NPES Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC PLAN

2023-2027

ELEVATE OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

EMPOWER OUR EDUCATORS

CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY

AMPLIFY OUR VISION

ADVANCE OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH

We will foster a rigorous and supportive learning experience inspired by an inquiry-based approach.

We will recruit, develop, and retain a talented and diverse faculty and staff who are supported and valued.

We will foster a welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and joyful community for all students, families, and employees.

We will celebrate and communicate the NPES identity clearly and effectively, creating a compelling brand as an exemplary learning community.

We will responsibly manage and expand our resources to strengthen the school’s effectiveness today and position NPES to thrive in the future.

SMALL SCHOOL, BIG IMPACT

During the 2022-23 school year, NPES engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process facilitated by noted consultant Brooke Carroll. Over many months and guided by the work of a committee representative of all stakeholders, more than 200 parents/caregivers, faculty/staff, alumni/alumni parents, board members, and students contributed through focus groups and surveys to this plan On May 11, 2023 our Board of Directors approved the plan. While this publication documents our priorities, outcomes, and goals for the next four years, action and implementation plans are also underway to guide school leaders internally as NPES operationalizes the plan, benchmarks, measurable goals, pathways for community engagement, and regular evaluation processes

Ours is a small school with a big impact. We entered strategic planning from a position of strength with record enrollment and charitable giving, and a completely renovated, beautiful new building Our welcoming, authentic, and joyful community; our engaging and collaborative inquiry-based pedagogy; our talented faculty's dedication to challenging and supporting every child; our earnest work in multiculturalism and teaching skills for equity and inclusion; and NPES’s commitment to the social-emotional wellbeing of all are more relevant to children today than ever We look forward to the exciting work ahead to continue to strengthen and enrich our school for the benefit of every student, now and for many years to come

ELEVATE OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

The NPES curriculum and pedagogy are fully aligned with the school’s mission and values

Articulate NPES’ pedagogy and its alignment with our vision, mission, and values, and how it holistically meets the needs of our learners

Expand the use of inquiry teaching and learning across the curriculum

Consistently communicate the expectations, pedagogy, and curriculum to faculty, staff, and parents

Signature programming is welldefined and a key differentiator

Build and implement signature programming that aligns with our Portrait of a Graduate and strengthens student preparation for success in high school and beyond

Broaden co-curricular offerings to ensure mission-alignment and relevance

Create awareness of and enthusiasm for NPES’ signature programming across all gradelevels

All learners are engaged, challenged, and supported

Ensure that curriculum and instruction are aligned with our vision, mission, and values through an ongoing review process

Ensure that our curriculum and pedagogy meet the academic and social-emotional needs of individual students

Strengthen and coordinate our support for students with learning challenges

Regularly evaluate how NPES responds to individual student academic, social-emotional, and well-being needs

The student extracurricular experience is robust and missionaligned

Strengthen extracurricular programming aligned to our mission and to achieve high levels of student participation

We will foster a rigorous and supportive learning experience inspired by an inquiry-based approach.

and supportive learning experience inspired by an inquiry-based approach.

ELEVATE OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

We will foster a rigorous and supportive learning experience inspired by an inquiry-based approach.

We foster a rigorous and supportive learning experience inspired by an inquiry-based approach.

EMPOWER OUR EDUCATORS

Our workplace environment and organizational infrastructure empower our faculty and staff to achieve their full potential

Refine the NPES staffing model to best support the current and future needs of the school

Create programming to intentionally support employee wellness and sense of belonging

Evaluate, refine, and communicate our compensation and benefits philosophy and develop a transparent plan for NPES faculty and staff

Refine and implement a clear and supportive employee evaluation process with ongoing supports to ensure performance excellence

The professional development opportunities for faculty and staff are meaningful and aligned

Create a responsive professional development and career growth plan that aligns with Characteristics of Professional Excellence for faculty and staff

Ensure that faculty and staff growth plans and goals are aligned with the NPES vision, mission, and values

