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American International School of Guangzhou

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Parent Voice: The Value of AISG | American International School of Guangzhou

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This is an excerpt from The NAIS Enrollment Management Handbook.

Enrollment management is an institutional response to the challenges and opportunities that recruiting and retaining the right student body present to a school's financial health, image, and student quality. It's a research-based process that creates a synergy among recruitment, pricing and financial aid, academic affairs, student life, and constituent relations.

Although some believe success depends solely on the efforts and activities of the admission office, others think the entire school shares responsibility for enrollment management. No matter which philosophy your school embraces, the full support of your head of school and senior leadership team is crucial. Your school will be most successful when all members of your adult community understand the vital, interrelated roles they play in the dynamic process of enrollment management.

Enrollment management encompasses four key areas.

Admission management, a subset of enrollment management, is the coordinated effort that advances and tracks students from prospect to enrolled student and beyond. The admission function interacts strategically with the functions involved in managing your school's financial aid, registration, orientation, curriculum, and student life.

Retention focuses on your school's ability to keep and re-enroll students from one year to the next. It is the backbone of every independent school's reputation. To ensure that the students you admit can succeed, your programs and community members (especially teachers, school leaders, counselors, and those overseeing student life) need to be both effective and aligned. It is vital to collect and analyze data that can help you identify students who may be struggling and at risk of withdrawing from your school.

Research involves collecting and analyzing data on internal and external factors affecting enrollment, student success (including retention), and your school's image. Your staff should conduct research daily, weekly, monthly, annually, and even on an ad hoc basis, and that research should accurately represent the perceptions and actions of the school's constituents. Data enable your school to make appropriate adjustments on an as-needed basis to critical areas that affect your living and learning environment.

Marketing, broadly defined, is the process that matches a product's or service's strengths and distinguishing characteristics to the identified needs, interests, and abilities of prospective purchasers and then promotes accordingly. At independent schools, marketing activities include clarifying institutional image, establishing enrollment targets to meet school composite goals, understanding the school's niche in the marketplace, and integrating marketing and communication efforts.

Why is it important for independent schools to have a formal enrollment management process?

1. Enrollment management is essential for revenue optimization. Every independent school is tuition dependent. That is, regardless of endowment size, prestige, or selectivity, every independent school has an operating budget that depends heavily on enrollment revenue. According to 2011 NAIS data, day schools typically receive 80 percent or more of their revenue from tuition that families pay, while boarding schools tend to generate 60 percent or more of their revenue through tuition collected. Therefore, your school will be best served when your administrative offices work cooperatively to develop and execute a plan that ensures you can meet your enrollment and net-tuition revenue goals.

Enrollment management begins with the head of school, who is charged with shaping and communicating a shared vision. This vision should include a strategic use of institutional financial resources to achieve the four conventional enrollment goals of quantity of students, quality of students, student body composition, and net-tuition revenue.

An awareness that success extends beyond admission statistics underscores the leadership role your head of school plays in enrollment management, especially as it pertains to financial planning.

2. Relevant, accurate data provide essential information for the school as a whole. The quantitative and qualitative research that's part of every effective enrollment management effort informs all aspects of your school. It helps you improve the student experience, gauge your value proposition, and tell a more compelling story to prospective families and future benefactors. It influences the process of setting price and financial aid levels. It's a vital part of the planning and decision making involved in financial viability because it helps identify marketplace shifts.

In sum, enrollment management-related research gives you more control over your school's future.

3. Marketing and enrollment practices that maximize the student and family's lifelong connection with your school help ensure their enthusiasm and cement the school's brand. Enrollment management involves coordinating the four previously mentioned critical areas: admission management, retention, research, and marketing. By making these areas work together, your school increases the likelihood that students will achieve success and want to remain connected as alumni. The adage "Happy and satisfied students beget happy and satisfied parents, who in turn beget happy alumni and happy past parents" may sound simplistic, but it is a theme that drives successful enrollment processes.

A clear sense of your school's brand empowers community members to assist in responding thoughtfully to market challenges and marketing opportunities.

4. Just as technology has transformed society, it is transforming enrollment management in ways that will improve your internal processes and connect your school community to the external world. Using technology as a foundation for enrollment management helps your school leaders do reports and benchmarking that will inform your decision making. It will also support convenient new modes of communication that convey your core messages in a variety of formats so you can reach your audiences effectively in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

5. When maintaining a systematic approach to managing enrollment - one that includes regular two-way communication - your school nurtures a more informed community that better serves students and families. A transparent environment of information sharing supports a healthy enrollment management process. Your head of school is the chief spokesperson for communicating to all stakeholders his or her excitement about your extraordinary teachers and programs. The two-way element comes into play when, "current and prospective students, parents, alumni, faculty, and donors visualize your school's story, invest in that story, want to be part of it, and want to tell that story to others.

