Chile/U.S. Curriculum Translation

**Assuming English is at a Novice Mid to Novice High Level

Education System

School Year: March-December | Compulsory Education: 12 years | Graduation: 12th grade

Chile/U.S. Grading Scale

Transition Supports

Education Practice:

Education in Chile is widely considered some of the best in Latin America, with Chilean students scoring the highest among all Latin American countries on standardized testing. This is in large part due to the fact that Chile is also considered the wealthiest country in Latin America. That said, the wealth in Chile is distributed unevenly, and most wealthy families send their students to top-quality private secondary schools, while less affluent families attend the public schools which typically perform lower.

Secondary schools in Chile are divided into “Scientific-Humanities” and “Technical Professional” schools. Scientific-Humanities schools are designed to prepare students to enter University, while “Technical-Professional” schools prepare students for the workforce. There are also a limited number of Artistic secondary schools, which specialize in the Arts. All three types of secondary schools have the same curriculum for the first two years, and vary in the third and fourth year when students are allowed to select 15 hours of electives in their area of study. 

U.S. Educator Implications:

Due to the diverging nature of the final two years of secondary education in Chile, some districts may not offer equivalent coursework that aligns to the electives taken in the student’s home country. Districts and schools should utilize the list of allowable state courses to assist in finding an equivalent course in order to award credit. 

The awarding of English credits should be done with discernment. Students from more affluent families may have had additional instruction in English compared to their less wealthy peers. Educators should rely on a combination of academic history and language placement testing when determining appropriate English credits.  

Students who attend Technical secondary schools may opt to complete a 5th year to earn the Title of Secondary-Level Technician (Título de Técnico Medio). These students earn their diploma (Licencia) after completing 4 years and are considered to be a graduate in their home country at that point. Districts should practice discretion when determining if a student should be enrolled or should be advised to seek post-secondary placement.

Strategies for Transition. 

• Get to know your students by building positive relationships.
• Provide multicultural education where texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives represent people from different cultural backgrounds.
• Allow a reasonable amount of transition time.
• Connect families to social services for transportation, food, and financial supports if needed.
• Chileans show enthusiasm and interest in a conversation or topic by interjecting-this is not considered rude. If this becomes an issue, gentle reminders regarding rules around hand raising in the classroom may be needed.
• As with many Latin American countries, punctuality is not prioritized. Students and families may need initial grace in regards to the district’s tardy policy.
• Cigarettes are widely available in Chile and many students smoke. Families may need reminders regarding the state laws surrounding consumption of tobacco by minors. 
• The term “gringo” or “gringa” is used widely in Chile to indicate a foreigner and is not considered derogatory. Students may refer to their teachers or staff this way, and no offense is meant. 

Resources:

Curriculum: 

Overview:

https://media.mineduc.cl/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2017/05/Orientaciones-apropiacion-BC-7%C2%BA-2%C2%BAM-web-corregido.pdf

Grades 7-10

https://www.curriculumnacional.cl/614/articles-37136_bases.pdf

Grades 11-12

https://www.curriculumnacional.cl/614/articles-91414_bases.pdf