What if the Answer is Learning to Ask Questions?
by Paula Smith
¹ū¶³“«Ć½ Spark
Issue #14, Winter 2014

Crayton Turner was supposed to be teaching me American History from one of the textbooks that were piled in the back corner of the classroom. He didnā€™t even pass them out. Instead, Mr. Turner announced to my class that American History was a recent piece of a much bigger picture and that we were going to back up a bit to cover everything that came before the last several hundred years. We started with the formation of planet earth, and we worked our way forward. Mr. Turnerā€™s desk was piled with dozens of books that we sampled as we surveyed history through the eons. We took turns reading aloud, engaged in countless discussions and were responsible for research that we each took turns presenting to the class. Mr. Turner challenged us to ask why events unfolded the way they did and to provide evidence that would support our theories.

In truth, I do not remember many of the facts I learned that year, but I did learn how to place information in context; to think about the way one event, or one idea, shaped what happened next; and to question the accepted version of what happened in the past. But most importantly, I got to spend time with an adult who loved to read, to learn, to think, to hypothesize, an adult who inspired me to want to be as knowledgeable, passionate and excited about learning, ideas and history as he was. What I remember about that class 40 years ago was the way that Mr. Turner taught me to ask questions.

While the way we live, work and learn outside of school is dramatically different than it was when a man first walked on the moon, the way we learn in school hasnā€™t changed all that much. Although there are several trends that now provide an opportunity to change the way children learn in schools (such as recently adopted Common Core Standards, integrated technology and access to charter schools), for a majority of teachers with no control over curriculum, instructional methods or assessment tools, the professional culture is much the same. It was clear back then that Mr. Turnerā€™s classroom was different than any other in my high school. He simply shut his door to the hallway and used his own collection of books to create the learning experience that he envisioned for us. It took several years before the administration realized that he wasnā€™t sticking to the script, and he was ultimately terminated by the school district.

Today, teachers across the country can face a similar fate if they vary from the district curriculum and instructional guidelines. One difference, however, is the accountability that is now in place in the form of standardized tests at several points in the school year. Teachers must pace their instruction carefully, mindful of performance outcomes that will be posted on the district website. The pressure to cover content leaves little time to explore a big idea and little opportunity to ask questions that are not part of the lesson plan. As a result, students may learn to identify the pre-determined ā€œright answersā€ without mastering the understanding and skill to derive the solution to a real problem. There frequently is no time for students to generate, research, analyze, debate and evolve questions that they care about. In stark contrast to the drive and curiosity that fuels learning outside of school, students learning in a traditional classroom have few opportunities to consider questions that would cause them to fall in love with learning.

It was really quite by accident that ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ came to organize around questions. As a lab school on the University of Washington (UW) campus from 1911 to 1981, we spent our first 70 years serving preschool and kindergarten students. During that time, large curriculum companies had not yet identified early childhood classrooms as a major profit center. Our teachers needed to adapt or create the curriculum that we used with our young students and also needed to evaluate how well it worked. From the beginning it was a collaborative effort. Teachers worked together to design the curriculum, to implement it in the classrooms, and together discussed how well it had worked before designing what came next. We needed to ask ourselves:Ā 

What should we be asking children to do and why? What do the children know and care about?Ā 

How well did it work for each student, and why or why not? How do we know, and what is our evidence?

Out of necessity, our teachers developed a professional culture of inquiry. In other words, we were able to create a culture of asking questions by asking questions and by making time to answer them. It is this culture that we took with us when we left the UW campus to establish an independent elementary school. And, it is this culture of inquiry that is the central organizing principle of our school today.

Walking through ¹ū¶³“«Ć½, visitors notice immediately that children are highly engaged and working independently. Students lean forward, unaware that we have entered the classroom. The teacher is not immediately visible, and we find her sitting at a table in conversation with a student. In fact, our teachers donā€™t spend much time standing at the front of the room as we donā€™t ā€œteach the answersā€ in advance. Instead, a new project is presented by asking the children questions. What is important about this project? What do we know already? What will we need to figure out? What will we have to consider when we approach this problem? The air in the room is electric as the children dig in. They are encouraged to use the core knowledge/ strategies they know, to ask questions when they get stuck, and are encouraged to share their approach with classmates. The teacher moves about the room checking in with individual students, asking questions, making observations and offering tips. Practically speaking, these coaching conversations make it possible to assess a childā€™s level of understanding while they are working, and our teachers will use what they learn to design what comes next.

