As the Summer Program Director, you want to attract as many participants as you can. Because the program (with the exception of those that offer credit classes) does not have admission requirements, is oriented toward enrichment rather than academics, and is open to almost any student interested in a rewarding summer adventure, you can accommodate as many students as space allows.
‘Back Up’ Your Management Team With Task Calendars
What would you, as the Head of School, do if your Business Manager were unable to perform her job responsibilities – especially those that are critical (e.g., preparing your school’s IRS Form 990), confidential (e.g., processing the payroll), or mandatory (e.g., completing a required state report)? Who would assume the day-to-day operation of the Development Office if the Development Director fell gravely ill? If the Upper School Head suddenly resigns, who will submit names of students for membership in the National Honor Society or Cum Laude – and when is the deadline?
The New Stability Markers: Next-Level Placement and Success
The following article comprises a supplementary recommendation regarding next-level placement and success. One of the least used – yet potentially most effective – approaches to determining your school’s overall success is tracking your students’ next-level placement and accomplishments. From this, your school can develop a database from which to strengthen its marketing impact. The two-step process involves:
– deriving a graduate-outcome descriptors list from your mission statement, and
– creating and using a short survey of your young alumni based upon that descriptors list.
Make Your Faculty Evaluation Meaningful
Is your faculty evaluation system based on showing up in the classroom for observation? Is it something your faculty dreads? And does it truly give you a picture of how each teacher impacts the students—and the school? Summer is a great time to really examine just HOW you make sure your faculty members are delivering your mission and contributing to your school culture.
Summer Reading Suggestions
Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov (Amazon.com $16.34)
This is the product of a decade of research going into classrooms and videotaping teacher practice. Don't expect high-sounding theory or clever philosophy. Lemov states that his litmus test is whether students sit up and pay attention to a teacher, and then do well academically (are prepared well for college). Great teachers, he says, do these things.
Enter, Stay, Leave: A New Insight
ISM last wrote about the motivations that parents and children have for entering and staying at a school in 1994. The original research was done over 30 years ago—it doesn’t seem to have changed in essence, although some nuances are becoming evident. Every year, we interview hundreds of parents and students face-to-face and almost always ask them questions about their motivation to attend a school, their motivation for staying, and what has the most impact on them. Our 2010 parent survey (with an n = 14,207) shows that 42.13% of our parents earn over $175,000 annually; 35.8% earn between $75,000 and $125,000; and 14.06% earn less than $75,000. Across all socio-economic bands, the answers to those questions are strikingly similar and can almost be scripted.
Your Faculty’s Role in the Admission Process
When a new student behaves poorly or seems unable to compete academically with peers, faculty members often ask the questions, “Why did we accept her?” and “Who let him in?” Teachers who do not play a role in admission or miscomprehend the process often view the entry process as a “numbers game.”
The Bullying Epidemic
The suicide of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince—attributed to relentless, vicious bullying by a group of fellow students—has once again put an exclamation point on a problem that is rampant with youth today. In the Prince case, the community has been torn apart—citizens demanding justice for Phoebe, the police attempting to conduct a thorough investigation while they simmered, indictments for the alleged bullies, parents being charged, and fingers pointed at the high school's faculty and staff who knew of the bullying.
Just a Cool New Gadget? Some Thoughts on the iPad
Just a big iPod Touch. Just a big iPhone. Just a big gaming device. And that name. You are probably hearing all these things about the latest release from Apple, the iPad—the company's new e-tablet. But just walk into an Apple retail store (if you can manage to get in—even at the height of the recession, the place was always mobbed), wait your turn, and then belly up to one of the dozen or more iPads on display.
Maximize Your Return on Investment: ‘Market’ Your Commitment to Professional Development
ISM recommends schools invest annually between 1.5% to 2.0% of their total operations budget in the professional development of their faculty (Stability Marker No. 8). Schools use this investment as one strategy in creating a strong faculty culture that translates to a demonstrable improvement in student performance. In addition, ISM research indicates that linking your faculty evaluation system with ongoing professional development is the key to retaining and recruiting teachers.