ABSH believes In a democratic, pluralistic and multi-lingual society and that high quality education should be accesible to all.

Tha by using the best teaching practices and incorporating 21st century skills with high educational standards, schools create citizens that will have the skills and attributes to be lifelong learners and future leaders. That our schools should develop students with high levels of integrity, sportsmanship, and respect for others. That high teacher quality is achieved through sharing, collaboration, and a comprehensive professional development program. Vision ABSH schools will be leaders in transforming Honduran education as it moves forward into creating a 21st century school system. Mission ABSH will encourage and support member schools as they implement and model 21st century practices in education. Standards for The Association of Bilingual Schools of Honduras Preamble The establishment of minimum educational standards for a school is a mechanism through a systematic progress of setting up and evaluating educational standards and processes. Philosophy and Objectives 1. The philosophy and objectives shall be expressed in a written statement. 2. The schools philosophy and objectives shall be generally known, understood and accepted by the board, administration, staff, parents, and students. 3. The philosophy and objectives, vision, and mission shall reflect the core values of the school. 4. The philosophy and objectives shall be revised with input from the entire school community. 5. The schools philosophy and objectives shall act within the spirit of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 6. The schools philosophy and objectives shall commit the school to promoting national sports, artistic, academic and cultural experiences. 7. A continuous effort shall be made by the staff to give a professional interpretation of the schools purposes and programs to the community. Curriculum 1. There shall be a comprehensively written curriculum document. 2. The curriculum, in its content, design, implementation, assessment and review, shall be consistent with the schools philosophy and objectives. 3. The schools curriculum shall reflect skills and knowledge.

4. The curriculum must be bilingual in nature, and at least 70% of weekly instruction must be delivered in English; including reading, science, language, arts, mathematics, and social studies. 5. The curriculum must be articulated vertically and horizontally to ensure continuity among divisions and disciplines. 6. The school shall provide appropriate support and resources to implement the curriculum. 7. The faculty shall implement the schools curriculum. 8. The curriculum shall utilize the cultural and physical diversity of Honduras and the schools community in order to enhance the educational experiences of its students. 9. The school shall regularly assess the effectiveness of the curriculum and student performance with the use of standardized testing. 10. Curriculum revisions shall be made on a regular basis with the help of results of student assessment. Management 1. The school shall have a governing body in order to provide the School with sound financial, and educational direction. 2. The School shall have a chief executive officer or school head. 3. The chief executive officer must be an educator, and have at least a Masters degree in education or educational leadership. 4. Other principals shall have earned at least a masters degree in education or educational leadership. 5. There shall be a co-operative and effective working relationship between the governing body and the school head. 6. The School shall have a strategic plan that includes educational and financial plans for the short, medium, and long term. 7. The schools staff shall be part of the process to create the schools strategic plan. Staff 1. Instructional personnel shall be credentialed, with at least a bachelors degree or professional degree accepted by the Honduran Ministry of Education. 2. The school head shall ensure that there is a collaborative culture at the School in order to facilitate proper utilization of their abilities. 3. Aids and coaches shall have training past high school or a certification in the related area. 4. There shall be written and available personnel policies, practices, and job descriptions for the staff. 5. There shall be a clearly defined and effective system of staff appraisal that includes performance evaluation and salary scales. 6. The School shall have a program of professional development that benefits all disciplines and that is tied to appraisals and educational priorities. Student Support Services 1. There shall be no more than 28 students per classroom. 2. There shall be effective practices for identifying the learning needs of students, both at the time of admission and thereafter. 3. If children are admitted with severe learning disabilities, the School shall provide specific curricula and programs to meet those needs. 4. The School shall have a program designed to aid students with special needs.

5. There shall be appropriate practices to address the needs of students with exceptional abilities and achievement. 6. The School shall provide an appropriate guidance program that includes academic and personal counseling as well as career/tertiary education advice. 7. The School shall provide a nurse or assigned staff member who is concerned with the physical well being of the students. Resources 1. The School shall ensure that services in respect to food, security, cleaning and others meet acceptable standards. 2. The School shall provide a safe environment conducive to learning that includes fire extinguishers, evacuation plans. 3. The School site shall be designed in order to provide for outdoor physical activities. 4. The School site shall be attractively landscaped. 5. The School site shall be clean and in good repair. 6. The site shall provide adequate restroom facilities for the number of students. 7. The library/media center shall be organized as a resource center of instructional materials for the educational program. 8. The library/media center shall provide an appropriate basic book collection of 5 volumes per student. 9. The School shall include funding in its yearly budget for the purchase of additional library resources and volumes based on international standards (2 volumes per student per year). 10. The schools ICT (Information and Communication Technology) shall appropriate support school programs and learning. Student Community Life 1. The curricular and co-curricular program shall serve the broad needs and interests of the student body. 2. The School shall actively promote participation in national sporting competitions, academic and cultural events, and community service programs. 3. The School shall have forums to enable students to help the School fulfill its Mission.