2022-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN + Perseverance + Excellence + Adventure + Kindness
Education at its PEAK!
Dear Rocky Mountain Prep Community, Strategic planning provides Rocky Mountain Prep (RMP) with the opportunity to take a close look at where we are, where we’re going and how we’ll get there. It’s a collaborative process that incorporates insights from members of the RMP community and is one of many meaningful steps we take to create an environment of limitless possibilities for our students. After a period of considerable change, a new strategic plan provides us with the opportunity to assess our progress, be thoughtful about our resource needs and unite around common goals. With the creation of a three-year strategic plan, RMP has the opportunity to continue to build on its strong foundational principles to evolve methods where necessary and reimagine what our students and teachers are capable of doing. And that’s why I am excited to share our latest strategic plan with you now – it is a living document that builds on what we’ve started with this year’s Big Five and clearly spells out what our top priorities will be each year for the next three years. We’ll implement the plan, provide consistent updates on our progress and use it as our north star in guiding important policies, decisions, programs and initiatives across our organization. The process took about 10 months to complete from start to finish. The finished product that follows this note includes inputs, engagement and approvals from members of the RMP community. It’s been an exciting, eventful and important journey—one that included engaging in candid, and sometimes difficult, discussions about what’s working and what’s not working—and facing all of the understandable feelings that come with having to embrace change as a result. Just like our PEAK values guide us in school, our PEAK planning approach guided each part of the plan development process and ensured this process was grounded in feedback from internal and external partners and community members. From families and students to teachers, administrators, our board and donors, we all play an important role in defining and delivering on the promise of preparing students for success. We are truly at our best when we believe that every student can succeed, and we commit to doing everything we can to make this happen. I’m excited to work alongside the dedicated members of our community on this important initiative and extremely grateful for your continued support that makes all of this possible. Con Ganas, CEO, Rocky Mountain Prep
J OUR HISTORY Rocky Mountain Prep (RMP) is an innovative, public charter school network founded in 2011 with the belief that all scholars deserve an excellent education that prepares them for success in life. At RMP, we refuse to be complacent in perpetuating an environment in which demographics determine destiny. In turn, deeply understanding lines of differences is crucial to ensuring that we are building an educational environment that breaks down systems of oppression and ensures our scholars have increased access to high-quality educational options beyond our classrooms and lives of opportunity.
WHO WE ARE: Our Foundation
Since the first school opened in southeast Denver in August 2012, each child enrolled is part of a class of scholars creating and continuing a tradition of excellence in our community. Today, the network has expanded to four locations, three in Denver and one in Aurora, that educate students in prekindergarten through fifth grade with rigorous academic preparation, character development and individualized support. RMP’s values-driven culture, combined with a rigorous curriculum, drives our scholars to success.
m OUR MISSION Every child realizes their full potential through a rigorous and loving elementary education.
The foundation component of our strategic plan involves taking a look at our organization’s history, mission, vision and values to ask: Why do we exist? Who do we aspire to be? What do we
4 OUR VISION
believe? Inputs for this plan component were sourced from existing network information and
We know potential is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We believe all children deserve access to a great public education. Our commitment to equity and academic rigor means that we help every student achieve. Our culture of love and inclusion means that we welcome, support and challenge everyone with kindness and respect.
evaluated by RMP leadership and the strategic planning committee to affirm that the content below aligns with how the organization will operate both now and in the future.
G OUR VALUES A Rocky Mountain Prep education is focused on rigor and love in both academics and personal development. All of our work is guided by our “PEAK” core values: Perseverance, Excellence, Adventure and Kindness.
• Perseverance We work hard in the face of challenges.
• Excellence We try our best on everything we do.
• Adventure We have the confidence to explore, try new ideas and take risks.
• Kindness We treat ourselves and others with love and respect. We believe that clear and consistent values for scholars and staff, and a strong culture rooted in those values, form the foundation of great schools and create a joyous environment where kids want to learn. Our PEAK values define the culture that we cherish, cultivate, and grow at RMP – for scholars and staff alike.
