FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1-What are the history, vision and mission of TED?
TED, the Turkish Education Association, was established under the direction of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on 31 January 1928, about 6 years after the proclamation of the republic, under the name of Turkish Education Society.

The objectives of the association were to build dormitories for the students, to offer scholarships to the students in need and to found modern Turkish schools as an alternative to many foreign schools which were providing education in Turkey at that time.

2- How many TED Schools are there under the body of the Turkish Education Association?
In the 2011-2012 academic year, 23 TED Schools, 22 in Turkey and 1 in Northern Cyprus, provide education.

TED University is opening in the 2012-2013 academic year.

3-How was TED Istanbul College Foundation established?
TED Istanbul College was founded in 1997 under the leadership of TED Ankara College alumni living in Istanbul in collaboration with TED (Turkish Education Association) and Ankara College Association.

TED Istanbul College Foundation Board of Directors consists of the elected members of the Board of Trustees and the representatives of the Turkish Education Association, TED Ankara College Foundation and Ankara College Association.

4- Could you please give some information about the campus?
The campus, which has a 33.500 m2 of indoor and 25.000 m2 of outdoor area, has the following facilities:

• Musical instrument practice rooms and music rooms
• Printing, art, ceramics, glass work, sculpture and marbling studios
• Amphitheater
• A dorm for the students who come from other cities
• Indoor and outdoor sports fields
• Libraries, science and computer laboratories, foreign language rooms, local and overseas college counseling offices, social sciences rooms, science rooms, mathematics rooms and literature rooms
• Infirmary

5-Could you please give some information about the education provided in your schools?

Kindergarten:
An authentic program designed based on the worldwide recognized pre-school approaches is applied in accordance with the principles of the Ministry of Education and Turkish Education Association Pre-School Programs. The program is intended to develop the understanding of national values as well as an international point of view. The program objectives are met through applying themes in the classroom and activities. Thus, the children learn by questioning, doing, fun making and discovering.

In our kindergarten, English language skills are developed along with the mother tongue skills. At each grade level, two teachers teach English - a native English teacher and a Turkish English teacher. There are maximum 15 students in pre-kindergarten group and maximum 20 students in junior and senior groups. Separate rooms are available for various activities (Physical Education gym, art studios, music rooms, etc.). English and Turkish literacy activities are introduced in the kindergarten.  

Elementary School:
Our elementary school is a private school which provides English-focused education.

• hours of class a day and 42 hours of class a week is taught. On Fridays, only 6 hours of class is given and the school day ends at 13:30.

 

The primary school students have their lessons in the same classroom with their classroom teachers but they go to the classrooms allotted to different branches for branch courses.
In the elementary school, the classroom system applies for all branch courses.

We have a 10-minute English reading time every morning.

As of grade 5, German and French courses are taught as compulsory second foreign language courses.

The students are provided more Mathematics, Science and Technology classes than prescribed by the Ministry of Education. In addition, an English terminology course is offered within the scope of these courses.

The split classroom system (where the class is divided into two groups) is used in English, Information Technologies, French and German classes. As of grade 4, the students begin to focus on a certain branch in physical education and music.

High School:
Our school has the status of Turkish Private Anatolian School which is authorized to teach some courses in foreign language (English-Mathematics-Science courses). In our school, a social activities program is applied in addition to the academic curriculum in order to ensure that the students become well-equipped in both academic and social respects. Thus, we aim to achieve the followings:

• To help the students discover their individual abilities in creativity, sports and community services
• To help the students improve their skills in a balanced and disciplined manner
• To ensure that the students become responsive towards social issues and gain leadership skills.

In line with the international educational standards, the students are offered courses such as Thesis Writing, Theory of Knowledge, Behavioral Education, Project Preparation, Statistics, Leadership Training, System Dynamics, Thinking Training, Scientific Terminology, and Communication Technologies in different grade levels with an aim to make sure that they are one step ahead of their competitors around the world.

At Grades 9 and 10, we apply IGCSE English Program
The program applied in English classes is finished at the end of grade 10 and the students attend a certificate exam given by Cambridge. The students who pass the exam are presented a Certificate of English Proficiency, which can be used to be exempted from prep classes at university. The program has been started in 2011-2012 academic year. So, this year’s 9th graders will be the first group to take the exam at the end of grade 10 next year.

