What is Education for Global Citizenship?

Education for Global Citizenship is an educational model that combines cutting edge international baccalaureate philosophies with the positive attributes of the Austin community and dual language education to best prepare children to lead locally and globally. Below are brief descriptions of the three main pieces that make up Education for Global Citizenship: International Baccalaureate, Dual Language Education and Social and Emotional Learning.

International Baccalaureate

The purpose of International Baccalaureate (IB) world schools is to develop "internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet help to create a better and more peaceful world in an academically rich and advanced program." As an accredited International Baccalaureate PYP (Primary Years Programme) school, Austin Community School will be helping to lay the foundation upon which global citizenship will develop and flourish.
Watch the short video below to get a better understanding of what an IB school learner is, as illustrated in the "learner profile."

Dual Language Education

Children will leave Austin Community School as reflective readers, effective communicators and independent thinkers in both English and Spanish. All ACS students will participate in two-way immersion classrooms. In addition to Spanish and English, all children will be exposed to Mandarin Chinese with the initial aim of conversational exposure in a special area of curriculum.

Two-way Immersion (TWI) language programs are dual language programs that target a balanced number of speakers of one language with speakers of another language. In TWI programs, content-area instruction is taught through both languages to all students in integrated classes. There is significant research that supports academic and social growth for all students in a well implemented TWI program. TWI programs also promote higher levels of cognitive flexibility, creative thinking, problem solving, and greater cultural awareness. Please visit the Center for Applied Linguistics online for more information about TWI programs.

Our Two-Way Immersion (TWI) program is defined by four goals.

• Students will develop high levels of proficiency in their first language. This means that native English speaking children will develop high levels of speaking, listening, reading, and writing ability in English, and their performance in these domains will not be compromised by their involvement in the two-way immersion program. Likewise, Spanish speaking children will develop high levels of speaking, listening, reading, and writing ability in Spanish and will not be asked to forgo development in their native language as their second language proficiency improves.
• All students will develop high levels of proficiency in a second language. For the native English speakers, this means that they will have the opportunity to develop high levels of oral and written proficiency in Spanish. This also means that Spanish speaking children will develop high levels of oral and written proficiency in English, and that their English language and literacy development will not be diminished because they are also continuing to receive instruction in their native language. For this reason, TWI programs are considered additive bilingual programs for both groups of students; they afford all students the opportunity to maintain and develop oral and written skills in their first language while simultaneously acquiring oral and written skills in a second language. Research has supported the notion that TWI programs are additive bilingual environments (Howard & Christian, 1997; Cazabon, Nicoladis, & Lambert, 1998; Lindholm-Leary, 2001).
• Academic performance for all students will be at or above grade level. The same academic standards and curricula that are in place for other students in Austin area school districts will be maintained for students in our TWI program as well. Academic requirements are not diluted for TWI students, and the same levels of academic performance are expected for both TWI students and students enrolled in other programs. As indicated previously, evidence that this goal is attainable has been documented in recent empirical studies (Cazabon, Nicoladis, & Lambert, 1998; Lindholm-Leary, 2001; Thomas & Collier, 2002)
• All students will demonstrate positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors. Because our TWI program will provide instruction in an environment that is integrated linguistically, racially and ethnically, and socio-economically, it will allow students to learn first hand about cultures that are different from their own. There is evidence of positive cross-cultural attitudes being developed through participation in TWI programs as children, families and educators work together (Cazabon, Lambert, & Hall, 1993; Freeman, 1998).

Social and Emotional Learning

It is the vision of Austin Community School to empower students to lead and act locally and globally. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a framework based on the knowledge that our emotions and relationships affect how and what we learn. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has defined SEL as the "process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and handle challenging situations effectively."

Five Key Areas of Social and Emotional Competency

• Self-Management: Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one's goals.
• Self-Awareness: Recognizing one's emotions and values as well as one's strengths and limitations.
• Responsible Decision Making: Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior.
• Relationship Skills: Forming positive relationships, working in teams, dealing effectively with conflict.
• Social Awareness: Showing understanding and empathy for others.