WHERE WE ARE: Our Environment The environment component of our strategic plan involves taking a look at the internal and external forces present in and around the organization to ask: What’s happening inside our organization right now? What’s happening in the landscape outside of our organization right now? What are our greatest challenges? What are our greatest opportunities? Inputs for this plan component were sourced from an extensive series of discussions and interviews with RMP leaders, board members, parents, teachers, staff and community members.
A INTERNAL FORCES:
The RMP community returned to 100% in-person learning after an 18-month pandemic disruption, and it will take some time for students and staff to re-acclimate to this environment after the extended time away. At the same time, RMP welcomed new leadership, with the appointment of Tricia Noyola as the new CEO following the departure of RMP’s Founder/ CEO and introduced the Big Five goals to define successful outcomes for students in the 2021-2022 school year. RMP staff, families, students and board members remain committed to delivering successful outcomes for students; however, the impact of widely acknowledged “pandemic fatigue” coupled with strain attributed to staff attrition, curriculum changes and unclear expectations, has taken an understandable toll on staff morale.
E EXTERNAL FORCES:
Within the Denver landscape, a challenging educational environment and varying perspectives on school accountability heighten the need for organizations like RMP to demonstrate value and forge community partnerships. And with long-term implications for future expansion plans in mind, RMP is at a crossroads in its history – where the actions and outcomes in the next three years can either propel the network forward or expose RMP to increased scrutiny. The lingering effects of the global pandemic, concerns about school safety in the region and the devastation wrought by natural disasters requires RMP to continually reflect and consider the social and emotional development needs of students.
8 OPPORTUNITIES:
Despite the forces at play, the RMP community remains committed to the network’s mission. RMP families are pleased with the nurturing environment in which students are lovingly challenged to achieve and the network has consistently met its enrollment targets each year. RMP also has a unique opportunity to truly define their model, customize their offerings for students to meet community needs and truly show what is possible for student achievement when teachers, leaders and staff believe in the ability of all students and are committed to tapping into their full potential. After a period of change, RMP staff, families, board members and supporters are eager to settle onto a clearly articulated path and approach to student learning. With the creation of a threeyear strategic plan, RMP has the opportunity to continue to build on its strong foundational principles to evolve methods, engage the community and reimagine what our students and teachers are capable of doing.
PRIORITY 5 Network growth & expansion. Growth and expansion remain part of RMP’s mission and vision. We believe that scaling up and growing with quality allows us to more rapidly improve learning experiences for our scholars. With lessons learned from previous experiences and knowledge gained in the current environment, the network is poised to explore, examine and evaluate new school opportunities in the region.
PRIORITY 4 Network enrollment & fiscal support.
WHERE WE ARE GOING: Our Priorities The priorities component of our strategic plan involves building on the positive momentum established by the introduction, engagement and activation around RMP’s current “Big Five” priorities to ask: What do we want to achieve to move RMP closer to fulfilling its mission? Inputs for this plan component were sourced from an extensive series of discussions with RMP leaders and then thoroughly evaluated and refined by the strategic planning committee.
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BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
PRIORITY 1 Student reading proficiency and support for multi-language learners. RMP scholars deserve a broad-based, contentrich curriculum that is typically only reserved for the most elite schools and neighborhoods in this country. RMP schools provide world-class, rigorous instruction for all children, and we pride ourselves on creating a culture of literacy. Reading proficiency is the foundation of primary education upon which all other learning thrives. From phonics to fluency, context and comprehension, research shows that the most important learning happens before a child reaches third grade – and RMP is focused on positioning all scholars for success in all areas by improving reading proficiency network-wide.
PRIORITY 2 Student social & emotional development.