What is not as obvious to visitors is that our work culture for teachers resembles the work culture for our students, and as a result, both teachers and students are constantly learning. Later on as teachers sit together to plan the next lesson, they spend a great deal of time building the questions they will use to introduce the next concept/ project and specific questions to ensure that every child gets a stretch. The discussion is lively as they review any surprises from the previous week and begin to brainstorm ways to build on what the children have learned and are excited to explore further. There are always numerous ideas about how we might proceed and listening to this conversation, one would notice a central feature of our culture: it is expected that we sometimes disagree.

This way of using questions to surface and iterate ideas is not all that different from the process used by a design team in the business world. And as a result, not only is our teaching plan better than each member of the team could achieve on their own, but also, every member of the team develops greater skill as a creative problem solver, communicator and collaborator. It is gratifying to be able to add value in a generative work session and to learn from others. And in contrast to a set work plan handed down from above, everyone has contributed and owns the outcome. As the team matures, the level of creativity increases. Working in this way, both our teachers and our students develop the resourcefulness to learn independently anywhere. Perhaps more importantly, they love their work.

At ¹ū¶³“«Ć½, we believe that gaining confidence in oneā€™s own learning capacity is at the heart of education. As educators in a mission-driven independent school, our teachers have the opportunity to build a culture of inquiry and to work intentionally to achieve this goal. Our teachers spend less time talking and telling, and more time listening and observing students. Our students spend less time listening and observing the teacher, and more time trying to apply and to share what they have learned. Like my experience in Mr. Turnerā€™s class so many years ago, our students not only learn to provide the right answers, but also to ask the questions that lead to deeper understanding. In doing so, we increase the capacity to learn as well as achieve. As education shifts into the 21st century, we need classrooms like Mr. Turners that engage and inspire. How to achieve this? Letā€™s ask the teachers and students.

The post Six Highlights of an Innovative School ā€¢ Culture of Inquiry appeared first on ¹ū¶³“«Ć½.

The education field is full of a diverse community of educators. Teachers from all different backgrounds who hold all different identities and have come together to work with youth in our communities. That being said, I find it particularly interesting to be a young educator. Oftentimes young educators are not seen as equal as their peers who have been in the field longer. We tend to trust in our teachers who have been teaching for 20-plus years and let younger teachers know that when they reach that ā€œlevelā€ that will garner the same amount of respect. This then leads us to an interesting dichotomy where we do not expect young teachers to be as experienced/qualified/nuanced as older teachers but when we meet or work alongside young teachers who are, in fact, great at their jobs and/or hold qualifications that support them as educators, we are surprised and often taken-aback.

I say this as a 22 year-old early childhood teacher who has been in the education field for eight years, and early childhood for five. I have never had a job outside of teaching and I focused one of my majors in undergrad around young children. Many times I have been at the receiving end of some age-stereotyping (good and bad) in my field. Many times I have seen other young educators experience similar frustrations. We are simultaneously expected to be better and worse than our older teaching peers. We are supposed to be better so we can show that young people can also teach and that we are working so hard to prove ourselves, but we are also expected to be worse because, well, how could a 22 year-old hold with five years of ECE experience hold a candle to a 42 year-old with twenty years of experience? These dichotomies have the potential to make a workplace frustrating for all teachers due to the inconsistent pressures it places on the social aspects of teaching and what it takes away from actual classroom and planning energy and time.Ā 

So, how can we combat ageism in the educational field? First, we must look to our students. As educators we know that three students of the same age can have vastly different abilities and interests in vastly different arenas. So, letā€™s apply this to educators as well. One 25 year-old teacher may be in the field because it was, simply, the job that they found. They may be good at their job, but have a passion or interest elsewhere that may be more fulfilling and successful for them. Another 25 year-old teacher may have dedicated their whole life teaching. They may be deeply passionate and excellent in their position. And yet another 25 year-old teacher may not be great at teaching. They may be trying it out and find out itā€™s not for them. Each of these educators has valuable insight into the world of education and teaching regardless of if they end up teaching for thirty years or three months. We know that our students can offer us insight and reflection into subjects regardless of their ability or experience with a subject, so, we should afford this same grace to educators and focus more on supporting them in developing their teaching skills, pushing themselves to grow, or finding a place in education that is the right fit.Ā 

