The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) is an accreditation body that endorses a high-quality education program. It is voluntary for schools and reviews virtually every area of a candidates’ operations. We are delighted to announce that Nibras International School (NIS) in Dubai is now NEASC accredited!
What does NEASC accreditation mean for Nibras International School?
Membership means our school meets what NEASC define as characteristics of a good school, benchmarking NIS against international standards in almost every area of the school including its academic plan, student access to teaching and learning, the capability of the leadership and faculty, governance, and the operational systems that ensure the smooth running and ongoing improvement of the school. Further benefits for our students are that colleges and employers look more favorably on students who have come from NEASC accredited schools. Career, college, and social/emotional counseling services have been significantly expanded in NIS, and we will continue to open as many doors as we can for our Grade 12 students.
The NEASC inspection team remarked on the highly visible change in the culture of Nibras since their initial visit seven months ago, noting that all 18 special recommendations made at that time have been addressed. They recognized our progress towards more student-centered learning; noting that children in the school are encouraged to ask, think, and reflect.
It was noted that the recruitment of experienced new phase leaders, increased professional development opportunities for teaching staff, and significant investment into school infrastructure improvement is contributing towards the turnaround we have seen across the school. The faculty was seen to be making a concerted effort in using the classroom spaces as effectively as possible, and displays around the corridors are now telling a positive story about what the school values. This progress has also been supported by the international Schools Partnership, who took over the running of the school in March 2017.
An extract from the report:
‘To be sure, the Visitor also witnessed a number of classes exhibiting effective ways of engaging students in learning, and these classes were found in every school phase. Whether it was a KG class organized by activity center and the teacher working individually with students, a Grade 5 Science class in which students prepared for the well-known egg-drop experiment, students checking their own work or offering critiques to their peers, a 12th grade Math teacher asking her students to hypothesize about the accuracy of measurements and conclusions, or an Art class in which students were free to design their own optical illusions: all of these illustrate aspects of pedagogy which encourage students to explore, experiment, reflect, and create.’
NEASC is the oldest accrediting body in the United States, founded in 1885. They focus on improving education through accreditation, attesting schools’ high quality and integrity. Here in Dubai, they collaborate with the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) who represent KHDA in the inspection-accreditation visits. NEASC cannot accredit a school that has not substantially met the KHDA compliance requirements, and while their inspection processes differ, the bodies pursue the same aim: to encourage excellence in teaching and learning.
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