NAIS Principles of Good Practice

Through the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of students, admission and enrollment management professionals play a critical role in their schools’ vitality and educational culture. All admission and enrollment management professionals, as well as the head of school, bear ultimate responsibility for communicating and upholding these principles of good practice to all professional staff and volunteers (including parents, alumni/ae, tour guides, coaches, faculty, and board members) who represent the institution in promotion, recruitment, admission, re-enrollment, and retention activities.

Preamble:  The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The school seeks to ensure an appropriate match between a prospective student/family and the mission and philosophy of the school.
2. The school maintains an admission process that affirms the dignity and worth of each individual and respects the needs of students and families to learn about school programs and activities.
3. In establishing policies, procedures, and goals for student recruitment and enrollment, the school makes inclusivity a central tenet, while also complying with local, state, and federal laws, including but not limited to applicable antitrust laws.
4. The school operates under a clear and consistent set of practices for gathering, disseminating, and maintaining prospective student information, and respects the confidentiality of students, families, and documents in the admission process. Schools will ensure that the admission process and/or official transcript have provided sufficient formal documentation of an appropriate match before offering admission to a student.
5. The school provides clear information, dates, and timeframes for all aspects of the admission process, including expectations around notification dates, financial aid applications, acceptance of an enrollment offer, waitlist policies, and financial obligations. All school communication about the admission process should be consistent, transparent, and in user-friendly and inclusive formats.
6. The school shares complete information about the total costs of attending the school and other financial expectations with families before an enrollment commitment is required. The school ensures that its admission process and commitment deadlines do not restrict unnecessarily the rights of families to make well-informed decisions about enrollment.
7. The school clearly communicates those policies and procedures of the school, member associations, and/or athletic leagues that may affect a family’s decision to enroll.
8. The school recognizes that general advertising, direct-mail campaigns, social media and internet outreach, and communication between competitor schools and currently enrolled independent school families should not be seen as a violation of the spirit of collaboration, collegiality, and professionalism reflected in these principles, but rather as guaranteeing the free market rights of families and the general public to consider all educational options.
9. The school recognizes the right of currently enrolled students and families to consider other educational options, and if a transfer is initiated, the current school provides appropriate documentation and support in a timely manner, including reminding the family of any policies related to contractual obligations to the current school.
10. The school actively participates in local, regional, and national organizations of independent schools to establish and further collegial relations with neighboring independent schools, to collaborate on marketing arrangements to tell the independent school story, and to encourage more families to consider independent education.
11. School representatives apply the same high standards of integrity whether talking about their own school or other institutions. As they navigate the challenges and opportunities inherent in a competitive recruitment environment, school admission professionals adhere to the highest standards of mutual support and respect among schools.
12. The school ensures that all representatives, internal processes, and external recruitment arrangements support the best interests of the student and do not result in a conflict of interest on the part of the school, individual, or firms representing the school.
13. The school ensures that the primary admission professional is a member of one of the leadership teams, and all admission and enrollment management professionals, as primary representatives of the school in many arenas, have strong support for professional development and unwavering direction from the head of school to fulfill the letter and the spirit of all of these principles of good practice, especially in the context of challenges to meeting enrollment goals.

Athletics can play an important role in the lives of children. The school’s athletic program should be an essential part of the education of students, fostering the development of character, life skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

School Athletics

1. The school’s physical health program embodies the mission, philosophy, and objectives of the school.
2. The school ensures that physical education teachers and coaches have appropriate training and knowledge of the school’s mission, philosophy, and objectives.
3. The school promotes equity in all aspects of its athletic programs, including equal access to athletics, and fair and just treatment within both the curricular and extracurricular program.
4. The school’s athletic program is an integral part of the school’s curriculum.
5. The school is committed to the safety and physical and emotional health of participants in the athletic program. The school demonstrates this commitment by ensuring that appropriate safety precautions are in place for all physical education activities. Further, the school has appropriate response safeguards in place in the event that a student is injured.
6. The school’s athletic program values the dignity and worth of the individual in a context of common purpose and collective achievement.
7. The school educates parents about the philosophy, policies, risks, and appropriate expectations of the athletic program.

School Team Athletics

1. The school stands firmly in opposition to performance-enhancing drugs.
2. The school and its athletic programs and teams do not tolerate any form of hazing.
3. The school ensures that students, parents, alumni, and others understand the expectations of sportsmanship, civility, and self-control at athletic practices and contests, much as those same characteristics are required within the more traditional academic environment.
4. The school works directly and candidly with other schools to prevent abuses in the following areas: recruitment, eligibility, transfer of student athletes, financial aid, and admission.

