2024–2029 STRATEGIC PLAN
FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
INTRODUCTION
As we celebrate 100 years of our Tradition of Faith, Knowledge, Service, the Father Ryan Leadership Team and Board have been looking ahead to the next 100 years of fulfilling the school’s mission.
This resulted in the development of a new strategic plan launching in concert with Father Ryan’s centennial and propelling us further toward our vision.
We believe this plan will advance our mission and vision and create a foundation for the future of Father Ryan High School.
MISSION
Father Ryan’s mission is to be an experience of the living Gospel while challenging students to reach their spiritual, academic, and personal potential.
VISION
Our vision is to be a superior Catholic high school, providing excellence in religious and moral formation, academics, athletics, and the arts while remaining accessible to those seeking an education in the Catholic tradition.
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
The development of our new 2024–2029 strategic plan was led by our Leadership Team and Board, who formed a Steering Committee to oversee the planning process in 2022. The process was supported by outside consultants, Tyton Partners, who were selected in 2023 based on their expertise supporting independent schools in similar processes.
Over the course of a year, in-depth market research was conducted to understand the dynamics of our community and Father Ryan’s position within the Catholic education and independent school landscapes. In addition, primary audience research was conducted in the form of surveys, interviews, and focus groups with Father Ryan’s key stakeholders.
The outcomes of this research informed the recommendations and development of the plan and will help build a foundation for the future of Father Ryan High School.
OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN
The new strategic plan was developed with the purpose of advancing our mission and vision into the future and is structured as follows:
• Five (5) year plan will be implemented 2024–2029.
• Father Ryan’s mission statement serves as the “north star” to which we are all aligned.
• Two (2) guiding principles support the mission and guide all strategic planning activities.
• Five (5) strategic priorities emerged as the most pressing to focus on in the coming years.
• Research-based narrative statements better inform and direct the development of measurable objectives.
• Measurable objectives connect back to the strategic priorities.
OUR MISSION—OUR NORTH STAR
Father Ryan’s mission statement serves as the “north star” to the plan, centering everything we do; all elements of the plan should directly support the mission statement.
Father Ryan’s mission is to be an experience of the living Gospel while challenging students to reach their spiritual, academic, and personal potential.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
These two guiding principles serve as the foundation of future strategic initiatives; these principles support the mission and guide all strategic planning activities.
1. Father Ryan High School will deliver a student experience that leverages forwardlooking and traditional learning models to drive whole-student formation.
2. Father Ryan High School will deepen its investment in further embedding the school as a pillar of spiritual, academic, and personal growth in the Nashville community.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Five critical priorities emerged through primary research data collected from focus groups, surveys, and interviews. These will drive the go-forward strategic objectives for Father Ryan High School.
1. Create the opportunity for each student to achieve his/her fullest potential.
2. Emphasize learning beyond the classroom.
3. Grow and develop faculty and staff who are prepared to support the next generation of learners.
4. Ensure a robust pipeline of prospective students.
5. Enhance financial resources, allowing Father Ryan to improve access to high-quality Catholic education and flourish for generations to come.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1
CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH STUDENT TO ACHIEVE HIS OR HER FULLEST POTENTIAL: Father Ryan will provide students with challenges and resources to help them pursue their individual paths to academic success, personal development, and spiritual formation.
We understand that:
• Each student’s time at and after Father Ryan will look different and reflect his or her own individual interests, passions, and talents.
• Providing an exceptional academic experience for all students does not mean sacrificing quality or rigor for any student.
• Each student’s journey will require different resources and supports, and these should not be provided with a one-size-fits-all approach.
To
provide for students to achieve their fullest potential, we will:
• Regularly assess our instructional models and classroom practices to ensure that a best-in-class education is provided to all students.
• Continually cultivate a culture of academic excellence among both students and faculty.
• Hold students to the highest academic standards and encourage them to pursue topics of interest.
• Equip students with the non-academic skills needed to navigate life after high school.
• Support students across all courses, regardless of course level.
• Provide regular opportunities for faith development and spiritual formation.
• Encourage greater self-agency for students as they develop interests.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2
EMPHASIZE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: Father Ryan will deepen and enrich the student learning experience by leveraging and expanding relationships in the Nashville community and beyond.
We understand that:
• Student development occurs across our campus, on fields, on stages, and in the community.
• Providing a robust set of high-quality extracurricular opportunities is necessary to develop the various interests held by our students.
• Our access to community relationships enables richer experiences for students that can better prepare them for their futures.
To emphasize learning beyond the classroom, we will:
• Evaluate and update extracurricular offerings and nonacademic programming across the school with input from various constituent groups, including students.
• Engage with community organizations to expand studentdriven service opportunities.
• Evolve year-round programming to provide captivating enrichment opportunities for current and prospective students.
• Identify ways to further embed Father Ryan students in their parish communities.
• Pursue parent- and alumni-sponsored opportunities for career exploration.
• Invest in resources needed to nurture evolving areas of student interest and talent.
• Regularly evaluate extracurricular programming to ensure offerings prepare learners for an uncertain and ever-changing future.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3
GROW AND DEVELOP FACULTY AND STAFF WHO ARE PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEARNERS: Father Ryan will attract and retain outstanding educators who are passionate about developing students academically, personally, and spiritually.
We understand that:
• Our students develop lifelong relationships with teachers and staff that will have a lasting impact on their educational and career journey.