Secondly, we must realize that pedagogy training is always changing. As each new generation enters school, professional development, and gains experience, they are offered more information and more strategies than those before them. Emerging theories for those learning about education twenty years ago are now more fully formed and taught differently. This means that younger teachers may have different access to educational practices than their older peers. Both of these experiences are equally valid and allow a diverse array of teaching strategies to support a diverse array of students. Younger educators bring new and changing perspectives to education, to support them in relation to older educators we must appreciate and recognize the unique frameworks to which they bring educational communities.Ā 

We must also make teaching spaces equitable, meaning that all teachers have the amount of teaching space and time available to them that is required of their teaching styles and needs. When we take into account the differences in needs and approaches and allow teachers to lean into their own practices, we create much needed space for all teachers to feel they have agency and respect within the classroom. This allows younger professionals to integrate into the classroom and school atmosphere in a way in which all educators feel as though they have power and agency in their work.Ā 

Finally, we must recognize that, antithetical to mainstream rhetoric about experience, more work in the field does not always make you better at your job. Many folks float through professions for years at a time without intentional growth due to a variety of reasons while others find one profession and latch onto it for their entire career. This means that our seasoned educators do not automatically have an upper hand because of their experience and also that our younger educators are not necessarily worse at teaching. If we remove ourselves from the experience-equals-quality thinking, we open ourselves to be more accepting and intentional about learning from one another and creating equitable teaching spaces.Ā 

I feel very privileged to be working at a school that has such a large proportion of young educators. Many times in my life Iā€™ve been the youngest educator by at least ten years. Because we have so many amazing young people on their teaching teams, we have the power to begin to combat ageism within other educational spaces. Many of these things are already happening at ¹ū¶³“«Ć½, and, if we continue to put them in the framework of respecting and empowering all educators, we can set a model for new and old educators in the field.

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Making the decision to attend graduate school is an exciting prospect but it comes with some extra considerations. Continuing education requires a commitment of time, energy and resources. There are a number of variables to consider and the decision you make can have a lasting impact on your career.Ā  Choosing a graduate program that has a lasting value offers the opportunity to become immersed in new practices to deepen the passion for learning.

To help students through the decision-making process, Iā€™ve consulted a panel of educators who have each intentionally selected ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ to grow their teaching and leadership capacities.

Betsy Watkins, Director of Accreditation at Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS)

Meg Roosa, Principal at Ascend International School

Lily Burgess, Teacher at ¹ū¶³“«Ć½

Q: When seeking a place to grow professionally, what considerations drove your choices?

Garrick: Many Masterā€™s Degree programs offer coursework that is oriented toward giving you information.Ā  Mentorship and reflection, a chance to practice what you are learning about, these are elements that can have a lasting impact on your career and help you identify your true professional trajectory.

Watkins: After completing my student teaching requirements at a public school in Iowa, I moved back to my home state of California and began working as an elementary school teacher. To be honest, I wasnā€™t the best math teacherā€”I knew I needed to do whatever it took to become an excellent math teacher.

I was early in my career and knew that I needed hands-on mentorship. ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ provided an opportunity to learn from others and become the fantastic math teacher I wanted to be.

Q: Do students need an undergraduate degree in education to enter an education-focused graduate program?

Garrick: While teacher certification requirements vary by state, thereā€™s often flexibility between undergraduate degrees and graduate program eligibility. For example, ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ā€™ Master of Education program only requires that a studentā€™s undergraduate degree was earned at an accredited university. We actively seek students with a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

Burgess: I attended Scripps College in California. Though I had a lot of interest in education, I ended up double-majoring in studio art and psychology. My passion for teaching didnā€™t fade, and I ended up participating in a volunteer program where I tutored students in reading. Thatā€™s when I decided to participate in ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ā€™ resident teacher program.

Many of the resident teachers Iā€™ve talked to are interested in education but donā€™t have it as their undergraduate degree. Thatā€™s what makes teacher residencies and graduate programs so importantā€”it gives those who are interested in education an opportunity to pursue a career in it.

