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ACASU Governance Standard points make up to 13.9% of the overall ACASU Score and has four sub-categories.

It is looking for answering the following questions regarding leadership and governance:
Does your school have the systems in place to educate students?
Are you able to adapt and improve in a changing educational environment?

Download the printable version of ACASU standards.

Mission and Vision - 4.1/100

Description of the Standard:
Mission/Vision statement should be a concise statement embraced by the school staff, which explains the specific purpose of the school and what impact the school aspires to have.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has a mission/vision statement.
  2. The school's mission/vision statement is well written, clear and meaningful
  3. The school's mission/vision statement is specific to the school and aligned with school's key strategies and culture
  4. Mission/Vision statement developed and periodically reviewed by a group representative of all stakeholders,
  5. The school's mission/vision is communicated clearly and consistently in its publications and throughout the school
  6. The school’s staff understands the essence of the mission statement

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Mission statement
  2. Vision statement
  3. Key strategies of the school
  4. School fliers, catalogs, advertisements
  5. Staff survey
  6. Advisory Board

Key Strategies - 3.5/100

Description of the Standard:
Key strategies should state school specific programs, major goals and initiatives, including priorities and plans to achieve the school’s Mission and Vision.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has key strategies to achieve its mission/vision
  2. The school's key strategies are specific to the school
  3. The school's key strategies are aligned with school's programs, goals, initiatives, and culture
  4. The school's key strategies are clearly and consistently communicated in its publications and throughout the school
  5. The school staff understands the school's key strategies.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Mission statement
  2. Vision statement
  3. Key strategies of the school
  4. School fliers, catalogs, advertisements
  5. Staff survey
  6. Advisory Board

Organizational Structure - 2.8/100

Description of the Standard:
Key strategies should state school specific programs, major goals and initiatives, including priorities and plans to achieve the school’s Mission and Vision.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has key strategies to achieve its mission/vision
  2. The school's key strategies are specific to the school
  3. The school's key strategies are aligned with school's programs, goals, initiatives, and culture
  4. The school's key strategies are clearly and consistently communicated in its publications and throughout the school
  5. The school staff understands the school's key strategies.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Mission statement
  2. Vision statement
  3. Key strategies of the school
  4. School fliers, catalogs, advertisements
  5. Staff survey
  6. Advisory Board

Governance and Leadership Capacity - 3.5/100

Governing body/leadership team’s competency and capacity should include wide diversity of involvement, understanding, and skills.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school's governing body and/or leadership team consist of qualified members with diverse backgrounds, education, and experiences
  2. The school's governing body and/or leadership team have good understanding and demonstrated commitment of the school's mission, vision and key strategies.
  3. The school's governing body and/or leadership team develop, implement, and revises policies and practices for the effective administration of the school.
  4. The school's governing body and/or leadership team foster a culture of engagement among stakeholders in support of school's mission, vision, and key strategies
  5. The leadership team includes a member who is responsible for assessment/accreditation process.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Short bios of governing body and/or leadership team, including experience and expertise
  2. Site and interview
  3. Board / leadership meeting minutes regarding policy development, updates, and implementations.
  4. The role and activities of accreditation and assessment coordinator

ACASU Education Standard points make up to 48.7% of the overall ACASU Score and has four sub-categories.

It is looking for answering the following questions regarding educational program and its implementation:
Does your curriculum prepare students for future educational and job opportunities?
Does your curriculum promote the development of the whole individual?
Do you have systems to improve instruction?
Does the instruction allow for student exploration?

Download the printable version of ACASU standards.

Curriculum - 13.1/100

Description of the Standard:
Curriculum should provide an excellent learning experience that ensures all students benefit from a consistent, well-rounded, and subject/grade cohesive program of study.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has a documented curriculum that is aligned with its programs
  2. The curriculum is aligned horizontally across classrooms at the same grade level and vertically across grades.
  3. The school has a curriculum process used for creating, revising, and getting feedback on unit and lesson plans.
  4. The curriculum is relevant, up-to-date, and includes global context of the subject matter.
  5. The curriculum provides opportunities for students who are at various levels to master grade-level skills and concepts
  6. Multiple curriculum tracks that capture student interests and abilities,
  7. The curriculum includes activities/programs that reinforce ACASU Lifetime Qualities:
    • MORAL: Caring, Modest, Ethical, Respectful
    • THINKER: Knowledgeable, Inquirer, Curious
    • PRODUCTIVE: Achiever, Excellence Seeker
    • INNOVATIVE Problem solvers, Explorer
    • VISIONARY: Global citizen, Inclusive

