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The Admission Office must help the Board and the Head understand the admission situation from start to finish, so communication is the key to developing a strong and effective working relationship with Heads and the Board.
A high-performing Admission Director:
- Locates his/her office in proximity to the Head. This provides easy access to the chief executive officer and fosters strong connections between the two offices.
- Develops a trusting and supportive relationship with the Head, and works to create a partnership with the Board.
- Is included in Board discussions (and possibly through the work of a Board-level admission committee).
- Protects the Head by keeping him/her updated on the admission process. Has regularly-scheduled meetings that focus on an agenda agreed upon in advance. Expects the Head to “run interference” from the Board.
- Provides the Head with progress reports provided on an ongoing and routine basis. These reports, anchored by the school’s vision and mission, include statistics regarding inquiries, interviews, applications, enrollment projections, etc., and can be used by the Head to prepare reports to the Board. The reports also identify potential problems and offer possible solutions.
- Articulates and communicates a student profile that is used to make admission decisions.
- Keeps the Head informed of trends, school climate, and possible big donors, as well as up-to-date information on what and ‘how’ the ‘competition’ is doing.
- Makes suggestions to the Head about potential Board members.
- Participates in ongoing discussions with the Board and other departments on cross-cutting issues such as pricing, financial aid and fund raising.
- Helps orient new Board members to the school and to important school issues like financial aid.
RELATED RESOURCES
Pat Bassett, President, NAIS – Leading from the Middle(Bassett Blog - August 1, 2010)
This document illustrates a framework for a conversational Board report on key admission and financial aid stats and initiatives.
St. Mark’s School of Texas’ Annual Report gives the Headmaster a "one stop" location for nearly all the information about admission and enrollment that he might need. The attached table of contents provides a clear idea of the types of reports they produce. Click here for Table of Contents.
Christopher Wheeler’s book, Inside Their Headships, is a collection of interviews with 11 current and former heads of school. Each interview is an intimate and revealing look into the personal joys and challenges of independent school leadership, the impact of leadership on spouse and children, developing a close and productive relationship with the board and board chair, and the terrible consequences when a headship fails.
The Buck Starts Here: Philanthropic Responsibilities of Your Board
, Ideas and Perspectives (Vol. 32, No. 3), Independent School Management. A subscription is required to view the archived publication.
Cumming, Alison. “Data Dashboards Demystified: Why So Many Trustees are Asking for Them and How They Can Benefit the Board and the School.” Wickenden Associates, Princeton, NJ.
McNulty, B., Marzano, R., & Waters, T. School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results. ASCD and McREL, 2005. Drawing from 35 years of studies, the authors explain critical leadership principles that every administrator needs to know. The book is available for purchase on the ASCD website.
Board Report Basics. Memberanda, Back-to School 2010 (Vol. 28, No. 1), p. 3.
This website has links to PowerPoint presentations by Pat Bassett of NAIS which explore the basic definition of an independent school and the role of the four powerful decision-making bodies within a school (board of trustees, parents association, faculty, and head and administrative team).
New to your job? This brief article is a good reminder about what it takes to start off on the right foot with your new boss.
To cultivate the relationship with your head of school, attend a marketing workshop together.