6- Is the program applied at TED Istanbul College same with that of TED Ankara College?
Each TED School adopts the same educational philosophy. However, the schools can use different methods in practice. Joint seminars, conferences, academic information meetings, etc. are organized among TED Schools.

7-Dou you enrol the students from other TED schools directly?
The students of other TED schools are subject to a student transfer exam and on condition that they pass the exam they are enrolled to the school by considering the school’s student quota.

8-How many hours of English classes are given a week?
The key feature of TED Istanbul College is the prominence that it gives to English teaching. Bearing this in mind, in the 2012-2013 academic year, we have a total of 32 foreign teachers who teach English, French, German, Mathematics, Science, Music, Visual Arts, and Physical Education.

Kindergarten:
The program applied in Kindergarten is entirely based on the themes covered in English. The classroom teachers are native speakers of English and naturally they communicate with children in English. In addition, English is not covered as a branch course.

Elementary School:
The 1st to 5th graders are given 13 hours; the 6th graders are given 10 hours; and the 7th and 8th graders are given 9 hours of English classes a week. In Grade 1, the English courses are provided by two English teachers simultaneously.

Grades 2, 3 and 4 have 2 hours of split classes a week and grades 6, 7 and 8 have 4 hours of split classes a week. The students who are transferred to the school from another school and who struggle in English can attend the Summer School in August.

High School:
The prep students are offered 20 hours of English classes a week. The 9th graders are provided 9 hours of English classes a week. The 10th, 11th and 12th graders are given 4 hours of English and 2 hours of Remedial English classes a week. Plus, the Science and Mathematics courses are taught in English.

Within the framework of our school’s k-12 program, these classes are given by 32 foreign teachers in English, French, German, Mathematics, Science, Music, and Art branches.

9-Are the English classes given by Turkish or native English-speaking teachers?
In the Elementary School, the English classes are given by both a Turkish and native-speaker teacher.

In the High School, the English classes are given by native-speaker teachers. There is only one Turkish English teacher in the English Department. We also have native teachers in Second Foreign Language, Science and Mathematics branches.

In Grades 1, 2 and 3, one hour of music, visual arts and physical education classes a week are taught in English by native teachers.

10-Are the Mathematics/Science classes in the Elementary and High School taught in English?
The subjects covered in the bilingual English classes in Grades 1-5 are chosen among the subjects that the students learn in Social Studies or Mathematics classes in Turkish and among the subjects that the students are interested in. And these subjects are covered in English.

In Grades 6, 7 and 8, one hour of Mathematics and Science classes is given in English Terminology every week.

In High School prep classes, 3 hours of Science and 2 hours of Mathematics classes a week are given in English. In grades 9, 10 and 11, the Mathematics and Science classes are entirely taught in English. And in Grade 12, these courses are given in both Turkish and English since the students are preparing for the university exam.

As a result of the intense and high-quality foreign language education, some overseas universities directly accept our graduates without asking them to submit the result of any English proficiency exams like TOEFL.

11-How do you set student quotas for the enrollment? How are the exams/assessment made?
The student quota is set by the school administration at the end of the previous school year for each school.

Kindergarten:
The candidate students who apply to the Kindergarten are asked to attend some individual recognition activities to be attended by the counselor and the classroom teacher as well. The activities are provided between 10:00-16:00 on every weekday and between 10:00-14:00 on Saturdays.

Elementary School:
The candidate students who apply for grades 1, 2 and 3 are also asked to attend some individual recognition activities to be attended by the vice-principal, counselor and the classroom teacher. The activities are provided between 10:00-16:00 every weekday and between 10:00-14:00 on Saturdays.

The prospective students who apply for grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are given an “academic placement exam.” The exam covers the Turkish-Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Studies and English (written and oral) courses. (After the exam given on 24 March, the next exam will be given very two weeks depending on the number of applications.)

After the academic placement exam, the students and parents attend the “Individual Recognition Activities.” The students will be admitted according to the results of this assessment.

