My daughter has always been bored and un-challenged by your average public school we tried lots of extra academic activities but nothing did the trick. But when we moved across the country and needed to find a new school i decided to give Dallas International School a try and i'm glad i did! They provide elective classes after school and their sports program is amazing!! My daughter is now challenged in the best way possible and i love seeing her work hard at school! read more

We moved our pre-school aged daughter to DIS from a Montessori school because of the opportunity to learn another language at such a young age. The difference in the schools is dramatic. DIS is caring and also provides structure and curriculum that has our daughter coming home speaking french, and singing french songs. The teachers communicate well by sending daily updates, weekly pictures, and by providing the curriculum so we can reinforce what she has learned at home. Everyone at DIS cares about our daughter; from her teachers and the teachers assistants that are with her everyday, to the receptionist that greets her daily - "Bonjour!" We love DIS, the community feel, and are so grateful for the opportunities it will provide our daughter. read more

Wonderful school . Teaches in the French curriculum. Students and staff are wonderful I go in for after school activities and the school campus is wonderful and modern read more

Horrible school, i was there from K-8 and I understand that I was a less then ideal student. I was rowdy and since I finished my work quickly I had more time than others to fool around. That doesn't excuse that I was mistreated from all the staff except Mme. Sophie, who was wonderful and helped me mature a lot as a kid. Most teachers are really stuck up and have very little compassion for students. Some were really nice and were a bright spot. I was constantly put under a box, I was separated from all of my friends, and never had a chance to really socialize. Nevertheless, the curriculum is all in french so unless that's what you need it's really really poor. The staff is so far up their own ass students can't enjoy school. read more

DIS has been one of the best choices I have ever made as a parent. The education our child is receiving at the school is second to none and we can't imagine sending her anywhere else in the Dallas area. The teachers are so caring and develop such special relationships with the kids. The Administration has communicated very effectively with the parents through many different methods which brings a lot of comfort to us. While the Dallas public schools in our area are good, DIS is an investment where I can see the rewards on a daily basis--new French words, new friends, new memories being made. We love DIS! read more

Wow, what a difference a new administration can make. Yep, I wrote a negative review 4 years ago and we left for the exact reasons that were expressed in that review. But now we have decided to return to Dallas International School. Why? Because it is the only school in Dallas:Fort Worth that truly offers an exciting learning environment, an international education and the opportunity to meet people from around the world. It also offers the best IB (international baccalaureate programme) in the area. These are the reasons why we came to Dallas International School in the first place, and spent 9 years there before leaving disappointed with the previous administration. After hearing that things have changed, that there is a terrific headmaster, that the school is organized, that the faculty is highly educated and supportive, we have decided to give it another go. The newer facility is also very nice as well. So far, I can say that we are very impressed with all the upgrades. Now I can say: great concept, great implementation. read more

With extreme nationalism running rampant, Dallas International School is a breath of fresh air. A dedicated and well-trained international staff helps educate and nurture true global citizens. We've been sending our daughter to DIS since Maternelle 1 (pre-school). We lived in California for a few years and found a similar school that she was able to jump right into. We are back in Dallas and at DIS and my 6th grader is fluent in English and French, speaks a little Spanish, and is now learning Mandarin. Not only does the school offer challenging curriculum but it expands minds and helps kids see other viewpoints. The student body is as close knit and supportive as you can get with tweens and teens. My daughter's future is bright and her options are boundless thanks to the Dallas International School. read more

The Dallas Int'l School offers an amazing experience where our children have flourished the last 5 years. Like many Dallas families, we only speak English our in home. We wanted our girls to have a much broader experience - to learn to think with 'all their brain' and receive all the benefits the research has proven that an early, multilingual education brings to a child. DIS is all that, and more. Teachers are highly committed, parents involved, small classroom size and very well-behaved kids. There are parents that will be unhappy no matter where their kids go (that's just how they are). For parents that embrace the merits of a multilingual, multicultural environment - and want their kids to get an OUTSTANDING education in the process - should check out DIS. And ask about recent national test scores, the colleges the recent graduating class attended, their scholarship amounts, etc..... It's a tremendous educational value. read more

