# Almaty International School

Almaty International School (AIS) is a private school located in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Founded by QSI (Quality Schools International) in 1993, it is the third largest school out of all the QSI schools. The school offers an American-based Pre-K and K-12 programs. School facilities include: an elementary building, secondary building, annex (music building), small gym, big gym, library, cafeteria, birch room, birch tree area, field with an Olympic size track, 3 playgrounds, and the teachers apartments. The school hosts international events and participates in many sports events such as the CAXC (Central Asian Cross Country Classic), CASC (Central Asian Soccer Classic), CABC (Central Asian Basketball Classic), and CAVC (Central Asian Volleyball Classic). The school is also used as a site for SAT, PSAT and AP testing. The school is operated with the authorization of the Kazakhstani Government.

## Study and Programs

Elementary students learn Literacy, Math, Cultural Studies, Science, World Languages, Music, Technology, Art, and PE (physical education). Middle and Secondary Students get to choose electives which include PE/Wellness, Technology, Music (Band/Orchestra/Choir/Guitar), Drama or Art. Students that can not go yet into the appropriate age program go to IE (Intensive English) classes for Literacy and World Languages. They move up when they can go to the appropriate program of their age. The school has 7 Success Orientations to follow:
* Responsibility
* Kindness & Politeness
* Trustworthiness
* Aesthetic Appreciation
* Concern for Others
* Group Interaction
* Independent Endeavor
The school is funded partially by the U.S. Department of State. The school is accredited by CEESA and MSA.

## History

Founded by QSI (Quality Schools International) in 1993, it is the third largest school out of all the QSI schools. The school offers an American-based Pre-K and K-12 programs. The school is fully accredited through Middle States Association (MSA) and affiliated with the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools (AOS).

## Curriculum

The QSI education system differs from the traditional American system in several aspects. The naming of the key stages in the QSI curricular system diverges from typical naming. Additionally, the different stages cover different age groups. The table below represents all the changes:
QSI Education System :
| Traditional American Schools | QSI Schools | Age Group |
| Preschool | Pre-K | 3-4 |
| Preschool | Kindergarten | 4-5 |
| Elementary School | Kindergarten | 5-6 |
| Elementary School | Lower Elementary | 6-9 |
| Elementary School | Upper Elementary | 9-11 |
| Middle School | Upper Elementary | 11-12 |
| Middle School | Middle School | 12-14 |
| High School | Secondary | 14-18 |
A variety of AP Courses is offered, ranging from AP World History to AP Chemistry. Spanish, French, Russian and Kazakh languages are offered in QSI Almaty. The school, being located in Kazakhstan, is obligated to abide by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Education's regulations. To meet the regulations, QSI Astana, QSI Aktau, QSI Atyrau, and Almaty International School (QSI Almaty) made Kazakh History, Kazakh Language, and Military Preparation classes mandatory for all Kazakh nationals. Intensive English class is compulsory for ESL (English as a Second Language) students who have struggles effectively communicating in English. A university counselor is also offered to the senior class. An AP Lab/Study Hall is offered to high school students with tight schedules and/or numerous AP subjects.
The QSI grading system also differs from that of traditional American schools:
QSI Grading System :
| A level | B Level | P (In Progress) | H (On Hold) | W (Withdrawal) | D (Deficient Effort) |
| Student illustrated knowledge beyond mastery, went beyond what was expected of him/her and has completed all the TSW's | Student illustrated mastery in the unit and completed all the TSW's | Student is in progress of mastering the unit and has not completed the unit at that point in time | Student is placed on hold for a particular reason by the teacher; H's can be issued to a whole class or one student | Student withdrew from the particular unit or the subject as a whole | Student showed lack of effort, therefore, receives a D for a particular unit |
TSW ("The Student Will") are a set of guiding points that illustrate what the student should learn in the unit/subject. A TSW sheet is created by a group of teachers with expertise in that particular subject. Every unit in every subject has a TSW sheet.
All QSI schools are based on the course credit system. Each whole-year subject contains 10 units. Each semester-long subject contains 5 units. A single completed unit with a grade of B or above will earn a student 1 credit. A pupil must earn 220 credits throughout his secondary (high school) years and complete all mandatory subjects such as Algebra I and Biology to earn a Standard Diploma. If a student wishes to receive an Academic Diploma, they must earn 240 credits and embark on additional English and Social Science classes. With a student wishes to receive an Academic Diploma with Honors, he/she must complete 2 AP subjects between Secondary 1 and Secondary 4 as well as meeting the requirements of both the Standard and Academic Diploma. The student must complete the subject's AP exam with a score of 3 or above. The mandatory courses for the 3 diplomas are as listed:
QSI Diploma Requirements :
| | English | Mathematics | Science | Social Science | Arts | Phys. Ed. and Health | Advanced Placement (Only for Academic Diploma With Honors) |
| Standard/ General Diploma | Writing I and II Literature I and II | Algebra I Geometry | Physical Science Biology Physics or Chemistry | World Geography Modern World History | 2 of the 3: Drama (1 semester) Music Art | Wellness PE | Any 2 of the following: U.S. History World History Economics Biology Physics B Physics C Chemistry Calculus AB Literature |
| Academic Diploma | + Research Project American Literature British Literature or AP Literature | Algebra II Pre-Calculus | -------------------------------- | + U.S. History Economics (5 credits) World Government (5 credits) | Selected arts course for 1 year out of 4 years in Secondary | ------------------------------- | Any 2 of the following: U.S. History World History Economics Biology Physics B Physics C Chemistry Calculus AB Literature |
| Academic Diploma With Honors | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | Any 2 of the following: U.S. History World History Economics Biology Physics B Physics C Chemistry Calculus AB Literature |

## AP Courses

The school offers 18 AP Courses which include:
* AP Art
* AP Calculus AB
* AP Statistics
* AP Biology
* AP Chemistry
* AP Environmental Science
* AP Physics 1
* AP Capstone/Research
* AP Music Theory
* AP Seminar
* AP Language/AP Literature
* AP Human Geography
* AP World History
* AP Micro/Macro Economics
* AP Spanish Language
* AP French Language
* AP Computer Science Principles