Scalable, sustainable academic Social and emotional and financial models allow RMP development is critical to to provide students, families and students’ ability to effectively staff with a consistently positive self-regulate, communicate experience no matter the school and connect in any learning location. It is important for RMP environment. At RMP, sustained to balance hitting enrollment focus on student social and PRIORITY 3 goals with reaching the emotional development not philanthropic goals that only enriches the lives of Staff proficiency, provide the resources our scholars, but it also diversity and retention. required to fully serve nurtures a loving students and staff community where Supporting teachers is one of the most important network-wide. everyone can reach things RMP can do to deliver successful outcomes their highest for students. By intentionally cultivating a more potential. diverse, highly proficient and persistent staff, RMP can provide teachers with an enriching and rewarding professional experience that challenges them to reimagine what’s possible for the students they serve. And with research showing that BIPOC1 scholars who have BIPOC teachers are more likely to be academically successful, to be held to higher academic expectations, and to see themselves as capable of achievement, attracting, developing and retaining BIPOC teaching staff is an important part of RMP’s plan to support all scholars.
PRIORITIES
PRIORITY 1 Student reading proficiency and support for multi-language learners
PRIORITY 2
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE: Our Goals
Student social & emotional development
PRIORITY 3 Staff proficiency, diversity and retention
The goals component of our strategic plan involves connecting the priorities outlined in the previous section of the plan to a clearly defined definition of success by asking: What concrete, measurable, specific, achievable “targets” are we aiming to accomplish? Input for this plan component was sourced from an extensive series of discussions with RMP leaders and then thoroughly evaluated and refined by the strategic planning committee.
PRIORITY 4 Network enrollment & fiscal support
PRIORITY 5 2
CMAS: Colorado Measures of Academic Success
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MLL: Multi-language learners
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SEL: Social and emotional learning
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Second Step: Distinct SEL (social-emotional learning) program by grade
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Community Circle: Social and emotional group-sharing structure used in grades 1-5
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Staff members who hit the Big Five goals and their individual goals, along with how effective teaching is defined in the RMP core rubric
Network growth & expansion
2022-2023 GOALS
2023-2024 GOALS
2024-2025 GOALS
A. 45% overall proficiency on CMAS² in grades 3-5 B. 1.5 years growth for students in grades K-2 and 1 year growth for Pre-K students C. 10% improvement on MLL³ CMAS in grades 3-5 and 1.5 years growth for students in grades K-2
A. 50% overall proficiency on CMAS in grades 3-5 B. 1.25 years growth for students in grades K-2 and 1 year growth for Pre-K students C. 10% improvement on MLL CMAS in grades 3-5 and 1.25 years growth for students in grades K-2
A. 50% overall proficiency on CMAS in grades 3-5 B. 1.25 years growth for students in grades K-2 and 1 year growth for Pre-K students C. 10% improvement on MLL CMAS in grades 3-5 and 1.25 years growth for students in grades K-2
A. Every student in Pre-K- A. Launch a peer mediation program 5th grade receives daily in upper elementary SEL4 instruction5 6 grades across network B. Every parent/family can speak with children and B. Every campus will establish a student families about RMP’s vision for culture, can council/government define the PEAK values to provide additional leadership opportunity and understands the to students SEL vision/ curriculum, as measured in the results of a family survey
A. Launch before and after school enrichment opportunities for students
A. Increase BIPOC teaching staff by 20% B. 90% retention of effective7 staff C. 60% of staff hit all three performance goals annually D. 75% of leadership roles staffed internally
A. Increase BIPOC teaching staff by 25% B. 90% retention of effective staff C. 65% of staff hit all three goals annually D. 75% of leadership roles staffed internally
A. Increase BIPOC teaching staff by 30% B. 90% retention of effective staff C. 70% of staff hit all three goals annually D. 75% of leadership roles staffed internally
A. 100% of campuses hit enrollment goals B. Reach philanthropic goal of $1.5 million raised C. 60% of families rank RMP first choice in the lottery
A. 100% of campuses hit enrollment goals B. Reach philanthropic goal of $1.75 million raised C. 70% of families rank RMP first choice in the lottery
A. 100% of campuses hit enrollment goals B. Reach philanthropic goal of $1.75 million raised C. 75% of families rank RMP first choice in the lottery
A. Identify the next region for growth
A. Complete the growth development process
A. Open a new RMP school
PRIORITY #1 - STUDENT READING PROFICIENCY AND SUPPORT FOR MULTI-LANGUAGE LEARNERS
2022-2023 STRATEGIES
HOW WE GET THERE: Our Strategies
A. Develop an aligned schedule across schools that designates time for students to select books, read books, and perform book quizzes through the accelerated reader program B. In Pre-K-5, effectively and visibly track student academic progress and performance to inform instruction adjustments and interventions, available to both staff and students
The strategies component of our strategic plan involves connecting the priorities and goals outlined in previous sections of the plan to clearly defined actions by asking: What is our general approach to achieving our priorities? What specific tools will we use? Input for this plan component was sourced from an extensive series of discussions with RMP leaders and then
C. Implement sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP8) for students in grades Pre-K-5, ensuring 100% of classrooms have the basic physical elements and SIOP accommodations in place for MLL students
thoroughly evaluated and refined by the strategic planning committee.
