Although the American Board Schools (ABH) were first founded by American educators, they are now operated by a secular Turkish foundation composed largely of graduates from the ABH schools. The Saglik ve Egitim Vakfi (SEV), or Health and Education Foundation, is the governing body. SEV oversees the high quality of education from kindergarten through high school. In addition to the educational branch, the SEV Foundation administers a hospital and publishing company within Turkey.
ACI was fully accredited by the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) in 1994 , re-accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) ever since 2003,. The school is currently going through the CIS re-accreditation process. ACI is proud to be the first school in Turkey to be accredited by ECIS and CIS and currently is one of a few schools in Turkey to be accredited by these prestigious organizations. Additionally, ACI is an IB World School since 2005.
Today, there are more than 800 students in ACI. The languages of instruction are English and Turkish. The teaching staff includes the Turkish faculty (80%), many of whom speak English, and the English-speaking international faculty (20%). The majority of the international faculty currently includes teachers from the USA, Canada and Europe. All of our foreign educators are certified educators in their home countries.
ACI offers a “1+4” high school program. The “1+” references the Prep program for students whose English language skills are not strong enough for the first year of high school. The students enter an intensive English language program (beginner to advanced) to prepare them for the rigorous four-year high school program. In the Prep program, class sizes are no larger than 20 to allow for a productive language learning environment. Following the completion of the Prep year, students enter into the Turkish Ministry of Education system of grades 9-12. At ACI, students have the option of entering into the International Baccalaurate Programme(IBDP) in grade 11 or they can continue with their national curriculum. ACI is a fully accredited IBO World School and is proud to be the first Turkish high school in the Aegean region to receive IBDP authorization. About 50% of the students select the IBDP option.
ACI has a solid record of university acceptance; annually over 99% of the high school graduates are accepted into the universities in Turkey and abroad. ACI students currently attend prestigious universites both in Turkey and abroad The typical percentage of students who elect to go to university abroad is usually around 50% of the graduating senior class, however, upwards of 70% choose to apply internationally. The school has an overseas university counseling office which works with the families and students during the selection and application process.
ACI is proud of its extra-curricular activities, sports programs, clubs, and strong service-learning program. ACI has a long history of service-learning and working with community. Many groups and individuals benefit from the schools’ service-learning programs and the IBO’s CAS requirement.
In accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Council of International Schools Child Protection standards, just like all the schools of the SEV Foundation, ACI is also committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of its students through the establishment and implementation of a comprehensive Child Protection Policy. Our Child Protection Policy applies to all SEV community as well as stakeholders including third-party contractors.