General Background

Approved by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and administered by an appointed Board of Governors, Shanghai Community International Schools were founded for the children of expatriates residing in Shanghai. SCIS is a member of the East Asian Regional Conference of Overseas Schools. In 2001, SCIS was awarded a six-year full accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Recently, SCIS was also awarded a 5-year term of accreditation by NCCT (National Council of Curriculum and Textbooks).

International School Development Foundation

The International School Foundation is a not-for-profit organization domiciled in Lansing, Michigan, USA. The foundation helped to establish the North Jakarta International School, founded in 1990 and accredited by the European Council of International Schools, the Shanghai Community International Schools (1996), Hangzhou International School (2002), and the American International School of Cape Town, founded in 2001. Each school is established in its country of residence and offers a U.S.-based international school program for expatriate residents in the respective locations (and local nationals where permitted) who see the benefits of an international education. These distinguished schools are operated by outstanding, committed teachers and administrators who address each child's academic, emotional, and social development with an aim to make school a dynamic, positive, and supportive environment for every student.

Governing Board of Directors

SCIS is an independent organization that was originally established by the International School Foundation. As such, SCIS is part of a consortium of schools operated under the aegis of the International School Foundation; a not-for-profit organization domiciled in Lansing, Michigan (USA) and accorded 501 C3 status by the Internal Revenue Service.

SCIS is governed by three appointed directors: Lawrence L. Balli, of St. Helena, California, Michael S. Dougherty, Cape Town, South Africa, and Kristy D. Seng, of Jakarta, Indonesia. The foundation chose this governance model over annually elected boards. Research from the European Council of International Schools confirms that the appointed board model results in effective and successfully managed international schools world-wide. Since 1972, Mr. Balli has been a teacher and administrator in international schools and served as former headmaster of the Jakarta International School, one of the largest such schools in the world. Mr. Dougherty has served as an administrator and teacher with international schools since 1976; founding and serving as headmaster of the North Jakarta International School for eleven years. Ms. Seng is the Chief Financial Officer of ISF, managing the budgets and financial plans of the ISF schools in Africa and Asia. More information about ISF can be found at the Foundation web site: http://www.isdfoundation.org/.

In addition to the governing board, SCIS has a parent-managed body called the Parents and Friends Association (PAFA). Membership in PAFA is automatically conferred on parents of enrolled students and can be extended to any member of the school community interested in supporting the mission of the school. PAFA elects its own administrative team each school year, normally comprised of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Details about PAFA activities and authority can be found in the "Parent Student Handbook" at each school and elsewhere on this website.