The group collectively called INDEX (Independent Schools Data Exchange) consists of dozens of independent PK-12 schools across the country who gather regularly to compare data and share ideas. Heads of school and business managers typically meet in the fall, while the annual meeting of INDEX academic leaders (division heads, deans of faculty, etc.) takes place in April in Chicago. Over the years I have found this two-day meeting to be one of the most useful and professionally enriching parts of my job. This year's conference was no different.

Digital citizenship, engineering curriculum, student support services, professional development, standardized testing, creative problem solving, and civic engagement are just some of the topics under consideration at this year's meeting. School leaders from places like Catlin Gabel School in Portland, OR, University School of Milwaukee, and the Lovett School in Atlanta are presenting over these two days, and all of us in attendance are able to compare notes and share stories "from the trenches."

One particular anecdote from this year's meeting will serve to illustrate my point. Many schools are contemplating how to add more coding to their K-12 curricula. There is strong agreement that schools should be offering more classes in the subject, but how to do so is open to much discussion. Those that have added more coding have either embedded it somewhere into their existing curriculum (usually within a math class) or have added specific new courses, but have struggled with whether to make these required for all students or leave them as elective offerings. At Colorado Academy, we have done or will be doing both: there is an additional computer science or innovation lab requirement for all students starting with this year's 9th grade, and we have also added more elective courses (four more so far). Meanwhile, the Middle School will be adding a coding requirement for all 6th graders next year. This is just one of many topics we can cover in depth at the meeting.

While the larger annual National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference has its own value, this INDEX meeting is so much more valuable to me because of the specificity of the cohort: these are all schools very much like Colorado Academy from all over the country. It is always amazing to see how much common ground we share, even though the particular areas in which we live and markets we serve have regionally-based nuances. I always return to Colorado Academy feeling charged up and grateful to be part of such a dynamic school.