Achieve
Strategic Vision
Introduction Five years ago, St. Luke’s School adopted its first-ever strategic plan. That plan has been an important milepost in guiding the efforts of trustees, faculty, and administration since 2005. Over this period, St. Luke’s has proudly achieved sustained levels of improvement in facilities, faculty compensation, richness and breadth of programs, financial soundness, diversity, operational quality and, most important of all, student outcomes and the preparation of our graduates for rich and rewarding lives beyond the Hilltop. With a blend of humility and satisfaction, we open the book on our new Strategic Vision. Our central goal is for St. Luke’s to maintain a strong upward trajectory that will enhance our ability to deliver on our mission: To prepare students for a lifelong commitment to learning and social responsibility. In the following pages you will find a brief overview of the Strategic Vision.* Though presented in sections, please note, these are not separate efforts—each overlaps and enhances the others. These concepts will be the basis for annual strategic planning and the markers against which we measure success:
St. Luke’s Core Values: The foundation underpinning all our efforts Continuous Improvement: The organizing principle behind the Strategic Vision The Center for Leadership: The launch of St. Luke’s leadership platform Collaboration & Innovation: Maximizing faculty talent and student performance Transformational Technology: Tools for great teaching and enhanced learning Financial Soundness: A strong, secure financial profile * To review the complete, unedited Strategic Vision, as drafted by the Strategic Planning Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees, please visit www.stlukesct.org/strategicvision.
Core Values Central to the Strategic Vision, and to everything we do, are St. Luke’s Core Values. Imbued with a LOVE OF LEARNING and a deep understanding of what it means to have GOOD CHARACTER, to PURSUE EXCELLENCE, and to embrace COMMUNITY,, St. Luke’s students learn how to make meaning of their lives and a difference in the lives of others. The core values are directly responsible for what is, without question, the most compelling attribute of St. Luke’s: Our unique culture. It is a culture that places children and student outcomes at the center of all that we do. It engenders a warm and caring environment, creates mutual respect, and encourages our students to reach their personal best. For these reasons, St. Luke’s Core Values and culture will never be compromised.
Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement is the organizing principle behind the Strategic Vision. The passion to learn and excel has long been a hallmark of the School and has led to the strengthening of its programs and reputation in the last decade. Continuous improvement also means that while the Strategic Vision is forward facing and includes several new initiatives, we remain committed to past objectives and the need for continued progress.
Implementation Focus: Extend implementation of Diversity Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees Maintain a focus on improving faculty compensation, benefits, and professional development Commence execution of Facilities Master Plan approved by Board of Trustees; continue work to create distinct Upper and Middle Schools Apply environmentally-conscious strategies to building initiatives and operations More closely track the performance of St. Luke’s graduates for relevant, long-term measurement of student outcomes Charge the Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees with an annual review of strategic objectives and performance Ensure that marketing clearly articulates the strengths and successes of St. Luke’s to key communities
“A great school creates a vibrant learning community, led by wise, caring teachers, that fosters students' intellectual and moral growth, prepares them to thrive in college, and gives them the tools for leadership and service in the world.� Mark Davis, Head of School
St. Luke’s School Center for Leadership A central focus of the Strategic Vision is the inauguration of the St. Luke’s Center for Leadership. The center will be a staffed and resourced organizational unit within the School that will support existing leadership programs—including global and character education—and emphasize leadership skills such as public speaking, the ethical use of technology and media, team-building, collaboration, and advocacy for oneself and for others. The launch of St. Luke’s Center for Leadership will be a point of distinction for the School. The center will dramatically raise awareness of St. Luke’s—within our community and beyond—as a school where children learn the essential skills for leadership, self-actualization, and meaningful service to others. The inspiration for the Center for Leadership developed from consistent feedback received during the strategic planning process. First, we heard that the St. Luke’s community wants our students to be confident, skilled communicators. Second, the community expressed a strong desire to expand our global education initiatives, enhance our service learning opportunities, and continue developing innovative and distinctive signature programs. The Center for Leadership will be a key vehicle in allowing us to accomplish these objectives. Approval for the Center for Leadership was received in Spring 2010 and the planning process for the center will continue throughout the 2010-2011 school year. Plans include a physical space for the center featuring a global classroom equipped to connect entire St. Luke’s classes with partner schools across the globe. This can be in place as soon as 2011-2012 and will give a visible presence to the elevated position of leadership at St. Luke’s. We look forward to bringing you more news about the Center for Leadership and encourage you to continue sharing feedback and ideas.