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Curriculum framework
  2. Horizontal and vertical alignment samples of curriculum
  3. Curriculum feedback process
  4. Classroom visits
  5. Curriculum audit by leaders
  6. Curriculum Highlights
  7. Presence of standardized international curriculum such as IB

Instruction - 9.6/100

Description of the Standard:
All students should receive high-quality, technologically supported, culturally responsive, universal academic and behavioral instruction differentiated for student need and consistent with grade-level benchmarks and national standards.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school staff has a common understanding of high-quality instruction, and observed instructional practices align to this understanding
  2. Instructional delivery fosters engagement with all students
  3. The instructional strategies include all high-quality, rigorous instruction, and stimulate higher order thinking
  4. The instructional strategies include appropriate use of technology to engage students,
  5. Both instruction and formative assessments (measuring students’ understanding while teaching) are aligned with the lesson objectives, which are shared with the students before starting the instruction.
  6. Learner centered instruction and group-work
  7. Instruction delivery includes project or inquiry-based methods.
  8. Instruction delivery includes experiential learning methods.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Sample lesson plans
  2. Classroom visits
  3. Professional development schedule
  4. Classroom setup
  5. Adoption of innovative instructional models ex. flipped classrooms, Gardener theory, Montessori method, etc.

School Performance - 5.9/100

Description of the Standard:
Schools should demonstrate a commitment to excellence. To fulfill this, schools should be accountable to high standards on many universal measures of school performance including student access, persistence, graduation, college enrollment, academic growth, and progress in closing the achievement gap.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has high student persistence rate, evidenced by multiple cohorts
  2. The school has high university acceptance rate, including US based universities, evidenced by multiple cohorts
  3. The school shows high academic performance, which is evidenced by national subject level exams, university entrance exam scores, or by other forms of national/local assessments
  4. The school maintains sufficient enrollment demand for the school to meet the enrollment plan outlined in its financial plans to support all programs.
  5. The school has high overall stakeholder (alumni, parent, staff) satisfaction, which is evidenced by annual staff, alumni, and parent surveys

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Student persistence reports for multiple cohorts
  2. National University acceptance rates
  3. US university acceptances
  4. National level exam reports, multiple reports
  5. Maximum enrollment capacity vs actual enrollment reports
  6. Annual staff, alumni and staff surveys

Student Support Services - 5.9/100

Description of the Standard:
Schools should offer comprehensive student support services as resources to build the foundations for positive behavior, health and wellness, and sound academic performance.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has the systems or programs in place to support the social-emotional needs of students, including comprehensive counseling services
  2. The school has individual based college guidance services, including guidance for local and US colleges
  3. The school has academic guidance, which follows student growth and success and creates individual educational plans
  4. The school has health services, high quality nutritional meal program, and physical health and fitness programs.
  5. The school provides systematic and frequent access to all support programs for all students

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Counseling services
  2. College guidance services
  3. Academic guidance services
  4. Health, meals, and physical health programs
  5. Meal program list (annual)
  6. School site visit

Student Learning Assessment - 8.3/100

Description of the Standard:
Schools should have a formal complete student learning and performance process as well as ways to clarify expectations and performance criteria for students.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has data-driven decision-making process in place to improve school's overall academic performance
  2. The school uses qualitative and quantitative data to inform instruction and improve student outcomes, at individual and school-wide basis for at least, math, science, English, and native language (if it is English, then a foreign language)
  3. Use of both formative and summative assessment techniques,
  4. Use of data to inform professional development and revise curriculum and instruction,
  5. The school uses qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the academic program and modify the program accordingly.
  6. The school leadership team obtains staff commitment to a clearly defined mission and set of goals, allowing for continual improvement in student learning
  7. The school shares the school-level academic data with the broader school community to promote transparency and accountability among families, students and school constituents.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Assessment plan,
  2. The use of academic data in decision making
  3. Assessment tools used in class and/or school-wide
  4. Evidence that assessment outcomes used in performance evaluation and improvements
  5. Site visit and staff interviews
  6. Multi-year assessment records
  7. Examples of assessment driving instruction and professional development

