Recent Events

ISCA's Fall 2011 Conference was held November 11-12 in Waltham (Boston), Massachusetts
The conference theme was “Making Great Independent Schools Even Greater,” and on Friday, November 11, meeting at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, we were pleased to have two stimulating guest speakers:

● Richard J. Light, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education at Harvard University, presented a research approach for schools to consider for becoming a more effective “learning organization.” Prof. Light described how Harvard and other leading academic institutions have been utilizing direct student feedback to improve all aspects of the student academic and social experience. Dick also shared findings from a group of twenty strong college campuses, about what colleges are “now looking for in their students.”
● Jeff Berndt, Managing Partner at New Profit, Inc., and former development head at Noble and Greenough School, led a session on how schools are learning (and profiting) from such innovations as social entrepreneurship, impact and measurement, and donor perception analysis. He shared research on the critical importance of board performance to the success of the non-profit organization and presented a number of distinctive characteristics of “high-performing” boards.

After the concluding formal annual meeting and election of board members and officers, many of the conference attendees adjourned for a lively reception and dinner at the hotel - one of the most enjoyable aspects of each year’s fall meeting.

On Saturday morning, November 12, conference attendees gathered at the nearby Cambridge School of Weston (CSW) for a lively, constructive discussion among first year chairs and seasoned governance leaders focusing on critical success factors. Moderated by ISCA President, Tim Matlack, this segment resulted in effective, energetic dialogue among the whole group. We also enjoyed our concluding tour of the wooded CSW campus and of several innovative academic buildings, provided by outgoing CSW board chair John Butman and new board chair Anki Wolf. ISCA appreciates the great hospitality afforded to us by the Cambridge School of Weston.