Mission & Data

Mission & Data is a firm dedicated to the effectiveness, health, and vitality of educational institutions and other organizations that make the world a better place. We are committed to enhancing mission-driven, data-informed leadership and governance by: -Integrated strategy consulting to improve organizational effectiveness and facilitate organizational transformation. -Developing custom data products, visualizations, and dashboards to highlight progress, identify trends, and leverage actionable insights. -Auditing current practice and analyzing organizational data to recommend process efficiencies and strategic improvements. -Coaching leaders and boards of trustees to enact institutional vision and build a culture of inquiry-based decision making practices. #MissionDriven #MissionDrivenDataInformed

What a privilege to be in beautiful San Antonio for a few days working with St. George Episcopal School. Jason Kern, M.Ed., TLIS, DipWSET and I were so impressed by their strong Episcopal identity and their vision for preparing students to thrive in the future. Their commitment to nurturing both academic and personal growth in a supportive, values-driven environment is inspiring. We are looking forward to our continued collaboration as we build out a comprehensive and impactful strategic roadmap and action plan. Thank you Thor Kvande and the entire SGES team for the hospitality. Excited for what’s to come! #StGeorgeEpiscopalSchool #EpiscopalEducation #StrategicGrowth #mission&data

Kelsey Vrooman and Louis Fierro met up this week at the #QualtricsX4 Conference in Salt Lake City. Thanks to Qualtrics for all you are doing to help support Mission & Data’s mission-driven, data-informed work with our clients.

?? Is Your School’s Learning Space Helping or Hindering Student Success? The learning environment isn’t just a backdrop—it’s the Third Teacher, shaping student engagement, agency, and outcomes. Schools that intentionally design and evaluate their spaces for flexibility, collaboration, and deep learning see higher student engagement and creativity. ?? Schools that rethink learning spaces see tangible benefits: ? 77% of students say their environment impacts how well they learn (Harvard GSE, 2023) ? 25% increase in engagement with student-centered, flexible spaces (EdDesign Research, 2024) ? Future-ready schools prioritize learning environments as much as curriculum—agile spaces boost collaboration, creativity, and well-being (OECD, 2023). At Mission & Data, we help schools reimagine their spaces and opportunities to maximize impact with strategic retreats, design workshops, and full-scale innovation partnerships. Let’s maximize the Third Teacher and design for the future of learning. Is your school ready to transform its spaces? Let’s talk. #LearningSpaces #EducationInnovation #FutureReady #MissionDriven

I had a wonderful time with the Fort Worth Country Day leadership team and Eric Lombardi the last couple days working on actionable outcomes and metrics from their strategic vision. In addition to seeing longtime friend Steve Uhr, Ed.D. I also had a moment of nostalgia standing on the field where the Oakridge boys’ soccer team won a Division I championship 20 years ago. André Akpan PAULO DASILVA Chase McCall David Read Arthur Ivo Andrew Read Bruno Guarda Zachary C. Farrar William Clayton and so many others

There was great joy in the air being on campus this weekend with Anneli Harvey, the Board, and leadership team of LYCEE INTERNATIONAL DE LOS ANGELES facilitating their spring board retreat. It is a rare treat that four members of Mission & Data team get to be on campus together collaborating with one of our clients on exciting initiatives. Exciting strategic initiatives ahead for LILA! Ari Betof, EdD, MBA, Barbara Rosston, Sadie Albertyn, Martha Griffith Ambros

It was great to be on campus at The Baldwin School with Lynne Macziewski and her team for the presentation to faculty and staff of their new compensation system! Ari Betof, EdD, MBA and I have worked with school leadership, faculty and staff over the last year to help them develop a compensation system that is uniquely Baldwin. The newly developed compensation philosophy anchors the system to their mission. The salary design they created is transparent and understandable. They’ve separated evaluation and professional growth, as research shows is best practice. They made meaningful changes and improvements to their benefits. The process gave the board of trustees new insights into faculty and staff compensation which will serve the school well for many years to come. Kudos to Lynne and all of the committee members for their work and dedication to this effort!

It has been a great two days being on campus at Porter-Gaud School to kickoff a faculty and staff compensation project! D. DuBose Egleston Jr., Head of School, Suzanne Anderson PHR, SHRM-CP, Director of Human Resources, and the Board of Trustees are prioritizing the faculty and staff by committing to an in-depth review of their current compensation system and practices. Even a school closure due to severe weather in the area didn't slow us down. My planned in-person presentation to all employees this morning seamlessly shifted to Zoom. Phase I of our work gathers both qualitative and quantitative data to ensure our clients are making #DataInformed decisions about faculty and staff compensation. We also partner with Damian Kavanagh, Ed.D., CAE, President and CEO of MISBO, to develop a regression analysis of compensation, along with school specific benchmarking. Looking forward to being back in May!

What a week in Nashville! From reconnecting with old friends to making new ones, this trip was a powerful reminder of the importance of community, conversation, and the shared passion for reimagining the future of teaching and learning. Surrounded by some of the most thoughtful and innovative minds, we spent time diving deep into what’s possible in education—exploring ideas that challenge the status quo and push us toward a future where learning is more dynamic, engaging, and meaningful. And let’s not forget the Sand Fleas—always bringing the fun, the insights, and the generative conversations. Of course, no trip to Nashville would be complete without soaking in the incredible atmosphere of this city. The music, the food, and the unmistakable Southern hospitality made for the perfect backdrop to our time together. Feeling grateful, inspired, and excited for what’s ahead. Until next time, Nashville! #Education #NAIS #Innovation #Nashville #NAES #VenturEd #SandFleas #FutureofLearning

At the end of an exciting week for the Mission & Data team at the NBOA: Business Leadership for Independent Schools and National Association of Independent Schools annual conferences, Ari Betof, EdD, MBA presented about financial and organizational sustainability with two of our clients. Thanks Alli Williams (The Pilot School) and Dan Hickey (Upland Country Day School)!