Educational Consultant Spotlight: Jean H. Baldwin

Jean Baldwin, founder of Baldwin Educational Consulting, has worked in the field of education for over 20 years. After relocating to Washington in 1988, she was affiliated with Georgia Irvin & Associates, where for several years she assisted families in navigating the application process to independent schools. She then served for 7 years as the Director of Lower School Admission at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1999, Jean started Baldwin Educational Consulting. Since then, she has become a leader in her field, known locally and nationally for her ability to connect with children of all ages and identify schools and programs that are the best possible match. She has a well-deserved reputation for being thorough, forthright and trustworthy, as well as being able to pinpoint and describe the unique qualities and attributes of children she assesses.

Jean has been a board member of the nationally recognized Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and has served as commissioner for the American Institute for Certified Educational Planners (AICEP), the professional certification board that grants certification to highly qualified educational consultants. She has been careful in navigating the growth of Baldwin Educational Consulting through the past decade so that the personal and thorough nature of working with clients remains the priority.

Jean earned her BA from Purdue University’s school of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, and her MA in Psychological Services from Marymount University. She is a member of the IECA, Small Boarding School Association (SBSA), Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB), Association of Consultants and Counselors for Educational Support and Services (ACCESS), a past member of Educational Records Bureau (ERB) and Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources (WISER), and is certified in educational planning by AICEP.

Jean uses her extensive experience in working with children and schools to offer sound professional guidance to families regarding their child’s educational future. She works with children from ages 3 through 17 for a variety of services from admission testing to more in depth purposes of identifying appropriate school matches. She is known for her thoroughness in understanding the student and listening and communicating with parents. She also meets with parents of very young children to guide them in future educational goals.

Jean offers a variety of services, depending on your particular needs. These include working with you to:

• Identify the needs of your child academically, with attention to social and emotional factors
• Help you understand the world of independent schools in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland, as well as boarding schools throughout the country
• Recommend appropriate schools most likely to bring out the best in your child
• Assist you in navigating various admission processes
• Advocate appropriately for your child throughout the admission cycle
• Administer tests necessary for applying to independent schools in a non-threatening, comfortable environment
• Help in general educational planning for the family with a very young child
• Obtain guidance for parenting or referrals for outside professional resources
• Assess a student’s achievement level as he or she progresses through school.

Description of various levels of services include:

Consultation

The Consultation Service offers a discussion-based overview of independent school planning, and is intended for parents only. Parents are encouraged to come with a list of questions they may have, no matter what they might be. Topics that are covered may include, but are not limited to, general information regarding:

• Independent Day and Boarding Schools
• The admissions process
• The admissions calendar
• Long-range planning
• Age- and grade-placement issues
• What to look for in a school
• Financial aspects involved in independent school education
• Working with an educational consultant

The Consultation is often a first step for families with a very young child, those new to the DC area, or those contemplating independent schools for the first time.

Due to the general nature of a consultation, specific school recommendations cannot be determined. Jean believes strongly in matching children with the most appropriate schools, and therefore must spend more time with the child and family in an Advisory service in order to make specific recommendations.

Advisory

The Advisory Service is designed to determine appropriate school referrals for a specific child. To accomplish this, it is necessary to:

• Review all records from the student’s educational history
• Meet individually with the child
• Administer admission, IQ, or achievement testing if necessary
• Meet at length with the parents in order to more fully understand the student’s profile and the family’s values and priorities

After completing all of these steps, specific schools are recommended and the admissions process is discussed. The two appointments are usually on the same day and are not limited in time. The parent meeting lasts a minimum of two hours but may take longer in order to fully answer all of the parent’s questions.

The Advisory service is concluded at the end of the parent meeting. Subsequent appointments comprise comprise either a Referral service or follow-up consultations at additional charge.

Referral Service

The Referral Service is a continuation of the Advisory Service. It is the process of thoroughly guiding the student or family through the admission process for schools recommended during the Advisory. Every student and situation is unique, and flexibility of service is important. Generally, however, the Referral Service includes:

• Ongoing discussion of the details of the admission process and the subsequent course of action
• Planning and timing for interviews, visiting days, testing, recommendations and/or essays
• Coordination of appropriate teacher recommendations when necessary
• Forwarding complete, clear and concise information to each school as needed
• Communicating with each school appropriately, either in writing or by conversation, the specific reasons why Jean has referred the student to that particular school
• Apprising the family of their responsibilities
• Assisting in the final decision-making process, and/or continuing to work on behalf of the student if waitlist status is given

Only a limited number of students can be supported through the Referral Service due to the time required to represent each one carefully and be responsive to the family’s requests and needs. It is therefore not possible for all Advisory clients to become Referral clients. An alternative option for families that have been through the Advisory and would like additional support is to meet with Jean in follow-up Consultations at a reduced hourly rate.

Careful consideration is given to all parameters of a student’s profile when recommending appropriate schools. However, guarantees for placement are not possible due to, but not limited by, factors such as the number of openings, the profile of students the school is seeking to complete a class, the admission interview or school visit experience, and the timing of the application.

Testing

Jean administers a number of cognitive (IQ) and achievement tests for admissions purposes, including, but not limited to, the:

• WPPSI-IV
• WISC-IV
• Woodcock-Johnson (cognitive and achievement)
• VMI
• SSAT (individual and small-group)

Jean prides herself on her ability to make what could be a stressful experience into one that is comfortable for the child and, quite often, enjoyable.

If you are interested in Jean’s services or would like more information, please feel free to contact her by phone or email at:
baldwinconsult@mac.com
202 363-0513