2013 Strategic Plan

St. Mark’s Episcopal School St r at e g ic Pl a n | 2 0 1 3

“This is a time like none other before in the life of St. Mark’s; the School and Church enjoy a strong partnership and both entities of this parish are demonstrating historic growth.”

Garhett J. Wagers

Headmaster

A Letter From Our Headmaster Dear St. Mark’s Community,

Garhett J. Wagers

It is with great pride that I present to you St. Mark’s Episcopal School’s 2013 Strategic Plan. The ideas and vision herein represent the collective work of many people. I offer thanks to the voices who participated in our survey and who provided anecdotes throughout the past year. I am extremely grateful to the dedicated collection of task force members who gave so much of their time and talent during our planning meetings, and for the added commitment of the steering committee for seeing this work to the finish line.

This strategic plan was drafted with the intention of providing a long-term framework and guidance related to the growth of St. Mark’s Episcopal School. A healthy enrollment is a prerequisite for the plans outlined in this document.

Enrollment is the school’s most important metric for sustainability and encompasses both admission of new families and retention of current families. Throughout the process of enrollment management, maintaining the community culture that the school currently enjoys should be a priority.

As an outreach ministry of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the school is, and must always be, mindful of its relationship with the church and the diocese when planning for the future. St. Mark’s Episcopal School is a part of a broader tradition of Episcopal education. With that, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, under the leadership of its Rector, is responsible for the parish on this Diocesan property. The Vestry recognizes and supports the governance and responsibility of the Board of Trustees, and these two entities work in cooperation to guide and lead life on our campus, and in our community.

This is a time like none other before in the life of St. Mark’s; the School and Church enjoy a strong partnership and both entities of this parish are demonstrating historic growth. This work, crafted with a balanced representation of our entire community, offers the focused vision needed to lead us forward into the next phase of our organization.

Thank you for your continued support,

Garhett J. Wagers Headmaster

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Financial Sustainability and Development St. Mark’s depends on careful management and oversight of its financial resources. The school’s revenue is driven by enrollment. Funds are generated primarily through tuition income and to a lesser extent, non-tuition income and philanthropy. We are committed to finding the appropriate balance within these areas to ensure that we remain a competitive and affordable option for Houston families. The underlying foundation of a successful strategic plan is the ability to support the ongoing mission of the school and ensure planning for new initiatives through funding.

Recommendations: • Transition management of the school’s financial forecast model to the Business Office and utilize this forecast as a tool to evaluate and prepare for future years.

• Continue to evaluate end of year cash flows against opportunities for future development of the school and to maintain access to growth capital.

• Increase transparency in reporting of • Develop a comprehensive development income and assets in an effort to be good plan to increase new constituents, to stewards of the school. increase alumni relations efforts, concentrate efforts of foundations and • Establish consistent and competitive tuition, fees, and giving expectations to grants, and continue to grow the annual fund. meet our goals.

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Advancement and Communication The Development and Admission offices embrace the Advancement model and collaborate on school-wide communication efforts. At the core of our community engaged is the value placed on the relationships between and among community members. The level of personal service we provide for our families is a hallmark of the St. Mark’s experience and drives all other efforts in advancement and communication.

Recommendations: • Attract, admit, and retain highly qualified and competitive students.

• Create a Communication Office with a dedicated staff member to oversee all internal and external communication.

• Evaluate the current student information system, parent portal, and school website; • Expand on the ecumenical and diverse work to ensure a staff-wide commitment ministry of the Episcopal Church and to the ongoing use of technology-based the benefits of an Episcopal education. tools for parent communication.

• Increase visibility for the school through our physical campus and reputation in the community, including campus signage.

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Program At the heart of a great school is its educational program. The overarching goal as it applies to this area is to prepare students through an outstanding core curriculum that promotes the joy of learning and cultivates character, intellect, and spirit. In preparing students to be critical thinkers, we are equipping them with the skills needed to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

Recommendations: • Review, refine, maintain, and continually evaluate a challenging curriculum through use of a curriculum mapping program.