Coaches

1. Coaching is teaching: Coaches are, foremost, teachers. In this spirit, coaches have a strong collegial relationship with other educators and contribute to the school’s understanding of the whole child.
2. Coaches have an understanding of the developmental needs of the children with whom they work.
3. Coaches design and implement activities that improve the knowledge and skills of all participants.
4. Coaches are aware of the physical abilities of their athletes and do their best to keep the athletes safe while encouraging students to reach new levels of achievement.
5. Coaches maintain the appropriate skills to teach their sport(s) and provide appropriate first aid to an injured athlete.
6. Coaches mentoring athletic teams and events are role models for the behavior expected of all spectators and participants at any athletic event.

The board is the guardian of the school's mission. It is the board's responsibility to ensure that the mission is relevant and vital to the community it serves and to monitor the success of the school in fulfilling its mission.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The board adopts a clear statement of the school’s mission, vision, and strategic goals and establishes policies and plans consistent with this statement.
2. The board reviews and maintains appropriate bylaws that conform to legal requirements, including duties of loyalty, obedience, and care.
3. The board assures that the school and the board operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, minimizing exposure to legal action. The board creates a conflict of interest policy that is reviewed with, and signed by, individual trustees annually.
4. The board accepts accountability for both the financial stability and the financial future of the institution, engaging in strategic financial planning, assuming primary responsibility for the preservation of capital assets and endowments, overseeing operating budgets, and participating actively in fundraising.
5. The board selects, supports, nurtures, evaluates, and sets appropriate compensation for the head of school.
6. The board recognizes that its primary work and focus are long range and strategic.
7. The board undertakes formal strategic planning on a periodic basis, sets annual goals related to the plan, and conducts annual written evaluations for the school, head of school, and the board itself.
8. The board keeps full and accurate records of its meetings, committees, and policies and communicates its decisions widely, while keeping its deliberations confidential.
9. Board composition reflects the strategic expertise, resources, and perspectives (past, present, and future) needed to achieve the mission and strategic objectives of the school.
10. The board works to ensure all its members are actively involved in the work of the board and its committees.
11. As leader of the school community, the board engages proactively with the head of school in cultivating and maintaining good relations with school constituents as well as the broader community and exhibits best practices relevant to equity and justice.
12. The board is committed to a program of professional development that includes annual new trustee orientation, ongoing trustee education and evaluation, and board leadership succession planning.

Although responsibilities of business officers are as varied as the institutions they serve, the following principles provide a common standard of leadership and good practice for individuals vested with the responsibilities of the school's financial and physical resources.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The business officer understands and promotes the mission, standards, and policies of the school, and provides leadership as these evolve and when they are evaluated.
2. The business officer supports the head and other school officials in ensuring compliance with applicable laws.
3. The business officer reports to the head of school and works strategically with the head of school and the board of trustees to ensure the development and implementation of appropriate policies for the long-term management of the school.
4. The business officer provides important assistance to the head in administering the school and to the board in meeting its fiduciary responsibilities through attendance at meetings, informative disclosure, and other educational means.
5. The business officer manages the school’s resources in a prudent manner, consistent with the mission, safeguarding the value of those assets for the use of future generations of students by establishing appropriate financial controls and procedures.
6. The business officer maintains and fosters high ethical standards, integrity, and respect for colleagues, alumni, parents, and students in the conduct of the school’s business.
7. The business officer respects and maintains confidentiality and rights to privacy applicable to individuals and institutional records.
8. The business officer ensures that the human resource policies and practices, as well as the school’s finance-related policies, are clearly articulated, consistently applied, and conform to legal requirements.
9. The business officer fosters professional standards and development by participating in local, regional, and national associations that offer personal support and professional assistance and development.

Early childhood education emphasizes the development of the whole child, providing for each child's social, emotional, physical, and intellectual needs. Early childhood programs are developmentally appropriate, in that they are based on an understanding of general patterns of growth in the early years as well as children's individual development.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. Early childhood educators and all personnel who interact with young children have appropriate training, understanding, and knowledge regarding the developmental characteristics of this age group.
2. Early childhood educators recognize that play is the work of young children.
3. Early childhood educators build on children’s natural curiosity to promote a love of learning.
4. Early childhood educators prepare the environment so that children learn through active exploration and discovery.
5. Early childhood educators recognize the importance of outdoor play and provide appropriate time and equipment.
6. Early childhood educators design programs that develop the large and small motor skills of young children.
7. Early childhood educators engage parents as partners in understanding the unique characteristics and needs of young children.
8. Early childhood educators, in observing and interpreting children’s behavior, use bias-free assessment tools based on developmental norms.
9. Early childhood educators promote equity and justice by creating a community that fosters respect, understanding, and an appreciation of differences.

