Recently in Educational Consulting Category

The Boston Globe recently highlighted the work of Concord Academy students who spent a week working in the New Orleans renewal effort. This most recent trip included a larger group- 78- after the positive experiences of students on last year's trip to Kiln, MS.

Writing from north Mississippi and as an experienced New England boarding school student and faculty member, it's great to see this kind of outreach. I know how difficult it can be to get outside of a boarding school routine in order to gain experience and perspective. It's heartening to see and hear students move beyond their comfort zones. Community service is much easier when you set aside time as part of your school schedule.

Beyond their contributions to the coast, the students gain personally:

William Taylor, a junior from Brookline, is among the students who have signed up for a second turn because, he says, the first trip was so rewarding.

"It felt really good to help people," Taylor said. "When I'm in school, it's sometimes difficult to devote a lot of time to service. But I feel it's important, given some of the privilege I come from."

Citizenship requires effort and sacrifice; it's heartening to read about this groups willingness to go out and get their hands dirty. Making the commitment to use one's free time and energy demonstrates a high level of maturity. It's also important to see and learn about America- the differences and the ties that bind us.

Update: The folks at Concord were kind enough to turn us onto an article about the trip that they posted on their site. After giving it a read I discovered that they kept a blog to document their work. Both are well worth checking out.

As an educational consultant it's important for me to visit and revisit schools to keep a pulse on the community, administration changes and on current & past students. Not to mention curriculum modifications and new courses being offered (for instance more boarding schools this year and next are offering Mandarin Chinese). With this in mind, I recently visited a group of boarding schools in California's beautiful Ojai Valley.

These schools have much to offer with the wonderful year-round weather where they can eat their meals outside and also hang out on their beautiful campuses. Students are outside using their environment for academics, skiing, hiking, camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, surfing in the pacific, water polo, volleyball, swimming, etc.  Actually what's not to like about a California boarding school?
 
Below are my impressions (in notes form) of the schools I visited:

Dunn School: Excellent learning skills program; small; caring; talented students; artistically sound; good academics; great personal attention to students and families. Friendly hands on type of school. They're welcoming a new headmaster in July. Fifty years of experience; beautiful campus; art building houses a fantastic program!  School setting and campus are absolutely breathtaking; incredible scenery-- horse country.
 
Midland School: A school with a clear mission that definitely prepares kids in academics, life skills and beyond. Excellent academics along with a faculty committed to the school and its philosophy. Strong relationships between faculty and students in a simple, self-reliant lifestyle. Close to nature in teaching students to appreciate life's fundamental joys and challenges. Definitely a school community entrusting students to take leadership roles while having collective responsibility in taking care of oneself and others in the community. I loved Midland's simple lifestyle and values. Beautiful land with very bright students who are both ambitious, artistic and take advantage of their 2,860 acre classroom!
 
Oak Grove School: Offers a small boarding high school in which students live in a home-like dormitory. A totally vegetarian campus; growing their own organic foods that are prepared in-house. I feel this will be the first green campus among independent schools. Students were very interactive, friendly, genuinely love their school and give back to it daily. Great science facility; strong visual and performing arts; strong music program. Kids were very at ease and comfortable with their faculty. Food was excellent!  They have recently been featured in a TV show about healthy eating for kids and living green. I loved the school and they are trying to grow there boarding population. It truly is a breath of fresh air!
 
Besant Hill School: Visual and performing arts are outstanding. Beautiful campus complete with a yurt were they hold school meetings (a terrific space). Very talented musicians who compose & preform their own music. Interesting campus. Perfect for the self-motivated student.
 
Villanova Preparatory School:  An Augustinian High School; strong academically and athletically. Has a very high Asian boarding population. Community service is very important. Lovely campus and facilities.

Admission deadlines have largely passed and while a select number of boarding schools are done for the season, many are shifting to rolling admission to fill their remaining spaces for next year.

Gaining acceptance during this second phase of the admission season is even more competitive since there are fewer spots available, but there are options. It's important to be mindful of the condensed process and go into it prepared to respond quickly to a school's admission requirements.

Brian wrote an article a few years back that tackles applying on short notice. In it he details what to keep in mind as you work through the process. If at all possible, he suggests working with an educational consultant. While professional consultants aren't inexpensive, they can be a tremendous asset when time is of the essence by helping a family with all phases their admission search.

Whether working independently or with a consultant, Brian offered a number of tips to think about as your navigate the admission maze. Among his many points are:

1. Have your critical student information ready before you begin your search. Collect your grades, test scores, report cards so you can avoid worrying about organizing the info when you're ready to apply to your schools of interest.

2. Build a student profile by asking the following kinds of questions:

In what type of school might you (the student) have the greatest chance of success?

What types of schools and activities are of interest?

3. Contact schools that look like good fits.

Ask the admission officers about "school fits" and what their opinions are given your academic and personal profiles.

Can the office make any school suggestions if they're full or aren't the right match?

4. Schedule campus visits and interviews. Even though the time-line is shortened, it's important to spend time on campus so you can get a sense of how you might respond to the school's culture.

Check out the article to read more of his suggestions for applying to a boarding on short notice and, of course, good luck with your search.

In Part II of our conversation with Mark Sklarow (Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association), he talks about the history and current state of consulting- how it's evolved and what consultants do today.

Question (Q): Tell us a bit about the history of educational consulting- it's beginnings, where it stands, and the future.

Mark Sklarow (MS): Consulting first appeared 30 years ago and for quite some time was a field practiced by only a few dozen specialists with extensive knowledge of the boarding school world. This began to change about 15 years ago when many consultants began adding college consulting to their work. Five years later LD counseling and assistance with students exhibiting emotional and behavioral difficulties also grew. During this time IECA recognized that it was critical that we as an association establish stricter standards, promote training and education and raise the level of knowledge and competence of members. As the field grew both in demand and the number of consultants, increased emphasis on ethics became central to the IECA mission.

