The School
The International School of Beijing (ISB) is an English-language day school offering an international, pre-kindergarten to grade twelve curriculum for expatriate families residing in Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
A country with vast territory and more than 5000 years of uninterrupted civilization, China boasts a population of 1.3 billion, including 56 ethnic groups. In the past twenty years as it has opened its gates to the wider global community, there has been great economic progress and a gradual increase in foreign investment. Beijing, which has grown and modernized enormously, has seen a significant increase in the expatriate population in recent years.
The site of the 2008 Olympics, Beijing is a city of 14 million people. It stretches 100 miles east to west and 112 miles north to south, encompassing the old and the new. As China wakes and Beijing emerges, it is a very interesting and exciting place to live and work.
Jointly founded in 1980 by the embassies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, ISB is now an independent, non-diplomatic school for foreign children operating under the auspices of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission (BMEC). In accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of China, only children holding foreign passports are admitted to ISB. ISB is accredited by NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) and the PRC accreditation agency, NCCT (National Center for Curriculum and Textbooks Development). ISB is owned by the ISB Association of Parents who entrust the oversight of the School to a fully-elected 12 person Board of Trustees.

ISB Mission Statement As a world leader in international education, it is the mission of ISB, in partnership with parents, to educate and inspire our students to reach their unique potential and contribute positively to society by providing a world class education that is enriched by our diversity and the Chinese culture in which we live.

Beliefs We believe that...

• Each individual has intrinsic worth
• Each person is responsible for his or her choices and actions
• All people have a responsibility to contribute positively to society
• Embracing diversity strengthens communities
• Shared values are essential for the well‐being of our community
• Quality education expands opportunities for the individual and contributes to the development of our world
• Family is the primary influence on a child’s development
• Education is a collaborative effort between family and school and is enriched by the community
• Learning is an essential, life‐long endeavor
• Achievement builds self‐esteem which leads to further achievement
• Excellence is worth pursuing

School Governance
The ISB Board of Trustees is a 12-member group of volunteer parents, elected by the ISB Association of Parents. They oversee the operation of ISB according to the Association’s Bylaws. All parents with children attending ISB automatically belong to the Association. The Board of Trustees is responsible for:

• Hiring, nurturing, and evaluating the Head of School (The Head of School is responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the school)
• Developing strategic plans and ensuring their implementation
• Developing and approving school policy
• Ensuring the financial health of the school

Each year the Board sets goals to fulfill its responsibilities and establishes standing committees to manage its work. The Board holds regular monthly meetings and members of the ISB community are invited to attend the open sessions.

The Program
To “promote a warm and welcoming center of educational excellence” is the goal of ISB as it delivers daily on its mission. To this end, ISB offers an international education program, Early Childhood 3 – grade 12, for foreign residents in Beijing. This comprehensive day-school, co-educational program is based primarily on American standards and benchmarks for its curriculum, but the development of Learning21@ISB over the past several years has meant the advent of a truly international and innovative approach to educational pedagogy and practice. The creation of Professional Learning Communities to support the development of UbD (Understanding by Design) Units of study has resulted in a highly collaborative and professional school ethos. Technology infusion is also a part of the curriculum framework, and ISB has some of the leading professionals in the region to help develop and deliver the vision and training required to ensure teachers and students engage in meaningful, innovative use of technology for learning.

The program is guided by the Strategic Plan III – Roadmap to Greatness. This strategic plan endeavor was begun in 2006, resulting in a 5-year community-owned roadmap for the school, designating direction and strategic initiatives from 2007-2012. The strategic plan is aligned with the accreditation reports and is fully reviewed annually by a Core Team of students, parents, trustees, teachers and administrators. The school’s annual goals are built around the delivery and sustainability of the strategic plan, making it truly one of the most effective programs for improvement in the international schools.

Overall, ISB teachers consistently remark about the joy of teaching students who attend ISB as they are truly excited about coming to school and learning. The relationship between the faculty and students is an extremely positive relationship of mutual respect.

Instruction at ISB is in English, however, a limited number of ESOL students are admitted at each grade level. ISB has developed an internationally recognized ESOL program to support its increasingly diverse and vibrant student population, coming from more than 50 countries annually. Additionally, ISB facilitates ESOL support classes for parents in order to minimize potential language barriers between parents and the school.

The School’s Learning Support Department helps students with mild learning needs to succeed at ISB. Support services are not intended to provide an alternate course of study; rather, we help students so they can participate fully in mainstream classes. Classroom teachers and Learning Support teachers work closely together to meet student needs.

