Tohoku International SchoolAdmissions Policy
Tohoku International School (TIS) is a community of learners preparing for life in an evolving global
society. The school aims to provide a rigorous, international K-12 curriculum for students of all nations.
English is the medium language of instruction.
Applications are reviewed by the Leadership Team. This group will also make grade placement decisions.
Academic records from previous schools must be submitted and will be reviewed and considered foradmission and placement. All final decisions regarding enrollment are at the discretion of the Principal.
Tohoku International School is a day school, with no boarding facilities. Students must have an appropriate
status of residence to live in Japan and are expected to live with their parents or guardians.
As the only fully accredited international school in Miyagi Prefecture, the school recognizes the need toensure priority enrollment for non-Japanese nationals.
Admissions Priority:
1. The children of expatriates of English-speaking countries
2. The children of expatriates of other countries
3. Japanese returnees (defined as a child who has spent at least 2 years in a non-Japanese educationalenvironment)
4. Japanese students with high marks in their previous schools and aspirations to go to university
overseas or to English language programs in universities in Japan
We expect parents of TIS students to:
1. Understand and believe in the mission of TIS and the 5 TIS STARs
2. Be involved in school life (PTA, school events, parent conferences, etc)
3. Be able to communicate in English with school staff
4. Support their children in developing their home language skills
We expect TIS students to:
1. Understand, believe in, and strive to live the mission of TIS and the 5 TIS STARs
2. Use English in and outside of class and with other classmates as the language of inclusion
3. Put their best efforts into their schoolwork
Our Admissions Process:1. Application for Admission (Applications accepted up to 6 months in advance)
Applicants fill out the application for admission and email, mail or bring it to the school with all thestudent records, assessments, documents, and photos as described on the admission application.
(On-line copy or provided by the office). A complete application is the first step.
2. Campus Visit (As soon as possible)
Make a visit to TIS if it is possible. Candidates will learn a lot about TIS when you speak with ourTeam and see the school in action.
3. Decision on Admission (After steps 1 and 2 are complete)
The school will conduct an Application Review. The TIS Leadership Team will look at all yourdocuments and determine if we can offer a place for your child(ren). Based upon the school’sjudgment of the suitability of the educational program for each prospective student and space
availability, applicants are admitted throughout the year.
Applicants will receive a letter regarding your application status. With acceptance, your invoice forenrollment and tuition will be attached with instructions.
4.

Entrance Interview (1 month to 1 day before student’s first day in class)An in-person entrance interview will be conducted to ensure that the student’s abilities andpossible EAL support needs are understood. This interview is typically about an hour in length andincludes a reading, writing, speaking and mathematics component.
A student whose performance during the Entrance Interview differs considerably from what wasexpected from their submitted school reports may have their admissions revoked or be placed ona probationary learning contract.

Our Admission Criteria:
1. Applicants must be capable of doing work at a high standard for their grade level.
2.

There must be seats in the applicable grade before admission.

3.

All applicants must provide report cards and/or a transcript from their previous schools.

4.

Equal criteria and consideration apply to all races, religions, cultures, and genders.

5.

Special Needs cases are evaluated and accepted or rejected on the basis of available resources
required to service the student. Any form of developmental or academic difficulties must be sharedwith TIS at time of admission. Examples of student work must be readied at the request of teachers
during orientation.

6.

Students with a record of behavior problems may be accepted on a provisional basis only (contractrequired) if they are deemed capable of succeeding at TIS without detriment to the school programs
and/or other students.

Our Grade Placement Criteria:
1. The decision of TIS takes priority. Students are placed primarily according to age.. Extraordinary
considerations can be taken into account in a placement decision, including:a. Incomplete school experiencesb. Level of English abilityc. Significant differences in child’s maturity vis-a-vis their age-appropriate graded. Completion of higher grades in another school2.

Grade 1 is a critical year in a child’s academic development. Students enrolling from a Non-English
medium Kindergarten will be placed in their age appropriate grade if they display required English
proficiency level. If students are placed in Kindergarten or repeat Grade 1 to complete one full year ofGrade 1 before progressing to later grades due to their English level, the timing of the transition to theage-appropriate class is at the discretion of the school.

3.

