THE ULTIMATE QUESTION

THE ULTIMATE

QUESTION

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AMONG

STAKEHOLDERS IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

JK-8

Net Promoter® and NPS® are registered trademarks and Net Promoter Score and Net Promoter System are trademarks of Bain & Company, Satmetrix Systems and Fred Reichheld

OUR TIME TODAY

•

The Ultimate Survey Tool: Bain & Co’s NPS®

•

Looking under the hood: Meadowbrook + SSDSB Case Studies

•

Your questions answered

THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL CHALLENGE

The Decade Ahead Will Offer Schools Many Challenges That They Have Not Previously Encountered

NAIS website

Dwindling Enrollment…tuition Has Skyrocketed…Technology Is Changing The Way We Learn

Times Free Press

Accordingly, The Biggest Challenge Facing Private Schools Is Remaining Relevant And Valued In This New Educational Landscape

Pittsburgh Quarterly

Getting Parents Actively Involved, Yet Ensuring That The Philosophy And Competence Of Educators Is Respected, Is No Small Task For A Head Of School… All Of This Takes A Lot Of Engagement And Respectful Communication On All Sides

Dr Michael Pratt, Brentwood School in LA

When decisions about schools come from the top down and leave out the voices of parents and communities, you put a limit on how far you can go

BAIN & CO. NET PROMOTER SYSTEM (NPS)

®

ONE METRIC

Would you recommend us to a friend?

% Promoters

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

% Detractors

Minus

Net Promoter® and NPS® are registered trademarks and Net Promoter Score and Net Promoter System are trademarks of Bain & Company, Satmetrix Systems and Fred Reichheld

THE ULTIMATE QUESTION

THAT WORKS FOR SCHOOLS

Truly achieving impact depends on the deep commitment, passion, and

engagement of a diverse set of stakeholders - not just basic satisfaction

or going through the motions

There is no fully agreed upon set of metrics to definitively measure or

demonstrate impact

‘Word of mouth’ is extensive and viral,

and

reputation is integral to the

ability to recruit & retain students, teachers, donors, trustees, …

Geographic, demographic, school mission and sustainability related

considerations constrain the pool of stakeholders from which to draw

over time

MEET MEADOWBROOK 2009

•

Meadowbrook growing fast and

expanding scope

•

Student body increasing faster than

staff/administration

•

Feedback ad hoc and focused on

narrow constituency

•

Concern that school was going from

“high touch” to “out of touch”

MEADOWBROOK CASE STUDY

•

Promoters are

ambassadors in areas that differentiate

the school

-  2 times more likely to recommend for whole child learning and community

-  1.6 times more likely to recommend for faculty

•

Promoters are

more connected

to the school

-  1.4 times more likely to get more involved as volunteers

-  1.5 times more likely to treat Meadowbrook as a family school

•

Promoters are

more likely to give to the annual fund

•

Parents and Faculty appreciate their voices are heard and feel more connected to the

school just by giving the opportunity to give feedback.

It will become a cost of doing

business.

MEADOWBROOK CASE STUDY

Promoters will actively advocate for

Meadowbrook because of

…

•

Faculty excellence

•

Nurturing learning environment

•

Balance academic rigor and whole child learning

•

Values of Leadership, Character, Citizenship

•

Community

For ambassadors, Meadowbrook is delivering on its mission to “know, love

and challenge” every child. In return, these families form strong connections

with the school that lasts a lifetime

.

Summer Review and Action/ Strategic Council Retreat Analyze + Discuss Results Close Loop Feedback Annual Spring MPS Survey

A Design

Thinking

Approach with

A Promise to

Respond

!

MPS FLYWHEEL

MPS DASHBOARD

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010  

2009  

Promoters

Passives

Detractor

s

MPS

68%

62%

67%

65%

72%

79%

MPS

62%

What is our focus?

•  Move Passives to Promoters

•  Close Gap in Service Delivery (1/3 families

Recommendation>Satisfaction)

•  Continue to improve the survey to connect to action (Key Drivers)

•  Move implementation to third party with board oversight

What does this mean? •  “Growth Promoting” in Corporate World •  Consistent Performance Despite Increasing “Vulnerable” Segments

•  Will Not Completely

Eliminate Detractors

•  Plan for 5 school

Would you recommend Meadowbrook to a friend, colleague, family member?

Does the faculty know and love my child? Is my child developing the character, confidence, and critical thinking skills? Does MB support our families desired whole child

development?

Is my child challenged appropriately?

Are the MB faculty and leadership open and responsive to my

expressed concerns and a trusted partner in my child’s development?

Does our family feel connected, valued, and included in the MB Community? Is my child

academically prepared for the next grade or school?

MPS DRIVERS

1

2

3

5

6

7

8

4

•

Pick up times, car line, timing of school events, etc., in conflict with

other obligations; After School capacity and quality

•

Quality and balance of various aspects of the curriculum

•

Coordination and communication among parents, administration

and faculty; overtaxing of faculty

•

Need for clarity about definitions, goals, and shared benefits;

concerns about socioeconomic as well as racial/ethnic diversity

•

Topics that were less frequent but still common: homework,

athletics, culture, and communications

Logistics

Middle School

“flow”

Diversity

Others

MPS

2014 THEMES

Primary School

● 

Understand:

How are MPS results

impacting a particular user? (parent

experience, student experience,

etc.)

