NICHOLAS Kent, the incoming High School principal at Concordia International School Shanghai, answers questions about academic achievement and the strength of international schools in Asia. Grab a coffee and join the conversation.

Q: What most excites you about moving into the principal position in August?

A: I am most excited about the fact that I can continue to be a part of the Concordia community for many more years. To be in a leadership position where the culture of learning and excellence is so ingrained is exciting, but it really is working with my wife and raising our daughter in this community that makes me happy. This school is much more than academics and I want to see my three-year-old graduatefrom this high school. That's kind of funny to say out loud.

Q: That is an odd thing to hear from an international educator as traditionally you would be moving at regular intervals.

A: Yes, that is the common response when I make that statement, but Concordia is a different community than most international schools. Whenever I go to conferences and meet international teachers the two questions they always ask are "which school did you come from?" and "which school are you going to next?" It is not hyperbole when I say that at Concordia I have never heard anyone on staff ask the second question. I believe when people intentionally join a community with a clear mission,vision and strategic plan there is no need to seek opportunities elsewhere because opportunities are constantly being presented in-house.

Q: You seem to feel strongly about this, are you normally this caffeinated?

A: Does it show? I have worked at Concordia for seven years and have seen tremendous growth in programs, student achievement and in service to others. I am a data guy and when I investigate the reasons for this, I keep returning to the idea of teacher and administrator longevity and stability. Great programs can't be made on two or three-year rotations; there are no shortcuts. That's what we always tell our students, right? If you want excellence and success you create a long-term plan, you control as many variables as possible, work hard, and invest yourself in something greater than a grade.

Q: But as a "data guy" doesn't "success" come down to academic achievement?

A: Well, to a certain extent, yes. I can't ignore that academic success is important to our families. But my feeling is that holistic education and academic achievement are not mutually exclusive. I feel that our community values of balance and holistic education have contributed to our academic success. We did not set out to be an American curriculum based school with high academic achievement; we set out to create men and women who want to serve others and make the world a better place. How do we do both? We do it through engaging students with authentic experiences in academics and community.

Q: That's easy to say when you work in the "ivory tower" of education, but you concurrently work and live in an international community that has high expectations. How do you reconcile that?

A: I meet with every new high school parent who comes to the school and even try to meet with those who are just visiting for a tour. What I convey to them is that I will not gear their child's education towards acceptance, nor will I promise acceptance, to a specific institution on the east coast of the United States that might start with the letter H.

Q. Subtle...

A. I know, right? However, what I can promise is that your child can "get there from here." The holistic and rigorous education that we provide can enable your student to be considered for entrance to any school of higher ed. Will that school choose your child? I can't control that, but I am a strong and strategic advocate for our kids, school, and community with our friends in college admissions - and it shows in where our kids are choosing to study when they graduate from Concordia.

Q: You are passionate about this.

A: Listen, I am amazed at the quality of education in the international arena, specifically in East Asia. SAT scores, AP Scores and SAT 2 subject test scores are incredibly high in our context. The other day I was looking at the passing rates and the advanced scores for schools who take AP exams at the "Big Four" American curriculum schools of Singapore American, Hong Kong International, Concordia Shanghai and Taipei American. All of these schools score at par or slightly below renowned boarding schools like Phillips Andover and Phillips Exeter in the United States. This information is public on websites and in school profiles. Why don't people know about it?

Q: That's impressive. What about SAT scores?

A: SAT as an indicator of success or future performance? A good score on the SAT simply illustrates that you can take the SAT very well. Our scores on that assessment have been extremely high the past four years, but I am more curious about content-based assessments like AP scores or SAT 2 subject tests if we are investigating academic achievement. In cases of SAT 2 subject tests like Chemistry, Math 2 and US History, Concordia's 2012 grads achieved even higher than those elite US boarding schools I mentioned previously. In fact those of us in the "Big Four" all exceeded the scores of top US boarding schools last year on multiple SAT 2 subject tests. That is why it surprises me so much when I hear parents looking to send their kids away for high school. Obviously, we need to market American curriculum better. I should put that on my to-do list. And, as I tell our students, don't just take my word for it; seek out the source. I think you'll be impressed.



Dare to compare Concordia! www.concordiashanghai.org/compare



Nicholas Kent joined Concordia International School Shanghai in 2006 as a Humanities teacher. He has served as High School assistant principal since 2009 and assumes the role of High School principal in August of 2013. Nicholas is currently finishing his doctoral work at Lehigh University and resides in Shanghai with his wife and daughter.