I was born in Dallas and i'm still here. Dallas Interional School has been a positive experience for our daughter who is a junior in high school. She speaks French fluently. She also speaks Spanish. Last year's graduating class of 12 had scholorship offers totaling over 1 million dollars. I believe the challanges of educating my daughter at DIS has not been any tougher than dealing with administrations and kids in any school. After 11 years of DIS we are starting to look at colleges. I'm very pleased with the feedback we get during the process. If i wasn't sending my daughter to college soon, I would be sending my grandkids to DIS. read more

So far there has been only one, very one-sided review from a parent with a child for whom the school was not a good fit. Not all schools fit all children. It is true DIS is academically challenging. The French system is much more challenging, in terms of content and in terms of intellectual rigor, than the American system. So if you have an academically challenged child, or a child who really isn't interested much in learning, then this is definitely not the school for you. If you have a child who struggled to learn English as a first language, then this school is definitely not for you. Children take not only French, but Spanish, and at 6th grade can take Mandarin Chinese. So from age 3, all children are working in 3 languages. It is not true, as stated another review, that the focus is primarily on French. In the early grades,the school is 40% English, 40% French and about 20% Spanish. The ratio slowly switches as children get older, such that there is majority French instruction by Middle School, but there is still a substantial amount of English (it's probably 60 to 65% instruction in French by the Middle School level). BUT this just means the content is taught in French; it doesn't mean they are learning French all of that time (they are already pretty fluent by then). They are doing math, biology, physics, computer science, history, geography, etc. and they do many of these subjects in both English and French. I have two children at the school, one in Middle and one in Elementary school, and both started at age 3. I have never hired tutors, and there is alot of homework starting in about 3rd grade. There is homework help at the school for French, for those children who don't have anyone at home who speaks French. Most DIS kids are fairly fluent by the 4th grade or so, so they don't necessarily need help with language beyond that point. There are teachers at the school who tutor if you need it (I think it's sort of reasonable to expect that if a child is learning a language and no one at home speaks it,you might need some outside help now and then). My experience with the French teachers has also been nothing but positive. The French teachers are excellent. They are recruited from among teachers in France, where teaching is a competitive profession, where it's actually rather difficult to become a teacher, and where teacher training is much more extensive than in the US. I know some people sometimes perceive that the English instruction is sometimes not as strong as the French instruction, but what can I say, the American system academically just isn't as strong, so when you have the two side by side, it shows. Does that mean the English teachers are not good? No, it means the French educational system is stronger than the American one, and that, it seems to me, is an argument for putting your child in this school. My children have excelled at the school. My son scores above the 95th percentile on American standardized tests. I know other parents of children who started at age 3 and went up through MIddle or High school who have the same experience. I also know that one of the DIS graduating Seniors last year got a President's Scholarship at SMU this year, and that is the most prestigious scholarship the school gives. Given that it was a small graduating class, that is quite impressive. Other DIS graduates have gone on to other universities and earned the equivalent of a year of credit based on their IB scores; in many cases, they have gone right into upper-level courses, and this is especially true in languages. Some children have gone to universities in Canada, where tuition is much lower than in the US, and where DIS students are more competitive than most American students. As I said, this is clearly a school for academically-oriented children and families. If you want your child to go to college on an athletic scholarship, you probably ought to look elsewhere, but if you want a child who comes out at 12th grade with a better education than most college-educated Americans have, this is probably the place for you. read more

