Search Firm Placement Tenure Disclaimer
Users should be aware that tenure of heads of school relative to search firm placement, often known in the industry as a “stick-rate,” is often of dubious value. Search committees, not consultants, hire heads of school, and independent school boards, not search consultants, manage the relationship from hiring on; yet the statistic reflects the consultant’s facilitation of the hiring process. Each search is different, with its own context, circumstances, and goals. Many consultants are not in their roles long enough for their stick-rate to mature, and recent or active tenures are impossible to calculate at their complete value. As a result, this visualization is divided into “current” and “completed” head tenures, and interim appointments are not applied to the calculation. The statistic works to provide an “apples-to-apples” comparison of the existing data, but the raw source information includes inherent differences of circumstance.
Head of School Tenure
It can be tempting to think that longer tenure is invariably better. As with the “stick rate” for search firms, this is not always the case. The HSDB data shows that roughly 25% of all head service last for less than four years. Anecdotally, in many cases those terms of service were positive ones for the school and the head, even if they did not last as long as other terms. Users should not immediately assume that tenure is a sign of either failure or success.
Pre-2008 Data Searches
HSDB tenure and search information is most substantial from 2008 to the present. Statistical analysis with data earlier than 2008 will be less complete, at least until more data is entered by current and former heads of school.
Gender and Persons of Color Designations
HSDB reflects only self-identified designations of race and gender is provided when it was reasonably verifiable. If your listed identifiers are entered in error, please visit the How to Update page to present yourself fully and to assure the accuracy of the data.
Users should be aware that tenure of heads of school relative to search firm placement, often known in the industry as a “stick-rate,” is often of dubious value. Search committees, not consultants, hire heads of school, and independent school boards, not search consultants, manage the relationship from hiring on; yet the statistic reflects the consultant’s facilitation of the hiring process. Each search is different, with its own context, circumstances, and goals. Many consultants are not in their roles long enough for their stick-rate to mature, and recent or active tenures are impossible to calculate at their complete value. As a result, this visualization is divided into “current” and “completed” head tenures, and interim appointments are not applied to the calculation. The statistic works to provide an “apples-to-apples” comparison of the existing data, but the raw source information includes inherent differences of circumstance.
Head of School Tenure
It can be tempting to think that longer tenure is invariably better. As with the “stick rate” for search firms, this is not always the case. The HSDB data shows that roughly 25% of all head service last for less than four years. Anecdotally, in many cases those terms of service were positive ones for the school and the head, even if they did not last as long as other terms. Users should not immediately assume that tenure is a sign of either failure or success.
Pre-2008 Data Searches
HSDB tenure and search information is most substantial from 2008 to the present. Statistical analysis with data earlier than 2008 will be less complete, at least until more data is entered by current and former heads of school.
Gender and Persons of Color Designations
HSDB reflects only self-identified designations of race and gender is provided when it was reasonably verifiable. If your listed identifiers are entered in error, please visit the How to Update page to present yourself fully and to assure the accuracy of the data.