● 

Define:

How might we improve that

experience?

● 

Imagine:

Brainstorm various

possibilities for change

● 

Prototype:

Design certain prototype

concepts and plans to test

● 

Try:

Implement them and see if the

community responds as we might

hope!

Consider responses to consistent MPS areas for improvement: communication,

pace and balance, boys

DIRECT RESPONSES TO MPS

•  Parent Conferences and Reporting: Redesign: the iterative process

•  2014 – Primary School Offering: Singapore Math, steadier trajectory

•  Communication: Website, Ilyssa Frey’s role

•  Boys: PD, hiring of Gary McPhail

•  Pace/Balance: ‘Day in the Life,’ No HW weekends

•  Food: Flik & Jack Connor, Leadership Chats

•  2014 Strategic Plan – closing the loop, Back to School Night, January outreach

RESOLVING THE “LOW HANGING FRUIT” •  Tax reporting for the Parent Gala

•  Middle School instrumental lessons

•  No homework weekends

MPS RECURRING THEMES

PROMOTING

•  Strength of student/faculty relationship

•  Strength of School Leadership

•  Students/families feel known and loved

DETRACTING

•  Clarity around Diversity – racial, socio-economic

•  Emerging dual working household concerns

•  Vulnerable segments within our community

•  Coordination of HW expectations grade to grade

•

Creates trust in a sustainable process– 3

party neutral analysis

•

Transparency of process and response: Power and value of systemic

transparency – Inclusion of Parent Council and Community

Committee Task Force

•

Close the loop!: Feedback loop breakdowns – 2014 strategic plan

•

Role of governance: clarity, accountability and directive for Strategic

Council, trust in their approach

•

Embeds Design Thinking Process: Administration leads by example

•

Controlled transparency: ensuring the message is sent without damaging

school culture

•

Promotes Culture, Community and Respect: Still identifies areas for

growth

Summer Review and Action/ Strategic Council Retreat Analyze + Discuss Results Close Loop Feedback Annual Spring MPS Survey

A Design

Thinking

Approach with

A Promise to

Respond

!

MPS FLYWHEEL

INCLUSION ACCOUNTABILITY

20

AISNE Presentation (Final as o ... GXC

Solomon Schechter Day School Boston

(SSDSB)

SSDSB CASE STUDY

• 

Around 500 students, pre-K through eight

• 

Low attrition rates, but decreasing incoming K and

transfer application pool,

• 

Resulting in enrollment decline

• 

Highly engaged parent body

• 

Only school in AISNE with a collective bargaining

SSDSB CASE STUDY

66% 63% 59%

45%

55%

39% 36%

25%

53% 49%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

If asked, I would recommend SSDS Boston to other Jewish

families I know (% Strongly Agree)

Like lih oo d t o R eco mme nd

SSDSB CASE STUDY

70% 65%

56%

45%

56%

24% 22% 22%

46% 41%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

DRIVER 1: I perceive that our graduates are

academically well-prepared for their next

school environment (% Strongly Agree)

SSDSB CASE STUDY

67% 60% 60%

51%

60%

43% 38%

23%

52% 49%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Driver 2: SSDS Boston supports my

family's desired Jewish development for

my children (% Strongly Agree)

SSDSB CASE STUDY

51% 50% 48%

29%

51%

30%

23% 20%

39% 36%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Driver 3: SSDS Boston is responsive to

expressed concerns about my child’s

progress (% Strongly Agree)

Like lih oo d t o R eco mme nd

SSDSB CASE STUDY

GETTING STARTED

•

Ensure board and senior leadership commitment

-  Board and senior leadership must agree that stakeholder feedback is a strategic priority for the school, as a key input to critical investment and program decisions

-  Highly recommended to gain understanding of faculty NPS®

•

Find the right owner(s) to manage and execute the process

-  Many schools use an engaged parent (e.g. a trustee) with business & analytic expertise to help launch the survey as well as to analyze and discuss the results; others use a third party

-  Ensure confidentiality of data

•

Finalize the execution details

-  Question wording: while the core question is simple, think about simple nuances to the question (e.g.

“how likely to recommend to a qualified applicant”)

-  Focus of questions: for example, faculty can be asked about both their likelihood to recommend the

school as a place to work and as a place to attend as a student;

-  Number of questions: ask the ‘why’ - a follow-on question to understand what is driving promoter,

passive, and detractor responses (e.g. “why did you respond the way you did” )

-  Survey timing: consider the fluctuation of stakeholder experience throughout the year; all feedback is

important, but timing should influence interpretation of data

-  Survey vehicle: some include NPS in an existing survey; others do a separate ‘pulse check’

•

Launch the survey and adjust approach in real-time

WE ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR

FEEDBACK

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

PLANNED PEER GROUP ‘NPS FORUM’

•

 We are in initial stages of creating a ‘Forum’ of independent schools

interested in implementing NPS and sharing learning and best practices

over time

-

Intent is for an ongoing forum of peer schools, with some advisory support

from Bain

•

 If you are interested in learning more, please fill out the independent

school forum form and/or reach out to Lisa Lebovitz (Meadowbrook

Trustee) at [email protected]

Click here to the NPS Independent School Forum Form online at

http://goo.gl/ZZpcnu

NPS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL FORUM

Please be sure to hit the "tab" key to move through the responses. Thank you for your time. * Required Name: * School: * Title: City: State: Phone: Email: *

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