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Blue Charlotte Latin School 2015–2020 Strategic Plan
Preparing Students to Lead Lives of Consequence
Charlotte Latin School 2015-2020 Strategic Plan Go Bold, Go Blue Preparing Students to Lead Lives of Consequence Approved by the Charlotte Latin School Board of Trustees September 21, 2015
CLS VISION STATEMENT “Charlotte Latin School prepares students to lead honorable lives of consequence as enlightened citizen leaders of the world.”
INTRODUCTION The quest for excellence is never ending. At the moment that an organization believes that it has achieved excellence, the downward trend begins away from that lofty goal. Charlotte Latin’s commitment to excellence is dedicated to the pursuit of this ideal, an institutional core value that provides the bold vision and energy which constantly move our School community onward and upward. The Go Bold, Go Blue 2015-2020 CLS Strategic Plan is an important step on the continuum of Charlotte Latin’s quest for excellence. The Plan builds upon the successful implementation of the Seven Roads Intersecting the Future 2010-2015 CLS Strategic Plan. Initiatives that were designed to sustain institutional strength and academic excellence were complemented by work to support the strong partnership between families and the School that has been a hallmark of Charlotte Latin since its founding. The Go Bold, Go Blue 2015-2020 CLS Strategic Plan focuses on three broad themes: enhancing the School’s commitment to academic excellence, strengthening the partnership between the School and Latin’s families, and preparing children to lead healthy and meaningful lives. Progress in these areas is designed to enhance Charlotte Latin School’s institutional strength to ensure the School’s continued success, ability to serve Latin’s students and their families, and participation in the welfare of the Charlotte community.
An unwavering focus on each child remains at the epicenter of the Go Bold, Go Blue 2015-2020 CLS Strategic Plan. Charlotte Latin provides growth-promoting opportunities to prepare each child to learn and explore in a challenging environment where dedicated teachers support every step of the educational journey. The School’s commitment to teach a traditional curriculum by implementing appropriate experiential learning opportunities in every instructional venue provides each student with the strong academic foundation that prepares each child to think critically and creatively… and to develop the leadership skills and confidence to take positive action in service to others. The Go Bold, Go Blue 2015-2020 CLS Strategic Plan identifies a sustainable course in the quest for excellence, but it does not call for perfection. The Plan does call for the Charlotte Latin community to remain true blue to the School’s heritage by ensuring academic excellence and nurturing responsible, respectful, compassionate children to prepare them for a life well lived. This commitment represents Charlotte Latin’s value proposition, and it is a differentiating vision that requires an intentional balance of “head and heart.” Perhaps the boldest concept in the Go Bold, Go Blue 2015-2020 CLS Strategic Plan is reflected in the Vision Statement, which calls upon each student to lead a life of consequence, whatever path he or she may choose to follow after graduation from Charlotte Latin.
CHARLOTTE LATIN SCHOOL’S FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS Based upon long-standing institutional tradition that has been confirmed by years of constituent research, the following “pillars” represent Charlotte Latin School’s defining attributes: •
Charlotte Latin School is built upon a foundation of enduring relationships and a commitment to core values that is shared by members of the Latin community.
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Teaching and learning are job #1 at Charlotte Latin.
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The curriculum and co-curricular opportunities will enhance the development of each student’s mind, body, and character.
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Latin will attract and retain the best faculty and staff to sustain the School’s commitment to academic excellence to prepare each child for future success.
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The student-teacher relationship is the foundation for academic excellence.
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Parents and the School are partners in the education of children.
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Charlotte Latin School values its diverse community of children, their families, faculty, and staff.
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Stewardship of resources and prudent fiscal practices will guide the management of the School.
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Charlotte Latin School will develop leaders who serve the School and Charlotte communities.
STRATEGIC PLAN METHODOLOGY The goals established in the Go Bold, Go Blue CLS 2015-2020 Strategic Plan are the result of in-depth curriculum development work and an intensive review process that updated the CLS Campus Master Plan, which was conducted in 2014-2015. The emerging themes from this work were extensively analyzed and refined by the Strategic Plan Steering Committee during a three-day strategic planning retreat in June of 2015. The steering committee represented a broad spectrum of the School’s constituents, included trustees, parents, alumni, parents of alumni, teachers, and administrators. The results of constituent research, including a Parent Survey (NovemberDecember 2014) and a Faculty-Staff Survey (January 2015), also informed the development of this Plan and confirmed the “non-negotiable” foundational pillars of Charlotte Latin School that had been expressed in the extensive constituent research which was conducted in preparation of the Seven Roads Intersecting the Future 2010-2015 CLS Strategic Plan.
STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Implementation of each goal of the Go Bold, Go Blue CLS 2015-2020 Strategic Plan will be led by a Goal Team. This model was utilized effectively to implement the Seven Roads Intersecting the Future 2010-2015 CLS Strategic Plan, and it enables work on each goal to progress while also providing a framework for resources and assets to be shared for maximum impact. Each Goal Team will be chaired by at least two Administrative Team members and will include representation from the School’s key constituencies, including the Board of Trustees. Appropriate participation by students also will be encouraged to provide them with an excellent leadership development opportunity and to ensure that their voices are heard in the process.
