American-curriculum schools in the UAE may not give advantage for study in US

Parents looking to enroll their children in American curriculum schools in the UAE need to be diligent in researching the school's academic history and ask questions about their advanced level programming.

A panel of educators at the Education Parent Forum: American Curriculum, at the Collegiate American School in Dubai. Jeff Topping/ The National

DUBAI // If you think that an American-curriculum education will give your child a leg up in being admitted to a university in the United States, think again.

“Not at all, not from here,” said Peter Davos, founder and managing director of Carian College Advisors in Dubai.

“American-curriculum students are not at an advantage studying in American universities. That is a big misconception.”

Mr Davos, who spoke as part of an expert panel at a parent forum in Dubai focused on the American curriculum on Thursday, said the rigour of a pupil’s academic programme carried much more weight with university placement officers.

Pupils enrolled in advanced-level course work, such as those offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB), the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level and Advanced Placement courses (AP), are at more of an advantage.

“Some schools offer both, some schools offer just AP classes, some schools offer AP and IB, some schools offer British A levels and IB, it depends on the school,” said Mr Davos, whose company helps pupils apply to American universities.

Parents seeking to enrol their children in American-curriculum schools in the UAE need to be diligent in researching the school’s academic history and ask questions about their advanced-level programming, said Mr Davos and others at the forum.

“If they have the IB, how long have they had the programme, what is the success rate of the students pursuing the diploma, the completion rate, what are their scores? said Mr Davos.

“Ask for a list of universities to which their students have actually been accepted. Is that a list that you feel justifies the Dh90,000 a year? Ask about the in-house counselling. Who is the counsellor? Is it a maths teacher that has never done counselling before that is just doing this part time?

“It comes down to what is their record of sending students to the type of universities that you want your child to go to.”

Alison Burrows, managing director of KDSL, which hosted the forum at the Collegiate American School, said parents also need to consider that not all American-curriculum schools followed the common core state standards to the same degree.

The common core standards were introduced to US schools in 2010 in an attempt to unify the teaching of English language, arts and mathematics across the country and all American-curriculum schools worldwide.

“If I open up a school tomorrow, I can say, ‘I’m going to teach common core’. However, no one from common core in America is doing checks and balances on me,” said Ms Burrows.

“They don’t know I’m not doing it properly. So, I can advertise to you and say, ‘yes, I’m an American-curriculum school’. That doesn’t mean I’m executing it properly. We’re finding this all over the world. That is one reason why college preparedness is very difficult. So, again, as a parent do your research and see what’s going on,” she said.

A 2012 report from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) found that 70 per cent of American-curriculum schools in Dubai were not accredited. There are about 70 American-curriculum schools in the UAE and 120 in the Mena region, according to KDSL.

“Check your KHDA evaluation, check your accrediting agency and get in that school as soon as possible to see what’s going on,” said Ms Burrows.