About Us
- General Information
- Message from the Superintendent
- Statistics
- AST Graduates Abroad
- Curriculum and Accreditation
Mission Statement
The American School provides a student centered, enriching, college preparatory education that emphasizes social responsibility in a safe, global, and disciplined learning environment.
School and Community
The American School of Tegucigalpa is celebrating 66 years of excellence serving students from 16 nations. English is the language of primary instruction. Students complete a Honduran Bachillerato, the High School Diploma and the International Baccalaureate; IB Diploma and Certificates are optional. Spanish as a second language is offered to international students. AST's facilities consist of 80 classrooms, including 5 science and 4 computer laboratories with 30 terminals each. There is a media center with separate facilities to serve preschool through elementary and middle through high school. The center has 39 computers with wireless internet access available around campus and 40,000 printed volumes and access to Online databases Ebsco Host, Literary Reference Center and Fuente Académica. The media center also subscribes to 33 printed subscriptions some of them with online access. A separate computer technology center is available for teachers.
Calendar
The school year of 182 days is divided into 2 semesters. The first semester begins in August and the second semester in January. Grades are issued quarterly. The school day begins at 7:30am and ends at 2:30pm.
Enrollment
Total enrollment at AST for the 2011-2012 school year is 1163 students. The high school enrollment is 298 of which 58 are seniors. Approximately 4% of the students are US citizens, 94% are Honduran and 2% of other nationalities.
Accreditation
AST is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the International Baccalaureate Program. The Honduran Ministry of Education grants the national degree of Bachillerato to students who comply with additional credits and 160 hours of community service.
Class Rank and GPA
A rank is based on percentage grades and calculated for students who have been enrolled four years in the high school program. A GPA work is calculated on a 4.0 scale based on the number of times per week each subject is offered. The GPA is weighted for students who are International Baccalaureate Diploma candidates and certificate seekers. All subjects are taken into consideration in order to calculate the GPA.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The activities sponsored by staff after school include Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, art club, Bible study, cancer aid, recycling club, Knowledge Bowl, yearbook club, student council, Sturgis trip, Hope Club, cheerleading, Casitas Kennedy, Schools Helping Schools and Bencaleth Orphanage. Our students also collaborate in fund-raising activities for children with Cerebral Palsy, homeless and senior citizens. Students attend leadership conferences such as Hacia Democracy, Model U.N. and Junior State of America.
Message from the Superintendent
Our school offers an educational program from Nursery (age 3) through Grade 12. As an international college preparatory school, The American School sets the highest standards of academic excellence. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is the curriculum in grades 11 and 12. We promote positive self-esteem and encourage all members of the school community to realize their optimum potential as individuals, and active contributors to the vitality of the school community. Because of the international composition of the student body, respect and celebration for human and cultural diversity is promoted. This rich environment enables students to take responsibility for their learning and behavior, make good decisions, and grow in wisdom and maturity. The school is accredited by the Honduran Ministry of Education, AdvancED, and the International Baccalaureate Organization.
A co-curricular program is an integral part of any learning environment. To complement and balance our scholastic curriculum we offer a variety of additional opportunities including: National Honor Society, the Student Council, the Yearbook, the Presidential Classroom, musical groups, drama productions, cheer leading, various clubs, soccer, basketball, and volleyball teams. Participation at the group or individual level offers an opportunity for further discovery and achievement.
The American School's motto "Excellence For All" represents the synergy of a college preparatory curriculum, a multi-lingual, multi-cultural student body, a talented, and dedicated multi-national faculty, and a supportive parent community. This combination creates a nurturing environment where ALL have the opportunity of achieving EXCELLENCE.
Thank you for visiting our web site. We look forward to when you can visit us on campus.
SAT Mean Scores
| Class | Verbal | Range | Math | Range |
| 2007-2008 | 514 | 350-680 | 539 | 280-760 |
| 2008-2009 | 493 | 350-720 | 514 | 360-700 |
| 2009-2010 | 489 | 360-650 | 5114 | 280-690 |
| 2010-2011 | 496 | 340-670 | 523 | 380-690 |
Grades Distribution 2010
| Grades | % |
| A (90-100) | 26% |
| B (80-89) | 53% |
| C (70-79) | 21% |
| D (60-69) | 0% |
Post-High School Plans, 2010
| Attending | % |
| 4 Years college in the US | 60% |
| Honduran Universities | 19% |
| Other Universities Worldwide | 17% |
| University Prep | 4% |
Graduation Requirements
| Subject | US | Honduras |
| English | 4 credits | 5 credits |
| Social Studies | 4 credits | 8 credits |
| Math | 3 credits | 5 credits |
| Science | 3 credits | 9 credits |
| Spanish | 2 credits | 5 credits |
| PE / Health | 2 credits | 5 credits |
| Fine Arts | 2 credits | 3 credits |
| Electives | 4 credits | 11 credits |
IB Test Scores May 2011
| Subject | # of Students Taking Exam | Scores of 4 or Better |
| English A1 HL | 45 | 39 |
| Spanish A2, HL | 54 | 53 |
| Spanish B, HL | 2 | 2 |
| Psychology SL | 17 | 6 |
| History, HL | 39 | 21 |
| Biology, SL | 34 | 12 |
| Math HL | 1 | 1 |
| Math Studies, SL | 12 | 5 |
| Math, SL | 29 | 4 |
| IB Art SL | 8 | 8 |
| IB Art HL | 1 | 1 |
Colleges and Universities That Admitted AST Grads 2010-2011
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Curriculum
The American School’s curriculum is standards-based. The standards and benchmarks have been developed by teachers in conjunction with the Curriculum Office and based on research from professional organizations in the United States. They focus on acquisition of concepts and development of skills at all grade levels from Nursery through Grade 12.
This school year we adopted the recently launched Common Core State Standards. These standards, developed by The National Governors Association Center and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), were designed to better prepare students for college and career success. They have been benchmarked to international standards to guarantee that students are competitive in the emerging global marketplace. In the United States, 46 states have already adopted these standards. The standards provide a clear set of shared goals and expectations for what knowledge and skills will help our students succeed.
Our curriculum framework is designed to deepen student understanding and transfer of the learning goals. This framework works within the standards-driven curriculum to help teachers clarify learning goals, devise revealing assessments of student understanding, and craft effective and engaging learning activities.
Accreditation
The American School has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), a division of AdvancED, since 1964. We are committed to continuous improvement to advance our students in their educational journey. The American School is always working towards the same goal: improving student learning and performance.