December 2006 • Kislev 5767
- Day School Growth and Excellence: Proving Excellence with Blue Ribbons and More
- Making the Case for an Admission Director
- Now Available: PEJE Day School Peer Yardstick™ Customized Reports
- New Governance Section on PEJE Website
- Plan to Attend Upcoming PEJE Conferences
- Fundraising and Financial Management News from PEJE Targeted E-Letters
- From BabagaNewz.com: Capture the Dream Contest; Jewpardy
- Related Resources
Day School Growth and Excellence
Proving Excellence with Blue Ribbons and More"Jewish day schools have the burden of showing their education is quality, of demonstrating their added value. Proving themselves is a constant challenge." Any Jewish day school administrator would agree with this observation by Michelle Buckles, Dean of Lower and Middle Schools at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (K-12) in Overland Park, KS.
Hyman Brand proved its value unequivocally in 2005, when it was named a No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School, the highest distinction bestowed by the U.S. Department of Education on public and private K-12 schools. Winners must satisfy one of two criteria
Learn more about the DOE Blue Ribbon program >>
View the PEJE College Matriculation Reports >>
Read about a Jewish day school's #1 ranking in a British survey >>
Day School Growth and Excellence
Proving Excellence with Blue Ribbons and More"Jewish day schools have the burden of showing their education is quality, of demonstrating their added value. Proving themselves is a constant challenge." Any Jewish day school administrator would agree with this observation by Michelle Buckles, Dean of Lower and Middle Schools at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (K-12) in Overland Park, KS.
Hyman Brand proved its value unequivocally in 2005, when it was named a No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School, the highest distinction bestowed by the U.S. Department of Education on public and private K-12 schools. Winners must satisfy one of two criteria: 1) their students score in the top 10 percent in the state (in the case of private schools, in the top 10 percent in the country); 2) at least 40 percent of their students are disadvantaged, and their test scores have improved dramatically.
This year the Nathan Bohrer-Abraham Kaufman Hebrew Academy of Morris County (N-8) in Randolph, NJ was one of only four schools in the state to capture the coveted prize. Head of School Moshe Vaknin says the award "has created tremendous buzz in the community. The Blue Ribbon is about secular studies, so there's a lot more interest in our school--especially among people not as committed to Jewish education. We are now aligned with the best public and private schools in the country." Hebrew Academy is promoting the prize in its marketing materials and on its signage, website, letterhead, and emails. It celebrated its achievement during a recent Hanukkah event attended by state and local dignitaries.
Vaknin encourages young schools, schools with enrollment challenges, schools that want to increase parent confidence, schools that need exposure, and schools in transition to apply for the award. "The process is lengthy but manageable," he says. "It's more about collecting information you already have--test scores, mission statement--versus writing from scratch." At Hebrew Academy, a board member, an administrator, and an English teacher joined forces to complete the application in a few weeks.
Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School (PS-8) won its Blue Ribbon in 1992, when it was one of just two Jewish day schools in the country to receive the recognition. Head of School Simcha Weiser says enrollment increased afterward, although he can't definitively credit the award because the school relocated at the same time. "We were the first Jewish school west of the Mississippi to be designated a Blue Ribbon school, and we still consider it a mark of distinction," he says.
A Blue Ribbon isn't the only badge of academic excellence. For schools seeking external validation and data-based recognition, Weiser recommends accreditation and collecting scores over a period of years, then publishing and presenting them to parents. By participating in PEJE's Day School Peer Yardstick™, schools become accustomed to tracking data for a variety of purposes.
Buckles of Hyman Brand agrees: "We're in an era when test scores are important to parents. They're consumers, they're concerned about college, and they want proof," she asserts. "The public schools in our community are good, so we have to show parents that we're better than what they can get for free up the street." Buckles suggests publishing students' SAT, ACT, ERB, and Iowa scores, especially when a school is in a highly competitive market. Schools can also share data about their graduates' college placements.
When Hyman Brand's Blue Ribbon was featured on Kansas City television news and the front page of Kansas City newspapers, even non-Jewish parents took notice and called the school, says Buckles. The award equally inspired the school's internal community, she notes: "Being showcased gave us a morale boost, a real feeling of pride and accomplishment. It's nice to know your hard work is validated outside of your school, and the students were proud of their achievements."
Learn more about the DOE Blue Ribbon program >>
View the PEJE College Matriculation Reports >>
Read about a Jewish day school's #1 ranking in a British survey >>
The PEJE mission centers on growing day school enrollment--and growing a school's enrollment starts with deploying an admission director. In "Making the Case for an Admission Director," admission maven Rheua Stakely asserts, "Tuition is by far the largest source of revenue in Jewish day schools. Therefore, it makes good 'business' sense to have a paid professional who focuses on nothing but making those 'sales' come in." A professional admission function also signals quality to prospective parents, she adds.
Stakely cautions against filling the admission role with heads and administrators, who focus on the school's internal community versus external prospects; or with board members, who must stay focused on governance. She says the admission position more than pays for itself, and she recommends soliciting gifts to fund the salary until it's built into the budget.
