What's Happening and What's the Impact?

What environmental trends or market forces are you experiencing?  And, what's the impact on your planning and strategy for the upcoming year?  Take the time to share so that others can benefit.

We just launched the #edutrendingnow campaign designed to uncover the latest and most relevant trends impacting our clients.   Throughout the year, we will feature this content in our blog posts and various talks with regional and national associations throughout the country.  Here are two ways you can contribute;

1. Jump over to the #edutrendingnow page, read the instructions, and post your thoughts.  
2. Tweet your trends using the hashtag #edutrendingnow and tag @symmonds in the process.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

ISA Launches #edutrendingnow Campaign

This fall we are excited to launch a new campaign - #edutrendingnow - that we hope will reveal even more insight to those who value data-driven decision making.  ISA has always been interested in cultural shifts, societal inflection points, and educational trends.  Our research has historically identified major shifts and trends in the landscape of education and culture.  And, we have made it our business to share these trends with others through our white papers, presentations, and blog entries

What shifts are occurring in your curriculum planning?  How are you using technology to deliver education differently than just a few years ago?  What changes are you detecting in your student recruitment and retention analysis?  Are there changes in the demographic trends in your marketplace?  These are just some of the questions with which all independent schools and colleges are grappling during their summer analysis and year planning.

Here's how #edutrendingnow works.  You can choose to do any of the following. 

Identify a major shift or trend that is happening right now in your school or college in one of five areas: learning and curriculum, marketing, enrollment management, demographics, or technology.  

Share that trend by posting it as a comment to this blog below.  Be sure to identify yourself, including name, title, and school or college.

Post that trend using the hashtag #edutrendingnow on your favorite mainstream social media.

Share a link to this blog post with other colleagues so that we may benefit from their collective wisdom. Click on the "share" button below this post.

Here's what ISA will do with the content generated by #edutrendingnow.

Share and publish a new series of updated trends throughout the year.

Provide feedback and counsel on creative ways to address the trends identified.

Focus Ian's keynote speaking engagements this year on the content generated, sharing new trends along the way.

Give institutional credit for the content generated.

We all seek to benefit from our collective wisdom.  Tell us what is #edutrendingnow by commenting below.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Lessons from a Garage Sale

Our family just hosted a garage sale.  Yes, a garage sale, that American, homegrown, one-of-a-kind, iconic, neighborhood tradition.  I'm not a big fan of garage sales as they take a lot of work and patience.  But, it has been about a decade since our last one, we have a ton of stuff from raising two nearly grown girls, and my wife is a taskmaster.  It made sense to have a garage sale and I reluctantly agreed to look at it from an optimistic opportunity to learn more about people and culture.  

I sat quietly and interacted intermittently with our makeshift retail establishment visitors over a two day period.  Lisa, my wife and CEO of the garage sale, was really in charge and managed the affair.  I learned a lot, though, from what I witnessed during our garage sale.  And, I think these takeaways tell us as a lot about people and culture today that can be applied to our thinking about schools and colleges.  

1. People Want Community.  People seek to belong to a community and connect with each other.  I would estimate that 80% of the people coming to the garage sale were there to meet us and connect as much as shop for something.  Sure, they shopped for stuff, but I got the sense that it was connection that they sought as much as anything.
    
2. People Like Diversity.  Every walk of life entered our storefront.  If you have seen the show "Portlandia" on television, then you might be able to imagine the diversity of our retail visitors.    We connected with wealthy, poor, and middle class people.  Every car from luxury autos to old beaters pulled up in front of our house.  At least four different languages were spoken outside of English.  Diversity did not scare people - they embraced it.
    
3. Sustainability is Not New.  A garage sale is among the oldest forms of entrepreneurial sustainability.  Had our spring and summer cleaning been up to me, we would have taken all of our stuff to Goodwill, Northwest Children's Outreach, and then to the landfill.  Sure, we will still take many things for gift-in-kind donations to our favorite charities, but with a garage sale we had the opportunity to see several features of sustainability come to life.  Reuse.  Recirculate.  Redistribute.  Repurpose.  Reconnect.  What was old for us was new for someone else.  There was an economic exchange - albeit small - and, more importantly, a cultural exchange.  We got to know our neighbors - and their dogs - and our extended Garden Home community in Southwest Portland much better.  Sustainability is not new.  It is simple. 

