The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

association of 89

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

s located in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

states of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. ISAS is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boar ...

(NAIS) Commission on Accreditation.

History

In 1952, “The Association of Texas Preparatory Schools,” a football and basketball league among five private Texas schools (

The Kinkaid School , motto_translation = Light through Knowledge , established = , type = Independent elementary school and secondary school , gender = Co-educational , us_nces_school_id = , head = Jonathan Eades , head_name = Head of School , ad ...

, Lutheran, St. John’s School,

St. Mark's School of Texas The St. Mark's School of Texas is a nonsectarian preparatory day school for boys in grades 1–12 in Dallas, Texas, United States, accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. History St. Mark's traces its origins to the T ...

, and St. Stephen's Episcopal School), was founded. This association was to serve as a predecessor for ISAS: in 1955, largely under the influence of St. John's headmaster Alan Chidsey, four of the same institutions (Kinkaid, St. John's, St. Stephen's, and St. Mark's) joined together with three additional Texas schools (

The Hockaday School The Hockaday School is an independent, secular, college preparatory day school for girls located in Dallas, Texas, United States. The boarding school was for girls in grades 8–12 and the day school is from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. The ...

, Saint Mary’s Hall, and the Texas Military Institute) and one Oklahoma school (

Casady School Casady School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, founded in 1947 by Bishop Thomas Casady and the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. Casady serves children in grades pre-kindergarten throug ...

) to found the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. The original "statement of purpose" of the association was to "encourage, support, and develop highest standards of attainment in the independent schools of the area and to recognize those schools in which they are maintained.” In 1966, the stated purpose was amended to include the phrase "to recognize by formal accreditation,” and an additional accreditation requirement was imposed: at least 75% of the graduates of each member school must complete their first year of college. By ISAS's quinquagenary anniversary in 2005, the association had grown to include 84 schools spanning six states; in the same year, the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) split from ISAS to form an independent

athletic conference An athletic conference is a collection of sports teams, playing competitively against each other in a sports league. In many cases conferences are subdivided into smaller divisions, with the best teams competing at successively higher levels. Confe ...

. By 2012, ISAS had expanded to include all of its current 89 member schools.

Arts festival

Since 1967, the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest has held its annual ISAS Arts Festival, hosted at a different member schools' campus each year. The popular event typically lasts three days, during which time students from the various art programs of upwards of thirty ISAS member schools congregate in a noncompetitive atmosphere to perform and create art in "a celebration of sharing and learning with critiques by professional artists and performers." Recent years' ISAS Arts Festivals, such as the 2016 Festival hosted at Saint Mary's Hall in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, have seen attendances of more than 3,000 student artists.

Member institutions

Arizona * All Saints' Episcopal Day School * The Gregory School Kansas * Wichita Collegiate School Louisiana *

Academy of the Sacred Heart (New Orleans) The Academy of the Sacred Heart is a private Catholic high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located within the Archdiocese of New Orleans and was established in 1886 by the Society of the Sacred Heart. Athletics Academy of the Sacred H ...

* Schools of the Sacred Heart at Grand Coteau * Alexandria Country Day School * Christ Episcopal School * Episcopal School of Acadiana *

Isidore Newman School Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school located on an campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana. Jeré Longman of ''The New York Times'' described Isidore Newman as "one of ...

* Louise S. McGehee School *

Metairie Park Country Day School Metairie Park Country Day School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school preparatory day school in Metairie, Louisiana, with classes in grades Pre-Kindergarten– 12. The campus is located in the Old Meta ...

* Southfield School (Shreveport, Louisiana), Southfield School * St. Andrew's Episcopal School, New Orleans * t._George's_Episcopal_School *_St._Martin's_Episcopal_School *_St._Paul's_Episcopal_School,_New_Orleans *_Stuart_Hall_School_for_Boys *[Trinity_Episcopal_School_New_Orleans.html" ;"title="St._Martin's_Episcopal_School.html" ;"title="t. George's Episcopal School * St. Martin's Episcopal School">t. George's Episcopal School * St. Martin's Episcopal School * St. Paul's Episcopal School, New Orleans * Stuart Hall School for Boys *[Trinity Episcopal School New Orleans">Trinity Episcopal School New Mexico * Albuquerque Academy * Bosque School * Manzano Day School * Menaul School * Rio Grande School * Sandia Preparatory School * Santa Fe Preparatory School * UWC-USA Oklahoma *

Heritage Hall School Heritage Hall School is a coeducational, college-prep school located in North Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. An independent private school not affiliated with any religious organization, the school is open to students of any race, religion, nationali ...

