Press Release


Researching What Parents Want in a Christian School


It’s the marketing question every school leader has to ask: how do you attract students by sending the right message about your school to the right audience? To answer that question, ACSI commissioned the Barna Group, a faith-based research firm, to conduct a comprehensive study this past school year; the major findings and implications of the study were discussed at district meetings this fall.


The Barna Group’s nationwide study surveyed: • A nationally representative sample of 400 prospective parents regarding their goals for education, the importance of specific school features, and perceptions of school types


• A national sample of 221 homeschool parents who were “open to” private Christian schooling regarding what they like and dislike about homeschooling and what alternative forms of school they have considered


• 971 current parents from ACSI member schools regarding their goals for education, the importance of specific school features, and perceptions of school types


• A national sample of 456 senior pastors and church leaders regarding their perceptions on the importance of Christian education and their past or future recommendation of Christian schools


Reports and findings from the research will be available in early 2017.


DOL Overtime Pay


Requirements Put on Hold This update is current as of time of publication in early December. It is possible there are new developments on this fluid situation by the time of your reading. Visit the Legal Legislative portion of acsi.org for the latest updates.


The day before Thanksgiving, a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rules that were to become effective on December 1. At this time, it is unclear how long the injunction will last, but it is likely President- elect Trump will be sworn into office before the injunction is lifted. As the Department of Labor operates under the supervision of the president, if Mr. Trump becomes president before the injunction is lifted, there is a strong possibility his administration will act to kill the new overtime rules.


Cultural Shift Resources


and Presentation A presentation outlining the cultural shift and the unique opportunities the recent “cultural hurricane” brings can be found atwww.acsi.org/culturalresources. This same presentation was made available at this year’s district meetings and includes a long list of resources.


Eight More States


Legalize Marijuana Eight more states (Arkansas, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota) legalized some form of marijuana use in November. If you operate in one of those states (or one of the other 27 states and provinces where marijuana use is legal), it would be wise to adopt policies to help deal with this change. An in-depth article on the subject, “Legalized Marijuana: No Longer Someone Else’s Problem,” is available at acsi.org.


Employers Must Comply with DOL’s Updated


Posting Requirements As of August 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requires covered employers to update their Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Minimum Wage posters and their federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) posters.


The changes to the minimum wage poster include updated information relating to the rights of nursing mothers in the workplace, the consequences of independent contractor misclassification tip credits, and DOL enforcement of FLSA violations. The federal minimum wage rate remains at $7.25 per hour. For more information, read a DOL-approved copy of the updated minimum wage poster and instructions for posting at https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/ posters/flsa.htm.


The changes to the EPPA poster include updated contact information for the DOL and removal of the prior reference to the penalty amount for violators. For more information, read a DOL-approved copy of the updated EPPA poster and instructions for posting at https://www. dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/eppa.htm.


28 |


27.2


© 2016 by the Association of Christian Schools International


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24