by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Sixteen years ago, my first day with IECA was at the start of the spring conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. I believe there were fewer than 250 attendees, including some 80 IECA members. There was no NATSAP back then, Small Boarding School Conferences were intimate events, and The Association of Boarding Schools, just separating from NAIS, was years away from hosting its own conference. Today with more school conferences, therapeutic conferences, college conferences, plus LDA, CHADD, and more, I contemplated the role of IECA gatherings. I wondered if we are we simply duplicating efforts, and more importantly, whether IECA makes a significant contribution to the welfare of students.

To be sure the IECA conferences have grown. Upwards of 1,200 people have attended our conferences, including as many as 300 consultants. There has been a surge in college participation, while attendance from schools and special purpose programs grew rapidly in the first half of the decade and has stabilized. Even as the economy turned sour and where other associations reported 25 to 30 to even 35% percent drops in attendance, IECA has exceeded expectations with only minor declines. As a friend of mine, the director of another educational association, said to me recently, “The rest of us feel lucky to be hanging on…IECA is doing great and YOU’RE the one wondering how to change, improve, and redesign conferences? People come because there’s value to attending.” But again I wonder, with so many other choices out there, what IS the value? What makes IECA conferences unique and valued?

I recently asked a representative of Wintergreen Orchard House, a veteran of trade shows from coast-to-coast, about our conference. “The IECA Conference is a must-attend,” she told me. “It goes on my calendar first.” When I asked why, I was told “No where else can I meet people across disciplines: those in college placements, boarding school administrators, LD experts…it allows me to connect with all of the communities we want to reach.”

I asked an IECA member who has been around for years, someone who I’ll see at NACAC or other regional gathering from time to time. Her view was that IECA conferences provide something no one else does: a holistic view of adolescents. “We see teens as far more than a commodity to be placed or a potential student at a small private college. We know that to understand placement you need to understand the entire child: hopes, fears, learning style, anxieties, traits, and flaws. No where else do I get workshops on so wide a range of topics.”

While attending NATSAP last month I sat down and spoke with the head of a small emotional growth boarding school. He indicated that a few events each year are “musts.” This includes the two IECA conferences, because “…no where else can I speak to educational consultants who directly deal with students and families who are desperate and emotionally spent, and need a real professional to help them through a crisis; and then, turn around and talk to wilderness programs that could feed into my school, then traditional schools that we may feed into, and even colleges who want to understand better who we serve. Where else could I find that?”

And one more: a dean of admission from a college who jokingly told me many years ago that he would “never” tell his admission colleagues about IECA because it was one of the best kept secrets: “The last thing I want is more colleges to come. No where else do I get this wonderful opportunity to talk about my school with professionals who are MUCH more likely to work with students considering private colleges and MUCH more likely to explore colleges out of state. Why would I want my competitors to know about IECA?”

What then does IECA offer? First of all, the unique crowd that assembles: colleges, traditional boarding schools, gap year programs, emotional growth schools, therapeutic programs, and summer opportunities—all who believe in a holistic view of the student. Also, a schedule of workshops that range from NCAA rules to Asperger’s, and from learning communities to parent advocates. And we have worked in recent years to strengthen the academic offerings, even while expanding opportunities for networking in both formal and informal settings. As I look toward Toronto, I can say with confidence that “No Where Else” will such a gathering be possible.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Our spring conference registration opened less than a week ago, and registration is already approaching 250. Early bird discounts end THIS FRIDAY (February 26), so if you are planning to attend our gathering in Toronto (May 12-15), get your registration completed right away. Full details on the conference are posted on the IECA Web site (http://www.iecaonline.com/conferences.html) and additional information, including details on all breakout sessions, will be added to the site in the next few days.

