Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #2

Is the school accredited, or a member of an appropriate association?

International schools can become accredited by an organization that sets educational and operational standards for international education institutions. One such organization is the Council of International Schools (CIS). In order for an international school to become accredited by CIS, they must go through a rigorous appraisal process which looks at the staff and management, the facilities and, the quality of teaching and learning in the school.

This means that you can be reasonably confident leaning towards very confident that the quality of education provided by an international school that is accredited is high.

You can usually find out if an international school you are interested in applying to for a teaching position is accredited by visiting their website. Most schools that are accredited by an organization like CIS advertise their status on their webpage, brochures and stationery. Keep an eye out for logos and such. These will let you know which organisations have a relationship with the school.

Other organizations that offer accreditation for international schools are NEASC, COBISEC, ISCIS and the Association of Christian Schools International, to name a few.

Accreditation by one of these organizations is often as meaningful as receiving a good report from ERO in New Zealand or Ofsted in the UK.

The Best Fit International School for International Teachers and their Children