The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a membership community working collaboratively to shape international education through professional services to schools, higher education institutions, and individuals.

Characteristics of a CIS-accredited school

The final award of CIS accreditation shows that the school has achieved high standards of professional performance in international education and has a commitment to continuous improvement. In particular, the award of accreditation shows that the school:

• is devoted to its mission and vision for students
• has thought deeply about the services it offers to students, family and community.
• invests the time and resources for validation from a globally-recognized accreditation authority
• focuses on the quality of teaching, student learning, as well as student safeguarding and well-being
• is committed to the development of the students’ global citizenship
• has a suitable philosophy of education suitable for its students
• promises only what it can deliver
• is open to regular evaluation by its own school community and peer evaluators
• constantly seeks improvement in all areas of the school plans strategically for the future.

The quality and rigour of CIS International Accreditation is recognized by ministries and departments of education around the world. The CIS International Accreditation process has been validated and is recognized by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Commission on Accreditation, a body which “accredits the accreditors” in the United States. CIS International Accreditation is further validated and accepted by other countries internationally as a mark of quality assurance including ONESQA in Thailand, State Departments of Education in Australia, the Council of British International Schools in the UK, and others.

As an organization, over 500 of the top universities in the world are part of our membership community. They recognize and value the mark of CIS International Accreditation, targeting students who graduate from CIS-Accredited schools for admission to their institutions. This verifies CIS International Accreditation as a mark of high quality, and therefore, endorses the quality and rigor of international education provided to student graduates of CIS-Accredited schools. Accordingly, universities and colleges in the United States and around the world fully recognize and accept students’ transcripts from CIS-Accredited schools.

As an internationally-recognized symbol of excellence in education our membership and accreditation provides surety to our community members that we are axhieving the very best possible standards of care and education for our learners.