Recently, Education Sector, an independent education policy think tank, held a panel discussion about the Common Core State Standards. The Standards will lead to new K–12 academic standards and assessments for the 2014 school year.

The education world and some policymakers know about the changes but not enough people outside of these arenas are up-to-speed. That lack of knowledge and the need for better communication and messaging were all part of the discussion that included Robin Steans, Executive Director at Advance Illinois; Joel Vargas, Vice President at Jobs for the Future; and Michael Cohen, President at Achieve.

The panel members agreed that policymakers can’t wait for more money to arrive in order to reform schools and get ready for 2014—there is just no more money coming down the line. Tom Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction at Idaho State Department of Education, pointed out that last year 30 states passed education reform bills and were able to make changes even without extra dollars.

In terms of current resources, Allan Odden, professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, stated that right now half of all federal block grant dollars intended for teacher observation and tutoring don’t end up going to those programs in the states. He believes something needs to be done to ensure dollars are flowing were they are meant to go.

Back-to-school 2014 will bring about some of the biggest changes in education since No Child Left Behind, at least in the 46 states and the District of Columbia as they have all adopted the new Standards. The clock is ticking.

— Adam Shapiro, Vice President

Learn more about Lipman Hearne’s approach to education advocacy by visiting our website.

Approximately 200 patients were moved into the new hospital on January 8^th, and are now receiving life-changing care in a state-of-the-art facility that will serve the community for years to come.  The hospital opening is generating significant press coverage including the following ABC 7 News story.

Our congratulations go out to Rush—and we thank everyone there for inviting Lipman Hearne to be a part of the team.

Lipman Hearne is proud to partner with the Catalogue to help build its visibility in the media. In addition to the following NBC4 – Washington DC “12 Days of Giving” segment, the Catalogue was also featured in DC media outlets such as The Washington Examiner, JCHayward.com, the Washington City Paper, and Washington Life Magazine this holiday season.

With its annual non-profit review, the Catalogue has raised more than $15 million over the past nine years. This year’s edition is dedicated to founder Barbara Harman’s father, Sidney Harman, who was an initial and enthusiastic supporter.

Learn more about how Lipman Hearne builds awareness for visionary organizations.

Working with our friends at Donorschoose.org, we identified local public school classroom projects that ranged from an interactive whiteboard for a kindergarten classroom, to weekly reading periodicals for a special education class, to a library of books for a sixth grade classroom, to advanced placement exam books for a high school AP class. We selected and funded these specific projects because they closely aligned with the passions of both our clients and our staff.

As our 2011 mission comes to a close, we’re happy to report on the results of our support in the words of the teachers who requested our help:

“Ever since the books arrived, students have been eager to read every book from cover to cover and to share their favorites with their classmates, friends, and siblings. As a reading teacher, it is so exciting to see students invested in literature!”

“I am just SO grateful for your loving contributions to my project. I know that these books will be valuable resources for my students this year and for years to come. I hope that my students will meet my 100% pass rate goal when they take their AP test in May.”

“Now, Kindergarteners at our school will have access to an incredible tool to learn, and not only the board, but the great software too!”

Hearing back from these teachers about the impact of our efforts on students truly inspires us to continue our work in support of visionary organizations—both as individuals and as a firm. This year’s service mission may be coming to a close, but our work is not done. We look forward to a new year and new ways to contribute for 2012.

Visit Donorschoose.org to learn more about their work or to help public school students in need.

Check out photos of our team rallying behind their chosen team theme of “Heart + Sole” as they race to the finish and celebrate education at a post-race party that included Mexican food, mariachi bands, and dancing.

Visit the 2011 Carrera de los Muertos website to learn more about the event or to participate in next year’s race.

Below are pictures from our work. We rolled up our sleeves and got our hands dirty both inside and out of the school. On the inside, we organized classrooms and sanitized play areas. On the outside, we raked leaves, removed trash from school grounds, and wiped down the playground area. By the end of the day, we created a refreshed, clean learning environment for students that attend the elementary school.

Visit our 2011 education mission to learn more about our commitment to education.

Value  =  experience ÷ cost

A college or university, then, has a choice between two routes to increase its perceived value:  it can increase understanding of the quality of the experience it offers, or it can lower its rates.  The latter path leads to smaller budgets, squeezed faculty, reduced opportunities, and a slow and painful death spiral. The former goes right to and through the brand.

Why is it that seven of the ten most selective universities in the country are Ivies?  Are they really that much better than Duke and Chicago and Vanderbilt and Emory and University of Virginia, whose selectivity rates are as much as four times that of Harvard? And how can that august leader-of-the-pack command $50,000 annually from the families of eighteen-year-olds itching to walk its hallowed halls?  The answer:  brand power—and in the case of the Ivies it extends to the whole family, with all eight member institutions being ranked in the top fifteen universities nationwide.  Harvard, quite simply, owns the idea of best-in-class in this country, to the extent that it makes headlines if the top slot in U.S. News isn’t colored crimson.

Reliable studies place the “added value” that consumers are willing to pay for a premium brand at 6%-20%, depending on the category—and higher education may well be at the top of that range.  If a consumer (parent, prospective student) believes that his or her future will be fundamentally better by attending a power-brand college or university, the relative cost difference is marginal compared to the longer-term gain.  So the assignment is theoretically simple:  improve perception of the brand so more people are willing to pay more to associate with it.  The execution, however, is more complex.

