Annual Report 2011-12

Annual Report 2011 – 2012 Challenging, Inspiring and Preparing Learners For Life

Vientiane International School 20 Years of Service

Dear VIS Community, The 2011-12 school year was a significant year for our school with Re-Accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Accreditation is a guarantee that the school meets international standards for curriculum, staff, facilities, resources and management. VIS continues to be the only school in Laos that has received international Accreditation.

Also very important was the completion of the evaluation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). The successful completion of this review ensures that the primary curriculum meets international standards for teaching and learning.

As was fitting in a year that the school celebrated 20 years of service to the community, there was a focus on the future. Among many highlights, we

celebrated the completion of new classrooms and teaching spaces constructed for the secondary school.

The following pages will provide information on the performance of the school during the past year. Please enjoy the 2011-12 Annual Report. Director September 2012


Accreditation and Evaluation Results

As a result of the Re-Accreditation process of a self-study

and verification visit by a team of international educators,

the school was awarded a ten year Accreditation by the

Council of International Schools and Western Association of

Schools and Colleges. This is the highest award available.

The school received recommendations and commendations.

The recommendations will be incorporated into the schools

Strategic Plan.

Major commendations included;

Empowerment of students to be internationally-minded, global citizens and life-long learners.

The PYP section for their professional, enthusiastic approach to implementing the program.

The Secondary team for providing a better, more supportive, infrastructure of the school-

supported, self-taught Language Program.

Recognising the need to re-develop the EAL structure and taking clear steps to implement this.

The School for recognizing the importance of promoting physical engagement throughout the

local community through well-structured, regular activities and events.

The Lao Teacher Assistants for the highly valuable role they play in linking the School with the

local community, especially in the primary years.

The Board of Trustees, Administration, and school staff for establishing and maintaining

financial matters that are competently managed, and with published budgets that are made

available to duly authorized persons and the school community.

The Board of Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team for establishing a trusting and

collaborative relationship, with clear understanding of relative roles and responsibilities.

The School for providing a comprehensive careers and counselling service to its students.

The Board and the Administration for the construction of a purpose-built campus and a master

plan that includes construction goals for the coming years.

The teachers for maintaining a focus on learning in

the midst of tremendous growth and changing

physical space.

The Marketing and Communications Team for the

highly effective and proficient standard of their

communications.

The students for the warm, friendly and inquisitive

atmosphere they generate in the School.

The School for providing the VIS community

access to the facilities after school hours.


Other 31%

Vietnam 3%

Japan 4%

Britain 5%

Thailand 5%

Germany 5%

USA 8%

Korea 12%

Laos 13%

Australia 14%

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Enrolment Distribution 2011-12

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years

Programme (PYP) was evaluated as part of the ongoing

authorization system of the IB. Expert educators visited

and assessed the programme judging that the PYP was

implemented as required and providing commendations

and recommendations. Again, recommendations will be

addressed through the Strategic Plan, and major

commendations included;

Commitment to and understanding of the programme

as a three programme IB World School with an emphasis

placed on the articulation of the learner profile.

Commitment, as a community of learners, to a

collaborative approach to curriculum development.

Promotion of responsible action within and beyond

the school community and its partnership with its sister

school at Ban Saphanthong Tai.

The Head of School, school principal and programme coordinator who demonstrate

pedagogical leadership aligned with the philosophy of the programme.

Development of a schedule allowing the requirements of the programme to be met by allowing

for in-depth inquiry into the trans-disciplinary and disciplinary dimensions of the curriculum.

Demographic Information

Students

As can be seen in the graphic above, the

school continues to be truly international. A

total of 40 different nationalities are

represented by the students.

Strong enrolment growth continued and

several grades are approaching capacity of 44

students across the two classes.


Employees

VIS is a school that competes strongly on the global market for teachers. The advertising of

vacancies each year brings in several hundred applications, ensuring a strong pool to select from.

