KCD Strategic Plan 2014

CITIZEN, SCHOLAR, TITLE STEWARD

Educating the Leaders of

Tomorrow A plan for the future of

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KENTUCKY COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Committee

Members of the Board

Ex-Officio Members of the Board

Lee Garlove ’86 Chair

Shelly Breier Richard Carucci Cindy Grissom Amar Khadey Kate Latts William Edwin Lewis Todd Lyles Chambers Moore Susan Moss Philip Poindexter Rick Purdy Paul Wedge Lisa Sullivan Zaring ’79

Kimberly Jackson Parent Association Chair

Chambers Moore Vice Chair Barbie Dickens Secretary Roger Shannon Treasurer Brad Lyman Head of School

Betsy Johnson Touma ’89, Parent Association Vice Chair Omar Amin ’98 Alumni Association Chair Tommy Gift ’97 Alumni Association Vice Chair

kentucky country day school • 4100 Springdale Road • Louisville, KY 40241 • www.kcd.org

CITIZEN, SCHOLAR, STEWARD KCD firmly supports the principle that the admission of students, the employment of staff, the operations of the program, and the governance of the school be open to all who are qualified, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

OUR MISSION

Dear KCD Community, As a community of citizens, scholars, and stewards, KCD is committed to a thoughtful, considered approach to meeting the challenges that lie ahead.

As we plan for the future, we remain focused on how best to serve our students—the leaders of tomorrow—as they face a rapidly changing world that offers not only new challenges, but also new possibilities.

Through the strategic planning process, we are able to chart a course for the future of our school. This process helps us identify the big picture goals that will guide us over the coming years and also provides a framework for the myriad decisions we make in the day-to-day operations of the school.

The strategic goals laid out in this document grew out of a series of conversations held with many different members of our community over the last year. As we spoke with faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni, and trustees, we quickly found a consensus emerging. We learned that you value KCD as a school with a strong college preparatory program and a commitment to educating the whole child through academics, athletics, and the arts. As we move into the future, we will continue to build on those strengths in ways that are exciting, embrace innovation, and express our unique mission and identity as citizens, scholars, and stewards.

This is an exciting time at KCD, and we are pleased to share this strategic plan with you. Thank you for your continuing commitment and support.

Kentucky Country Day School challenges its students to achieve their highest level of academic excellence and to grow into honorable men and women of confidence and integrity. We inspire personal growth through a diverse community and participation in arts, athletics, and community service. By doing so, Kentucky Country Day School prepares its students to live successful lives and make meaningful contributions to society.

OUR MOTTO Citizen, Scholar, Steward

Best Regards, Bradley E. Lyman Head of School

Lee K. Garlove Chair, Board of Trustees 1

Educating the Leaders of Tomorrow A plan for the future of Kentucky Country Day School OUR PRIORITIES

OUR PROCESS

KCD’s strategic plan is based on three primary goals, each of which has its own set of strategic objectives:

This document is the result of a yearlong process that started with the results of our ISACS Self-Study and reaccreditation report.

With the goal of engaging as many members of our community as possible, we held a series of formal and informal feedback sessions during the year. These included a workshop for faculty/staff, focus group meetings for parents in all three divisions, and an online survey open to faculty/staff, parents, alumni, trustees, and upper school students.

The process was overseen by KCD administrators and the strategic planning committee of the Board of Trustees.

Goal 1: Make KCD a Leader in 21st Century Teaching and Learning Foster 21st Century Teaching in the Classroom Create Spaces that Support 21st Century Learning

Goal 2: Invest in our People Invest in our Faculty and Staff Invest in our Students

Goal 3: Communicate and Embrace our Unique Identity

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Goal 1: Make KCD a Leader in 21st Century Teaching and Learning

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MAKE KCD A LEADER IN 21st CENTURY TEACHING & LEARNING

FOSTER 21st CENTURY TEACHING IN THE CURRICULUM As scholars, we offer a cohesive JK–12 college preparatory curriculum in which skills and content depend on and support each other. As our students master content, they are also developing 21st century skills such as collaboration, use of technology, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.

Through our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design, and Mathematics) program and other interdisciplinary curricula, project-based learning, and differentiated instruction, students learn to work together, communicate effectively, develop innovative problem-solving skills, and make connections among disciplines. These skills are essential for success in the 21st century college environment.

As citizens, we offer a curriculum that puts learning in the context of our school, our city, our state, our country, and our world. Through curriculum that supports real-world knowledge and applications, a Global Studies program that offers a worldwide perspective, and community partnerships that connect our students with opportunities outside of KCD, students learn to see themselves as citizens of a larger world.

As stewards, we offer a curriculum that teaches service, character development, philanthropy, and sustainability. Through service learning that is integrated with the curriculum, an emphasis on sustainability issues, and our nationally recognized philanthropy curriculum, students learn meaningful ways to care for the environment and for other people in our community and our world.

Strategic Objectives Expand KCD’s STEAM program and other interdisciplinary curricula.

Expand connections to local and global communities to extend service learning, develop curricular connections, and showcase realworld knowledge and problemsolving skills.

Implement online and blended learning opportunities at KCD. Focus curriculum development and faculty professional development on interdisciplinary and project-based learning that emphasizes 21st century skills, critical thinking skills, and the effective use of technology for teaching and learning.

Establish public-private partnerships with a variety of institutions to extend our curriculum and extracurricular programs.

