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, IECA

Based on a request brought by the IECA Special Needs Committee, the Board of Directors met via teleconference last week. Knowing that members overwhelmingly view the TalkList as a valuable benefit (based on the January 2010 member survey), the effort focused on ways to make the TalkList both more valuable but also ensure that several current concerns are addressed.

Concerns focused on just a few specific area: (1) the tendency of some to reveal too much information in  a case study such that client confidentiality could be compromised; (2) the tendency of some to present so little background as to call in to question whether the person making the post is qualified or ‘did their homework’ before asking for assistance; (3) the actions of some in forwarding TalkList postings to individuals outside of IECA (often in schools or programs), a clear violation of the rules that members agree to support.

Board consensus was that the regulations established should be shared with members more frequently. It was felt that often members sign the TalkList agreement but forget expectations, like proper titles. There was discussion about online training that would review what constitutes a good case study posting: one that provides sufficient information but no identifying characteristics, and demonstrates the research done by the consultant prior to the post. It was also felt that members need to be reminded that it is unacceptable to forward postings outside the membership and that doing so is basis for being removed from the TalkList.

There was discussion about the possibility of creating a TalkList mentor group. Their role would be to assist those trying to frame a posting or to contact those who post something considered improper to explain why and provide assistance in changing to a more valuable post.

Many on the Board felt that there were more significant problems of members venturing into advising beyond their expertise. This was judged to be an issue beyond just the TalkList and will be addressed separately.

The Board will continue this work and create a series of proposals. You may share your thoughts in the comments section below this blog, or send your comments to IECA board president Diane Geller at dianegeller@gmail.com or to me at msklarow@iecaonline.com.

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 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.

by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

As we move closer to autumn, we’ve seen tremendous interest in the “Speed Meetings” which were added to the IECA Fall Conference as special events. With that interest has come a number of questions, which I’d like to respond to with the hope of clarifying this exciting addition to the November Conference.

Over 100 schools and programs have applied to be part of the program, but only 60 have been accepted so far. I’ve been asked why more schools have not been allowed to attend.

The Speed Meetings are designed to be an intense series of one-on-one meetings between admission representatives and educational consultants. We have decided the best way to accomplish our goal of maximizing contacts is to have an exact number of schools and consultants at the Wednesday event, and therapeutic schools and programs and consultants at the Thursday event. This 1:1 ratio assures that schools will have someone to talk to for every short meeting, with no time wasted. If for example there were 10 more schools than consultants, ten schools would be without someone to speak to during each segment. We will continue to accept schools and programs as consultants continue to register. As of today, 25 consultants have signed up for Wednesday and 34 for Thursday.

How are schools selected?
Our goal is to provide an effective mix of schools. On Wednesday this means a number of traditional boarding schools, but to this we want to be sure there are representatives of LD-based schools, junior boarding options, a couple of gap year programs, a post-secondary LD option, and a summer boarding program. So while we do consider the date of applications, we want to be sure that consultants are exposed to a sizable number of programs, representing schools both large and small and from every region of the country. Likewise, as we accept therapeutic schools and programs for Thursday, we want to ensure that wilderness programs, RTCs, in-home programs, emotional growth boarding and other unique approaches are all represented.

Why do schools pay $175 to participate?
Because this is a pre-conference activity, there are expenses beyond the normal conference expense that are incurred. Food and beverages to be served during the event, audio-visual costs, printing, ballroom rental, and more need to be covered. What we are very pleased about is that we can give this opportunity for schools to meet one-on-one with perhaps 20 consultants for a fee that is about 10% of what schools pay to be part of larger fly-in programs with similar goals. We think this smaller amount means that many smaller schools with limited budgets can take part in the program. In terms of return-on-investment, this allows a school to meet with up to 20 consultants at a cost of about $8.75 per meeting.

Why do consultants have to pay $35 to participate?
First, we do think asking consultants to pay some of the cost of the food breaks is fair. More importantly, we have found over the years that when we offer programs at no charge, there is a large no-show rate of up to 40%. If it were a presentation in a classroom, lots of empty chairs may be a concern but the program could go on to a successful conclusion. With pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings, a 40% no-show rate would mean that many schools, that paid registration fees with the promise of back-to-back Speed Meetings, would find themselves without the promised consultant 40% of the time—an unacceptable result. So we sought to balance a fair, small fee but one that we hope guarantees that those who register will show up.

Will schools meet ALL of the consultants at their Speed Meeting?
Time will permit each school to actually meet with up to 20 of the consultants attending the Speed Meetings. We will have refreshment breaks that will allow those not scheduled to meet, get acquainted, and share thoughts less formally. In addition, all registered schools will receive contact information on all consultants registered for the speed meetings and consultants will receive a packet of information representing one page summaries of all of the schools, assuring that everyone in the room is able to learn about everyone else.