Strong standards of recruitment help to maintain international Accreditation. The school also

employs a skilled workforce from within Laos. A snapshot of the 119 employees follows;

60 expatriate staff employed, consisting of 52 teachers and 8 administrators.

The staff represent 14 nationalities.

All teachers are qualified and hold a Bachelor’s Degree. 23 also hold a Master’s level degree.

Lao staff include 19 Teacher Assistants, 25 Ground Staff and 13 Administrative Support Staff.

The school bid farewell to staff members who moved on to

new challenges at in 2011-12. The contribution of the

following staff is acknowledged

Karla Andrews

Tom Campbell

Karel Campbell

Jamie Henderson

Carla Holmes

Barbara Medynski

Joy Phommahack

Morven Smith

Ray Smith

Mary Smith

Linda Young

Languages

A feature of the school is focus on support of Mother Tongue languages. Research strongly

supports the importance that a strong Mother Tongue has in successful learning of languages. The

growing number of students graduating with a Bilingual Diploma reflects this focus. German and

Lao teachers are integrated into the VIS staff, while the tutors for other languages are coordinated

by the school. The following table shows the number of languages studied from grade 2-12 for

2011-12

Languages Studied 2011-12

Language Number of Students

Language Number of Students

Language A Malay 1 Language A French 7

Language A Indonesia 1 Language A Korean 7

Language A Chinese 2 Language A German 18

Language A Japanese 3 Language A Lao 53

Language A Norwegian 3

Language A Filipino 3 Language B French 162

Language A Thai 4 Language B (EAL) 42


Student Performance

Student performance is

measured in many ways. VIS

promotes excellence in

student academic

achievement while supporting

the development of positive

attitudes, physical skills, and

learning attributes.

Diploma Programme

(Grades 11 and 12)

Final grades are awarded by the IB based on

all the assessment components which

includes examinations and assignments. Each

of the 6 main subjects is graded on a scale

from 7 (the highest) to 1. The grades

are then added up to create ‘IBDP

points.’ The Extended Essay and TOK

are graded from A to E, and between

them, can earn up to 3 more points.

The final possible total of IBDP points

is 45.

Students are encouraged to be

candidates for a full Diploma, but

some opt to seek IB Certificates

(Subject based awards). A total of 23

certificates were attempted with a pass rate

of 70%. All are eligible for a VIS Diploma on

graduation.

As you can see below, this year we have 71% of our candidates achieving a full IB Diploma this year.

Our success rate is now comparable with global patterns.

Examination

Session

Number of

VIS IB Full

Diploma

Candidates

IB

Diplomas

Awarded at

VIS

% IB

Diplomas

Awarded at

VIS

% IB

Diplomas

Awarded

Globally

IB

Bilingual

Diplomas

Awarded

at VIS

% IB

Bilingual

Diplomas

Awarded

at VIS

Total IBDP

points VIS

candidate

(Mean)

Total

IBDP

points

Global

(Mean)

May 2010 5 3 60 78 2 40 26 29.55

May 2011 10 5 50 77 3 60 31.50 29.61

May 2012 7 5 71 78 2 29 30 29.83

Students graduating from VIS in 2011-12 will be

attending colleges in The Netherlands, United

States of America, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan,

and Korea. SCAD (Savannah College of Art and

Design), Clark University, Amsterdam University

College, University of Illinois, Assumption

University (BKK), MDIS – Singapore and Tamkang

University are confirmed.


Beginner

1 = Elementary

2 = LowerIntermediate

3 = UpperIntermediate

4 = Advanced

5 = Very Advanced

The 2011-12 school year showed significant

improvement in English proficiency in the

secondary school as a result of targeted

additional support in English B, and English as

an Additional Language (EAL). New more

flexible structures respond to students’ needs

to transition students so they are consistently

challenged and supported. The graph below

shows the strong level of English proficiency

at the conclusion of this 12 month period.

