International School of Qingdao

ISQ, or International School of Qingdao (mti) (simplified Chinese: 青岛MTI国际学校; traditional Chinese: 青島MTI國際學校; pinyin: Qīngdǎo MTI Guójì Xuéxiào) is a private school located in Qingdao, China. The students are from 14 countries all over the world, including South Korea, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Denmark, France, etc. ISQ is an independent, coeducational tuition-based international school which serves the expatriate community in Qingdao for grades Pre-K through 12. An American, college-preparatory curriculum is offered with English as the language of instruction.

Founded in 1996 with eight students, enrollment has steadily increased since it started, with a current enrollment of over 400 students. The current composition of the student body is 70% Korean, 15% North American, 3% Japanese, and 11% other. Twelve countries and three major language groups, Korean, English, and Chinese, are represented in the student body. 24% of the student population is native English speakers, while 76% speak English as a Second Language.

ISQ is part of the International Schools of China (ISC). ISC serves more than 1,200 students, most of whom are the children of foreign nationals and expatriates working for companies in China.^[1]

History

Qingdao MTI International School (QMIS, now International School of Qingdao) was established by the MTI (Management Technologies International) Education Foundation, Inc., an American non-profit corporation committed to educational work in China. This included establishing international schools for expatriate children and promoting cultural understanding and exchanges. QMIS was the second of six schools to be established under the International Schools of China consortium. QMIS obtained licensing from the Qingdao Education Commission in June 1996 and the National Education Ministry on September 23, 1996.

When QMIS began in the fall of 1996, there were eight students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The school was housed in three classrooms with an office and restrooms on the second floor of the back wing of the No. 1 Middle School of High Tech Park. The school grew to thirteen students by the end of the first academic year, and by the end of the second year, the growing student population necessitated that the school relocate. In August 1998, QMIS moved to the fourth floor of the Children's Club at the Qingdao Children's Activity Center, No. 6 Donghai Road. The steady increase in enrollment required the school once more to acquire more classroom and office space at the activity center.^[2]

In the summer of 2004, QMIS' parent company, MTI, merged with Leadership Development International (LDI), another American non-profit corporation with the same commitment and vision for educational work in China. As part of the merger, MTI officially changed its name to LDi; however, there are no plans to alter the name of the school to reflect that change.

Because of its continued growth, QMIS again relocated to a larger campus. QMIS started its 2007-2008 academic year on a new campus in the Laoshan district. QMIS occupies three buildings on the campus which it shares with the private Chinese school, Baishan.

Timeline

• 1996
  • QMIS founded by non-profit MTI
• June 1996
  • QMIS received licensing from Qingdao Education Commission
• September 1996
  • QMIS received licensing from the National Education Ministry
• Summer 1998
  • QMIS moved to Qingdao Children's Activity Center
• Summer 2004
  • MTI merged with non-profit LDi - Officially changed name to LDI - QMIS retains MTI in its name
• Summer 2007
  • QMIS moved to much larger facility in Laoshan District, meeting the needs of the growing school
• Summer 2010
  • QMIS changed its name to ISQ (International School of Qingdao)

Campus

ISQ began the 2007-2008 academic year on a new campus in the Laoshan District. ISQ occupies three buildings on the campus which it shares with the private Chinese school, Baishan. The secondary building also houses a secondary library and three computer labs along with our athletic facilities that include an indoor gym and weight room. The third building includes a performance art center with a 400-seat auditorium, as well as dance and art studios.

The Laoshan campus has a soccer field with a 250-meter track. The campus also have access to three outdoor athletic courts for basketball, tennis and volleyball. There are two additional play areas designated for our younger children. One is a padded courtyard with a jungle gym and sand box, the other is a terraced area next to the elementary building. The campus also has an outdoor swimming pool.

Faculty And Staff

ISQ has faculty and staff members from nine different countries, which include United States, United Kingdom, Canada, etc.

Student Body And Class Size

Since its establishment students attending ISQ have come from a wide variety of countries, these include India, the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan, England, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Greece, Singapore, Russia, the Philippines, and New Zealand.
The class sizes at ISQ are set as follows:

• Pre-Kindergarten - 12
• Kindergarten - 16
• First-Fifth - 20
• Sixth-Twelfth - 25
• ESL - 16

Secondary Curriculum

Secondary Course Requirements

Humanities

All students will be enrolled in a Bible class every semester. Courses include study in Old and New Testament literature and culture, the history of the Jewish nation and the Christian church, Christian philosophy and apologetics, the Life of Christ, Theology, Christian Living, Truth and the Arts, and Biblical ethics applied to contemporary issues. All courses are taught on an academic basis and receive academic credit.

English

All students will take an English course which includes the study of both grammar and literature. Other areas of study include speech, composition, spelling, and vocabulary.

Foreign Language

All students are required to study Chinese but do not have Spanish as their foreign language except where ESL classes are deemed more necessary. In the high school, students need to obtain 2 credits of Chinese.

Mathematics

In middle school students begin Pre-Algebra and progress to Algebra I or Geometry. In high school students choose from Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus and AP Statistics. Students in grade 9-12 must complete three credits before graduation.

Physical Education / Health

All middle school and high school students are required to take physical education. Physical education courses deal with fitness, health, and conditioning of the individual student.

Science

Middle school students will take a combination of integrated sciences – life, earth, and physical science. The core curriculum in the high school is composed of biology, chemistry, physics, and advanced courses in science. Seniors need to take 3 credits of science before graduation.

Social Studies

The middle school social studies curriculum includes the study of world history and geography, as well as a more in-depth look at western and eastern cultures. High school students must complete 3 credits of social studies. They have a choice of world history I, world history II, sociology, psychology, economics and U.S. government, comparative government and international politics.

AP Courses / Honors Courses

• ISQ currently offers AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, AP World History, AP Art History, AP Economics, AP Chinese, AP Literature, AP Language, and AP Diploma. Advanced Placement courses have been designed to provide an additional challenge for students wishing to learn more about a specific subject area. Courses are taught at the level of a university freshman course. Students will receive 0.66 additional grade points for grades of C- or higher. Students in AP classes will receive more homework than they would receive in an honors course. Students taking AP courses are eligible to take College Board exams. Charges for this test will be paid by the school. However, if a student chooses to take an AP test but is not in that AP course, he/she must pay the exam fee. AP courses will require more homework than regular classes. Whereas a regular course will require an average of 2.5 hours of homework per week, AP courses will require approximately 6 hours per week. Because of the rigorous course requirements, students wishing to take AP courses must have demonstrated academic excellence in the subject area and receive teacher recommendation. Due to the rigorous requirements, students are to take no more than three AP classes simultaneously. If students are involved in athletics or other extracurricular activities, fewer than two AP courses may be appropriate.
• Honors courses are also more rigorous and place higher demands on students. Students who take honors courses will receive 0.33 additional grade points for grades of C- or higher. Unlike AP courses, honors courses are not subject to outside exams and students are unable use honors courses to apply for college credit.

Grading Scale and Grading Point Average

The GPA scale used by the International School of Qingdao depends on the grade percentage attained in each class.^[3]

References

1. ↑ "QMISCHINA Official Website — Overview". Qingdao MTI International School. 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
2. ↑ "QMISCHINA Official Website — History". Qingdao MTI International School. 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
3. ↑ "2008-2009 Student Handbook— Academic Information" (PDF). Qingdao MTI International School. 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 

External links

Administrative Office, QMIS. "QMISCHINA Official Website". Retrieved 2009-02-04. 

Administrative Office, QMIS. "2008-2009: Student Handbook…" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-02-04.