These meetings are going to be short—can anyone really learn everything they need to about a school in six minutes?
No. But our hope is that consultants can gain enough information about a school: its mission, unique aspects, location, cost, physical offerings, and faculty, to decide that they may want to follow up and learn more. We hope consultants will be exposed to schools and/or programs that they never visited, read about, or perhaps even heard of, and will discover new possibilities to add to their knowledge base.

Will this be repeated next spring in Toronto or next fall in Cincinnati?
Honestly, who knows? We will evaluate the success of the program thoroughly by asking both consultants and presenting schools to let us know what they thought: what worked, what didn’t, what should be changed and of course, should we repeat the program. If most say it was worth it, we’ll likely make some suggested changes (if there are any) and schedule it again. Those schools that applied for 2009 and did not get accepted will be given some preference for 2010.

I already registered for the conference but did not register for a Speed Meeting. Is it too late?
If you are an educational consultant, no, it’s not too late. Please join us! If you have your computer-generated conference confirmation, follow the directions for making changes to your registration and it can be done online. Or, contact conference manager Rachel Diamond at Rachel@IECAonline.com or 703-591-4850, extension 16. If you are a school or program, time is running out to apply, and as you read above we are now in a wait-and-see stance—adding schools or programs as consultants register.

If you have any additional questions, let us know!

by Charlotte Klaar, IECA Member (Maryland) and Chair, Board Development Committee

Each year when I receive my membership renewal from IECA and make the decision not only to renew but also to continue to be actively involved in the organization, I am amazed at the strides IECA has made in the preceding year. Now, some 15 years after I first became associated with IECA, I look back and see a transformed organization whose efforts have also transformed an industry. This transformation has come about through the work of our Executive Director, Mark Sklarow, and his staff and the efforts of the many involved members of the organization.

This past year has been a particularly meaningful one for me since I have seen efforts that I have been periodically involved with come to fruition, and others that began later show progress. This year, sets of competency documents for each of our constituencies have been finalized. The committees (College, Schools, Learning Disabilities, and Special Needs) each decided on these competencies, which were necessary to properly do the work of each specialty. This was an idea that began with the Education and Training Committee, and using the model that the Special Needs Committee had begun, under the leadership of Tom Callahan, asked that the other disciplines put together their competency documents. This is a huge step forward for the organization and for our members who will soon be able to look at the competencies to decide if they are truly up-to-date in the services they offer. More training will be available to those who want it.

The Board Development Committee (BDC) is another group that is working hard at adding to the professionalism of the organization, with particular focus on the Board of Directors who set the direction of IECA. Last year, under the leadership of Tim Lee, the BDC created instruments by which the Board can assess its own work, and for each Board member to assess his or her contributions to the Board and to the organization as a whole. In addition, a protocol was created to provide advance information on the responsibilities of a Board member, so that those asked to stand for election to the Board know the level of commitment required. This year the BDC created a debriefing document for former Board members and also distributed talent surveys to the sitting Board and committee chairs to create a database of existing member talents. Our next steps will be to examine the qualities required for each of the Executive Board positions, and to assess each position and its relevance in the changed environment that is IECA today.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are a more professional organization today than when I began 15 years ago. I am honored to be part of this changed organization and thank all those who came before me who sowed the seeds for this transformed profession.

by Diane Geller, President, IECA

Our Executive Board hit the ground running on Wednesday and came up for air only when it was time to return home. Although I did have my running shoes with me, Mark’s reference to “marathon” pertained only to our meeting—we were all so engaged in discussion that I never even made it to the gym!

We began our conversation with updates on the upcoming Charlotte conference, our recently completed and well attended Summer Training Institute, and a report on our financial picture. We are excited about our conference registration and membership numbers. All in all, an excellent report card.

Our agenda was full, but the overarching theme was our continued commitment to IECA’s role and responsibility in serving the profession, insuring that families are well served, and that we are maintaining and even raising our high standards. We are fortunate that committee meetings are no longer limited to in-person sessions at conferences; new technologies enable our standing committees to work and meet via teleconference between our fall and spring conferences. The Learning Disabilities committee has completed its lexicon and is developing a “top ten” competencies list. The Schools committee is promoting increased visibility at other professional associations and conferences and has embraced the “speed dating” model for schools and consultants at the Charlotte conference. The Special Needs committee demonstrates not only its hard work but also its tech savvy on its Facebook page. The Board Development Committee and the Nominating Committee are working on leadership development; the Directory Task Force will follow up on the Membership Committee’s suggestion regarding specialty codes. And, as always, our Outreach Committee continues to reach out at receptions and events. Members will soon be learning more about using new technologies for Web-based training and our “Standards of Excellence” document is nearing completion. We are thrilled with our affiliation with the University of California-Irvine certificate program in Educational Consulting and our College Committee is proud of our relationship with College Week Live where our members volunteer and are featured on a regular basis. We are forming an affinity group for consultants who work internationally and a task force is in the works for coordinating our members who do volunteer work and community service.