I went to this school for years before I finally ended leaving. Though the lower school was okay, the upper level teachers are abusive and have no compassion for their students or the subjects they teach. The school does have issues with physical abuse. Slapping, kicking, and punching are regular on the playground. Most of the teachers are washed up french teachers who could not get better jobs with their foreign degrees. Therefore, they seem to harbor ill feelings toward the school and with it, the students. The administration turns a blind eye to abuse from the teachers. A teacher who continuously verbally and physically abused enjoyed employment at D.I.S for over ten years despite parental complaints. Instead of firing the teacher, parents were pressured to move their students elsewhere ( Three during my time at the school). As for the psychological effects on the students, most of my peers who stayed ended up socially awkward. I currently work with some current students from D.I.S. At even their young ages, I can see the crippling effects of the school. Academically,The French-centric nature of the school can cause problems in later years. Students leave D.I.S with limited, if any, knowledge of American History or tradition. I strongly suggest a traditional private or public school. If the bi-lingual track is a must for your child, consider sending them for their formative language years. No child should stay at the school past 3rd grade. Consider talking to students who have experienced both D.I.S and another school. read more

I have a kid here and another in a different highly ranked boys school in Dallas. Both schools have their strengths however I am glad my younger one is at DIS especially in the current political climate in this country and especially in TX. My child has friends from all over the world, most of the kids in this school have dual citizenry or more, speak 2 or more languages at home, so there is a certain respect for people from other cultures even though the school is has a heavy French influence. Even the parents are easier to communicate with as they more 'exposed' to other cultures. The American families in this school mostly want this experience for their children as well. This is a liberal, global non religious school with citizenry values. read more

We came from a sister school in Washington (FASPS), and as much as we liked that school, we like DIS better. Much more laid back, and the other parents are nowhere near as snooty as they were in WA. read more

We have been at Dallas International for 5 years. The experience has been incredible. We are an American family and both of my children are fluent in French and their comprehension of Spanish (and the accent) is by far superior to other friends their age at other schools. The school promotes quality education and I have not had any problems with communication from teachers or administration. All my emails have been answered within a day or two. The school has weekly emails, once a month emails on information about why they do what they do, monthly casual coffee meetings with the headmaster and the trimester grading system is very extensive on each child. I do have a french tutor and every year I am told it is not necessary for my kids but it makes me feel better having someone go over homework and mistakes made on tests and papers plus they get another french speaker to listen to. It is not hard to find a tutor as many of the teachers do it after school and on weekends for extra money (it runs $20-25 for an hour). The school does yearly standardized testing in french and then again in English where you child is ranked against against other kids in the school, other private schools in Dallas and national rankings - this starts at 2nd grade (French) and 3rd grade (English) Your child does have to be able to adapt to what is being taught - from French to Spanish to English. It is much easier the earlier you start as this is an immersion program. With my research there are some schools that do Spanish immersion but they have not been doing this for over 20 years as DIS has and they typically stop at 5th grade. There are kids who leave every year because it is just too hard for them. When they do this there is a slight catch up period in an English school if they drop out before 6th grade or so. The catch up is understandable as 65-70% of their week is in French and I have found that the French introduce concepts that are only later given to American students later (ie - they introduce geometry much earlier so while the American kids are focused on algebra first the French do this later in their curriculum so when you leave the school your child knows things that are not being taught in an English school and they have to "catch up" on the English curriculum). Every time this has happened to a parent that I have talked to they have said "it took a semester but then they were fine" - that does not sound too "risky" when those kids also know another language and have that part of their brain developed to easily learn any language. The school employees a child psychologist who routinely meets with the classes and has implemented an anti-bully process. Specifically going through examples with the kids and getting them to talk about anger, conflict and their feelings and respecting other people's feelings. She also has non mandatory break out sessions at recess that you can sign your child up for (ie a girl group, friendship group, etc..) where she makes them do exercises that are aimed at respecting others. Each year the school picks a country to study. The kids learn songs from the country, learn about holidays throughout the year, customs and foods that they eat. This is done to promote global citizenship. If the school feels too French that is because there are more French teachers than English teachers - duh. Most of the French teachers come here to improve their English skills and live in America - I have never felt any anti-American sentiment. That is just false. The French government does not give financial support to the school - this is a common myth. The Mission Laycee is an organization that helps support French schools throughout the world. They facilitate conferences and information to help schools keep a high quality education and how to do it in a different language. My only complaint is that not enough parents volunteer at the school. As with anything you only get out what you put into it. I am told by friends at other schools that it is the same problem there. It is always the same people volunteering for the school and the ones who don't volunteer just complain a lot. My kids love the school and I am so impressed with not only their language skills but also that they are keeping up with their peers in Dallas by the ERB testing. The parents and staff are from all over - there is true diversity at this school both economically and racially. That is something you don't see at other private schools. We have no plans to leave. read more

