Head-Royce Strategic Plan 2017

HEAD-ROYCE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN MISSION-ALIGNED & STUDENT-CENTERED

OUR MISSION The mission of Head-Royce School is to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and pursuit of academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for the diversity that makes our society strong, and to encourage active and responsible global citizenship.

OUR STRATEGIC GOALS:

TEACHING + LEARNING

EQUITY + INCLUSION

OUR STRATEGIC GOALS Our goals are designed to be mission-aligned and student-centered. Each goal has several key initiatives, internal action steps for implementation, and metrics to assess progress. They are purposely integrated and aligned ensuring we have a focused and balanced five-year action plan. The community will continue to be involved in the process with regular updates and touch points incorporated into the plan to provide feedback.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

BALANCE + WELL-BEING

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

BACKGROUND Our 875 students are guided by the Head-Royce mission of scholarship, diversity, and citizenship, which serves as a grounding force both inside and outside of the classroom. Each day, our students exercise their passion for learning in an environment that both challenges and supports them. They are compassionate and curious community members who appreciate their place in a diverse world.

The School ’s Board of Trustees, teachers, and administrators are committed to the exceptional educational experience that Head-Royce offers, ensuring that our students are well prepared to lead purpose-driven and healthy lives. Many times throughout our 130-year history, we have taken time to pause, reflect, and plan for the future. Strategic planning helps us articulate our vision and provides a roadmap for completion.

Over the next five years, our new plan will guide our decisions around how we can best support student learning, faculty development, equity and inclusion, program innovation, and community health and wellness. Importantly, the School’s future Master Building Plan for our expanded campus will be intentionally informed by this Strategic Plan. Our priority is to determine what our students and our Professional Community need for future growth and success. Looking ahead, we will design buildings and spaces to support the ideal learning environment.

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OUR PROCESS Our Strategic Planning Committee included trustees, parents, faculty members, administrators, and alumni. We gathered input from our community at formal “Think Tanks” where more than 80 participants engaged in active conversations about our School, our students, and the future of Head-Royce. At these discussions, groups considered the following questions:

• What are the hallmarks of a Head-Royce education?

• W hat are the qualities and characteristics that make a Head-Royce graduate stand out in the crowd?

• W hat are the relevant mindsets, skills, and knowledge Head-Royce

should develop in students today for their future success?

• What might Head-Royce look like in ten years?

The human-centered, design-thinking process required our team to conduct research and make observations, create possible solutions and ideas through extensive brainstorming and ideation, and uncover the leading ideas through prototyping and testing. Committee members, grouped by focus area, immersed themselves in their topic of study by looking both inward at Head-Royce and outward to other schools, businesses, and community programs to ignite creative thinking and problem solving.

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TEACHING + LEARNING

Enhance and amplify a student­-centered academic program with opportunities for choice, real­-world problem solving, creativity, and intellectual engagement.​ Our exceptional academic program successfully prepares students for intellectual engagement, lifelong learning, college, and real-world application. Educational research shows us that future success for students is tied to the mastery of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. Additionally, we need students to be equally adept at both seeking knowledge and applying that knowledge within a real-world context. Building strong character and a deep understanding of the student’s own learning and cognitive abilities is also essential. These relevant competencies will complement our excellent academic program, and launch engaged students who will thrive in the world beyond Head-Royce. Our imperative: we need to adapt our current approaches to teaching and learning so our students are instilled with

INITIATIVES 1

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A lign Head-Royce’s K-12 curriculum and program to the NAIS 21st Century Competencies, which include critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and cultural competency.

the knowledge, skills, and mindset required for success in the 21st century.

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C ultivate K-12 programs and courses that expand options for choice, real­-world problem solving, and experiential learning.

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e-examine our K-12 assessment R philosophy and methods in order to investigate forward-thinking measurements of academic and social competencies.

Knowledge

ELEMENTS OF A 21 ST CENTURY EDUCATION

“WHAT WE KNOW” Interdisciplinary Traditional (i.e., Mathematics) Modern (i.e. Entrepreneurship) Themes (i.e., Global Literacy)

CHArACTER

SKILLS “ HOW WE USE WHAT WE KNOW ”

“HOW WE BEHAVE AND ENGAGE IN THE WORLD” Mindfulness

Creativity

Curiosity

Critical Thinking

Courage

Communication

Resilience

Collaboration

Ethics Leadership

META-LEARNING “HOW WE REFLECT AND ADAPT” Copyright: 2013 Center for Curriculum Redesign.

