Explore effective strategies to scale your admission processes without sacrificing quality.

Cultivate an understanding of the relationships between leadership, leader well-being, faculty culture, and student performance.

Gain an unprecedented understanding of your market with our innovative student prospecting tool.

Explore how to involve your Board and Leadership Donors in your next giving day.

Growth-oriented teachers are a hallmark of a great school. Conversely, teachers who do not model the growth they want to see in their students tend to fail over time

Explore foundational strategies to help you launch into your new role in an independent school, regardless of how long you’ve been teaching.

Independent schools are unlike any other educational setting. Teachers—attend this workshop to gain the tools you need to be successful from day one. Develop a foundational understanding of how independent schools work, how your school’s mission influences your role as a teacher, and how to flourish from the first day in your new school community.

Learn how to transition your skills as an educator to take on leadership roles in school administration.

If you’re considering a move into private school administration, gain the tools and strategies to be successful. Examine what it means to be an academic administrator in a private school. With an understanding of your leadership vision and motivation, you’ll be better prepared to make the move successfully. Discover how to prepare and what to expect so you can make sound decisions for your future.

Discover how to become a strong leader and build successful, healthy administrative teams.

The ever-increasing uncertainties facing independent school leadership in the market, in multi-generational faculty expectations, and in a world of increasing neuro-divergence in our students make the demand for decisive, steady, and empathetic leadership greater than ever. While the needs of the individual leader are important, never before has the effectiveness of a healthy, high-functioning team required greater attention.

Identify the strengths you bring to your administrative or Leadership Team, and learn how to create team excellence when managing up, down, and among peers. After this course, you’ll reap the results of strong leadership, healthy cultures, clear purpose, and powerful relationships.

Explore new methodologies for collecting evidence of meaningful, authentic student learning and comprehension.

Are your students involved in hands-on work that keeps them actively engaged? Do they produce work and perform tasks that they believe are purposeful?

It’s time to think about your school’s approach to assessment—that is, how you measure evidence of learning and achievement. Join us in an exploration of common student measurements, like multiple-choice tests, timed writings, worksheets, and other basic skills tests as we rethink how to collect authentic indications of student learning.

Discover the strategies you need to prepare for a successful capital campaign to motivate and engage your supporters—creating an inspirational and sustainable vision for the future.

Your school, whether large or small, can run a successful capital campaign—with the correct preparation.

Explore the dynamics of independent school fundraising to support your school’s ability to make a difference for your students. Become more confident in your role and understand how to maximize the capacity of your volunteer and donor base.

Examine the latest research in scheduling and classroom instruction to guarantee a strong, healthy schedule that enhances the quality of your graduates.

Creating your next school schedule doesn’t have to be a caffeine-fueled, angst-driven exercise in futility.

This workshop takes you back to basics and refocuses your scheduling strategy on what’s best for your students. Return to your school with incredible quantities of up-to-date research and modern scheduling strategies, and an action plan that walks you through improving your school’s schedule design and process.

Discover tools and strategies to create successful partnerships that result in improved efficiency and teamwork.

The role of the Administrative Professional is vital to school operations. You provide exceptional administrative support to ensure the productive operation of your school offices.

Move from confusion and chaos caused by a lack of boundaries to working in respectful partnerships, with appropriate peer support. Discover how to effectively collaborate with your direct supervisor and with school colleagues. Become a valuable leader by partnering with ISM for professional development and peer networking.

Learn the ins and outs of the Athletic Director role so you can effectively promote and maintain your school’s athletic program.

Athletics plays a vital role on a school’s campus. The Athletic Director must ensure the school’s athletic program operates effectively to provide student-athletes with an optimal experience—extending their school experiences to the playing field.

Learn how to create and implement physical education initiatives that encourage students to lead happy and healthy lives while maintaining policies that protect their safety.

Learn how to effectively develop and oversee the health and wellness curriculum at your school, and how to support your teaching teams as they work with students across grades and divisions.

