22 Sep 2016
A record number of Cambridge exams were taken in North America in 2015/16 – up 19 per cent from the previous year. The total number of Cambridge schools in North America has grown by 11 per cent to date in the last year.
The total number of schools administering the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program jumped 22 per cent in the same period. A record number of Cambridge exams were taken in North America in 2015/16 – up 19 per cent from the previous year. The total number of Cambridge schools in North America has grown by 11 per cent to date in the last year. The total number of schools administering the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program jumped 22 per cent in the same period.
‘Cambridge courses demand that students own the lessons, rather than just experiencing them,’ said Geoff McKee, School District of Palm Beach County Instructional Superintendent. ‘Grappling with the integration of concepts, applying lessons to real and hypothetical situations, and communicating original insights are part of the learning process for Cambridge courses. Students who engage in such rigorous learning activities experience impressive gains in standardized test performance. But they also thrive beyond the classroom as a result of the analytical, research, communication, and problem solving skills they develop through engaging in the Cambridge curriculum.’
Educators also find Cambridge is for all students, regardless of background.
According to Deborah Gonzalez, Chief Academic Officer at ASU Preparatory Academies, ‘ASU Preparatory Academy believes we have a fundamental responsibility to ensure every student is prepared to graduate from college regardless of their zip code, home language, or family income. We found a great educational partner with Cambridge Assessment International Education. The aligned assessment system and emphasis on building on student knowledge and skills to create curious, engaged learners directly matches our own ethos and beliefs about learning. The Cambridge system encourages teachers as professional learners. Providing Cambridge for every learner helped us move a low performing school to an A school with graduation rates of 100 per cent and post-secondary admission rates of 100 per cent for our first two graduating classes.’
The popularity of Cambridge exams in the US is representative of the trend that is playing out across the nation, as schools and policymakers push toward the ambitious goal of ensuring that the nation has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
‘We congratulate the record number of students, teachers and schools participating in Cambridge programs and exams in the US this year,’ says Mark Cavone, Regional Director, North America. Educators continue to tell us they like the rigor of the curricula and assessments because they emphasize critical thinking skills over memorization and multiple choice. We appreciate their partnership in working to make Cambridge’s advanced curriculum available to all students, no matter their background and circumstances.’