About DIS

Welcome to the Dallas International School
Mission Laïque Française

Dallas International School offers private, accredited education for students from preschool through high school in English and French. Our rigorous academic program, administered in multiple languages, successfully integrates the renowned French national curriculum, the best practices of American education, and the comprehensive International Baccalaureate program. Dallas International School's multicultural environment and active community of students, teachers, staff, and parents creates more than an education — it creates experiences for a lifetime of success.

Dallas International School educates students of all backgrounds to contribute to a dynamic world with its internationally renowned curriculum, multiple language instruction, and exposure to diverse cultural views.

Why Choose DIS?

Our world has become global. As your children grow, they will not only be citizens of their own country, but of the world. As citizens of this new "global country," they will need new skills. They will face daily challenges that you as parents may not have experienced — understanding, communicating and working among other cultures to learn from and succeed through increasingly international relationships. Both the children of families native to Dallas and those who have made North Texas their home need to learn to become global citizens.

At Dallas International School we educate our students with these new challenges in mind, by:

• Teaching in two languages: French and English.
• Teaching other languages: Spanish and Chinese.
• Following the principle that to really master a language you have to study the culture that goes with it.
• Basing its pedagogy on the French model.
• Incorporating the best aspects of the American School System.

After such a strong education, DIS students will have the skills to continue their studies at universities in the United States or abroad and launch a professional career which will take advantage of all the opportunities created by globalization. They will also be prepared to bloom into adulthood with such qualities as tolerance, intellectual curiosity and generosity.

An Accredited Private School

The Dallas International School was the first private school in the Dallas area to offer accredited bilingual and multilingual curriculums oriented towards the French Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programs.

Dallas International School belongs to the Mission Laïque Française school network along with 70 other schools around the world promoting the French language and multiculturalism.

Dallas International School is also a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, and the Association of French Schools in America — a network that has 40 schools across the United States.

Students Are Our Number One Priority

Our core philosophy of principles that guides our policies and goals focuses on the students’ ability to learn academically, physically, and emotionally. We promote an environment that is classical in education, disciplined in work, respectful of institution, physical in activity, and innovative in spirit. Students are evaluated at least three times a year to help teachers and parents individually adapt instruction style and academic goals.

Students Excel When Academics Have Purpose

We believe in creating a learning environment where students are challenged to excel with academic purpose. We believe that education in the early formative years must be familial, encouraging, and small in classroom size. We believe that as students progress within three-year cycles, confidence in their language, math, and science skills builds. As this confidence builds, students become more aware that knowledge imparted has purpose in an innovative world. Although testing is classical and rigorous, the governing pedagogical board maintains a unique flexibility to adapt additional coursework as the marketplace and universities demand.

Students Who Are Well-Prepared Have More Global Opportunities

We believe students must be prepared for all domestic and international higher educational institutions and have a mastery of critical thinking and problem solving in order to live and compete in our dynamic world. We offer world-renowned, accredited high school degree programs including the International Baccalaureate and the prestigious French Baccalaureate. Students are immersion-taught in French and English with at least one additional language such as Spanish or Chinese.

Students Must Be Taught Good Citizenship

We believe that a curriculum must include what it means to be a good citizen in our local and increasingly global community. We believe students must be taught cultural awareness, tolerances for others, and be instilled with a profound sense of generosity to all humans. We accept students, teachers and staff of all cultural backgrounds to aid in the acquisition of this awareness, tolerance and generosity. We proudly require community service and promote volunteerism through on-campus activities and philanthropy.

Students Must Have Equal Opportunity For Excellent Education

We believe every child has the capacity to be academically well-educated in a multi-lingual environment, respectful of cultural differences. We encourage a sense of belonging to a collegial community independent of race, religion, and socio-economic background.