An effective health and wellness program provides students with skills that will support them in making informed and healthy choices both now and for the rest of their lives. Gain knowledge, learn the skills your teachers and students need, and explore strategies for leading your program and communicating effectively with all constituents.

Discover how to excel as a Marketing Communications Director.

The efforts of a school’s Marketing Communications Office are integral to the school’s future. This team shares a unified message with a school’s faculty, staff, students, families, and the larger community.

This workshop combines foundational, practical topics with efficient marketing communications procedures. Additionally, we’ll give you proven materials to help you create strategies to meet your goals.

Join other exceptional academic leaders to explore and refine your leadership strengths, uncover limiting blind spots, and gain practical tools to take your leadership to the next level and transform your school’s culture.

In an era of hyper-change against the backdrop of the pandemic, political polarization, changing markets, teacher shortages, and pivotal technological advances, leading schools has never been more challenging. This workshop is designed to support and reenergize talented leaders in your tireless efforts to foster a thriving, stable school culture. As an academic administrator, culture starts with you, and you set the tone for your teachers. A predictable and supportive environment is essential for faculty to have the capacity to embrace inevitable changes with fortitude and enthusiasm.

Uncover your capacity to be an even more inspiring and effective leader, reconciling competing priorities while still affecting necessary higher-order change initiatives for staff and students. This workshop gives you the tools to make those goals a reality while keeping your school viable and sustainable.

Create and implement a thriving advisory program to support your middle and upper school students.

A successful advisory program is a difference-maker for middle and upper school students. How does yours rate?

In this interactive workshop, educators explore core concepts for focusing, enhancing, and building (or rebuilding) the advisory program so it reflects and supports the mission of the school. Leave with substantive recommendations for others back home—supported by a comprehensive outline of advisory practices, themes, and activities—as well as an action plan to make it happen.

Learn how to bolster your leadership capabilities, sharpen your communications skills, manage your team with confidence, and support your school’s long-term goals.

Department Chairs act as an essential bridge between a school's Leadership Team and the faculty. Explore strategies for exercising leadership, communicating openly, and running your department effectively. Discover how to facilitate change and support your colleagues to deliver your mission with excellence.

Excel as a strategic business leader, whether you’re new to the profession, starting in independent schools for the first time, or a seasoned professional.

Learn what it takes to be successful in this vital role. Gain the full scope of how independent schools work and how your job responsibilities are integral to the school’s success. Master the tactics you must know to move your Business Office forward and discover how to support your school’s mission for years to come.

Learn how to simplify planned giving to enable prospects to give gifts larger than they imagined.

Billions of dollars of intergenerational money are currently being transferred from one generation to another, creating significant philanthropic opportunities—are you alert to the full potential of your school’s supporters?

Unlock the power of planned giving and pave the way for transformational philanthropy in your school. This workshop provides a comprehensive guide to creating a dynamic planned giving program that resonates with donors, fosters long-term engagement, and secures sustainable support for your cause.

Gain the tools, strategies, and best practices necessary to thrive as a new Admission and Enrollment Management Director.

From understanding enrollment trends to cultivating strong relationships with prospective families and fostering a vibrant school community, this workshop offers a holistic approach to navigating the challenges and opportunities within the admissions sphere.

Discover how to build an effective admission process that attracts and enrolls mission-appropriate students and supports applicants.

Become a great middle school leader. Support your school’s mission and culture, engage your faculty and staff, and enrich the student experience.

Middle School Deans wear many hats: teacher, advisor, disciplinarian, coach, administrator, and more. Learn how to set goals, satisfy the needs of multiple stakeholders, communicate effectively, and find time for self-care.

Establish strategies and systems for performing your job functions, backed by research, data, and case studies. Create a personalized action plan for the school year to set you on the path to success.

Learn how to design and implement a winning annual fund program that’s the heart of your fundraising initiatives.