Understanding and activating your brand potential begins with a clear-eyed assessment of where your brand sits now—in the mind of the beholder! It’s not enough that you think you know what your brand is or stands for; if nobody shares your opinion, you’re living in a fool’s paradise and your branding initiative will splat like gefilte fish on granite.  You have to know where your prospect places you in the pantheon of organizations or institutions from which he or she could get a similar service.  If the prospect is not looking for a lifetime value brand, but wants a commodity—an individual course or simple certificate—then he or she will go elsewhere. And that’s fine.  We’re not trying to sell all services to all people.  But if your prospect is looking for a value brand, a badge that can be worn proudly as an entry on a c.v., a lapel pin, or a work-out hoodie, you have to deliver a clear, accurate, and compelling portrait of how your brand links to your prospects’ ambitions—and the prospects will pay the price.

So you start by doing brand-focused market research, determining how your prospects see you, how they differentiate you from your competitors, and—importantly—what they value.  With this knowledge you can begin to build your brand platform, develop a creative brief and effective brand expression, and lay out your brand marketing plan.  All easier said than done, I know, but do-able nonetheless.

And then, most importantly:  you execute the plan, keeping track of the effect of each of its myriad strategies and tactics by the results they generate and by an ongoing program of market research.

We have seen this create phenomenal results at the University of Cincinnati, Northern Arizona University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and elsewhere.

At Cincinnati, a brand-based “Every Student Counts” campaign reversed a decade of faltering enrollments, brought them to an all-time high in FTE student body, reduced their discount rate, and triggered alumni enthusiasm that contributed to the success of an $800 million capital campaign.  Moreover, tracking research showed that public perception of the University shifted from “big” and “basketball” to “quality education” and “excellent faculty” over the course of the branding campaign.

At Northern Arizona University, not only did enrollments skyrocket even after tuition jumped up 40%, but the whole gamut of stakeholders—from prospects to students to faculty to staff—registered significantly greater agreement with fundamental brand messages such as “faculty as mentors” and “good fit” as a result of an aggressive branding campaign.  And the “Mountain Air Makes You Smarter” campaign also captured the attention of William Franke, a successful Phoenix businessman and philanthropist who made a commitment of $25 million to name the NAU College of  Business because of its undergraduate orientation and success at educating first-generation Hispanic and Native American students—attributes he first learned about through the branding campaign.

The University of Texas at Arlington has seen enrollment skyrocket more than 33% in the three years since the “Unbranded” brand campaign was launched. University of Chicago Booth School of Business has claimed and held the top slot in EMBA education according to Business Week rankings.  University of Minnesota Morris reclaimed its position as the top-quality liberal arts option in the UM system.  University of Miami has climbed into the top 50 national universities according to U.S. News—withstanding many a storm along the way—due in no small part to the gale force of President Donna Shalala who epitomizes the Hurricane brand.

Brand campaigns work. They’re not easy; they take diligence and investment; they have to be continually reviewed, assessed, measured, and freshened—but they work.  They deliver dollars to the bottom line because they align an institution’s “offer” with the values and interests of its constituents, and those constituents are therefore willing to pay more.

Bottom line:  a brand campaign is the best investment you can make to improve your bottom line. A tautology, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

— Rob Moore, CEO and President

For more insights on branding in the higher education space, read Rob’s book The Real U: Building Brands That Resonate with Students, Faculty, Staff, and Donors.

It’s inarguable that the men and women on the ground are carrying a heavy burden and need/deserve our support. The unit we supported, USMC 2^nd, EOD, is active in the Marwan province—an area of great danger and stress. The Unit compiled a wish list of things they needed and we were happy to have our small contribution of care package items be added to a larger movement of support. We hope that the small comforts of home will lift their spirits and let them know that we honor their service and commitment to protecting our freedom.

For more information on how you can also support our troops and their families in small and large ways visit the USO website or that of the Joining Forces initiative.

On April 30, Megan Cotten and I volunteered at Hands On DC for their annual Work-a-thon. Hands On DC is a DC nonprofit that organizes projects to make physical improvements to DC-area schools.

Below are pictures from our work at Raymond Elementary. Megan and I showed off our art skills by painting a food pyramid in the cafeteria (or what appears to be a food pyramid!).

Later that evening I went back to Raymond Elementary to spend time with the students and chat with their parents about their child’s future and progress in school. This turned out to be a great event!

Thanks, Megan, for teaming up with me.

— Eric Bailey, D.C. Office Coordinator

Visit Hands On DC to learn more about their work or to volunteer for their next event.

The results are indisputable.  In the first quarter of 2011, the U.S. economy added 521,000 jobs for people who hold college degrees.  At the same time, the country’s economy lost 318,000 jobs for people without college degrees.  It couldn’t be more clear: Our economy is built for people with a college education, not for those with traditional blue-collar skills.

So it begs the question: Why is it that all the talk is about college cost, not college benefit?  And that benefit is accelerating: A recent economic study showed that women aged 25-39 are now out-earning men of the same age by about eight percent—the first time ever that a generation of women is earning more than their male counterparts.  (My feminist heart says, “You go, girls!”)  This is directly linked with the fact that women now earn 57 percent of the baccalaureate degrees granted and 60 percent of the master’s degrees.  And a master’s degree represents an average of $1.3 million in lifetime earnings above what an individual with only a high school diploma can expect.

So who among us wouldn’t invest $50,000 or $100,000 or $150,000 for a reasonable expectation of a return of $1.3 million?  And college degrees are still available at those price points—if not in the Ivies then at any number of fine institutions nationwide.  Access, retention, graduation, career planning: That ought to be where the debate takes place—not solely around the cost of entry.

-Rob Moore, CEO and President