S T E P H E N
G A Y N O R
S C H O O L
2017 Strategic 2021 Plan
A pioneer in special education, Stephen Gaynor School is an independent Pre-K, Lower, and Middle School for bright students with learning differences. Founded in 1962, Stephen Gaynor School provides a highly individualized educational program in a rich, rigorous, and nurturing environment in which students gain the skills and confidence necessary to learn, grow, and reach their full potential. 2
On behalf of myself and the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to present Stephen Gaynor School’s updated five-year strategic plan. As we enter Gaynor’s 55th year, we welcome 385 students back to school – a far cry from our days in a brownstone on the Upper East Side. While we have grown so much over the past five decades, we remain committed to the vision set forth by our co-founders, Dr. Miriam Michael and Yvette Siegel-Herzog. Their dedication to an individualized curriculum for each of Gaynor’s students continues to resonate. The strategic priorities detailed in the following pages center around improving and expanding our unique and innovative curricular and co-curricular program. As a leader in special education, we are dedicated continuing to build upon our alreadyimpressive educational model. On behalf of our entire community, I would like to thank outgoing Board of Trustees Chair Henrietta Jones-Pellegrini and Strategic Plan Co-Chairs Grant Duers and Deanna Ferrante for their leadership in this process. They, along with nearly 40 members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff, devoted
significant time and effort in creating the strategic goals we are all now tasked to implement over the coming five years. I would also like to thank Jill Thompson for leading the implementation process and ensuring that we are meeting our goals and timelines. We are a mission-driven institution, and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of our dedicated faculty, in-house specialists, and staff to continuing to unlock each student’s potential. We live our mission in everything we do, and our strategic goals for the coming five years embody that commitment. I look forward to reporting on our future successes in implementing the Strategic Plan for 2017-2021. Sincerely,
Scott Gaynor Head of School
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During the 2016-2017 academic year, approximately 40 members of the Gaynor community, including faculty, staff, parents, and Board members, worked together to develop the school’s next five-year strategic plan. The team was tasked with reviewing the current state of the school, including strengths and perceived areas of improvement and then to create a roadmap to guide the school over the next five years. The consensus from the review was that Gaynor is a high-functioning institution that does an excellent job of educating children with learning differences. To take the school to an even higher performance level, the planning team focused on four core areas where improvements could be made in support of the school’s mission: • • • •
Curriculum Faculty/Staff Recruitment and Retention Community Values Resources to Support the Plan
These initiatives are broad and ambitious, but the teams were tasked with making sure all goals were SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-oriented), and they worked hard to create a plan that is both aspirational and achievable.
During the next five years, the entire Gaynor community will work together toward achieving the goals set forth in the plan. 5
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
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FACULTY/STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION A PIONEER IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM A HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE PLAN REACHING OUR FULL POTENTIAL
COMMUNITY VALUES A RICH, RIGOROUS, AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT 7
CURRICULUM A HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Stephen Gaynor School is a recognized and respected leader in special education. The unique curriculum is designed to unlock each child’s potential and to address who each child is as a unique learner. At Gaynor, the child is at the center of all curriculum development and professional learning. The strategic plan will support the professional development of faculty to ensure that each child receives an individualized program tailored to his/her learning style and needs.
The strategic plan will support a research-based curriculum that promotes better communication across the divisions. The key initiatives in the curriculum area include: •C urriculum Continuum Developing a professional development plan and scope and sequence that ensures teachers have the skills and resources necessary to identify a child’s learning style and how to support each child over the course of his/her tenure at Gaynor. •C urriculum Development Employing a Backward Design approach to curriculum development and assessment through a professional learning path and unit planning. •T echnology Integration Integrating a Universal Design for Learning approach to curriculum development and assessment to remove barriers in the academic curriculum through new technologies to respond to a variety of individual learner differences. • Executive Functions Ensuring teachers have the skills and resources to further students’ executive functioning skills across all school divisions.
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Backward Design Backward Design, also called Understanding by Design, is a process that educators use to design learning experiences and instructional techniques to achieve specific learning goals. Backward Design begins with the objectives of a unit or course— what students are expected to learn and be able to do—and then proceeds “backward” to create lessons that achieve those desired goals.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development that provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone—not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs.
Executive Functions Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Individuals need this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses.
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FACULTY/STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION A PIONEER IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
To best meet the individual needs of students, Stephen Gaynor School is committed to recruiting, retaining, and rewarding a diverse faculty and staff of highly qualified professionals.
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The Committee focused on four areas: •D efined Career Path Developing a defined career path and/or opportunities for growth for teachers, specialists, therapists and administrative staff. •C onsistent Review Process Enhancing and implementing a formal review process for staff and faculty. •M aximize Compensation and Benefits Working to maximize the value and industry competitiveness of compensation, benefits, and stipends to faculty and staff. •R ecruitment/Hiring Plan Developing a robust recruitment and hiring plan to find and attract highly qualified and diverse teachers and staff, focusing on diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and geographic location.
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COMMUNITY VALUES
The Community Values Committee is focused on three areas:
A RICH, RIGOROUS, AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT
•D iversity and Inclusion Creating a comprehensive, school-wide plan for diversity and inclusion that is in line with the school’s mission statement.