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MAKE KCD A LEADER IN 21st CENTURY TEACHING & LEARNING

CREATE SPACES THAT SUPPORT 21st CENTURY LEARNING Twenty-first century learning spaces should be flexible enough to support a variety of uses. Such spaces should be able to be reconfigured easily to meet the teacher’s learning goals and should support everything from seminar-style instruction to collaborative small group and project work to the traditional lecture format.

Strategic Objectives Renovate the existing JK–8 building to increase classroom size and create flexible learning spaces that support interdisciplinary learning and can be used for a variety of purposes.

Construct a new academic space that highlights 21st century learning and is used for multiple purposes. This space could serve as the home for our STEAM program, the Fab Lab, additional classrooms, student center, and a library/media/learning support center.

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Goal 2: Invest in our People

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INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE

INVEST IN OUR FACULTY AND STAFF As our students grow as citizens, scholars, and stewards, our teachers serve as their guides. Great teachers have always been the heart of the KCD community. They are a group of passionate professionals whose teaching inspires intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. Our faculty’s influence extends far beyond the classroom: they are also advisors, mentors, coaches, and club sponsors. Personal connections build strong relationships between students and teachers—the thing our students value most. In interviews, our students consistently cite the accessibility and dedication of their teachers as the most important contributor to the quality of their experiences at KCD. These comments reveal the power that individual teachers, coaches, advisors, and sponsors have to challenge and support students while also building strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect.

Those relationships often extend past graduation. The faculty provides the strongest point of connection between alumni and the school, and our alumni have demonstrated a sincere willingness to give back to KCD in ways that benefit our faculty.

Because they are the foundation of what we do, KCD must continue to invest in efforts to recruit and retain faculty of the highest caliber.

Strategic Objectives Compete for great teachers locally and nationally by continuing to invest in efforts to recruit and retain faculty of the highest caliber.

Strengthen our position in the market by offering the most competitive compensation package possible.

Invest further in our professional development programs for faculty and staff to ensure that teachers and administrators have the tools necessary to stay current in a rapidly changing field.

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INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE

INVEST IN OUR STUDENTS KCD’s mission calls on us to foster a diverse community of learners, and we recognize that students make meaningful contributions to our community in many different ways. There are many kinds of gifted students on our campus—whether their gifts are in academics, athletics, fine arts, or extracurricular activities, KCD must provide students with the resources they need to be successful and to realize the excellence in each of them. We must remain committed to building a school community that more closely reflects the diversity of our city.

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Strategic Objectives Provide resources to address a differentiated curriculum that meets the needs of all students.

Continue to provide the opportunity for students with demonstrated need and ability to attend KCD. Increase interaction among students across divisions to build school spirit, increase retention, and strengthen identification with the KCD experience.

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Goal 3: Communicate and Embrace our Unique Identity 11

COMMUNICATE & EMBRACE OUR UNIQUE IDENTITY

COMMUNICATE AND EMBRACE OUR UNIQUE IDENTITY The mission of KCD is best encapsulated in the three words of our motto: Citizen, Scholar, Steward. These words demonstrate our commitment to educating the whole child. They represent a school environment that encompasses not only academics, but also athletics and student activities. The words of our motto connect us to innovative ideas in education, to other communities both locally and abroad, and to pressing issues of service and sustainability. These ideas help us tell the story of who we are. By embracing these core values, we embrace what defines us as a community and provide an exceptional framework for the academic and co-curricular programs of the school.

KCD is blessed with a beautiful 85-acre campus. These grounds serve as home to some exceptional athletic facilities, although some require enhancements. We can embrace our reputation as an outstanding school for athletics with athletic facilities that are flexible, allow for team-building, and represent the motto and mission of the school.

Our campus also provides a unique opportunity to explore environmental initiatives. Through environmental education installations or by extending the classroom into the garden, KCD can create a vision of stewardship that is uniquely our own.

Finally, KCD should embrace the close, personal connections that make our community distinctive. The school should seek to foster relationships that allow for all stakeholders to be invested in the life of the school community with an emphasis on increased alumni involvement at KCD after they leave campus.

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Strategic Objectives Make thoughtful and meaningful connections between the curriculum and programs of the school and our motto of ‘Citizen, Scholar, Steward.’

Develop and fund a comprehensive marketing plan that will help us tell our story to those both inside and outside our community.

Strengthen relationships with current parents and alumni to increase sustained engagement in the life of the school.

Expand and refurbish locker rooms and other support facilities for athletics.

Explore opportunities to provide spaces that support programs of the school, including conference rooms and administrative offices.

Emphasize sustainability as a primary focus at KCD.

Scholar

accountability

responsible

inquisitive

sharing

questioning

Citizen awareness

effort

rigor

participation

contribution

generous

challenging excellence learning

respectful

involvement

innovation

Steward

HOW DO WE SEE OURSELVES? Last year, faculty and staff were asked to reflect on the values they associate with the words of KCD’s motto: Citizen, Scholar, Steward. This word cloud was created from their responses. The larger a word appears, the more often it was mentioned.

awareness

knowledge

inclusive

leadership

compassion

responsibility

service

global kindness integrity

loyalty

caring

community

respect

leadership collaboration

thinker

giving

honor

creativity

curiosity

involved

thinking

independent

service

academic diversity character

well-rounded

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