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AIS-R Accreditation - Mission-Driven * Vision-Led |
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As a school committed to excellence, we will educate and inspire …
in partnership with students, parents, and the community.
- From the AIS-R Mission Statement
AIS-R is proud of its status as a fully accredited school. We received our accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council for International Schools (CIS). As you probably know, we have started the Self-Study process as a part of our re-accreditation effort, which will conclude with a written report submitted to NEASC/CIS in the fall of 2012. A team of educators from various regions around the world will then visit AIS-R in November 2012 to verify our Self-Study findings and learn about our great school! During this visit, they will complete observations and interview all stakeholders, including the members of our Board of Trustees, our faculty and staff, our students, and you, our parents.
As AIS-R parents, you are partners in our Mission, and we are excited to involve you in the Self-Study process. Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete the Accreditation Parent Opinion Survey and provide us with feedback. The AIS-R Board of Trustees, our faculty and staff, and our students also completed their own survey as part of the feedback collection process. The Endicott Research Center will return to us in the next week the compilation and analysis of the survey results. At that time, we will review the information and analyze the data further. This information will provide evidence that will then be used to evaluate the different aspects of our school.
During the first part of the school year, the Self-Study process will focus on teaching and learning. Cohorts consisting of faculty, staff, parents and students will look at our Elementary, Middle, and High school divisions and evaluate them alongside the Accreditation Standards provided by NEASC/CIS. This will be done on a K-12 level for the various disciplines as well. Other cohort groups will focus on English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Fine & Performing Arts, Physical Education & Health, and Technology.
During the second part of the school year, we will focus on the different elements that support teaching and learning. Cohorts will be created to evaluate all aspects related to Governance and Leadership, Faculty and Support Staff, Access to Teaching and Learning, School Culture and Partnerships for Learning, and Operational Systems.
We would like to invite, you, our parents, to be involved in the Self-Study process. It is your opportunity to help us identify ways in which we can continue to improve and to celebrate what we already do for our students at AIS-R. Cohort meetings will be scheduled during Early-Release days, Professional Learning days, and after school. In order to maximize participation, we hope that parents will commit to attending a minimum of two (2) meetings. Although we cannot accommodate all parents, we encourage participation for those who can commit to this important endeavor.
Teaching & Learning Cohort Meetings Schedule:
| Tuesday, November 1 (8am) |
Wednesday, November 2 (8am) |
Monday, December 5 (12:30) |
Please note that the Cohort Meetings Schedule for the second part of the year will be published in January, at which time you will have the opportunity to sign-up.
If you are interested in participating in a Teaching & Learning Cohort and are able to commit to attending a minimum of two (2) meetings as scheduled above, please email Renee Couturier (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and indicate which cohort (ES, MS, HS,
English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Fine & Performing Arts, Physical Education & Health, or Technology) you would like to be a part of.
Thank you for your continued support of AIS-R!
Renee Couturier
Director of Learning |
Accreditation: Mission-Driven * Vision-Led
AIS-R’s 2nd Annual Un-Conference held on Monday, August 29th during teacher learning days launched the faculty and staff into our year-long Accreditation Self-Study with great enthusiasm and celebration. Our theme, AIS-R Accreditation: Mission-Driven s Vision-Led, set the stage for the valuable work that lies ahead.
Following the distinctive style of our 1st un-conference that was held during last fall’s Mini-NESA professional learning days, AIS-R’s Accreditation Un-conference gave faculty and staff the opportunity to discuss the different ways in which AIS-R demonstrates each of the standards of the Accreditation Self-Study. The day was structured and purposeful, providing stimulating opportunities for professional collaboration and celebration. AIS-R faculty and staff once again proved that we are indeed a school that is mission-driven and vision-led, as they forged the Self-Study territory with positive energy and keen interest. Clearly, AIS-R’s 2nd annual Un-conference was an un-conventional day with un-believable direction for our road to excellence! |
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Accreditation - An AIS-R Accomplishment |
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As we listened intently, detailing copious notes from the “flash” Prezi training workshop on “Joint CIS/NEASC Accreditation” by Dr. Peter Mott, Director of Zurich International School and CIS accreditation trainer, one central message resonated: It’s all about school improvement! And why was the AIS-R Administrative team in attendance? We are preparing to guide and assist our school’s upcoming task of reaccreditation, keeping the standards of excellence at the forefront!
CIS, the Council of International Schools, serves a worldwide, interna-tional, educational community comprising over 650 member schools and 450 colleges/universities.
CIS assists K–12 education experiences in more than 100 countries, with many Council's Offic-ers and Consultants having served as former heads of international schools. Its fundamental purpose is to support member organizations to achieve and deliver the highest standards in Interna-tional Education and continually improve the outcome of student learning.
Regarded as the premier organization in International Education for the accreditation of schools and Best Practice development, CIS awards joint accreditation for AIS-R along with NEASC, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, who provides accreditation services for more than 2000 public and private institutions in the six-state New England region of the US, Pre-K through university. NEASC accreditation uses self-reflection, peer review and best practices as integral components of its assessment process and oversees the strategic follow-up leading to con-tinuous school improvement.
Educational excellence is the goal! Strategic improvement is the means!
Desired results for school improvement through accreditation with CIS/NEASC focus on seven Standards: AIS-R’s Mission, Teaching and Learning, Governance and Leadership, Faculty and Support Staff, Access to Teaching and Learning, School Culture and Partnership for Learning, and Operational Systems.
In asking for the reason that we continuously seek reaccreditation at AIS-R, the answer is an-chored in our commitment toward excellence in education, or in the words of Jim Collins, “going from good to great.”
The thorough accreditation process is one of the most important things we do at AIS-R. It provides us an opportunity to improve the quality of the education offered through a rigorous process of self-examination followed by an objective external appraisal by a team of peers, and has long been recognized in international school circles as a highly effective means of initiating and maintaining school improvement.
Accreditation with CIS/NEASC involves a strategic, research-based 10-year cycle process: Self Study, Team Visit for Accredita-tion Status, 2-Year Report, 5-Year Report and back again to the 10-Year Preparatory Visit.
This is where AIS-R stands in the accreditation cycle. Currently, we are readying for a March 3-8 Preparatory Visit from two distin-guished educators: Dr. Walther Hetzer, Vienna (NEASC), and Dr. Frederick Tirrell, Professor Emeritus, Bridgewater State Col-lege, USA (CIS).
In preparation for this notable visit, we as the AIS-R learning community ask ourselves, “What are we doing well in our “mission-driven / teacher and learning-centered” education for our students, and how can we improve?
Our mission statement speaks to the core of our educational belief here at AIS-R. As we look toward the challenges and rewards of reaccreditation, we remain “committed to excellence,” and we are “in partnership with students, parents, and the community.”
No higher educational qualification honor could be awarded than that granted by CIS/NEASC for International Education for the accreditation of schools and Best Practice development. And we will be inviting you, the voice of our partnership, to be a vital part of this “good to great” process. Remember, it’s all about improvement, and AIS-R is all about that!
Council of International Schools (CIS). Web. 17 Jan. 2011. <http://www.cois.org>.
"Jim Collins - Articles - Good to Great." Jim Collins - Home. Web. 17 Jan. 2011. <http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html>.
NEASC Home | New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Web. 17 Jan. 2011. <http://www.neasc.org/>
Holly Raatz
Learning Coordinator
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Our School 
