Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries A Strategic Plan for Hackley School 2021-2022
Hackley is an exceptional school. With a strong and distinct school culture, Hackley places great value on character and on relationships formed on the Hilltop.
The faculty is passionate, talented, and dedicated to their students and the school. The campus is beautiful, enrollment strong, and the community is generous in all forms of their support. In light of these strengths and numerous others, why does Hackley need a strategic plan? A Hackley education must constantly evolve to meet and anticipate the demands of a constantly changing world. Simply put, learning—as individuals and as an institution—should know no boundaries.
Lower School students and LS Art Studio teacher Mr. Rick Diaz work on the tree stencil for the Lower School Art Mural.
Hackley has now admitted and enrolled the first classes of the 2030s. While it is hard to imagine dates so distant, one only has to look at these students as they walk our halls each day to know that their time on the Hilltop will come to an end sooner than we realize. To ensure that we are maximizing learning for current students and those who will follow, Hackley must engage in—and in places lead—important conversations about what it means to educate, to be educated, and to be a school. Although teaching and learning have changed immeasurably since Frances Hackley founded the school in 1899, many timeless competencies, areas of knowledge, and experiences are as important today as they were then. Teaching students to communicate clearly, to think deeply, to master difficult subjects and skills, and to work together are—and will remain— hallmarks of a Hackley education, whether taught in the classroom, the studio, or through athletics. We affirm the importance and strength of these programs, while also recognizing and embracing the dynamic context in which today’s students are educated, a context that is markedly different than it was for those who came before them. In a world that is more interconnected, more complex, and evolving more quickly than ever before, students require an education that provides them with tools new and old to thrive, adapt, and make a positive impact in their community and beyond.
When we launched the plan, we defined these goals and strategies… Redefine a Liberal Arts Education `
Orient the Hackley program towards enduring competencies in areas of “character, scholarship, and accomplishment.”
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Create opportunities for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teaching and learning.
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Develop research centers within and across disciplinary boundaries, based on the multi-year model of Hackley’s Independent Research Program.
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Deepen Hackley’s focus on students’ local, national, and international responsibilities.
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Examine and reframe assessment practices to best support desired learning competencies and experiences.
Promote the Hilltop as a Learning Hub `
Elevate forms of creative expression and the creative arts — visual, performing, and digital — to engage Hackley students and link them with the broader creative community.
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Create a series of culminating “Big Experiences” for Hackley students at important transition points.
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Expand present travel experiences to create opportunities for culturally immersive experiences domestic and abroad.
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Develop a school-wide service-learning program and create a sustainable model for Hudson Scholars.
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Utilize the Hackley Forest and surrounding natural ecosystems to their fullest educational capacities and foster environmental stewardship.
Students and faculty come together to prep the Hackley Forest soil for our emerging fruit orchard.
Build for the Future `
Affirm Hackley as a national leader in teaching excellence.
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Strengthen a culture of professional development and promote lifelong learning, creativity, and collaboration.
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Develop networks and relationships beyond Hackley to enrich faculty professional growth and the student learning experience.
Nurture a Culture of Wellness `
Promote individual wellness throughout the Hackley community.
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Reimagine the rhythm and use of time within the school day and academic year to optimize student and faculty learning.
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Sustain the health of Hackley at the institutional level.
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Execute Redefining Excellence with boldness, transparency, and with a focus on the student learning experience.
YEAR 3 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2020-2021
2020-2021 on the Hilltop proved what we already knew…we can accomplish anything, united. Together, we achieved the following in support of our goals: Redefine a Liberal Arts Education Integrated the school competencies into faculty evaluation letters and new course proposals. Established the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies to foster teaching and learning beyond boundaries, elevating the role of interdisciplinary exploration and creating a home for courses such as American Law, Debate, Economics, Food and Power, and Service Leadership for Social Impact. Hosted numerous industry experts—including Founder and CEO of Mirimus Labs, Dr. Premsrirut—in virtual discussions with our Independent Research in Science students. Independent Research in English and History ran for a second year. Engaged students in discussion forums on the topic of the 2020 election. Numerous cross-divisional civic understanding and engagement collaborations involved Government & Politics Upper School students. Professor Julian Hayter from the University of Richmond joined Hackley Upper Schoolers for a virtual assembly on voting rights and access.
