2011-15
Presentation by:
Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D., President
The reality today is that we are
all interdependent and have to
co-exist on this small planet
H.H. Dalai Lama
Continued Growth
 2005-11: Seven years
continuous enrollment
growth with quality and
integrity
 Currently: 865 Registered
Students JK-12
 Student to full-time
teacher ratio: 9.5
• 100% graduation rate
• 100% College Admission to over 120
Colleges & Universities
• 98% Placement in 1st & 2nd Choices
 ACS Athens Athletic Scholarships
 12 students currently receive full
tuition scholarship from the Suheil &
Samir Sabbagh family.
 ACS Athens Financial Aid Program
 Over 50,000 Euros are allocated
annually from the budget for
qualified students
Enhancing Teaching & Learning through Technology
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4 Computer Labs
60 Interactive Boards in classrooms
Moodle® Interactive Learning Environment
Networked campus – Fully upgraded 2 years ago
Fiber optic network at 10GB intranet speed serving a 10MB
internet connection
Multiple hot spots – wireless access points that cover most of the
campus
Over 250 station computers for classroom and student use, over
50 laptops for faculty/administrative use
More than 60 interactive boards in classrooms, funded mostly
through PTO fundraising initiatives
Over 1,600 educational DVD titles
Providing
a Holistic
Meaningful
Harmonious
Educational Experience
To ALL students
The Future Educational Institutions
The great educational institutions of the future will not
be more of the same as defined today.
There will be the ones which will be effective in the
midst of all drastic changes in society and the need for
new type of knowledge and most important wisdom
(which is the ability to utilize knowledge to construct
creative solutions to societal challenges)
ACS Athens will award 4 different
diplomas:
 ACS Athens Honors Diploma
 ACS Athens Diploma
 Advanced Placement Diploma
(AP Diploma)
 International Baccalaureate
Diploma (IB Diploma)
ACS Athens Honors Diploma
 Appropriate Honors designated
courses (required).
 A Research Project.
 Students complete a comprehensive
research project (a research article,
mini-thesis, documentary, art piece,
etc…)
 Social Commitment Program.
 Students will be required to devote a
certain amount of time to serve the
community,
ACS Athens Diploma
 Required courses
 A Senior Project
 Students complete an “expository”
project (expository essay or article
or project).
 Social Commitment Program
 Students will be required to devote
a certain amount of time to serve
the community
Academy
 AP Diploma
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Students must complete required AP courses.
A Research Project
Social Commitment Program
 IB Diploma
 Students must complete require IB courses
 An Extended Essay
 Accumulate CAS hours (Creativity, Action,
Service)
Middle School
 Honors courses will be introduced by 2013-2014
 Hybrid courses will be introduced in 2012-2013
 “Junior Project”
 All 8th grade students will complete a “Junior Project”
 Social Engagement Program
 All students will be engaged in at least one program
serving community
Elementary School
 All students graduating for ES
will complete the “ES project”
 Cultivating Social Interest
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All students will be serving the
community by participation in
activities
Academy:
Social Commitment
 The betterment of a situation or
the improvement of a person’s life
becomes a way of life for students
as they develop a positive mindset
towards improving as many
aspects of society as possible
Middle School:
Social Engagement
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The ability to put interest into
practice. Becoming aware of a social
condition is the first step; developing
an interest towards improving the
social condition is the second; and
finding ways to engage in bettering
the condition is a step further towards
taking responsibility for part of the
solution.
Elementary School:
Social Interest
 Social Interest is innate and is an
aptitude which deems one
responsive to social situations
(Adler, 1981). Social Interest may
include interest beyond people
(animals, environment, entire
universe). Social Interest is an
extension of one’s self into the
community.
 “Standards Based” curriculum
 The science and mathematics curriculum will be reviewed
using the “Vertical Curriculum Design” approach in
relationship to the current and future competencies needs to
be successful in college and life. Will begin with Academy and
move to Middle and Elementary School.
 AP® Courses offerings
 IB® Courses
 Authentic® ACS Athens Courses
 College Level Courses offered by collaborating
Universities
Delivery Modalities
 Regular Face- to-Face Courses
 A combination when it is appropriate, 80-minute classes or 40-minute.
 i-Flex (Hybrid Courses)
 A combination of face-to-face teaching and learning and online
teaching and learning.
