Grade 7, Grade 9 and Grade 11. From 2005, the school decided to include all students from Grade 3 through Grade 11 in the annual standardized testing program. FIGURE 17: Iowa Tests: Comparative to US Grade Equivalency
Standardized Testing: PSAT Under the supervision of the school’s guidance counselor, every student in Grade 10 and Grade 11 takes the PSAT in their sophomore and junior years as preparation for the SAT in senior year. FIGURE 18: PSAT/NMSQT Summary Reports: AIS Grade 10
PSAT Scoring Ranges
FIGURE 19: PSAT/NMSQT Summary Reports: AIS Grade 11
PSAT Scoring Ranges
FIGURE 20: Standardized Testing: AIS SAT Average Scores 2007
FIGURE 21: AIS SAT 2 Average Scores 2007
FIGURE 22: AIS AP Exam Results 2007
Staff FIGURE 23: AIS Faculty 2007-08
Faculty Recruitment Minimum requirements for a teaching position at AIS are a college or university degree and an appropriate professional teaching credential. Standard hiring procedures require the following:
All faculty members are placed on the AIS Main Salary Scale in accordance with their qualifications and previous teaching experience.
FIGURE 24: AIS Faculty 2007-08 Qualifications The school seeks to recruit and hire appropriately qualified and experienced teachers within the parameters of the existing salary scale. Job openings are published on the school’s website, the South China Morning Post and through The International Educator (TIE online). All teachers and administrators are hired on local terms. Attendance at recruitment fairs is not part of the existing AIS hiring process. FIGURE 25: AIS Faculty 2007-08 Nationalities by Passport FIGURE 26: AIS Faculty Turnover 2005-2007 |
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