I have gotten a few questions and welcome this opportunity to clarify:

“I really don’t work with Canadian schools or universities (or ‘We don’t really get any students from Canada’). So maybe there won’t be as much for me at this conference.” Hold on!  Just because we are meeting in Canada for the first time doesn’t mean our focus is shifting. Of the first 225 registrants, just 15 are Canadian consultants, schools, or universities. The other 210 are from the U.S. What we expect is full participation by our IECA members from across the U.S. with a bit of an uptick in non-U.S. participation, reflecting how much easier it is for consultants in Asia, South America, and Europe to travel to Canada. We expect all of the schools, colleges, and programs that typically attend IECA conferences to be joining us in Toronto, but with the added bonus of greater participation by Canadian institutions. Remember, school, program, and college representatives from Nova Scotia to Vancouver helped us plan the conference!

“There’s so much going on before and after the conference, I’m still trying to figure out what to do, so I can’t register yet.” Wait a minute! We don’t want you to lose out on the early bird discount. Register for the conference now and get your discount. You can always sign back on using our Web-based registration system and modify your registration. That way you won’t miss the discount. We know there’s a lot going on: pre-conference activities include IECA tours of Ontario universities; special tours of Ontario boarding school and gap year programs; the popular Speed Meetings—actually two of them: one for traditional boarding schools and the other for therapeutic programs; and a pre-conference workshop on LD issues as well as one on Web-based marketing. Whew!! Post-conference activities include TWO different college tours: one of universities in upstate New York and the other in Nova Scotia. There’s a school tour in Nova Scotia as well.

“I just got a conference/tour price list via e-mail and it looks like the prices really went up.” NO! That was an e-mail from some other association! Don’t be confused. The cost of our three-day college tours (pre- or post-conference) is still just $95—not the $200 the other group charges. Our conference fee for members, including meals and special events and even including a pre-conference workshop, is unchanged at $395 ($370 early bird)—not the $595 the other group just e-mailed for their conference and pre-conference registration. IECA works hard to keep our costs as low as possible (with thanks to our conference sponsors). As proof: our membership dues have not changed in 30 years! Finally, even non-members can save a bundle. Our conference and pre-conference workshop full registration for non-member consultants is $530—not the $745 others are charging, according to that e-mail. Of course, cost is just part of the story. We are confident that everyone will get a great deal out of participating in the IECA conference: amazing speakers, great educational sessions, and lots of opportunities for networking.

by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

From the NATSAP Conference in San Diego

On Thursday morning we received a briefing by NATSAP’s government relations representative, Kristina Pisanelli. She both provided an update on the Miller bill as well as set the scene for the legislative landscape in DC.

Back in 2007 when the Miller bill was proposed, it contained a number of provisions that would have effectively closed therapeutic schools and programs. The most onerous provision would require programs to meet not only the laws of the state where they were located, but also all applicable laws for all the states from which current students permanently reside. This would have meant, for example that a program in Idaho might have to meet the laws of 32 individual states—a list that could change weekly.

That bill died with the 110th Congress. In January a new bill was introduced in the House and quickly passed the Education Committee and the House. THIS new version of the bill was greatly influenced by NATSAP’s legislative work, including the editing out of the provision noted above. Aspects of the new legislation are far more acceptable to NATSAP schools and programs, although it still creates a new government oversight that duplicates efforts already done by other agencies and in many states. It was this new version that was the subject of a debate at the IECA conference last fall.

NATSAP’s effort will now shift to the Senate, where no regulatory bill has yet to be introduced, although Senator Orrin Hatch has introduced an alternate bill. Hatch’s bill would create federal minimum guidelines but would leave the development of specific regulations and enforcement to the states rather than create a new level of federal bureaucracy. This is the approach that is supported by NATSAP. With the death of Senator Edward Kennedy, the newly installed chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is Tom Harkin of Iowa. A new bill would have to make it through Harkin’s committee and be approved by the Senate and reconciled with the House bill within a year.

Given the current legislative agenda: jobs, the economy, health care, terrorism, education, and more that were articulated during President Obama’s State of the Union address, it is unclear if the Senate will be able to tackle the issue of regulating therapeutic programs in this Congress.