• Evaluate the need for and feasibility of additional foreign language offerings.

• Annually assess elective options to allow students to explore their interests and identify and pursue their authentic passions.

• Increase opportunities for student interaction between grade levels and divisions, enriching the experience of a St. Mark’s education.

• Redevelop the Middle School advisory program with an emphasis on moral and spiritual character.

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Faculty and Staff The faculty and staff at St. Mark’s Episcopal School are our greatest asset. A primary factor that drives student retention and enrollment is a dynamic teaching staff. In addition, ongoing learning and improvement are essential to excellence in any profession. This is particularly true in education, a field devoted to learning itself. We are committed to creating an environment that rewards and fosters the growth of engaged, passionate teachers.

Recommendations: • Establish competitive salaries and benefits consistent with our primary peer group.

• Adopt a clear and measurable evaluative process for faculty and staff that supports professional growth.

• Hire and support a curriculum coordinator to assist in school-wide curriculum assessment and implementation efforts.

• Increase and encourage participation in professional development opportunities.

• Identify, recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff.

• Clearly define and communicate criteria for professional excellence and expectations for advancing the mission of the school.

• Orient new members of the faculty and staff of the ecumenical and diverse ministry of the Episcopal Church and the benefits of an Episcopal education.

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Governance A trustee of St. Mark’s holds the school “in trust.” The Board’s focus on the mission, the development of strong and clear policies, and support for the school community is vital to our success. The long-term health of the school relies on The Board of Trustees working with the Church Vestry and the Headmaster to ensure the future success of the school.

Recommendations: • Create a written, formalized plan in regard to secession of key leaders.

• Orient trustees on the governance of the school as it relates to the Church.

• Develop a written process for identifying qualified prospects to serve as new trustees.

• The Board of Trustees should improve and maintain a functional relationship with the leadership of the Church.

• Orient trustees with regard to their responsibilities as members of the board and their relationship to the school.

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Technology In our fast-paced and ever-changing world, we must be attuned to evolving technologies relative to education and beyond. At St. Mark’s, technology both enhances and supports the curriculum. Ongoing evaluation of best practices and implementation of new and interactive resources is vital in our efforts to prepare students to think both strategically and critically.

Twenty-first century capacities must be part of our vision. As a priority, attention must be paid to how this impacts learning today and readiness for tomorrow.

Recommendations: • Establish a comprehensive technology plan in coordination with the curriculum coordinator.

• Regularly evaluate and implement current and emerging technology for student and teacher use in classrooms.

• Evaluate the need for a Director-level position to oversee technology.

• Implement more purposeful technology training for faculty and staff.

• Increase funding available to support the technology evaluation and implementation.

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Physical Plant / Property The goals of our overall strategic plan require that we closely examine our needs and provide facilities that meet the quality and expectations of our program. Decisions regarding our land and buildings require that we work in tandem with the Church.

Recommendations:

• Create an overarching agreement addressing cost and shared use of space between the church and school.

• Assess, review and revise campus security needs to ensure the safety of our community.

• Establish a task force to create a strategy for assessing the possibility of land acquisition.

• Update the facilities audit for identifying and prioritizing campus and program needs.

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Strategic Planning Task Force David Andrews*

Sheryl Gussett*

Ellen Shelton

Kelly Bourgeois

Leticia Hernandez

Carla Singer

Stasa Cushman

Bobbye Hicks

Lou Ellen Stansell*

Genie Darelik

Dorinda Howard

Kristin Uptmor

Nicole Ellithorpe

Anne Jackson

Kristie Wade

Elizabeth Fulghum

Patrick Miller*

Garhett Wagers*

Amanda Grace*

Gwen Samora

Richard Willson

Dan Samora *Steering Committee Member

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St. Mark’s Episcopal School

3816 Bellaire Boulevard • Houston, Texas 77025 • 713-667-7030

www.stmes.org