Global Recognition

The CIS International Accreditation process has been validated and is recognized by the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA) (formerly the NAIS Commission on Accreditation) a body which “accredits the accreditors” in the United States. The purpose of ICAISA is to advocate internationally for excellence and accountability in the assessment of independent schools. CIS and other ICAISA founding member associations maintain thoughtful and deliberate accreditation programs that encourage continual school improvement, while meeting criteria for effective accreditation that have been researched, field-tested, and refined based on their use in hundreds of school settings. ICAISA serves as an informed and guiding authority, helping to ensure independent school strength and autonomy through quality assurance.

As a recognized member association of the International Alliance for School Accreditation, CIS conforms to basic tenets to support, promote and improve accreditation and commit to the principles and practices of thorough self-study using standards and validated through peer-review. As an International Alliance recognized member association, the CIS International Accreditation protocol has been evaluated by the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) and/or ICAISA including a self-study and site visits to the CIS headquarters, board meetings, and CIS school site visits.

The outcome of this evaluation verifies that CIS standards for accreditation meet the highest regional accreditation standards, policies, and procedures for schools in the USA and are fully comparable with those utilized by U. S. Regional Accrediting bodies. As a result, CIS is recognized and approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the purposes of accepting F-1 Non-Immigrant international students from CIS-Accredited schools as facilitated by the U.S. Department of Education.

The 1999 National Education Act of Thailand stipulated the establishment of the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assurance (ONESQA). ONESQA was established in 2000 as a public organisation (as distinct from a government office or state enterprise) responsible for school evaluation and feedback, quality assessment and fostering a system of school self-evaluation which would continuously improve the quality of education. It is mandatory that all schools in Thailand, including international schools, are assessed by ONESQA. 

ONESQA typically joins the CIS International Accreditation process at the Team Evaluation stage. CIS Peer Evaluators and ONESQA Visitors collaborate during the on-site school evaluation, sharing and discussing evaluation outcomes. The decision on awarding accredited status to a school is made separately by CIS and ONESQA.

CIS and the Queensland Department of Education and Training work in cooperation and coordinate our respective activities to benefit schools undergoing the review and evaluation/accreditation processes with both parties. Our common purpose is to support ongoing school improvement that focuses on high-quality learning, to provide students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to contribute meaningfully and productively in their local communities and ultimately, as global citizens, and to enable and support the institutional strength necessary to sustain that learning.

The Council of International Schools and the Victorian Department of Education and School Reform Board in Australia continue to endorse the alignment of the CIS International Accreditation process with the Department’s school review process. The Department has informed government schools in Victoria that:

CIS Accredited government schools are still required to provide statutory compliance information but are exempted from the state government review processes.

The Forum on Education Abroad has accepted the CIS Code of Ethics for their Standards Toolbox.

Our code of ethics succinctly describes the values that form the basis for actions and decisions of educational institutions around the world. As part of the toolbox, our code can be applied to educational institutions globally, across diverse cultures and national regulations.