Our Philosophy

A rigorous FRENCH-BASED curriculum

Rochambeau is accredited by the French Ministry of Education, and is therefore part of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE), who coordinate the network of approved French schools worldwide.

Our rigorous curriculum is based on the high standards of the French education system, and is adapted to meet the unique needs of our French - American - International school community. Rochambeau students are fully bilingual; ready to navigate post-secondary education systems the world over.

a bilingual learning environment

Rochambeau takes a step beyond language acquisition as we strive to create a multicultural and multilingual learning environment. We welcome students who represent over 80 different nationalities. Our curriculum is designed to with French language and culture as our cornerstone, and also with a global perspective.

Starting in preschool and continuing through 12th grade, between 75% and 85% of the curriculum is delivered in French.

For enrolling students who are not fluent French speakers, we offer specially adapted French language classes at both preschool and elementary levels. Students work in small groups to rapidly acquire the target language and grow their demonstrated language proficiency in both French and English. These include:

Bilingual classes in preschool, where French and English teachers co-teach
French as a Second Language classes in preschool, elementary and middle school

French immersion class program offered from 1st through 3rd grades

English language classes are mandatory at all levels.

We also offer International Sections to facilitate the integration of foreign students into the French school system, in Elementary, Middle & High Schools (OIB).

High School students are offered the opportunity for increased academic instruction in English as part of Advanced Placement (AP) Preparation courses, including Math, US history and Science. These AP Prep classes offer our students an additional advantage in their applications to top US universities.

THE Benefits of multilingualism

Learning in cycles

From our youngest learners at age 2, through our 12th grade students pursuing the French baccalaureate diploma, the knowledge and skills that they are expected to master are determined by Cycles, not by their performance in a single year. Below is a chart of cycles implemented by the French Ministry of Education on Cycles of Learning.

During each Cycle, assessment benchmarks enable teachers to measure each student's progress, to identify students who would benefit from additional support and those who would excel with additional challenging coursework. Academic progress is measured by classroom teachers and not by standardized testing.

Table showing cycles of learning from 2yrs to 12th grade

Our Accreditations

AEFE

The Agency for French Education Abroad

Rochambeau is part of the extensive AEFE network of 522 French schools with over 370,000 students enrolled in 139 countries.

France is the only country that has made the choice to have such an extensive network of schools outside of its borders.

Rochambeau is accredited ('Homologation") by the French Ministry of Education which certifies that the teaching provided by the school complies with the demands, curricula, teaching objectives and organizational rules of the French education system. All students from accredited schools can pursue their education in any French school, either in France or abroad, without having to take an entry examination.

Rochambeau is one of 57 French Schools in the US that are accredited by the AEFE. Our partnership ("Partenariat") with the AEFE helps to support Rochambeau’s core mission of providing an accredited multi-cultural and multi-lingual education based on the French curriculum that enables its students to understand and improve the world around them, obtain the French Baccalauréat with outstanding results, and gain admission to many of the best universities in France as well as the US, the UK, Canada and elsewhere.

Means-tested scholarships are available from the French Government to help families fund their children's tuition. French schoolchildren aged 3 or more enrolled on the Register of French Nationals Living Abroad and attending a French School are entitled to this financial assistance.

Rochambeau also has its own means based financial aid program, open to all nationalities. More information about Rochambeau’s financial aid policy for all students.

AIMS

The Association of Independent Maryland Schools

Rochambeau is an accredited member of AIMS. Founded in 1967, AIMS is a vibrant association of about 120 independent schools in Maryland and the District of Columbia. AIMS' mission is to support its member schools by providing:

Professional development workshops, conferences, and retreats for teachers, administrators, and school trustees. AIMS events, which total more than 70 each year, include the annual conference for Heads of Schools in Annapolis; Making Schools Safe; Learning to Lead; and many others throughout the year.
Rigorous and effective accreditation services. The AIMS accreditation process holds member schools accountable to standards and supports their ongoing efforts to strengthen their curricula and pedagogy.
Public advocacy that protects their independence from governmental regulation.

international baccalaureat

International Baccalaureate

Rochambeau is an authorized school for the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP), for students in 11th and 12th grades.

"The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is a balanced and academically challenging programme of education with rigorous assessment. The DP prepares students for success in higher education and encourages them to become active participants in an increasingly global society. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities."

A WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY:

Over 4,200 IB World Schools
More than 75,000 teachers
More than 1,250,000 students

The IB Diploma at Rochambeau

MLF

The Mission Laïque Français ("MLF") is a non-profit organization created to serve the public by supporting teaching efforts for French language and culture, specifically by creating and operating schools outside of France. Currently, the MLF coordinates a network of 108 French educational establishments abroad, educating more than 61,000 students in 37 countries.