How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

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EyEyEy
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Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2020 10:32 pm

How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

Post by EyEyEy »

I always thought the good international schools provide students a better education than schools back home (US or UK), but I've only ever taught international. A colleague of mine is of the opinion the quality is about the same, and your chances of getting your kid into a good uni are also about the same.

What do you think?
Apart from the international experience, is there an educational benefit of having your child go to an international school rather than a domestic school back home? Or might ISs maybe even be worse for them?
sid
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Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

Post by sid »

There are so many different types and levels of schools that I wouldn’t like to compare international with domestic overall. The best in each are going to be awesome and the worst will be dire, regardless of location. It’s more of a continuum than one big basket.
Heliotrope
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Re: How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

Post by Heliotrope »

A colleague of mine who has spend about half of his (very) long career in domestic education and the other half internationally is of the opinion that the top international schools are on par with the top schools back home, but in international education there are a larger percentage of bad schools at the bottom.
FV2020
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Re: How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

Post by FV2020 »

Way too broad to even begin to compare. Are you comparing Sidwell Friends to St. Dominics Portugal? In that case there is no question the domestic school is better. Are you comparing a public, underfunded title 1 school to ISKL? Then the international school is definitely better.

It’s worth noting that there 30 Search Associates schools in the US, plus hundreds more international schools in the US. 1,000s of US public schools offer IB, and the vast majority of IB diploma students are from schools in the US.
sid
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Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

Post by sid »

What does it mean that I’ve been to all three of the named schools in person?
Thames Pirate
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Re: How do ISs compare to schools back home (for students)?

Post by Thames Pirate »

I taught at a domestic school that was internationally focused. It had one of the best-designed curriculums, both within the IBDP and for the pre-DP, that I have ever seen. While the students were mostly domestic, the program was designed around international-mindedness, and as such it attracted most of the students with international backgrounds (lived abroad, immigrant families, etc.) and those non-international students who wanted a better idea of their place in a global society and to better understand the world around them. The program was cohesive and created a tight-knit cohort. Teachers developed good relationships with students. It was amazing.

On paper, it looked no different from any other public school, and kids could take the full DP, select DP courses, or do none of the exams and just get a regular US high school diploma. But while they may not have had 50 nationalities and 32 mother tongues, they received a more cohesive, globally-focused, and intellectually challenging education than many or even most ISs provide. This in spite of the large class sizes of 30 or more, the overcrowded and under-resourced classrooms, and the highly overworked but committed and enthusiastic staff having to make concessions to what was reasonable.

That said, education is also what you put into it. I think you CAN attend a bottom school, public or private, and get a fantastic education. You can also coast or squeak through the best of schools.

There is no simple or single answer to the question.
PsyGuy
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Response

Post by PsyGuy »

It really depends what your comparing. If your comparing one of the top tier ISs compared to an at risk/in need of improvement DS that the IS is way better. If your comparing the better ISs to the better private/independent DSs they are going to be very similar (an independent DS in X city, may very well be the regional IS). You can also find ISs that are little more than some other countries private/independent DS (China for example). The differences you mainly find:

1) Less or non-existent SPED/SEN/LD in IE. This becomes an issue when you have SPED/SEN/LD students mainstreamed in general education classrooms.
2) Less so in the US but there are BSs that serve almost as feeder schools for certain elite Unis.
3) More likely to find IB in IE than in a US/UK DE. There are more IB ISs in the US than anywhere else but there are a lot of DSs in the US. The concentration of IB ISs is higher in IE.
4) Teachers are treated better and respected more in IE than in US & UK DSs.
5) ISs can generally get rid of students whereas regulated (maintained/public) DSs are stuck with bad students.
6) Size. DSs are larger, classroom sizes tend to be larger.
7) DSs get more coin but their size means they have to spread it around more meaning you as a DT get less personally but your DS may get more than an IS over all.
8) DSs and ISs spend coin differently. Youre more likely to benefit from an expenditure in IE than in DE.
9) IE typically has more over sight than DE and DE typically has more protections for edus than IE.
10) IE generally has better comp than DE at the floor though DE has better comp as you get to the ceiling. Its easier to transition into leadership from DE than in IE.
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