In support of the school’s dedication to an individualized approach to education, Gaynor provides a welcoming environment for students, parents, alumni and alumni parents, prospective families, faculty, and staff.
•C ommunity Building Deepening our internal connections through regular communication with a special emphasis on promoting special events, news, and noteworthy information, including highlighting extraordinary individuals and/ or accomplishments. •C ommunity Service Identifying new, and expanding upon existing, opportunities for the entire community to participate in community service programming.
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Future Gaynor Performing Arts Center. Artist’s rendering. 13
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE PLAN REACHING OUR FULL POTENTIAL
Stephen Gaynor School’s fundraising, tuition income, financial investments, endowment, and alternative revenue sources are managed thoughtfully and strategically to best support the mission of the school.
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The main initiatives in this area are: •F inancial Viability Ensuring that all funds are managed prudently and strategically to best support the mission of the school. •F undraising Developing a more robust fundraising model by focusing on grant funding, expanding the giving community, prioritizing fundraising goals, and educating the giving community of the school’s financial needs. •O ptimize Use of Facilities Exploring options to best manage costs, optimize the use of space, and expand facilities.
Gaynor is fiscally responsible, ensuring our investment in capital projects, human resources, and funds to support our curriculum continue to fulfill the mission of the school. 15
Curriculum
IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE BROAD, AMBITIOUS, ACHIEVABLE GOALS
The committees worked to create a plan and timeline that is both ambitious and achievable through the use of SMART goals. The big-picture timelines for each of the core strategic areas of the plan are detailed at right.
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INITIATIVE
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Curriculum Continuum
Plan
Implement
Implement
Implement
Review
Curriculum Development
Plan
Implement
Implement
Implement
Review
Technology Integration Development
Implement
Implement
Implement
Implement
Review
Executive Functions
Plan
Implement
Implement
Implement
Review
Faculty/Staff Recruitment and Retention INITIATIVE
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Defined Career Path
Plan
Implement
Review
Implement
Review
Consistent Review Process
Plan
Plan
Implement
Review
Implement
Maximize Compensation and Benefits
Continue/ Plan
Implement
Implement
Review
Implement
Recruitment/ Hiring Plan
Plan
Review
Implement
Review
Implement
Community Values INITIATIVE
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Diversity/ Inclusion
Plan
Implement
Review
Implement
Implement
Community Building
Implement
Implement
Review
Implement
Implement
Community Service
Implement
Implement
Implement
Implement
Review
Resources to Support the Plan INITIATIVE
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Financial Viability of Plans
Implement
Review
Review
Review
Review
Fundraising
Plan
Implement
Review
Implement
Implement
Optimize Use of Facilities
Implement
Review
Review
Review
Review
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STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS
STEERING COMMITTEE
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
Grant Duers, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
Kristy Baxter, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
Deanna Ferrante, Co-Chair, Director of Communications
Jill Thompson, Co-Chair, Assistant Head of School
Jill Thompson, Co-Chair, Assistant Head of School
Erika Bentsen, Head Teacher, Blue Cluster
Dr. Scott Gaynor, Head of School
Jackie Glazer, Social Studies & Writing Specialist
Henrietta Jones-Pellegrini, Board of Trustees
Rebecca Jurow, Educational Director, Early Childhood
Kristy Baxter, Board of Trustees
Matt LeWinter, Director of Technology
Kass Lazerow, Board of Trustees Michelle Fox, Head Teacher, Yellow Cluster Susan Bender, President of the Parents’ Association Sue Sortino, Director of Student Life Jay Kramer, Board of Trustees Bianca Wright, CFO 18
Joan Persky, Speech-Language Pathologist Sloan Shapiro, Reading Department Chair Yvette Siegel Herzog, Co-Founder and Educational Director Kate Sullivan, Educational Director, Lower School
FACULTY RECRUITMENT/ RETENTION COMMITTEE
COMMUNITY VALUES COMMITTEE
Kass Lazerow, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
Susan Bender, Co-Chair, President of Parents’ Association
Michelle Fox, Co-Chair, Head Teacher, Yellow Cluster
Sue Sortino, Co-Chair, Director of Student Life
John Beich, Educational Director, Middle School
Hillary Blumberg, Board of Trustees
Jennifer Cohen, Specialist, Speech
Patterson Chiweshe, Board of Trustees
Traci Lester, Parents’ Association
Rebecca Felt, Head Teacher, Blue Cluster
Donna Logue, Educational Director, Lower School
Juliana May, Director of Admissions
Jillian Neubauer, Board of Trustees
Stephanie Mayer, Advancement Office
Olivia Robinson, Administrative Staff
RESOURCES COMMITTEE Jay Kramer, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees Bianca Wright, Co-Chair, CFO Carol Feinberg, Board of Trustees Chaquana Lyons, Business Office Sari Perrino, Director of Advancement Oscar Gil Vollmer, Board of Trustees Dan Watson, Director of Construction and Facilities Emily Barnes, Advancement Office
Abby Shuppy, Music Specialist Jill Thompson, Assistant Head of School
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UNLOCKING EACH STUDENT’S POTENTIAL
148 WE ST 9 0 TH STR EET I N EW YOR K, N Y 10024 I 212.787.7070 WWW.STEPHEN GAYN OR .OR G 20