Principles of Good Practice
What Are the NAIS Principles of Good Practice?
The NAIS Principles of Good Practice (PGPs) for member schools define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of independent school operations. The PGPs reflect the overall dedication to quality education that has always characterized independent schools. As members, all NAIS schools work to uphold the spirit of the PGPs. NAIS endorses in principle and follows in practice the Code of Ethics recommended by Independent Sector. We not only publish and promote Principles of Good Practice for independent schools but also adopt them as our own guiding principles. NEW! NAIS is pleased to provide our newest category of guiding principles, Guidelines of Professional Practice for independent schools. The Guidelines of Professional Practice are specifically focused on defining specific standards of professional conduct for various roles or positions within independent schools. If an NAIS member school or group of NAIS member schools wishes to modify an NAIS Principle of Good Practice to be more detailed for its specific use, we ask that the school or group insert on the resulting document the following statement: "This document is based on the NAIS Principles of Good Practice created by the National Association of Independent Schools, www.nais.org/go/pgp." Compliance with the PGPs
We encourage NAIS member schools to view the individual PGPs below and share them regularly within their school communities. These PGPs have been and continue to be developed by the industry for the industry, with much care and thought from NAIS school practitioners. NAIS's Principles of Good Practice are only as strong as the educational community that created them. If you witness what you consider to be a violation of a PGP at a school, as a professional courtesy, contact the appropriate colleague at the school potentially in violation and discuss the issue. These conversations often motivate the school to examine its behaviors and come into better compliance with the PGPs. Many state and regional associations of independent schools have similar principles for their states or regions, some of which also apply to that entity's accreditation standards. How Are the PGPs Created?
Each set of principles is drafted by an NAIS committee of practitioners in that professional area, submitted to the NAIS board of directors for approval, then distributed to every member school. Click here to read the process NAIS uses to vet and create the PGPs. Choose from the list below to view an individual set of principles.
Middle School Educators
January 31, 2008
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.
Educating for Global Citizenship
August 31, 2006
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....
Board of Trustees
March 1, 2003
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. The following Principles of Good Practice are set forth to provide a common perspective on the responsibilities of independent school boards. The board and the head work in partnership in fulfilling these principles.
Teachers and Supervisors of Teachers
November 1, 1990
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 teachers.
Admission
Through the recruitment and selection of students, admission officers play a critical role in their school's educational vitality and culture. The following Principles of Good Practice are intended to provide common ground for interaction between independent school admission officers and their many constituents (parents, students, colleagues, even the general public). These principles may be read in conjunction with the NAIS Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice, which serve as the overarching guide to all activity in schools. The director of admission and, by extension, the head of school bear the ultimate responsibility for communicating and upholding these Principles of Good Practice to all those professional staff and volunteers (including parents, alumni/ae, tour guides, coaches, faculty members, board members) who represent the institution in admission, promotion, recruitment, and retention activities.
Athletics
Interscholastic athletics can play an important role in the lives of children. The school's athletic program can be an essential part of the education of students, fostering the development of character, life skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
Business Officers
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.
Early Childhood Educators
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.
Elementary School Educators
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 which are the foundation of all future learning.
Equity and Justice
Creating and sustaining an inclusive, equitable, and just independent school community requires commitment, reflection, conscious, and deliberate action, as well as constant vigilance based on the overarching principles of inclusivity, diversity, and multiculturalism. The following Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice provide the foundation for such a community.
Financial Aid Administration
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 the development of 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.
Fund Raising
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.
Heads
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. The values that infuse these guidelines may also be applied during head search processes.
Hiring Process
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 community. The values that infuse these guidelines can be applied to any hiring process and head search, 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.
Independent School Trustees
The following principles of good practice are set forth to provide a common perspective on the responsibilities of individual members of independent school boards.
Parents Working with Schools/Schools Working with Parents
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.
Principles of Good Practice: Full Set
The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools, defining high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations, are designed to help guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be. NAIS member schools can download this PDF of all the Principles of Good Practice for distribution within the school community. Printed copies are also available to purchase in bulk. It is our hope that the increased visibility of and easy access to the Principles will go a long way in helping schools fulfill their missions.
School Search Committees and Search Consultants
The following principles of good practice are designed to help search committees as they embark upon the task of selecting a school head. Each school must decide for itself whether or not it will retain a consultant to assist with the head search. If the school does decide to engage professional counsel, the same principles should be observed.
Secondary School Educators
Secondary school educators are committed to helping their students move from adolescence to young adulthood.
Technology Use in Independent Schools
The NAIS Principles of Good Practice for member schools, defining high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations, are designed to help guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be.
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