1.      Vision:

Canadian International School (CIS) believes that all students have the potential to succeed, that success leads to more success, and that it is the school’s responsibility to create the conditions needed for success. All students come to school with a desire to learn. CIS believes that students who feel positive about themselves and their school environment will be highly motivated to succeed and to work hard at their studies. The school’s caring, accepting atmosphere encourages students to strive for excellence and to be all that they can be. CIS believes that it requires the combined efforts of the teachers, the administration, the support staff team and the parents to create the required conditions and school atmosphere so important for success. 

2.      Academic program only:

CIS is an academic school and all children attending are being prepared to attend university. The school does not have the resources to support special needs children. Only students who are working to gain admission to university can be accepted.

3.      Vietnamese and French language courses:

All students will study a language other than English. Vietnamese and French language courses are the languages taught at CIS.

CIS is also preparing all Vietnamese students to function effectively in their own language in Vietnam. As such, all Vietnamese students will be required to study the Vietnamese language and courses will be designed to achieve this end. All expatriate students will be given the choice of studying Vietnamese or French.

4.      Culturally sensitive curriculum

The Canadian (Ontario) curriculum has been designed with a set of skills and attitudes that Canadian educators believe are essential for students growing up in Canada and being prepared for life in a changing world community. A set of outcomes have been developed, by the Ontario Ministry, to measure the progress of students at the end of each grade. The content of the Ontario courses are designed for students growing up in Ontario. The Ministry of Education of Ontario also understands that although much of the content is relevant enough to have teachers use the courses as described, it is up to each school district to adapt the content to reflect local realities. The skills and attitudes remain the same. It must be recognized that all CIS students, while studying in English through a Canadian curriculum, are studying in Vietnam. As such, the Canadian curriculum will be adapted to ensure that the history, geography, literature and customs/traditions of Vietnam are reflected in the content sections of the curriculum in all grades. The Canadian curriculum will be adapted to ensure a balance of Canadian and Vietnamese culture will be maintained.

5.      High level English language requirements:

CIS is an English medium school with a Vietnamese language program. While younger students can be accepted without English, the need for English in the secondary program is such that students entering the school must be able to function at grade level if they are to be sufficiently successful to gain admission to a university where English is the medium of instruction.

6.      Age determination for placement:

In some countries, students are considered to be aged 1 on the day of their birth. In others, they are considered to be aged 1 only one year after the date of their birth. At CIS the student is considered to be 1 year old only 1 year after the student’s day of birth.

At CIS, students are normally placed in grades based on their age. For example, a student born between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of the year 1997 would be considered to be 14 years old if applying for the admission to the 2011/2012 school year, and so on as shown in the table below.

7.      Placement by age:

Students applying for admission in August of the 2011/2012 school year who possess age appropriate skills in English and Mathematics will be placed as shown in the table below:

8.      English language assessment:

All students will be tested prior to admission and placement. The student’s level of English will be tested using the Diagnostic Reading Assessment instrument (DRA), the Reading A to Z Benchmark Series, and other tests that the school deems appropriate.

The student will be assigned an English Grade level equivalence according to their English language facility at the time of testing. Thus a student who is 13 years old would be assigned an English level of Grade 8 if the student’s English language skills were at a Grade 8 level. If the student’s English language skills were at a Grade 6 level, the student would be considered to be 2 years below grade level with respect to English Language fluency.

9.      Assessment in Mathematics:

CIS believes that competency in Mathematics is an indicator of the student’s overall academic ability and ability to use abstract reasoning skills. Thus administering a Mathematics test serves two purposes. It allows for an assessment of the student’s Mathematics competency while also serving as an indicator of the student’s overall academic development to date. The test does not serve the purpose of testing the student’s knowledge of the English of Mathematics, and as such, the student may be tested in their native language if the student’s English level is such that this is appropriate.

