Is Your Mission Showing? Attracting Students—Quality and Quantity
Janet Stump, M.A. CFRE
Setting down the telephone receiver, I glanced at the clock and was surprised at the lateness of the hour. I was engrossed in my lengthy but rewarding conversation, so I hadn’t noticed that the activity in the halls was waning. The prospective school family—anticipating a job transfer to our city—plied me with questions, first about our school and then about our community. Their children were thriving in a Christian school, and the parents were calling each private school in town. Eager to find a compatible experience for their young children, they asked informed questions, and as we discussed their hopes and dreams for their children, the conversation warmed and flowed. “Perhaps,” I reflected, “this is the beginning of a lasting relationship.”
It had been a busy day, and between routine administrative work and several unscheduled visitors, I had fielded numerous inquiry calls. My thoughts turned to my conversation with a dad about his eleventh-grade son. Clearly frustrated, this gentleman wanted just the facts: cost, availability, hours, graduation requirements, and enrollment standards. When asked if he was familiar with our school and its mission, he hesitated, saying that his son’s counselor recommended us. Soon he revealed his motive for calling. Expelled from the public school with one quarter remaining, his son was in danger of losing his credits if he did not enroll in another program. I gathered that he would tolerate our “religion” requirements if his son could somehow salvage his high school career.
Two calls and two completely different conversations! My thoughts, however, drifted to a third—very delightful—inquiry. The ten minutes were filled with the hopeful questions of a parent eagerly wanting to provide for and protect his young child. As I jotted down the pertinent family information on the contact sheet, I asked for the child’s name. There was a pause. Sheepishly, this eager parent admitted that his wife was presently in labor and that the child was due to be born that day. His forethought both amused and heartened me. What a great opportunity I had to educate him, as well as kindle a desire for Christian schooling!
The Potential of the Admissions Process
Whether realizing it or not, most Christian school leaders face incredible opportunities daily to strengthen our schools and the families within our communities. Too often, we do not give time and priority to phone calls and visits, instead leaving them to be addressed on the run by overworked or unprepared staff. For schools with admissions staff, budgetary necessity, not mission focus, often drives the process. We pressure staff to enroll students in order to strengthen the operating budget, rather than to enroll those who will most likely thrive in our schools. It takes time to nurture relationships, to listen to hearts, and to educate families about the school’s mission.
It may seem contradictory, but a full school is not the primary objective of the admissions process. Instead, we want to draw and keep families who understand and support our God-given mission to their children. Therefore, schools must clearly understand their educational and spiritual goals and accomplish them—increasingly over time—in the lives of their students. A unique and well-articulated mission guides the admissions process and gives the staff a game plan for cultivating relationships with mission-appropriate markets such as churches and feeder schools through daily calls and visits. My three phone conversations with prospective parents not only illustrate the variety of circumstances in which families inquire; they also highlight the importance of a prepared and defined philosophy that can guide such discussions.
Those who respond to each inquiry have the potential over time to shape the school and move it closer to its stated purpose. A thoughtful and caring staff member can cultivate a desire for the compelling fruit of a Christ-centered education while gently redirecting those who inquire for various misguided reasons. An insightful, proactive board and administration will allocate resources, however modest at first, to begin a thoughtful mission-directed approach to the cultivation and eventual enrollment of students. When we elevate the admissions process, from the time of the first inquiry through assimilation into the school’s culture, we elevate the Christ-centered mission as well.
Defining Mission-Driven Admissions
At this point, some might ask, “What do you mean by ‘mission-driven’? Isn’t the mission of the Christian school obvious?” Yes, many of us would agree that our overriding mission brings the person of Christ and His Word to every facet of the learning process. However, few schools see the direct relationship between specific standards and practice, and the ability to achieve mission objectives.
