Al Mizhar American Academy for Girls

Inspection Report
Kindergarten to Grade 12

Report published May 2010

Contents
Explanation of the inspection levels used in the report .................................................................. 2
Basic information about the school................................................................................................... 2
How well does the school perform overall? ..................................................................................... 3
Key features of the school ................................................................................................................. 4
Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 4
How good are the students attainment and progress in key subjects? ........................................ 4
How good is the students personal and social development? ....................................................... 6
How good are the teaching and learning? ....................................................................................... 6
How well does the curriculum meet the educational needs of all students? ................................ 7
How well does the school protect and support students?............................................................... 8
How good are the leadership and management of the school? ..................................................... 8
Summary of inspection judgements ............................................................................................... 10
Next Steps......................................................................................................................................... 14
How to contact us............................................................................................................................. 14

Explanation of the inspection levels used in the report

Outstanding exceptionally high quality of performance or practice.
Good the expected level of quality for every school in Dubai.
Acceptable the minimum level of acceptability required for Dubai. All key aspects of
performance and practice in every school should meet or exceed this level.
Unsatisfactory quality not yet at the level acceptable for schools in Dubai. Schools will be
expected to take urgent measures to improve the quality of any aspect of their performance
or practice that is judged at this level.
The American Academy for Girls was inspected in December 2009 as part of the regular
inspection of all schools in Dubai. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school
at all stages. It evaluated students achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the
environment for learning, the schools processes for self-evaluation and capacity for
improvement. There was a particular focus on students progress in Islamic Education (for
Muslim students), Arabic, English, mathematics and science.

Basic information about the school

Located in Al Mizhar, The American Academy for Girls is a private school providing education
for girls from Kindergarten (KG) to Grade 12, aged three to 18 years. The school is licensed to
follow an American curriculum. At the time of the inspection, there were 606 students on roll.
The student attendance reported by the school for the last academic session was acceptable.
Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) analysed responses to on-line questionnaires
completed by parents. Almost all parents reported that they were satisfied with the quality of
the schools provision; their daughters liked the school and the range of stimulating activities
available. Parents reported that they were happy with the progress in English, mathematics
and science, but were less satisfied with their daughters achievements in Islamic Education
and in Arabic. Almost all parents felt that the teaching was good, that staff expected the
students to work hard and that they were being encouraged to become independent and
responsible people. Almost all agreed that behaviour was good. Most thought that their
children were treated fairly at school and that staff showed good concern for their care and
welfare. The majority of parents agreed that the school was good at consulting them on
decisions affecting their daughter and that they felt comfortable about approaching the school
with a question or complaint. Parents were vocal in their support of the schools open door
policy enabling easy access to teachers and senior school leaders at all times. Almost all
parents agreed that the school was well led, that their children were safe at school and that
links with parents were good. Most, however, were unsure about the quality of links with the
local community and almost all were unsure about the schools response to the previous DSIB
inspection.

How well does the school perform overall?

The school provided a good quality of education. The greatest strength of the school was the
quality of students conduct and their excellent personal demeanour. The girls were selfconfident and considerate, with excellent oral communication skills. The school measured its
success through comparison with educational standards and expectations of the United States
of America (USA) and regular testing took place to compare standards with the Iowa tests for
basic skills (ITBS) from the USA, though these standards did not apply in Islamic Education and
in Arabic language teaching. In general, in all subjects, the standards achieved were broadly in
line with the international benchmarks and age-related expectations. In Islamic Education and
Arabic, attainment was good in the elementary phase. This achievement was noteworthy
given that the great majority of students were receiving instruction in English, which was not
their mother tongue. Students progress, therefore, was good across the school in all subjects,
except in Arabic where progress slowed in the middle and high school phases, and in Islamic
Education, where it slowed in the high school phase. Students attitudes, their behaviour and
their personal development were good throughout the school, though attendance and
punctuality were issues, and this was particularly pronounced amongst the most senior
students. Their civic awareness, their sense of personal responsibility and their understanding
of Islam in the modern world were, however, outstanding at all ages.
Teaching was of good quality, with very few unsatisfactory lessons observed and most judged
as good or better. Teachers were skilled and expert practitioners who knew their subjects well
and understood how children learnt. The quality of learning was good, with the girls showing
good application to their work and the effective development of study skills as they got older.
The school had worked hard to address issues relating to assessment identified in the previous
inspection report, and assessment procedures were now good. Expectations and quality were
aligned with North American standards so that achievement was verified internationally, and
provided opportunities for further study anywhere in the world for the successful students. The
curriculum was rich and varied, and it had breadth, balance and challenge. The range of
elective subjects enabled students interests and talents to be developed appropriately. The
Advance Placement programmes for the most able senior students, although currently few in
number, gave the opportunity for the most able students to gain accreditation at the highest
level for their future progression to university. The arrangements to guarantee the health,
safety and security of the students were outstanding. The classrooms were well maintained,
record keeping was excellent and regular emergency evacuation procedures were followed.
Safety arrangements on the school buses were excellent and there were safe and dependable
systems for meeting and greeting students and the youngest children from their parents cars.
Leadership and management were good. The senior leaders, particularly the Principal, were
passionately committed to the achievements of the school. They were successful in realising
the schools mission to develop self-reliant global citizens, committed to community leadership
and environmental awareness.