The Elementary School offers a nurturing and supportive environment in which students develop both academically and personally. ISB believes that children learn better and retain more when they are actively involved in what they are learning. The standards-based curriculum adopted by ISB and developed over the past several years includes the content standards, teacher approaches, and student skills outlined in Learning21@ISB. Both the Lower Elementary School and the Upper Elementary School are led by a principal and assistant principal, and each has a dedicated guidance counselor to meet the diverse needs of the students at these different levels of educational development. The Upper Elementary School enrolls nearly 400+ students and employs more than 55 teachers, aides, secretaries and support personnel. In addition, the school has a full-time school psychologist, speech therapist, literacy specialist and myriad other support professionals working with students and teachers.

The Middle School has a vibrant and enthusiastic environment and is committed to the well-being of each student. Additionally, it offers an extensive mentoring program. The goal of the middle school is to prepare students to be effective and flexible learners. All students attend a standard set of compulsory subjects and are offered electives in the areas of mathematics, language, and enrichment courses. The High School aspires to be a place where students want to spend time and energy learning about each other, their world, and their own potential. High school students are largely enrolled in a rigorous college preparatory program. Forty-six percent of the Class of 2008 took the full International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program; an additional thirty-eight percent enrolled in three or more IB certificate courses. A high percentage of high school students take the PSAT, SAT and ACT exams which are offered several times each year at the School. China Link is a school wide program that provides a real life dimension to the global educational experience by fostering an awareness and appreciation of China, as well as a respect for the Chinese language, culture, people and environment. Inter-disciplinary in its approach, the China Link program is designed to facilitate the integration of Chinese language and culture into the school's overall curriculum. Through this program, students engage in activities that provide them with hands-on opportunities to interact with the Chinese people, students, scholars, and artists. Students also participate in day and week-long trips to destinations around Beijing and elsewhere in China.

ISB offers a wide range of after school activities (ASAs) designed to encourage students to explore new challenges and activities typically unavailable in a traditional classroom setting. The ASA program has become an integral part of school life, across all divisional levels, attracting a large number of students, many of whom enroll in multiple activities.

ISB is active in the Model United Nations program, with students traveling annually to The Hague. ISB also organizes and hosts an annual Beijing Model United Nations (BEIMUN), drawing participants from all over the world.

ISB's Performing Arts Department also offers a wide range of activities--some classroom, many co-curricular and extra-curricular - that directly benefit both the students and the overall school community.

ISB has a strong sports program and is a member of four international school activities conferences. ISB teams compete in seasonal league play and tournaments in volleyball, basketball, swimming, softball, baseball and soccer. Additionally, ISB has an intramural and club program for high school and middle school students, while offering competitive opportunities to elementary school children in soccer, cross country, basketball, and track and field.

Faculty and Staff
ISB currently has 346 staff, including twelve senior managers, 201 professional educators, as well as support and maintenance staff. Of the professional and management staff, about 65 percent are foreign passport holders.

The senior administrators currently include the following: the Head of School, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer, High School Principal, Middle School Principal, Upper Elementary School Principal, Lower Elementary School Principal, Chinese Program Principal, Curriculum Director, Staff Development Director, Director of Student Activities, Communications Director, and Government Affairs Director. Other administrators include: Human Resources Director, ICT Director, Facilities Director, Admissions Director, and full-time assistant principals at all divisional levels of the School.

Enrollment
ISB currently enrolls 1,875 students. School enrollment from 2000-2005 grew on average by 7.8 percent annually, but the School has now reached capacity within the footprint of the current building.

ISB’s student population, hailing from 54 countries around the world, is a transient one. Most students have previously lived abroad in more than one foreign country and attended other international schools. English is seldom the only language spoken by ISB students. The number of nationalities represented in ISB's student population has increased over the years. The five largest expatriate groups during the 2008/2009 school year hailed from the United States (45%), Korea (13%), Canada (11%), Taiwan/Macau/Hong Kong (9%), and Australia (3%).

Accreditation
ISB is fully accredited by Council of International Schools (CIS), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and National Center for School Curriculum and Textbook Development (NCCT). The next routine stage of the accreditation process for ISB will be the Five Year Report, to be submitted to the accrediting agencies at the end of September, 2011. The normal CIS/NEASC/NCCT Five Year Visit will follow shortly thereafter.

