A family may choose to leave your school for many different reasons. It’s up to the Admission office to determine why—and discover any underlying financial or cultural issues that might be plaguing your school, causing families to choose other educational institutions.
A crucial part of this discovery process is conducting exit interviews with departing families. Work to understand what wasn’t meeting families' expectations and what ultimately motivated them to look for another avenue for their children’s education.
Conduct an exit interview with every family that chooses to leave before graduation. Also consider interviewing students who have graduated and their parents to hear their perspectives. Additionally, talk to families that are moving outside of your school’s service area. This will help you compare what’s working and what isn’t for families across the board.
It’s dangerous to make assumptions as to why families leave. It may be tempting to assume that families choose to send their children to other schools because they offer a one-to-one technology program or an expansive drama program—and you need to add similar services to compete. But without interview data to understand each family’s intentions, you may end up adding programs that aren’t truly wanted.
Exit interviews should be conducted over the phone or in-person. These personal interactions—rather than using a paper or online survey—will allow the interviewer to follow up on questions that elicit unclear responses, or require additional investigation.
Ideally, the interviewer has a close relationship with the family and is perceived to have the power to make changes based on their feedback. This can be a member of the Admission office, a Division Head, Athletic Director, or even the School Head.
The tone of these conversations should be open, friendly, and neutral. Acknowledge that your intention is not to convince them to stay at your school. Instead, they should leave the discussion believing that they will always be considered part of your school family and you want their feedback to improve the overall quality of your school's offerings.
The interviewer should be well-trained in interview techniques, able to actively listen and then follow up on certain answers to get more details, if necessary.
While every conversation will be structured differently, it’s crucial that the interviewer uncover three truths during the course of the interview.
Truth #1: Why the family decided not to re-enroll. The answer as to why a family decides not to return to your school is not usually simple. Many parents will point to finances, but encourage the interviewer to dig deeper. Did the family apply for financial aid? Were they awarded? Were they given enough? Have enough families pointed out financial aid as an issue that you may want to revisit your financial aid formula? Exit interviews can help you find the not-so-obvious answers to these questions.
Truth #2: What strengths and weaknesses did the family experience during their time at your school. Where does the family feel you excelled, and what areas could stand for improvement? Be sure that the interviewer remains neutral and uses active listening to ask follow-up questions where appropriate. Regardless of the family’s decision, let them know you care about their child and you’re interested in hearing their concerns.
Truth #3: What factored into the family’s decision when choosing their new school. Investigate what they’re most interested in when it comes to their new institution. This can accomplish two goals. You’ll better understand what families desire for their children, and you’ll build good will when hearing about what others offer. This helps maintain a positive relationship with the family, and they are more likely to speak well of your school to others as a result—even if the school may not have been a good fit for their child.
Analyzing the responses you collect can help you discover actions to take to improve your school for the long term.
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for Advancement Vol. 12 No. 9 Exit Interviews: When Families Decide to Leave
Additional ISM resources for Gold members:
I&P Vol. 41 No. 9 Exit Interviews and Attrition Surveys: Getting at the Truth Behind Why Families Leave
I&P Vol. 35 No. 8 Enter, Stay, Leave: A New Insight