Faculty and Staff - 5.9/100

Description of the Standard:
Schools should have sufficient faculty and staff to support all programs and activities, a vigorous recruitment and retention plan for faculty and staff that provides additional dimensions to enhance the school’s programs and substantial professional development that is a vehicle for improvement in student learning.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has an effective process used to successfully recruit, hire, and retain key personnel, and make decisions – when warranted – to remove ineffective staff members.
  2. The school has clear roles and responsibilities for leaders, staff, management, and board members (if exits).
  3. The school is fully staffed with high quality personnel to meet all educational and operational needs, including the areas of finance, human resources, and communication
  4. The school ensures that staff has the requisite training, skills, expertise, and professional development necessary to meet students’ needs, including how school leaders monitor the effectiveness of professional development initiatives.
  5. The school has mechanisms in place to share decision making on school programs, solicit teacher feedback, and gauge teacher satisfaction.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Hiring policy and practices
  2. Staff list and retention of staff members
  3. Professional development programs and programs provided
  4. Continuing educational improvement opportunities
  5. Instructional coaching is available to teachers regarding their instructional growth goals
  6. Process and examples of seeking staff feedback and input
  7. Teacher evaluation process, feedback given on their performance
  8. Faculty and staff credentials

ACASU Operation Standard points make up to 7.1% of the overall ACASU Score and has four sub-categories.

It is looking for answering the following questions regarding school’s operations and facilities:
Are your facilities in good working order and safe?
Do the facilities support instruction and enhance student culture?
Do the facilities have modern technology?

Download the printable version of ACASU standards.

Facilities - 2.35/100

Description of the Standard:
Schools should have adequate learning spaces to support all academic programs, student development programs, and extracurricular activities.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has adequate facilities, classrooms, support-rooms, and staff and teacher rooms to support the school's academic programs
  2. The school has clean and well-designed and maintained facilities on a regular basis, evidenced by staff and parent satisfaction surveys and site visits
  3. The school has adequate library space and resources to support students' learning, and academic programs.
  4. The school has (or has access to) adequate physical education space and resources to support students' physical training and health and sports program

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Site visits
  2. List of facilities with sqf
  3. Staff and parent surveys
  4. Existing of adequate facilities
  5. Maintenance plan of the facilities

Equipment - 2.35/100

Description of the Standard:
Schools should have adequate instructional technology and laboratory equipment to support all academic student development programs and extracurricular activities.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has current technological infrastructure to support educational programs
  2. The school has adequate instructional equipment and resources to support school's academic programs, (eg. art, music, geography, etc.)
  3. The school has adequate computer labs to provide computer literacy skills,
  4. The school has adequate lab equipment and resources to teach science courses

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. List of classroom technology equipment infrastructure
  2. List of laboratory equipment and infrastructure
  3. List of school’s general technology infrastructure and equipment

Financial - 2.35/100

Description of the Standard:
School shall have financial resources adequate to fulfill its stated mission and goals, its instructional programs, student development, and extracurricular activities.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has adequate cash flow to sustain operations, support for the academic program, and consistent operation within budget.
  2. The school has long term fiscal planning and direction to sustain and support its current and future programs, and its student financial support
  3. The school has effective and efficient financial policies and procedures to ensure sufficient internal controls and financial viability
  4. The school has a procedure for determining equitable adjustments in tuition and other financial obligations existing between the parent/guardian and the institution.

    5. Evidences of the Standard:
    1. Financial reports
    2. Audit reports
    3. Annual budget and 5-year budget projections
    4. Tuition and student enrollment projections
    5. Financial and Internal control policies

ACASU Culture Standard points make up to 26.1% of the overall ACASU Score and has four sub-categories.

It is looking for answering the following questions regarding school culture:
Is the culture student centered and inclusive?
Does the school culture enhance instruction?
Does the culture guide the growth of social/emotional aspects of students?
Do all stakeholders (in and out of school) have a voice?
Does the culture promote a growth mindset?

Download the printable version of ACASU standards.