Facilities
The School is housed in a modern, 50,000 square meter building which opened in January 2002. Nestled in the countryside setting of the Shunyi District of Beijing, ISB's location in the northeast section of the city is only 15 minutes from Beijing International Airport and in close proximity to many expatriate housing compounds.

ISB facilities boast:

• A purpose-built Outdoor Learning Environment, the first of its kind in China, which includes outdoor play equipment, outdoor classrooms, water play environment, an archeological dig, a greenhouse, a weather station and amphitheatre
• Two Library Media Centers (one for Pre-K through Grade 5 students, one for Middle/High School students) -
• State-of-the-art science laboratories in all divisions
• A 600-seat theatre with orchestra pit
• An athletics stadium with competition-sized soccer pitch and athletic track
• Four fully equipped gymnasiums with locker rooms
• A 25-meter, six-lane competition sized swimming pool with diving boards

Separate wings of the School house the Lower and Upper Elementary School, the Middle School, and the High School allowing each division to create distinct and cohesive identities. Each school maintains its own classrooms and meeting places, and benefits from easy access to their respective administrative and guidance staff.

The Position
The ICT Director will be expected to undertake and perform the following duties:

Leadership and Management

• Provide principled, effective direction and leadership to the ICT office and school-wide curricular/technology initiatives
• Hire, mentor, train, manage and evaluate the ICT support staff of 12+
• Collaborate with Curriculum Director, Communications Director, Principals and other administrative leadership, teacher leaders and technology facilitators to help ISB deliver a world-class education in support of our Mission
• Enhance the commitment of the ICT office to a service orientation in support of all curricular and technology initiatives
• Oversee and actively manage the ICT and technology budgets as senior administrator, working closely with the CFO/COO
• Assume responsibility for sound financial management including accurate program budget planning and fiscal accountability
• Establish annual goals and work plans for all members of the ICT office that are consistent with the school's Strategic Plan and accepted program direction
• Serve as a contributing member to the school's senior management team

Communication

• Communicate effectively with students, faculty, support staff, parents, colleagues, and broader community
• Seek the involvement of faculty and parents in a wide variety of school activities
• Connect with teachers, staff, students and parents professionally and personally to ensure great experiences for all members of the ISB community

Staff Development

• Develop, evaluate and retain the best ICT professionals to ensure delivery of the ICT vision at ISB
• Support the professional development of teachers to infuse technology into the classroom with relevant ICT expertise
• Continue the commitment to Professional Learning Communities and an effective meeting culture

Curriculum Development Support

• Collaborate with Principals and TOTaL Office to ensure that curriculum documentation defines what the students are to learn, what the teacher should be teaching and how the learning and teaching will be assessed
• Collaborate with ICT Facilitators, ICT Head of department, Curriculum Director, Staff Development Director, Principals and Administrators to develop and ensure an efficient and productive use of Information and Communication technologies throughout the school’s instructional programs and operations
• Provide leadership in adoption and support of technological improvements to the systems approach at ISB

The successful candidate will:

• Possess appropriate degrees and experience in education, technology, and administration
• Have at least five years as a successful ICT director in relevant school settings
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Be of strong moral character with the ability to engender trust in his or her leadership
• Be student-centered, open, approachable, positive and supportive of school initiatives
• Preferably have overseas international school experience and demonstrated success in a highly technical environment
• Demonstrate excellent analytical, decision-making, and planning skills
• Employ excellent organizational and managerial skills to motivate and lead an exceptionally strong ICT support staff
• Be able to work collaboratively with a management team to ensure the goals and plans of the ISB Board of Trustees are achieved and carried out

Salary and Benefits
Salary is highly competitive and will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include housing, health insurance, home leave, a shipping allowance and retirement contributions as well as tuition waivers for dependent children.

Timeline for search
October 29 – Search commences
December 1 – Application deadline
December 15 – Candidate short-list announced and candidates scheduled for interviews at various fairs

The School reserves the right to close the selection if the right candidate is found prior to the dates indicated above.

Interested and qualified candidates should apply directly to ISB. Please include the following in a single PDF document, submitted no later than December 1, 2009.

• Max 1-page letter of interest in the position
• Max 2-page resume of relevant qualifications and experience
• Max 1-page philosophy of ICT in international schools
• Exactly 3 letters of reference from current supervisor, previous supervisor, and one other supervisor from past 5 years

To:
Maggie Hong
Recruitment Coordinator
International School of Beijing
mhong@isb.bj.edu.cn