Q: What are some steps to take prior to selecting a professional development program?

Burgess: I consulted my peers before deciding on ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ā€™ resident teacher program. My undergrad experience was very round-tableā€”reflection and critical thinking were integral to the learning process. I wanted to find those same environmental factors in a graduate program, where students are learning and growing together. Luckily, I found that intellectual stimulus at ucds.

Watkins: I read through websites, researching the philosophy and background of different programs. My goal was to find a program with the features that are important to me, such as academic rigor, a true passion for teaching and learning from faculty.

Roosa: Schools need more educators who know the ā€˜whyā€™sā€™ instead of just the ā€˜whatā€™sā€™. If youā€™re looking for a way to hone your skillset while learning how to become an innovator, an education-focused grad program is for you.

Q: How important is the size, location and culture of a graduate school?

A: Watkins: Culture is everything. I wholly believe that a graduate school should be welcoming and focused on nurturing adults as learnersā€”this unfortunately gets ignored in many institutions. New generations are comfortable taking risks and making Ā mistakes as part of the learning process. An effective graduate program will reflect this.

Burgess: In my experience, a smaller program allowed for more engagement and support. As a student and current teacher at ¹ū¶³“«Ć½, I feel valued and part of a community. I think thatā€™s really important.

Roosa: When I left ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ to start a leadership position at Ascend International in Mumbai, school culture was top-of-mind. My education experience exposed me to the power of culture, and I was able to translate that at a new school, in a different country. Whether you choose to teach, serve in an administrative role or any other position in education, school culture is incredibly important. Programs with a strong culture that feel welcoming and evoke a sense of belonging for students are vital.

Q: What are some positive indicators of an effective Master of Education graduate program?

A: Roosa: Any Master of Education program that equips students with a usable framework is a solid choice. When educators have a foundation to work off of, it becomes easier to innovate within a new institution.

Burgess: Positive indicators come in many forms. It may be the energy you feel, or it could be the enthusiasm you have for what youā€™re working on. Does the program feel like a fit for you? Everybody learns differently, and itā€™s important that the program youā€™re enrolled in caters to your style.

Q: What career outcomes should students expect after completing a professional development program?

A: Watkins: After finishing the resident teacher program, I worked as a K-5 teacher at ¹ū¶³“«Ć½, at a nonprofit with students who had varied developmental disabilities, and was one of the founding principals at Ascend International School in Mumbai, India. I currently work as the Director of Accreditation at NWAIS. The ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ Resident Program gave me the knowledge and skills I needed to grow as an educatorā€”thatā€™s what students should expect to gain from their programs.

Roosa: The instructional practices and frameworks taught during a graduate program lead to open-ended opportunities for students. When you have knowledge and the ability to execute it, you can choose a role that aligns with your passions.

To learn more about the ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ Master of Education graduate program, please visit ucds.org/institute/graduate-program/.

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Our entire staff was lucky to take part in a workshop led by Pat Hughes from The Center for Ethical Leadership in recent years, and the messages have really stuck with me. Ā Pat was asked to speak to everyone because every teacher at ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ is expected to collaborate fully on a daily basis, regardless of whether those relationships form one of a mentor-mentee, peer coach-new faculty, or various teammates across levels and departments. Ā One of her major talking points was Gracious Spaces, which she defines as ā€œa spirit and setting where we invite the ā€˜strangerā€™ and learn in public.ā€

The first part of this definition is about you and what you bring to the table every time you walk into a room. Ā Itā€™s making a conscious decision about who you want to be and acting on it. It reminds me of BrenĆ© Brownā€™s book Daring Greatly where she explains whole-hearted living. Ā Itā€™s about being brave and showing up with the intention to lift others and be yourself and diving into your work head first. Ā I kept thinking how easy it is for me to show up with this spirit in August after weeks of vacation, and how important it would be for me to keep showing upā€¦ even in the rainy, dreary, reporting days of January!

The second part of her definition brings the space, reminding us how important our environment is in shaping our work. Ā My colleagues and I set up our rooms each fall, and we are masters at creating inviting spaces. There are new books on new shelves, thoughtful arrangement of furniture to promote collaboration, quality supplies, and inspiration in every corner. Ā Pat reminded us how critical it is that we create those same welcoming environments for ourselves as a staff, and it got me thinking about where we meet in our various configurations. As our teams grow and change each year, will require more space and have to work at keep it informal and inspiring.