Key features of the school

The outstanding attitudes, behaviour and personal development of the students,

coupled with their self-confidence and excellent oral communication skills;

The high quality teaching and professionalism of the teaching staff;

The strength and passionate personal commitment of the senior leadership team;

The excellent relationships throughout the school amongst staff and students.

Recommendations

Take all necessary measures to improve attendance and punctuality at the beginning
of and throughout the school day;

Strengthen the procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of teachers, especially in
the elementary phase, to achieve greater consistency within and between year groups;

Raise attainment in all subjects, especially in Islamic Education and Arabic in the
middle and high schools, through use of effective benchmarks to refine lesson focus
and verify standards of attainment.

How good are the students attainment and progress in key

subjects?
In Islamic Education, overall progress was good across the school. While attainment was good
in the elementary school, it was only acceptable in the middle and high schools. Elementary
school students understood the verses they memorised from The Holy Qur'an. By the end of
the elementary phase, students understood the Pillars of Islam, they had a good knowledge of
the daily prayers to be said at specific times and they understood some of the significant
lessons to learn from the life of the Prophet (PBUH). In the middle and high school phases,
students understood the stages of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the older students had an
acceptable understanding of Islamic manners in public places. By Grade 12, they understood
marriage and divorce in Islam. However, their understanding of how what they had learnt
from The Holy Quran could be applied in the community was underdeveloped.

In Arabic, both attainment and progress were good in the elementary school; attainment in
the middle school was acceptable but progress was good. Attainment and progress were
acceptable in the high school. By the end of KG, children could read all of the Arabic letters in
single words and had a good grasp of pronunciation, so that by the time they started
elementary school they could write short sentences. Progress through the elementary phase
was good, so that when they moved into the middle school, students had a good
understanding of grammar and they wrote well; they understood the main ideas in a variety of
texts and distinguished between figures of speech and formal language. In the high school,
students could write poetry and effectively research topics. However, by the end of high
school students critical thinking skills in analysing and developing topics were relatively weak.
At all ages and phases throughout the school attainment in English was acceptable and
progress was good. Most students were successful on local assessments and their oral skills
were strong. However, in the ITBS the average scores were generally below grade level. Most
students were skilled speakers and listeners. By the end of KG most children could copy words,
and write sentences using available key words. Most elementary students read at a level
appropriate for their age and wrote paragraphs. Most high school students read challenging
literature with support and wrote acceptable two-page papers. Progress was generally good
and the progress of those with additional learning needs was well supported. The new writing
program enabled students to improve their written work with a framework and rubric for
development.
Attainment in mathematics was acceptable and progress was good throughout the school.
Most students in KG understood foundation concepts such as more and less, counting,
comparing, and grouping of objects. Elementary students were developing age-appropriate
skills of addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, although attainment was
somewhat uneven. Middle school students deepened basic operational skills, extending their
competence in operations with decimal fractions, probability, and positive and negative
integers. High school students were developing algebraic skills appropriately, and advanced
seniors were attaining well in pre-calculus concepts and operations. Students effectively
applied mathematics to questions and problems which were presented in the textbook, but
infrequently applied mathematics to practical, real-world situations.
Attainment in science was at the acceptable level as measured against international
expectations. Progress was good and was improving year on year . Across all grade levels
students exhibited knowledge and understanding of the key concepts, theories and ideas in
science which were appropriate for their age. Students were able to reason, observe and
competently conduct investigations and transfer learning in increasingly complex situations.
From KG to Grade12, students could articulate the value of science in society especially as it
related to conservation and its positive impact on environmental conditions. While there was
not a great deal of integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into the
programme, the students could manage well when presented with ICT opportunities.

How good is the students personal and social development?