 2/3 face-to-face
 1/3 online
 Online Courses
 Totally online teaching and learning. Students who are interested to
graduate early or students who need an extra course to move up level of
course.
 College Level Courses
 College level courses taken face-to-face, hybrid or online in
collaboration with colleges and universities in Greek and USA.
Faculty Leader
A Faculty Leader acts always:
on behalf of its students,
builds trust,
provides them with the most fulfilling,
and challenging Holistic Meaningful
and Harmonious educational
experience.
All of his/her decisions are guided by the
underlined principle of Innovation together
with continuous learning that enhances the
educational experience of every student.
Continuous recruiting faculty from
USA and other countries
76% of current faculty hold
MA/MSc – Goal: over 90%
10% of current faculty hold Doctoral
Degrees – Goal: over 20%
Faculty development will be the
cornerstone of innovation.
 100% classrooms with Interactive Boards
 6 New Science Laboratories
 Science and Mathematics e-books for
Academy and Middle School
 Incoming students with personal laptops or iPads®
 2012-2013
Pilot Program for selected grades
 2013-2014
All Academy students
 2014-2015
All Middle School students
 New Media Production Lab facility for video/radio
 Collective Investment of €120,000 for new
books/ebooks
Develop up to 8 additional University-level courses
in the following areas:
 Sciences/Mathematics
 Art
 Leadership
 English/Humanities
New Initiatives in:
 Radio Programs/Podcasts
 Film/Video Production
 Documentary Production
 Articles/Papers
 Books
The New Initiatives: Expand our
collaboration areas with Higher
Education
Initiate and expand areas of new
collaboration with Universities
Stage one:
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George Washington University
Georgetown University
University of Mary Washington
Clemson University
University of Virginia
 Talented Student Program
 Optimal Learning Program
 Career Education Program
 In-Campus Student Community Service Program:
 Recycling
 Campus Beautification
 Peer-to-Peer Assistance
 College Placement Program
 Digital Student Portfolio
 Attracting more university visits to ACS Athens
New realities in College application guidance
 Academic Qualifications
 Profile of each student (grades, SAT, IB predictions, etc)
 Financial Ability
 Merit Scholarships, financial aid, parents’ financials
 University Environment
 Size of institution: Large, middle, small
 Urban/Suburban/Rural campus
 Region
 Public/Private
 Interscholastic Sports
 Increasing Competitiveness and Excellence of teams
 Expand competitive opportunities
 After-School Programs
 Increase variety of offerings
 Summer Camp
 Athletic Academies (after school)
 Guidance in exploring opportunities for university
athletic scholarships
Fully Online Admission Process:
 Online Inquiry response
(in place)
 Online Application process
(in place)
 Online Admission/Placement
Testing & Assessment
Efficient and Effective Operations
 Fully Electronic Operations &
Functions
 Continuously recruiting, training
and developing U.S. based
faculty
Students at ACS Athens have a right to a
community that is conducive to academic
success, personal growth and
development.
This can be achieved by providing
expectations for appropriate and
responsible behavior (Honors Code) and
by having the mechanism to implement
these standards.
ACS Athens maintains a balance between the
right of an individual community member
and the right of the community as a whole
ACS
Honors
Code
Code of Conduct
 Ethics and Maturity in the
classroom and on campus
 High standards for classroom and
campus conduct
ACS
Honors
Code
Code of Conduct
 Maturity Outside Classroom
 Establish and maintain clear standards for
campus or ACS Athens official sponsored
events outside campus;
 Conduct and respect fellow students,
faculty, staff, the environment and property.
 Maturity in Classroom
 Establish and maintain clear academic
standards for student
 Establish and maintain clear standards for
classroom conduct and etiquette;
 Model high standards in teaching and learning
and interaction between teachers and
students.
ACS
Honors
Code
Judicial Review Board
 The Judicial Review Board will be
responsible for implementing the
Honors Code
 The entire Judicial Review Board will
be comprised OF STUDENTS with
three faculty advisors
ACS
Honors
Code