Twenty-first century independent schools must prepare students to be knowledgeable, compassionate citizens and effective leaders within a rapidly transforming world. This objective requires an understanding of one's own culture while extending well beyond the boundary of the nation where instruction occurs. Such schools meet the following principles of good practice.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The school demonstrates a commitment to global education and international mindedness through its strategic plan and policy statements.
2. The school supports and shows evidence of learning and teaching that challenges students to expand their perspectives and understanding of the world they live in, including foreign language acquisition, cross-cultural communication, collaboration, global problem-solving, creative thinking, ethical and empathic decision making, and recognizing different perspectives, among others.
3. The school fosters a climate of respect for all peoples and cultures.
4. The school actively seeks opportunities that promote global awareness, intercultural experiences, transnational exchange, travel, and collaboration for its students, faculty, and administrators.
5. The school emphasizes the value of intercultural communication and commitment to ethical action and service locally, nationally, and globally, and at all grade levels.
6. The school embraces diversity and promotes an environment of inclusivity and belonging for students, teachers, and administrators from a range of cultural, national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
7. The school supports professional learning opportunities for faculty, administrators, and other stakeholders that develop global awareness, knowledge, and understanding.

Building on the work of early childhood educators, elementary school educators continue to nourish the child's joy of discovery and passion for learning, and provide for the child's social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and moral growth — giving special attention to the mastery of those basic skills and concepts that are the foundation of all future learning.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. Elementary school educators and all personnel who interact with children have appropriate training and knowledge regarding the developmental characteristics and needs of this age group.
2. Elementary school educators create a safe and secure environment in which students grow in both autonomy and the ability to work and play together.
3. Elementary school educators design and implement programs that actively engage students in making connections, solving problems, and thinking independently.
4. Elementary school educators teach to individual learning styles and intelligences and assess learning in a variety of ways.
5. Elementary school educators support the child’s emerging identity by respecting and providing for each student’s voice.
6. Elementary school educators build relationships with their students in which each child feels understood, nurtured, and challenged.
7. Elementary school educators work to create a relationship with parents that facilitates the exchange of information necessary to ensure the child’s progress.
8. Elementary school educators create opportunities for children to become increasingly responsible for the many communities in which they live.
9. Elementary school educators defend the dignity and worth of each member of the community and create an environment that fosters respect, understanding, and acceptance of differences.

Independent schools strive to be positive members of their local and global communities and to prepare students well for the future. Schools can become more environmentally sustainable and can ensure that their graduates are prepared to contribute to a more sustainable world by incorporating appropriate learning and practice into school policies, administration, curriculum, campus operations, student life, and engagement with the broader community.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The school demonstrates a commitment to environmental sustainability through its policy statements, strategic plan, and administration.
2. The school has a long-term sustainability plan that includes benchmarks and has administrative support.
3. The school incorporates learning and teaching within the curriculum that addresses the knowledge and skills needed to foster an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable future.
4. The school strives to incorporate best practice in sustainability in all aspects of facilities and operations, including new buildings and renovations, energy sourcing and consumption, waste management, water use, food services, landscaping, transportation, and purchasing.
5. The school integrates sustainable operations practices within curricular and co-curricular programming, such as energy conservation competitions, waste and recycling audits, greenhouse gas inventories, and organic gardening and landscaping practices, among others.
6. The school supports student and faculty engagement in sustainability-related programs and projects, such as field study projects, student/faculty exchanges, and partnerships with other schools, local governments, and organizations.
7. The school supports professional development for faculty and staff that deepens understanding and practice of sustainability. 
8. The school communicates with stakeholders on its evolving commitment to sustainability in learning and practice.

NAIS schools value the representation and full engagement of individuals within our communities whose differences include—but are not limited to—age, ethnicity, family makeup, gender identity and expression, learning ability, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. NAIS welcomes and celebrates the diversity of our member schools. We expect member schools to create and sustain diverse, inclusive, equitable, and just communities that are safe and welcoming for all. We recognize that to do so requires commitment, reflection, deliberate planning and action, and ongoing accountability. The following NAIS Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice provide the foundation for such an independent school community.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The school establishes the foundations for its commitment to equity and justice in its defining documents (mission, core value, and/or philosophy statements).
2. The school respects, affirms, and protects the dignity and worth of each member of its community.
3. The board of trustees and the head of school articulate strategic goals and objectives that promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice in the life of the school.
4. The school develops meaningful requirements for cross-cultural competency and provides training and support for all members of its community, including the board of trustees, parents, students, and all school personnel.
5. The board of trustees and the head of school keep the school accountable for living its mission by periodically monitoring and assessing school culture and ongoing efforts in admission, hiring, retention, financial aid, and curriculum development.
6. The school works deliberately to ensure that the board of trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and student body reflect the diversity that is present in the rapidly changing and increasingly diverse school-age population in our country.
7. The head of school ensures that diversity initiatives are coordinated and led by a designated individual who is a member of one of the school leadership teams, with the training, authority, and support needed to influence key areas of policy development, decision making, budget, and management.
8. The school uses inclusive language in all written, electronic, and oral communication.
9. The school adopts a nondiscrimination statement applicable to the administration of all of its programs and policies, in full compliance with local, state, and federal law. That said, the school makes the law the floor — not the ceiling — for establishing itself as a diverse, inclusive, safe, and welcoming community for all students, staff, and families.