It struck me as strange at first to hear Pat talking about inviting strangers in, but I appreciated her view as she went on. Ā It means that itā€™s critical to bring people in who can help you ask questions and see things in a new way. Every year when we hire new residents, weā€™re opening the door to new ways of thinking. Ā It is so critical that we keep those doors open and really consider these new perspectives if weā€™re going to continue to push our own limits as a school.

Finally, think of learning in public as a celebrationā€¦ for failure. Ā Again, I go back to Daring Greatly. Ā We must try new things, we must stink at them, we must reflect, and we must give ourselves the freedom to grow. Ā What Pat brought us was an opportunity to live this together. I couldnā€™t dream of a finding a better sense of belonging than a community that not only allows for mistakes and growth, but gives you a pat on the back for trying.

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• 4:30-6:00pm Educator session open to the public
• 6:30-8:00pm ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ community session

How much do children really understand about race? How can you support a childā€™s developing cultural identity?

Recent research has shown that children have very complex understandings of differences and stereotypes. Far from being color-blind, most children are aware of how their own skin color is an advantage or disadvantage. They also judge their peers based on stereotypes that adults might like to believe they are unaware of. Because of this, it is important to give youth anti-bias messages, through actions and words, to actively counter what they are witnessing in the world. They also need to learn how to advocate for themselves and others.

Richard Kim from Cultures ConnectingĀ will lead us as we explore how young people in early childhood through their teen years are socialized to practice racism and privilege. You will learn strategies to teach youth how to stand up and confront bias they encounter. Richard will draw from diverse experiences to engage parents, teachers, and concerned community members in this vital work for equity.

Participants willā€¦

• Learn how young people see and understand race.
• Discover ways to support healthy ethnic identity development in young people.
• Practice strategies for talking with young people about countering bias.

Richard D. Kim, M.Div.

Richard D. Kim brings over seven years of professional experience engaging a person-centered approach to engaging race, culture and identity in various non-profit and education settings. Most recently, Richard worked as the Intercultural Credibility Coordinator/Consultant at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, where he also received his M.Div. Richard also holds a B.S. from the University of Minnesota. As a person born in the United States to parents who emigrated from South Korea, Richard brings an uncommon voice to the work of racial equity.

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Teachers use what we learn everyday to improve our teaching and better design the learning experience for our students. Ā The students participating in ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ Instituteā€™s Designing a Culture of Inquiry course are shifting their gaze from theory to practice (For more information on this class see Oct 31 post). Ā November sessions focused on bringing inquiry to life as students observed in classrooms, discussed facilitation strategies, applied principles of backwards design and analized methods for assessing student engagement and learning.

The month began with focused observations in ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ classrooms. Ā Culture of Inquiry students looked for evidence of inquiry-based teaching in Art, Music, Technology and Design, Early Childhood, and Elementary Classrooms. Ā This experience was an opportunity for focused observation of expert practitioners. Taking time to observe and reflect bridged the gap as Culture of Inquiry students prepare inquiry-based lessons for their own classrooms.

The rest of November sessions focused on facilitation, backwards design, and assessment. Ā Students discussed what role culture plays in determining what we value and what we share when it comes to facilitation. Ā They compared different pop-culture icons for great teachers to their own experiences and discussed facilitation strategies outlined by Kimberly Mitchellā€™s book Experience Inquiry as well as models from Jeff Marshall and Elena Aguilar. Ā Ā Ā 

Adding another layer, Culture of Inquiry students participated in a science lesson to test structural integrity of different shapes for designing bridge-decks. Ā After building a variety of different models, they defined possible learning outcomes for the experience and used models from McTighe and Wigginsā€™ book Understanding by Design to create recording sheets that helped young students provide evidence of learning. They discussed models for designing learning experiences that promote student engagement and evidence of learning.

Novemberā€™s final session focused on assessment. Ā Students shared memories of assessment from their own schooling. Ā They surveyed a variety of student work, formal assessments, and standards. Ā Conversations about these learning artifacts focused on what information each piece of evidence provided, what was missing, and what further questions were brought to mind. Ā Students also discussed diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments and how they can inform teaching practices. Finally, they turned their attention back to culture. Students compared two different middle-school syllabi, each with a different model for how students were assessed. Ā They discussed what each syllabus implied about the values of each class and, by extension, the culture of each school.

