CIS Perspectives Blog

AI presents opportunities and risks for young people. Dan Furness highlights the challenges, school pressures, benefits, and guidance for educators and families to foster safe, responsible, and supportive AI use.

Around the world, schools are rethinking what it truly means to prepare young people for the future—one shaped by rapid technological change, shifting workplaces, and complex global challenges. Zurich International School (ZIS) is no exception. 

All schools are learning organisations. Dr Sudha Govindswamy examines the building blocks of learning organisations and provides examples of how schools can develop as learning organisations and how we demonstrate organisational learning at CIS.

This article reveals crucial insights from a review that are highly relevant for international schools aiming to enhance their safeguarding practices. Discover practical recommendations that require minimal funding but a significant shift in mindset. Learn how your school can create a safer environment and protect every child’s well-being.

As 2025 draws to a close, we recognize the CIS global community’s legacy of bold ambition, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to guide and support the young people we educate. Read the highlights.

Our roles as advocates for international education have never been more important: collaboration with a purpose is a powerful form of change. Over 900 global education professionals gathered in Seville for our Global Forum to tackle evolving admissions challenges and share strategies for student success. Explore highlights and insights.

Discover why international schools are shifting from ‘low-level concerns’ to ‘adult conduct concerns’ in safeguarding. Learn how clear terminology, proactive monitoring, and a culture of trust help protect students and empower educators, and how to achieve safer school communities through practical steps.

Just launched! The New Metrics International School (NMIS) program, by CIS and Melbourne Metrics, unites 23 schools worldwide to rethink student assessment. Read highlights from the launch, their focus on shared language, student agency, and organic change to drive long-term transformation in education, and the inspiring Australian schools already driving change in this area.

Join us in celebrating three individuals whose passion, dedication, and leadership have a profoundly positive impact on the lives of countless students and inspire colleagues worldwide.

Louie Barnett reflects on the new initiative championing teacher-led, strength-based assessment that empowers students to showcase their talents and supports learning that benefits both individuals and the planet. 

Inclusion is no longer a secondary aspiration; it is a central pillar of international education. With the launch of the new CIS International Accreditation Framework and the protocol for developing socially responsible learning communities, CIS schools now have a powerful tool to deepen their commitment to inclusive learning

Curious about how schools tackle identity-based harm? This blog walks you through the ways communities can support everyone involved—those who caused harm, the witnesses, and families—using restorative practices and cultural shifts. While international schools are making promising strides, the real change comes from keeping equity, inclusion, and well-being at the heart of everything we do.

CIS school members are committed to exploring, understanding, and adopting leading practices in international education. CIS membership is a mark of quality, signaling to the rest of the world that the school shares a commitment to socially responsible leadership.

When we picture students at risk for substance use, we may think of visible hardship: poverty, instability, or trauma. Still, risk doesn’t always look like struggle. What about the students who seem to have it all? Explore practical tips for schools and parents addressing the link between affluent neglect and adolescent substance abuse.

If you’re interested in what drives meaningful school growth and the heart of our accreditation process, read our latest blog by Dulat Irzhanov, CIS Accreditation Evaluation Team Leader and deputy director at Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools.

This article addresses the most frequently asked questions we receive from schools in our membership community about safer recruitment. And, because we receive so many questions on this topic, we’ll be offering a virtual learning session on 28 October 2025 when I’ll facilitate a deep dive into International Safer Recruitment.

In our work leading institutional improvement, we focus on social responsibility. We help school leaders and governing bodies to improve how they model social responsibility and how they educate students to develop as socially responsible citizens.

Eating disorders are among the most fatal mental health disorders, and their impact on students' physical and emotional health, as well as their academic and social development, can be profound. As international school staff, it is crucial to understand how to effectively support students who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Inspired by the rapid pace of change many of our colleagues and community members are experiencing, we themed our time together around ‘Socially Responsible Leadership in Action: Living Our Values in an Ever-Evolving World.’