When your school's brand is clear, your community better understands its role in making the school an attractive alternative to competitors. A focus on the fundamentals of superb teaching and learning leads to the best marketing.

Christine Hailer Baker is principal and founder of the Baker Group, an independent school consulting firm, and was formerly the director of admission at Milton Academy (Massachusetts).

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NAIS - NAIS Book Excerpt: What Is Enrollment Management?

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This is an excerpt from The NAIS Enrollment Management Handbook.

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How to Build a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan

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Use these strategic enrollment management plan best practices and examples to increase enrollment at your college, university, or community college!

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Learn about the Strategic Enrollment Management Spectrum and the eight levers independent school leaders control to drive sustainable enrollment.

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Meet enrollment goals by crafting strategies and prioritizing resources through a comprehensive, future-oriented strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan. Based off EAB's extensive SEM research, this template guides college leaders through the most critical planning steps.

The Strategic Enrollment Management Plan Framework assists you in developing a holistic understanding of your enrollment environment and ready-to-present strategy that is goal-orientated, actionable, measurable, and aligned with institutional priorities.

The framework provides directions on key steps of the planning process: performance analyses, current and future market assessment, market and strategy prioritization, and a planning timeline. The framework is designed to be used as an active document across the life of the strategic plan.

Colleges looking to create a SEM plan or to make existing plans more actionable and future-focused can use EAB's SEM Plan Framework to:

Analyze the forces impacting the enrollment landscape

Economists expect the higher ed landscape will change dramatically over the next five to ten years. In order for community colleges to remain solvent, they have to be aware of and strategize specifically for these changes.

Assess potential market segments to determine ROI

As the enrollment environment becomes more competitive, enrollment efforts must become more targeted. To succeed in this climate, assess potential market segments to inform resource prioritization.

Prioritize high ROI opportunities to hit enrollment goals

A one-size fits all plan has failed to create change or adequately serve students. Colleges must have a more targeted approach that incorporates trade-offs and prioritization around the students they recruit and the messages they send into the market.

Download the Framework
Once you've completed the framework template, send your Strategic Leader your Implementation Timeline to receive best practices tailored to your institution's goals.

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Strategic enrollment management plan framework | EAB

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Meet enrollment goals by crafting strategies and prioritizing resources through a comprehensive, future-oriented strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan.

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No matter what type of school you work for, retention should be top of mind 24/7, 365. And data from our 2023 State of Enrollment & Marketing Survey showed that retention was top of mind for 59% of private and independent schools and 48% of public schools and districts.

With so many options available to families, you don't only have to worry about "filling seats," you need to keep them filled. And ideally, you're keeping them filled with students who align with your mission, educational philosophy and culture.

In this post, we'll dig into some effective retention strategies that will ensure students-and their families-feel valued and engaged from their first day throughout their entire experience with your school.

Better beginnings: Engagement from day one

Have you ever heard the saying, "well begun is half done"? When it comes to student retention, this couldn't be more true. Are you giving your new families the red carpet treatment from the moment they hit 'submit' on that enrollment contract or registration form? If not, it's time to roll out said carpet, give it a solid vacuuming and make them feel like part of your community from day one.

The retention committee: Your school's dream team

Think of a retention committee as a more proactive version of The Avengers for schools. They're hyper-vigilant and always at the ready for a crisis, but they're also proactively strategizing to ensure that current families are content and that you're delivering on the promises you made during the admissions process.

The magnifying glass effect: Audit your "customer service"

You wouldn't drive a car without the occasional check-up, right? The same goes for how your school interacts with families. And even though we don't love to use the phrase in schools, regularly auditing your customer service can reveal points of friction and frustration for your families that need to be addressed. This can include everything from process (hello, course selection) to the tools and software you're asking them to use to complete tasks and engage with your institution. Plus, nothing says "we care" like making changes based on identified issues and family feedback.

Navigating the unknown: Plan for blind spots

How do you tackle problems you don't even know exist? Surveying your families can shed light on blind spots you may have as an employee-even if you're a current parent! It's also important to carve out time to sit with current students and have face-to-face conversations with parents about their experiences. There are often things that come up in person that don't translate well into radio buttons and checkboxes.

