Successful school leadership transitions require a well-prepared community and a clear integration plan. Without this, new leaders face preventable challenges that put them at a disadvantage from day one.

Join Chris Massaro, Partner, The Source Advisory, and Keith Evans, President of Westminster Schools in GA, as they discuss how private-independent school senior leaders and boards can ensure smooth transitions through clear communication, structured support, and community engagement. Learn how your team can play a crucial role in setting new leaders up for long-term success.

Understanding and managing admission funnel, enrollment, and re-enrollment data is essential for effective enrollment planning. There are key data points that all schools should be collecting and analyzing throughout the admission process.

Join Casey Bell, ISM Consultant, as she describes the keys to a foundational understanding of admission and enrollment data. Discover how to interpret and apply core data points to project enrollment and inform your planning and enrollment strategies.

Independent schools face an increasingly competitive landscape, where shifts in demographics, technology, and family expectations pose challenges to traditional admission and marketing approaches. Heads and trustees play a critical role in ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of their schools, yet many are unsure of how to support admission, enrollment management, and marketing communications in strategic ways.

In a rapidly evolving digital world, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the media landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for private-independent schools. From deepfakes to sophisticated video and photo manipulation, the implications of these technologies are vast, and the risks are significant.

Join our expert panel as they delve into what schools need to know to safeguard their communities and uphold their values. Bring your questions and gain actionable insights to navigate the complexities of AI and digital media effectively.

Private-independent schools thrive when their communities understand that voluntary support is essential to advancing their student-centered mission. But even with a well-managed development operation, schools may struggle to meet fundraising goals due to underlying cultural factors that shape philanthropic capacity but remain undefined.

For individuals who have dedicated their lives to education and leading schools, the thought of retirement can be filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions, especially when their careers have been successful and gratifying. Still, we all know successful heads who stayed too long … who, like aging athletes, tried to extend their tenures beyond their prime years.

How do you know when to step away? How do you know the right time to hand the leadership reins to a worthy successor?

In every independent school, marketing and admissions teams must withstand ever-shifting pressures that make it more difficult to achieve institutional goals and objectives. The Chinese American International School (CAIS), located in the highly competitive San Francisco market, faced the task of growing in an already saturated field. Strategic collaboration was the key to increasing enrollment.

School marketers are increasingly overwhelmed by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Many aren’t sure how to leverage its potential, misapplying the technology or worrying about losing the personal touch in their messaging. Concerns about AI’s practicality, ethics, and effectiveness often lead to hesitation, creating missed marketing opportunities.

Donors are vital for securing your school’s stability and success, and your relationships with them must be conducted with care and understanding. The ISM Donor Cycle — interpreted for and tailored to private-independent schools — models a strategic approach to moving a donor into a closer relationship with your school.