NAIS has observed a troubling phenomenon unfolding within independent schools: the average tenure of a head of school has fallen from seven years to five, a trend shaped primarily by an increase of unexpected departures by heads of school within their first three years at a given institution. Disruption of this nature can negatively affect schools in many ways, including loss of revenue, strategic momentum, and community trust, among others.
To mitigate this trend and to stabilize leadership at schools across the board, NAIS is undertaking a new initiative called the Leadership Alignment Project. It is a bold, field-shaping effort to increase longevity and stability of independent school leadership and help schools navigate leadership transitions with confidence, clarity, and shared purpose.
Goals
Through this multiyear project, we will develop and test a comprehensive suite of research, frameworks, tools, and programming designed to help independent schools reduce head turnover, particularly within the early years of headship; strengthen professional and strategic alignment between boards, heads, and leadership teams; improve schools’ readiness for leadership transitions; and build school resilience through shared data, strategy, and governance practices.
Outcomes
While research, testing, and work with cohort schools will inform the specific deliverables of this project over several years, we ultimately envision resources like the following to be available to NAIS member schools:
- Framework and toolkits
- Data dashboards
- Alignment surveys to foster trust, alignment, and shared purpose between heads of school and board chairs during the critical first year of the relationship and beyond.
- Research and insights from inside and outside of the independent school sector, exploring governance alignment challenges and shaping best practices for effective leadership collaboration across the industry.
- Programming and connection opportunities
Leadership Alignment Project Cohort Schools
Thank you to all who applied to be part of the Leadership Alignment Project Cohort. We will notify all applicants about selections and next steps by the end of February.
This small cohort of member schools will engage with us and help us clarify our thinking and explore specific elements of the Leadership Alignment Project. We hope that in addition to providing NAIS invaluable and ongoing feedback, participation will strengthen cohort schools.
Cohort schools will engage with NAIS over 18 months in the following ways:
- Two in-person retreats at NAIS Headquarters in Washington, DC, May 7-8, 2026, and October 20-21, 2026. (Travel stipend will be provided.)
- Several online learning and facilitated sessions
- Work with NAIS staff, leading consultants, and organizational psychologists
- Ongoing conversation and consultation in 2026 and 2027
In selecting a small number of cohort schools, we will be looking at many factors, such as demographics, tenure, geography, and more, to ensure a representative range of schools. For schools that are not selected to participate but are interested in contributing to the project in other ways, we will invite you to engage in surveys, focus groups, and 1:1 conversations throughout the next 18 months. We are grateful for all school insight and feedback.
If you wish to learn more about the project, contact Ann Snyder, NAIS vice president for strategic initiatives, at snyder@nais.org.