2015 – 2020 GOALS GOAL 1: Enhance the School environment to support each student’s physical and emotional well-being. •
Implement the CLS Safety and Security Plan (based in part upon the Safe Havens Report recommendations) to improve the physical safety and security of the CLS campus • Install a keyless entry system beginning with the Lower School building (2015)
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Implement practices and procedures to improve the virtual safety and security of students in cyberspace • Write and implement the CLS Digital Citizenship curriculum (2015-16) • Host a presentation by Richard Guerry, a nationally-known cyberspace expert, for students, parents, and teachers (2015) • Update the CLS Digital Citizenship Policy and practices (2016)
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Improve learning resources and advisory programs • Establish a learning resources committee (2015) • Establish an advisory program task force (2015) • Recruit a Director of Learning Resources (2016)
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Integrate character development into the TK-Grade 12 experience • Develop an Emotional Intelligence (EQ) curriculum (2015-16) • Establish a committee to develop plans to promote the CLS core values and the importance of citizenship, service, and humility (2016)
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Assess the quality of student life in the Upper School • Conduct focus groups to gauge students’ attitudes regarding the quality of student life in the Upper School (2015) • Provide guidance to help each student take advantage of appropriate opportunities • Provide appropriate spaces for students who participate in afterschool activities
GOAL 2: Sustain Charlotte Latin’s commitment to academic excellence to prepare each child for future success. •
Attract and retain excellent faculty by providing the needed resources and support • Create the most attractive workplace environment • Evaluate current recruiting, hiring, and on-boarding process for all CLS employees and implement appropriate best practices and current trends (2015) • Hire a CLS recruiter to support the School’s year-round effort to recruit, hire, and support the best faculty and staff members who will embrace Latin’s mission and core values (2016) • Establish and begin funding an endowment to support competitive faculty compensation
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Enhance the TK-12 curriculum. • Fully utilize TK-12 vertical curriculum teams (2015) • Recruit an Associate Headmaster of Academic Affairs (2016)
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Expand access to a wide range of courses • Train advisors to counsel each student to create a unique profile • Assess effectiveness of online courses to expand curricular options
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Provide sufficient time for faculty to plan and to work with individual students • Conduct an evaluation of the annual calendar and daily schedule (2016) • Establish and fund summer curriculum development teams (2016) • Implement the recommendations of the Faculty Load Analysis to manage student-teacher ratios in academic classes and cocurricular activities (on-going) • Build time in the annual CLS calendar for planning and reflection
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Improve the performance evaluation model for faculty and staff members • Implement a Staff Evaluation Program (2015) • Align and publish a CLS Performance Evaluation Improvement Model (2016) • Implement a defined procedure to obtain feedback from students in Grades 6-12 (January 2016)
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Implement a defined procedure to obtain teacher performance feedback from parents (2016) Implement a defined procedure to obtain teacher performance feedback from alumni (2016)
Enhance Charlotte Latin’s multidisciplinary leadership development program • Develop a Student Leadership Plan for a sequential TK-12 program (January 2016) • Recruit a Director of Leadership Development (2017) • Host the inaugural CLS Student Leadership Conference (June 2016)
GOAL 3: Identify Charlotte Latin constituents’ expectations and address their appropriate needs. •
Analyze the needs of current parents (2016)
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Develop programs that are financially feasible and in alignment with the CLS mission to meet the varied needs of current parents (2016-2017)
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Support programs and offer opportunities to engage CLS constituents in the life of the School • Expand the LatinRedde Program (2015) • Launch the Fab Lab network (2015)
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Establish CLS norms for School-home, teacher-parent, and coach-parent communications • Conduct focus groups to evaluate Parent Survey feedback regarding “communications” (2015) • Review the Home-School Partnership Agreement and communicate expectations as members of the CLS Community (2016) • Provide education and training to support communications initiatives
GOAL 4: Enhance Charlotte Latin School’s institutional strength to position the School for continued success. •
Strengthen Charlotte Latin’s curriculum • Conduct a review of Latin’s current curricular offerings with input from the Upper School Support Committee (2015-2016) • Recommend new courses to add to the curriculum and identify existing courses that should be eliminated due to a lack of financial sustainability (2016)
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Implement Charlotte Latin’s Campus Master Plan initiatives • Prioritize facilities projects (2015) • Develop an internal education strategy to align all administrators, faculty, and staff • Hire an architect and contractor • Evaluate financing options • Construct buildings that meet CLS goals and needs
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Implement the TBD Capital Campaign • Support faculty and staff compensation and professional development • Create a Campaign Steering Committee (2015) • Communicate effectively with key stakeholders about the campaign goals • Conduct the Silent Phase of campaign • Conduct the Public Phase of campaign
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Attract families and employees who reflect Charlotte’s changing demographics and who support the School’s mission and embrace the CLS Core Values • Enroll a wide range of families who reflect Charlotte’s diversity • Recruit diverse faculty and staff
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Raise Charlotte Latin School’s profile locally, nationally, and internationally • Establish a Board of Trustees ad hoc Marketing Committee (2015) • Conduct a marketing and communications program review (2015) • Implement approved recommendations • Support CLS faculty and staff educational leadership initiatives • Improve Charlotte Latin’s outreach to elite colleges and universities (2016 - ongoing)
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Create a succession management plan for the School’s administrators (2016)
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Review and refine the School’s operating budget process to support multiyear planning
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Celebrate Charlotte Latin School’s 50th anniversary (2019-2020) • Establish a 50th Anniversary Steering Committee (2016) • Create a 50th Anniversary Celebration Plan (2017) (in alignment with the Capital Campaign)
Charlotte Latin School | 9502 Providence Road | Charlotte, North Carolina 28277-8695