The "watch list": Your early warning system

Have you heard through the grapevine that a family might be eyeing the exit? Don't sit back and wait for that transcript request. Maintain an active list of families who may be wavering so you can partner with members of your leadership team on proactive outreach and show them they're valued. Having a candid conversation could mean the difference between "see you later" and "see you next fall."

Building momentum: Promoting the next grade level

Assuming your families will naturally progress through your school is like assuming the sun will rise in the West. Have a clear strategy for showcasing the value of matriculating to the next grade for parents and students alike. One of my favorite tactics is to refer to students by class year instead of by grade-it implies that they're in it for the long haul.

Communication is key: Master the art

Raise your hand if you've ever received a complaint about school-home communication (or, if as you've complained yourself as a parent). This is a sore spot for many families and came up quite a bit in open-ended responses to our 2023 Parent Survey. Make sure your messages hit home in frequency, clarity and tone. And don't forget about members of your community who may have unique language or accessibility needs.

The re-enrollment experience: Make it memorable

Why should newly enrolled families have all the fun? Re-enrollment should be treated like a cause for celebration too, because it is. Surprise parents with the same enthusiasm as when they first joined your community. Swag them out or send them a more personalized thank you as a follow-up to enrollment. What you choose to do doesn't need to be a heavy lift, but the goal is to make returning families feel as special as they did when they were brand new. Who doesn't love feeling special more than once?

Retention isn't just a numbers game; it's a relationship-building challenge. And nothing beats seeing those same bright faces in your halls year after year, right? So, how's your retention recipe looking? Ready to add a few more ingredients to that mix? Let's keep our communities thriving, together.

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Discover effective strategies for boosting K-12 school retention in this insightful blog post. Learn how to engage families right from the start, set up a proactive retention committee, and refine your communication skills. Enhance your re-enrollment process and build lasting connections within your school community. Let's work together to keep our schools thriving!

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IAB Article in September 2024 issue: Transforming Data into Insight by Câline Fonteneau

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IAB Article in September 2024 issue: Transforming Data into Insight by Câline Fonteneau

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International Admissions Bulletin - Sep 2024 - OpenApply

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OpenApply is an online admission system that centralizes applicant records, simplifies communication and payments, and delivers stunning analytics.

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By Liz Yee, Director of Innovation at , and Miriam Stein, Founder of Saddlerock Strategies

As admissions and marketing directors, it might seem counterintuitive, but retention is your highest and one of the most important indicators a school can track. A healthy retention rate indicates overall satisfaction and health of the school.

Measures how satisfied parents are with investment in the school

Satisfied parents will remain enrolled and generate positive word-of-mouth to encourage other families to enroll

The mark of a healthy school = 92% retention rate

Value of Enrolled Students

It's much easier (and cost-effective) to retain a student and a family than it is to find a brand new one. It takes 7x more work and resources to enroll a new family than it does to retain a current one. Think about it, your current families have already learned how to navigate your school's morning drop-off line, they know how to find their child's class roster, and their child has friends!

Consider a parent with a Kindergartener at a K-8th grade school. This family represents:

A potential student for 1st grade next year

A future student for every grade through 8th

A potential parent and future alumnus to tell others about your school

A potential donor this year and beyond

An opportunity to accomplish your school's mission

An opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child during key formative years

An opportunity to gain tuition revenue not only for this year but for the entire span of your school (with annual tuition of $30,000 a full-pay Kindergarten enrollment will result in $270,000 in tuition revenue (with no increases).

When you break it down in this way, it becomes clear that while it's important to admit new students, retention is ACTUALLY the priority. It not only sustains the school in the future, but it also takes the pressure off to refill classes and grades along the way, too.

According to the National Association of Independent Schools , private schools see families leave during transition points natural times where some families decide to ask tough questions about their relationship with the school. Their questions may include:

Division to division, or at grade levels when a class size increases

Is the student happy?

Is the student well served?

Is the social environment congenial for families and kids?

Does the family feel it is receiving good value for its investment?

Questions about curriculum

In addition to transition points, the following factors affect attrition:

Charter, magnet, faith-based schools (cost and values appeal)

Strong family ties to a school that starts at an upper-grade level (may compel parents to enroll children as early as possible)

Highly social (or socially struggling) children may want a larger pool of friends

Financial reasons, the rising cost of

Relocation

Lack of programs

Disciplinary issues

Perceived prestige of another school

Conflict with school philosophy or specific issue

Lack of leadership and vision for future

General dissatisfaction

Do you know which grades/transitions are tricky for your school? Where do you see the most attrition? Is it at a certain grade level? Do you see any themes where gender imbalances come forward? What about socioeconomic or race shifts in grades? Get crystal clear about where attrition is happening and why so you can focus your efforts. Until you see the big themes, consider an exit survey (but take the results with a grain of salt, you might not get the full picture).

