VP Jim Montoya

We are pleased with the addition of the International Page to this new membership publication. Although based in the United States, the College Board is an international organization with members in more than 50 other countries. This section of the newsletter will draw all of us together in a united effort to prepare students for higher education and advocate for education beyond our national borders.

In 2006-2007, more than 200,000 students representing more than 2,600 schools in more than 200 countries and territories outside the United States participated in major College Board programs (including the AP® Program, PSAT/NMSQT®, and SAT®). Last May, 32,085 students at 959 schools in 111 countries outside the United States took AP® Exams, a 21 percent increase over 2006. In October, there were 56,469 students at 1,107 schools in more than 150 countries outside the United States that participated in PSAT/NMSQT®, which was a 6.3 percent increase in international student participation.

The College Board has collaborated over the years with a variety of partners to broaden educational opportunities for many students. One such partnership is our more than 30-year relationship with the U .S. Department of State's Office of Overseas Schools which provides sponsorship and works with the College Board to deliver AP professional development to teachers/schools outside of the U.S. As a result, there are now more opportunities for students worldwide to utilize their AP credentials in and outside of the United States. The Office of Overseas Schools also sponsors visits by senior university admissions deans to Department of State supported schools to inform educators, families and students about trends and practices in U.S. higher educations admissions.

The College Board has also enjoyed a long association with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and its schools around the world. DoDEA has demonstrated its commitment to equity and excellence by providing the PSAT/NMSQT to all 10th and 11th grade students, MyRoad school editions to all secondary schools and AP Exams for AP course students. As we fulfill our mission of connecting students to college success, we look forward to our continued work with our international members.

VP Juan Aponte-Morales

The College Board Puerto Rico and Latin America Office, the office I very proudly direct, serves 10 Latin American countries — more than half a million students in more than 1,000 public and private schools and universities in Puerto Rico and Latin America. Beginning in 1963, the College Board’s presence in Latin America has grown in excellence, programs and variety, all with the same mission as our office in the mainland — to connect students to college success and opportunity.

To celebrate the 45th year of the College Board’s presence in Latin America, the 12th Latin American Congress will be held April 16-19 at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, the first educational institution outside the United States to become an official member of the College Board. They have administered the PAA™, the SAT®-like admissions test developed by our office, for more than 40 years.

Puerto Rico is a small island, but it has enormous talent and immeasurable historical, cultural, economic and educational richness. We are a U.S. territory, yet we are often considered international because we are not geographically part of the U.S. mainland. Spanish is our native language, but English is mandatory from grades 1-12. We love in Spanish, but conduct our business in English. We use U.S. currency, have a U.S. federal court and our educational system is bound by U.S. federal laws, but we also have our own laws, constitution and system of government. Some North Americans view us as foreign, while South Americans, Europeans and other Latin Americans consider us North Americans. We like to think of ourselves as having the best of all worlds.

In 2006-07, the Puerto Rico and Latin America Office administered more than 500,000 tests in Puerto Rico and Latin America. We develop evaluation tools similar to those used in the United States. Some tests, such as the PAA (Prueba de Aptitud Académica), are much like the SAT; others, such as the PNA (Programa de Nivel Avanzado), are more closely related to the AP® Program. Still others address the specific assessment needs of Puerto Rico and other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries — Inventario CEPA™ (Conoce, Explora, Planifica, y Actúa), PCMAS (Pruebas para la Certificación de Maestros), PIENSE (Pruebas de Ingreso y Evaluación para el Nivel Secundario), ELASH™ (English Language Assessment System for Hispanics) and TESST (Teachers of English to Spanish Speakers Test). These tests are administered between intermediate and high schools through professional levels, evaluating basic knowledge, reasoning abilities and occupational interests, while also helping with curriculum validation and development.

Anyone wishing to apply for the university admissions test Programa de Evaluación y Admisión Universitaria (PEAU) can do so online accessing our Web page.

Saludos cordiales!

(From left to right) College Board staff members Clay Hensley, Janine Farhat and Maria Luisa Lesser with Staci Petrich of Robert College, Turkey, and Jane Campbell Lowery of Lincoln – The American International School of Buenos Aires (Argentina).

When the European Council of International Schools held its annual conference in Madrid this fall, the College Board was there to present the College Board – ECIS International Education Awards — the first to an outstanding individual and the second to a celebrated school.

The first recognition was for Jane Campbell Lowery, a university placement counselor at Lincoln — The American International School of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lowery was recognized by the College Board for her continuing mentorship to college counselors around the world. Born and educated in the United States, Lowery has worked tirelessly for the past 30 years as a counselor at schools in Venezuela, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and now Argentina. She is active in the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling and enjoys sharing ideas about how to better serve international students. She was awarded the OACAC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 in recognition of the many years of service and contributions to the profession. In recent years, she has served as a key faculty member for the College Board Summer Institute for International Admissions, particularly the
New Counselors' Workshop.

The second award was presented to Robert College. Established in 1863 in Istanbul, Turkey, Robert College is the oldest independent, American-style secondary school outside the United States and has long commanded international respect. In a message honoring the college’s centennial anniversary in 1963, President John F. Kennedy offered the following: “Through the education of succeeding generations of students, Robert College has assisted the economic and social progress in the Near East. It has also brought direct benefits to several generations of Americans — faculty members, trustees, students, contributors and other friends of the college. Their close association with the heroic and hospitable people of Turkey has led to a greater appreciation of Turkish life and culture and the strong foundations on which the Republic of Turkey, our close friend and partner in peace, has been built.”

Robert College, a College Board member since 1999, provides its graduates with the skills, insights and determination to function as leaders and contributing citizens in a wide range of social and cultural roles, both locally and internationally. Offering 22 AP® subjects — with strong emphasis on science and mathematics — educators at Robert College seek to equip students with a broad international outlook, encouraging them to be lifelong learners, to develop creative and critical thinking skills and to acquire knowledge vital for success in the 21st century. Most of the college’s students score in the top 2 percent on the Turkish national examination. Attending the conference from the College Board were James Montoya, Maria Luisa Lesser, Janine M. Farhat and Clay Hensley.