Virtual & Onsite Consulting Services

Onsite Consulting
Onsite Consulting

Ensure that your school’s governance and operations support your mission.

We work together with your leaders, teachers, staff members, and students to understand your school’s unique needs, strengths, and challenges. We help you create a plan to help you meet your goals.

Your team can then put these mission-appropriate recommendations into action to achieve increased cash reserves, higher enrollment levels, and long-term stability. At the end of the day, we all have a singular purpose—advance school leadership to enrich the student experience.

We offer personalized consultations for many leadership divisions of a private school—the Board of Trustees, School Heads, the Business Office, the Development Office, Enrollment Management professionals, Marketing professionals, and Academic leaders. Select the area of school leadership you’d like to further explore.

 

Our Consulting Services

School Head

Whether you want to ensure that all school functions run at peak efficiency or are considering implementing new strategies and initiatives, lean on a trusted source of knowledge to increase the likelihood of long-term success.

Business & Operations

Take advantage of a full range of planning, facilities, and operations consulting services that give your school a solid footing for the future. Examine where your key operations work well, and where they can use improvement.

Academic Leadership

Your programs set your school apart. Explore how to create and build programs that pull families in and give them an experience they couldn’t have at another private-independent school.

Admission & Enrollment Management

ISM’s data-informed approach pinpoints what attracts families to your school and inspires them to stay. Receive customized solutions based on your school’s unique marketplace stance, challenges, and opportunities.

Fundraising & Development

Learn how to develop successful strategies to engage and bring donors closer to your institution. No matter your school size, history, or pedagogy, explore how to plan, implement, and evaluate your fundraising strategies to realize your full potential.

Marketing Communications

Explore how to share exceptional stories of student learning, engagement, and outcomes, and illustrate how these can become differentiators that distinguish your school from your competitors.

Board of Trustees

The Board must focus its efforts on governing, planning, and financing your school's future, while leaving everyday decisions to competent administrators. To do that successfully, your Board must think, plan, and act strategically.

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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.

How to Create Job Descriptions to Attract Great New Teachers

Academic Leadership // January 22, 2018

Hiring can be one of the most time-consuming and nerve-wracking aspects of your job as an academic leader. The first step in a successful hiring process is creating a comprehensive job description that attracts the right applicants. Craft a job description that accurately portrays an open role’s expected responsibilities, education level, and characteristics. Also focus on what sets your school apart from others in the marketplace to ensure you find the right person to fill each position.

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Why Positivity Matters in Your School

Academic Leadership // January 22, 2018

Academic leaders are tasked with creating school systems that support teachers and help students succeed. ISM’s research indicates that cultivating a positive atmosphere—one where faculty members provide a predictive and supportive environment—is essential to making student success a reality.

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The Information Parents Value Most

Advancement // January 17, 2018

The Marketing and Communications Office is a driving force in providing information about your school to parents. But how do parents prefer to receive this information?

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Three Steps for Successfully Turning an Inquiry Into a Campus Visit

Advancement // January 17, 2018

Parents often contact multiple private-independent schools when choosing where to send their child. Parents can make an inquiry to your school by phone, via email, through your website, or by way of social media. Your job as a member of the Admission Office is to turn that inquiry into a campus visit, where you can show your school in action.

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Preparing Your School for Cybersecurity Threats

Business and Operations // January 9, 2018

Is your school prepared to withstand a cybersecurity threat? A new study from the Consortium for School Networking and the Education Week Research Center shows that many schools aren’t.

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The Essential Role of the Business Manager at Your School

Business and Operations // January 9, 2018

An efficient and effective Business Office is critical to your school’s success. Whether you’re a new Business Manager yourself, or you’re a school leader looking to add or refine this position within your organizational structure, here are some recommendations for the responsibilities of the Business Manager in a private-independent school.

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Creating a Successful Advisory Program

School Heads // January 8, 2018

A key attribute of a private-independent school education is the presence of an advisory program. Families value the one-on-one attention and mentoring their child receives, providing them with the academic guidance, character education, and personal development advice they need to excel within your school. Here are some tips for creating a successful advisory program to benefit students, families, and faculty.

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How to Announce a New Strategic Financial Plan

School Heads // January 8, 2018

The holiday season is behind us, a new year is beginning, and you have big tasks on the horizon. Chances are your team is in the final stages of completing next year’s financial plan. It’s now your job to orchestrate announcing next year’s plans—along with any accompanying changes to tuition and fees—to the school community. It can be difficult to share this news, and you may wonder about the best way to approach this announcement.

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Why Senior Citizens Are a Vital Addition to Your Volunteer Pool

Private School News // December 21, 2017

The holiday season is a joyous time, filled with friends, family, and giving. But, come January, many of us fall into our normal routine and there can be less focus on community. One group that can feel this shift are local senior citizens. As you review your initiatives for the new year, consider whether you could enlist this group to be part of your school’s volunteer team.

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These Jobs Are on the Rise in the U.S.—Will Your Students Be Prepared?

Private School News // December 21, 2017

Your school aims to give students the skills they need to flourish, eventually allowing them to find success in the professional world. But the professional world is changing as new fields and job categories emerge. How can you best prepare students to flourish in tomorrow’s job market?

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