It is also worth noting that with President Obama calling for a freeze in discretionary domestic spending, it may be less likely that the government would create a new bureaucracy as called for in the House version.

Prior to the start of this session, I had breakfast with a number of the members of IECA’s Special Needs Committee and we brainstormed the possibility of new PR initiatives. I look forward to sharing these after the matter has made its way through the committee and the IECA board.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

We are excited to announce that many of the innovations that IECA introduced as experiments at the 2009 Fall Conference were so enthusiastically received that we are bringing them back, with a few changes to make them even more valuable.

When IECA gathers in Toronto this May, the Speed Meetings will return at a new point in the schedule, and the popular Master Class and Point/Counterpoint sessions will be held with new topics and presenters.

The Saturday morning Master Class will feature Dr. Efrain Bleiberg, one of the nation’s leading authorities on adolescent personality disorders. Bleiberg is a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine where he serves as chair in psychiatry and developmental psychopathology, as medical director of Professionals in Crisis Program, and vice chair of the Menninger Clinic.

The previous afternoon, a general session will feature an examination of the question, “Are 12-Step Models the Right Approach for Treating Adolescents?” A number of panelists will explore the use of 12-step models and also the view of some that “being an addict” and “never using again” are not appropriate for 16-year olds. As was done in last year’s discussion, the session will allow for participation by programs and consultants in offering opinions and raising questions. There remain openings for panelists. Those interested should contact IECA conference manager Rachel Diamond King at Rachel@IECAonline.com.

The Speed Meetings return, and will be held as a pre-conference event on Wednesday morning, May 12. The schedule change ensures that the Speed Meetings will not compete with other parts of the program and should make for a more successful session, similar to the great success of the traditional boarding school meetings in November. Applications to participate in the Speed Meetings will be sent to programs and schools after they have registered for the conference itself. Based on feedback, therapeutic schools and programs may bring two representatives to the Speed Meetings, with a strong preference for one being a therapeutic, rather than a recruitment, professional.

The Information Swap, Conference Central, networking reception, Foundation Gala, and so much more are scheduled. Make plans now to join us in May. Conference registration will open February 1. A reminder that travel to Canada is simple, but attendees will need a valid passport to return to the States.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Nearly 30 years ago IECA set the standard for the profession of educational consulting by establishing the first Principles of Good Practice. Major revisions several years ago made these ethics guidelines stricter and more demanding, setting limits on the value of gifts, articulating the limits on commercial activities, and places a firm prohibition against activities that heighten student or family anxieties. IECA became one of the first associations in the country that regularly reviewed the marketing materials of applicants to ensure these emphasize a “good fit” over “getting in.”

Now the Independent Educational Consultants Association has again raised the bar substantially by establishing new STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE for the practice of educational consulting. These new competencies (covering 14 pages of information) ensure that those in the field keep up with the ever-changing body of knowledge and practice in a professional and empathic way. The new document covers the major consulting areas of college advising, school advising, advising of students with learning disabilities, and advising students with special needs (emotional and behavioral problems). Within each advising specialty, competencies are articulated in the areas of assessments, working with the family, working with educational institutions, professional ethics, professional office management, and professional development.

Among the competencies:

• Consultants seeks to empower the student to take charge of the application process.

• Educate families and students about college ranking systems and media coverage in order to bring balance to decision-making and put this information in context.

• Recommend only schools that the consultant has visited except in highly unusual situations; make regular visits to campuses (spending up to 20% of one’s professional time doing so).

• Advise on the best alternatives for the child, regardless of parental desire or pressure. Consultants should seek to help parents understand why actions are recommended.

• Use intake procedures that insure the consultant develops an in-depth understanding of the unique characteristics of each student, i.e. unique abilities, academic learning style, personal characteristics, values, attitudes, feelings, interests, personal strengths and weaknesses, work ethic, aspirations, short-term and long-term goals.

