The National Center for Education Statistics has just released the report The High School Transcript Study: A Decade of Change in Curricula and Achievement, 1990-2000, which examines the “trends and changes in high school curriculum and student coursetaking patterns for the past decade.” The study included public and non-public schools. The findings are of particular interest when scrutinizing the contention that private schools provide a superior academic education when compared to public schools.

In October 2002, The National Center for Education Statistics released Projections of Education Statistics to 2012, Thirty-first Edition. Included in those projections were predictions regarding private school enrollment. (See the accompanying table, “Enrollment in Private Schools: 2000-2012.”) Consider the following points as you revisit your planning process this year.

ISM endorses a strong working partnership between you, as the School Head, and the Business Manager. The “silent” partner in this relationship is the Board of Trustees. Your Business Manager works with Board members via the Finance Committee (and, depending upon how your Board organizes for its work, other committees as well). This exposure can confirm to your Board the quality of the Business Manager’s work. If the Board reports unsatisfactory performance, do not ignore opinions that differ from yours. Discounting the Board’s concerns may put you in peril as well.

Private-independent schools annually wrestle with complex financial issues that center on the question of tuition. Trustees, Heads, and Business Managers often find themselves asking, “How can we keep our school affordable?” ISM believes this is the wrong question to ask if one of your school’s strategic goals is to maintain long-term financial viability. The proper question is, “How can we keep our school accessible?”

“The core theme of K-12 education in this century should be straightforward: high standards with an unwavering commitment to individuality.” – Mel Levine, M.D., “Celebrating Diverse Minds” Educational Leadership, October 2003

When discussing ways to enhance faculty recruitment and retention, do you include the condition of your school facilities in your considerations? As Head, if you’ve noticed teachers complaining about their classroom space, noise levels, air quality, lighting, and other facility inadequacies, this may be a red flag indicating deeper problems.

“We demand that leaders solve, or at least manage, a multitude of interconnected problems that can develop into crises without warning; we require them to navigate an increasingly turbulent reality that is, in key aspects, literally incomprehensible to the human mind; we buffet them on every side with bolder, more powerful special interests that challenge every innovative policy idea; we submerge them in often unhelpful and distracting information; and we force them to decide and act at an ever faster pace.” – Thomas Homer-Dixon, "Leadership Captive"  

During the Obama administration’s first 100 days in office, several initiatives became law that have had an impact on private-independent schools. One bill of interest to employers, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), appears likely to come before Congress this summer but has received little attention in the private school community. As EFCA may significantly impact the way school employees and administrators interact, this article highlights the main features of the bill, considers key ramifications, and recommends ways to positively reinforce elements of your school culture that could be affected by EFCA.

From October 2007 to March 2008, ISM conducted perhaps the largest survey ever of private-independent school parents. Over 21,800 families from 37 schools were invited to participate in the online survey and 7,986 responded. This article focuses on parental income and the ability to pay tuition, as well as the differences in the use of scholarships and financial aid in these schools.

Among the unsettling findings in ISM’s recent 37-school survey was this one: Less than 61% of the parents surveyed agreed that “The school rewards and recognizes excellence in its faculty.” 1 Only 24.44% “strongly” agreed. As School Head, consider your own situation. How would your own parent body be likely to respond to that item?