Designing a Culture of Inquiry will wrap up with two final sessions focused on helping the students bring our coursework to the classroom. Ā Students will write and refine inquiry-based lesson plans, teach their lessons, and finish with presentations and reflections about the experience.

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Art Specialist Jessica Garrick presented at this yearā€™s Washington Art Education Association (WAEA) annual meeting in Tacoma. Her hands-on workshop Monotype Printing: Making Multiples, Not Just One-of-a-Kind hosted an above-capacity group of art educators from throughout Washington State. Many traditional printmaking techniques focus on creating a precise copy of an original image while monotype printing usually focuses on the creation of a single image which cannot be reproduced. Jessicaā€™s workshop demonstrated strategies for bridging these two approaches to printmaking, helping artists to use printing as an evolutionary medium for producing a body of work with a common theme or concept.

Artists used plexiglass plates to trace an original image. Next, they used various techniques to apply ink and prepare their plates for printing. As each image was transferred to paper, artists were encouraged to also make a ghost print or second copy from the plate producing a lighter version of the original. Artists then repeated this process of inking and printing plates in various iterations as the workshop progressed producing related but distinct prints. Jessica uses this technique with students to help them test and discover the results of various printing techniques. This process, which is easily repeatable, also helps students to gain greater practice with printmaking skills than they might gain with other printing styles. Its improvisational nature frees artists to test new ideas without expectations of a precise outcome.

Jessica will also be presenting this spring at the National Art Education Conference in Boston this coming March.

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What is inquiry-based learning?

How can you integrate inquiry in the classroom to spark curiosity and engage students in deeper learning? Students participating in ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ Instituteā€™s Designing a Culture of Inquiry are examining the definitions, theories, and impacts of inquiry as a construct for designing learning experiences. Ā This fall-quarter class for new teachers meets on Thursday evenings in the ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ Institute Hub room from 4:30 to 6:30. The course offers both clock hours and credits in partnership with Seattle Pacific University.

The first three weeks of the course consisted of a mix of hands-on experiences and theoretical discussion. Ā Students brought these ideas into their consciousness and their teaching practices between class sessions. In the first week of the course students experienced and discussed the concept of inquiry as a lense for instructional design. Ā The second week shifted focus to school culture. Students discussed elements of culture and explored how different constituencies experience the same culture in different ways. This cultural examination was then applied to the concept of inquiry. Ā Week three focused on questions. Students generated questions and discussed different taxonomies for organizing and prioritizing them.

In the coming weeks, students will put theory to practice as they observe inquiry in action in ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ classrooms and design lessons with inquiry at the center of the student experience.

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ā€“ ā€“ ā€“ ā€“

One of the things I love most about my job is the collegiality and collaboration between ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ and other independent schools in the area. ¹ū¶³“«Ć½ is a part of Puget Sound Independent Schools (PSIS; ), an admission consortium made up of 40 plus independent schools in the area.

In PSIS, there are 5 committees/work groups:

The PSIS Steering Committee is our governing body. The Steering Committee acts as a Board and prioritizes the work of the organization. Steering Committee members are also co-chairs of the workgroups and/or have leadership positions.

The Forms Workgroup takes charge of the common forms under the PSIS brand, sets a cycle for revision and refreshing the forms, and seeks out commonality in the PSIS schoolsā€™ processes that could be captured in future common forms.

The Marketing Workgroup strategizes about the best ways to reach target audiences to build the PSIS brand and promote our fairs. Members of the Marketing group divide the workload to book advertising.

The Events Workgroup manages our PSIS branded fairs, from booking venues and securing rentals to organizing the layout and providing food for school personnel in attendance.

The Mentorship Workgroup matches new admission professionals with experienced members of PSIS to encourage collaboration and a supportive entry into our work and our market.

PSIS has been integral in streamlining the application process for families and in the efforts in increasing student access to independent school education in this area. PSIS has also helped those who work in admission develop relationships with one another, and is a source we can all depend on to keep up with the changing student enrollment landscape.

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