I think it's important to provide some balance to the only review on Yelp about DIS, as it appears to have been written by someone with an axe to grind and in no way represents our experience nor the experience of the many friends we've made there. It also cites an incorrect address for the primary school--it's actually 6039 Churchill Way. My wife and I weren't entirely comfortable with the idea of sending our kids to a private school, but we loved our neighborhood and the public school options were unfortunately seriously deficient. We didn't want to move to the burbs, so we went looking for a private school in Dallas that would teach our children (as we do) that there are more important things in the world than amassing and displaying wealth, which turned out to be a really difficult proposition. However, we found exactly what we were looking for at DIS. We have two sons, 6 and 3 years old--our older son is in his 3rd year at DIS and our 3 year old just started this year. We've been overjoyed with the education they're receiving and with the friends from all over the world that all of us have made through the school. It's amazing to hear our older son helping his little brother with French pronunciation and teaching him how to count in French. We've actually been inspired to get Rosetta Stone for French as a Christmas gift for each other so we can keep up with them as they start to speak (and perhaps conspire) with each other more and more in a foreign language. Everyone at the school has taken a genuine personal interest in our children's development. Amazingly, one of the teaching assistants who moved to California when her husband transferred jobs still emails us regularly to check on our younger son's progress since he had a bit of a challenge starting school so young (at 3 years and 2 months). Thanks to her help and the attention of his teachers and other teaching assistants, not to mention all the friends he's made, he now looks forward to school and it's sometimes difficult to extract him at the end of the day. Since my wife and I both work full-time, we were especially gratified that DIS offers excellent after school care until 6 pm, with great activities for the kids. Our boys have been exposed to karate, yoga, circus (taught by ex-Cirque de Soleil performers!), gymnastics, soccer, and drama, with the opportunities only continuing to expand as they get older. And, for what we would argue is a much more interesting education, the price at DIS is still significantly less than most other Dallas private schools. If you're looking for a school with a great football team and lots of Bentleys in carpool line, this is not the place for you. If you want your children to be in a challenging yet nurturing environment that prepares them to value and understand the world outside of the provincial Dallas establishment, DIS is a great choice. read more

Ok, so I'm making it my mission to review DIS on every site I can because the previous reviewer evidently really hated the experience and did the same. We have been sending our kid to DIS for going on 5 years now, since pre-K, and have only good things to say about the school. The teachers communicate with us personally via e-mail with issues regarding our child and suggestions to help us, and the administration contacts us via news letter or occasionally by phone when necessary. No communication problem here. The French teachers ASK to come here to teach, so there is no "anti-American" agenda. They teach French as per their job title, not American history, but that does not equate some sort of political skew. American studies are covered in english class. No bullying policies are part of the orientation and as for the teachers well they know how to treat the kids because kids tell the parents and the parents join up and force any changes. The school is well aware of any problems and are pro-active to fix them. DIS offers the coveted European and French Bacculaurete programs, and the new high school is being built on the UTDallas campus which will offer crossover facility use. Also, UT will accept college credits earned from the normal scholastic work of DIS students for up to a year towards a degree. This will likely be an option to other universities (though I have not investigated past UT myself). Moreover, the EB and FB are prized as higher achievements in this country and worldwide as premier degrees and therefore college acceptance letters will likely be more plentiful. As for the present, my kid started early. There were no issues for the first year as far as learning French or Spanish for that matter because it's basically daycare. 1st grade was a little tough, but resources for French help were plentiful including summer help from some teachers. She struggles now only from time to time but no more than I would expect any other child in any school. The main thing is she is engaged with new problems and challenges often enough to not be bored, and we are engaged with her enough to help with homework (no, we do not speak anything but Texan). It's important to make sure there are activities non-scholastic in nature. DIS offers very good programs including soccer and tennis to fencing and acting classes. There are many others but that is just a sample. I always say "see for yourself" and this time is no expection. I'm proud of DIS and that my kid goes there therefore I'm biased, but I'm also honest about my impressions and if I wasn't I would have moved our daughter to another school. I hope this has helped you. read more

