Strategic Plan

What’s Possible?

STRATEGIC PLAN 2019

Strategic Plan 2019 | 1

What’s Possible?

2 | Castilleja School

Strategic Plan 2019 - 2024 | 2

Women Learning. Women Leading.

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Dear Castilleja Community, When new students apply to Castilleja, we ask them to contemplate an important question: What’s possible for you at Castilleja? This bold strategic plan is our opportunity to ask similar questions of ourselves: What’s possible for Castilleja?

What’s possible for the next generation of women leaders? What’s possible for teaching and learning in our caring community?

There has never been a more exciting moment to educate girls, and this strategic plan charts a brave path for our future while telling an important story about our community of educators, learners, problem-solvers, and innovators; about our students, families, and alumnae.

We may be life-long Palo Altans, new immigrants, or daughters who become sisters around the Circle and graduate as citizens of the world, but we are all represented here, defining our values with courage, compassion, and conviction.

Just as this plan is shaped by our community, it is defined by changes in the world that present new challenges and demand a new set of leadership skills. Acknowledging the role singlesex education plays in preparing young women to embrace leadership, we propose that when a girl can direct her own learning, with a focus on interdisciplinary problem solving and real-world impact, she strengthens her voice, expands her capacity to make choices, and practices resilience. Castilleja has prepared women to lead for generations; we know the reach and potential of our graduates. Now, and in the future, we will help them reach even farther by preparing them for the dynamic world they will inherit.

Throughout our history, Castilleja has always stood at the frontier—from placing a stake in the ground at the edge of a promising town over 110 years ago to pursuing equity in education as a means to effect change in the world today.

We remain devoted to discovery and innovation, with goals that evolve in response to new findings in girls’ education, emerging technologies, global partnerships, and the dynamic needs of our community. Over the next five years, this document will guide Castilleja through defining moments as we modernize our campus and refine our interdisciplinary, project-based program. I feel fortunate to be Head during this pivotal time, which coincides with so many expanding political, professional, educational, and cultural opportunities for women.

Thank you to all who have worked hard to build the Castilleja we know today. It is my honor to join our entire community as we use this map to explore new terrain and fulfill the very brightest future for Castilleja.

Warmly,

Nanci Kauffman Head of School 4 | Castilleja School

OUR MISSION

Castilleja School educates motivated young women to become confident thinkers and compassionate leaders with a sense of purpose to effect change in the world.

Castilleja Today DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

IDENTITY

Each member of the Castilleja community is responsible for fostering an equitable, respectful, and just community. Together, we commit to learning from diverse voices and experiences, and we aspire to engage our differences with courage, honesty, intellectual curiosity, and respect. We believe this commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential to developing compassionate leaders.

Castilleja is a school for girls in grades six through twelve. The pursuit of the motto Women Learning, Women Leading has led Castilleja to infuse its curriculum with a scaffold of relevant, hands-on, and real-world educational experiences, in order to educate young women to become innovators and change agents who will tackle the complex challenges of tomorrow.

The design of programs at the school is based upon research that addresses the educational needs of girls.

VALUES The pursuit of Castilleja’s mission is supported by a commitment to our core values, the 5Cs: Courage, Conscience, Courtesy, Charity, and Character. In recent years, various students, faculty, employees, families, and alumnae have questioned whether these five words still accurately describe our core values. While these terms are all meaningful around the Circle, we have come to appreciate that they may not be at the heart of our current work as a community. Therefore, part of this strategic plan for the next five years will include reviewing and possibly revising the 5Cs.

As a school for girls, Castilleja will consider any applicant who aligns with the mission of the school and identifies as a girl.

Castilleja is committed to inclusion, where every student is given the opportunity to grow. If, during her attendance, a student transitions away from identifying as a girl and wishes to remain enrolled at Castilleja, the student has an opportunity to do so and will be supported within our community. We are committed to ensuring a safe place for every student as they explore their evolving identities.

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Castilleja Strategic Plan GUIDING PILLARS

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

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STUDENT EXPERIENCE

BEYOND THE CIRCLE

RESOURCES

School Community RELATIONSHIPS ARE AT THE HEART OF CASTILLEJA. We actively foster a caring, diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning community. Together, our students, employees, alumnae, and current and past families hold a deep commitment to our shared values and to the belief that each individual brings experiences that enrich our collective whole. The leadership we foster is facilitated by respect, intellectual curiosity, compassion, and a genuine belief that empathy and collaboration are essential to effecting sustainable change in the world. Ultimately, we agree that the emotional and physical well-being of our community will rely on our commitment to understanding and learning from one another.