Although a full philosophical discussion remains beyond the scope of this chapter, I want to stress the importance for every Christian school of having a thoughtful, diligently researched, and carefully formulated biblical philosophy for what it hopes to accomplish in the lives of its students. This philosophy should spring from an awe-filled and ever increasing awareness that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3) and that only by having the mind of Christ can we become truly wise (1 Corinthians 2:16). Although our schools should be protected places, they do not exist primarily to protect. Many of our schools outperform their public school counterparts, yet superior academic preparation alone does not secure our uniqueness.
Finding a Specific Niche
Each school, however, has a distinctive niche within its community, and its specific mission derives from a careful analysis of that niche in light of its history and educational philosophy. Some schools focus strongly on college preparation, an essential emphasis for many contemporary families; some offer special resources for students with learning challenges; some serve families primarily of a specific congregation or denomination; and some target the unsaved, while others seek to partner only with Christian families.
Even in this short list, we can see that some of these mission focuses appear at odds with each other. In fact, families choose schools for contradictory reasons. If we take a shotgun approach to admissions, enrolling students with divergent needs and expectations, we make little progress toward achieving excellence or accomplishing stated objectives. Year after year, schools suffer poor morale when teachers struggle to meet a spectrum of needs, when parents grow disgruntled and withdraw, when fiscal health deteriorates, and when student behavior clones the prevailing cultural norms. A watching community observes this instability and forms opinions about the efficacy of Christian school education.
Before we implement a mission-driven admissions approach, we should engage in careful institutional soul-searching, answering the following questions: Why were we founded? Why do we now exist? Whom do we serve? What, specifically, do we hope to accomplish in the lives of our students? Are we accomplishing our goals? To answer these and other questions, we must engage in institutional archaeology, as we attempt to dig up the founding vision of our school. Although the school may have intentionally changed course over the years, understanding the past provides insight for the present. If the school has drifted from its original mission, this exercise can serve as a caution and prescription for future decisions. Consultant Jean Crawford summarizes our challenge:
Identifying who we are, what we do, and what outcomes we expect to achieve is one of the most challenging roles an organization has to accomplish. If [it] was accomplished some time ago, it may be appropriate to review the vision and mission statements to ensure they accurately reflect the current organization.... The culture of the organization reflects how we carry out our work. The vision and mission tell us what we aspire to be. Not-for-profits should receive input from stakeholders and the community. What values guide us? Are we customer focused? Are we a learning organization that adapts to change and makes improvements? (2001)
Stating the Mission
If we intend to reach unchurched youth in our community, then outreach should be a part of the mission statement. If we desire to provide a nurturing environment and/or rigorous college preparatory academics, then these specifics should appear as well. We should clearly articulate spiritual distinctives. What specific attitudes and actions do we desire to nurture? Do we expect our students to transform their culture, live lives of service, transition into a traditional classroom, or excel in the university or workplace? If so, we must include these objectives in our mission. Thus, our mission becomes the tool by which we evaluate our progress toward our goals.
Given the spiritual importance of the task, we as Christian school leaders and educators should focus on building effective and spiritually productive schools to the glory of God. Dependence on the Holy Spirit can make us willing to enlarge our vision, focus our mission, and take the courageous steps necessary to bring them to fruition.
Refocusing Resources
A prayerfully focused mission allows us to channel our resources toward achieving targeted outcomes. Rather than providing a broad but mediocre program, we concentrate on accomplishing limited and prioritized goals. If, for example, the school wants to partner with Christian families in the education of their children, the recruitment budget should target the Christian market and not the entire community. Similarly, the admissions staff should invest their efforts nurturing relationships with mission-appropriate families rather than with those whose children are less likely to thrive or even be admitted to the school.
Envisioning the Mission-in-Action
When my children were very young, I hoped to nurture sons who would have open and sweet countenances. In times of discipline, training, and celebration, I monitored their heart attitudes through their expressions. What do we look for in the lives of our students? Faculty and staff must discuss what students and alumni “would look like” if the school’s mission were being accomplished. Of course, this description should include actions, attitudes, passions, and priorities. As we spend time envisioning our mission-in-action, excitement and unity of purpose will grow. As the faculty adopts a unified philosophy and direction for their instruction, the mission will move increasingly toward accomplishment.
