An Exemplary Example: Dalat International School

There are a handful of impressive, unique, and defining qualities of Dalat International School (DIS) in Penang, Malaysia: it boasts a nearly 100-year history, it is no longer in the city it is named after, and maybe most notably, it is ACSI’s first international school to earn exemplary accreditation status. 

DIS was a boarding school for missionary kids when it was founded in 1929 in Dalat, Vietnam, by the Christian and Missionary Alliance. In 1965, with the Vietnam War raging, the U.S. military gave the school 48 hours to pack up everything they could and head to Thailand. 

“We still have a number of alumni who remember those days,” said Shawna Wood, the Head of School at DIS. “They call themselves the ‘evac-pack.’” 

After six months sharing space with an international school in Thailand, the school moved to Malaysia. Within a few years, administrators realized a return to Vietnam would never materialize. They moved to Penang in 1971, rented a campus from a convent, and have remained there ever since. 

The last few decades have not included as many chaotic changes, but that has allowed the school to grow in other ways.  

DIS has been accredited through ACSI since the 1980s, so the desire to become an exemplary accredited school was to push the school to another level. 

“We always want to improve,” Wood said, who is also on the ACSI Commission on Accreditation. “We decided it would give us direction for what things to change.” 

That sentiment proved to be true. As DIS made changes to meet exemplary accreditation status, the school leadership saw positive results. 

“We needed to develop an evaluation and a growth program for all our staff, not just instructive and administrative staff,” Wood said. “That was really needed. It helped everyone feel more supported. It made us go back and write detailed job descriptions and evaluation tools for every position.” 

The school also began focusing more on its alumni base and establishing better procedural documentation. 

Now, Wood recommends that many schools should consider taking an additional challenge beyond the Inspire protocol. 

“The exemplary protocol is a really good way to give you some ideas,” Wood said. “There are a lot of requirements for your school board, your head of school, and your financial situation. It will really help with the long-term stability of your school." 

Along with its academic excellence and growth mindset, the DIS leadership and community have stepped up in recent years to address much-needed campus improvements.  

Most of the original buildings were completely demolished and replaced with new, state-of-the-art facilities that are a wonder to behold for any visitor and a significant boon to student achievement and engagement. 

These include upgraded classrooms, a new high school building, a new middle school building, a new dormitory on the beachfront, and a state-of-the-art auditorium with seating for nearly 500.  

These campus improvements not only complement DIS’s Exemplary accreditation status but also enable them to host various Christian gatherings on their campus.  

The first major conference to be hosted on campus is ACSI’s International Christian Educator Conference (ICEC Asia), scheduled for November 2025.  

ACSI is expecting 500 educators from member international schools across Asia to gather on DIS's beautiful campus for professional growth and spiritual enrichment. Dalat International School is blessed to be a blessing (Psalm 67:1-2).