Ensure that faculty and staff are prepared to support students with varying learning strengths and challenges

Provide ongoing mentoring and leadership opportunities for faculty and staff

Our faculty and staff are diverse and culturally literate

Continuously improve upon a faculty and staff recruitment process that reflects best practices and reaches the widest possible pool of exceptional mission-aligned educators

Identify and nurture new referral sources across Chicagoland to connect NPES with prospective faculty and staff from groups currently underrepresented

Foster a climate that is supportive and inclusive of BIPOC and all employees

Integrate cultural literacy into professional development for all employees

We will recruit, develop, and retain a talented and diverse faculty and staff who are supported and valued.

EMPOWER OUR EDUCATORS

We will recruit, develop, and retain a talented and diverse faculty and staff who are supported and valued.

CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY

Families have meaningful and inclusive opportunities to connect with the school and one another

Include the NPES Association as critical and involved members of our learning community

Embrace, include, and celebrate the diversity represented in the school and in our communities

Engage parents/caregivers more fully in volunteer opportunities

across our educational programs

We connect with communities beyond our school

Expand community partnerships for learning and service

Invite members of the wider community to regularly join in school activities

Our strong, diverse Board of Directors is dedicated to stewarding and governing the school

Develop consistent and reliable channels for the board to communicate its objectives and priorities

Build committee charters and membership to reflect the school’s priorities

Advance diversity and inclusion through board training and development

Strengthen regular board engagement with the school community

The alumni network is strong and engaged

Create an NPES alumni association

Engage with alumni through regular school updates and communications

Provide opportunities for alumni to engage with and support the school

NORTH PARK ELEMENTARY

We will foster a welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and joyful community for all students, families, and employees.

CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY

We will foster a welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and joyful community for all students, families, and employees.

AMPLIFY OUR VISION

The core components of our school’s mission and values reflect the key differentiators for NPES

Develop a position statement on how NPES is differentiated from other schools that is clear and concise

Integrate the differentiators into the internal and external marketing plans

Review and refine the existing written articulation of our school’s mission and values

Ensure that all communications to both current and prospective families are consistently aligned with NPES’s unique vision, mission, and values

Activate the board, administration, and faculty to creatively articulate the NPES vision in a variety of contexts and forums

Branding and marketing advance the school’s reputation and public profile

Refine our Portrait of a Graduate statement so that it is connected to our vision and resonates with stakeholders

Feature NPES’ academic approach and differentiators by sharing the Characteristics of Professional Excellence and other defining statements with current and prospective families

Develop and implement marketing strategies and outreach activities that focus on energizing our current community while motivating new families to enroll

NORTH PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

We will celebrate and communicate the NPES identity clearly and effectively, creating a compelling brand as an exemplary learning community.

AMPLIFY OUR VISION

We will celebrate and communicate the NPES identity clearly and effectively, creating a compelling brand as an exemplary learning community.

ADVANCE OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH

Our financial aid program broadens accessibility to NPES

Articulate a clear rationale for need-based financial aid and how it furthers our vision, mission, and values

Build the operational components of a financial aid program

Growth and capital investments build our reserves

Set and achieve targeted reserve goals

Develop investment and spend policies for our school’s reserves Our revenue streams include robust tuition and non-tuition sources

Create more summer, after school, and holiday/recess programming

Develop flexible methods to maximize the enrollment of qualified students each year

We will responsibly manage and expand our resources to strengthen the school’s effectiveness today and position NPES to thrive in the future.

Our culture of philanthropy and fundraising meet and advance priorities

Establish a successful major gifts program

Grow annual giving through unrestricted gifts to the NPES Fund

Research, plan, and execute NPES’ future capital campaigns to fund key outcomes of this strategic plan

Develop events that bring joy and connection to the community and generate significant revenue to support the school’s mission

ADVANCE OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH

We will responsibly manage and expand our resources to strengthen the school’s effectiveness today and position NPES to thrive in the future.