Students will be tested in Mathematics using end of course materials that would be appropriate to the last year of school for that student’s age. Thus a student who is 13 years old would be tested using Mathematics materials at the Grade 8 level. If the student’s Mathematics skills were assessed to be below grade level, remediation in Mathematics will be required as part of the admission process, and will follow the policy laid out in the ESL and Mathematics policy guideline.

10.  Placement and required assessment levels:

Wherever possible, students will be placed in their age appropriate grade. Students must demonstrate a high level of academic ability in order to be considered for admission. If the student does not understand sufficient English to allow for testing, at the parent’s request, the school will attempt to assess the student in their native language. The assessment will include a translation and evaluation of the student’s school documents from their last two years of school as well as tests administered by CIS staff. Parents will be required to pay for the services of a translator if this is required.

11.  Frequency of English language assessments:

To accurately assess progress in the acquisition of English, all children who are admitted with little English capability will be tested using the DRA or other language tests designated by the school once every 6 weeks.

12.  Class composition and placement of English as a Second Language (ESL) students:

In order to facilitate the process of English language acquisition, wherever possible, student’s classes in grades JK to Grade 3 will be organized so that at least half of the students will have English language skills within 3 years of their grade level. Within these limits, students applying for admission to JK, SK and Grade 1 can be accepted even if they speak no English. Children of this age learn English very quickly, and the instructional strategies within the classroom will be designed to help students improve their English language skills quickly. Children in Grade 2 and 3 who are admitted will be provided ESL support as determined by the ESL coordinator.

For students in Grades 4 to 6, wherever possible, classes will be organized so that at least two thirds of the students will have English language skills within 3 years of their grade level. Children who are admitted to these grades will be provided additional ESL support as determined by the ESL coordinator.

Grade 7 and 8 students must have English language skills within 1 year of their grade level in order to be admitted into the academic program. Children who are admitted to these grades will be provided additional ESL support as determined by the ESL coordinator. Children applying for admission to Grades 7 and 8 who do not have the requisite English skills will not be admitted until they can demonstrate that they have the needed skills. They are encouraged to enrol in a full time program designed to help them learn English until they have gained the necessary facility with English. This may take one year or more and all costs will be borne by the parents. If they have good academic scores in their native language, parents can reserve a future place for them in CIS upon payment of the appropriate designated fees.

For students applying for admission for Grades 9 and up, students must have English language skills at grade level in order to be admitted into the academic program.

The school’s objective is to help students achieve grade level English language skills as quickly as possible. All CIS students admitted to Grades 4 and up will be required to attend additional ESL classes at the CVC for a minimum of one hour a day each weekday and a minimum of 3 hours a day on at least one weekend day.

All additional ESL and Mathematics support will be as laid out in the ESL and Mathematics policy guidelines.

13.  Timing of ESL classes:

The ESL coordinator will determine which classes a student receiving ESL support may attend. Students would normally be required to attend all Mathematics, Physical Education, Music, Drama, and Art classes with their classmates. The ESL coordinator may require that they be withdrawn for ESL support for language intensive courses such as English Language and Literature, History, Geography, and Science. In some cases, the ESL coordinator may provide in class ESL support in these language intensive subjects.

14.  Vietnamese and French language courses:

Students will study Vietnamese and French language courses even if they are receiving ESL support.

15.  ESL academic progress:

Students admitted with ESL support must be progressing at a satisfactory rate in order to retain their place in the school. Students who are not progressing or underachieving will be reviewed in May of each year, and decisions will be made with respect to their continuing at the school. The recommendation for refusal of continued admission will be made by the Head of School with guidance from the Principal and ESL coordinator.

16.  Right of appeal:

A student who is refused admission for the following year by reason of poor academic progress may appeal for reconsideration to a committee set up for this purpose. The committee will consist of one senior academic administrator, one teacher and one board member and they will review the student’s records and reasons for the recommendation for refusal of continued admission. The final determination of continued admission taking into account the committee’s considerations is made by the Chairperson of the CIS Board of Directors whose decision is final.