Charlotte Prep's 2020 Vision: 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

2020

VISION THE CHARLOTTE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 2015-2020 STRATEGIC PLAN

Our Montessori Early School program is the foundation for Charlotte Prep’s excellence in education. This educational approach mirrors a belief that is the core of everything we do: Children are naturally eager for knowledge, and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, child-centered environment. At Charlotte Prep, our curriculum, faculty, staff, and campus value the human spirit and the development of the whole child — physical, social, emotional, and cognitive.

Our Vision and our Promise.

Dear Charlotte Preparatory School Community, This is an exciting time to be part of the Charlotte Prep family as we launch our next strategic plan, which continues to build upon the strong academic legacy of the school. Strategic plans focus a school’s priorities and efforts on a macro level, and reflect the values of the community and school leadership.

Charlotte Preparatory School is committed to a thoughtful approach as we plan for the future. We remain focused on how to best serve our students — the leaders of tomorrow — as they face a rapidly changing world of new challenges and opportunities. The strategic planning process helps us outline a roadmap for the next phase of the school’s growth and development.

Over the course of the past year, a committee comprised of deeply engaged trustees and administrators spent countless hours researching and gathering broad, representative feedback and perspectives from a wide array of stakeholder groups, resulting in a clear vision and framework to accomplish the goals set forth in the plan.

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we share “2020 Vision: The Charlotte Preparatory School 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.” We believe it represents the best of what a strategic plan should be: Reflective of our community’s hopes and values, aspirational, and achievable. Thank you for your continued commitment and support of the school.

Sincerely,

Blair Fisher Head of School

Shanon T. Jones Chair, Board of Trustees

MISSION STATEMENT:

Charlotte Preparatory School fosters lifelong learning and provides an exemplary educational experience founded on academic excellence, positive character, and leadership development in a diverse, inclusive community.

Core Beliefs

People Matter

School Structure Matters

WE BELIEVE …

WE BELIEVE …

■■ In the intrinsic worth of every individual; ■■ A school must be student-centered; we are deeply committed to the success of all our students;

■■ Our students will be leaders in their lives. We strive to develop students of strong positive character, modeling the traits of respect, integrity, perseverance, and courage;

■■ A diverse, inclusive school community whose members

■■ Children learn best when they are known and cared for as individuals; this best occurs within a small school environment;

■■ A school’s model matters; and the K-8 model is best for students during their formative years;

■■ Montessori education provides a strong foundation for later learning.

are inherently valued for their unique perspective and

Programs Matter

experience benefits all members of that community;

WE BELIEVE …

■■ All adults within the school community must operate in trusting, open, respectful partnership for students to fully benefit from the educational programs of the school;

■■ Skilled and passionate instruction is the most important factor in student success. We are committed to attracting and retaining a high quality, dedicated, expert faculty.

■■ A school’s curriculum and methodologies should be based on research and best practice;

■■ Academic programs should be rigorous and challenging; success should be attainable by all students through diligent effort and appropriate support;

■■ A school’s programs and curriculum should be designed to help prepare its students for success in today’s rapidly changing, shrinking and linking world;

■■ Physical health and wellness, a deep appreciation for the arts, and participation in co-curricular programs add depth and richness to the lives of our students and develop skills, talents, and habits which are equally as important as academic success.

A Look Back: 2011-2015 Accomplishments

This is an exciting time to be part of the Charlotte Prep

■■ Deployed learning technology throughout the K-8 Grades,

family. Our campus is buzzing with activity, and the

including a 1:1 student laptop program and SmartBoards

enthusiasm of our students can hardly match my own

in every classroom;

excitement for what’s in store as the Charlotte Prep story continues.

The past several years have been some of the most important in the school’s 45-year history. Now, as we move forward with our next strategic plan, I’m delighted to share the amazing growth and progress we’ve made as a school during this eventful period. We have successfully accomplished all elements of the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan across nine broad areas:

1. Establish Charlotte Preparatory School as a model of 21st Century Learning;

2. Continue to advance academic excellence in the school’s core curriculum;

3. Build upon Charlotte Preparatory School’s tradition of multiculturalism to deepen students’ global awareness, cultural literacy, and language studies;

4. Renew our school’s commitment to character

■■ Initiated a systematic, deliberate curriculum improvement process to ensure both what and how our students learn reflect best practice and research;

■■ Executed three special fundraising campaigns, allowing us to build a beautiful and highly used activity field, renovate the school’s science and technology labs, and purchase a fleet of activity buses to broaden our students’ opportunities;

■■Improved the effectiveness and efficiency of our communication processes to enhance our school-parent partnership, and

■■ Continued to upgrade our school facilities and physical plant, with the ultimate goal that they match the quality of teaching and learning that occur within them.