Safe and Positive Culture - 5.9/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should ensure a safe and positive culture that keeps students and employees free from safety or health risks and offers classroom environments that integrate social, emotional, and academic factors for effective learning.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has a safe climate and culture of mutual respect and understanding among leaders, staff, students, and parents, and is is free from bullying, isolation, racism, harassment, intolerance, and discrimination
  2. The school has age appropriate and comprehensive student discipline policy and procedures,
  3. The school has classroom environment which is conducive to learning and free of disruption
  4. The school has student and parent complaint policy, which is made readily available to all students and parents
  5. The school has classroom and hallway displays that enhance instruction, highlight student achievement, and promote ACASU Lifetime Qualities.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Site visits
  2. Parent and staff surveys
  3. Student discipline policy
  4. Complaint policy
  5. Rates of suspension and expulsions for multiple cohorts
Engagement of Stakeholders - 5.9/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should have effective communication approaches for engaging stakeholders in achieving the key strategies and major goals of the schools.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school communicates and engages with families and the school community.
  2. Student progress is reported regularly to parents in a clear and comprehensive manner.
  3. School leaders communicate with all members of the school community, including staff, parents/families, students, and other stakeholders.
  4. There is an internal communication system to inform the school community of events, new programs, and other news.
  5. Local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies are actively engaged to enhance instruction, co-curricular activities, and school culture.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. List and schedule of internal and external communication strategies
  2. List and schedule of student progress reports
  3. List and roles of external partners
  4. Partner recruitment plan
  5. Advisory board of stakeholders
Extra-curricular Activities - 4.75/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should offer extra-curricular activities that play a key role in successful student learning and personal development.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school provides extensive extra-curricular programs which are aligned with curriculum and school's key strategies
  2. Extra-curricular programs contribute to the educational experience of the students and promote student learning outside of the classroom
  3. Extra-curricular programs include activities which results in the practice of five qualities of ACEDUS to provide a complete education
  4. Extra-curricular programs include activities, which promotes higher order thinking, application of knowledge, and synthesis.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. List and schedule of internal and external communication strategies
  2. List and schedule of student progress reports
  3. List and roles of external partners
  4. Partner recruitment plan
  5. Advisory board of stakeholders
Civic Involvement - 4.75/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should ensure that high-quality civic involvement practices are employed in every classroom and with all stakeholders throughout the school community.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school requires age appropriate civic involvement for all grades
  2. The school provides civic involvement opportunities, which are age appropriate
  3. Civic involvement requirement is embedded in both coursework, school culture, and programs
  4. The school involves the community and its leaders (local, regional, and/or global) in school activities and programs.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. List of extra-curricular activities and student participation
  2. List of student clubs, activity reports, and student participation
  3. List of activities open for public, such as performances, exhibitions etc.
Multicultural and Global Practices - 4.75/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should provide high quality cross-cultural learning that addresses diversity, global engagement, and social responsibility as a compelling school priority that helps students and school stakeholders engage the social, civic, and economic challenges of a diverse and unequal world.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has an articulated institutional commitment for promotes multicultural and global practices which are aligned with its mission and key strategies
  2. The school provides multicultural and global opportunities, which are age appropriate, for student mobility
  3. Multicultural and global practices are embedded in both coursework, school culture, and co-curricular programs
  4. The school has international collaborations and partnerships which impacts student learning, faculty development, and school programs

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Civic involvement activity reports by grade
  2. List of guest speakers and their title
  3. Civic involvement requirement policies
  4. Examples of lesson plans highlighting civic involvement practices at all grade levels

ACASU Quality Standard points make up to 4.2% of the overall ACASU Score and has four sub-categories.

It is looking for answering the following questions regarding continuous quality improvement:
Are your Quality Improvement plans effective?
Can your school respond to change?
Are the plans student-centered?
Are all stakeholders included?

Download the printable version of ACASU standards.

Quality Improvement Plan - 3.5/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should have an ongoing plan to improve, monitor, evaluate, and communicate results of the efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and performance of school services and student outcomes.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has strategic and continuous improvement planning by setting priorities and goals that are aligned with the school’s mission and educational philosophy.
  2. The school leaders collect and use data to track the needs of students’ academic, social, and emotional health and the impact of programs (including co-curricular and other school services) designed to support them
  3. The school monitors and maintains organizational and educational quality, including a formal process for teacher evaluation geared toward improving instructional practice

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Assessment plan
  2. Data collection system
  3. Data analysis
  4. Organizational and educational improvement plans

Quality Maintenance - 3.5/100

Description of the Standard:
The school should regularly self-assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the quality improvement plan, making changes as needed, and share its results with school constituents.

Indicators for the Standard:
  1. The school has periodic revision cycles to self-assess its programs, policies, culture, and organizational structure to align with mission
  2. The school assesses its improvement plan and make changes as needed
  3. The school shares the results of the improvement plan with the broader school community to promote transparency and accountability among families, students and school constituents.

Evidences of the Standard:
  1. Revisions made based on data analysis
  2. Data analysis schedules
  3. Communication with school constituents.
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