Are you a new director or school leader looking to formalize and expand your auxiliary programs department? Discover how to build strong partnerships with key stakeholders and position your auxiliary programs as a vital contributor to your school’s success.

Surveys are more than just forms — conducting them over time allows you to spot trends, understand what your school is doing well, and uncover areas where there’s room to grow. When you work with a third party specializing in independent schools like ISM, you get expert-designed, research-backed questions, guaranteed anonymity for participants, and results your community can trust.

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.

What if you could meet visitors to your website and uncover prospective families who DON’T submit an inquiry form, or stealth applicants BEFORE they submit an application?

UnboundDiscover from ISM — a new addition to the Unbound product suite — transforms anonymous website visitors into identified, actionable prospects for engagement. Discover how you can access never-before-seen website visitor data to transform your admission and marketing initiatives.

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.

Leaders who build a support network and emphasize their own health and well-being are prepared to enjoy a higher level of success. However, leaders who set a frenetic pace, such as sending work emails throughout the weekend, hinder their ability to thrive — and model that behavior to those they supervise.

Even in healthy school communities, challenge and conflict will occur. Leaders who start from a position of physical and mental strength are better positioned to regulate their emotions in the face of such events and situations.