How School Leaders Can Earn Enrollment Advocacy from Both Parents and Students

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

Jewish day schools thrive when families don’t just enroll—they advocate enrollment to friends and family members. But advocacy isn’t automatic. It’s earned through trust, relevance, and experience. And while parents and students both care deeply, they value different things.

A recent analysis of thousands of survey responses reveals a clear roadmap: if school leaders want both groups to recommend their school, they must understand what drives each—and invest accordingly.

🔍 What Drives Advocacy?

What School Leaders Must Do

1. Elevate the School Climate

The most powerful universal driver of advocacy is a positive, nurturing environment. It influences both student enjoyment and parent trust more than any other factor.

🧮 And here’s the data-driven impact: if families rate this part of school life just one level higher on a typical 5-point satisfaction scale—for example, moving from “Satisfied” to “Very Satisfied”—the likelihood they’ll recommend the school increases by approximately 60%. That’s a massive return on even modest cultural investment.

✅ Action: Focus on warmth, emotional safety, inclusivity, and support across classrooms and leadership interactions.

2. Build Two Dashboards

Parents and students evaluate schools through different lenses. Leaders need separate metrics:

• Parent Dashboard: Communication quality, values formation, family experience, and confidence in student preparation.

• Student Dashboard: Joy, belonging, academic support, and visibility of leadership.

✅ Action: Track both sets of metrics, act on what matters to each audience, and share progress transparently.

3. Make Student Joy Strategic

School enjoyment isn’t fluff—it’s the strongest predictor of student advocacy.

✅ Action: Create student-led councils, run pulse surveys, and recognize peer contributions to foster a joyful, engaged culture.

4. Showcase Readiness for the Next Stage

Parents want to know their children are being set up for success—academically, spiritually, and socially.

✅ Action: Make preparation visible with alumni outcomes, college advising, and intentional values-based programming.

5. Customize Communication

Parents value responsiveness; students value relevance. Messaging must match audience needs.

✅ Action: Use CRM tools, train staff in differentiated communication approaches, and set clear response standards.

🧭 Final Thought: Advocacy Is Built, Not Assumed

The data gives school leaders more than insight—it offers direction. Advocacy grows where experience is supported, values are shared, and leadership is strategic. When schools invest wisely in what matters most to both parents and students, they don’t just inspire satisfaction—they build reputations that last.

How Benchmarking for Good Can Help

Benchmarking for Good’s no cost grants to qualified schools offer insightful research that can provide school leaders with data informed insights that can enable your school to achieve higher levels of advocacy among both parents and students. Achieving this can make your school a destination of choice for parents and students. Contact Dr. Harry Bloom at harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org to inquire about how your school can apply for a no cost Fall/Winter 2025 research grant