Is someone at your school monitoring the process for students who apply out? If not, get a new policy and procedures in place. If so, get access to the tracking tool so you can see who is applying out, why, and where.

Consider developing your own tool for tracking students, including rumors, parents who are unhappy, families who aren't giving to the annual fund, etc. Track students over time to keep track of who might be considering moving on and see larger trends.

What To Do If A Family is Leaving?

It's natural for families to consider options. Hopefully, you have a good network in place where faculty will let you know if they hear students talking about visiting other schools, or the attendance monitor will let you know if a student is out to visit another school.

Once you know someone is thinking of leaving. What do you do?

Families want to feel valued. Most often the best move is to reach out to the family directly and make it clear that you have heard that they are considering leaving the school. Truly listen and try to understand what they are looking for elsewhere so that you can make the case why they should stay. Consider other faculty or students who could reach out to them to offer another perspective on staying at the school. Don't let them go without a fight! You are best positioned to re-sell them on the school. They chose your school in the first place. Let's help them do it again.

In some cases, you may actually think that it is better for the child to attend another school, but you do have a chance to have them leave with a positive feeling about your school. Help them think through options for the next school, offer recommendations, call ahead to the admission director to give them a heads up. You can still use this as an opportunity for a positive interaction with your school, even if the child does not re-enroll.

Now that you know where, when, and why you are losing students, it's time to create for the short term and implement long-term strategies. But first, bring your colleagues along for the ride. Retention work is everyone's job, not just the admissions and marketing team. Bring together a subgroup that includes your Head of School and Division Directors. Go through these activities and reflections together so that everyone is aware of your attrition points, strategies at play, and takes ownership of the work.

If your parents have questions about academic rigor in older grades, create Rising Up Events (give parents a sneak peek at what's coming up next to quell worries and generate excitement)

If your families leave after preschool because they are on the public school tract and never considered staying at your school past 4-years-old, add an event/program to highlight how your elementary program builds on their child's preschool experience and it's a program they won't want to miss!

Re-enrollment Timeline: Consider that you need to remarket to families year-round. How are your social media, newsletters, and communication helping to alleviate worries and/or ensure your families are sticking around to graduation?

Look for opportunities to bring veteran/alumni parents to campus to showcase the benefits of staying at your school through graduation. They are your best ambassadors for underscoring the advantages of staying through graduation.

Look at all of the points in which parents receive information/updates about their child's progress and the strength of your program. For example, how do your curricular events highlight your program?

How can you better showcase your expert faculty and/or division directors? Or alumni?

Consider continuous enrollment contracts. Why do we keep asking parents every year if they want to return? Let's just assume yes!

Many independent families experienced a surge in enrollment when families realized their local public schools would not be in session in person. For many schools, this was an opportunity to capture families who would otherwise not have considered an independent school. These families may deserve an extra spotlight! Consider what's the best approach for each one. Would it make sense for the principal or another administrator to call them and check in on their child's experience? Perhaps send them an extra gift around holiday time, reminding them how happy you are that they joined the school community? Check-in with teachers on how those students are doing and be sure to check in with the families from the admission office on their plans for next year. These families may have come to the school unexpectedly because of COVID, but they are now a part of your school community, and let's keep them!

Use Your Digital Marketing Strategy

If you are running digital advertising, don't lose this chance to build some excitement with your current parents. They will enjoy seeing your ads and it will be a subtle way to remarket to them with your school messaging. You might hesitate to pay for their clicks/views but consider that a few dollars here and there are worth it to keep your families excited and see your school's marketing investment.

In short, you're great at what you do! You have the sacred task of helping students get the best possible experience in schools. Dig deep to get to know each family and what they need, and match that up with the very best your school has to offer. And over time, the impact of retaining one student (or 2-3!) each year will have a dramatic effect on your overall sustainability.

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Why Retaining Students is More Important than Admitting New Ones

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By Liz Yee, Director of Innovation at Truth Tree, and Miriam Stein, Founder of Saddlerock Strategies As admissions and marketing directors, it might seem counterintuitive, but retention is your highest priority and one of the most important indicators a school can track. A healthy retention rate ind