The admissions process does not exist in a vacuum. It links fundamentally to the philosophical framework of the school. Enrolled students and their families will eventually shape the school. The more purposefully we articulate our mission, attract families that understand and support it, and gently distance those that don’t, the more surely we can achieve our God-given mission. When we administrators guide this process proactively and diligently, our schools move incrementally toward their objectives.
Mission-Driven Admissions Starts Internally
Recruiting new students begins by satisfying and retaining the mission-appropriate students we already have. Amid the pressures of operating a viable program (often on a shoestring budget), we can easily lose sight of the fact that as a school we render a service for fees paid. Our schools belong to the service industry, and we must provide worthy service. The more effectively we accomplish our mission, the more effectively we will retain our students. It does little good to enroll scores of new students if just as many withdraw.
High student turnover has a deleterious effect on the entire program because disgruntled families leaving the school generate negative publicity in the community. Often, departing families justify their decision to withdraw by criticizing the school, and their injurious comments are given credence because the critics have experienced the program firsthand. Hostile evaluation moves faster than positive evaluation and has greater impact. We must take student attrition very seriously.
According to Independent School Management’s (ISM) newsletter To The Point, “Any time a student or family initiates the move to a competing school, [we] should consider that [our] school has failed in its promise” (1996). Although financial struggle is often stated as the reason for student withdrawal, ISM suggests that parents really mean that the education is no longer worth the cost. Thus, student retention should be a priority for the enrollment strategy. We must consistently demonstrate competent and Christlike service.
A mission-driven admissions program carries a dual focus—internally striving to satisfy and keep mission-appropriate school families, and externally attempting to draw new families who understand and support that mission. Many schools cannot consistently enroll the quality of students they desire because they have relaxed their admissions standards. Therefore, they struggle with discipline problems, with families at odds with the school’s mission, or with students whose academic needs they cannot meet.
Internal Mission Focus
Before a proactive admissions program can be successful, the board and administrators must evaluate current programs and establish or reaffirm mission-driven standards and policies. The annual reenrollment process can keep the parents aware of the school’s mission. Providing an annual means for parents and students to reaffirm their commitment to the school’s core values gives the school opportunity to monitor changes. Then it can deal expeditiously but carefully with enrolled families who are no longer mission-appropriate.
Some Christian schools struggle with a “reform school” image, and sadly many have earned it. They have lost sight of the profundity of their task, and they often react out of desperation rather than vision. It takes courage and faith to enforce policies and standards at the risk of losing families, and thus much needed revenue. The author of Hebrews writes, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). It takes discipline to make wise decisions consistently. We must esteem the mission enough to uphold standards that will strengthen the school.
Once we establish the school’s specific mission and put supporting policies in place, all publications and procedures should be evaluated accordingly. If, for example, the mission is to partner with Christian families, then all written and spoken communication should clearly convey this message, thus drawing mission-appropriate families early in the enrollment process. An effective admissions brochure presents the school’s mission clearly and compellingly in words and pictures, and does so in a way that attracts like-minded families while deterring those with other priorities.
Role of the Faculty
Faculty must be consistently encouraged and trained to see their essential role in the admissions process. Not only do they affect student retention; they play a crucial role in welcoming and educating new families. Veteran faculty and staff can adopt a bunker mentality, assuming the beleaguered position of the overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Throwing open their classroom doors to welcome parent volunteers and prospective parents can prove difficult for many.