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."  This old line is very true.  I learned a lot from our garage sale.  No, I would rather not host one for awhile again.  Another decade will be fine for me.  But, it was a great experience, thanks to my wife, who is organized and energetic about such things.  More importantly, I had the opportunity to witness some simple and basic axioms about people and culture that apply to nearly every aspect of my work.  People want community, embrace diversity more than we think, and sustainability is much more simple than we give it credit.  

The Cushman School Selects ISA

The Cushman School in Miami, Florida has selected ISA for market research services.  Our work with the school will commence this month.  Founded by a true visionary, The Cushman School reflects an 90-year-old pledge made by Dr. Laura Cushman to teach children to embrace the virtues of industry, courtesy, responsibility and scholarship. The Cushman student is encouraged and expected to work towards personalized goals, be well-mannered, respectful, accept responsibility, grow in character and develop academically.

Searching for Who Knows What?

As the annual recruiting cycle ends and we are readying for our students to return, independent schools and colleges are invariably in a reflective mode, analyzing results and contemplating the strengths and opportunities of their enrollment management team.   What worked?  What didn't?  Is our team the right team for this market and our culture?   

Enrollment managers are also reflecting upon the past cycle and pondering successes, challenges, and potential professional moves.  This is the time of year that independent schools and colleges may find themselves in a state of transition of enrollment management personnel.

We have worked with schools from all over the country in successfully coordinating Enrollment Management  searches, and are considered the "Cinderella" of  DEM searches.  The shoe always fits.  Our clients have been as varied in culture and market as The University School of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Crossroads School in Santa Monica, CA, and The St. Andrews Schools in Honolulu, HI.    We are keenly aware of not only the "on paper" skills desired in candidates, but also the nuances of personality and climate that render one a good cultural fit in our client institution.  The vast diversity of our clientele, and history of our partnerships with over 210 clients across the country renders ISA uniquely qualified to recruit quality talent in any market.

If your institution is at this point of personnel transition and hoping to move forward with enrollment management professionals who understand the unique needs of today's market, reach out to us.  We are pretty certain we can help.  

Position Opportunity - The Galloway School (GA)

The Galloway School, a strategic planning client, seeks an Upper Learning Principal as it moves toward implementing its innovative strategic plan.  Established by Elliott Galloway in 1969 as an independent day school, The Galloway School serves a diverse student body of approximately 750 students in preschool through 12th grade.  The Principal of Upper Learning supervises all aspects of Galloway’s Upper Learning program, specifically the activities for grades 9 through 12. In addition, the principal works closely with the principals of Early and Middle Learning on vertical articulation K-12 of curriculum and pastoral care.  For more information, please visit their website. 

Building a Best Practices Enrollment Management Program

Enrollment management teams unfortunately often find themselves in a knee-jerk quandary.  There is simply not enough time in the day to strategize, lead, and professionally develop the team.   Frustration mounts over personnel limitations and teams find themselves simply responding to inquiries as opposed to actively driving enrollment through the execution of a clear strategic enrollment management plan.  

We've been there and can relate.  ISA's wealth of experience in enrollment management assesment and resource implementation has served not only as life raft to independent schools all over the country, but also a driver to create both functional and institutional progressive change that removes the roadblocks to increasing a school's demand. 

And, honestly, results speak for themselves.  Check out the following testimonial we received from one of our many Seattle area independent school clients.  

"It was a delight to work with Kelly and ISA in marketing our school. Through her guidance, expertise and can-do approach, we doubled our enrollment in our lower school. She is a committed team player who supports and inspires others. I wholly recommend Kelly and the ISA team; they bring creativity, understanding -- and results -- to the table."

Regardless of the state of your institution's enrollment management union,  bringing some professional expertise and outside eyes can have a dramatic impact.  Whether your institution is in the beginning phases of developing a strategic enrollment management operational model, or already exceeding enrollment goals, the team at ISA's innovative approach and expert knowledge will help your team gain the professional momentum needed to drive enrollment into the future.

ISA Welcomes New Team Member

We are pleased to welcome Dana Nelson-Isaacs to our team. She started with ISA on July 1st and serves as ISA's Consulting Associate, supporting Ian's work from day to day. She is likely one of the first people you will interact with when reaching out to ISA to learn more about the services we offer. 

