Partnering for Progress: Reflections on Data Collaboration from NBOA and NAIS

In February 2021, NBOA and NAIS proudly announced an important collaboration to make it easier for you—our members—to analyze important data about your schools. As part of this collaboration, school participants entered data in NAIS’s Data and Analysis for School Leadership (DASL) during Summer/Fall 2021 that fed reporting in both DASL and NBOA’s Business Intelligence for Independent Schools (BIIS). Our two associations combined data collection activities with several goals in mind: to eliminate duplicate data entry for schools, reducing survey fatigue described by many member schools; to increase accuracy; to better populate reports and tools for each organization; and to align the data used by business officers, heads of school and trustees to monitor financial performance in pursuit of sustainability and future success.

One year later, leaders from both associations will report on the progress and results of this collaboration and its intended impact on member schools. NBOA and NAIS will share lessons learned that school business leaders, including CFOs, heads, trustees, and other key personnel, can use to effectively put data to work in their school-business partnership. Case studies will be shared to highlight how strong partnerships are resulting in redesigned business practices and reinvigorated mission-based leadership.