The foundation of your school’s culture of philanthropy begins with a strong annual fund. Discover how to build a thriving annual fund strategy that drives relationships, generates enthusiasm, and raises dollars—enabling your school to go above and beyond in delivering your mission to your students.

Determine how to identify, engage, evaluate, solicit, recognize, and steward donors and prospects. Learn how to employ strategic data, share a strong school story, and build a confident and agile annual fund team.

Learn how to bolster your leadership capabilities, sharpen your communications skills, manage your team with confidence, and support your school’s long-term goals.

Department Chairs act as an essential bridge between a school's Leadership Team and the faculty. Explore strategies for exercising leadership, communicating openly, and running your department effectively. Discover how to facilitate change and support your colleagues to deliver your mission with excellence.

Are all your students thriving? Or are some just surviving? How do you know? At the heart of true Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) work is creating a culture in which all students thrive as evidenced by experiencing appreciation, validation, acceptance, and fair treatment within a culturally vibrant environment.

Diversity is often undefined or ill-defined, which creates confusion among groups regarding mission alignment, connection to teaching and learning, and benefactors of diversity efforts. This lack of clarity puts additional pressure and stress on a role that is already inherently challenging and highly emotional work.

Led by practitioners with extensive backgrounds in independent schools, this workshop guides DEIJB practitioners (by any name) in facilitated inquiry employing various interactive strategies, discussions, individual reflection, and theoretical frameworks. Participants leave this workshop with a customized action plan to begin enacting the critical work of cultivating cultural competency and enriching community within their respective school communities.

Explore how you can support your school’s mission and culture, engage faculty and staff, and enrich the student experience.

Middle School Heads and administrators must provide support for their students, as well as fair and thoughtful discipline that leads to character development. In this workshop, you’ll create an experiential and practical roadmap to help support these goals and more.

Discover how to create systems for observations, scheduling, hiring, and more that will effectively ease the pace of the school year. Leave with an action plan on how to move your middle school community forward—and a group of peers to provide support and collegiality after the workshop concludes.

Learn strategies and tactics to excel in your new position as Development Director.

Understanding the components of an effective development operation—and how those components interface with your school’s strategic priorities—is critical to your success as a Development Director.

Whether you’re new to the position or need to adapt your current skills to a private school context, this workshop provides training and support as you define your priorities—creating an action plan for the coming year.

Turn your lower school division into an exceptional environment that provides a stable, student-centered learning community through ISM’s research-based strategies.

Learn effective strategies for leading your lower school. Discover ways to build and sustain a healthy staff of administrators and faculty that allows your school to deliver its mission with excellence.

Discover how to launch a learning support program that will enrich your students’ educational experience.

If you’re new to your program or your program is new to your school, this workshop is for you. Join us in this foundational course to explore the nuts and bolts of successful learning support programs and how to achieve buy-in from your school community.

Discover how to best support all students and the faculty who work with them. Return to school with a customized action plan and strategies for success.

Discover how to manage the nuances and demands of school headship.

Leading a school requires a holistic understanding of private school management—including effective Board management, admission, business operations, curriculum development, and faculty and staff hiring and evaluation. Additionally, School Heads must regularly interact with all school constituencies. And because school leadership can be all-consuming, Heads must find a work-life balance that makes the job sustainable.

This workshop will explore the practical and personal aspects of leading a school. Come away with practical initiatives and knowledge to ensure your success.

How can school leaders build capacity for change in their schools, and facilitate change at the rate their school can manage?

High-functioning private schools continually evolve. But although private schools have the freedom and independence to be innovative, most aren’t. Implementing change can be a difficult task for many reasons, such as complex administrative structures and decision-making processes, long-standing traditions and established practices, and limited resources to invest in new opportunities.

In this interactive workshop, Polly Parker and Steve Salvo will explore how to enact change while taking into account the cultural and administrative realities of private-independent schools.

Manage every aspect of your ever-growing role as an upper school Dean of Students. Fulfill your responsibilities with confidence, keeping students first in everything you do.