St. Luke’s Leaders … • Strive to reach their personal best and inspire others to do the same • Communicate effectively and motivate others to achieve common goals • Are ethical citizens, making positive differences at home and in the world • Are collaborative team members who are respectful, kind, and effective
…Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
Implementation Focus: Create and staff the St. Luke’s Center for Leadership Within the Center for Leadership, expand global education and service learning programs and opportunities Explore additional leadership skills programs (e.g. public speaking and communications, speaker series, internship opportunities, summer programs, enrichment terms) Use the Center for Leadership staff and resources to support faculty and staff in developing and implementing innovations in the curriculum
Collaboration & Innovation Continuing St. Luke’s positive momentum—continuing to improve—requires that we formally develop a culture of collaboration and innovation. This focus is based on the belief that skills such as working in teams, risk-taking, and intellectual exploration will serve our students well and be critical to achievement throughout life. Engendering a culture of collaboration and innovation extends beyond students to teachers and offers powerful benefits of curricular integration and inspiration. Success in this endeavor will maximize the talents and passion of the St. Luke’s faculty and thereby improve student performance.
Implementation Focus: Explore and pursue new signature programs (such as enrichment term, capstone projects, discipline concentrations) Re-examine the use of student/teacher time, on a daily and yearly basis, to identify opportunities to collaborate, innovate and integrate curriculum, encourage student exploration/risk-taking, reduce unneeded stress without sacrificing educational objectives Rethink the teacher-student dynamic to increase classroom collaboration through professional development and classroom redesign. Create assessments to measure success of these initiatives Integrate public speaking and other leadership skills into the Middle School and Upper School curricula (see Center for Leadership)
Transformational Technology Technology use and resources are pervasive at St. Luke’s. Skilled teachers employ cutting-edge hardware and software to enhance collaboration and deepen student learning. Our strength and reputation as a “technology–forward” school are a result of implementing the technology building block of the Strategic Plan 2005-2010. Technology continues to hold a prominent place in St. Luke’s planning. In the Strategic Vision, the School commits itself to a complete technology approach. This holistic philosophy stresses the value of technology as a powerful tool—for teaching, learning, and future success—while also embracing the wisdom of thoughtful, purposeful application that ensures enhanced student learning.
Implementation Focus: Enhance faculty training and development in the use of technology to achieve educational and curricular objectives and support Community Goals for Learning Execute St. Luke’s Information and Media Literacy Standards Establish a standing technology committee to guide and support achievement of technology objectives Continue to develop events and workshops to bridge the gap between parent and student understanding of, and proficiency in, technology
Financial Soundness Over the past five years, St. Luke’s has developed a long-term, strategic approach to its financial management and decision-making. Our priorities have been to provide the financial strength to fuel advances while ensuring adequate financial safety. This approach has allowed us to sustain a strong financial profile and the School’s forward momentum in difficult economic circumstances—including maintaining faculty salaries at the top quartile of Fairchester schools and holding gains in the financial aid budget as a percent of revenues. Our ongoing strategic objectives strongly reflect the goal of continuous improvement. While substantial progress has been made in strengthening the financial position of St. Luke’s, further growth in endowment remains a strong priority to realize our aspirations for the School and to secure long-term stability. It is also important that our philanthropic base of support continues to expand across the annual fund, endowments, and capital campaigns.
Implementation Focus: Grow endowment to safeguard St. Luke’s financial position and enable aspirational programs Increase endowment per student Continue utilization of long-term financial models for planning and decision-making Charge appropriate Committees of the Board of Trustees (such as Financial Affairs, Governance) with periodic review of financial policies Pursue opportunities for revenue sources not related to tuition or philanthropy Support marketing to further burnish the reputation of, and demand for, a St. Luke’s education in our target communities
Acknowledgements This plan represents a complete team effort on the part of our entire community. Through meetings, surveys, workshops, committees, and focus groups, we received tremendous input and ideas from all constituencies (parents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and prospective families). We have worked hard to ensure that the Strategic Vision faithfully represents the views of our community regarding the strengths of St. Luke’s and what we can do better. At the same time, it allows for the very broad, collaborative development of ideas that will serve to improve our school and hence our ability to deliver on our mission to prepare students for a lifelong commitment to learning and social responsibility.
Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve This has been an overview of the St. Luke’s School Strategic Vision. To read the complete, unedited Strategic Vision, please visit: www.stlukesct.org/strategicvision. Photography by Desirée Smock Designed by Peapod Design, New Canaan CT Published 2010