Glance at the bottom of each page on our website and you will see a “CIS Accredited School” logo. That is much more than another stylized mark of membership in an international education forum, it is an important and essential indicator of rigorous evaluation and quality standards in a global educational institution.
The Council of International Schools is a worldwide collaborative community that encompasses more than 1,300 schools and universities representing 123 countries. CIS asks member institutions to infuse their programs and offerings with international and intercultural perspectives so that students move forward with the knowledge, skills and abilities to pursue their lives as global citizens.
Understanding that CIS schools can best serve the international education community by learning from each other, sharing leading practices and candidly exploring areas where more needs to be done, or needs to be done differently, is a key tenet of the organization and this one of the reasons that prompted Pearson to seek and successfully achieve CIS accreditation a few years ago.
At that time, a rigorous process of evaluations and benchmarking, complemented by on-campus interviews and observation sessions as well as completion of a lengthy and probing written review of all College academic and adjacent activities and community stakeholder surveys were part of this external quality assurance process to enhance student learning.
Our accreditation renewal process began in fall 2021 with a gathering of academic and administrative leadership to discuss and understand the variety of roles that everyone would play in assembling the extensive self-study information required by the CIS accreditors. The information crossed over several CIS Standard “Domains,” or areas upon which Pearson would be measured, ranging from pure academics to external outreach to stakeholders.
Early this year, the accreditors met virtually with each domain leader for a lengthy personal interview and a friendly, but pointed, cross-examination to probe more deeply into the details of their respective areas.
“Our (accreditors) are very experienced international school leaders who have worked in Kenya, Indonesia, Myanmar, Ecuador, Egypt, Vietnam and one of them, currently at the United Nations International School in New York,” noted Head of College Craig Davis.
“They spoke with a wide range of students about learning, residential life, decision making, culture and values. They also visited classroom lessons virtually and had remote access to our entire campus through multiple video tours.
“There were also (virtual) meetings with stakeholders including faculty, staff, houseparents, residents, leadership, board members, alumni and parents of students,” he added. “It is a process that enabled a thorough and substantial dive into the broad Pearson experience from every vantage point.”
However, this is simply the beginning of a thorough 18-month long evaluation process that will allow Pearson to retain its accredited status.
“During the first part of the process we received numerous commendations as well as specific recommendations which we will review and work on in the coming months,” said Davis. “As a school improvement partner, CIS provides us with invaluable insights regarding what actions may be needed to make Pearson an even better experience for students and the community as a whole.”
The quality and rigour of CIS International Accreditation is recognized by government ministries, departments of education, and universities around the world as a demonstration of a school’s commitment to high quality international education. CIS International Accreditation is also accepted by other countries and associations internationally as a mark of quality assurance.