Student attitudes and behaviour were good. The girls were mature, respectful and friendly.
Relationships between staff and students were positive and supportive. However, average
attendance barely reached an acceptable standard and the poor punctuality of a minority
interfered with classroom learning. Attendance was a particular issue in the high school.
Punctuality was frequently unsatisfactory at the beginning of the day and persisted throughout
the day with students not always arriving at lessons in a timely fashion.
Students civic understanding, their understanding of Islam and their appreciation of local
traditions and culture were outstanding. They assumed responsible roles in student
government, the house system, and clubs. The school exposed them to local and global issues
and they participated in community service and internships. Students valued the role of Islam
in their own lives and in society and discussed recent international incidents of intolerance
toward Muslims. They appreciated the varied national backgrounds of their fellow students
and had a good understanding of the extent to which Dubai was a multi-cultural society.
Students economic and environmental understanding was outstanding. They were proud of
Dubais development, and secondary students could discuss Dubais specific economic
strengths. They also understood Dubais recent economic challenges. The school had helped
them understand contributions they could make to Dubais continuing development. The
schools Environment Club had brought about important changes in the school environment,
and students discussed, with understanding, the challenges being addressed during the
climate change conference in Copenhagen.

How good are the teaching and learning?

The quality of teaching was good in all parts of the school. Teachers were knowledgeable
practitioners who understood how students learn. They planned effectively and made good
use of time in lessons, with a good balance between instruction and student-centred activities.
Teachers made good use of a wide range of resources beyond the textbook to make their
lessons interesting and engaging. Many teachers were expert practitioners in the use of ICT to
enhance learning through the use of interactive whiteboards or through providing ICT-based
research tasks for students. In science, practical assignments were regular features of the
programme and these were well organised by the teachers and conducted efficiently by the
students. Relationships in classrooms were good with many examples of open dialogue
promoted by teachers good questioning techniques which promoted extended responses from
the students. Most teachers had a good awareness of the learning needs of different
individuals and groups and they modified their lessons accordingly. Classroom teaching
assistants were deployed in KG and elementary classes, but not all teachers were using them
as fully effective partners in teaching and learning.

The quality of learning for students and children of all ages was good. Children in KG and
students in the elementary, middle and high school sections were, for the most part, fully
engaged in their learning. They were responsible learners who were able to find things out for
themselves; they worked equally effectively in pairs, as members of a group, or individually. In
the best lessons, and these were evident in science and English, students showed how they
could apply their learning to give it relevance in the real world, but in mathematics there were
too few opportunities for this to happen. Through the successful development of the study
skills programme many students research and higher order thinking skills were being well
developed by the school.
Arrangements for assessment were good. Senior leaders and teachers had a good
understanding of assessment as a tool to help students understand what they did well and
how they could improve their work. Students received regular feedback on their work and
achievements were being benchmarked against standardised assessments from the USA. In
this way the levels of attainment of the girls was substantiated through comparison with
international standards.

How well does the curriculum meet the educational needs of all
students?
The quality of the curriculum was good. The curriculum, based on the Michigan grade level
content standards, offered breadth, balance, and challenge. A full-time curriculum co-ordinator
worked with subject co-ordinators to conduct regular formal review and upgrading of
curriculum. The curriculum co-ordinator had trained subject co-ordinators and teachers in
techniques associated with the Understanding by Design educational initiative. During the
previous school year, managers had implemented a detailed process of revising the curriculum
in English and social sciences with a unit planning process based on UBD. The resulting
curriculum aligned attainment standards with content, resources and guidelines for
assessment. At the time of inspection, teachers in mathematics and science were engaged in
a similar process, reviewing curriculum and developing unit plans one-by-one as they prepared
to teach them, following UBD guidelines. The curriculum was well-sequenced and provided for
appropriate continuity and successful transitions across grade levels. Choice was provided in
coursework for secondary students, although the number of options had been recently
reduced. Learning was enhanced by inclusion of a large number of extra-curricular
opportunities. Formalised cross-curricular links were in the planning stages but had not yet
been developed. The school provided a number of opportunities for community and regional
involvement, including service projects for students in Grade 11 and internships for those in
Grade12. Participation in these external activities had resulted in students winning a regional
exhibition on robotics, prizes in an entrepreneur contest, and successful involvement in speech
competitions with other schools. A recent trip to Tanzania enabled students to assist in an
orphanage and further extend their horizons.

How well does the school protect and support students?

The arrangements for ensuring students health and safety in the building were outstanding.
Five security guards protected the building. Arrivals and dismissals were safe, including bus
transport. The building was well designed, although there was limited space for future
expansion. The facility was well maintained and records well kept. The Principal documented
regular fire drills. The nurse recorded activity in the clinic and carefully maintained her
equipment and medicines. To promote healthy lifestyles, the school changed the food offered
in the canteen. Also, each student had eighty minutes of physical education each week and
there was an after-school sports programme. The nurse had detailed plans to tackle obesity
during this school year. Staffs were well-versed in child protection procedures.
The quality of support was good. Teachers encouraged students as learners and modelled
mature behaviour. Students could count upon them for sensitive advice and clear direction. A
student counsellor provided individual support for secondary students. She gave strong
education and career guidance for Grade 11 and 12 students. Assistant principals enforced the
disciplinary code, although incidents were few and minor. They also tracked student academic
progress with special attention to secondary students failing two or more courses. Students
with additional learning needs were supported and monitored through a language and
learning support program. Support staff used technology to maintain accurate attendance and
punctuality, though the systems had not been successful in raising attendance to an
acceptable level for many students.