Deepen Learning and Relationships to Transform Lives

Ensure that We Live our Values as a Diverse and Inclusive Community

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Promote a mindset based in curiosity and compassion that empowers individuals to work together and to define success on their own terms Establish paths for effective and engaged learning that respect different needs, talents, and goals

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Attract, support, and celebrate students, families, and employees who respect and promote our values and mission Diversify our community of educators and offer professional development that promotes a deeper understanding of Castilleja’s evolving demographics Bring to life our Diversity & Inclusion statement through community norms, school-wide programming, policies, and mentoring opportunities Prioritize Castilleja’s commitment to women’s leadership and equality, disrupting societal assumptions when necessary Strategic Plan 2019 | 7

Deepen Our Community-Wide Commitment to Social and Emotional Well-Being

Strengthen Outreach and Engagement Across Communities

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Cultivate a culture of care in which each person is treated with dignity and respect Expand strategies to support balance and general well-being for all members of our community Educate each student to identify the unique choices that will allow her to thrive as a learner and a leader Strengthen our partnership with parents and guardians through communication, collaboration, and education

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Communicate the power of our interdisciplinary program, leadership curriculum, and commitment to social impact as forces that shape women leaders Strengthen the connection between generations of alumnae and alumnae parents to each other and to the school community

Student Experience AT CASTILLEJA, INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS AND ENGAGED STUDENTS LEARN TO THINK CRITICALLY, CONTRIBUTE RESPONSIBLY, LEAD BOLDLY, AND THRIVE PHYSICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY. Our intentional and robust academic program allows students to engage deeply in ageappropriate and complex interdisciplinary problem-solving.

Grounded in a culture of care, our program responds to girls’ evolving needs and individual interests, preparing them to explore both independently and collaboratively. Through varied experiences within and beyond the Circle, students develop global competence, active citizenship, and ethical leadership.

A Castilleja education prepares students to seize the moment as they develop skills for the future.

Integrate Emerging Fields of Knowledge with Learning Experiences Inside and Outside the Classroom •

Refine and implement a learning and leading framework that teaches and assesses core competencies across disciplines, drawing from: INITIATIVE Curiosity Reflection Perseverance

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PURPOSE Empathy Collaboration Communication

Enhance opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning through Action, Research, and Creation Design Interdisciplinary Content Areas that frame learning and empower girls to engage meaningfully in real-world challenges. Themes may include: Design and Innovation Emerging Technologies Global Systems

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AGILITY Embracing ambiguity Critical analysis Problem-strategizing

Environmental Sustainability Social Justice

Women’s Wellness and Leadership Truth and Beauty

Continue to prioritize teaching wellness as an essential set of skills and actions Strengthen connections between curricular and cocurricular experiences to deepen learning and support balance for all members of our community Strategic Plan 2019 | 9

Empower Students to Become Self-Directed Learners • • • •

Further develop innovative project-based learning across disciplines to deepen intellectual exploration Provide relevant opportunity for choice in course offerings and voice in content and assessment Evolve toward interdisciplinary programming, including a broader array of Advanced Topics (AT) courses and opportunities for independent learning Extend local, national, and global learning partnerships and collaborations to enrich our program and benefit our partners

Examine and Refine Systems to Enhance Our Program • • • •

Refine curricular design and review in response to our changing world Formalize a cohesive approach to assessment that reflects our pedagogy, values, and current research about best practices Broaden the use of performance-based assessment and portfolios to capture students’ growth in initiative, agility, and purpose Design and implement professional development that supports key initiatives

Modernize Campus to Enable Transformative Learning and Leadership Development •

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Design a campus that supports community and promotes sustainable healthy living and learning Build flexible learning spaces that will inspire and support innovative pedagogy and content Ensure campus design reflects the newest findings about how girls engage in learning

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Beyond the Circle AS AN INSTITUTION FOUNDED UPON AND DEVOTED TO THE IDEAL THAT WOMEN DESERVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND

ACHIEVE, Castilleja seeks to extend this message to a broader

audience and contribute to societal shifts that empower women to lead. Drawing from over a century of thoughtful, effective, innovative program development, Castilleja is a valuable and enduring resource in girls’ education and is poised to collaborate, share, and learn as a contributing citizen on a local, national, and international level.

