Summer is “downtime” at many preschools and K–12 schools. Most teachers are on hiatus, sports teams aren’t competing, and administrative staff members are taking vacation time. But for your Development Office, summer should be GO time.

Congratulations—you made it through the busiest part of the admission cycle! Acceptances (and denials) have been delivered; the phone calls from prospective parents have slowed (hopefully); the sun is shining brighter and summer is just around the corner. It’s officially spring and you can take a breather—right?

Stevens Cooperative School serves more than 430 students on two campuses in Jersey City (K–8) and Hoboken (PK–8) in New Jersey.

In today’s learning environments, culturally responsive teaching is a requisite for educating empowered, resilient, and empathic students capable of vital civic engagement. But what is it exactly? And why does it matter?

For the school leader seeking to optimally position their school, and the marketing and enrollment management professionals who support them, there is no more important information than what is on the mind of their prime prospective families. Until recently, access to this knowledge was simply out of reach for most schools, since it involved engaging in large-scale market research with large associated costs. What’s changed? A new ability to utilize advanced demographic and lifestyle factor analysis, along with sophisticated analytics, to cost-effectively identify and conduct research among your school’s most valued prospects.

For school leaders engaged in the hiring process, the question of how to narrow the candidate field is a crucial one. With the flood of resumes that typically answer calls for faculty and staff, knowing how to effectively screen applicants and bring in qualified, mission-driven employees is a must. Moving from resumes to application-based hiring is one way to adjust the system and create an alternative hiring practice that maintains integrity.

Driving a successful annual fund campaign is a universal goal for every private school. But reaching this goal is easier said than done.

Recently, schools all over the country have started to ask and address the same question: How can we best promote diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) in our communities? Is there a presence of different identities, experiences, and perspectives? Have we developed a culture that enables people to see themselves reflected in the institution? Is there a system of accountability and repair for wrong-doing? Do students, staff, and parents feel valued and respected in ways that enable them to feel a sense of agency and trust in the school?

Worries about rising tuition and changing demographics resulting in fewer potential students have led more independent schools to consider auxiliary programs as a viable way to boost revenue and admission efforts. Leading auxiliary programs are both visionary and entrepreneurial.

A singular mission has always driven ISM—advance school leadership to enrich the student experience. Today, we are excited to further our mission by announcing our acquisition of Measuring Success, a data science and research organization.