S T R AT E G I C P L A N
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Our mission:
St. Mary’s Academy fosters excellence in each child through academic achievement, spiritual development, and service. The Loretto School Values of faith, community, justice, and respect provide the foundation for students to be powerful agents of change.
Our vision:
Inspiring leaders to act with integrity, seek justice, build community, and change the world.
Lead, Create, Change.
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September, 2018
Dear Friends of St. Mary’s Academy, In times of rapid change, it is critical for us to evolve as the needs of our students and our community change. Once again, it is time to scan the world around us, be introspective, evaluate our current situation, and set a course for the future. During the 2017 – 2018 school year it was our privilege to co-chair and lead a group of dedicated constituents (trustees, teachers, and administrators) in developing an updated strategic plan for St. Mary’s Academy. Ongoing reviews and feedback were received during the process from constituents outside the core group including trustees, parents, employees, and students. We are grateful to all who participated, and we look forward to the support of every member of our community as we move forward. Sincerely,
Margie Felsburg Trustee, Co-Chair
Randy Weil Trustee, Co-Chair
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Strategic Plan Development We examined information from:
August, 2017 – May, 2018
Demographics Thought leaders in education
College requirements Environment Employer requirements Competition – traditional and non-traditional State of the Art Schools
SMA and National Parent Satisfaction Surveys
We received input from: Board of Trustees
Faculty and Staff
Students Parents
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Strategic Directions
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Offer an education that
will prepare our students for future success: in higher education, as leaders in their chosen field, and in life. • Continue to strengthen and build consensus around a specific list of skills that are essential for future success. • Explore leadership characteristics and ensure that they are embedded in the SMA student experience. • Define characteristics and tasks that will ensure that St. Mary’s Academy has a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. • Review current college requirements and ensure that the skills we teach provide the foundation for our students to excel in their chosen field. • Ensure that the Loretto School Values of faith, community, justice, and respect are fully integrated with every effort to prepare students for future success.
“It’s all about the academics and character” 11
Foster a culture of quantified excellence.
• Increase and fund the capacity for change/innovation. • Quantify the definition and criteria of “excellence” in the following categories: – Faculty and Staff – Facilities and Equipment – Educational Programs and Delivery Methods – Board of Trustees – Student Outcomes – College Counseling • Establish a benchmarking process for performance and set near-term and long-term targets. • Create programs to achieve near-term benchmark objectives. • Identify and implement programs to build a faculty/staff culture that is more nimble and able to take risks. • Institutionalize strategic plan implementation review, and formalize our approach for strategy updates. • Continue to enhance our robust school safety programs.
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Preserve a sound financial basis
and model to sustain these efforts.
• Enhance the “Big Picture” financial model for SMA which characterizes major flows of funds and which can be flexed for various scenarios; include illustration of recent trends. • Use financial model to create several scenarios for Board of Trustees review and, ultimately, to select a five-year path forward. • Quantify our cost per student – Lower School – Middle School – High School • Set a target for modest improvement of cost per student while enhancing outcomes. • Develop and implement three Strategic Alliances with outside entities that leverage the parties’ assets and improve the education of SMA students. • Explore various tuition models
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Emphasize service and sustainability: “Learning through making a positive difference today.”
• Establish a comprehensive plan for a more environmentally friendly and sustainable future while maintaining sound financial management. • Create educational opportunities wherever possible as we implement environmentally friendly initiatives. • Reinforce the Loretto School Values of social justice by collecting and communicating information on the outstanding community service activities undertaken by all students.
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Effectively communicate
internally and externally what SMA is—branding which connects attributes with identity. • Continue to sharpen the focus of our message consistent with our current and future direction. • Explore developing a signature event that could engage the community and draw attention to SMA values and benefits. • Effectively integrate the SMA tag line: Lead, Create, Change into all communications • Utilize the SMA Vision Statement where appropriate in future communications.
Strategic Planning Committee Members • Randy Weil, Trustee, Co-Chair • Margie Felsburg, Trustee, Co-Chair • Bill Barrett, Academy President • Kathryn McNamee, HS Principal • Martha Ashley, MS Principal • Florence Swanson, LS Principal • Iswari Natarajan, HS Faculty • Joe Riehl, MS Faculty • Lisa Stroz, LS Faculty • Kathleen Hogan, Director of Marketing & Communications • Seely Greenberg, Director of Admissions • Vann Lassiter, Director of Instructional Technology
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Lead Create Change.
For more information about SMA, please contact Kathleen Hogan Director of Marketing and Communications khogan@smanet.org 303.783.6212 or visit SMA online at stmarys.academy.