Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education - Supporting Jewish Day Schools: Knowledge: Admission: How Does Your School Stack Up?

For each topic, check how your school stacks up. Level I: Common starting point Level II: Progressive performance Level III: Exemplary performace
Your school employs a professional admission director.
	Level I	Has Head of School playing the central role with some voluntary support.
	Level II	Employs a part time Admission Director with some voluntary parent support for school visits and open houses.
	Level III	Employs a full time professional Admission Director who orchestrates an elite team of students, parents, and faculty in support of the Recruitment program.
	Resources: Cohen Hillel Job Description ISM article: "Admissions Director: How Does Your School Define the Position?"
Your school has precisely defined its target student and recruitment objectives.
	Level I	Has not clearly identified the target student and parent population; has established an enrollment goal based on historical trends and available capacity.
	Level II	Has clearly researched and documented the target population and set priorities on likely sources of students.
	Level III	Has established recruitment objectives based on fact-based market potential analysis for each feeder school or synagogue.
Your school has developed a strong brand image and tirelessly communicates it via compelling soundbites about “why our school”.
	Level I	Has not treated the development of a statement about “why you should choose our school” as strategically important; therefore, marketing messages from school staff and Board members are inconsistent and often not persuasive.
	Level II	Has developed a compelling soundbite about “why you should choose our school,” but only the Head of School and a few Trustees can deliver it in a compelling manner; many informal recruitment opportunities are lost as a result.
	Level III	Has taken a strategic approach to communicating “why you should choose our school” and has both created a compelling soundbite and ensured through practice sessions that all Board members and staff can comfortably deliver it in a compelling manner, in their own styles and from their unique perspectives.
	Resources: Soundbites about your school
Your school has built and maintains a database of prospects and prospect interactions with the school.
	Level I	Informally records inquiries and contacts on index cards; information gets lost and is not easily accessible.
	Level II	Has captured inquiry information and key admission milestone dates, e.g., of application receipt, in a spreadsheet (or similar application) file; some search capability exists.
	Level III	Captures key information in a searchable electronic database with reporting capabilities. Information is easily accessible about: (a) every inquirer and feeder school prospect; (b) prospect and prospect family interactions with the school, e.g., visits; and (c) key prospect decisionmaking criteria, e.g., an interest in sports, in order to ensure the most appropriate follow-up.
Your school effectively mobilizes students, parents, alumni and teachers to support the Recruitment effort.
	Level I	Has formed a group of interested and enthusiastic parents who (a) conduct parlor meetings and (b) support school visits by prospective students and their families.
	Level II	Has formed a group of interested and qualified parents and supplemented it with students; has trained them to (a)escort visiting student and parent prospects, (b)conduct parlor meetings and (c) participate in open houses.
	Level III	Has carefully selected and trained a cadre of student, parent, and faculty to act as who maintain one on one phone and email contacts with prospects through to matriculation as well as support key meetings: school visits, parlor meetings, open houses, and feeder school presentations.
	Resources: ISM Article: "Your Faculty's Role in the Admission Process" Gann Academy ambassadors (AUDIO)
Your school has identified key feeder schools and developed programs to deeply penetrate them.
	Level I	Sends application materials to feeder schools for insertion in graduating student backpacks.
	Level II	Hosts an annual lunch meeting for feeder school faculty and conducts a facility tour for them; obtains mailing labels for feeder school graduates and sends marketing and application materials to the homes of graduating class members.
	Level III	Conducts market research to determine each feeder school's graduates' “hot buttons”, cultivates strong relationships with feeder school staff, prepares for and conducts well tailored presentations—featuring feeder school's alumni-- to feeder school parents and students (Middle School and up); invites feeder school students and faculty to participate in unique programs and to utilize unique school resources, e.g., sports facilities.
	Resources: ISM Article: "14 Strategies for Strengthening Relationships With Feeder Schools" Gann Academy on feeder schools (AUDIO) Cheryl Finkel on feeder schools (AUDIO)
Your school has developed a comprehensive calendar that drives the critical recruitment process milestones from inquiry generation through matriculation.
	Level I	Has developed a listing of key planned events such as open houses and parlor meetings as well as media placements; but does not formally communicate to staff at large.
	Level II	Has developed a comprehensive calendar of planned open houses, parlor meetings, mailings and media placements and reviewed it with the staff, but calendar has not been fully integrated with the overall school calendar and conflicts occur.
	Level III	Has developed a comprehensive calendar including all programs for generating inquiries and ensuring inquiries progress to matriculation; the calendar is integrated with overall school calendar and known by all staff and Board members.
	Resources: Rheua Stakely Generic Admission Calendar
Your school evaluates applicants in a manner consistent with the school's mission and ability to serve.
	Level I	Makes admission decisions based on what it takes to fill classes and satisfy key donors.
	Level II	Generally bases admission decisions on fit with school mission and on the school's ability to serve the prospect, but, when short of students or pressed by influential people, will make exceptions.
	Level III	Involves the school's staff in formally defining admission criteria and strictly adheres to them during the applications review process even during low enrollment time periods; recognizes that deviating from standards will be too costly for students, staff and the institution's reputation.
	Resources: ISM Article: "A Well Trained Admissions Committee Identifies the 'Right' Students"
Your school engages in proactive retention management.
	Level I	Uses exit interviews to identify why parents/students left the school to identify corrective actions.
	Level II	Surveys teachers and administrators prior to the reenrollment deadline to identify at risk families; contacts them to try to address their concerns; establishes early reenrollment deadlines.
	Level III	Systematically surveys every family at least twice a year to identify areas of dissatisfaction and works systematically to eliminate them so reenrollment is assured; coaches staff in how to proactively avoid attrition.
	Resources: Jane Cohen "Telephone Survey Script" Rheua Stakeley "Reasons for Attrition List"
Your school constantly reinforces parents' enrollment decisions through proactive communication of key messages.
	Level I	Does not view communication as a strategic tool to motivate reenrollment; communication is sporadic and not integrated and tends to rely on written communications (email and the Internet are underutilized).
	Level II	Views communications as a strategic tool of the school's senior staff and Board but does not work to enhance the staff's skills to ensure that all of their communications reinforce the school's value and create parent good will; some use of email and the Internet but their potential is underexploited.
	Level III	Practices proactive communication strategies using all available media to the fullest advantage –including email and the Internet---to ensure that all communications efforts are strategically consistent with school's mission and build students' and parents' feeling of connection and commitment to the school; actively research the effectiveness of communications.
	Resources: Proactive communication
Your school proactively reenrolls students by constantly marketing the benefits of moving up to the next grade.
	Level I	Little effort is made to create anticipation and excitement about coming grades.
	Level II	School does a good job of communicating the academic and social achievements of alumni to parents of lower grade students as a way to build reenrollment.
	Level III	School calendar includes a significant number of moving up activities that involve the lower grades with the upper grades; alumni role models are showcased at all public events and in all communications media; exciting next year activities(e.g., trips) build student anticipation.
	Resources: Marketing the benefits of moving up to the next grade