Upper School students celebrate the most successful food drive collections in Hackley history.
Promote the Hilltop as a Learning Hub Reopened the Upper School AP Studio Art Show to the community during Spring 2021. Unveiled a student and faculty public art installation—The Lower School Mural—which overlooks the Lower School garden and chronicles the history of Hackley School and the local area. Redesigned the Computer Science Department curriculum using programs such as Code.org to shift from light skills-based training to intensive code programming. Developed a plan for exploring the theme of “citizenship” in fourth and seventh grade curricula, launching during the 2021-2022 school year. Engaged students in “Big Experience” and culturally immersive virtual travel experiences: `
Launched Global Education spring travel opportunities with virtual visits to Ghana, Peru, and Japan in partnership with Envoys (a longtime leader in experiential education).
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Co-sponsored a virtual conference with Envoys, providing leadership opportunities for Hackley students.
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Offered a new Upper School elective in the History department—Global Context: Southern Odyssey.
Created a stronger integrated approach for all service coordinators, with a focus on food insecurity leading to the most successful food drives in school history. Middle and Upper School Spanish teacher Emily Washington completed her first year in the inaugural role of ServiceLearning Coordinator, broadening service-learning through the new Service Leadership for Social Impact course. Offered the Hudson Scholars program in-person with four full cohorts during Summer 2021, serving 50 Scholars and supported by 48 mentors and 10 Hackley faculty. Celebrated the first Hudson Scholars graduation and supported the graduates in planning summer experiences. Partnered with students and alumni—Carlo Esannason ’97 and James Pratt ’97— to identify new uses for our forest and surrounding natural ecosystems, welcomed a honeybee hive into our new apiary, and prepped the soil for an upcoming fruit orchard.
YEAR 3 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2020-2021
Build for the Future M. Cyndy Jean began in her new role as the inaugural Assistant Head of School for Community and Inclusivity on July 1, 2021. Established the Hackley Teaching Fellowship and welcomed our first two fellows to the Hilltop during Summer 2021. Completed the Climate Assessment focused on community and belonging. Awarded the second Philip Havens ’49 Endowed Faculty Professional Development Grant. Faculty participated in Global Online Academy courses focused on online instruction. Lower School teacher Roni Kanter published a book on service-learning in educational settings titled Third Graders Making A Difference. Held exploratory conversations with Pace University and Manhattanville College to connect their graduate schools of education with Hackley’s Lower School Associate Teacher program. Redesigned the model for New Employee Orientation and ongoing employee support. Strengthening our relationship with REACH Prep, we hired a REACH Prep alum as an adjunct teacher, who was subsequently hired as a Lower School Associate Teacher.
James Pratt ’97 of Fly Honey Farms installs the hive into our apiary.
Deep connections to learning and art are formed in Ms. Sarah Coble’s studio.
Nurture a Culture of Wellness Expanded Middle and Upper School health curricula on topics of positive psychology and stress management, sexual health, substance abuse/use, and nutrition. Focused Upper School peer advisory on socio-emotional wellness. Established the Schedule Review Committee, led by Steve Bileca (Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs) and Lisa Oberstein (Director of the Lower School), and began research and analysis during Summer 2021. Enhanced efforts in employee appreciation and wellness initiatives. Received a $30M gift in support of financial aid endowment and the new Center for the Creative Arts and Technology. Formed the Campaign Steering Committee for Hackley’s Beyond Boundaries campaign in support of the Hackley Fund, endowment, and the new Center for the Creative Arts and Technology. Rang the Chapel Bell in June 2021 in celebration of a successful fundraising year. The Hackley Fund, which provides funding for the educational opportunities that impact every student, every day, exceeded its fundraising goal by $206K with 77% parent participation and 18% alumni participation. Increased efforts in communicating in-the-classroom stories and updates on the status of Redefining Excellence with all audiences, including increased use of social media, and enhanced e-newsletters and website announcements.
