“Learning at AAS is a dynamic and engaging process of inquiry, creativity, and critical thinking that prepares students to contribute purposefully to the world around them.”– Anglo-American School of Sofia Definition of Learning created 2024
As many of you already know, AAS is jointly accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Colleges and Schools (NEASC). Accreditation is a quality assurance that evaluates the quality and improvement of a school’s educational programs against international standards. AAS is currently in the self-study process of the reaccreditation cycle. We began the reaccreditation journey last year with the preparatory process which included a report and visit from two representatives from CIS and NEASC. During this time, the team looked at how we are meeting the core standards for quality education. This set the foundation for AAS to begin the self-study deep-dive into the question “How can we meet the needs of a diverse learning community?” As part of this deep-dive process we looked at data from the community survey results conducted last spring, the board approved strategic goals, and the accreditation team feedback from the preparatory report and visit. Using all of this information, we identified areas for improvement.
As part of this process, we have also created a definition of learning for our school that reads, “Learning at AAS is a dynamic and engaging process of inquiry, creativity, and critical thinking that prepares students to contribute purposefully to the world around them.” This definition represents what we strive and aspire to do everyday with students. It was created and reviewed by representatives of teachers, parents, students, and staff. As our work for continuous improvement progresses, we hope that this definition along with our school’s mission and core values are used to provide guidance for every member of the AAS community.
AAS will submit the self-study report in October 2024 and in December 2024, we will welcome a team of representatives from the accreditation agencies. Please know that we will also conduct another CIS survey at the end of May that will again ask for community feedback. If you are interested in being part of the parent feedback loop when the team comes to visit in December or would like more information about the accreditation process, please let me know.
Angela Assed
Director of Learning & Curriculum