Day school admission directors are invited to join the PEJE Admission Community of Practice (CoP), a peer-to-peer forum for sharing support, solutions, and best practices via conference calls and online discussions. For more information and to join, contact Rebecca Egolf, CoP facilitator.
Read "Making the Case for an Admission Director" >>
Define the admission director position >>
Read admission director job descriptions >>
Customized reports for schools that collected and submitted data for the Day School Peer Yardstick are now ready. A nominal fee, based on school size, is required to help cover the cost of generating these reports. To order your school's report, please follow the instructions here, using the appropriate code you received by mail.
Schools are receiving their reports in the order in which payment is received. PEJE sends the multiyear report to the Head of School and any other Yardstick contacts designated by the Head of School. Several days later, we send the school report directly to the Board Chair, although we recommend that the Head share the report with the school's Board Chair and professional leadership as soon as possible. Grantee schools should forward the school report to their coach immediately. Please be sure to save the school report in an easily accessible computer file.
If you have any questions regarding payment, email Colin Codner. If you have questions about the report, email Measuring Success.
After receiving your report, please consider joining one or more of the topical conference calls PEJE is hosting with Sacha Litman to review Yardstick findings:
- Dec. 19 11:30 - 1:00 PM EST New Findings
- Jan. 8 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST Environmental Factors, Facility, & Price Change
- Jan. 9 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST Admissions, Recruitment, & Attrition (Elementary & Middle)
- Jan. 9 3:00 - 4:30 PM EST Admissions, Recruitment, & Attrition (High School)
- Jan. 10 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST Tuition & Financial Aid
- Jan. 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST Board & Fundraising
Call-in number: 1-866-266-3378
Conference ID: 617-367-0106
Participant password: 7353 (PEJE)
Register for conference calls by emailing Colin Codner, and in the text please provide your name, school name, and the date and time of the call(s) you want to join. Please be sure to join the call three to five minutes early and have an electronic version of your Yardstick report open on your computer.
New Governance Section on PEJE WebsiteLooking for ways to improve the Board Chair-Head of School relationship? Want to understand Trustees' roles and responsibilities better? How about moving forward on your school's strategic planning process? Visit the newly reorganized Governance section on the PEJE website featuring easier-to-find information. You'll find readings, case studies, and tools for how your school's board can work more effectively and efficiently, based on leading practices in the field and the perspective of experts.
Plan to Attend Upcoming PEJE Conferences
"Marketing Your Day School: Effective Strategies for Promoting Your School Internally and Externally"
With Charles D. (Chip) Snowden, Jr., ISM Senior Consultant
Sunday-Monday, January 7-8, 2007
Jewish Community Center in Manhattan
Exclusively for schools in the UJA-Federation of New York area
Learn proven ways to market your school and enhance its recruitment and retention activities. Schools attending both days will be eligible to apply for a grant for follow-up coaching. To view the invitation and register, visit the PEJE website.
"Many Voices, One Cause: The Annual Campaign as Community Building"
At the RAVSAK Annual Leadership Conference Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
At the RAVSAK conference, PEJE will deliver an afternoon of back-to-back workshops on translating the annual campaign for multiple constituencies. With participants from PARDeS and NAAJHS, this multi-denominational program is part of the larger conference and does not require separate registration. To sign up for the whole conference, visit the RAVSAK website.
"Strategic Financial Modeling for Day School Stability"
Sunday-Monday, March 11-12, 2007 (Following the AMODS Conference) Parsippany, NJ
Sunday-Monday, June 3-4, 2007 Phoenix, AZ
For teams comprised of Board Chairs, Heads of School, Treasurers, and Business Managers
"Partners in Leadership: The New Board Chair and the Head of School"
Sunday-Monday, June 3-4, 2007 Boston, MA
For teams of new Board Chairs and new, old, and in-between Heads of School
Watch the PEJE website for conference and registration details.
Fundraising and Financial Management News from PEJE Targeted E-LettersIn addition to Hadashot V'Hidushim and Views from Josh Elkin, PEJE sponsors two special-interest electronic newsletters containing valuable news for day schools. The most recent issue of Fundraising Flash explains how new legislation aids charitable gift giving, the impact and implications of the MATCH program, and the MATCH Development Directors Community of Practice. The forthcoming issue of Spotlight: Financial Management decodes the budgeting process and suggests ways various school stakeholders can understand the budget as a reflection of a school's mission and vision. Subscribe to these eletters.
From BabagaNewz.com: Capture the Dream Contest; Jewpardy
The BabagaNewz Capture the Dream Contest asks students to design an original logo for a plane carrying passengers making aliyah. The contest is an opportunity for teachers to discuss Israel and encourage students to express their feelings toward the country. The Grand Prize winner's design will be reproduced on a Nefesh B'Nefesh plane to Israel next summer, and the winner will receive a free trip for two to Israel. Detailed rules and an entry form are available on the BabagaNewz website.
Idea for your next faculty or board meeting: Project BabagaNewz Jewpardy onto a screen and play a round. Choose from four editions of the game: Classic, Holiday, Tzedek, and Israel.
BabagaNewz is the Jewish values magazine for students (and teachers) grades 4-7, published by Jewish Family and Life! in partnership with The AVI CHAI Foundation.