The Upper School Dean of Students must balance working as an advocate for the students and as a disciplinarian to support the school culture. Attend this workshop to explore how to manage these roles while furthering your school’s mission and prioritizing the well-being of your students.

Explore your personal leadership style while analyzing and reflecting on strategies for evaluating faculty, navigating school change, promoting a healthy school culture, and designing an up-to-date schedule.

Gain the tools you need to work with colleagues, support faculty growth, and foster a healthy, dynamic culture in your upper school division. Hone your own thinking, develop new ideas and plans, and acquire a network of fellow Upper School division heads—all of which will help you thrive as a successful administrator in today’s independent school market.

Explore what determines long-term sustainability for independent schools, how to make strategic tuition decisions even in uncertain times, and what elements go into powerful strategic plans.

Strategic planning helps reset a school’s direction and brings about meaningful institutional growth. Understand the important elements that are required to create an effective strategic plan.

Discuss effective Board structure, explore your school’s marketplace stance, and learn how to quantify your school's perceived value. Discover the steps you must take now to protect your school for the future.

Explore how to strengthen your school’s learning support program to best support all students.

If you’re looking to evolve and grow your current learning support program, this workshop is for you. Join us to reexamine your offerings and explore what’s new in recommended success strategies. You’ll also hear from a mental health professional about approaches to the mental health challenges your students are facing.

Collaborate and create a network of fellow learning specialists. Return to school with an action plan to ensure your learning support program is optimized to truly serve your students and mission.

Build a comprehensive engagement plan that includes a focus on stewardship and elevates your work with your donors and prospects to an even higher level.

The amount and kind of attention paid to your donors, families, and organizations when not soliciting them can make an enormous difference in your school’s fundraising success. This workshop takes a close look into how the Donor Cycle (identification, engagement, evaluation, solicitation, recognition, and stewardship) provides a strategic approach to moving a donor or prospect into a closer relationship with your school.

We'll examine the process by which development professionals begin the work of discovering potential donors, enhancing relationships with donors, and qualifying their interests, values, and financial resources. You’ll learn effective solicitation techniques to connect your donors and prospects with your school’s strategic priorities.

Cultivate an understanding of the relationships between leadership, leader well-being, faculty culture, and student performance.

Explore a mission-driven and comprehensive approach to foster growth-focused, professional faculty through assessing and enhancing faculty and school culture. You’ll gain strategies for faculty evaluation, corrective action, selective retention, and a teacher-directed, energizing, and collegial professional growth program.

Discover how to help teachers new to independent schools easily and successfully transition to their new role.

Administrators, are you ready to give your new teachers the tools they need to be successful right out of the gate? Explore how to share the culture of independent schools, communicate expectations, and empower your new teachers to deliver your mission with excellence.

Through discussions and hands-on work, workshop participants will review independent school best practices to be shared with teachers and how to adapt a framework for predictability and support. They will also gain an understanding of potential pitfalls that new teachers should avoid.

Learn how you can become an even better leader in your school as you assist your School Head.

No two Assistant Head job descriptions are the same. But whether you have a particular administrative purview or act as second-in-command over the whole school, to be successful you must be adaptable while maintaining a whole-school perspective.

You will leave this workshop with an action plan in hand that will deepen your understanding of the business of schools, influence your professional path, and allow you to better collaborate with your School Head.

The ISM Annual Advancement Academy brings together leaders in the areas of admission, alumni relations, development, enrollment, fundraising, and marketing communications—along with School Heads—to collaborate on advancement initiatives and strategies. Attendees leave with a customized action plan to implement right away.

Invest in Your Personal Well-Being and Professional Growth

As a Head of School, staying focused on your school’s big-picture goals can be difficult when you’re navigating the daily responsibilities and pressures of operations. This challenge is what prompted us to create our Annual Head’s Retreat—a gathering that gives School Heads the time and space to step back and refocus, discuss emerging trends, and cultivate visionary leadership.

Seats for this intimate retreat are in high demand each year—reserve yours now.