We Asked Some of the Best International Schools in the World About What Makes The American Curriculum Stand Out! Let’s See What They Had To Say.
The American curriculum offers a broad and balanced educational approach supported by a wide range of co-curricular activities, providing students a unique environment for developing the skills they need to become well-rounded students capable of excelling in all subject areas. Schools offering the US-style curriculum, commonly known as American Schools, place a priority on high standards of achievement, resulting in this curriculum being one of the most popular curriculums in international schools. The diploma is not only accepted for entry at all US universities, but also increasingly by universities around the world.
But for many parents trying to find the best school for their children, understanding the details of the American Curriculum and what sets it apart from the other excellent international curricula can be a challenge.
This is why we brought together experts from some of the top international schools who use the American Curriculum to help you understand what makes this curriculum unique and whether it may be the perfect fit for your child.
Table of contents
What Is the American Curriculum?
The American or US Curriculum is based on American Common Core State Standards for English, Language Arts, Math, History & Geography, and Next-Generation Science Standards. This gives more creative freedom to tailor the curriculum based on individual needs.
One of the first steps in selecting a great school for your family is understanding the curriculum they follow. There are several great options to choose from and each has amazing benefits for the students who study under that system.
Let’s take a look at what the American Curriculum looks like and how it works:
The American or US Curriculum is based on American Common Core State Standards for English, Language Arts, Math, History & Geography, and Next-Generation Science Standards. This gives more creative freedom to tailor the curriculum based on individual needs.
Students are supported by a huge range of co-curricular activities that ensure they have the opportunity to develop fully as individuals. Personalized instructions are geared towards inquiry-based, hands-on teaching methods, and world class learning strategies.
What Top American Schools Answer:
There is no standardized, national American school educational curriculum because of the basic decentralization of the American education system. The primary governmental control of curriculum lies with the 50 states with the national government establishing standards and programs related to national educational legislation. Even so, both private and public American schools exercise a great deal of freedom of choice to determine many aspects of the curricular program.
What Are the Benefits of The American Curriculum?
- Wide range of courses and subjects designed to produce well-rounded students.
- Focus on helping students discover the subjects where they excel and make the most of their talents.
- Preparing students for university and beyond by promoting creativity, critical thinking, and social skills.
Having seen how the American Curriculum is structured, it is important to understand how this system can benefit your child. Each system of education provides unique benefits to learners based on the explicit and implicit goals of the educational framework.
Let’s take a look at the main benefits of studying the American Curriculum:
The American Curriculum offers a wide range of courses and subjects designed to produce well-rounded students. The American system of education focuses on helping students discover the subjects where they excel and make the most of their talents. The curriculum is designed in a way that prepares students for university and beyond by promoting creativity, critical thinking, and social skills.
American schools are a popular choice among international parents. These schools are designed to provide a core curriculum that prepares students to enter schools, colleges, and universities in the United States and in a great number of countries throughout the world, and this has made American schools greatly in demand among students wishing to enter into the best private colleges and universities in the world.
What Top American Schools Answer:
There are many benefits to following the American Curriculum, including: flexibility of content; a great deal of choice in subjects and extracurriculars; and a focus on a broad set of academic skills, knowledge, and familiarity with all subject matter.
International recognition of the American Curriculum
As one of the premier international educational systems, the US Curriculum is accepted at universities around the world, and is easily transferable to other educational institutions.
Whether you plan to stay in one place for the remainder of your children’s education, or foresee your family moving several times before graduation, knowing that the education your child has received will be applicable, and transferable to other schools—and universities—is crucial to ensuring educational outcomes.
Let’s take a look at the transferability of the American Curriculum:
Whether students plan to attend a university in the US or are looking for credentials that are accepted around the world, the American Curriculum can be a great choice.
As one of the premier international educational systems, the US Curriculum is accepted at universities around the world, and is easily transferable to other educational institutions.
What Top American Schools Answer:
The American high school diploma, awarded by any accredited American secondary school is formally recognized around the world. With the additional requirements of AP® or IB® Examinations, American high school students have access to study anywhere in the world. As with all other diplomas and secondary school certificates, the recognition of their qualification to study will be directly dependent upon their individual scores, evaluations, language skills, and other personal educational factors: this is true for any student anywhere in the world who wishes to study outside of their own home nation or national education system.