2023-2024 STRATEGIES A. Establish a library system across all schools for cataloging and checking in and out books B. Implement professional development related to setting and assessing goals and helping students and families connect short-term daily academic progress to their long-term vision for their lives C. Allocate dedicated time and share resources for assessing and analyzing MLL student data to determine how we can meet the needs of all MLL students
D. Select an external partner to lead DEI9/ anti-bias training and professional development that helps educators raise their expectations of MLL students 8 9
2024-2025 STRATEGIES A. Hire a dedicated literary specialist for each school who focuses on driving reading goals, building incentives, celebrating reading performance and building excitement for reading among students B. Establish a culture of excitement around teachers and kids achieving academic goals through a regular cadence of school events focused on student, staff and family goal accomplishment celebrations C. Establish a welcoming and inclusive culture for MLL students and families, ensuring students and families see their culture reflected in classroom instruction, school events and experiences
SIOP, Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, model is a research-based method of instruction targeted toward meeting the academic needs of English language learners (ELLs) DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
PRIORITY 2: STUDENT SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2022-2023 STRATEGIES
2023-2024 STRATEGIES
2024-2025 STRATEGIES
A. Using family and student A. Develop a schedule aligned across A. Begin the implementation and feedback, each campus will set training of a selected peer schools that designates time for a participation goal for SEL mediation program in grades 4 students to engage in SEL each day and 5 opportunities B. Ensure the new family onboarding focuses on components of the SEL A. Explore fundraising and programming opportunities for vision and values students to engage in expressing C. Ensure every campus has a social themselves and taking on worker who is holding monthly leadership roles; including parent/family support groups before/after school clubs, writing focused on supporting children at workshops, performances and home with their social-emotional cultural/art exhibitions development A. Identify and train faculty members D. Establish a steering committee to sponsor student councils and (with parents/families, students, implement program elements, and staff) to identify peer including elections, keystone mediation programming for the projects and ongoing training following year E. Assess and research national best practices and effective measures of social & emotional development, post-pandemic, that we can implement at RMP
HOW WE GET THERE: Our Strategies PRIORITY 3: STAFF PROFICIENCY, DIVERSITY AND RETENTION
2022-2023 STRATEGIES
2023-2024 STRATEGIES
2024-2025 STRATEGIES
A. Roll out a new Teaching Residency A. Increase the number of educators A. Increase the number of educators program focused exclusively in the Teacher Residency program in the Teacher Residency program on recruiting, supporting and through the university pipeline through targeted recruitment of retaining BIPOC educators recruiting targeted at traditionally career-changers Hispanic-serving institutions and B. Continue and expand performance B. Increase the total amount of HBCUs results-based pay systems for performance pay in the overall teachers and staff B. Increase the % of staff receiving performance award pool performance pay by regularly C. Implement TeachBoost10 across analyzing TeachBoost feedback to C. Support all staff in using TeachBoost to track their progress the organization to ensure all staff ensure that all staff members are towards goals and identify the get high-quality feedback successfully implementing next highest leverage strategies to steps and growing more effective D. Create a leadership pathways improve their practice each week program so staff know how to get to their next role and/or grow and develop in their current role
E. Ensure new hire onboarding and manager training supports the vision of a successful educator and how to support them through the year
