Brief History
Colegio Decroly Americano (CDA) was established in 1993 as a private, bilingual (Spanish-English), co-educational, non-sectarian school, and is run by a Board of Directors. The school is authorized by the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and offers a U.S.-Guatemala program.
In its first year CDA provided schooling for approximately 225 students in grades 1-4. The school now instructs students from Infants to 12th Grade and has kept a steady enrollment above 950 students. The grades are divided into four divisions: Early Learning Center (Infants-Kindergarten), Elementary (Grades 1-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12).
The school has grown immensely since its first years. During the last three years the school has added new classrooms, laboratories, a synthetic soccer field, a weight room, bathrooms, and a state-of-the-art multi-purpose gymnasium.
Since 2008 CDA is internationally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and it is an active member of a number of school associations including the Association of American Schools of Central America (AASCA), the Association of American Schools of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (Tri-Association), the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) and the Association of American International Schools in the Americas (AMISA).
At CDA, learners thrive in a nurturing culture that fosters mastery of 21st Century Skills, promotes lifelong learning, and instills democratic values.
Learning at CDA – Shared Understanding of High Quality Learning
Mission
Work together in an inclusive environment through a dynamic and student-centered curriculum which inspires students to collaborate with one another and challenges them to use critical and creative thinking skills to solve real-world problems.
Vision
To prepare ethically conscious citizens committed to the positive development and well-being of a community that encourages every member to achieve their true potential.
Guiding Statements
1
Instill and preserve a pleasant, inclusive environment through open communication inside and outside the classroom.
2
Create safe, accessible spaces and innovative programs that develop healthy physical, social, and emotional well-being; upholding the infrastructure to high safety and environmental standards.
3
Lead by example, take into account all voices, provide transparency, and guide the community through mutual respect and a larger vision of the institution.
4
Promote opportunities to gain a sense of identity and belonging within the community, share cultural values, and bond significantly with others.
5
Improve the education process through constant reflection and transformation supported by the latest research available.
6
Motivate students to ask questions, discover new possibilities, and share knowledge with the support of teachers as coaches and the appropriate use of available resources.
7
Use purposeful assessment practices and policies that allow students to demonstrate their skills, reflect on newly acquired knowledge, and apply these in future learning situations.
8
Provide a student-centered curriculum that addresses students’ unique needs and cultivates a growth mind-set in order to help students understand their own learning development and challenge them to construct meaningful knowledge.
9
Foster 21st-century skills through a variety of learning opportunities by applying hands-on solutions to real-world problems and encouraging collaborative learning structures that will ignite a learner’s natural desire to explore and discover the world around them.