Since its landmark research on the factors associated with student and faculty performance, ISM has published extensively on the topic of professional development and faculty evaluation in private-independent schools. High-functioning schools possess a faculty culture rooted in a collective commitment to career-long professional growth. These schools are adept at responding to both evolving student needs and changes in the characteristics of independent school faculties.

ISM has suggested that conventional thinking about private-independent school mission statements should be revisited. School leaders, caught between the need to craft an (1) inspirational, (2) compelling, and (3) marketing-effective statement, on the one hand, and a (4) comprehensive, (5) actionable, and (6) outcome explicit statement, on the other, have too often found the result unsatisfactory. The commonly experienced result has been a 30-word mission statement that attempts all of the above, thereby appearing cluttered, confused, and sometimes (necessarily) similar to those of competing schools.

Section 409A of the tax code (which generally deals with tax-deferred compensation issues) was enacted in October 2004.1 This did not directly impact schools until final regulations were issued in April 2007. The final regulations generally are applicable for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2008. However, for school years beginning in 2007 and ending in 2008, schools that offer elections to annualize compensation must have set forth in writing, by December 31, 2007, how employees are to be paid for the rest of the of the current school year. For 2008-09 and later school years, schools will need to meet the requirements explained below.

There is currently a heightened awareness of character education. In terms of academics, ISM has been tracking and warning of the competitive pressures from public schools throughout the United States. From Advanced Placement course offerings, to International Baccalaureate programs, to next level success, many public schools demonstrate that they are competitive with private-independent schools, admittedly with great regional variance. So while our schools can and do continue to compete in the area of academic excellence, Boards and School Heads must take more seriously than ever before the new competitive frontier — character education.Portrait of the Graduate, and the Characteristics of Professional Excellence of your faculty) and ensure they are directly connected to the lives of the students in your school.

The third ISM-recommended component of your Purpose and Outcome Statements (along with your mission statement and your Portrait of the Graduate) is your list of Characteristics of Professional Excellence. This is a 10- to 15-item list comprising your operational definition of faculty excellence. The items will relate both to your mission statement and to your Portrait of the Graduate, but differ because they focus on the specific behaviors, values, and attitudes that must be present in strength within your faculty in order for the mission to come alive and the portrait to be realized.

Autonomy: An attitude that may include a sense of professionalism, competence, entrepreneurship, individuality, self-reliance, independence, and (negatively) self-centeredness, closed mindedness, and arrogance. Collegiality: The collection of behaviors that may include the following ideas: cooperation, collaboration, teamwork, sharing, cross-disciplinary actions, tolerance, and (negatively) intrusion, interference, not recognizing boundaries, “group thinking,” and inefficiency.

In an earlier I&P article, ISM introduced the concept of Purpose and Outcome Statements. These statements include three definitive documents: the mission statement, the Portrait of the Graduate, and Characteristics of Professional Excellence. In combination, they guide the school in capturing the core reasons for its existence, distinguishing it from other schools, and defining its educational purposes. This article, the second in the series, explains the purpose and development of the Portrait of the Graduate.

Nearly 15 years ago, ISM wrote that private-independent schools “should examine their policies on Advanced Placement (AP) offerings carefully. On the one hand, these courses provide students with challenging, standardized materials, parents with reasons to boast, and schools with credibility. On the other hand, they also can place a lid on a school’s creative potential, short-change students, and lead to a marketing dead end.” This is even truer today than it was in 1991.

How do the members of the Management Team know the "right" things to do in the coming year? While the strategic plan (resulting in the annual agenda) drives what the Board is to do, the Management Team has less clear direction as to how to create the annual administration agenda. The following example shows how to make this important document a reality.

You, along with many private-independent school leaders, may be questioning the position of Advanced Placement courses in your school: Does the AP curriculum truly support/deliver the mission of your school? If AP is mission-appropriate in your school, recognize the impact it can have on your schedule, your students, and the education you provide.