Key Conundrum: What is the Right Student to Faculty Ratio?

By Dr. Harry Bloom, Founder and President of Benchmarking for Good, Inc.

At Benchmarking for Good we help nonprofit associations utilize peer-to-peer comparative benchmarking and research to optimize their utilization of resources in support of Mission achievement and sustainability. In a nutshell, we are big advocates of using comparative data to spur reflection and improvement.

A recent analysis of staffing ratios for 75 NAIS member day schools with enrollment of 300-500 students that (a)experienced post Covid enrollment growth and (b)have student retention ratios above the median level, has us scratching our heads in puzzlement. The findings motivate us to want to help these and similar schools dig into the why’s and wherefores of educational staffing patterns and develop best practice norms.

Here is the crux of the potential opportunity: The ratio between students relative to educational (Teaching plus Instructional Support) Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff among these schools ranges from a low of 3 students to 1 staff member to a high of 14 students to 1 staff member, with a median ratio of 7 to 1.

Moreover, the lower student to staff ratios do not appear to correlate with observable benefits such as enrollment growth or lower student attrition, which one might anticipate if students were receiving superior educational experiences.

Assuming a salary plus benefits package of $75,000 for a full time staff member, that difference in ratios could amount to millions of dollars in payroll costs for the schools in question. That is a serious difference and warrants a rigorous effort to understand the value of those additional educationally focused staff and, more fundamentally, what an “optimal” student to staff ratio might be for a mid sized dual curriculum, faith based day school– assuming best practice workloads and staff qualifications. .

A PRIME OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH

Benchmarking for Good is eager to tackle this issue during its upcoming Spring grant cycle and welcomes regional school associations, federations, and foundations whose members/grantees would benefit from participating to contact Dr. Harry Bloom at harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org to discuss potential project parameters and attractive grant opportunities. We eagerly look forward to hearing from you!

#benchmarking #private schools #Jewish day schools #faculty

Which Schools are the Gold Standard for Teacher Recruitment and Retention Practices?

by Dr. Harry Bloom, Founder and President, Benchmarking for Good

The pandemic represented a hugely challenging time for teachers, and they rose magnificently to meet that challenge. But for many, doing so was exhausting. And one consequence of that is a worrisome trend of faculty members retiring or shifting to less demanding, potentially more rewarding professions.

In this environment, it is fair to ask: what segments of the private school market are responding most positively to attract and retain qualified teachers? Which school segments represent the Gold Standard for how to actively support faculty members?

Based on our analysis of NAIS’ DASL information, the resounding champion supporters of faculty are Quaker schools! Relative to the entire universe of private day schools and their key faith based subsegments, Quaker schools are standouts on the dimensions of salaries, benefits, student to teacher ratios, teaching load, and professional development funding.

Implications

Now is the time for school leaders to recognize that there is no higher priority than the recruitment and retention of qualified faculty, and that at the current moment, this is an area of significant pressure. School leaders should emulate the kinds of investments Quaker schools have made in order to meet this challenge and reap the benefits of a happier staff and an enhanced value proposition.

Benchmarking for Good, Inc.

Benchmarking for Good is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to help non-profit organizations of all types to better fulfill their missions by using comparative benchmarking and research to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their operational processes, reduce unnecessary costs, increase the productivity of assets, personnel, expenditures and investments, and maximize revenues.

Benchmarking for Good invites associations of nonprofits that have a desire to put benchmarking to work for their members to submit a grant proposal outlining their goals and ability to support a Benchmarking for Good project. We offer a range of benchmarking related services including analysis, opportunity definition, implementation planning consultation, and staff training.

Please contact Dr. Harry Bloom at harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org to arrange an introductory discussion.

The Special Challenges of Small Private Schools and Grants to Overcome Them

By Dr. Harry Bloom, President, Benchmarking for Good

The Need for Intervention

Ahead of its Fall 2023 Grantmaking Cycle, Benchmarking for Good, Inc. analyzed the state of small private schools. What we discovered has shaped our upcoming round of grants. Specifically, we discovered that in 2022/23, smaller private schools continued its long term trend of manifesting an attrition rate significantly higher than that prevailing in larger private schools.

Pain of High Attrition

This elevated level of attrition is harmful from two key standpoints. Financially, losing such a large percentage of the student body takes a major toll on revenue and drives up cost per student--which is relatively fixed in nature.

Compensation Gaps

In fact, smaller schools generate 12-25% lower net tuition revenue per student than larger schools. And, as a consequence, smaller schools’ faculty compensation trails that of larger private schools’ by 5-14%, driven heavily by lower benefits spending.

While compensation is a negative inducement to work in a smaller private school, one offsetting factor that might promote a desire to work in a smaller private school is a slightly lower student to faculty ratio.

Grants to Study and Develop Corrective Action: Be in Touch

So, what is driving higher attrition in smaller private schools? We are not certain but it might relate to one or more of the following factors. Our intention is to launch a Grantmaking effort involving research and expert consulting targeted at associations of small private schools, beginning in the Fall. We invite interested school associations to visit our website, review our Grant opportunities page, and complete our Contact Us form. A member of the Benchmarking for Good team will be in touch to discuss next steps.

#small schools #education #faculty #education grants