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School Profile

Susan Clancy, PhD
Director General

Eben Jones
Primary School Principal

Anna Krughoff
Secondary School Principal

Ivette Sotomayor
Director of Admissions

David Faulkner
Athletics Director

ANS Mission

The mission of the American Nicaraguan School is to provide an innovative and dynamic education so that our students realize their full leadership potential, achieve academic excellence, and make meaningful and ethical contributions to a global society.

ANS Vision

We define learning as the agency to honor your curiosity and engage in the rigor of authentic and complex problems, working together to find solutions in an inclusive and collaborative community.  We believe that when we have agency and rigor, our learning transcends time and space, taking us out into a future we create together. 

American Nicaraguan School (ANS), is a private, non-profit, coeducational multicultural institution, founded in 1944.  ANS is composed of students from more than 30 different nationalities. Providing a rigorous academic program through an American curriculum with classes taught in English. The School is governed by a seven member Board of Directors, with six members elected by the American Nicaraguan School’s parents, and one member appointed by the U.S. Embassy. The school community includes members of the diplomatic corps, foreign and local businesses, and international assistance groups working in Nicaragua.

Located on a 26-acre campus in Managua, Nicaragua, ANS has undergone major facilities renovations over the last several years in primary and secondary, with the new high school building inaugurated in 2011. Facilities also include two soccer fields, a track, a regulation size swimming pool, and a multipurpose covered athletic area. Technology and media resources include a 28,531-volume lending library, the largest of its kind in Nicaragua, and high-speed wireless Internet access across campus. ANS is accredited by Cognia (Formerly – AdvancED) the world leader in certification and accreditation of educational institutions that seek excellence, and by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education (MINED).

ANS offers dynamic and innovative learning opportunities through a U.S. standards-based curriculum, designed to foster depth of understanding anchored in the school’s six core values.  ANS operates as a Primary School division (Pathways early learning for three- & four-year-olds to Grade 5) and a Secondary School division (Grades 6-12). ANS also offers inclusion services through personalized learning plans for students with exceptional needs.  While English is the language of instruction through all grade levels at ANS, students take Spanish class starting in Kindergarten. In secondary they are given the option of French or Chinese as an additional language.  Secondary students can opt to complete the Nicaraguan national diploma program in addition to the U.S. diploma. Rigorous and engaging coursework includes a senior year Capstone Project and an offering of 19 Advanced Placement courses. Courses are designed and delivered in alignment to standards across school divisions. The American Education Reaches Out (AERO) framework includes English language arts and mathematics standards aligned to Common Core State Standards; social studies through the four dimensions of the C3 Framework (college, career, and civic life); scientific practices through the NGSS standards; National Core Arts standards for visual and performing arts courses. Standards-based assessment practices reflect a school-wide commitment to the growth mindset, encouraging transfer of learning as meaningful contributions to society.

Enrollment

Diversity

Asian

European

Latin American (exc. Nic.)

Nicaraguan

USA and Canada

Dual Citizens (US & Nic.)

Over 90% of our student body voluntarily participates in community service groups.

Advanced Placement Program

AP Exam Results 2023

No. Students taking exams: 108

Total number of exams: 229

2023 AP Scholar Awards

47 students

University Acceptances

Over 99% of each graduating class pursues post secondary education, primarily at four year institutions. As the list is extensive, they can not all be mentioned.

United States of America

Allegheny College

American University

Arizona State University

Augustana College

Babson College

Beloit College

Boston College

Boston University

Bradley University

Case Western University

Catholic University of America

Colgate University

Duquesne University

Drexel University

Georgetown University

Hampshire University

Indiana University Bloomington

Fordham University

Loyola New Orleans

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Maryland

Louisiana State University

Marquette University

Mercyhurst University

Michigan State University

Nova Southeastern University

Northeastern University

NYU Abu Dhabi

Pennsylvania State University

Providence College

Purdue University

Rivier University

Rhode Island School Of Design

Rutgers University

St, Edwards University

Saint Mary’s University Texas

SMU – Southern Methodist University

Stevenson University

St. Joseph’s University

Stony Brook University

Syracuse University

TCU – Texas Christian University

Texas A&M

Temple University

Tulane University

University of Dayton

University of Delaware

University of Illinois

University of Iowa

University of Miami

University of Michigan Ross

University of Notre Dame

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

University of Rochester

University of Texas at Austin

University of Nevada Las Vegas

Villanova University

Virginia Tech

Vanderbilt University

Rest of the World

IED Madrid

Northeastern University London

Queen Mary University of London

Seoul National University

Universidad de Navarra

University of Essex

University of Greenwich

University of Lincoln

University of Portsmouth

University of York

Canada

Dalhousie University

Mount Allison University

Saint Mary’s University

Trent University

 

Nicaragua Acceptances

Keiser Univeristy

Academic Calendar

The 2023 – 2024 school calendar consists of two semesters with 180 total days of classroom instruction. The first semester begins in the middle of August and finishes in the middle of December; the second semester begins in the middle of January and concludes in the beginning of June.

AP Course Offering

  • AP US Government & Politics
  • AP Comparative Government & Politics
  • AP English Language & Composition
  • AP English Literature & Composition
  • AP French Language & Culture
  • AP Chinese Language & Culture
  • AP Human Geography
  • AP Macroeconomics
  • AP Spanish Literature and Culture
  • AP Spanish Language & Culture
  • AP World History Modern
  • AP Computer Science Principles
  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Drawing
  • AP 3D Art & Design
  • AP 2D Art & Design
  • AP Statistics
  • AP Psychology
  • AP Biology
  • AP Physics

Unweighted Grading

System and Ranking*

GradeLetterGPA
93-100A4.00
90-92A-3.75
87-89B+3.25
83-86B3.00
80-82B-2.75
77-79C+2.73
73-76C2.00
70-72C-1.75
67-69D+1.25
63-66D1.00
60-62D-0.75
40-50F0.00

AP Courses = GPA Factor + 1.0 with minimum grade 73 and 3, 4 or 5 in AP Exam.

*ANS does not rank its students.

US Diploma Requirements (9th – 12th Grade)

  • Spanish: 4 years

*A foreign language may count as a prerequisite for admission to any High School grade level.

  • Mathematics: 4 years
  • English: 4 years
  • Social Studies: 4 years (including Economics and History)
  • Elective Courses: 4 years
  • Science: 4 years (Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics)
  • Physical Education: 2 years
  • Visual & Performing Arts: 1 Semester

Nicaraguan Bachillerato Diploma (7th – 12th Grade)

In order to obtain the Nicaraguan Bachillerato Diploma, students must earn the following credits “in addition” to the U.S. Diploma requirements.

  • Geography of Nicaragua: 4 semesters
  • History of Nicaragua: 3 semesters
  • Community Values / Wellness Program: 5 years
  • Sociology: 1 semester
  • Philosophy: 1 semester
  • Physical Education: 5 years
  • Visual & Performing Arts: 3 years

Certified Testing Center

ANS is a certified testing center for the ACT, AP, PSAT, and SAT Exams. ANS administers MAP Tests from Elementary through 9th Grade.