* Holland Hall * Riverfield Country Day School *

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

Texas * Alcuin School * All Saints' Episcopal School, Fort Worth * All Saints Episcopal School, Tyler * Allen Academy * Annunciation Orthodox School *

Austin International School Austin International School (AIS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit private school located in northern Austin, Texas, United States, for students in pre-kindergarten (''petite section'') through 8th grade (''4e''). AIS's primary school program follows a ...

* Austin Waldorf School * The Awty International School * Beth Yeshurun Day School * The Branch School *

Cistercian Preparatory School Cistercian Preparatory School is a private school for young men located in Irving, Texas, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Serving grades five through twelve (though previously having a 4th grade pre-form), the school has a population o ...

* Dallas International School * Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart *

The Emery/Weiner School The Emery/Weiner School (EWS) is a co-educational, independent Jewish day school in Houston, Texas, United States,Stanton, Robert.'Death Valley' coming back to life" ''Houston Chronicle''. Thursday July 19, 2001. Retrieved on January 7, 2012. se ...

* Episcopal High School, Houston * The Episcopal School of Dallas * First Baptist Academy *

Fort Worth Country Day Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD) is a JK-12 private, independent, coeducational, nondenominational college-preparatory school located on approximately 100 acres in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Associa ...

* The Girls' School of Austin *

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...

Episcopal School * Greenhill School *

The John Cooper School The John Cooper School is an independent, college-preparatory, nonsectarian, co-educational day school located in The Woodlands, an unincorporated planned community in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. Overview The John Cooper School is ...

* The Joy School *

Keystone School Keystone School, generally called Keystone, is a co-educational independent private school for students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade, located in the Monte Vista Historic District in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, USA.The Kinkaid School , motto_translation = Light through Knowledge , established = , type = Independent elementary school and secondary school , gender = Co-educational , us_nces_school_id = , head = Jonathan Eades , head_name = Head of School , ad ...

Lakehill Preparatory School Lakehill Preparatory School is a college preparatory school in the Lakewood, Dallas, Texas neighborhood. The school is accredited through a number of bodies including the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission, which works through the State ...

* The Lamplighter School * The Montessori School of San Antonio *

The Oakridge School The Oakridge School is a private school located in Arlington, Texas, US. It educates about 800 students in age groups Preschool-12. History The Oakridge School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school. A non-profit institution gove ...

Parish Episcopal School Parish Episcopal School is a co-educational day school located on two campuses in Dallas, Texas, US. The college preparatory school enrolls students in grades Pre-K–12. In 2015–2016 school year, 1,130 students were enrolled, making Parish the ...

* The Post Oak School *

Presbyterian School Presbyterian School is a private, coeducational Christian PreK-8 day school in the Museum District, Houston. Presbyterian School is composed of three divisions: an Early Childhood division, Alpha through Pre-kindergarten, a Lower School divis ...

The Regis School of the Sacred Heart ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

River Oaks Baptist School River Oaks Baptist School is a Private school, private, Christian, co-educational day school for students in K-8 school, preschool, lower school and middle school located in River Oaks, Houston, Houston, Texas. Founded as a mission of a small Bap ...

* Saint Mary's Hall *

San Antonio Academy The San Antonio Academy is a private school for boys located in San Antonio, Texas. The school is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. The school was founded in 1886 and has since then moved locations several time ...

* Shelton School *

The Shlenker School Congregation Beth Israel of Houston, the oldest Jewish congregation in Texas, was founded in Houston in 1854. It operates the Shlenker School. History The congregation was founded in 1854 as an Orthodox Jewish ''kehilla'' and legally chartered ...

* St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Austin * St. Clement's Parish School * St. Francis Episcopal Day School * St. Gabriel's Catholic School * St. John's Episcopal School, Dallas * St. John's School, Houston * St. Luke's Episcopal School * St. Mark's Episcopal School *

* St. Philip's School and Community Center * St. Stephen's Episcopal School * The Winston School, Dallas * TMI - The Episcopal School of Texas * Trinity Episcopal School, Austin *

Trinity Episcopal School, Galveston The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

* Trinity School of Midland *

Trinity Valley School Trinity Valley School ("TVS") is a PK-12, co-ed, independent school in Fort Worth, Texas. Trinity Valley School has four main objectives for its students: fine scholarship with its fulfillment at college; the development of wide constructive int ...

Ursuline Academy of Dallas , motto_translation = I will serve , location = , streetaddress = 4900 Walnut Hill Lane , city = Dallas , state = Texas , county = ( Dallas County) , zipcode = 75229 , country ...

* The Winston School San Antonio

References

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