These are just a few examples of what we’ve executed over the last five years with the support of our families, faculty, and staff. The results are clear: Even while raising

development that is at the heart of Charlotte Prep,

admissions standards and the rigor of our curriculum,

by further promoting our Pillars of Leadership,

demand to attend Charlotte Prep has increased

service learning, and team-building;

significantly, allowing us to grow our enrollment in a

5. Recognize each child’s gifts and nourish every child’s individual potential;

6. Cultivate our students’ collaborative problem-solving skills;

carefully managed fashion. Test scores have risen steadily, our students routinely win awards and recognition for their excellence, and the high schools our graduates attend report that Charlotte Prep students have never

7. Foster a culture that supports the school’s core values;

been better prepared for success. Our 2020 Vision will

8. Embrace all community constituents to ensure

build on this strong foundation as we continue to evolve

their continued engagement and support;

9. Clearly communicate the benefits of the Pre-K through 8th Grade model within our own community, and to prospective families in the Charlotte area.

as a school of excellence.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve this wonderful community. Charlotte Prep has accomplished great things for our students, and I am happy to have been part of the team that helped make this possible. I truly

In addition, since 2011 we have:

■■ Expanded our STEM curriculum, deepening our

believe the best is yet to come! Our goals for 2020 Vision promise to lead the school into an even brighter

focus on critical skills, strengthening the leadership

future. Nothing is more important than the work we do

and character development programs, and

for our students, and we remain completely dedicated

growing Spanish and multicultural programs;

to their growth and success.

■■ Transitioned from a proprietary school model

In partnership,

to 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status, unlocking myriad benefits in the process;

■■ Strengthened both our teaching faculty and administrative staff, allowing us to deliver a world-class education to our students;

Blair Fisher

Strategic Plan Summary

The Charlotte Preparatory School 2015-2020 Strategic Plan Summary

Each potential strategic priority was challenged using a four-pronged questioning process: Is it fundamental? Does this strategic priority align with our core beliefs and mission?

Is it aspirational? Is it important enough, and does it reach

The creation of 2020 Vision was an extremely thoughtful and deliberate process. The plan emerged from several sequential steps:

1. The groundwork laid by the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan: Strategic Planning Committee members engaged in a careful review of the accomplishments of that plan to analyze the school’s current state,

enough, to move the school forward in a significant way?

Is it measurable? Is the priority clear and executable?

Will the school be able to create metrics and benchmarks to determine success?

Is it attainable? While the strategic priority should seek to grow and transform the school, is it realistic and achievable given the current position of the school?

to find areas upon which to build, and determine any key areas which needed to be emphasized.

2. The committee also conducted extensive surveys and

As a result of this process, which stretched over several months, six strategic priorities emerged which successfully met the four-pronged test above.

focus groups, which represented every stakeholder group in the Charlotte Preparatory School community.

The results were analyzed for any themes which might emerge.

3. Of the potential areas identified during analysis of stakeholder feedback, the Strategic Planning Committee, in concert with the full Board of Trustees, determined which areas most reflected the core values of the school and its aspirations for the future.

Together, these constitute the framework for 2020 Vision:

1. Develop an Exemplary Educational Program 2. Attract and Nurture a Vibrant School Community 3. Foster a Culture of Faculty Excellence 4. Enhance Charlotte Preparatory School’s Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion

5. Enrich the Campus Exerience 6. Ensure Continued Sound Stewardship and Governance Collectively, these six strategic priorities reflect the values, wisdom, and experiences of our community, focus our efforts on what is truly important, and create a vision for what Charlotte Prep can be in the year 2020. On the following pages, each strategic priority, with rationale and supporting goals, is presented in more detail.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1

Develop an Exemplary Educational Program

Rationale Charlotte Preparatory School recognizes that our educational program is the heart of the school.

Accordingly, the single most important strategic priority of 2020 Vision is the continued commitment to curriculum and pedagogical strategies which reflect learning research and educational best practices.

The ultimate goal is to place each child within the zone of proximal development for the majority of each day — the sweet spot where a child is just beyond his or her current level of independent capability and where strong instruction leads to maximum student growth.

Goals ■■Strengthen the Montessori learning foundation ■■Commit to continuous curriculum evaluation and refinement cycle

■■Fine tune the school’s leadership, character development, and service learning programs to foster global citizens

■■Create programs to develop students with learning agility — the ability to learn in a variety of contexts and environments

■■ Establish curriculum coordinator position to integrate and articulate curriculum vertically throughout the school

■■Leverage technology to broaden the foreign language program

■■Enhance experiential learning opportunities

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2

Attract and Nurture a Vibrant School Community

Rationale A school community is strongest when there is unity around a shared set of principles and beliefs. Charlotte Preparatory School is committed to building and nourishing a community aligned around child-centered values: the infinite worth of each child whatever his or her background, his or her potential to learn and grow, and the importance of partnership between parents and school to create an environment where every child can thrive. The second strategic priority of our 2020 Vision is to strengthen such a community by clearly expressing our values to both current and potential families and living them each day.

