About ISPG: Private School Consultants
Who We Are & What We Do
Helping Private and Independent Schools Perform at Their Best
The Independent School Performance Group (ISPG) is a specialized consulting firm dedicated exclusively to helping private and independent schools grow, improve, and achieve their long-term goals.
For more than two decades, ISPG has worked with school leaders, boards, founders, and educational organizations on some of the most important challenges facing private schools—from increasing enrollment and strengthening leadership to strategic planning, fundraising, governance, facilities, and school start-ups.
Our approach is practical, collaborative, and results-oriented. We don't simply provide recommendations. We work alongside school leadership to develop strategies, solve problems, and put effective solutions into action.
Our Mission
Our mission is simple:
To help private and independent schools become stronger, more successful, and better positioned for the future.
Every school is different. Each has its own mission, culture, community, challenges, and opportunities. That's why ISPG does not rely on a one-size-fits-all consulting model.
We take the time to understand how a school operates, where it wants to go, and what stands between its current position and its goals. We then develop practical strategies designed specifically for that school.
Meet the ISPG Team
Behind every ISPG engagement is a team of experienced professionals who understand the unique demands of private-school leadership and management.
Our consultants bring expertise in areas including enrollment, admissions, marketing, leadership, governance, strategic planning, fundraising, facilities, finance, and school development.
What We Do
ISPG provides a comprehensive range of consulting services designed around the needs of private and independent schools.
Enrollment Management
We help schools attract more qualified prospective families, improve admissions processes, increase enrollment, and strengthen student retention.
Admissions & Marketing
We develop strategies that help schools communicate their value, reach the right families, generate inquiries, and convert prospective families into enrolled students.
Leadership Recruitment
We assist boards and schools with executive searches, including Head of School and other key leadership positions.
Strategic Planning
We help schools establish priorities, develop strategic plans, align resources, and create actionable roadmaps for long-term growth.
Board Development & Governance
We work with boards to strengthen governance, clarify roles and responsibilities, improve board effectiveness, and support healthy relationships between boards and school leadership.
Advancement & Fundraising
We help schools develop stronger advancement programs, cultivate donors, increase philanthropic support, and prepare for major fundraising initiatives.
Capital Campaigns
We provide guidance for schools preparing for significant capital projects, helping develop the strategy, leadership, financial planning, and fundraising infrastructure needed for a successful campaign.
Starting a School
We help founders turn an educational vision into a viable school through feasibility research, business planning, financial modeling, enrollment planning, facilities, leadership, marketing, governance, and implementation.
Facilities
We assist schools with facility acquisition, leasing, relocation, expansion, and other real-estate-related challenges.
Website Development
We help schools develop websites and digital strategies that support their brand, communicate their educational value, and contribute to enrollment and community engagement.
Our Experience
ISPG has worked with 250+ private and independent schools and has experience across a wide range of educational models and school environments.
Our work has included:
Independent schools
Faith-based schools
Montessori schools
College-preparatory schools
International schools
Language-immersion programs
Neurodiverse schools
This breadth of experience allows us to bring ideas, strategies, and lessons learned from across the private-school community to each engagement.
Gifted programs
Boarding schools
Vocational schools
Preschools
New school start-ups
Established schools seeking growth or transformation
Our Approach
Listen
Every engagement begins with understanding the school—its history, mission, culture, people, challenges, and aspirations.
Assess
We evaluate the factors affecting the school's performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
Strategize
We develop practical recommendations based on the school's specific circumstances, market, goals, and resources.
Implement
We help school leadership put the strategy into action, establish accountability, and measure progress.
Improve
Successful schools continually evaluate their performance. We help create systems that allow schools to adapt, improve, and sustain progress over time.
Why Schools Choose ISPG
Private School Expertise
ISPG focuses on private and independent schools. Our recommendations are informed by the unique financial, enrollment, governance, leadership, and operational realities of this sector.
Broad Experience
Our consultants bring experience across multiple school types, educational models, and institutional challenges.
Practical Solutions
We focus on recommendations that can actually be implemented—not simply theoretical strategies.
Measurable Results
We believe successful consulting should produce meaningful outcomes that schools can see and measure.
Customized Engagements
Every school is different. We tailor our scope of work, recommendations, and implementation strategy to the needs of each client.
Long-Term Perspective
Our goal isn't simply to solve today's problem. We help schools build stronger systems and strategies for sustained success.
Let's Talk About Your School
Whether your school is facing a specific challenge or preparing for its next stage of growth, ISPG can help you determine the best path forward.
Schedule a consultation with ISPG and let's discuss your school's goals, challenges, and opportunities.