In all consultant specialties, community service is being initiated, consultants continue to visit schools, colleges, and programs, and opportunities for continuing education are being pursued.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

A long and busy day in Swarthmore (is there any other kind during the IECA Summer Institute?) as day three comes to a close.  Particularly tiring for me with three presentations and joining all the faculty in moderating a marketing lab with our mentoring groups.

I led a lively elective on—no surprise here—using social networking and blogging to improve communication with and between clients and colleagues.  Following this I joined Jane Shropshire to lead a session for consultants working on therapeutic placements that focused on the key differences they may experience in working in the profession, as compared to college and school consultants.

Then off to a general session on Professional, Legal and Liability Issues.  It was late in the day but the attendees remained interested and engaged throughout, an indication (the staff feels) of the overall level of seriousness of purpose and personal commitment they have demonstrated to learning.

Of course the rest of the faculty were busy as well.  Jane also hosted a sizable breakout where some 40 attendees explored boarding school consulting, a very significant growth in interest of such work.  Matt Baker ran a general session on marketing, followed by the marketing lab.  Bar Clarke led a session on how to visit and evaluate special needs programs while Charlotte Klaar ran a well-attended and reviewed breakout on “The College Essay” which concentrated on the limits consultants should provide students.

Guest presenter Troy Onink of Stratagee joined Lloyd Paradiso to offer a session to a packed house on the Essentials of Financial Aid.  Finally, as the clock ticked toward 5:45, a faculty Q&A produced a good, insightful give and take.

Imagine all that just today!  And several of those general sessions were two hours each.  Tonight offered the opportunity of a night off, and a crowd was seen heading for the train into Philadelphia.   We hope the attendees have fun, but not too much.  Somehow tomorrow’s schedule is just as busy!

We have missed Steve Antonoff who missed his first Summer Institute due to some medical complications from surgery earlier this summer. We’re happy to announce that he’s doing well.  Finally, it takes a real expert, a professional who understand adult learning, curriculum design, and an unyielding commitment to excellence to put together every academic and logistical aspect of the Institute.  That was Sue DePra, IECA’s Director of Education.  In one word: amazing.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

So many wonderful moments at today’s Independent Educational Consultants Association Summer Institute.  Presentations included the Essentials of College and Therapeutic Advising, Advising for Athletes, Social Networking and Entrepreneurship.

Jim Bock, dean of admission and financial aid at Swarthmore College along with Philadelphia University’s Greg Potts and Richard Floyd of Ursinus College shared the view from the other side of the admission desk, while three representatives form The Pathway School met with the Special Needs consultants.

Bock shared that a group of university employees gather each morning over coffee to discuss news events, and just a few weeks ago they were discussing the front page article in The New York Times by Jacques Steinberg.  At the time, they, along with Dean Brock, noted Steinberg’s suggestion to parents that if they were going to look for a consultant, they should look toward IECA as the association working to promote ethical behaviors.

The “coffee club” was excited to look up today and see IECA, the group they were discussing, right there in the building training new and aspiring consultants.

This evening I also had an interesting conversation with STI attendee Dan Hales about the need for consultants to know more about career colleges and other non-traditional options for students completing high school but for whom an academic college career does not seem appropriate.  A great suggestion and one that deserves greater attention.

Among the many benefits an educational consultant brings to a student in their school or college search is direct knowledge from having visited scores of campuses, conducting evaluative visits. Such visits give Independent Educational Consultant Association members an eye-witness, ear-to-the-ground, personal way of understanding what makes a campus tick: its social and academic balance, the relationship between faculty and students, emotional support or sense of competition among classmates, the campus-wide support for the arts, the political climate, religious tolerance, acceptance of and offerings to students with learning disabilities, relationship with the local community, among hundreds of other factors.

Only by walking through a campus, reading the student paper, scanning the bulletin boards, talking with students, observing the dining hall, can you begin to get a real feel for a school that no guidebook, Web site or blog (even this one) can accurately describe. That’s why many IECA members can count 200 or more campus visits among their background work to better serve clients and families. Of course, every consultant supplements these tours with student surveys, books, conversations with IECA colleagues and much more. But nothing replaces the value of walking in the path of a student.

This is the primary reason we commit so many resources to making our campus tours a central part of what we offer our members. Members often tell us of the great value in touring campuses with other educational consultants: sharing insights, raising questions, etc.

As we look ahead to our fall conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, we know that our Special Needs and Schools committees will soon be announcing special campus tours. The college tours are now set and include campus visits and presentations at:

Monday November 9:
High Point University, Elon University and Wake Forest University;

Tuesday November 10:
Davidson College, UNC-Charlotte and Queens University of Charlotte;

Wednesday November 11:
Wingate University and the IECA conference kicks off at 1:00 p.m.

Registration for these tours begins in August, along with the IECA Conference registration.Details on the school and special needs tours will be announced soon.

Posted by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director