How good are the leadership and management of the school?

The school was successfully led with passion and a strong personal commitment by the
Principal with the support of her three senior colleagues. Together they ensured that the
schools vision was realised in the good progress and achievements of the girls and
exemplified by their excellent personal demeanour. Broadly effective performance
management systems were in place though these were not always completely successful in
achieving consistency of professional practice in the elementary part of the school.
The school was a highly reflective place of learning; self-evaluation was a central element in
the work of the school leaders and managers. The effectiveness of plans and policies was
monitored and evaluated and modifications to plans were enacted as appropriate. The schools
senior leaders had endeavoured to provide a rich and varied curriculum experience with
positive learning outcomes. The success of the schools capacity to change and respond to
challenges was evident in its response to the recommendations from the previous inspection
report. All the issues identified had been satisfactorily addressed good and effective use was
now being made of standardised assessments to provide objective measures of attainment;
critical thinking and study skills were being addressed through curriculum programmes;
successful self-evaluation strategies were leading to evident improvements; transport
arrangements were now safe and secure.

The school promoted good links with parents and the local community. Parents greatly valued
the open door policy and the easy accessibility of teachers and senior leaders, and their
responsiveness to the issues raised. Effective liaisons with the local community enhanced the
curriculum provision and the students experiences.
Arrangements for governance were good and evolving successfully to provide full and
appropriate representation of all relevant stakeholders. Under the guidance of the founding
and overall group management organisation, Taleem, senior leaders were fully accountable for
the schools successes and the issues to be addressed.
The teaching and support staff were of high quality, suitably qualified and experienced. The
facilities at the school were extensive and well maintained. There were specialist rooms as
necessary to support practical and academic areas of the curriculum including several science
laboratories, art and music rooms, ICT suites, a gymnasium and a swimming pool. The school
site was, however, tightly constrained and there was a shortage of suitable outdoor recreation
and exercise areas. The quality of display in the school was excellent. Throughout there were
examples of students work on display as well as excellent dcor resulting in a highly
stimulating learning environment. The resources for learning were of a very high order. The
library was exceptionally well-stocked and provided an excellent facility for academic and
leisure learning as well as reading for pleasure.

Summary of inspection judgements

In their evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the school, the inspection team made
judgements about the following aspects of the schools performance.
Four descriptors are: Outstanding; Good; Acceptable; Unsatisfactory.
How good are the students attainment and progress in Islamic Education?
Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Not Applicable

Good

Acceptable

Acceptable

Not Applicable

Good

Good

Good

Age group:

KG

Attainment
Progress over
time

How good are the students attainment and progress in Arabic?

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Not Applicable

Good

Acceptable

Acceptable

Not Applicable

Good

Good

Acceptable

Age group:

KG

Attainment
Progress over
time

How good are the students attainment and progress in English?

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Good

Good

Good

Good

Age group:

KG

Attainment
Progress over
time

10

How good are the students attainment and progress in mathematics?

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Good

Good

Good

Good

Age group:

KG

Attainment
Progress over
time

How good are the students attainment and progress in science?

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Good

Good

Good

Good

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Good

Good

Good

Good

Islamic, cultural
and civic
understanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Economic and
environmental
understanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Age group:

KG

Attainment
Progress over
time

How good is the students personal and social development?

Age group:
Attitudes and
behaviour

KG

11

How good are teaching and learning?

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Good

Good

Good

Good

Quality of
students
learning

Good

Good

Good

Good

Assessment

Good

Good

Good

Good

Age group:

KG

Teaching for
effective
learning

How well does the curriculum meet the educational needs of all students?
Age group:

KG

Curriculum
quality

Good

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

Good

Good

Good

Elementary

Middle

High

G1-5

G6-8

G9-12

How well does the school protect and support students?

Age group:

KG

Health and
safety

Outstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

Quality of
support

Good

Good

Good

Good

12

How good are the leadership and management of the school?

Quality of leadership

Good

Self-evaluation and improvement planning

Good

Partnerships with parents and the

community

Good

Governance

Good

Staffing, facilities and resources

Good

How well does the school perform overall?

Good

13

Next Steps
The school has been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how it will address the main
findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents. The next inspection will report on
the progress made by the school.

Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau

Knowledge and Human Development Authority

How to contact us
If you have a concern or wish to comment on any aspect of this report you should
contact: [email protected].
More information about Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau can be found at www.khda.gov.ae.

Copyright 2010
This report is for internal use only and for the self-evaluation purposes of the school. It should not be used for
commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement.

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