Summary ofCouncil of International Schools
Accreditation Report

Tsukuba International School
June 2018

History of our Engagement with the Council of International Schools
December 2014 - Application for CIS Membership
May 2015 - CIS Membership Visit
July 2015 - Achieved Membership in CIS
May 2016 - CIS Preliminary Visit
July 2016 - Achieved Candidacy Status for CIS Accreditation
April 2018 - CIS Evaluation Visit
June 2018 - Achieved Accreditation by CIS

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Commendations

This section details the areas in which the school excels.
3Major Commendations: Guiding Statements
The team commends TIS for developing a thoughtful and comprehensive definitionof international-mindedness which represents community values.
The team commends the TIS community for embracing the notion ofinternational-mindedness and for their commitment and passion to develop andembed these traits throughout the life of the school.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Commendations: Teaching and Learning (PYP)
The team commends the PYP staff on their commitment to developing their own
Curriculum Overview to cater for the learning needs of their diverse studentbody.
The team commends the TIS students on the confidence with which they canarticulate their learning, showing their level of understanding.
The team commends the teachers for designing meaningful assessment tasks thatallow students choice for demonstrating their learning in a variety of ways.

5Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Commendations: Teaching and Learning (MYP)The team commends the leadership and staff for their efforts in providing avaried range of engaging activities in the curriculum to meet the social,emotional, and physical needs of its students.
The team commends the school staff for the extracurricular activities
available (given time and facility constraints) to meet the needs of its
diverse student population.
The team commends the leadership team for introducing and using ManageBac toprovide real-time progress and comments to MYP and DP students and theirparents.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Commendations: Teaching and Learning (Whole School)
The team commends the staff for the manner in which Japanese culture isintegrated into the student learning about international-mindedness.
The team commends the Senior Leadership Team for creating a school culture
where continuing professional learning for teachers is able to drive
curriculum development.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Commendations: Governance and Leadership
The team commends the board for the development of a Governance Handbook.
The team commends the board for the appointment of a Board Liaison Officer
whose role it will be to communicate the board’s decisions and policies to thewider school community.
The team commends the Principal and the board for the development andmaintenance of a mutually respectful relationship that benefits the school.
The team commends the Principal for the passion, dedication and commitment shebrings to the role of Principal of TIS.

8Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Commendations: Faculty and Support Staff
The team commends the Administrative Team for writing a comprehensive Hiring
Policy which outlines the philosophies, procedures and screening checks thatare in place to ensure high quality staff of sound moral character arerecruited to work at TIS.
The team commends the Administrative Team for improving the documented staff
Job Descriptions and Terms of Employment outlining specific responsibilities
thus resulting in greater clarity for staff.
The team commends the teachers for developing respectful and meaningful
working relationships with students, which are aligned with the vision andmission and make students feel supported and nurtured within the learning
environment.
The team commends the staff of TIS for contributing positively to a culture ofmutual respect, with positive morale engendered amongst colleagues.
Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

9Major Commendations: Access to Teaching and Learning
The team commends the teaching staff for their extraordinary effort to assist
parents in identifying the best possible support system for their child’s
learning needs.
The team commends the TIS community for its contribution to creating a safe,inspiring, and compassionate learning environment.
The team commends the TIS staff for being open and approachable incommunication with all members of the school community.
The team commends the school leadership and staff for successfully creating
meaningful links with the local culture through their Enrichment Programme.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations

This section details the areas in which the school should
focus on improving over the next five years.

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Major Recommendations: Guiding Statements
The team recommends that the SLT establishes a system to monitor the level of
support for the school’s guiding statements.
The team recommends that the Principal, through a consultative process,reviews the current vision and mission statements to ensure they are
aspirational, drive decision-making processes and outline clear expectations
for student learning now and in the future.
The team recommends that the SLT collects and analyses survey data from all
stakeholders to help the school assess its success in achieving its aims aslaid out in its guiding statements.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Teaching and Learning (PYP)
The team recommends that the teachers and SLT agree on common school
philosophy of teaching and learning throughout the PYP years.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Teaching and Learning (Whole School)
The team recommends that the curriculum coordinators consider a focus forschool-wide professional development (PD) on differentiated student learning
to support the development of vertically-aligned philosophy and teachingstrategies.
The team recommends that the curriculum coordinators facilitate the completionof vertical curriculum documentation across all subjects.
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team use a more strategic
approach to PD that incorporates analysis of student data, review of theschool’s goals, and the teacher appraisal process.

14Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Teaching and Learning (Whole School)
The team recommends that the teachers decide on common strategies andcoordinate support for students with learning differences, both for those whoneed additional support and those who need extension.
The team recommends that the teachers agree on strategies and vertically alignsupport for students for whom English is an additional language.
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team puts in place an effective
system for recording student achievement in order to track and analyse student
progression.

15Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Governance and Leadership
The team recommends that the board undertake proposed formal orientation andtraining for board members as a matter of priority.
The team recommends that the board introduce succession planning for thepositions of Board Chair and Principal.
The team recommends that the board and the Principal clarify their individual
responsibilities using the Governance Handbook as a reference.
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team develops and implements asystematic and regular appraisal of the board’s effectiveness.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Governance and Leadership
The team recommends that the board and the Senior Leadership Team proceed tosurface both the PYP and MYP playing fields as a matter of priority.
The team recommends that the board engages with all stakeholders to finalise,communicate and implement a strategic plan linked closely to the school’sguiding statements.
The team recommends that the board ensures that the school’s educational andfinancial plans are communicated clearly and regularly to the members of theschool community.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Faculty and Support Staff
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team implements an effective
appraisal/performance management programme that helps to build teacher
capabilities and has direct effect on student learning.
The team recommends that the board and Senior Leadership Team finalize thestaff salary scale, and communicate this information to staff in advance ofemployment or renewal of their contract.
The team recommends that the board and Principal monitor and review staff
compensation packages to ensure they are adequate to allow the school torecruit and retain appropriately trained staff.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Access to Teaching and Learning
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team ensures that the teachers
who are supporting students with special learning needs, have access torelevant special education training.
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team plans for a more effective
support system for students with additional learning needs within the school.
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team seeks to increase thelevel of counselling services to support students’ well-being and to provide
teachers with guidance when needed.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: School Culture and Partnerships for Learning
The team recommends that the Senior Leadership Team should listen to staff
voice as a method of improving staff well-being and morale.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Major Recommendations: Operating Systems
The team recommends that the SLT should finalize and implement a newmaintenance plan that will allow for repair and maintenance tasks to beprioritized and efficiently carried out.
The team recommends that the SLT develop and practise a Crisis Management Plan
as soon as feasibly possible to provide a clear framework for action in thecase of an unexpected crisis causing serious injury or death.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)

Where do we go from here?

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Where do we go from here?
The school’s Senior Leadership Team and Board will review
the commendations and recommendations and consider how toinclude the feedback from CIS into our operational andstrategic plans.

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Summary of Council of International Schools Accreditation Report: Tsukuba International School (June 2018)