YEAR 4 GOALS: 2021-2022
We continue to make progress on the vision outlined in Redefining Excellence, looking optimistically toward the future… Redefine a Liberal Arts Education To further orient the Hackley program toward enduring habits of “character, scholarship, and accomplishment,” we will focus conversations on the integration and expansion of the school competencies across departments and divisions. As we create opportunities for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teaching and learning, we will continue to refine interdisciplinary offerings across the school and sponsor arts field trips that connect the visual arts, performing arts, and computer science departments.
To spotlight our expanding emphasis on research centers across disciplines, we will host experts at Hackley to work directly with research students, develop channels in which to share student work, and explore partnerships with local and regional organizations in support of student research. With a deepened focus on students’ local, national, and international responsibilities, we will develop a series in which to continue engaging students in civil discourse about current events, and we will further integrate civil discourse into curricula and support the Service Leadership for Social Impact course.
Promote the Hilltop as a Learning Hub In support of elevating forms of creative expression and the creative arts, we will: `
continue the development of the Upper School/Middle School Art Show iOS app;
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explore new computer science mentorship and residency opportunities, further connecting students with alumni;
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incorporate computer science into the Creative Residency Program;
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and develop a cross-divisional musical, bringing Upper School and Kindergarten students together.
To create a series of culminating ‘Big Experiences’ for students at important transition points, we will further develop and implement fourth and seventh grade Big Experience curricula, and grow the program across divisions in both scope and student participation. Further broadening student travel and culturally immersive experiences, we will explore models to expand the Global Context pilot course.
As we further develop the school-wide service-learning program and create a sustainable model for Hudson Scholars, we will: `
collect systemic feedback from Scholars and faculty, and further enrich the summer program by creating opportunities to support Scholars through the college process;
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refine the role of Teaching Fellows in the Hudson Scholars program;
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increase community service or servicelearning partnerships in Westchester County through the Service Leadership for Social Impact course;
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and establish an institutional structure for all service initiatives in partnership with the Service Committee.
Maximizing the educational capabilities of the Hackley Forest and surrounding natural ecosystems, we will develop K-12 curricula focused on use of the Hackley apiary, train faculty in beekeeping and fruit orchard maintenance, look to expand our deer exclusion zone, support the Outdoor Adventure and Wilderness Skills course, and develop a monitoring program for Beech Leaf Disease to manage its impact on the Hackley Forest.
Build for the Future We continue to affirm Hackley as a national leader in teaching excellence. This year we will develop sustained conversations across divisions regarding teaching and learning, support our Teaching Fellows and grow the fellowship program, and conduct ongoing DEI training (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) for all employees. In pursuit of strengthening our culture of professional development and
collaboration, we will refine the New Employee Orientation, bolster new department chairs and faculty, and utilize ‘employee teams’ to support K-12 DEI learning. We will continue to develop networks and relationships beyond Hackley to enrich faculty professional growth by leveraging professional networks to support a Summer 2022 institute for local and regional teachers.
Nurture a Culture of Wellness Our focus on individual wellness will include the following initiatives this year: `
Host guest speakers specializing in Health—Eighth and tenth grade health students will connect with Hope’s Door; eighth grade students will connect with the JCK Foundation; and Michael Nerney will visit with parents, eleventh grade Peer Advisors, and health/science teachers.
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Administer the High Achieving School Survey in November
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Pilot “Second Step,” a K-8 SEL curriculum in the LS
As we continue to execute Redefining Excellence with boldness and transparency, we will share updates on the growth of our students and our school through our dedicated microsite www.redefiningexcellence.org.
Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries is Hackley’s contribution to the national conversation on the changing nature and future of education. Our plan contains four major strategic priorities:
Redefine a Liberal Arts Education: articulate and broaden the curriculum in terms of competencies and experiences to meet the needs of tomorrow’s learners and citizens. Promote the Hilltop as a Learning Hub: increase learning opportunities for students beyond the boundaries of disciplines, classroom, and campus, and serve as an educational leader and incubator to push the boundaries of existing programs.
Build for the Future: promote lifelong professional learning within Hackley’s faculty and assume a leadership role in cultivating the next generation of independent school educators. Nurture a Culture of Wellness: establish wellness—both at the student and institutional levels—as cornerstones of a healthy learning environment and school community.
www.redefiningexcellence.org
293 Benedict Avenue Tarrytown, NY 10591 914-366-2600 hackleyschool.org