All rights reserved.

Growth Mindset Metacognition (reflection) 10

Promote equity by increasing institutional access, sustaining diversity, and actively advancing a community of inclusion.

Diversity is one of the three core tenets of our mission and is essential to our identity as part of the larger Oakland and Bay Area community. We believe in the power of an intentionally diverse community where all are not only welcomed, but also belong. While this commitment is an area of strength, we have more work to

EQUITY + INCLUSION

do to define what it means to be a community that promotes equity, inclusion, and a range of ideas and perspectives. By exploring equity and inclusion deeply in our Strategic Plan, we will examine and adjust our systems, practices, and messaging.

In an ever-changing world, we celebrate that Head-Royce is a place where we are stronger and more connected because of our diversity, and where students will flourish in the larger world with tools to offer others because of their experience here. Our work in this area is critical for our students’ and our community’s future.

INITIATIVES 1

A nalyze and improve our administrative practices, policies, and programs to ensure equity and inclusion.

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E nhance our K-12 curriculum and co-curricular programs to strengthen our commitment to equity and inclusion.

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P romote our core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion through effective storytelling and communication within and beyond the Head-Royce community.

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Drive deeper civic engagement and build authentic partnerships within Oakland and the local Bay Area.

Head-Royce has a long history of civic purpose through community

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

partnerships such as our Heads Up program, and a well-developed global citizenship program that includes curricular connections, service learning, and travel study. Students thrive when they have a greater understanding and perspective of the world around them, and have authentic experiences in their communities. Deeper engagement with our local community requires us to align our outreach programs, formalize the goals and objectives of each, and establish systems of support ensuring our partnerships have longevity and lasting impact. By committing to a renewed civic purpose, we seek to become a model for positive community partnerships in our local community and beyond.

INITIATIVES 1

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Focus the Center for Community Engagement on citizenship, public engagement, and real-world problem-solving.

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Embrace the Heads Up program, ensuring financial sustainability, strategic alignment, and deep infusion within the Head-Royce community and the city of Oakland.

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ontinue to build systems, C educational practices, and civic partnerships that support, promote, and cross-pollinate our Green Mission.

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Commit to and sustain a culture of balance and well-being.

As a School, we are committed to developing children who are intellectually

BALANCE + WELL-BEING

engaged, socially connected, and healthy. While we cannot ignore the challenges of modern life, including the increasing demands on time, the role of technology, and the pressures to perform in an achievementoriented world, we must prioritize our community’s health and well-being.

We have learned from our current partnership with Challenge Success, and through research and best practices, that students need to develop self-awareness and healthy decision-making skills. Collectively, we need to align our community towards the importance of both a challenging and purposeful curriculum while providing opportunities for pause, reflection, balance, and well-being for students, parents, and the Professional Community.

INITIATIVES 1

A djust and leverage the School schedule to support balance and well-being while maintaining academic rigor.

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Elevate balance and well-being as critical elements of our climate and culture through community-wide education and support from faculty, professional staff, administration, and the Board of Trustees.

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nsure that current and future E physical spaces optimize opportunities for well-being, health, and learning.

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Better serve all of our families by building upon our disciplined approach to financial management.

A solid financial base and responsible planning for the future is essential for Head-Royce to continue our exceptional student-centered programs and accomplish our long-term goals on our current campus and with future development. One of the primary duties of the Board of Trustees and administration is to serve as careful financial stewards of all of the School’s resources by reviewing how we manage our resources including

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

tuition dollars, our strong and highly valued financial assistance program, and ancillary costs. With major initiatives ahead, including the Master Building Plan, we will need to be intentional and rigorous with all of our financial assets, processes, and fundraising strategies.

INITIATIVES 1

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A dvance a culture of stewardship that effectively utilizes, conserves, and sustains our resources.

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C hange how we view and communicate tuition assistance to identify ways to make the School more approachable for all of our families.

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valuate and implement E fundraising strategies that promote long-term stability and uncover new opportunities.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

DESIGN

WRITING & EDITING

For future updates

Chen Design Associates

Keisha Courtney

and video links, visit:

Ena Do

headroyce.org/bridge2022

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stephanie Brandt Sam Deaner

Q Communications Mantra Robinson

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Visit headroyce.org/bridge2022 for more information.