Recognizing that each family bears the primary responsibility for financing a student’s education costs, NAIS’s Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid Administration are designed to serve as guideposts in developing professional policies and orderly procedures among schools. Through these principles, NAIS affirms its belief that the purpose of a financial aid program is to provide monetary assistance to those students who cannot afford the cost of attending an independent school. Furthermore, these principles reflect the standards of equity and fairness NAIS embraces and reassert NAIS’s ongoing commitment to access and diversity.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The school adheres to all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including antitrust laws and those that require nondiscriminatory practice in administering its financial aid policies.
2. The school operates within the context of both short- and long-range financial aid budget and policy goals.
3. The school uses objective research to measure the effectiveness of its progress toward its goals, and communicates the outcomes to its constituents as appropriate.
4. The school provides clear and transparent information to families through outreach, education, and guidance on all aspects of its financial aid process and the factors that influence admission and aid eligibility.
5. The school determines eligibility for admission without regard to a student’s application for financial aid.
6. The school commits to providing financial aid dollars to applicants who demonstrate that their family resources are insufficient to meet all or part of the total educational costs.
7. The school continues to provide support to students as long as they demonstrate financial need.
8. The school maintains the same standards of behavior and academic performance for recipients of financial aid as it does for nonrecipients.
9. The school enacts documented procedures that ensure a fair, consistent, and equitable assessment of each family’s ability to contribute toward educational expenses.
10. The school makes and communicates financial aid decisions in a manner that allows families to make timely, careful, and fully informed enrollment decisions.
11. The school establishes administrative and accounting procedures that distinguish the school’s need-based financial aid program from tuition assistance programs that are not based on financial need.
12. The school safeguards the confidentiality of financial aid applications, records, and decisions while respecting the right of each family to discuss its own financial aid outcomes in an appropriate manner.
13. The school supports collaboration between the financial aid office and other offices within the school.
14. The school supports collegial relationships with other schools and organizations for professional development, exchange of best practices, and other information sharing as appropriate and consistent with applicable antitrust laws.

The advancement program of the school should exemplify the best qualities of the institution and reflect the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. The following Principles of Good Practice are addressed to those involved in the school's advancement operation — trustees, school heads, development and alumni/ae officers and staff, volunteers, consultants, and business officers.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The school establishes a well-constructed development plan to guide its fundraising activities.
2. The school is mindful and respectful of the cultural and economic diversity of constituent supporters.
3. The school accepts only gifts that support its mission, character, integrity, and independence.
4. The school understands that accepting a gift is accepting the obligation to honor the donor’s intent.
5. The school advocates stewardship (preserving and growing the resources of the school), as well as nurtures, appreciates, and sustains an ongoing healthy and effective relationship with its constituents.
6. The school clearly articulates roles and responsibilities for volunteers.
7. The school safeguards its constituents’ privacy and all confidential information.
8. The school encourages donors to consult with their own professional tax advisors when making charitable gifts.
9. The school complies with all provisions of the U.S. Tax Code that affect charitable giving.
10. The school, as appropriate, discloses to its constituents gifts received through philanthropy.
11. To ensure financial sustainability, the school makes certain that income earned from endowment is spent wisely and equitably. In doing so, the school ensures that endowments maintain their real value over the years so that future generations benefit as much or more from endowment as current and past generations.
12. The school adheres to accepted standards concerning the management and reporting of gift revenues and fundraising expenditures, and seeks to promote the profession by sharing its data with relevant professional organizations, such as the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Council for Aid to Education (CAE), and NAIS.

The primary responsibility of the head of an independent school is to carry out the school's stated mission. While there are profoundly different ways to accomplish this goal, NAIS offers the following principles as guideposts for all heads engaged in this rewarding, complex job.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. The head works in partnership with the board of trustees to establish and refine the school’s mission; articulates the mission to all constituencies — students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni/ae, and the community; and supports the mission in working with all constituencies.
2. The head oversees the shaping of the school’s program and the quality of life in the school community.
3. The head manages the school in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
4. The head establishes an effective manner of leadership and appropriately involves members of the administration and faculty in decision making.
5. The head is responsible for attracting, retaining, developing, and evaluating qualified faculty and staff.
6. The head is accessible, within reason, and communicates effectively with all constituencies.
7. The head is responsible for financial management, maintenance of the physical plant, strategic planning, and fundraising.
8. The head ensures that every element of school life reflects the principles of equity, justice, and the dignity of each individual.
9. The head is alert to his or her role within the broader networks of schools, school leaders, and the community.
10. The head works to ensure that the principles of good practice of all school operations, especially those of admission, marketing, faculty recruitment, and fundraising, demonstrate integrity at all levels of the school.