Grade 6 – 11 Language Proficiency Distribution June 2012

Secondary Language B English Programme

During 2011-12 40 were students enrolled in

English B classes with 55% transitioning to a

Language A class by the end of the year. 24%

of the students who transitioned into

Language A also study their Mother Tongue in

preparation for the pursuit of an Bilingual IB

Diploma.

English as an Additional Language

A feature of VIS is the forty nations from

which our students are enrolled. This brings a

large number of students from a non-English

background. Ensuring English proficiency is

vital to preparing our learners for life, and the

demands of the IB Diploma or similar school.

The strong VIS support programme is seen in

the percentage of students requiring high

level support. For example, the class entering

grade 7 in 2010-11 had 53% of students in the

EAL support programme. By the end of 2011-

12 this was reduced to 23%, including a

number of newly enrolled students. Similar

improvements are seen from the grade 9 class

which went from 18% requiring support to

5%, and the grade 10 class which went from

23% to 6%.

The Primary EAL programme saw continued

students progress with between 15% and 20%

of students receiving high level support.

Transition from

EAL to Mother

Tongue classes

where this was

available assisted

students to

continue to acquire

language. The

school provided an

additional teacher for the final six months of

the year to support EAL students and will be

adding a second EAL support teacher to the

Primary staff for 2012-13 school year.

Students in the Primary EAL programme

receive withdrawal support during the time

that their peers attend Language B (French or

Mother Tongue) classes, as well as in class

support during other subjects. Assessment is

carried out regularly to determine when

students can exit the EAL programme and

access Language B classes. Proficiency in

Writing, Reading and Speaking/Listening is

vital to ensure classroom success.


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ISA Math Scores by Grade

VIS

All Schools

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ISA

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ISA Reading Scores by Grade

VIS

All Schools

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ISA

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ISA Writing Scores by Grade

VIS

All Schools

Statistical Equivalent: Through calculations that take into account the scores of all students taking the tests (58000 across 300 schools) the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) ensures that the results are valid and reliable. The ACER compares VIS performance to all other schools and can identify when results are outside the expected range. More details on the International Schools’ Assessment can be found at

www.acer.edu.au/tests/isa.

The International Schools Assessment was undertaken by the school from grade 3-10 for the first

time. This assesses skills and provides a comparison to students across the world. The tests cover

Reading, Writing and Mathematics and each parent received individual reports for their child.

Analysis of the tests shows that VIS students performed at the statistical equivalent of their peers

in international schools across the world.

Additionally, the school implemented the Measure of Academic Progress testing for students from

grade 2 to grade 10. This provides an individual, diagnostic overview of each student and plots

progress over the period of a year. The data is used by the staff

to ensure individual student performance is

monitored throughout the year.


Student Activities

This was our highest level of participation of any year in MRISA events. We hosted Junior Basketball

in November and attended every other tournament. Results were also encouraging with our third

title in two years and strong showings in most other tournaments

The increase in attendance and success at tournaments is pleasing and indicative of a number of

factors:

The increase in total numbers within the

secondary school

Coaching and organization has improved creating

an atmosphere where students want to be

involved in more competitive teams

The presence of local leagues has given a boost

as now the season does not culminate in the

MRISA event and teams are travelling better

prepared

Local Leagues

The lack of organized local basketball competition led VIS to take on

the task of organizing tournaments and a Junior League was

established involving 6 other schools: Hongkha High School, Lieu Tou

Chinese School, Lycee Francais Josue Hoffet, Panyathip and Kiettisack

International Schools, and Sisattanak High School. The tournament

involved boys and girls and ran in conjunction with our MRISA

seasons. After this success VIS established a Senior League involving:

the Junior League schools plus Vientiane High School, Sikhotabong

High School, and Progress School. The improved organization has

improved the standards of play and refereeing and local liaison has

been strong. A football league involving some of the same schools

was commenced and will be an area for growth in 2012-13.