Beware. As another reviewer aptly points out " All in all, the school is primarily focused on the French students and the French culture, and makes a poor attempt at being an International school." After relocating to Dallas from Washington State with a freshman high schooler achieving a 4.0 through Junior high, including pre=AP, we had high hopes for college prep that was promised in a private school education experience expanding her multi-lingual capabilities in an IB program. I could go on an on about the horrific experience at DIS (high school IB program) , but will sum it up here in bullet points: - the headmaster considers himself a "CEO" as in 'running a business'. This mindset is pervasive and reflected in the teachers he hires - few have the child's best interest at heart, they rarely make themselves available for after / during school hours access and all have second jobs or other outside priorities. - the teacher turnover is virtually 100% in all subjects. They all have second jobs or other higher priority interests. A typical example are teachers that are there to get cost offsets for their own children. Very few (if any) have IB training or experience. Good luck trying to help your child navigate the syllabus, as often there isn't one because the teachers are winging it. The headmaster seems to value teacher education levels (e.g. PhD) over and above any high school or educational teaching experience. Just imagine your child having to deal with turnover in some of the more challenging subjects, such as 3 Economics teachers, 2 Biology teachers and 3 chemistry teachers in a three year time span. The headmaster is bad enough, but the teachers are totally disengaged and often firing DIS and leaving, even mid year it was so bad. And new hires (with other jobs, priorities) ended up making the children attend school from 8:30 to 5:00 pm to accommodate a teachers outside activities! - No AP, SAT, ACT prep - None. there was some feeble attempt at AP prep, but was made clear by the headmaster that this was not a priority (despite parent demands to incorporate into the curriculum). - Outside tutors required. Because the teaching experience is so bad, you had better budget for outside tutors if you are striving for better than a C average grade for your child. Same for AP prep, SAT and/or ACT prep. Unless you are a French Ex-Pat looking for a school to help educate your child for assimilation back into a Euro educational system, you are wasting your time and money and RISKING your child's future by going to this school (at least at the high school level). If your child plans to attend a US college and you want them to be well prepared for college life and have the best chance of getting into the college of their choice - this is NOT the high school for your family. If you want a private education, there are FAR better choices. Public Schools in Plano are head and shoulders above this place. Bottom Line: Educational Malpractice is how I would sum up DIS High School's IB Program. read more

My daughter has been a student at Dallas International School for seven years and I have found the school to be excellent. Although neither my wife nor I are native French speakers our daughter is now fluent in both French and English and has test scores well about state and national averages. The school's affiliation with the Mission Laique Francaise assures a supply of good French teachers and a solid academic program, but most students are not French. The school is genuinely multi-cultural and has a real diversity in the student body you cannot find in any other Dallas school, public or private. It is the only private school in North Texas that really prepares its students to live and work in our modern international economy by giving them a truly international perspective. Other schools have a few token foreign students, and offer a few years of language instruction. The Dallas International School graduates students who have studied at least three languages from their infancy and who are fluent speakers of two of them with friends from all over the world. However, the real proof of the quality of education at the Dallas International School is that the school is growing and every year the graduating class is larger than the year before. It is a very good school that is only getting better. read more

