With an ISM Survey, you'll find out the not-so-obvious reasons for families' decisions. Why? Because families are more willing to talk openly to a third-party interviewer than someone from your school.

An ISM Survey takes the guesswork out of your marketing effort. You can zero in on hot-button issues, so you can spend your marketing dollars efficiently and effectively, particularly in this economic downturn. You get up-to-date facts and data that help you deal with the challenges you face right now.

What We Do

We tailor our surveys to uncover what you want, and need, to know. You may wish to survey one, all, or some combination of the following groups.

• Current Student and Parent Survey
  Uncover relevant attitudes and factors among these constituents to help you in long range or strategic planning, marketing, and provide benchmarks for improvements.


• Attrition Survey
  Determine the reasons a student/family decided to leave your school prior to graduation so you can spot trends and common concerns, and address them. We go beyond “we can’t afford it” and find out why these families determined your school didn’t offer them the best value for their dollars.


• Applicant Survey
  Find out why students/families who applied to the school and were accepted decided not to enroll. We discover perceptions about your school and provide insight in areas of marketing and program.


• Alumni/Survey
  Get feedback from graduates and/or their parents on the education and opportunities provided by your school, and the perceived value vs. tuition cost.


• Faculty/Administration Survey
  Employee morale has an enormous impact on your school environment. Make sure students get the upbeat, stable atmosphere that they deserve. Our Faculty/Administration Survey examines your staff's current level of satisfaction with their compensation and benefits package. We recommend it any time you are considering a change, and in conjunction with our Faculty Compensation Analysis service.

Our objective, third-party status ensures you get the highest response rate possible because the respondents’ anonymity is protected. The student and parent, alumni/ae, and faculty/administration surveys are written questionnaires, while the attrition and applicant surveys are done by telephone to get the most comprehensive data. Telephone calls are conducted in a professional manner, designed to put families at ease and encourage them to give maximum feedback. After analyzing the survey responses, we give you a comprehensive report on the findings and offer advice.

For more details on the process: Surveys: FAQ

Benefit to You

ISM has conducted more than 2,000 on-site consultations and over 135 surveys with schools. Our solid background in private-independent schools and all facets of their management enables us to identify assets and pinpoint liabilities, and share trends with you. Each of our surveys provides confidentially gathered data and a detailed analysis in a written report that guides you in institutional decision-making.

To find out more about ISM Surveys, e-mail Terri Gillespie, ISM's Consulting Coordinator, or call 302-656-4944 (ext. 134).

"We contracted our survey of parents, faculty, staff, and students with ISM. We recognized the importance of having a professionally prepared survey in order to produce information that would be non-biased and a true measure, and ISM fulfilled that need. We are very pleased with the entire process—well worth the investment. We now have valuable information for our improvement."

Ellen Cavanaugh, Head of School
Oakcrest School, VA