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C. Launch human capital training to ensure our front line managers are strong talent managers, particularly across lines of difference (to include equity and anti-bias training)
D. Use leadership pathways program graduates to staff leadership positions
D. Launch a leadership pathways program for aspiring assistant principals, teacher leaders and directors of operations
TeachBoost: Educational software that enables us to input teacher observations and feedback along with our staff development cycle
PRIORITY 4: NETWORK ENROLLMENT AND FISCAL SUPPORT
2022-2023 STRATEGIES
2023-2024 STRATEGIES
2024-2025 STRATEGIES
A. Assess programming and host A. Roll out new programming, with focus groups to gather learnings specific emphasis on Berkeley and from the implementation of Southwest, that is responsive to what new programming, with specific we heard in community focus groups emphasis on Berkeley and B. Attract either one new missionSouthwest aligned national donor through sharing RMP’s value propoposition B. Assess success of the capital Attract one new mission-aligned or get a current donor to upgrade campaign and show the impact national donor through sharing of donors through establishing their investment RMP’s value proposition an annual donor event to attract C. Continue to implement the Launch an “I Love RMP!” national donors “I Love RMP!” campaign to campaign for prospective and C. Assess the implementation of prospective and current families current families to ensure they are the market research campaign, highlighting the new shifts and invested in why RMP is the best making shifts and adjustments adjustments at Berkeley and choice for their children to recruitment outreach and Southwest that are responsive to Launch a market research engagement community needs campaign to assess recruitment D. Implement the learnings from outreach and messages for the market research campaign to current and new schools inform recruitment outreach and Reorient the recruitment life cycle messages for current and new for prospective families at RMP schools
A. Use community focus groups at all schools, with specific emphasis on Berkeley and Southwest, to identify biggest desires/needs of families that are driving enrollment B.
C.
D.
E.
E. Launch a capital campaign
PRIORITY 5: NETWORK GROWTH & EXPANSION
2022-2023 STRATEGIES
2023-2024 STRATEGIES
2024-2025 STRATEGIES
A. Explore at least one merger and/ or acquisition in the Denver metro area
A. Fully develop an implementation plan to provide more high-quality options to our families
A. Run an expanded offering of schools and programs in the Denver area
B. Find a donor/champion to help explore growth options
B. Apply for charters based on growth plan options
B. Ensure the new school has the staffing and enrollment to open successfully
C. Launch community engagement opportunities and listening tours
Where We Go From Here
The RMP strategic plan was developed through the collective efforts, insights, and feedback of leadership, staff, families, and community members. We extend heartfelt appreciation to:
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
Our strategic planning process has been an exciting, eventful and important journey. We’ve
Vachon Brackett, Senior Director of Data Analytics, Network Support Team
engaged in candid discussions, unflinching assessments of our progress to-date and faced the
Kayla Bylund, Principal-in-Residence, RMP Berkeley
understandable feelings that come with having to embrace change as a result. The next phase
Denise Cutkelvin-Heern, Parent, RMP Creekside
of our journey begins now – with the implementation of this plan network-wide. School leaders
Laura Harney, Senior Director of Family Engagement and Advocacy, Network Support Team
will follow the guidance outlined in this plan to bring it to life in their respective schools. RMP
Vanessa Ibarra, Manager of Operations and Family Liaison, RMP Southwest
leadership is committed to continuing to provide updates on our progress as we continue to
Alicia Lorio, Manager of Family Advocacy, Network Support Team
make our vision for what’s possible for all RMP scholars a reality.
