The Dwight Schools and Shanghai Qibao High School Launch First Independent Chinese-American Collaborative High School in China

NEW YORK, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dwight Schools, a global network of independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools spanning three continents, in partnership with Shanghai Qibao High School, announce the fall 2014 opening of the Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School, the first, independent, Chinese-American collaborative high school in China. Approved by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School will be the first Sino-foreign cooperatively run high school in Shanghai officially approved by the Ministry of Education of China.

The new Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School, located in the Minhang district, is a three-year, full-time bilingual boarding school for students in grades 10-12. An IB World School candidate, Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School will introduce a new model of education in China, integrating an international perspective with courses from Chinese compulsory education, including Chinese language, history, math, geography, and politics. Students will have the option to participate in the Shanghai academic proficiency exams; and graduates will be eligible to receive a Dwight School diploma, a Shanghai Qibao High School joint diploma, and an IB diploma (pending authorization), enabling them to apply to top-tier universities anywhere in the world.

"We are delighted that Dwight was selected to partner with the esteemed Qibao High School, a highly respected leader in Shanghai with a network of 12 schools," said Stephen Spahn, Chancellor of The Dwight Schools. "Dwight is committed to educating the next generation of global leaders and to forging innovative collaborative relationships with those who want to bring shared value to students through education. We look forward to working closely and creatively with Qibao's expert administration and faculty to design a model school that offers the best of Chinese and IB thinking, preparing graduates for success in higher education and the global marketplace."

"We highly appreciate Dwight's educational concept of 'igniting the spark of genius in every child'," said Qiu Zhonghai, the Principal of Qibao Middle School. "It is our deep wish to create a superb international school fusing the essence of Chinese and Western education, to bring new sparks of wisdom for the development of China-U.S. education, and to prepare students who choose the school for a wonderful life. The formal establishment of Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School is not only a landmark event for New York and Shanghai to deepen international cooperation, but also a landmark in deepening the reform of basic education in Shanghai."

The Dwight Schools are among the world's finest IB educators with campuses in New York, London, Seoul, and on Vancouver Island. Dwight was selected as a partner by the Shanghai Education Committee for its 141-year track record of success in delivering a personalized, world-class education and for excellence in teaching the academically vigorous IB curriculum, recognized as the "gold standard" worldwide. Dwight was the first school in the U.S. to offer the comprehensive IB curriculum (Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Programs) for students from preschool through grade 12.

In the first year, Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School anticipates enrolling 100 students from Shanghai and 50 from other areas of China for its tenth-grade class. International students will also be encouraged to apply. In future, when the school is at full capacity, an estimated 1,000 students will fill all three grades. Highly qualified Chinese and international teachers are joining the faculty; and the school will be managed jointly by administrators from both Shanghai Qibao High School and Dwight School, ensuring that students benefit from the expertise of both partners.

Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School looks forward to building an enriching student exchange program as well as online collaborations with Dwight global campuses in New York, London, Seoul, and on Vancouver Island.

More About The Dwight Schools

The Dwight Schools are dedicated to igniting the spark of genius in every child, and rest on three pillars: personalized learning, community, and global vision. With campuses in New York, London, Seoul, and on Vancouver Island, The Dwight Schools educate 2,000 students representing over 40 countries. Graduates attend such leading colleges and universities worldwide as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, NYU, Oxford, and the University of Edinburgh. Dwight School, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and Dwight School London are IB Open World Schools, two of only six originally selected from 3,700 IB World Schools to pilot IB education online.

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