I remember my first attempt at shifting the focus of our school culture from inward to outward. The initial resistance I encountered eventually crumbled because of persistent education and encouragement, as well as the wonderful reward of the unleashed support and resources of incredible school families. Our school parents need to spend time in the classrooms to witness the Spirit of God at work through dedicated teachers. They will leave encouraged in their commitment to Christian education. Some weak teachers or demanding parents challenge the wisdom of this open-door policy, but problems are less likely to be swept under the carpet and ignored when such a policy is in place. Problems rarely resolve themselves; they only grow. Together, faculty and parents can create a compelling atmosphere in which the school’s mission can flourish.
The Foundation
Where do we start? Creating a strategic plan is an important process and tool to identify and affirm our mission and core values, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to recognize opportunities and threats. Fisher Howe asserts that the strategic planning process “calls on an organization to think through and articulate its mission—the purposes, programs, and priorities; and the values—not what it does but how it does it; and its vision—what kind of an organization it wants to be in the coming years” (2001). One- to five-year goals derive from this plan, and include action steps delineated and prioritized. Such a process brings ordered perspective to what can be an overwhelming task of sorting needs and tackling issues. It takes godly wisdom and vision to begin operating from a mission-driven perspective while addressing weaknesses and minimizing threats. Strategic planning guides an institution to increasing levels of maturity and effectiveness.
Attracting Mission-Appropriate Students
Let’s consider a practical example. It takes time to plan and implement change effectively, and our school needs thirty more students now to balance the budget. In the meantime, how and where do we find the students we need? In his book Mission Based Marketing, Peter Brinckerhoff explains, “Market segmenting is the technique of looking at your larger markets in more finite parts, and then deciding which of those parts your organization can, should, and wants to serve. It is a technique that will really focus you on what you do best” (1997). Thus, market segmentating enables us to prioritize our markets on the basis of our mission and core values. Where are we most likely to find mission-appropriate students?
Mission-Appropriate Markets—A Place to Start
Once we identify key markets, we should prioritize those that are most closely connected with us, and we should strengthen the bond by consistently demonstrating our mission-in-action. For example, if our school serves families attending fifty churches, it makes sense to cultivate relationships with the families who attend the ten churches most represented by our student population. We can enlist satisfied families as ambassadors in their churches to build bridges between the school and potential school families. Similarly, we should prioritize outreach to preschools and other feeder schools on the basis of their relationship to our program.
While we continually expand our network to more distant markets, we will reap greater results from those already impacted by our mission. Satisfied school families generate positive word-of-mouth advertising, which is the most effective tool in attracting other mission-appropriate families. Schools with full enrollment and waiting pools know the power of satisfied parents. If we take the time to build nurturing relationships with parents and accomplish our mission in the lives of their children, we will produce effective ambassadors. Christlike service is always the first step in becoming mission driven.
Our outreach can now expand to fringe markets. We should ask the following questions: Who and where are the mission-appropriate markets that already know of our existence but have no connection with us? Who and where are the mission-appropriate markets that don’t know we exist? Now we must catch the attention of those who would share our mission and thrive in our program—if they knew we existed. This extended marketing outreach is selective and controlled so that we use resources strategically and frugally.
Effective Use of Marketing Tools
Marketing tools, such as view books; tri-fold brochures; postcards; newsletters; videos; and print, radio, or TV advertising should clearly communicate the school’s mission in words and pictures. Often our school’s marketing tools focus on the institution and its history and achievements, not on how we accomplish our mission vibrantly in our relationships and faith/learning interactions. Whatever the budget, we can tell our story compellingly through lively prose that conveys both the life of our school and its engagement in Christ-centered learning. Statistics and charts have their place, but documented quotations, first-person stories, and close-up photographs draw in more readers.
Each admissions tool should have a stated goal before production begins. We must consider the audience and what they value. All communication should target a mission-specific audience by appealing only to families that would fit within the context of our mission. It should also have a tone that reflects the school’s style and culture. It is also notable that if no one reads our brochure, it doesn’t matter how brilliant its content is, so let’s keep it concise and readable, with lots of white space surrounding the narrative.