Marlon Marshall, Board of Directors Jennifer Pacheco, Parent, RMP Fletcher Denise Peña, Kindergarten teacher, RMP Fletcher Dain Schiele, Parent, RMP Creekside Lizzie Schoon, Parent, RMP Fletcher Bridget Tiebout, Principal, RMP Southwest Jamison Williams, Pre-K Teacher, RMP Berkeley
LEADERSHIP Tricia Noyola Indrina Kanth Christy Sadri Cara Eng Hannah Marck
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charlotte Brantley Jessica Thwaites Pat Donovan Jill Hamilton Anschutz Therese Zosel Harper Russell Hedman Lee White Marlon Marshall Jemal Takele
RMP STRATEGIC PLAN Frequently Asked Questions x HOW WAS THE STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPED?
x DO WE NEED TO EXAMINE REASONS WHY PEOPLE AREN’T COMING TO TEACH AND SOLVE
The strategic plan was created in real-time by Tricia and her leadership team. Proposed components
THOSE PROBLEMS, TOO?
were developed and then shared with the strategic planning committee for review. Committee
Absolutely. There’s quite a bit of national data and conversation around this. While not all of these are within
feedback and suggested edits were reviewed by Tricia and she ultimately decided how best to
RMP’s purview to solve, we know there’s a lot we can do.
incorporate committee inputs.
x NOW THAT WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WILL THE
x HOW DO WE MAKE THE VALUE PROP FOR ATTENDING RMP MORE COMPELLING? We know from our current families that there is a great value proposition for attending RMP and why they are
BIG FIVE GO AWAY?
choosing us. Our current efforts to retool our marketing, messaging and ensure 100% of our families are on
No. The Big Five are not going away. Our new strategic plan helps to ensure that we have the
boarded well is going to be important for us getting better at communicating that value proposition broadly.
strategies needed to successfully deliver on the Big Five.
x WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE ACADEMIC PRIORITY?
x WHAT DO WE MEAN BY EXPANSION – ARE WE JUST FOCUSED ON OPENING NEW SCHOOLS, OR ARE WE HAVING ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SCHOOLS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY ACQUIRE?
Literacy is the foundation of elementary school education. We’ve focused on literacy as an area
We are proactively looking for only one school opening given the landscape; however, we want to remain open
of growth for many years – and we still have more progress to make. Our strategic plan priorities
to opportunities like the ones that brought us Fletcher and Berkeley. That said, we are in active conversations
define areas where we need to place additional emphasis; however, this does not mean that we will
with partners about many opportunities, but none for the 2022-2023 school year.
not continue to ensure students are achieving in other subjects like math and science. We believe that if students can read and comprehend well, then they are better able to excel across the board.
x WHAT IS OUR OVERALL APPROACH TO SEL AND HOW DO THE SEL GOALS ALIGN
x IF WE FOCUS ON GROWTH AND EXPANSION, DOESN’T THAT MEAN WE’LL HAVE FEWER RESOURCES AT OUR CURRENT SCHOOLS? Focusing on growth and expansion doesn’t mean we’ll have fewer resources at our current schools. In fact, we
WITH THIS APPROACH?
are concerned about the inherent challenges with remaining a small network. Specifically, we would likely have
We all agree SEL is critical to students’ ability to succeed academically, and that we should make
to pare down our programming and offerings, reduce compensation, and make other cuts to sustain a four-
this an area of focus at RMP. We’re focused on implementing a broad SEL vision that encompasses
school organization.
Pre-K through fifth grade and aligns with CASEL. The challenge with tackling SEL is that, in many ways, success is felt and experienced as opposed to observed and measured. We will have to work
x HOW ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN?
closely together to translate how we want our students to feel and what we want them to experience
Our plan priorities apply to all students, so even if you don’t see a particular subset referenced, that doesn’t
into specific actions we will take to make this happen.
mean that they won’t be positively impacted by what we’re doing.
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