Entrance Testing must be completed prior to entering class, so as to ensure correct placement.

4.

Students are placed with regard to their assessed English ability and their ability to progress andcomplete high-quality academic work at their grade level.

5.

All students must graduate before their 20th birthday.

6.

Students entering from Japanese schools (or other school systems with calendars that do not begin
in the fall) during the second semester will generally be placed in the same grade level for theremainder of that school year. Special consideration may be given if students are older than otherstudents in their class as a result of having to repeat a partial or entire school year because ofprevious transition between Japanese and International Schools.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
All students will complete an admissions interview to determine their English and math proficiency
1.
levels. EAL support is available to students in Kindergarten up to and including Grade 10. EAL
services are unavailable to students applying for enrollment to Grade 11 or 12.
2.

Prospective English as Additional Language (EAL) students, especially at middle school and highschool levels, must provide evidence of successful academic progress in their first language.

3.

Middle and high school students who possess limited English proficiency will be considered
individually in order to determine the probability of success in a college-preparatory
English-immersion environment with limited English language support services.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Admission:
From the 2021-2022 school year, Tohoku International School is authorized to offer the IB Diploma
Programme (DP) to Grade 11-12. The DP is a rigorous academic program requiring the ability tocommunicate clearly in English and have a high level of written academic English. All Grade 11-12
students will be taking DP courses and can either complete the full Diploma Programme or selectedcertificates. While the completion of the full Diploma is generally encouraged, an individual plan for each
student will be developed in consultation with the student, parents and DP Coordinator.
While students are highly encouraged to complete the full Diploma Programme, students will have theoption to complete course certificates only after consultation with the DP Coordinator. Students
progressing from Grade 10 at TIS into Grade 11 will be required to demonstrate a B (3.0) average for allclasses to be able to complete the full Diploma Programme. Students with an average below B will be
required to meet with the DP Coordinator to decide the best plan for their Grade 11-12 years.
For students applying to TIS for Grades 11 or 12, students are required to submit English proficiency
scores if their native language is not English.

The minimum proficiency requirements are as follows:
TOEFL iBT:
61 or better
Eiken:
2 or better
CEFR:
B2 or better
Additionally, all students applying for Grade 11 enrollment will be required to demonstrate a level
equivalent to TIS English as expected at the end of completing grade 10 and Mathematics standards
during the entrance interview. Students who do not meet these requirements will not be eligible for a full IB
Diploma, only selected certificates from the courses. If admitted to the school, they will still be eligible for aTIS (WASC accredited) diploma if all graduation requirements are met.
Students must be at a ‘Monitor’ level on the TIS EAL proficiency scale or higher by the end of Grade 10 orthey will not be eligible for entrance to the Diploma Programme. Students wishing to enroll in Grade 11
and directly enter the DP at TIS will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Wait List:
Admission for enrollment is considered only when the completed application form has been received.
Upon approval by the Principal, the student will either be allocated a place for the year or placed on a Wait
List. Students are allocated places in order of application. However, TIS reserves the right to allocate
places at its discretion in special circumstances. Wait List candidates are placed as vacancies become
available.
When Unenrolling and Transferring to Another School
When a student intends to withdraw from the school or to transfer to another school, the parents should
notify the school through the completion of the Withdrawal Form and complete all necessary
arrangements prior to withdrawal.
All financial obligations must be taken care of before records can be forwarded to the new school.
Policy Review:
The admission policy was prepared during the 2019-2020 school year by the Principal, PYP andSecondary Coordinators and shared with staff during department meetings. It was further reviewed by ateam of teachers in each department. This policy will be reviewed each August and modified asnecessary. Any updates will be shared with the staff and updated on the school’s admissions website.

References:
International Baccalaureate Organization (2017). Candidates with assessment access requirements.
International Baccalaureate Organization (2018). Diploma Programme Assessment Procedures.
International Baccalaureate Organization (2014). The Diploma Programme: From Principles into Practice.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed each August and modified as necessary. Any updates will be shared with thestaff and updated on the school’s admissions website.
This document was teacher-reviewed by:
Stephen Messano and Zane Clifford (Action group)
Chris Vassbotn and Robert Zehmke Aug. 2022