MRISA Tournament Results MRISA Tournament Results

Senior Volleyball Boys 7th Junior Soccer Boys 5th

Girls 8th Girls 7th

Junior Basketball Boys 1st Senior Soccer Boys N/A

Girls 6th Girls 5th

Senior Basketball Boys 5th Junior Volleyball Boys 2nd

Girls 3rd Girls 8th


The Future

Along with five other schools VIS established the Vientiane

Schools Sports Association (VSSA). The other schools

involved are: Kiettisack International School, Panyathip

International School, Lycee Francais Josue Hoffet, Pattana

School, Sengdara School. Initally the purpose of this

association will be to organize local leagues for all of the

MRISA sports at primary, middle and high school. The

opportunities for interschool exchanges on a variety of

levels and different contexts is exciting.

Swimming

This area has grown considerably in 2011-12. VIS had a squad of 30 training regularly after school at

the Australian Embassy Recreational Facility. The generous assistance of the Australian Embassy is

appreciated.

The swim squad was involved in a variety of different events:

Hosted the inaugural VIS Invitational Swim Meet at the National Stadium

Pool in December for 50 swimmers from Vientiane schools.

Competed in the Hoffet Swim Meet in April and Laos Swim Federation

meet in Vientiane in June

Competed in the British International Swim Meet in Phuket in May

Student Council

The Student Council was

again active in supporting

service within the school and beyond. The

construction of the Library in Ban Saphanthong

Tai school was completed and furniture, four

computers and books were donated. The Council

ran activities for students throughout the year

and continue to have a high profile among the

students in the secondary school. A recommendation has been put forward to establish a primary

action group to prepare primary students to undertake roles of leadership when they reach

secondary.

After School Activities

Activities numbers continued to expand with 20 activities or more available each quarter. The

secondary programme was expanded into a rebadged “Co-Curricular Programme” to good effect

with a higher involvement level from secondary students as a result. Many thanks to Sarah Hess,

Michelle Bouckaert for their assistance in communication and organization of the ASA Programme.


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500,000.00

1,000,000.00

1,500,000.00

2,000,000.00

2,500,000.00

3,000,000.00

3,500,000.00

4,000,000.00

4,500,000.00

5,000,000.00

Tuition 2011-2012

Tuition Fees Income

Budget Tuition fee

Tuition fee received

15%

75%

10%

AdministrationExpenses

InstructionalExpenses

SupportExpenses

Financial Information

In another strong growth year, VIS admitted

148 new students through the year. Primary

Prep, Grade one and secondary grades all

experienced above expected growth. The

forecast was for 355 fee paying students and

the school admitted 359. This equated to a

6% increase in student numbers.

An 11.4% increase in expenditure between

2010-11 and 2011-12 largely reflected

increased staffing to cater for larger student

numbers.

Operational Expenditure is divided into three

categories:

Instructional Expenses: Teachers’ salaries and

benefits, teaching materials, program

resources and any other student activities

such as MRISA and SALSA trips. Approximately

$3,341,000 in 2011-12

Administrative Expenses: Administration

staff salaries and benefits, accreditation

memberships, accounting and auditing,

printing, software licenses and other

administrative cost. Approximately $663,000

in 2011-12

Other Expenses: Ground staff salaries and

benefits, premises leasehold, utilities,

transport, ICT and school maintenance.

Approximately $470,000 in 2011-12

Future Taxation Implications

The current financial situation in Lao PDR is

challenging with a new Personal Income Tax

rate and a potential change in the Profit Tax

Free status for the school. The Personal

Income Tax change alone will cost an

additional $250 000 annually. VIS has always

operated as a not-for-profit organization,

however the Enterprise laws do not have a

category for not-for-profit international

schools and VIS is therefore registered as a

business. The potential application of Profit

Tax has also been forecast to impact the

school. While there is need for clarification on

the position, the school has ensured the

budget contains provision for payment.