• Prepare students and families for issues surrounding the transition from high school to college, i.e. self-advocacy skills.

• Understand the limitations of and appropriate uses of common assessment instruments.

• Be aware of accreditation, licensure and approval status of programs they recommend.

• Maintain knowledge of programs’ safety records, number of students, maintenance, administrative policies, education, therapy and emotional growth components, food service and quality, population description, confidentiality, and more.

• Respect the families’ and parents’ experience, history, values, religion, goals, and financial parameters in order to factor these in to the application and decision-making process.

The complete document, copyrighted by IECA, is available on the Association’s Web site: www.IECAonline.com.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

We tried a number of new things at the conference: from a bookstore and Conference Central to debates and a master class. Among the most anticipated were our first Speed Meetings that gave participating schools and consultants a series of short, seven-minute appointments over a three-hour block of time. Drawn directly from evaluations and letters, here’s what we heard.

My view: the school meetings went flawlessly, a few glitches with the therapeutic meetings need to be ironed out but the concept works. I’m thrilled that we could offer these to schools at a cost of under $200, about $10-$15 per contact. Add your thoughts using the comment section:

from Dana Harbert, Eagle Hill:
“Eagle Hill School participated in the consultant speed conferencing. I am grateful that we as a school were chosen for this venue. I think six minutes for conferencing proved to be a decent amount of time to start discussions (and in some cases to finish the discussions). I want to stress, however, that these speed conferencing sessions should always be in addition to the swap on Thursday morning. This was my eleventh IECA conference and it was by far the best.”

from Andrew Weller, Ridley College:
Thanks for selecting Ridley College for the first of the speed meetings—it was great. You asked for feedback and I only have one thing really: It would have been great to have at my table a list not just of all the consultant attendees but a list of the ones I was seeing—in order. On the whole, I heard very positive comments from folks and imagine you did as well. Most people in the room were disappointed when it ended! That said, the one criticism I heard from others was that seven minutes was not long enough. I respectfully disagree. I think these meetings function best when the goal is to assess whether or not the conversation needs to continue outside the scope of the event (meet later, visit someone in their office, have them to campus, etc.). I imagine those unhappy with the short time probably did not have a good game plan or were expecting too much in just a short time. My singular goal for each meeting was to simply determine if there was mutual interest in continuing the conversation—and the time allotted was sufficient for that.

from Maryline Deschamps Kruger, educational consultant:
I had my doubts about the speed meeting format, but after participating in the therapeutic program speed meetings I’d like to report that I was pleasantly surprised. I found them extremely informative and believe that the information I gathered will prove to be helpful to my consulting practice. Thank you IECA!

From Brian Fisher, AdmissionsQuest:
The speed meeting approach gives admission officers and educational consultants a quick, defined time to exchange substantive information. It could be a new introduction. It could be catching up on what’s new. This new approach represents a purposeful exchange. Schools & consultants agreed that it’s an excellent modification to the conference format.

And 10 anonymous comments quoted from the conference evaluations:

(1) I was disappointed with the Therapeutic Speed Meetings! The organization was poor and we only got to meet with about half of the consultants we expected. The consultants did not seem into it and did not follow the rules!

(2) The Speed Meetings on Wednesday morning were excellent. Wish there were more opportunities like this…do another round rather than the Thursday morning fair?

(3) I was not happy on how the schools were selected for the speed meetings. My school did not get in and I feel like the fair was not as well attended by consultants since they participated in the speed meetings.

(4) I thought the Speed Meeting session was a terrific addition. Please keep it in the conference agenda. Thank you for this opportunity to speak at length with an IECA member.

(5) Overall, this was the best IECA conference I have attended in six years. It was so well attended, and I enjoyed all the opportunities to network. The speed conferencing was spectacular. I thought six minutes would be too little time. It was fine though. Probably ten minutes would be perfect.