• Our teachers have unique and valuable knowledge that they can share with learners to spark and develop areas of lifelong interest.
• Our administrators should support faculty as they find ways to innovate their instructional methods and envision better ways of teaching.
To grow and develop faculty and staff, we will:
• Create opportunities for faculty to explore their passions by teaching courses aligned with their interests and expertise.
• Ensure faculty have the resources they need to effectively educate all students who come through their classroom.
• Regularly evaluate compensation and benefits to ensure Father Ryan remains competitive with peer schools.
• Explore innovative recruitment strategies to engage outstanding prospective faculty and staff.
• Provide faculty and staff with the professional development required to support students of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
• Identify and develop drivers of faculty retention.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4
ENSURE A ROBUST PIPELINE OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:
Father Ryan will be recognized by every Nashville family as a desirable independent school offering best-in-class academics and character formation in an outstanding Catholic educational environment.
We understand that:
• The strength of our community is profound but must be viewed as welcoming to those who are new to Father Ryan.
• Continued student attendance is critical to the ongoing stability and growth of the school.
• Recruitment efforts should evolve to reflect the current dynamics and demographics of our community.
To ensure a robust pipeline of prospective students, we will:
• Be increasingly present in the academic and non-academic development of prospective students through involvement with local schools.
• Explore opportunities to increase prospective families’ exposure to Father Ryan’s community and campus.
• Expand programming and events for prospective students.
• Invest in brand and marketing initiatives to improve awareness of Father Ryan’s unique capabilities of educating in the Catholic tradition.
• Engage prospective students from a broader set of school communities than we are currently.
• Dedicate resources to better engage traditionally underserved students and families.
• Actively extend Father Ryan’s strong sense of community to those new to the school.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 5
ENHANCE FINANCIAL RESOURCES, ALLOWING FATHER RYAN TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CATHOLIC EDUCATION AND FLOURISH FOR GENERATIONS TO COME: Father Ryan will strengthen existing funding sources and cultivate new support avenues to enhance its financial viability and commitment to delivering a best-in-class Catholic education to all accepted students.
We understand that:
• The school’s overall financial health must remain a viable foundation upon which we increase access and supports for all students and ensure sustained delivery of high-quality academic and extracurricular programming.
• Creating and developing a culture of financial giving will ensure Father Ryan is prepared to tackle areas of significant need when they occur.
• Diversifying our sources of funding will enable the school to better support prospective families who require financial assistance.
To improve access to high-quality Catholic education, we will:
• Review the tuition model to ensure continued sustainability of operations.
• Cultivate and instill a spirit of philanthropy across the Father Ryan community.
• Focus on expanding Father Ryan’s endowment to increase financial aid available for students.
• Diversify revenue streams by strengthening current and identifying new non-tuition funding sources.
• Create opportunities for all families, including those not traditionally served by Father Ryan, to apply to and attend the school.
• Identify actionable ways to reduce barriers to application and enrollment at Father Ryan.
• Enhance support services for prospective families from diverse linguistic backgrounds to ensure access to information and processes.
• Ensure all families understand the financial aid resources available to them.
ACCOUNTABILITY
To ensure success of the plan, our Leadership Team and Board have set clear roles and responsibilities to facilitate successful implementation and ongoing accountability of the school’s activities against the plan. The Strategic Oversight Committee was selected by the Board and includes current and past Board members, as well as other leaders within the Father Ryan community.
ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
BOARD
PRESIDENT
Keep Father Ryan High School accountable to the mission, guiding principles, and strategic priorities
Ensure appropriate resources are allocated to the plan
Delegate tasks and responsibilities, including development and execution of measurable objectives, to Father Ryan High School leadership team and maintain ongoing accountability of objectives and strategic priorities
Present key evidence of successes and consistent updates to Board
Communicate progress to Father Ryan High School constituents
Develop measurable objectives that support the strategic priorities; implement objectives; report progress to President
LEADERSHIP TEAM
STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Support President in keeping key stakeholders informed (e.g. faculty/staff, families, alumni, donors, prospective families)
Hold President accountable to specific objectives and ensure the measurable outcomes are achieving desired results
2024–2029 STRATEGIC PLAN
FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
SUMMARY
OUR MISSION
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
These two guiding principles serve as the foundation of future strategic initiatives; these principles support the mission and guide all strategic planning activities.
1. Father Ryan High School will deliver a student experience that leverages forward-looking and traditional learning models to drive whole-student formation.
2. Father Ryan High School will deepen its investment in further embedding the school as a pillar of spiritual, academic, and personal growth in the Nashville community.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Father Ryan’s mission statement serves as the “north star” to the plan, centering everything we do; all elements of the plan should directly support the mission statement.
Father Ryan’s mission is to be an experience of the living Gospel while challenging students to reach their spiritual, academic, and personal potential.
Five critical priorities emerged through primary research data collected from focus groups, surveys, and interviews. These will drive the go-forward strategic objectives for Father Ryan High School.
1. Create the opportunity for each student to achieve his/her fullest potential.
2. Emphasize learning beyond the classroom.
3. Grow and develop faculty and staff who are prepared to support the next generation of learners.
4. Ensure a robust pipeline of prospective students.
5. Enhance financial resources, allowing Father Ryan to improve access to high-quality Catholic education and flourish for generations to come.
