ECIS AND CIS ACCREDITATION

For schools of excellence, an internationally recognized and valued school accreditation award is a symbol of the school’s commitment to providing the best for your child. ACI worked for accreditation because we strongly believe that the evaluation process is the most important aspect of accreditation. During the lengthy process, all members of the school community (students, parents, faculty, administration, and Board members) were involved in the Self-Study and the follow-up Implementation Plans. All facets of the school’s operations were analyzed not only by the school’s community members but also by external, international educators, who visited the school to ensure the school met the rigorous standards of the Council of International Schools.

Q. What are the differences between CIS Membership and CIS Accreditation?

The American Collegiate Institute is a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and is fully accredited by CIS. ACI joined ECIS in the early 1990’s as the first step in beginning the accreditation process. It is important to note that membership is the first stage in a continuum which may lead to accreditation.

ACI is the only school in Izmir, and the first school in Turkey, to be accredited by ECIS (1994) and later re-accredited by CIS in 2003. Although there are other private schools in Izmir who are members of ECIS, only ACI is accredited by CIS. In addition, ACI’s initial accreditation by ECIS is still recognized by the organization. ACI is also a regular member of both organizations.

At the end of 2004, there were over 400 schools throughout the world who are regular members of CIS, of which only 160 schools were accredited.

Q. What are the characteristics of a CIS Accredited School?

Accreditation ensures that the school meets the demanding CIS Standards in all school areas:

From CIS brochure, Your Child is at an Accredited School, 2003.

Q. What happens after the school is accredited by CIS?

If accreditation is awarded, the school and CIS begin collaborating on a routine framework of subsequent procedures to monitor the school’s progress. Particularly important steps include submission of Reports and associated Action Plans after approximately one year and five years, and a Five Year Visit. In addition to routine procedures, CIS may require Special Reports and Visits in order to ensure effective monitoring. The major routine evaluation procedures (Preliminary/Preparatory Visit, Self-Study, Team Visit, etc.) are repeated every ten years.

From CIS website: http://www.cois.org