Advance Castilleja’s Role as a Local Partner, Valuable Resource, and Good Neighbor

Create Opportunities to Share Best Practices in Girls’ Education

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Foster ways to collaborate on City initiatives and partner with local non-profit organizations Expand partnership with PAUSD schools to create new learning exchanges and opportunities to share facilities and resources Model our commitment to sustainability and Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

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Host or collaborate on events that focus on research about girls’ education Advocate for the transformative role that all-girls schools can play in the lives of young leaders Establish Castilleja as an educational resource through publications, speaking engagements, boards, and professional networks

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Advocate for Equity and Women’s Leadership •

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Amplify Castilleja’s mission by engaging students, employees, alumnae, and families in building awareness about issues affecting women and girls worldwide Create opportunities for women leaders of all ages to influence societal change and impact the lives of other women and girls Strengthen our global partnerships as avenues to support women in leadership roles and enhance girls’ leadership programs

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Resources WE STRIVE TO EDUCATE MORE GIRLS, enrich our offerings, provide a wider range of opportunities for leadership, diversify our community, and modernize our facilities. Over the next five years, we must continue to bring a strategic approach to business, finance, investments, and technology to guide Castilleja through this pivotal time. To meet these goals, we must ensure that the human and financial resources are in place to keep Castilleja at the forefront of girls’ education. By sharing their time, talent, and treasure, every member of our community leads the way for future generations of Castilleja students.

Identify and Prioritize the Resources Castilleja Will Need for the Future •

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Develop spaces and resources needed to engage in flexible, innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and learning Prioritize and address affordability challenges for employees, including housing, transportation, healthcare, and childcare Recruit, retain, and support talented and caring educators who will contribute to our dynamic, innovative and interdisciplinary program Expand our capacity to build and support an economically diverse learning community

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Continue to Develop and Strengthen a Culture of Lifelong Philanthropy •

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Steward successful completion of our “Reimagining the Circle” campaign to support increased tuition assistance and Castilleja’s modernized campus Inspire a commitment to giving generously over a lifetime Deepen our relationship with alumnae by engaging them and communicating with them about mission-driven initiatives Articulate the importance of developing women leaders as a powerful philanthropic priority and opportunity

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Promote Financial Sustainability • • •

Evaluate alternative economic models Explore non-tuition based revenue sources Analyze the role of debt and endowment in the school’s future

Leadership Castilleja Administration Leadership Team 2018-2019 Nanci KauffmanHA Head of School Kathy Layendecker Associate Head for Finance and Operations Josée Band Dean of Curriculum and Innovation Lorraine Brown Director of Communications and Community Relations Kathy BurchHA Chief of Staff Anne CameronHA Head of Middle School Stacey Kertsman Dean of Equity Education and Social Impact Sue KimHA Director of Development Jill LeeHA Director of Admission, Tuition Assistance, and Summer Programming Jim Pickett Head of Upper School Castilleja Board of Trustees 2018-2019 Ken Hirsch, Chair

Usha Nesamoney

Nahid Aliniazee

Anjali Pichai

Jim Bean

Denise Pope

Tony Carrasco

Alyssa Rieder

John Giannandrea

Sarah Sands

Cindy Goldberg

David Scott

Lori Goler

Pratima Sethi ’94

Theresia Gouw

Mary Speiser

Saima Hasan ’04

Kathleen Tandy

Heidi Hopper

Eugenie Van Wynen

Nanci Kauffman

HA

Mike Volpi

Michele Kirsch

Phil Yang

Aileen Lee

Elizabeth Yin ’00

David Merenbach

Jianming Yu

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Dear Castilleja Community, Like so many learning experiences at Castilleja, this strategic plan is something the students would call a “group project,” a true collaboration of many minds working together to ask thought-provoking questions and imagine the best possible solutions. As Strategic Plan Committee Cochairs, we led a process grounded in reflection about Castilleja’s many accomplishments as well as thoughtful conversations about our hopes and responsibilities moving forward.

As the leaders of this endeavor, we wanted all internal stakeholders to add insight and experience to this process, helping our community to have more meaningful conversations. This commitment from all constituents meant that we did not have a need for external consultants or facilitation. We are grateful to the Leadership Team, faculty, staff, students, and parents and guardians who participated. We first worked to define our four pillars: School Community, Student Experience, Beyond the Circle, and Resources, and then in both large-group meetings and smaller-scale breakout sessions, we worked to prioritize the goals that will guide us for the next five years.

As Nanci referenced in her opening message, we are embarking on a remarkable chapter in Castilleja’s history: appreciating how far we have come in preparing young women to lead, but realizing how far there is to go. This strategic plan supports our students in laying claim to their place in the world, to the educational opportunities they deserve, to raising their voices on behalf of themselves and others. We invite everyone to join them and join us in this moment made for women learning, women leading.

Thank you to the entire community for asking brave questions and giving of yourselves generously to help shape the next five years for Castilleja.

Best Regards, Jim Bean P’21 Strategic Plan Committee Cochair

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Mary Speiser P’20, P’22 Strategic Plan Committee Cochair

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