Goals ■■Admit and retain mission-appropriate students, while maintaining a diverse student body

■■Develop multi-year marketing and communication strategies to attract and retain a strong school community

■■ Deepen our family-school partnership to maximize each student’s growth and development

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3

Foster a Culture of Faculty Excellence

Rationale Research shows that quality of instruction is the single greatest factor in student success. As a success-oriented school, Charlotte Preparatory School is committed to the creation of a culture of faculty excellence. The third strategic priority of our 2020 Vision is to attract, retain, develop, and reward faculty members of the highest talent, ability, and effectiveness in their fields.

Goals ■■Define, nurture, and incentivize a culture of faculty excellence

■■Provide compensation and benefits attractive to extraordinary faculty, administrators, and staff

■■Expand the school’s professional development programs to provide flexible, targeted, and timely faculty growth opportunities

■■ Provide broader leadership opportunities for faculty

Rationale STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4

Today’s students live in a world that is both shrinking

Enhance our Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion

and linking. On a daily basis, we work and interact with others of very different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Thriving in such a world requires openness, acceptance, and cultural dexterity. Valuing diversity as an inherently positive attribute will allow our students to successfully bridge the differences between diverse groups. Charlotte Preparatory School seeks to create a richly diverse community, embed the values of diversity and inclusiveness firmly within its educational programs, and extend its reach and influence more widely into the world.

Goals ■■Deepen the incorporation of diversity and inclusion throughout the school curriculum and programs

■■ Recruit and retain a diverse faculty, administrators, and staff, reflective of our school community

■■ Commit to regular, ongoing diversity and inclusion training for all school faculty, administrators, and staff

■■ Attract and retain a diverse student body ■■ Engage the parent body as partners in support of the school’s diversity and inclusion philosophy

■■ Develop international school partnerships

Rationale STRATEGIC PRIORITY 5

Enrich the Campus Experience

Charlotte Preparatory School recognizes the environment within which our faculty and students work and play has a great influence in the quality of their experience. While the school’s current facilities are clean and functional, there is opportunity for improvement to campus amenities. During execution of 2020 Vision, the campus experience will be improved as we create an environment which physically and aesthetically matches the quality of our programs and education.

Goals ■■ Develop a multi-year strategic facilities plan ■■Minimize tuition impact by investing in major campus upgrades as part of fundraising strategy

■■ Increase and renovate outdoor learning and play spaces

■■ Develop a long-term campus master plan

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 6

Ensure Continued Sound Stewardship and Governance

Rationale The transition from proprietary to not-for-profit school status unlocked a host of benefits for the Charlotte Preparatory School community. As a not-for-profit entity, Charlotte Preparatory School is stewarded by an evolving group of trustees who are charged with strategic, fiduciary, and governance oversight of the school. An effective Board of Trustees is vital to ensuring the continued health and sustainability of any school; with such foundational importance, the final strategic priority of 2020 Vision ensures that the success of the initial founding board is institutionalized for future trustees.

Goals ■■ Ensure the Board of Trustees is composed of dedicated individuals who reflect the diversity of the Charlotte Preparatory School community

■■ Recruit trustees who possess appropriate skills aligned to the strategic needs of the school

■■Maintain focus on the strategic plan, appropriately prioritize objectives and initiatives, and exercise robust stewardship in fiduciary and governance matters

Thanks to the following people, without whom this strategic plan could not have been developed:

Charlotte Preparatory School Board of Trustees EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Shanon Jones, President

Neeraj Khanna for his leadership in chairing the committee and steering the process; Catherine Choudary, Blair Fisher, Nicole Girvan, Shanon Jones, Eddie Mensah, Ken Miller, and Ben Wilhelm for their

Ben Wilhelm, Vice President Catherine Choudary, Treasurer Ken Miller, Secretary

tireless committee work; Karen Gerkin (through her work with Gentleman McCarty) for helping distill the core values and

BOARD MEMBERS

priorities of our stakeholder groups into clear,

John Bly

digestible, compelling form; The many stakeholders — parents, faculty, students,

Siulolovao Challons-Lipton, D. Phil.

Jaime Daniell

alumni, and receiving schools — who contributed their experiences, insights, wisdom, and aspirations for the school through survey and interview feedback.

Blair Fisher, Head of School Mary Margaret Kantor, Ed.D. Neeraj Khanna Chris Loebsack Kellie McCorvey Wendy Teal, PA President

HEADS OF SCHOOL DIVISIONS Angel Carey, Head of Early School Phone: 704-366-5994 | Fax: 704-366-0221 Website: charlotteprep.org

Nicole Girvan, Head of Lower School Eddie Mensah, Head of Middle School

212 Boyce Road, Charlotte, NC 28211 | charlotteprep.org | 704-366-5994