(6) The therapeutic school speed meeting was horrible!! It did not start on time. Many consultants showed up late and others did not show at all. During the meeting consultants didn’t keep the rotation order and did virtually what they wanted to. In the future, the meeting times should be 10 minutes long, breaks should be followed by EVERYONE and, it needs to be much more organized.

(7) I really do think you should offer the speed meetings the afternoon before the college/school fair. I had at least seven consultants state they wished they had more time to visit and discuss.

(8) I participated in the Speed Meetings. These were GREAT! Made the IECA conference more valuable than any I have attended in years. I would love to see this replace the info swap. I would love to see the speed meetings take off. I think eight or nine minutes would be better than six. For consultants who did not know Bement, a few extra minutes would have been helpful. I would be more than happy to see this event grow from a morning to an all day event (with breaks and lunch) or two mornings. The time flew by for me and the use of breaks during the morning was helpful and sufficient. I do hope more consultants sign up next year. I feel as though the information from Rachel about what to bring and what to prepare was helpful and accurate. I felt really ready for my meetings and the time with the consultants was really valuable. Only change (aside from two to three more minutes) I would suggest is making it longer so we can meet with more consultants!

(9) Please find a way for more programs to participate in speed meetings. It was hard having only one program like mine be eligible. If it was successful for the boarding schools, I certainly believe it would be an instant success for colleges and universities.

(10) I was disappointed in the Speed Meeting session for therapeutic schools as a number of consultants chose not to attend so that left a number of programs with an empty dance card.

by Emily Snyder, IECA Professional Member (Virginia), and Chair of IECA’s College Committee

For those of you who follow national development of educational issues, I returned home from the IECA Conference to hear Al Sharpton, Newt Gingrich, and Arnie Duncan come together with David Gregory on NBC’s Sunday morning “Meet the Press” to discuss forming a coalition to address what they all believe is a need for national curriculum standards. The implications of such a movement — which we have actually been headed towards for some time — on education from pre-K through college and beyond are enormous. My belief is that any resulting legislation will require us to alter how we work with students and families, regardless of our specialties, in ways that we have not even begun to fathom.

Part of our role as consultants is being aware of what’s on the educational horizon so that we can appropriately guide the students and families we work with as they make expensive and long term educational decisions. That’s why it will be more important for us than ever before to support IECA sponsoring workshops and sessions on controversial legislation that impacts any and all of us — like the Friday afternoon session where members from CAFETY and therapeutic boarding schools came together to discuss their views with consultants.

While there wasn’t much time to do more than touch the surface of the issue and its implications, Mark Sklarow as the moderator, the panelists, and the comments from the audience all served a purpose — IECA created a public dialogue where both sides of the issue were aired and information was shared; a forum I would encourage all of us to support as the nature of our work continues to evolve.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

From the IECA Conference in NC

I had the opportunity to moderate a truly extraordinary session before 400 attendees at the IECA Conference in Charlotte. A panel of seven represented divergent views on legislation currently being considered that would regulate the therapeutic industry.

Brian Lombrowski, president of CAFETY supports the legislation and spoke of the role of government to ensure the safety of youth, noting that in many states with licensure and standards already in place, the federal legislation would have little impact, but would address problems in states with little or no regulation.

Next Dr. Jared Balmer, co-founder of a residential treatment program, provided some history. He noted that 25 years ago most troubled youth were housed in psychiatric hospitals, a far worse situation than what is afforded young people in RTCs today. He endorsed regulation but indicated concerns with some aspects of the current legislation.

Next up was Chris Noroski, a student at the University of St. Thomas, and vice president of CAFETY. He noted a concern for the lack of standing a teen has in deciding his or her own placement in a program. He drew attention to the conflict that may come when the parent is the customer and the student is the client. Grace Cole, a student from Charlottesville, Virginia, spoke next and reiterated Chris’ point that students deserve greater say in deciding their own fate and spoke of the need of students to be able to report suspected abuse.