High School:

9th Grade Transfer Exam:
English: An oral and written English exam is given to gauge the English reading, comprehension, interpretation and writing skills of the students.

Turkish: A written Turkish exam is given to gauge the comprehension, interpretation and writing skills of the students.

Both exams are evaluated over 100 points. For admittance to grade 10, the students who receive 55 and more in the Turkish and English exams are listed down beginning from the highest score. Then, the students are enrolled depending on the student quota.

The final enrollment decision for grade 9 and 10 is made according to the result of the interviews held by the Counseling Department with the students who succeed in the exams.

12-What sort of exam is given to the students from abroad for enrollment?

Kindergarten:
The students are enrolled according to the results of the Individual Recognition Activities.

Elementary School:
The students from abroad can be enrolled in an appropriate grade level by submitting a certificate of equivalence to be received from the overseas representative offices of the Ministry of Turkish Education or from the overseas equivalence office of Istanbul Directorate of National Education (next to Cağaloğlu Anadolu Lisesi).

These students will be interviewed by the counselors. In the event that the committee concludes that the student might have some academic difficulty in some courses due to the differences between the education system in Turkey and abroad, another meeting is held with the parents of the student to identify the appropriate grade level for the student. Then, the enrollment is made according to the decision of the examination committee.

High School:
The Turkish students from abroad can be enrolled in an appropriate grade level by submitting a certificate of equivalence to be received from the overseas representative offices of the Ministry of Turkish Education or from the overseas equivalence office of Istanbul Directorate of National Education (next to Cağaloğlu Anadolu Lisesi).

The students who are able to follow Turkish classes are subject to the regular student acceptance procedures (exam, counselor interview, etc.) for enrollment. In the event that the committee concludes that the student might have some academic difficulty in some courses due to the differences between the education system in Turkey and abroad, another meeting is held with the parents of the student to identify the appropriate grade level for the student. Then, the enrollment is made according to the decision of the examination committee.

13 – How many students are there in each classroom?

Kindergarten:
We pay special attention to have no more than 20 students in each classroom.

Elementary School:
We pay special attention to have no more than 24 students in each classroom.

High School:
We pay special attention to have no more than 20 students in prep classes and no more than 24 students in other grade levels.

The number of students in classrooms can decrease since the students are grouped by elective courses as of grade 10.

14- What are the tuition fees? What happens if I fail to enroll on the identified dates?
The tuition fees are announced in the press in May every year.

In the event that the enrollment is cancelled after making the advance payment for grade 1, prep class and grade 9, 20% of the advance payment will be deducted and the remaining balance will be paid back. For other grade levels, the total amount of the advance payment will be returned.

No enrollment can be made in a grade level if the student quota has been filled.

15- What are the advance payment, sibling and TED discount rates?
Can a person benefit from both TED and sibling discounts?
The advance payment discount rates have not been identified yet. They will be announced on the tuition fee advertisement.
Sibling discount: 10% -10% (two siblings)
Sibling discount: 20%-10%-10% (three siblings)
Sibling discount: 20%-20%-10%-10% (four siblings)
TED discount: 10% - To be provided if the Mother, Father, Grandmother or Grandfather of the student is a graduate of TED. (To be able to benefit from TED discount, one of the parents is to have a TED diploma.)

TED Istanbul College graduate sibling discount: 10% (In accordance with the Board of Directors decision dated 20.05.2010) (To be provided to the siblings of the graduates who completed at least grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 at TED Istanbul College)

The highest scholarship-discount rate will apply in case of there are more than one scholarship-discount options.

16 – Scholarship-related questions
Scholarship application dates
The scholarship applications will be made between 1 March and 15 April.

What kind of scholarship is offered?
The following scholarship types are offered by our institution:

• Ministry of Education Scholarship
• Needs Scholarship by the Foundation
• Academic Success Scholarship
• Science, Art and Sports Scholarships

Are the new students provided scholarship as well?
Scholarship application can be made by submitting the entrance exam and general exam results as well as the certificates of scientific, artistic and sports achievements.