Every communication with the school family, constituency, and surrounding community should communicate the mission in one or more of the following areas: academics, spiritual development, service and outreach, athletics, fine arts, extracurricular activities, and fund-raising. Every external and internal communication becomes a marketing tool, therefore painting a verbal picture of the mission-in-action in each newsletter, report card, memo, and press release. Over time, the consistency and volume of this targeted information will educate and strengthen our constituency and thus our mission.
Prioritizing Admissions
Attracting and keeping quality mission-appropriate students will not work with a hit-or-miss process; it must be a prayerfully and strategically orchestrated process—no matter the size of the school or the budget. Not an isolated program, the admissions process draws its vitality and message from a healthy and visionary school; in turn, it perpetuates that health as we enroll quality students and nurture relationships. This cycle cannot take place unless the board and administration embrace this mission-driven approach, educate faculty and staff, allocate resources, and prioritize goals.
Our schools can begin by equipping an outgoing, relational staff member to answer every new student inquiry. This person takes time to listen to each family’s heart, to involve them when appropriate in the mission of the school, to guide them through the process, and to strengthen their bond with the school until their children are fully assimilated. Admissions personnel require the full support of the faculty and administration so that prospective families feel warmly received during classroom visits and open houses. A spacious office, stunning brochures, and a professional video can help the recruiting process; however, a staff person who loves people and believes in the school is a priceless resource. Even small schools can have a successful recruiting process through careful use of well-trained part-time or volunteer help.
The Mission-Driven Admissions Process
The phone rings. You promptly answer it, finding a rather tentative caller on the line. Not sure where to start, the young dad asks the standard question: “How much is tuition?” Although you answer it, you also draw him into a conversation. His bright son, growing bored with school, has begun to get into mischief. As you listen and respond with questions, you hear his fears and hopes for his child. He asks about academics and discipline, and you answer each question within the context of your school’s mission.
Although uninformed about Christian schooling, he listens and learns because of the newly perceived need in his child’s education. By the end of the conversation, he begins to sense what he is missing. Later that day, you add a personal note to the information packet you send him, addressing his concerns and inviting him for a personal visit. You nurture this budding relationship through a mission-guided process that leads to the enrollment of his son and eventually to the bonding of his family to the school community. Two years later when his preschooler prepares for kindergarten, there is no question where she will attend.
Relationships Rule
Vibrant relationships form the foundation of a fruitful admissions program as well as a profitable development program. As we draw families to the school through Christlike relationships and they experience the mission firsthand, they will eventually give time, energy, and finances, thus producing a strong support base for the school. It takes time to build relationships with prospective parents, but the investment will reap bountiful rewards. We need to listen for families who are not mission-appropriate or whose academic needs cannot be met in our school. Once we establish rapport, we can redirect families who are not appropriate candidates for admission to other schools more suited to their priorities or needs.
Families appreciate a straightforward approach. If desired programs are not available for their child, we must be honest with them. If we wish to enroll families active in their churches, we need to communicate that clearly in the first conversation. It will not only save time and perhaps embarrassment; it will also keep expectations in line with reality, preventing damaging repercussions. Families inquire because of perceived need, not always because they understand the Christian philosophy of education. Through relationship, a family’s needs and desires may come to match the school’s mission and program.
Establishing an Admissions Process
The student application should clearly state the school’s educational philosophy, its distinctives, and its enrollment procedures. It should define the mission and provide enough information for families to make an informed decision. Applications can require any or all of the following elements: pastor’s reference, administrator’s reference, personal reference, answers to a student questionnaire, grades and transcripts, personal essay, personal testimony, and signed parent-student cooperative agreement. Each aspect of the application needs to provide the information necessary to make a mission-directed decision.
Family interviews should be a part of every school’s admissions process. Although they require considerable time and effort of several staff members, they provide an essential step in the screening and bonding process. In many schools, grade-level administrators conduct interviews. While this method works, it is wise to involve two or three additional staff members. We need continuity between interview teams, but having several interviewers provides a balance of personalities and perspectives. Bridging the possible information gap between faculty and administrators, teachers become invested in the process as they connect with new families and communicate with their colleagues.