Dr. John Santa, founder of Montana Academy, countered that from his experience, virtually no adolescents will willingly go to the residential treatment center, and so students cannot be making such decisions and that parents make this decisions out of concern for the well-being of their child. He also noted the danger that can come if students can regularly make accusations without foundation, to federal or state authorities. The result of the proposed bill, he said, is that programs would opt for safety, rather than treatment that might invite accusations of violations.

Lon Woodbury, chair of the Special Needs Committee of the Independent Educational Consultants Association spoke next, noting a series of legislative attempts to serve troubled teens that have been unsuccessful. He reminded everyone that even if well-intended, the key to results in new laws are in the regulations and guidelines that are written to implement the law and that these often corrupt the original intent.

Dr. Robert Friedman, a professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of South Florida, was the final panelist. He expressed concern for programs, Web sites, and unethical consultants that prey on parent anxieties, noting that many of the programs in the room, and IECA, seem committed to raising standards and operating in an ethical manner. He offered that efforts must be made to deal with those less ethical and those who do not work to meet higher standards.

During questions and answers, attendees raised questions about why the legislation doesn’t include traditional boarding schools, as well as questions about lowering the age of consent, as has been done in Washington state.

In the end it was remarkable because it marked the first opportunity for each side in this important debate to listen and speak with each other and to begin a dialogue. I was taken at one point by Dr. Santa’s view that 10 of the 14 regulations outlined in the bill he completely agreed with, and he saw two as administrative annoyances that he could live with. That left just two parts of the bill where he disagreed–with some vehemence–but this showed me that both sides are closer together than anyone had thought. The CAFETY and A-START folks are NOT trying to close down all residential programs, and the therapeutic industry folks accept the value and need for some regulation or licensure.

In the end I think it was a worthwhile exercise, and I had dozens of attendees seek me out to offer their opinion that the session was interesting, valuable, and a breakthrough. We look forward to continuing the dialogue and finding the role consultants may play in ensuring student success and family harmony.

by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

For several years there has been talk about governmental regulation of therapeutic schools and programs. During this time several states have created licensing procedures, often with the active participation of program leaders. The most controversial efforts have involved those by Representative George Miller (CA) who chairs the House Committee on Education and Labor. He has proposed legislation that regulates such programs by federal statute. Among those who have lobbied for very strict federal guidelines are CAFETY (Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth). While many therapeutic programs have endorsed the concept of regulation, most have voiced a concern that the specifics in the proposed legislation could destroy the existence of such programs and have argued for guidelines that they feel would improve the quality of care without decimating the field. The National Association for Therapeutic Schools and Programs has been in the forefront of this effort.

For the very first time at an IECA conference, we have scheduled a General Session topic that will bring in speakers with diverse opinions, explaining their point of view and answering questions from the audience. This promises to be a dynamic and informative session, open to all conference attendees starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2009 at the IECA Fall Conference in Charlotte. I will call on my skills as a former political science teacher in moderating a session that we expect will better illuminate all points of view than in creating tension.

The presenters for this general session are expected to include:

Dr. Jared Balmer, Executive Director, Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment

Grace Cole, Member, CAFETY

Dr. Robert Friedman, Professor, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida

Brian Lombrowski, President, CAFETY

Chris Noroski, Vice President, CAFETY

Dr. John Santa, Clinical Director and Founder, Montana Academy

Lon Woodbury, Founder, Woodbury Reports; Educational Consultant, IECA

Hopefully we will all leave the session with a better understanding of this complicated issue and an appreciation for the diversity of viewpoints.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Next Monday I’ll have the opportunity to be interviewed on L.A. Talk Radio on “Answers for the Family.” This will give me an opportunity to talk about educational consultants and the important role they play in a variety of placements, with an emphasis on serving the needs of students with emotional and/or behavioral issues. The broadcast can be accessed nationally at www.LATalkRadio.com at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. Pacific on Monday, October 5, 2009, with host Allen Cardoza. Those who miss the broadcast will be be able to hear the interview on a podcast at www.answers4thefamily.com.