South Miami Senior High School

• Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE Diploma)

• An international, pre-university program developed by the University of Cambridge in England, hence “Cambridge AICE Diploma”

• A curriculum designed as preparation for college and university programs

• Examinations offered for over 50 years in more than 160 countries and 9,000 schools – 67 High Schools in Florida– 12 High Schools in M-DCPS

• Cambridge AICE Diploma first awarded in 1997

What is AICE?

Delivery of breadth across the curriculum and depth in subject areas.

An investigative approach and the use of personal initiative to solve problems

Application of skills, knowledge, and understanding

Ability to undertake individual projects and to work as part of a team

Range of assessment techniques: research, writing, speaking, listening, practical applications in science

Cambridge AICE Pedagogy

Cambridge AICE Diploma Requirements

• Minimum of 7 credits from at least three subject groups & 100 community service hours

• Compulsory course: AS Level Global Perspectives

SMSH Cambridge AICE Offering by GroupBeginning 2016-2017 School Year (TENTATIVE)

Group 1: Math & Science• AICE Psychology (AS)• AICE Biology• AICE Environmental Management (AS)• AICE Chemistry• AICE Physics

Group 2: Languages• AICE English Language (AS)• AICE Spanish Language (AS)

Group 3: Arts & Humanities• AICE Psychology (AS)• AICE Sociology (AS)• AICE History (United States, AS)• AICE Environmental Management (AS)• AICE Music (AS)

Group 4: Interdisciplinary & Skills-Based Subjects• AICE Thinking Skills (AS)• AICE General Paper (AS)

Compulsory Course• AICE Global Perspectives (AS)

7 points or credits are required from Groups 1-3 to attain the AICE Diploma; all satisfactory exams for AS level courses count for 1 point towards the AICE Diploma.

• State of Florida has adopted AICE as a graduation option - in the same way as International Baccalaureate (IB)

• Competitive admission/recognition to the most elite colleges and universities

• 2

• Bonus points equivalent to honors and AP courses.

Cambridge AICE Diploma Benefits

• Earning of College Credit

Florida Legislature has identified AICE as a graduation option and acceleration mechanism through which students can be awarded up to 45 hours of college credit at all public universities and colleges in Florida.• Earning of Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

Recognizes AICE diploma recipients who also complete 100 required hours of community service with the

Florida Academic Scholars Scholarship

MORE Cambridge AICE Diploma Benefits

• Exposure to different methods of assessment with emphasis on higher order thinking skills and writing

• International perspective necessary for tomorrow’s leaders

• Students who seek AICE Diploma:

Are exempt from the traditional Physical Education, Fine Art, Government & Macroeconomics, and online course graduation requirements• Academically broad-based curriculum with room and

flexibility to pursue additional areas of interest and strengths

MORE Cambridge AICE Diploma Benefits

Cambridge Testing Dataas of 2013-2014

• 3,844 Exams administered in 23 content areas

• Over 2000 college credits earned (between AS and A level Exams) That is approximately over $1 million worth of college

credit

• Overall, 77% of eligible students earned a Cambridge AICE diploma (receiving Florida Academic Scholars level of Florida Bright Futures Scholarship)

• Last year only 15% would have earned this scholarship without an AICE diploma due to high difficulty level of test requirements.

“One of the things we find with students who have studied Cambridge International AS and A Levels is that they have a real depth of understanding of the subject matter that they have had classes in, and a real engagement with it.”

-Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

“The study found that AICE program graduates attending the University of Florida had an average end-of-freshman year GPA of 3.46 whereas students coming from other acceleration mechanisms such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) had an average GPA of 3.12 and 3.10 respectively.”

-Study by Bill Kolb, former Director of Admissions at the University of Florida

“The depth of knowledge displayed by the best A Level students makes them prime targets for America’s Ivy League universities.”

-Richard C. Levin, President, Yale University