Investing in Your Children

Dr. Jeffrey L MitchellHeadmaster

Tuscaloosa Academy

Background

• The Enrollment and Retention Committee’s role in the genesis of this presentation. – Lots of very passionate discussion generated the

thesis for this presentation:• The money spent on investing in your child’s education

at TA is not only worth every cent in the present…but also the investment pays dividends long into the future.

Context for the Business Model

• What if someone made the following business proposal…– I’m selling a product that costs about $10,000

annually…when the vast majority of the competition sells (seemingly) the same product for free…

Let’s say we try anyway…then we should start with clarity of purpose…

The mission of Tuscaloosa Academy is to provide a college-preparatory education in a supportive

environment of intellectual freedom, to cultivate a love of learning, and to maximize each

student's potential for academic achievement, character development and readiness for life in a

global environment.

We should have at least a couple of “untouchable” ideas…

• Independence• College preparatory

“Actionable” offshoots of college preparatory…

• Academic Excellence

• Individual Attention

• Opportunities

Broken down even further…what would Academic Excellence look like?

• Outstanding educators• Capable and motivated

students• Best practice curriculum

content & ideas

What would Individual Attention look like?

• …very small classes, especially very small advanced classes, where individual attention is provided and prized not as an exception but as the rule.

• …every student is known…

What would Opportunities look like?

• …participate in sports and other extra curricular activities, not generally as available in larger school environments, and in the process develop life-long skills.– If they so choose, they can participate…

Now…we need a catchy and memorable way to summarize the aforementioned…

• IndividualAttention.• Maximum Opportunity.

Discerning business minds would want more specifics (differentiators)

• AP Options• Resource Teacher• Teaching Assistants (Grades 1-4)• Every child, PS-12, receives formal instruction to learn a second

language…• Every child, K-12, can receive formal instruction in PE &/or athletics…• Every child, PS-12, receives formal instruction in music and art…

INCLUDING A STRINGS PROGRAM IN 3RD, 4TH & 5th GRADES. • Every child, PS-12, has the opportunity to be a part of innovative and

unique TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES…such as the extensive use of SmartBoard technology across all divisions and our grades7-12 laptop program – “technological literacy”

• QIT….

Quality Instructional Time (QIT): What Research Shows

• Due to smaller class sizes, consistently laudable instructors, excellent resources, and motivated and capable students, college preparatory independent schools are much more instructionally efficient.– Twice as much time per day in high quality instruction. Researchers have dubbed this

Quality Instructional Time (QIT).

• QIT is time that students are constructively engaged in learning…we’re fortunate in independent schools to be much less encumbered by distractions and transitions that carve into QIT.

• The research shows that a typical QIT difference is about 120 minutes per day…– That’s 18000 minutes, or 300 hours, or 50 days per year. – Moreover, during the span of a grade 1-12 education that’s about 600 days,

or the equivalent of 3.33 extra school years! – Don’t tell your children this but do spread the word to all the parents you

know. This alone might be worth the investment…but there’s much more.

Even more direct returns…

• Research confirms that the graduation rate (near 100% nationally) in college prep independent schools is much higher than what is typical in public schools (near 70% nationally) and other types of independent schools (near 90% nationally).

• Nationally, and at TA, the SAT and ACT scores of college prep independent school students are, on average, 25% higher than public schools.

More Examples…• …given students of equal inherent ability, those

students who attend a college prep independent school, like TA, will be significantly more likely to…– Attend the college of their choice– Get more scholarship money to attend that college– And earn more money when they graduate from that

college. • The studies on this topic conclude that the

average dollar return on investment far outstrips the original tuition paid, even after adjusting for inflation.

One Intangible Return on Investment: Safety

• How much would you pay to ensure your children are emotionally and physically safe?– …whatever it takes/whatever we can…

• Via the admissions standards and the honor code, independent schools have the freedom and good fortune to better guarantee that all children are safe to learn to their potential.

• …priceless.

Summary

• If you are looking for an investment that…– ensures your child is emotionally and physically safe– Maximizes quality instructional time– provides your child with the individual attention they need

to thrive in school – provides your child with guaranteed opportunities to

participate in the extracurricular life of the school– maximizes your child’s college opportunities and earning

potential later in life• …then invest in your child’s future with a TA

education.

Discussion/Questions