When and how the scholarship applications of the new students can be made?
The scholarship applications of the new students are to be made to the Scholarship Coordination Office at the time of the enrollment.  

What is the rate of the scholarship students?
The rate of the scholarship students is set in accordance with the related Ministry of Education Regulation and the scholarship regulation of our Foundation.

17 – When and where will the school clothes be sold?
The school clothes are sold by a firm to be identified by putting out a tender. The clothes sales start in the second week of August in the school. The sales are directly made by the firm. The payment is directly made to the firm in cash or by credit card. The kindergarteners have no uniforms.

18-How, when and whom will we pay the food fees?
The catering services of our school are provided by a firm to be identified by putting out a tender. The food fees are announced in May of the previous year.

The food fees will directly be paid to the catering firm in cash or by installments.

An age-appropriate menu is planned for the primary school and kindergarten students.

There are two cafes in the school. The purchases are made by using special money cards uploaded by the catering firm. The kindergarteners and primary school students can make use of the cafes under the supervision of the school administrators.

19- How and when can we register for the school buses?
The bus service is provided by a firm to be identified by putting out a tender. The school bus fees are directly paid to the firm in cash or by credit card. It can be paid by installment as well.

The school bus fees might change depending on the distance of the neighborhood where the students live and the increase rates, fees and other service costs are set by the Istanbul Municipality Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME).

20- What is the relation of the School with Acarkent?
There is no special relation between the school and Acarkent. The ownership and operational rights of the campus belong to TED Istanbul College Foundation. There is not a special student quota for Acarkent. The residents of Acarkent are subject to the same requirements and procedures with other parents.

21- What is the number of foreign teachers?
In 2012-2013 academic year, there is a total of 32 foreign teachers in the school in Science, Mathematics, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education branches and in the Library.

22 – Identification of the grade 1 teachers:
After the class lists are created, the classroom teachers of the first graders are identified by lottery at a meeting which is attended by the parents as well.

The lottery is drawn 10 days before the beginning of the school year.

After the lottery drawn to identify teachers, the parents meet with the teachers.

23- ORIENTATION training for the first graders and other grade levels:
The orientation training begins one week before the beginning of the school year. The students meet with their teachers and friends. During the orientation, the students visit the different parts of the school and carry out some activities to improve their skills.

At the opening ceremony, the first graders are presented their traditional college caps with “K” logo by the high school students. Thus, their academic journey begins.

The other grade levels are offered age-appropriate orientation programs, too. Also, some extra activities are provided for the students who are referred to the foundation courses.

24-What university preparation activities are carried out in your school?
In the High School, university preparation activities are carried out by the University Preparation Department. The activities are carried out in cooperation with the administrators, PCG Department, Measurement-Assessment Department and Academic Departments.

The local and overseas counseling services are provided by our full-time college counselors.

The university preparation activities are offered beginning in grade 9 by the end of grade 12. The students and parents are provided information meetings about the higher education systems in Turkey and abroad.

The college counselors hold individual interviews with the students to follow up with their academic situation, to identify their abilities and interests and to provide guidance to them about setting appropriate future goals.

The problems faced by the students are closely monitored through the individual counseling services and customized programs are created for the students to increase their academic success.

The success level of the students who go to cram schools is followed up and compared with their success level in the school. The evaluated success data are shared with the administrators, course teachers, students and parents at a meeting.

The university preparation activities are integrated into the academic curriculum and they are carried out throughout the year. Realistic YGS and LYS mock exams are given. After school studies are offered by the Academic Departments if necessary.

Several events including “University Trips” and “University Fairs” are organized throughout the year to help the students and parents have detailed information about higher education institutions.

Some events where our students can come together with TED alumni are organized and the alumni share their experiences and recommendations with our students.

The information about the ÖSYS system, changes, applications and screening process is provided by the college counselors and related transactions are conducted by them.

The students to apply to the overseas universities are provided guidance and counseling about the international exams that they need to take and about the required documents. Other related procedures are also carried out by the department.

NOTE: IF THE MEETING IS ON A WEEKDAY, THE STUDENTS WILL BE REFERRED TO THE UNIVERSITY PREPARATION DEPARTMENT.