Q: How has the industry changed with the rise of the Internet? How have consultants adapted?

MS: The rise of the internet has led across the board to a decline in intermediaries: web users are less likely to need the help of librarians; they go to the source- less likely to need the help of a salesman as they make purchases online; they are even less likely to seek medical advice for small matters, consulting the web.  

This same trend is clear in all areas of school admission: why seek advice when I can open web sites for schools? The answer should be clear: the thousands of matches for boarding experiences, tens of thousands of matches for school admission and the general glut of information has left families more confused, not less. However the role of consultants is evolving. They are no longer intermediaries. Rather, they act as guides, advisors and coaches to help steer families through the hundreds of thousands of information bits to the real, critical information that will serve their needs and the needs of their child.

Q: National internet based consultancies-- how do they work? Any changes in the way consultants works with a family? Are they using tools like web sharing, Skype, etc to bridge the distance gap?  

MS: The basic should remain unchanged: all consultants whether web-based or seen across the kitchen table should be experts who can gather as much information as possible about a student and family and use their years of knowledge and experience to distill information down to what is most useable and the best-possible matches to serve a student's academic, emotional, social and community needs.

Q: Are there any obvious trends into which the industry is moving or trends that are shaping the industry?

MS: Yes, as the field grows, we see a growing specialization of members, especially as it relates to students with special needs: gifted, LD, emotional, behavioral and more. Increased specialization to include practices with increased knowledge of art, music, and athletics is now becoming apparent. Consultants also must know more about public schools, charter school and for-profit institutions in their own community.  

Another differentiation we see is in how services are delivered: in person, internet, evenings...and how fees are assessed: hourly, as a package of services, even as a part of an employee compensation plan. Through it all a major requirement is for consultants to become more knowledgeable, continuing their education and training both in formal settings and through campus visitations.

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We want to thank Mark again for participating in our Q&A series. Drop us a note if you have ideas for future Q&A posts.

Mark Sklarow, Executive Director of the Independent Educational Consultants Association was kind enough to sit-down with us and talk about educational consulting from a couple of perspectives.

In our first of two posts, our questions and his comments address how and why families come to educational consulting and the roles and contributions of consultants in a family's school search.  In our second conversation installment to be posted in the coming days, Mark talks about the history and current state of consulting- how it's evolved and what consultants do today.

Question (Q): Describe why a family might want to consider working with an educational consultant?

Mark Sklarow (MS): Not all families need a consultant. Some families know exactly where a student would like to attend and have solid reasons to believe admission is fairly certain. Sometimes a family is looking for a secondary placement from a junior boarding school where many students move on together and the feeder school has well advised the family on the next step.  

For many others selecting a school- whether a traditional prep school or a school specializing in students with learning, emotional or behavioral issues- is not easy or clear. A consultant knows schools in depth: their teaching philosophy, their social milieu, strengths and weaknesses, approach to arts, music and sports, and so much more. Other families smartly wish to cast a wide net: examining many possibilities in many communities before settling on a handful of "best matches." Choosing a consultant is your best assurance that a student is well-suited to a particular school where a child will thrive.

Q: Families bring different situations and needs to the table-- can you talk about the various type of consulting services available to families?

MS: Consultants offer a wide variety of services and specialties. Some have extensive experience in working with students who learn differently and need a school where accommodations can be best integrated into a student's instructional plan. Other consultants have 20 years in working with students who need to work on behavior issues ranging from substance abuse to oppositional/defiant actions before a more traditional school is possible.  

What is so clear is that every family situation, every student's personality and academic needs are different. A great consultant is one who get to know and understand your family, the student and can suggest appropriate testing, provide needed advice and creative ideas and place the student first to ensure a successful match and a positive educational and social experience.

Q: What added value does a consultant bring to an educational decision?

MS: A consultant adds value by saving a family time, energy and expense that comes from tracking down every possible school placement option among the hundreds of schools that are possibilities. A consultant can focus in on the most appropriate possibilities so that school visits are made only when appropriate. "Wrong" choices often result in mid-year transfers, lost credits, lost tuition and a loss of self-confidence. A consultant seeks to ensure a good match, decreasing the odds of such disappointments.

Q: What role does the IECA play in the educational consulting community and what does a family need to know about the IECA?

MS: For over 30 years, the IECA has been the most respected voice in educational consulting. Our ethical guidelines, high standards and required training have led our members to be leaders in the field, working with virtually every school admission office in the United States. When working with an IECA members families can be assured their consultant is knowledgeable, ethical, and well-respected by schools and their peers.

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Coming soon in Part II of our conversation: "Mark Sklarow talks about educational consulting from the perspective of an industry leader"

1. Objective assessment of student and family.
   An educational consultant will assess both students and family to set clear, appropriate goals for the admission process.
   
   
2. The perspective and judgment to say "we need to know more" and seek educational assessment and testing when needed.
   
   
3. Recognizing and analysis of any learning differences or special needs.
   
   
4. Educational Consultants know schools
   Schools often appear quite similar.  In reality, each school and student are a unique fit.   Educational consultants know that the devil is in the details; consultants regularly visit schools to gain first hand experience of each school's unique perspective and workings.
    
5. Knowledge of the admission process.
   An educational consultant helps families build a plan or a map to follow so that no piece of the admission process suffers from short shrift or omission.
   
   
6. Guidance driven and shaped by what's best for the student.
   
   
7. Professional judgment.
   If the situation is not a good fit for the student, the educational consultant will say so.
   
   
8. Ongoing support.
   Consultants provide additional follow-up and insight once a student enters his/her new educational setting.
   
   
9. An understanding, professional advocate for the student.