Defining Educational Consulting
by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA
A maximum crowd of 91 new or aspiring educational consultants arrived in Swarthmore, PA today for the start of IECA’s 2009 Summer Training Institute. It’s a great group: diverse demographically, in education, and experience.
They were challenged to create a working definition of educational consultant during the opening session and they did a great job:
“An educational consultant is a skilled and knowledgeable professional, who advises students and families to help guide them toward achieving their educational potential. The consultant brings passion, high ethical standards, and collaborative communication to an ongoing process.”
The faculty was not involved in the crafting of that and what I like is that the definition covers not just what a consultant DOES (advising students) but also the GOAL (reaching educational potential), what a consultant does NOT do (guides, not take over) and what serves as the underpinning of the profession (ethics). Well done!
Other groups examined different aspects: consultant resources, job skills, measures of success, characteristics, and knowledge. A few highlights:
Success: Achieving realistic client outcomes (and guiding families to understand what realistic, desired outcomes means)
Resources: parents, school counselors, alumni, fellow educational consultants, professional associations
Knowledge: Ethical and legal awareness and code of conduct
Job Skills: Ability to APPLY knowledge in the field of education
Characteristics: Good listener and effective communicator
Success: Being culturally aware
Resources: New technologies and social networking
Knowledge: Business planning, development, and execution
Job Skills: Research and assessment
And of course, much more that will help provide a unified framework for the balance of the training institute and beyond.
Related posts:
- Nearly 100 Presenters will Examine Hot Topics in College Admission, Boarding Schools, Special Purpose Programs & Independent Educational Consulting
- Students Interested in Independent Educational Consulting Career are Invited to Join IECA
- Transitioning from a School or College to Independent Educational Consulting
- Summer Training Institute Participants: What Educational Consulting is All About
- Information Dump: The Summer Training Experience for Upcoming Independent Educational Consultants
