Act Justly and Call Others to Do So - Imitate Christ

Instill Peace. Encourage and Model Acceptance of Self as a Unique Divinely Appointed Creation.

As Christ Episcopal School looks forward to celebrating 25 years of service beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, the Board of Trustees of Christ Episcopal School has approved this Strategic Plan to further our mission and vision and focus our resources on continuing the tradition of excellence that the school embodies. The last Strategic Plan covered the time period of 2002-2007. It was the second Strategic Plan that had been developed for the school. The initial one was written and enacted in 1994. The first plan served as the blueprint for our expansion to the Christwood Blvd. Campus and beginning of our pre-kindergarten program. The second plan helped us mature as an institution by expanding and improving the Christwood Blvd.Campus, making important changes to our delivery of instruction, improving faculty compensation packages, solidifying our financial position and improving our communications with our constituents.

The Strategic Plan for 2008-2013 will provide a roadmap to implementing the plans for the future of Christ Episcopal School. These are to:

• Offer an Upper School program.
•  Expand /Improve our facilities to accommodate the upper grades and expanded offerings in the creative arts, to insure the safety and well-being of our students, and to improve operating efficiencies.
• Refine and enhance our instructional program for continual improvement.
• Continue to improve our faculty compensation package.
• Maintain affordability and encourage cultural diversity.
• Strengthen governance and organizational structure.
• Create a culture of giving that will support our efforts and maintain financial health and stability.

This document is the final result of a process that spanned 18 months and represents the inputs of all of our stakeholders. Its genesis was a series of facilitated Board meetings which identified goals, a school-wide survey in which we had a response rate of 95% (285 families), and a year of meetings by the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board.  The plan is ambitious but with the support of the entire Christ Episcopal community, achievable.

Goal 1 : Refine and enhance the educational program ensuring it reflects the mission, principles and values of CES.
Implementation Steps:

• Revise and assess the curriculum by identifying underlying essential questions and implementing the Understanding by Design framework to ensure students are being challenged, taught salient material and reaching growth goals as well as alignment with MAP/State Standards.
• Continue to tailor, to the extent possible, individual student learning by incorporating differentiated instruction techniques and additional resource teachers/aides to challenge all children and help them reach their potential.
• Continue to seek additional opportunities to incorporate technology into classroom instruction.
• Nurture spirituality by making the Christian Education components challenging and rewarding for students and go beyond the classroom walls so that "Imitate Christ" is a vibrant element and readily discernable in all aspects of campus life.
• Further develop the athletic program organization and instruction for grades 4 and up.
• Create a culture of healthy living for students through appropriate food choices, healthy lunch offerings, consumer education and physical fitness.
• Continue to ensure students have a daily opportunity to connect with nature through experiential learning and wilderness education field trips, and the allocation of physical space for nature education.
• Continue to provide a comprehensive curriculum with a balance between arts, sciences and humanities to ensure a strong academic foundation and well rounded students.

Goal 2: Continue to attract, recruit, retain and develop faculty and staff who embrace and emulate the mission and values of CES.
Implementation Steps:

• Create a five year plan with annual benchmarks to ensure a competitive compensation package that rewards faculty and staff dedication and performance.
• Encourage a culture in which all teachers aspire to "imitate Christ."
• Fundraise for an endowment to ensure long-term faculty benefits, pay increases, and continued professional development
• Maintain open and transparent communication channels and ensure two-way communication between the faculty and administration.
• Develop a mentoring program for new teachers and career paths for long-standing employees.
• Broaden and publicly recognize faculty and staff for their accomplishments.
• Build the faculty to effectively staff all grades (including Upper School) to ensure breadth, cross training, and attainment of differentiated learning goals.
• Develop a succession plan for key administrators including Lower School, Middle School, Upper School, ECC, and Headmaster positions.

 Goal 3: Ensure ethnic diversity.  
Implementation Steps:

• Address issues of affordability by managing tuition levels, funding of scholarships and financial aid policies.
• Develop alternative revenue sources through appropriate fundraising to insure affordability.
• Recruit and retain an ethnically diverse faculty.
• Ensure accessibility to promote socio-economic diversity.

Goal 4: Create an Upper School Program, adding grades 9 through 12.
Implementation Steps:

• Develop a strong college preparatory program that challenges students to be accountable ethically, spiritually and intellectually.
• Embrace the personal needs and differences of students to ensure each child reaches his or her maximum potential.
• Recruit, train and hire faculty and the Upper School Head.
• Develop extracurricular programs for sports, drama, music, language and other areas which engage students in personal interests.

Goal 5: Continue to improve the physical environment and plant to enhance student learning, strengthen Christian identity, embrace our extended community, maximize safety and reflect our mission and vision.   

Implementation Steps:

• Build additional classroom space to accommodate short-term needs of the Upper School opening in 2009.
• Finalize plan for infrastructure and property development at Christwood Blvd. site.
• Build additional administrative office space by the end of 2008.
• Develop building plans and funding plans for the Upper School facility need for its third and fourth year in operation.
• Assess long-term needs and functional status of the ECC and consider relocation to the Christwood Blvd. campus.
• Develop long-term plans for the physical space needs of the Upper School beginning in 2013, including the financial and space allocation for a second gym, an Upper School/Middle school library and additional parking.
• Develop funding and building plans for the Performing Arts Center.
• Identify and mitigate any safety issues on both campuses, especially in light of shifting societal landscape.
• Develop onsite school lunch kitchen at CBC.

Goal 6:  Raise funds to ensure the short and long-term viability of CES by developing a "culture of philanthropy."

Implementation Steps:

• Continue focus on parent participation and growth of total giving for the Annual Fund.
• Assess tuition levels in the 5 year financial plan and annually to balance affordability and strategic planning goals.
• Identify and solicit donors for the Endowment and major gifts for the Performing Arts Center.
• Identify and plan for short and long-term funding for the Upper School program.
• Hire a full-time Development professional to execute and coordinate fundraising goals and objectives.
• Develop a comprehensive fundraising plan with a clear direction, line-itemed priorities, and accountability ensuring a clear fundraising platform that parallels the strategic plan and short and long-term school budgets.

Goal 7: Further develop the Board of Trustees to ensure effective planning and leadership. Implementation Steps:

• Improve Board orientation training program for new board members.
• Train each Board member to be an effective spokesperson with regard to Annual Giving, the Strategic Plan, mission and values.
• Require each Board member to take an active role on at least one subcommittee, participate in the Annual Fund and play one or more fundraising roles (Advocate, Ambassador and/or Asker).
• Establish Board structure to ensure appropriate review process for the consideration of new items/revisions to the strategic plan to document decision making in terms of alignment to the mission, costs, and balance with other school programs prior to recommendation to the full board, and if appropriate Vestry, for approval.
• Review strategic direction of the school at the onset of each school year, establish priorities for current year and incorporate strategic priorities into the annual update of the 5 year financial plan to ensure alignment with strategic initiatives.
• Conduct an annual Board self-evaluation, using feedback to plan for future functioning of the Board.