How Can International Schools Offer U.S. Academic Programs?
International schools around the world are looking for ways to expand the academic opportunities available to their students.
For some schools, that may mean offering Advanced Placement courses. Others may want students to pursue a U.S. high school diploma alongside their local diploma. Some may be considering a broader U.S. academic program within their existing school.
But building these programs independently can require substantial academic infrastructure.
There is another option:
Partnering directly with an established U.S. school.
Does an International School Have to Become a U.S. School?
Not necessarily.
A local or international school can remain itself — maintaining its own campus, curriculum, community, and educational identity — while partnering with a U.S. school to provide additional academic opportunities.
The exact structure depends on the partnership.
For example, students may remain enrolled at their local school while completing selected coursework through the U.S. school.
This allows the two schools to contribute different parts of the student's educational experience.
What Can a U.S. School Partnership Provide?
Depending on the program, a U.S. school may provide academic infrastructure such as:
U.S. curriculum
Qualified teachers
Course instruction
Assignments and assessments
Grading
Academic oversight
Academic records
U.S. high school credit
Graduation pathways where applicable
The local school continues to provide the student's primary school community and local educational experience.
This can reduce the need for the international school to create every component of a U.S. academic program independently.
What Types of U.S. Programs Can International Schools Offer?
There are several possible models.
U.S. High School Dual Diploma Program
A U.S. High School Dual Diploma Program allows students to continue their local high school education while completing additional U.S. high school coursework.
Students work toward their local diploma while also completing the requirements established by the U.S. school.
For students who fulfill the U.S. school's graduation requirements, this can lead to a second high school diploma issued by the U.S. school.
AP Courses
International schools may also expand their advanced academic offerings through AP coursework.
This can be useful when a school has students interested in AP but does not have the faculty, enrollment, or academic infrastructure to offer every desired subject locally.
Depending on the partnership, students may access selected AP courses while remaining students of their local school.
A Broader U.S. International Academic Program
Some schools want to go beyond individual courses or a Dual Diploma pathway.
They may want to incorporate a broader U.S. academic program into their school.
In this type of partnership, the U.S. school can provide parts of the academic infrastructure while the local school continues to provide the physical campus, local community, student relationships, and local educational environment.
What Should Schools Look for in a U.S. Academic Partner?
Not all partnerships are structured the same way.
Before entering an agreement, school leaders should understand who is actually responsible for the academic program.
Important questions include:
Who provides the curriculum?
Who teaches the courses?
Who creates and evaluates assessments?
Who assigns grades?
Who provides academic oversight?
Who issues academic records and credits?
If a U.S. diploma is involved, which school issues the diploma?
These questions help distinguish a genuine school-to-school academic partnership from simply purchasing access to online educational content.
Can Students Learn Live or on a Flexible Schedule?
This depends on the U.S. school and the program.
For international partnerships, flexibility can be especially important because students are often completing U.S. coursework alongside their local school responsibilities.
Time-zone differences can also make scheduled U.S. classes difficult.
A combination of Teacher-Led Live and Self-Paced options can allow schools to select a structure that better fits their students.
But schools should look beyond the words “online” and “self-paced.”
An important question is whether students still have meaningful access to teachers and academic support.
How Solomon International School Works With International Schools
Solomon International School is an established U.S. private school founded in Washington State in 1994, with a physical campus in Bellevue, Washington.
SIS works with international schools and educational organizations to expand access to U.S. academic opportunities.
Partnership opportunities include:
U.S. High School Dual Diploma Program Partnership
Students remain at their local school while completing SIS coursework toward SIS graduation requirements.
U.S. International Program Partnership
Schools can work with SIS to build a broader U.S. academic pathway without developing the entire U.S. academic infrastructure independently.
AP Courses for International Schools
Schools can expand access to advanced coursework through SIS AP courses, offered through Teacher-Led Live or Self-Paced formats.
What Does SIS Provide?
Depending on the partnership structure, Solomon International School can provide:
U.S. Curriculum
SIS Teachers
Teacher-Led Live and Self-Paced Learning
Assessment & Grading
Academic Oversight
Official SIS Academic Records
U.S. High School Diploma Pathways
The partner school continues to provide its own local curriculum, campus, student community, local coordination, and relationships with students and families.
The goal is not to replace the local school.
It is to expand what the school can offer its students.
Does the Partnership Make the Local School a U.S.-Accredited School?
No.
This distinction is important.
A partnership with Solomon International School does not mean that the partner school itself becomes a Washington State-approved private school, Cognia-accredited school, AP-authorized school, or otherwise receives SIS's institutional approvals or credentials.
Those credentials belong to Solomon International School.
The partnership provides students access to SIS academic programs according to the structure of the agreement.
You Don't Have to Build a U.S. Program From Scratch
For many international schools, the central question is not whether students would benefit from additional U.S. academic opportunities.
The harder question is how to build the academic infrastructure required to provide them.
A school-to-school partnership offers another approach.
The local school continues doing what it does best: serving its students and community.
The U.S. school provides the U.S. academic infrastructure agreed upon in the partnership.
A Partnership Built by a School — Not a Software Company.
Solomon International School has provided U.S. secondary education since 1994 and works with schools and educational organizations seeking to expand the academic opportunities available to their students.
This article provides general information. College Board, university, and government policies may change; please confirm current requirements with the relevant institution.