We should plan interview questions derived from our specific mission, and we should plan the objectives and tone of the interviews as well. If we grill potential applicants in order to “skim the cream” off the waiting list, the interviews will not be effective as a relational tool. However, if admissions personnel have completed a thorough screening through mission-directed brochures, phone conversations, and site visits, most of those interviewed will enroll. Valid objectives for the interview can include the following: observing family dynamics, assessing student attitudes and actions, educating families, conveying information, answering questions, and assessing ability to meet academic needs. These objectives inform the tone and content of the interview.
We need to choose interview questions prayerfully. Five or six well-designed questions can elicit a discussion that can last up to an hour. The questions should be tested to determine whether they are easy to understand and likely to evoke the desired information. We must carefully scrutinize the mission statement, breaking it down into elements that form the core of the interview questions. Each interview should be consistent and well documented, with some objective component to rate the mission-appropriateness of applicants. We can evaluate the interview process annually, garnering input from all those involved.
Let us consider a school that undertakes a thorough self-study and recognizes that its college preparatory program is good but far from excellent. While the majority of its parents desire a college-preparatory emphasis, some require a resource program for students with special needs. The school has neither the space nor the budget to meet the needs of students with moderate to severe learning challenges. It is better to do a few things with excellence rather than to do many things with mediocrity.
Considering demand in light of resources, we as school leaders narrow our focus and build excellence into our core academic program in order to meet the needs of the majority of school families more effectively. This decision informs our admissions process; now we can test all applicants to see if our school can meet each student’s learning needs. In the future, our strategic plan may guide us in another direction, but for now we can concentrate our resources in one direction.
Evaluating and Protecting the Process
The enrollment process should be uniquely tailored to each school. It should strengthen effectiveness, not become a bureaucratic nightmare. We must evaluate the process annually by obtaining input from those who interview as well as from the general faculty. What trends have they observed? Are new students more or less prepared? Are there fewer or more behavior problems? Are families cooperative and supportive?
We have to guard the admissions process from two enemies: pragmatism and legalism. Pragmatism can threaten the process during times of high and low student interest. When we need students, we may be tempted to fill openings just to meet financial obligations, regardless of the fit. During times of high demand, we can also stray from mission-driven criteria and enroll those with the best test scores or the ability to pay, rather than families who align with our educational objectives. Over time, these daily decisions profoundly impact the spiritual vibrancy of the school.
The second enemy is a legalistic mind-set that can result from a well-honed process. Too often we quantify students by their responses and select them by points earned. While objective measures help balance subjectivism, we must humbly seek God’s wisdom throughout the entire process. Sometimes when every answer is correct and every requirement fulfilled, we sense a red flag signaling that a family may not fit. Other times, a family may stumble through the questions, yet we reach consensus that they need to be brought into the life of the school. God’s grace must continually control the admissions process.
Bonding Families to the School
The admissions process does not end when students enroll; it continues until students and their families bond firmly to the school. Most children have anxiety about starting a new school, particularly secondary students. It is just as stressful for parents since they want their child to adjust to the school they have carefully selected. We do well to invest considerable planning into assimilating new students into the school family. We can host a new-family orientation, which can prepare parents for coming adjustments and assure them of the school’s concern and partnership. Pertinent information reduces anxiety and increases a sense of partnership. We reassure new students when we give them opportunity to preview their classrooms, find their lockers, and orient themselves to their schedules. Pairing students by grade also relieves their anxiety since they don’t have to face lunchtime alone or stand out in isolation.
Truth in advertising applies to the marketing process of admissions. By promising too much, we set up new families for disillusionment or failure. It disarms disgruntled school parents to hear staff acknowledge areas of weakness and share strategies for change. Most parents don’t expect perfection; it encourages them to see problems identified and addressed.