Develop strategies based on sound research and analysis germane to private schools.
ISM’s continuous research is at the core of our theory, workshops, and consultations, and is the driving force behind Ideas & Perspectives and our other publications. We analyze our own survey and report information, and routinely peruse statistics and data developed by the government and other educational organizations.
ISM's goal is to provide various resources of relevance to private schools, sharing information and advice to help them prosper.
Search
See ISM's latest reports, white papers, and articles.
Is the U.S. Private Education Sector Infected by Baumol’s Cost Disease?
Article ● May 10, 2022
High and rising costs characterize the private education industry in the United States. This paper tests if Baumol’s cost disease of the service sector can explain some of the growth of private education spending. An empirical strategy developed by Hartwig (2008) and Colombier (2010) and a panel dat...
Read More
ISM Faculty and Management Compensation Survey 2013-14 Summary of Results
Whitepaper ● August 9, 2019
Released March 2014. In this report, Hanover Research summarizes results from the 2013-2014 Faculty and Management Compensation Survey, administered on behalf of Independent School Management to 262 independent schools in the United States. Analysis in this report includes univariate summa...
Read More
5 Elements to Consider When Setting Your Financial Aid Policy
Whitepaper ● August 24, 2018
Setting the correct financial aid policy for your school allows you to more consistently and accurately award the right amount of aid to mission-appropriate families. Learn strategies for setting a mission-appropriate financial aid policy that makes sense for your families, your school, and your community with our white paper, 5 Elements to Consider When Setting Your School’s Financial Aid Policy.
Read More
Effects of Tuition Increases on Enrollment Demand
Whitepaper ● March 3, 2017
Independent School Management (ISM), Measuring Success, and the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) have harnessed the power of collaboration to renew a study and methodology originally undertaken in 2006 by Measuring Success and repeated in 2011 by Measuring Success with ISM. These studies suggested that there was no relationship between tuition increases and enrollment; this has been a help to many schools. Some schools, however, were concerned that the results of these studies did not examine the nuanced measures of enrollment, did not sufficiently reflect their individual circumstances, or that, after five years since the last study, the market had changed. To continue to address this important question, the same three leading organizations have worked together to expand the number and type of schools participating in a research-based study that once again addresses the important question, “Is there a relationship between enrollment in an independent school and changes in tuition?”
Read More