Discussions with appropriate Ministries

continue to ensure that VIS meets its

obligations to the Lao PDR.


Capital Funds

Annual Capital Payments are collected each

year and are used for renovations, ICT

equipment, fixtures & fittings, principal and

interest fees for VIS loan, replacement and

upgrade of major items such as air-

conditioning. 2011-12 was marked by the

construction of the new secondary wing

which the Board of Trustees approved

within available Capital reserves. The new

wing was constructed over the final six

months of the school year and opened in

time for the beginning of the 2012-13

school year. The construction cost $790 000

with a further $175 000 spent to add

specialist fixtures and fittings for performing

arts and design areas. Capital Income for the

year was $765,550. Capital Expenditure

totaled $867,000. The school holds $430 000

Capital Reserve funds at the end of the year.

Audit

The school undertakes two audits with the

official audit of accounts through Lao

Accounting methods by Chanthavong and

Associates, and a review of management and

internal controls performed by Price

Waterhouse Coopers for

international processes.

Both audits reported that

VIS met obligations for

disclosure and accuracy in

financial processing and

management.

Benchmarking

The school undertakes a

process each year to

ensure that income and

expenditure items are

within the regional

standards. The

comparisons for teacher salaries and benefits

are made to ensure that VIS can recruit

international standard teachers with

appropriate qualifications and experience.

The benchmarking process showed that the

school offered mid-range salary and benefits

against similar schools. The adjustment of the

salary scale to allow teachers to reach the top

of the scale after six years has helped to

improve competitiveness.

Tuition fees remain comparatively low against

comparable schools in the region. Similar

schools are those with international

accreditation and curriculum, in regional

capital cities. VIS was consistently the lowest

or second lowest of the group of seven

schools surveyed for tuition and other

compulsory fees. The recent personal income

tax changes in Lao PDR will continue to apply

upward pressure to the tuition fee as VIS

must maintain internationally registered and

qualified teachers at compete in the global

market.


Service and Partnerships The year commenced with the enrolment of

the first Phu Bia Mining Passport to the

Future Scholarship recipient. Natalie

Vongkhamsao was admitted

into grade ten after an

assessment process that

included academic screening

and interviews.

The Scholarship is designed

to assist a worthy Lao

student to receive an

international standard education and be

prepared to access further education in the

international setting. Natalie was selected

from a strong pool of applicants for her

superior academic potential and her clear

commitment to future service and

development of Laos. Through the year,

Natalie showed that her selection was well

deserved with strong academic performance

and application to her studies, and

involvement in the life of the school.

Phu Bia Mining has committed to supporting

two scholarship recipients through their

secondary education at VIS as a partnership in

developing the greatest natural resource of

Laos – the youth.

Sister School

The sister school relationship

with the primary school in the

local village, Ban Saphanthong

Tai, continued to grow and

strengthen through the year. The

students received a visit from the

VIS nurse who completed a

comprehensive health check.

This was followed by a visit from a team to

give primary and urgent dental care to the

students. The new library has been provided

with four computers and

furniture, and a pilot programme

saw primary school teachers

attending on a weekly basis to

model language lessons. VIS

facilitated connections to the

sister school through

international contacts which led

to donations of several thousand

dollars in reading books for the library.

Parents and Friends Association

The P&F were active in their support for the

school. Chairperson Grace Gnaegi led the

process to write a new constitution and role

statements for the group, providing a strong

basis for the future. The P&F initiated a

Welcome Family Barbecue which was a

popular event to start the year. The P&F

continued their work in supporting the school

with funds for special projects and handed

over new speakers and amplifiers for the

Dragon Café. The organization of special

events through the year included the Fun Fair,

Garage Sale, and Halloween party. The

regular meetings, held on the first Thursday

of each month were

productive and the

support of the P&F is

appreciated by the school.

Annual Report 2011-12

Documents

Transcript of Annual Report 2011-12