Category Definitions

administrative databases
admissions and enrollment, registrar and student information, fundraising and development, grades and comments, scheduling and timetabling, attendance, business office, tuition management, financial aid, college search, therapeutic resources, library

architects / engineers
master planning and construction, architecture and interiors, historic preservation, adaptive re-use, sustainable design, Leeds certification, infrastructure engineering, site integrity and stewardship, landscape development, environmental assessment and energy management, greenhouse gas emission inventories and carbon footprint evaluations

associations / agencies
standards, licensing and accreditation, advocacy, policy, research, testing and assessment, best practices, directories, networking, targeted resources and services, professional development, conferences, training and certification, career opportunities, purchasing cooperatives, awards, blogs and listserves

blogs / wikis / nings
while links to threaded discussions can be found in every category of the iRIS Directory, we have added this growing list of blogs, wikis, and nings because the discussions have drawn us in. In addition to the major ed blogs (Independent School Educator Network, School Computing wiki, NAIS Principles of Good Practice) topics here include technology, gifted, diversity, food, best practices for independent schools, sustainability and the environment, politics...

branding / marketing
image research; positioning and market strategy; communications audits, institutional branding, visual identity; creation, development, and design of admissions materials, periodicals, fundraising campaigns and annual reports, case statements, invitations, direct marketing; graphic design, photography, theme development, campaign messaging, website planning; internal marketing and team building; PR and media relations; search engine marketing

consulting
strategic planning, advancement audits, board governance and development, institutional assessments, financial planning, mentoring, Head-of-School evaluations, retreats, transition management, new school visioning, crisis intervention

course / curriculum management
online grading, online homework, online rubrics and portfolios

food services
major purveyors to independent schools, dining concepts, dining promotion, as well as links to resources on nutrition and healthy living

furniture / materials / resources
furniture for schools, outdoor playscapes, online bookstores, classroom materials, computer supplies, fundraising ideas, security tools, curricular kits, smartcards, specialized software, services, and supplies

green / global resources
green buildings, green schoolyards, green lunches, green curriculum, global community, links to experts and lists of resources to benefit schools in taking action now for a sustainable future

insurance
a full range of insurance offerings and employee benefits

library
library management systems

recruitment
leadership search and faculty recruitment

web applications
stand-alone online inquiries, applications, notifications, grades/comments/progress reports, and attendance

web sites
these web site design firms may work in concert with administrative database providers; this category also links to open source developers