With over fifteen years of experience in independent schools, Dana is a former Director of Enrollment and Marketing and currently acts as the coordinator for the Bay Area Directors of Admission consortium. She maintains a cadre of other project based work for schools. She was inspired to pursue a career in education by her own incredible teachers and is thrilled to be part of the team at ISA.

Dana holds a BA in Psychology from Lewis and Clark College and an MS in Counseling Psychology from Sonoma State University. She makes her home in the beautiful Sonoma County wine country of California and spends her leisure time traveling locally and farther afield with her husband and young daughter. She also participates in community theater, and volunteering with educational non-profits.

Position Opportunity at #JustCause Partner KUZA

Our long-time #JustCause partner KUZA has an exceptional opportunity available for a qualified professional. KUZA seeks a Development and Communications Specialist.  The position opportunity can be found here.  The following is a brief from the description.

KUZA seeks a Development and Communications Specialist who will help KUZA achieve its strategic goals by communicating our message and building relationships with our current contributors, strategically grow our donor base, and cultivate relationships in the greater Portland community. This person will work closely with the Executive Director, the Board of Directors and volunteers to set funding goals and see that they are achieved. 

KUZA is a faith-based Portland area nonprofit that promotes development in Africa through higher education and leadership training. We’re passionate about sustainable development and we believe that the best solutions to fight poverty come from the nationals themselves. We focus on educating and equipping the next generation of leaders--specifically 17-24 year olds-- so they make lasting changes in their families, communities, and the nation of Uganda.

A Litmus Test for Brand Attributes and Benefits

Many organizations have a pretty good idea of what they are good at, or even what they believe makes them special.  But, they often struggle in translating their brand attributes into something that is both marketable or memorable.  We have often found that applying three basic tests to any set of brand attributes always helps ensure that they remain relevant and marketable.

Defendable - Is your brand attribute actually defendable?  Is your organization actually really good at it?  Is it a core competency of your school or college?  Are you best in class at this one thing?  If the answer is yes, you have passed the defendability test.

Desirable - Regardless of whether you are good or not at a given brand attribute, do people really want it?  Does your market research tell you it is among one of the most sought after brand benefits or product attributes that your target audiences has identified as important to their decision process?  If the answer is yes, then you have passed the desirability test.

Distinctive - Finally, are your chosen set of brand attributes really distinctive in the marketplace?  Are you one of the only products or programs offered of your type in the landscape of options?  Is there any other organization with this set of brand benefits or attributes?  If your organization can claim these items as truly unique in the landscape of options, then you have passed the distinctive test.

The three "D's" for one simple litmus test are defendability, desirability, and distinctiveness.  Try them on for size and see if your marketing claims pass this simple test.  If they do, you might be onto something.  If they don't, you might go back to the drawing board.  

Ian to Keynote at National Business Officers Association

Ian will have the unique opportunity to keynote at the 2016 National Business Officers Association Annual Meeting.  The event will be held February 21 - 24, 2016 at LA Live in Los Angeles.  Other keynoters include Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and Alison Levine, author and leadership guru.  Ian will speak at the annual business officers breakfast.  For more information, click on the graphic above.

A Collective Effort to Solve Boarding School Enrollment Challenges

Today we want to highlight a current and ongoing initiative by our good friends at The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) in Asheville, North Carolina.  In an effort to arrest a long-term decline in the enrollment of domestic boarding students at American and Canadian boarding schools, TABS launched the North American Boarding Initiative (NABI).  This process included an executive committee and the contributions of nearly 100 thought leaders (The NABI 100) to develop a cogent strategy for addressing the challenge.  I served on the NABI 100 and had the distinct opportunity to contribute to the project, along with many other of my colleagues.

Our good friends at Blackbaud K-12's Get Connected Podcast, hosted by fine colleague and thought leader himself, Peter Baron, recently sat down and interviewed Pete Upham on the scope and purpose of NABI.  It is a well-conceived plan and addresses not only the domestic boarding enrollment challenges of boarding schools, but touches on the many inflection points in pricing, quality, and delivery options that both independent schools and private colleges are facing today.  It is a great listen.  Feel free to download or listen to the podcast here.

Organizational or Missional Preservation?

In rare instances, a consulting firm like ours is called into action to assist a school or college that is spiraling downward and needs to be repositioned.  When we show up at the scene, demand has been declining, employee morale is waning, and the school is shell-shocked about the daunting task of rebuilding a future.  It is a worrysome scenario and one that few schools or colleges really ever experience.