The following principles of good practice are designed to help independent schools and their search committees as they embark upon the task of selecting a school head. They are intended to further the likelihood of a professional and fair process that is the foundation for the successful hiring of a new head of school.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

School Search Committees

1. Prior to the formation of the search committee, the board chair appoints a small subcommittee of trustees for gathering information and resources (such as the NAIS Head Search Handbook and these NAIS Principles of Good Practice) to identify properly the appropriate approach to the head of school search in light of the school’s finances, culture, and other characteristics, paying particular attention to forming a search committee, hiring a search consultant, and diversifying the pool of candidates it seeks.
2. Using the background resources, the search committee devises a search process, communicated to the community at large, that is fair, inclusive, and orderly and that adheres to local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including those regarding nondiscrimination in employment. The board of trustees examines the plan’s addressing of sensitive issues related to confidentiality, inclusivity, and the school’s receptivity to change when approving the process recommended by the search committee.
3. The search committee communicates to candidates its protocols, process, and schedule and the care it will take to ensure a search process that is viewed by candidates as fair, orderly, inclusive, and confidential.
4. While assuming a search consultant or subset of the committee will screen files for appropriateness and will make every effort to present the school with a finalist pool that is both highly qualified in terms of the search committee’s criteria and diverse in makeup and attributes, the entire search committee is informed about all candidates who have applied.
5. Because candidates have sometimes found their positions in their own schools jeopardized by being candidates at another school, the early stages of a search are conducted in a manner that ensures complete confidentiality, and the finalist stages of reference checking by the search committee are executed with great care, sensitivity, and consideration of each candidate’s wishes.
6. Contracting with a head of school follows IRS rebuttable presumption protocols, ensuring that the school is compensating the new school leader fairly and appropriately.

Head Search Consultants

The following principles of good practice for search consultants and search firms establish the principled standards for the process and the expectations of professionalism from the search consultants and search firms.

1. The search consultant (or the search committee chair in the absence of a consultant) incorporates into the process, as appropriate, search committee training recommended in the NAIS Head Search Handbook and facilitates the search committee’s adherence to NAIS Principles of Good Practice.
2. In outlining procedures to the search committee prior to entering a written agreement for the services being rendered, the search consultant provides a full, written description of services offered, including estimated expenses and fees, makes known the names of other schools for which he or she actively is performing a search for persons to fill a similar position, and limits searches during any given period to a number that will assure service of high quality to each client school.
3. The search consultant makes every effort to understand the school, its mission, its culture, its tolerance for change, its preferred leadership style, and the nature of the position to be filled.
4. The search consultant makes every effort to present the school with a diverse group of highly qualified candidates. All principles associated with providing equal opportunity are observed in the process.
5. The search consultant sees the school, not the individual candidate, as the primary client.
6. The search consultant respects the confidentiality of each candidate and impresses upon both search committee and candidates the importance of discretion.
7. Both the search consultant and the search committee check candidates’ references with great care.
8. The search consultant keeps the search committee fully informed about the progress of the assignment throughout the search and ensures that each candidate is informed appropriately, promptly, and frequently about the status of his or her candidacy.

The quality of the hiring process sets the tone for a mutually satisfying relationship between the school and the candidate and communicates to the candidate the spirit and values of the institution. The values that infuse these guidelines can be applied to any hiring process, whether that process involves the use of placement agencies or is fully managed by the school. NAIS encourages schools to adopt these principles and to share them with candidates as appropriate.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

The School’s Obligations

1. The school has a stated procedure governing its hiring process and a strategic recruiting plan that includes strategies for seeking candidates who will add to the racial, cultural, and gender diversity of the institution.
2. The school identifies means by which to advertise the position to various pools of potential candidates, including those not currently employed by independent schools, and makes current staff aware of openings as they become public and available.
3. The school creates a complete job description for each available position. This description outlines the main responsibilities and expectations of the position, as well as any significant other activities that may be asked of the candidate.
4. The hiring and interview process includes the people who will be directly involved with the candidate in his or her new position.
5. The school and its representatives follow the laws that govern hiring practices and focus fairly and consistently with every applicant on the talent, skills, and abilities needed for the job, disclosing all information that is necessary for the candidate to make a well-informed decision.
6. When inviting a candidate to the school, the school explains who is to be responsible for expenses and what the visit will entail.
7. The school keeps all candidates informed about the hiring schedule and decision timeline.
8. In performing its due diligence, the school performs appropriate background and reference checks to validate a candidate’s education and employment history, focusing on the ability of the individual to fulfill the professional duties of the position and to confirm the individual’s suitability to work with children. The school does not finalize the hiring of a new employee without completing a reference call with the individual’s most recent employer, after securing permission to contact that employer from the candidate.
9. When making an offer to a candidate, the school provides all relevant information, including compensation, job expectations, and working conditions.
10. The school affords candidates a reasonable period of time to consider an offer.
11. When the selected candidate accepts the job, the school contacts the other candidates to notify them that the position has been filled.

