FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Cranberry International School?
If you are looking to send your child to an international school where they are guaranteed to learn how to speak English fluently, then our full English-language immersion program would be a great fit. Our program ensures that children will spend all their time at school communicating in this target language. Our team of native English speaking staff are committed to helping their students progress through the curriculum standards, which follow the US Common Core, and maintaining a high standard of international education. At the end of the primary school program, it is guaranteed that your child will be proficient in English language to an equivalent standard as a student in a school in America.
What is the earliest age for admission to Cranberry International School?
The youngest age for our nursery class is 1.5 years old. Provided we have vacancy in our popular nursery class we will admit any applicants that meet the age requirement.
What is the class size limit at Cranberry?
The limit for class size is currently set at 20 children from Nursery to Kindergarten. In Primary, the largest class we currently have is ten students, but the maximum would be no more than 20 students in one class. This way the homeroom teachers are able to concentrate more on the teaching elements of their work, and provide more tailored learning to meet the individual learning styles of their students. The students benefit from more one-on-one interaction.
What Curriculum do you use at CIS?
The US Common Core State Standards is a set of high quality academic standards which define the knowledge and skills for all students from K-12 education. These standards are adhered to across the majority of schools in the US. By following these standards the students at Cranberry will be learning to the same standards as those of students in the United States. These standards are research and evidence-based; clear, understandable and consistent; based on rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills; informed by other top performing countries in order to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society. Our curriculum follows these standards.
Why do you use US Common Core State Standards?
For Cranberry International School to make a niche for itself in the international schools available, we wanted to align ourselves to the US Common Core State Standards. By using these standards we believe our students will get the most benefit from their education and will be learning to the same standards as the majority of American school children. The Standards allow for our teachers to plan and create lessons based on a wide variety of interesting topics across all subjects while maintaining that the core standards are met.
Will Cranberry International School offer Grades 7 - 12?
No, the simple answer here is that CIS ends with our Grade 6 class. The reason for this decision is that by stopping at Grade 6, we are allowing for students to continue their further education in any school, whether it's an English Program (EP) or International Program from grade 7 onwards.
Where will the students continue their education after Grade 6?
At Cranberry International School the primary students will graduate from Grade 6 having completed the standard tests for Common Core. This will help them get admitted to any school that they choose to go to, either locally or in another town or city.
Do you do extra curricular activities at Cranberry International School?
At Primary, we run an annual field trip to another Province. Previous trips have been to Chiang Mai Zoo, Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark, Rajapruek Botanical Gardens, Ice Skating, 50Fly indoor trampolining. In addition to this, we have an annual camp day and overnight stay on the school campus. Previous Camps have been to Khun Tan National Park, Lampang Museum, Mae Moh Mine Museum. Also our annual schedule includes events such as International Day, Chinese New Year, Sports Day and other seasonal celebrations such as Halloween, Christmas and Songkran Festival.
What assessments do you use?
At Cranberry International School we use a range of different assessment methods. The main ones are inhouse tests written for each grade by the homeroom teachers. These tests follow the subject topics covered during the semester and are linked to the Common Core Standards. Final tests are taken at the end of the second and forth quarters. As a means of standardized testing CIS, has partnered with Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) to bring MAP® Growth™ Tests, which allow us to directly compare the academic achievements of our students to those in other countries.
What is MAP Growth?
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), MAP® Growth™, to bring standardized norm-referenced testing in Math and English, for grades 1 to 6, and in Science, for grades 3 - 6, as a means of measuring our students' progress against other schools both regionally and internationally. Once the assessment results are in, teachers can compare their students' progress with that of students in other international schools all around the world. The tests are mandatory and will help our teachers provide tailored growth projections for goal setting in everyday instructional learning.
What is Khan Academy?
Khan Academy is an online resource that CIS utilizes as part of its Math curriculum. It is a self-study multi-course program that students can complete at their own pace during the school year. It covers all of the topics from the Math subject which adhere to the Common Core Standards.
What is the status of the school's accreditation?
CIS is in the process of being certified by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). We should be fully certified by the academic year of 2025.
What are the qualifications of the foreign teachers at CIS?
All of the homeroom teachers at CIS are legally employed as teaching professionals with the correct degree qualifications and have either a teaching license or temporary teaching permits supplied by the Thailand Teacher's Council. They also have work permits supplied by the Provincial Employment Office and many years of teaching experience.
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