Sweetbriar College, the fine, heritage-laden women's college in Virginia, recently made the decision to close their doors.  Faced with declining demand in perhaps the most competitive state in higher education in the nation, Sweetbriar determined that they could no longer preserve their core mission:  educating women.  Sure, there were probably other choices to make in order to stay alive, from moving to a coeducational platform, expanding online or other services, or moving into a whole new market.  But, it appears that the powers at Sweetbriar selected to honor their long-standing mission.  And, if they could no longer do that, they might be better off not in existence. 

When faced with challenging times, we often find that schools and colleges must make a difficult choice.  Should they work hard to preserve their organization - at any cost - even if it means altering their mission?  Or, should they preserve their mission - at any cost - when it means that they might be in jeapordy of closing if it no longer intersects with the market?  There are certainly a lot of factors that figure into the right solution for each organization.  

From my vantage point, I like the decision that Sweetbriar made in this instance.  It seems to me that if you believe fully in your mission, and your mission is deemed no longer relevant, then most organizations no longer have a reason for existence.  Sure, some can reinvent themselves with some new platform, but the reality is that their long-standing mission no longer intersects with market opportunity.  

As Jared Diamond once said, independent schools and colleges "do not have the divine right for existence".  They must demonstrate their relevance to the marketplace everyday.  I am all for preserving the organization only if the mission still matters. 

The Right Fit

As the 2015-16 recruiting cycle winds down, independent schools are invariably in a reflective mode, analyzing results and contemplating the strengths and opportunities of their enrollment management team.   What worked?  What didn't?  Is our team the right team for this market and our culture?   

Enrollment Managers are also reflecting upon the past cycle and pondering successes, challenges, and potential professional moves.  This is the time of year that independent schools may find themselves in a state of transition of Enrollment Management personnel.

We have worked with schools from all over the country in successfully coordinating Enrollment Management  searches, and are considered the "Cinderella" of  DEM searches.  The shoe always fits.  

Our clients have been as varied in culture and market as The University School of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Crossroads School in Santa Monica, CA, and The St. Andrews Schools in Honolulu, HI.    We are keenly aware of not only the "on paper" skills desired in candidates, but also the nuances of personality and climate that render one a good cultural fit in our client institution.  The vast diversity of our clientele, and history of our partnerships with over 200 clients across the country renders ISA uniquely qualified to recruit quality talent in any market.

If your institution is at this point of personnel transition and hoping to move forward with Enrollment Management professionals who understand the unique needs of today's market, we hope that you will consider ISA to lead this effort. 

SAIS Selects ISA

The Southern Association of Independent Schools has selected Ian Symmonds & Associates for strategic planning services.  Our work with the organization has commenced and will be completed in the fall 2015.  We are excited to welcome SAIS to our client community.

SAIS is a membership organization comprised of independent K-12 schools throughout the region.  As of June 30, 2014, SAIS has 364 member schools, represents over 200,000 students, and has a staff of 8 FTEs operating out of an office in Atlanta, Georgia.  The mission of SAIS is to strengthen member schools by providing high quality accreditation processes, comprehensive professional growth opportunities, and visionary leadership development programs.  SAIS provides a system of resources to help southern independent schools attain a level of excellence they could not achieve through other means.

SAIS and ISA have enjoyed a long and healthy relationship.  Ian's first several speaking engagements at the regional level occurred in the early 2000's with the SAIS heads conference, launching visibility among member schools in the region.  Today, ISA enjoys the largest contingent of our independent school client base in the Southeast and serves perhaps more independent schools in the region than any other consulting firm.  We are indeed delighted to be working with a base of individuals and schools whom we know well and are excited to contribute to their work. 

Position Opportunity - ISA Seeks Administrative Associate

Ian Symmonds & Associates seeks a part-time administrative associate to begin working within our organization during the summer 2015.  This position is roughly a 20 hour per week role serving as the main support capacity for our president, Ian Symmonds, and requires the following skills and orientation:

• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent technological orientation and background;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly with WORD and EXCEL;
• Flexible schedule;
• Positive attitude.

This position will office from a home office and can be located anywhere in the continental United States. Special consideration will be given to candidates who live on the West Coast, have some experience in independent education, and have a Bachelor's Degree.  Interested candidates should send a letter of application, resume, and three references, as well as include their Skype address, via email to Ian Symmonds.  Our preferred application deadline is June 15, 2015.