The Candidate’s Obligations 

1. The candidate discloses all information that is necessary for the school to make a well-informed decision.
2. The candidate accepts an invitation to visit at the school’s expense only if he or she is seriously interested in a position.
3. The candidate responds to an offer within a reasonable period of time.
4. The candidate notifies the current employer as soon as reasonably possible of any plans to work for another employer.

The following Principles of Good Practice are set forth to provide a common perspective on the responsibilities of individual members of independent school boards.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

NAIS Principles of Good Practice:

1. A trustee actively supports and promotes the school’s mission, vision, strategic goals, and policy positions.
2. A trustee is knowledgeable about the school’s mission and goals, including its commitment to equity and justice, and represents them appropriately and accurately within the community.
3. A trustee stays fully informed about current operations and issues by attending meetings regularly, coming to meetings well prepared, and participating fully in all matters.
4. The board sets policy and focuses on long-range and strategic issues. An individual trustee does not become involved directly in specific management, personnel, or curricular issues.
5. The trustee takes care to separate the interests of the school from the specific needs of a particular child or constituency.
6. A trustee accepts and supports board decisions. Once a decision has been made, the board speaks as one voice.
7. A trustee keeps all board deliberations confidential.
8. A trustee guards against conflict of interest, whether personal or business related.
9. A trustee has the responsibility to support the school and its head and to demonstrate that support within the community.
10. Authority is vested in the board as a whole. A trustee who learns of an issue of importance to the school has the obligation to bring it to the head of school, or to the board chair, and must refrain from responding to the situation individually.
11. A trustee contributes to the development program of the school, including strategic planning for development, financial support, and active involvement in annual and capital giving.
12. Each trustee, not just the treasurer and finance committee, has fiduciary responsibility to the school for sound financial management.

Parents and independent schools work together to create and sustain effective partnerships. The following principles of good practice describe the respective roles and responsibilities of both partners.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.
 
Principles of Good Practice:
 
Parents Working with Schools

1. Parents recognize that effective partnerships are characterized by clearly defined responsibilities, a shared commitment to collaboration, open lines of communication, mutual respect, and a common vision of the goals to be reached.
2. In selecting an independent school, parents seek an optimal match for the needs of the student, their own expectations, and the philosophy and programs of the school.
3. Parents are familiar with and support the school’s policies and procedures.
4. Parents provide a home environment that supports the development of positive learning attitudes and habits.
5. Parents involve themselves in the life of the school.
6. Parents seek and value the school’s perspective on the student.
7. When concerns arise, parents seek information directly from the school, consulting with those best able to address the concerns.
8. The school suggests effective ways for parents to support the educational process. 

Schools Working with Parents

1. The school recognizes that effective partnerships are characterized by clearly defined responsibilities, a shared commitment to collaboration, open lines of communication, mutual respect, and a common vision of the goals to be reached.
2. The school clearly and fully presents its philosophy, program, and practices to parents during the admission process and encourages dialogue that clarifies parental expectations and aspirations for the student.
3. The school seeks and values the parents’ perspective on the student.
4. Teachers and administrators are accessible to parents and model candid and open dialogue.
5. The school keeps parents well informed through systematic reports, conferences, publications, and informal conversations.
6. The school defines clearly how it involves parents when considering major decisions that affect the school community.
7. The school offers and supports a variety of parent education opportunities.
8. The school suggests effective ways for parents to support the educational process.
9. The school actively seeks the knowledge it needs to work effectively with a diverse parent body.

Middle school is a unique period in the educational life of a student. Youngsters experience a variety of significant changes, both individually and collectively. The range of academic ability and physical and emotional development is huge. Relationships among adolescents, not to mention with their parents, change on a daily basis. Middle school educators have the responsibility to respond to and provide for the unique developmental needs and characteristics of their students.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. Middle school educators provide specific programs aimed at creating a bias-free environment, safe and inclusive for all, which focuses on eliminating cliques and establishes a climate where bullying is unacceptable. Programs should support each student’s need to develop a distinct self-concept and to be recognized as an individual and as a member of the group.
2. Middle school educators and all personnel who interact with middle school students have a thorough understanding of the patterns of physical, intellectual, social, and emotional growth of their students. They like to work with this age group and have chosen middle school as their first interest.
3. Middle school educators actively engage parents as partners in recognizing the implications of the significant changes affecting middle school children. At this stage in a child’s life, parent and teacher interaction is especially important. Therefore, educators should actively seek ways for parents and teachers to interact, especially in programs that address issues affecting middle school student development.
4. Middle school educators work to ensure a smooth transition experience for students and parents entering and leaving the middle school years.
5. Middle school educators teach to the growing intellectual and social abilities of their students while employing a wide range of pedagogical techniques and assessment strategies to ensure all students are successfully challenged.
6. Middle school educators help students learn to make responsible choices and understand the consequences of their actions, including the use of technology on campus.
7. Middle school educators create opportunities that are especially appropriate for middle school students so that they can develop a sense of belonging to and responsibility for their own communities. This approach promotes issues of sustainability and a better understanding of students’ roles in an interconnected and global society.

