Accreditations and Authorizations

Accreditation indicates that a school meets or exceeds established criteria within the profession for the assessment of institutional quality through continuous self-study and peer evaluation. An accredited school has the resources to achieve its stated purposes and provides evidence that its students are benefiting from the curricular and co-curricular program offered at the school.

 

The International School of Helsinki was initially accredited by two different agencies in 1985: The Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). ISH has participated in the required reporting and self-study activities since the initial accreditation and remains fully accredited with both agencies today.

 

Council of International Schools

 

CIS is the premier worldwide accreditation organization for international schools. Working in partnership with member schools it sets the standards for International Education as laid out in 'The CIS Guide to School Evaluation and Accreditation' . The final award of full accredited status demonstrates that the member school has achieved high standards of professional performance in international education and has a commitment to its continuing improvement.

 

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

 

Founded in 1885, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges is the oldest accrediting association in the United States. Accreditation by NEASC, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, Presently, more than 160 American and International schools in 65 countries outside the United States are involved in some aspect of the NEASC accreditation process through the Council of American and International Schools Abroad (CAISA).

 

These two agencies work jointly with member schools on the accreditation process.

Accreditation ensures that the school meets the demanding standards in all school areas:

  • Philosophy and Objectives
  • Curriculum
  • Governance and Management
  • Staff
  • Student Support Services
  • Resources
  • Student and Community Life

NEASC has published a listing of the standards that schools are required to meet which can be viewed by using the following link. Standards for Accreditation CIS has published a list of the characteristics of an accredited school also available for viewing by clicking on the next link. School Characteristics Together these lists give you an idea of breadth and depth involved in the self-study process.

 

The most recent self –study was completed in 2005 leading to a further reaccreditation for another ten year cycle. The timeline for the next accreditation activities is listed below.

 

First Semester 2010

Submission of the school’s Five Year Report, to be followed soon after by the Five Year Visit.

Second Semester 2013

Host the Preparatory Visit.

 

Between the Prep Visit and the Team Visit

Carry out the Self-Study.

First Semester 2015

Host the Team Visit.

 

Authorizations

 

The International School of Helsinki offers all three of the programs of the International Baccalaureate (IB); the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP). Unlike accreditation, authorization is program specific. The authorization process is similar to that of accreditation in that it too requires the institution to complete a self-study in regards to the particular program in question and includes a visit from peer group who are experienced practitioners of the program. The process is designed to ensure schools are well prepared to implement the program or programs successfully. As with the accreditation process, the authorization process is not a one time only activity. Schools are required to periodically implement the steps of the authorization process in order to maintain their authorized status with the IB. ISH has successfully completed the initial authorization process for all three programs.

 
Accreditations and Authorizations