25- Academic year calendar:
Our school begins the academic year one week before the official beginning date for the public schools. On condition that the education is provided for 180 workdays, a one-week mid-term break is given in the second semester.

26 – What kind of preparation is made in your school towards general placement exams (SBS)?
The students are given tests in Turkish, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science and Technology courses. Some test questions are answered in the class to reinforce learning.

SBS Mock Exams are also given. The report cards including detailed analysis of the exams are announced to the parents on the school website. According to the results of the mock exams, the students are provided assistance on the subjects they have difficulty in.

27-What is your relation with TED College to be opened in Bahçeşehir?
TED Istanbul College Foundation was established by TED Ankara College alumni, the Turkish Education Association and Ankara College Association.

TED College to be founded in Bahçeşehir will be a private school to operate by the approval of TED Headquarters just like other TED schools in Turkey. It is not related to our school by its academic and operational activities.  

 28 – How do you apply AP?
We have started to make a pilot implementation of AP in Mathematics and Science classes. We are about to complete our programs to submit to AP Board for the next year. Once the program is submitted and accredited, we will introduce AP Mathematics and Science courses and we will announce it.

29 – Is there a possibility that you will begin to apply IB system?
Not for the next year. We are working on this issue.

30 – What sport branches are taught?
We continue to provide successful training activities in football, basketball, gymnastics, judo, tennis, archery, volleyball and creative dances.

31 – In what disciplines do you carry out projects?
We carry out projects in every discipline.

32 – Do you carry out MUN and EYP activities? Can any student be a part of such activities?
Yes, we do. The students can be a part of the activities depending on the student quota identified in the beginning of the school year.

33 – What are the instructional methods that you use different from other schools? Why should we choose you?
Each school has its own strengths. Therefore, instead of comparing schools, first you need to identify your own expectations and then, explore and learn about the schools.
We are a TED school with a long past. Therefore, we are a powerful and well-connected society. Being a member of such a powerful society makes a difference in higher education and professional life.

One of the most important points for us is to make sure that our students learn in a safe and comfortable environment. The securities both in the entrance of the neighborhood and the school make our school a safe one. And the campus area including an indoor area of 33.5000m2 and an outdoor area of 25.000 m2 makes it a comfortable one.
There is a highly strong relationship of love, respect and trust between our students and teachers.
Our objective is to raise honest, self-confident individuals who think critically and protect their values. To achieve this, we offer following courses and programs:

• Theory of Knowledge: Teaches critical thinking and problem solving.
• Research Techniques – Information and Communication Technologies:  Improves the academic research and learning skills embedded in each discipline.
• Academic Honesty Program
• Values Program
• Thesis Writing
• Compulsory leadership course in grade 12
• Compulsory Economics course in grade 11
• Statistics
• Career Coaching
• College Coaching
• Attempts to offer Media Literary courses in the Elementary School.

34 – What was the lowest and highest SBS score for high school enrollment last year?
Highest score: 490; lowest score: around 400.

35 – How would you define your school’s success in terms of university admittance?
We do not define our success in this respect by university admittance but by placement rates. A student to graduate from a private school like TED Istanbul College will definitely be admitted by a university if he makes right choices. What matters is to be placed in the department that he wishes to study, which requires good coaching. For us, it is important that the students go to the first department they choose. The placement results of our students can be seen on the University Preparation Department in our website.

36 – Why are the foundation universities preferred particularly?
The students who graduate from quality private schools like TED Istanbul College having received career coaching and college coaching services now search the websites of the universities to learn about the faculty, laboratories, and the academic and social programs offered. Since such facilities and opportunities of the foundation universities are as quality as our students are used to, they prefer foundation universities.

37 – Are there any duty teachers in the kindergarten when the children are leaving from the school? What happens when we bring the child earlier in the morning or we are late to pick him up from the school in the afternoon?
The students are greeted by the teacher on duty at 08:00 in the morning. There is a teacher on duty in the school until 13:30 on Fridays and until 17:00 on the other weekdays.

38 – How can we learn about TED University?
http://www.tedu.edu.tr/tr-TR/Content/Default.aspx