Entrusted with the education of children, the independent school teacher promotes the best interests of the child within the context of the school's philosophy. Those who supervise teachers are responsible for the quality of teaching and for promoting growth in those who teach. The following principles of good practice provide guidelines for supervisors of teacher.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

Teachers

1. The teacher has a thorough knowledge appropriate for his or her teaching assignment and stays abreast of recent developments in the field.
2. The teacher uses a variety of teaching techniques suitable to the age and needs of the students and subject matter being taught.
3. The teacher establishes positive relationships with students, which, while recognizing the differing roles of adult and child, are characterized by mutual respect and good will.
4. The teacher collaborates with colleagues and the school’s leadership in the design and implementation of curriculum within the context of the school’s overall program and mission.
5. The teacher initiates growth and change in his or her own intellectual and professional development, seeking out conferences, courses, and other opportunities to learn.
6. The teacher is self-aware and self-monitoring in identifying and solving student, curricular, and school problems. At the same time, the teacher knows the mission and policies of the school and, when questions or concerns arise, raises them with appropriate colleagues and supervisors.
7. The teacher serves his or her school outside the classroom in a manner established by the individual school and consistent with the responsibilities of a professional educator. For example, teachers often serve as advisers, coaches, or activity sponsors.
8. The teacher participates in the establishment and maintenance of an atmosphere of collegial support and adherence to professional standards.
9. The teacher welcomes supervision in the context of clearly defined and well communicated criteria of evaluation.
10. The teacher models integrity, curiosity, responsibility, creativity, and respect for all persons as well as an appreciation for racial, cultural, and gender diversity.

Supervisors of Teachers

1. The supervisor has thorough knowledge appropriate to his or her supervisory assignment and stays abreast of recent developments in the field. The supervisor also exemplifies in his or her own work with faculty members the qualities that he or she hopes to develop in the faculty.
2. The supervisor develops and administers a comprehensive system of hiring, consistent with the policies of the school, which results in the appointment of the best-qualified candidate and a well-informed match between school and teacher. Throughout the hiring and supervisory processes, the supervisor values racial, cultural, and gender diversity.
3. The supervisor ensures that faculty members new to the school receive orientation and support sufficient for them to work effectively and with confidence that they are carrying out the educational mission, policies, and procedures of the school.
4. The supervisor ensures that teachers are informed of both praise and criticism of their work and that useful support and assistance are available to each teacher to improve the quality of teaching.
5. The supervisor makes available to all faculty members on an equitable basis whatever resources the school can provide for professional growth and development, both inside and outside the school.
6. The supervisor encourages and challenges teachers to initiate curricular improvement by providing the necessary time and resources and by creating structures to foster faculty collaboration on curriculum development.
7. The supervisor leads faculty members in upholding high standards of professional behavior and responds immediately when behavior occurs that is harmful to children or harmful to the school community.
8. The supervisor evaluates and works to improve teaching through classroom visits, discussions with teachers, and other methods that are fair and consistent with the practices of the individual school. Evaluation is based on clearly articulated criteria that teachers have helped define and occurs in a context of respect for the teacher’s professional knowledge and decision-making capability. The supervisor also monitors his or her own work by inviting suggestions and critiques from teachers.
9. When a faculty member’s future in the school is in question, the supervisor devotes sufficient attention and resources to ensure that the situation is resolved or that the faculty member’s departure from the school is handled with attention to due process and the dignity of the individual.
10. The supervisor ensures that all personnel policies are clearly articulated to faculty members and makes every effort to promote the establishment of salaries and benefits commensurate with the professional responsibilities of teaching.

Secondary school educators are committed to helping their students move from adolescence to young adulthood.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice:

1. Secondary school educators help students become passionate, serious scholars capable of effective communication, sustained work, independent thought, meaningful collaboration, and original expression.
2. Secondary school educators use their training and knowledge of their disciplines to design programs appropriate to the developmental characteristics of this age.
3. Secondary school educators employ a range of teaching and assessment strategies that invite students to learn and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
4. Secondary school educators teach to the learning styles, abilities, and life experiences of their students.
5. Secondary school educators develop and sustain relationships with colleagues that benefit their students and further their own professional growth.
6. Secondary school educators develop and sustain relationships with parents that support each student’s well-being and increasing autonomy.
7. Secondary school educators take responsibility for being role models.
8. Secondary school educators affirm and defend the dignity and worth of each member of the community and maintain an environment that fosters respect.
9. Secondary school educators help students take more and more responsibility for themselves and the multiple communities in which they live.
10. Secondary school educators prepare students to take advantage of subsequent opportunities for learning and to take their places as members of a democratic society and the global community.