Chatham Hall Selects ISA

Chatham Hall in Chatham, Virginia, has selected Ian Symmonds & Associates for a strategic planning process for the 2015-16 year.  We will commence our planning in the fall.  We are delighted to welcome this heritage-laiden independent school to our client community.

Chatham Hall prepares girls for college and for productive lives. Our rigorous educational program encourages intellectual growth, creativity, and personal responsibility. We foster the intellect and character of each student and, through our Honor Code, live in a community of trust. Grounded in its Episcopal heritage, the school welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.

Chatham Hall private school for girls was opened in 1894 by the Rev. C. Orlando Pruden as a regional school for educating young women of Southern Virginia and neighboring North Carolina. From the outset, the school—originally named Chatham Episcopal Institute—provided a rigorous academic program designed to equip girls for the challenges of the future. It was initially housed in the “Chatham Hall” estate of the late John Gilmer.

The end of World War I brought changes in American culture that ultimately resulted in the 1927 transformation of the Chatham Episcopal Institute into Chatham Hall. During this time, the school’s student body became more national than regional in composition, and the school’s reputation for excellence was solidified.

Chatham Hall has a long tradition of encouraging girls to extraordinary accomplishment. Georgia O’Keeffe, for example, graduated in 1905 and not only went on to art schools dominated at the time by men, but also succeeded in becoming one of the foremost American artists of the 20th century.

Cannon School Selects ISA

Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina has selected ISA for research and consulting services.  We will commence our work in June and expect to complete it in mid fall.  We are very excited to welcome Cannon to the ISA community of schools and colleges.

Cannon School, established in 1969 as Cabarrus Academy and renamed in 1998, originally occupied the historic Concord residence of textile entrepreneur J.W. Cannon. In the four decades since, Cannon School has transformed itself from a small school in downtown Concord to one of the Charlotte region's top independent college-preparatory schools.

In 1994, the School relocated to a 65-acre campus on Poplar Tent Road, one mile east of Interstate 85 – a major step toward regionalization and growth. Today, under the leadership of Head of School Matthew E. Gossage, Cannon School serves more than 950 students from Charlotte, Davidson, Huntersville, Mooresville, Cornelius, Kannapolis, and Salisbury, in addition to Concord.

Cannon School provides strong academics, integrating its Core Values – Courage, Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Passion, and Kindness – into its curriculum. It boasts an award-winning character development program, excellent fine arts opportunities, a strong record of student placement at top colleges and universities nationwide, and provides students a safe and nurturing learning environment.

Fay School Selects ISA

Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts has selected Ian Symmonds & Associates for research and consulting services.  We are excited to welcome Fay to our client community.  Our work will commence this summer and be completed in early fall.  

Founded in 1866 and located twenty-five miles from Boston, Fay is a coeducational day and boarding school for students in pre-kindergarten through grade nine. Their boarding program (grades seven through nine) serves one hundred twenty students from throughout the United States and more than nineteen foreign countries, forming a truly multicultural school community.
 
Through small classes and individual attention, Fay’s challenging and supportive learning environment provides thorough preparation for secondary school. Their educational program establishes a solid foundation in reading, writing, critical thinking, quantitative analysis, and problem solving; it also emphasizes effort, responsibility, kindness, and respect. By participating in a wide variety of academic, athletic, and artistic activities, Fay students come to understand their own unique strengths and talents and become confident, actively-engaged citizens who take initiative and assume leadership roles.

Launching Research in San Francisco

I was on the Adda Clevenger School campus in Central San Francisco conducting listening sessions and focus groups with parents, faculty, and staff.  It was an invigorating visit to a school that is truly unique in the landscape of independent schools in the Bay Area.  The visit was a prelude to a larger strategic research project we are conducting with the school, which will continue on this summer and into the fall.  

The Adda Clevenger School was founded to encourage the intellectual, social and physical development of students who are able, and have the desire, to learn, grow and achieve more, and to do so more quickly, than their peers in the general population. The whole child – mind, body and character – is fostered to maximize educational success throughout the years of formal schooling.  Fundamental to the Adda Clevenger School experience is that students are actively engaged in the classroom and in school life; the development of passive learning habits, indolence and social detachment is actively discouraged.

Our project commences in May and continues through the fall, resulting in a strategic marketing plan and some creative refresh of their materials.  We'll keep you posted on the progress!