The workshop offered participants tools and models for international education programs, including strategic planning, budgets, practical recruitment and marketing tips. Other topics ranged from integrating “international” into strategic enrollment planning and budgeting to setting up an international admissions operation, Web outreach and developing student services for international students on campus.

Presenters included experienced community college administrators, such as Visakan Ganeson from Skagit Valley (Wash.) College; Kelley Brayton from Portland (Ore.) Community College; Steve Graff, director of admissions and enrollment services for the College Board; and special guest Nichole Johnson, the U.S. Department of State’s Regional Educational Advising Coordinator for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, who is based in Mexico City.





International students Young Hoon Lim from South Korea and Marina Vladimir from Mongolia with Sylvia Coffey (at center), director of multicultural services at Brookhaven College – Farmers Branch in Dallas, Texas

Representatives from South Africa’s Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Prospective Students met with the College Board to talk about common interests, challenges and concerns with regard to the evaluation of candidates for admission to higher education. Stellenbosch University is the second-oldest university in South Africa and one of the leading higher education institutions on the continent. Representing the university were Celeste Nel and Leon van den Heever, senior adviser for and director of the Centre for Prospective Students, respectively.

The Ukrainian delegation — including officials from the Ministry of Education and Science and representatives from universities, the Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative, USAID/Ukraine, the American Councils for International Education and the American Institutes for Research — is currently evaluating its national university admissions practices. The College Board was seen as a source of expertise on the transition by students in the United States from secondary schools to higher education institutions.

“Many of these groups are interested in the College Board’s input and perspective as a member organization as they reevaluate their educational systems, especially with regard to determining who enters college,” said Robert DiYanni, director of International Services. “They are looking at how and on what terms students enter university, as well as what system best prepares them. We are also interested in learning from them. The College Board is honored to be included in these important dialogues.”

In Europe and Asia, the admissions processes are typically more standardized and transparent than those in North America. Many Asian countries have historically preferred to administer one high-stakes, cumulative test over several days as the sole basis for determining who will go to college. European decisions have been more reliant on the acquisition of a preliminary degree, but European countries are now moving toward a credit-based model as a result of the Bologna Process and Lisbon Accord. In addition, English is becoming the primary language of instruction within many higher education tracks. The College Board’s SAT® and AP® programs, among others, are being considered potentially as global credentials.

“Many international universities are considering a more holistic approach to admissions using AP Exam grades, SAT results and essays as criteria — in addition to national standardized tests and secondary school grade point averages — for the same reasons that we have added the writing portion to the SAT,” added DiYanni. “We believe the combination is more equitable and ultimately provides a better indication of college success.” The College Board often brings in admissions officers from partner institutions to meet with these delegations and discuss current practices in the United States.

Other delegations recently visiting the College Board came from Japan’s Ministry of Education and Nihon University, Manipal University in India, and China’s National Education Examination Authority and Beijing Education Examination Authority. The College Board also meets often with secondary school officials looking at American-style instruction and curricula, including King’s Academy in Jordan and Hangzhou No. 14 Middle School
in China.

The further globalization of education is inevitable and seems to benefit our U.S. members. Studies by UNESCO and IDP Education Australia predict that 7.2 million students will be educated transnationally by 2025. The College Board expects the international interest in U.S. education to increase dramatically in the years ahead, just as the United States looks to other countries in reforming its secondary programs. As a membership organization with a global reach, the College Board is well-positioned to impact international education policy in a progressive way.

“We are seeing that AP Exam grades are being considered increasingly in admissions decisions at colleges and universities worldwide,” said Packer. “AP is steadily becoming a recognized and valued international currency.”

The annual conference provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and research concerning development in the field of international education. Representatives from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas Schools, executive directors of the major regional international school associations and staff from the College Board were among the 400 educators, superintendents, directors and other leadership staff from schools outside of the United States who participated in the conference. Many of the 1,000 schools in 111 countries that participate in the AP Program were represented at the 2008 AAIE Conference.

AAIE seeks to advance international education through partnerships with educational institutions and associations worldwide.

The Association of International Education Administrators held its 25th annual conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18-20. Featured presenters included George Joseph, assistant secretary for international affairs at Yale University, and Bhushan Patwardhan, chief of academics at Manipal Education in Bangalore, India.  Janine Farhat, special projects manager for the Office of International Education at the College Board, chaired the discussion on educational initiatives to support leadership goals, student exchange and socioeconomic development in South Asia. The College Board is involved in multiple projects in India with Manipal and the Asia Society. India’s education system has entered an era of expansion and reform, building on its status as a growing economic powerhouse and a leading place of origin for international students in U.S. colleges and universities.

Luke Bryant, 3, goes over his Chinese lesson with Wang Zhenghai, a 35-year-old teacher from Shanghai who
is teaching at St. Benedict School in Elberta.






News travels fast in a small town. But the news that a guest teacher from Shanghai was assigned to a school in Elberta, Ala., reached all the way to the producers of “NBC Nightly News,” who sent a film crew to this idyllic seaside town in early December.

The NBC crew spent an entire day shadowing 35-year-old Wang Zhenghai, a guest teacher at St. Benedict School. Wang has endeared himself to the Elberta community, becoming a local celebrity since his arrival from China in August.  He came to Elberta through the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, which is a collaborative effort between the College Board and the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) in China. Since the program was launched in 2006, more than 100 teachers from China have been assigned to teach in U.S. schools.

The Mobile Press-Register first ran with the story of St. Benedict as the only school in Alabama and the first Catholic elementary school in the United States chosen to host a Chinese teacher. This article set the wheels in motion for the crew, based in Atlanta, to make the trip farther south.

A typical work day begins for Wang with an easy commute from his trailer — purchased at auction from FEMA and outfitted with cable, Internet and other modern amenities. Each week he spends 15-20 minutes with each elementary school class and 40 minutes with the sixth- through eighth-grade classes teaching such basics as numbers, colors and general Chinese culture.

On the day of NBC’s visit, Wang presented the second of a six-part monthly lecture series he created, “Discovering China.” His lecture topics include “A Tour of China,” “Ancient and Modern China,” “Traditional Chinese Arts,” “Chinese Cuisine & Table Manners,” “Chinese Festivals & Folk Customs” and “Life of the Chinese People.”  Each free lecture takes place at a different parish in Elberta, allowing all members of the community to participate. Guests also have the option of sharing an authentic Chinese meal. More than 200 adults and children attended the Dec. 5 event.

The film crew also captured Wang as he pursued the two goals that he hopes to accomplish during his time at St. Benedict — learning to drive a car and to ride a horse. These are goals the town of Elberta is plenty prepared to help him reach.