Digital technologies provide increasingly powerful tools and offer a variety of educational opportunities that can improve teaching and learning. The principles below offer crucial guidelines for administrators, teachers, and technology staff in planning and managing the role of technology in independent schools.

Preamble: The following principles provide common ground for interaction between independent school professionals and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues at other schools, and the public). The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism, and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity. Accordingly, membership in NAIS is contingent upon agreement to abide by the spirit of the PGPs.

Principles of Good Practice: Leadership

1. The school regularly evaluates its use of technology to support its mission, goals, and program.
2. School leadership incorporates technology considerations into strategic planning and creates a sustainable financial model for its technology commitments.
3. The school’s technology leader is a member of one of the school leadership teams and has the training, authority, and support needed to influence key areas of policy development, decision making, budget, and management.
4. The school ensures that faculty, staff, and students have equitable access to the technologies they need to support the school’s mission, goals, and program.
5. The school recognizes that any innovative teaching and learning exploration, including technology innovation, often requires significant support for faculty professional development and flexibility in schedule and program.
6. School leadership establishes school-wide expectations and provides ongoing professional development regarding the integration of educational technology into the school curriculum.
7. School leadership, academic leadership, and technology leadership work together to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of technology at the school.
8. School leadership regularly investigates and evaluates how emerging technologies impact, or may impact, the sustainability of their academic and financial models.

Teaching and Learning

1. Educators research, evaluate, and employ technology as befits their mission and philosophy to provide differentiated personalized instruction and to achieve curricular goals.
2. Educators understand that content is readily available with technology and design environments to transform the relationship between teacher and learner, engaging students in higher-order thinking skills, creation of content, and critical thinking.
3. Educators embrace technologies that promote a culture of participatory and collaborative approaches to learning (such as inquiry-based, student-centered, flipped classroom, and project and problem-based learning).
4. Educators model and empower learners to effectively practice media and information literacies inside and outside the classroom as content creators and consumers.
5. Educators promote networking opportunities for their students and teachers to collaborate locally and globally.
6. Educators evaluate opportunities to leverage online and/or hybrid learning environments and implement them when they enhance student learning.
7. Educators explore technology-enriched and adaptive formative assessments for sophisticated and customized skills evaluation that reveal growth over time and that inspire intrinsic motivation to improve learning.

Professional Growth and Learning

1. The school recognizes a critical factor in technology integration is the teacher’s sustained professional growth by creating a culture of continuous growth and adequate support for innovation and learning.
2. School leadership encourages educators to seek out opportunities to build learning networks and to explore and evaluate digital tools.
3. The school includes technology integration as an essential component of its professional development, provides the necessary time and resources for it, and ensures that educators acquire and demonstrate essential technology skills and proficiencies.
4. Teachers’ use of technology for teaching and learning is included in the school’s teacher evaluation process, as appropriate for the school’s mission and philosophy.

Infrastructure and Administrative Operations

1. The school uses technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative operations.
2. The school provides adequate staffing and infrastructure appropriate for its size and operation.
3. The school maintains, protects, reviews, and enhances its technological resources (data, network, software, and hardware) each year.
4. The school provides timely support for digital resources and the people who use them.
5. The school establishes renewal plans, replacement cycles, and disposal plans for technology equipment.

Digital Ethics

1. The school engages in ethical business practices in its digital technology initiatives, including considering the public purpose opportunities of online course offerings that extend beyond its own school community.
2. The school adheres to the NAIS Principles of Good Practice for Admissions in its online courses and “in establishing policies, procedures, and goals for student recruitment and enrollment, the school makes inclusivity a central tenet, while also complying with local, state, and federal laws.”
3. The school operates under a clear set of practices/guidelines for maintaining privacy, confidentiality, and security in its use of digital technology.
4. The school develops a responsible-use policy that is framed in the positive, flexible enough to accommodate changes in technology, and frequently reviewed.
5. Educators teach, model, and expect safe, healthy, ethical, legal, and responsible use of digital resources and social media by students and parents.
6. The school develops a policy regarding faculty and student interactions on social media sites.
7. The school provides up-to-date information on fair use, copyright, and Creative Commons information and requires compliance by faculty, staff, and students.
8. The school establishes a curriculum-based digital citizenship/digital responsibility program that includes ongoing discussions of online behavior, cyberbullying, and respectful and legal use of online tools.
9. The school stays current on issues, events, and concerns related to online behavior and digital citizenship and informs faculty, students, and parents when appropriate.