I happened upon the below review by accident and felt compelled to respond. Let me start by saying that my son has been attending DIS for two years. He is now in first grade. The below reviewer neglects to mention whether her review is based on a personal experience with the school or based upon feedback she has heard from others. My review is based on my first-hand observations.. At the outset, the assertion that communication is "non-existent" is untrue. I have a daughter at Parish Episcopal, and I can say without reservation, that DIS does a better job of keeping me informed. I receive multiple communications DAILY from staff and teachers at DIS. Teachers will regularly update us on daily classroom activities, which sometimes include pictures of the children performing the activities being described. Frankly, I love being at my computer at work and receiving a picture of what my child is doing at that very moment. I've never had a school do that before. The assertion that communication is "non-existent" is simply false. The comment that there is "some anti-American sentiment" is equally untrue. I am a gun toting, conservative Texan and a staunch supporter of our American military, and I assure you that if I EVER sensed any anti-American sentiment, I would whip my boy out of that school so fast that it would make your head spin. I love this country, and I would never tolerate anything "anti-American" and surely would never voluntarily expose my boy to it. The reviewer further asserts that "there are issues concerning the education of the non-French speakers". I don't know what she means, but I don't speak French, and my boy didn't speak French before attending. He is doing great, and his studies are on par with his similarly aged cousins, except that my boy is fluent in French. And the school does offer a summer introductory course. The "social issues" analysis is ridiculous and shameful. DIS has a zero tolerance rule regarding physical contact. They are actually very strict. The fact is that these children are very closely monitored and loved. Today was my son's last day of school for the year, and the teachers and assistants were very emotional - some were weeping. My boy actually says that he "loves" his teacher and her assistant. I cannot recount the number of occasions that my boy was ill or was struggling with something, only to be comforted by a school staff member or teacher. My wife and I regularly express to each other how fortunate we were to have him surrounded by people that love him. The assertion that the teachers don't "nurture" is categorically, unequivocally false, and it saddens me that someone would characterize them in that manner. These are simply wonderful people that love what they do. As for the school's responsiveness, once again, I cannot give them higher praise. The school and staff are extremely responsive. As for the curriculum, my boy is only in first grade, so I don't have first-hand experience, but I do know that SMU awarded the President's Scholarship to a recent graduate of DIS. Here is how SMU describes the recipient of this award: "The President's Scholars Program is awarded to students who have shown exemplary academic and leadership skills. The award provides full tuition and fees as well as study abroad. Students who live on campus also receive a scholarship for room and board. For consideration for the President's Scholarships, the highest academic awards given by the University, students must have exceptional achievement on the SAT or ACT and in their high school curriculum." The President's Scholarship is awarded to only 20-25 freshmen. So, not only did this DIS graduate gain admission to SMU, but he also had what it took to procure a scholarship that was awarded to only 22 of its entering freshmen. Suffice to say, I am 100% satisfied with from I have experienced with this school so far. The high school students I have met seem incredibly well adjusted and talented. It is simply a wonderful academic institution. read more

We have spent two years at DIS with fantastic teachers, and a new, very sharp Head of Primary. We are an English speaking American home and have not experienced anti-American attitudes in any way (like another reviewer said). Our experience has been classes consisting of about 50% Americans, 50% non-Americans (only a few actually being French of the non-Americans). The school is a place of cultural diversity, teaching so much more than a second language. This is a unique learning opportunity and experience. Visit the campus for yourself. Regarding a few comments below: Re: communication: there are weekly campus newsletters emailed, monthly teacher newsletters, quarterly conferences, monthly headmaster-parent coffee hours, direct one on one communication with teachers in person or email as needed. We have always received immediate responses. Re: no summer camps for non-French speakers other than basic French, this is incorrect. We took a summer Gardening camp at DIS, as well as an Art camp (I know they have a Mad Science camp, and other language camps like Spanish). Lastly, Re: no tutors. Of course there are tutors, when needed. There are teachers who tutor after school. It is a small community, so just ask! read more

DIS is an international school that gives children and parents seeking a worldly point of view. Our kids have been there since 3 years old and have had a great experience. So much so that they will not even consider going to another school. There are many teachers who tutor privately. read more