Which Schools Can Offer the American Curriculum?
The United States currently gives individual states a great deal of flexibility over what students in their districts learn and how they are taught. However, there are well-respected educational agencies which accredit American Schools internationally.
Part of what makes world-class curriculums so sought after is that they are trusted by parents, universities, and employers around the world. This trust is often based on strict accreditation and rules governing the way students are taught, meaning not every school can teach whichever curriculum they please.
Let’s see which schools are able to teach the American Curriculum:
In some ways, the term American Curriculum is somewhat misleading, since the United States currently gives individual states a great deal of flexibility over what students in their districts learn and how they are taught.
However, there are well-respected educational agencies which accredit American Schools internationally.
What Top American Schools Answer:
Schools [must be] accredited by a U.S. educational accrediting agency.
Questions to ask when choosing an American School?
- What are the high school credit requirements?
- Does the school offer AP® coursework? IB® Diploma?
- Does the school offer a number of curricular tracks?
- Are the staff, teaching faculty and administration primarily American or of other nationalities?
- Are teachers trained or have degrees/certificates from U.S. universities?
The popularity of many internationally-recognised curriculums means that for each system, there are often several schools in a given region to choose from. Whether you have decided on the specific curriculum that is right for your child, or you are still in the process of deciding, it may be helpful to know whether the schools you are considering provide the best possible outcomes based on the curriculum they follow.
This is what you should look for in an outstanding school following the American Curriculum:
As a parent, you want to ensure that the school you choose for your child will provide an excellent education and prepare your child for success beyond the classroom. Each family will have their own set of standards when considering a set of schools, but some common characteristics make for an outstanding American school.
Parents can inquire about school alumni’s successes, view rankings in examinations and extracurricular activities, and examine the campus and facilities. Families may also want to learn about what schools offer outside of the classroom, for example, the types of sports or educational activities.
What Top American Schools Answer:
Because of the great variations possible in programming, one should study the following:
- What are the high school credit requirements?
- Does the school offer AP® coursework? IB® Diploma?
- Does the school offer a number of curricular tracks or is it purely college-preparatory, etc.?
- If the school is college-preparatory, what do the student university admissions facts reveal?
- Are the staff, teaching faculty and administration primarily American or of other nationalities? Are they trained or have degrees/certificates from U.S. universities?
Is the American Curriculum Right for Your Child?
The American Curriculum is a fantastic choice for many students; however, the choice of which school and which curriculum is the best is a very personal one. In general, if your family is coming from the United States or plans to move there in the future, the American Curriculum is a great choice.
Above all—more important than transferability, more important than any specific factor—what truly matters is whether the curriculum is right for your child. While each child is unique and has specific needs and learning styles, there may be some common threads that make a curriculum better for your child.
Here are some things to consider when deciding if the American Curriculum might be a good fit:
The American Curriculum is a fantastic choice for many students; however, the choice of which school and which curriculum is the best is a very personal one. In general, if your family is coming from the United States or plans to move there in the future, the American Curriculum is a great choice.
But even if your family has no plans of living in the United States, the American Curriculum still offers an excellent education framework with record of success in schools around the world. After considering all of the American Curriculum benefits, you may decide that it is the best choice for your child.
What Top American Schools Answer:
It may be, it may not be. Generally, parents who are seeking greater flexibility of programming and more personalization of educational experience may find American secondary schools attractive.
Conclusion
In the end, although all major international curricula offer an excellent education for students, each curriculum has benefits and drawbacks that can affect whether it will be the right choice for your family and your child.
The American Curriculum is a fantastic, internationally-recognised system that provides a first-class educational framework for students. It is uniquely suited for students who plan to attend an American university or families that often move.
As one of the most popular international curricula, the American Curriculum has been tried and tested and has shown to be a successful education system. This outstanding record of success, along with a flexible system for schools and students, should provide parents with a sense of confidence that their child will be receiving one of the best educations available.