Strategic Plan 2016–2023

Roots grow TO TOwings soar

A Strategic Plan 2017-2023

The

Pegasus School

LETTER FROM THE BOARD

The Pegasus School was founded over three decades ago on the principle that bright and curious learners thrive in an environment where it’s safe to be smart. We have never wavered from that foundational tenet. While research may reveal new educational theories, while advancements are made in pedagogical practices, while individual faculty members and administrators may change, the bedrock values of our institution remain. We believe learning is fostered in intimate environments catered to the individual student by skilled, nurturing, and engaged faculty.

Building Our Future

Last fall, Pegasus unveiled a new Mission Statement which reflects the values the School was founded upon—creating a vibrant academic community that inspires bright students to realize their unique gifts. It also anticipates the future by stressing the importance of equipping students for future academic success and societal contributions.

Shortly after adopting this new Mission Statement, the Head of School and Board of Trustees recognized the need to reexamine every aspect of the School—from academic programs to physical facilities and everything in between—to ensure each component served our underlying mission. The Board embarked on developing a new six-year Strategic Plan to reflect our vision and provide specific steps to both solidify our best practices and achieve the aspirational objectives that will guide Pegasus into the future.

Over the course of nine months, the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board gathered data from a variety of sources including faculty and administration workshops, a Board of Trustees’ workshop, student interviews, parent surveys, alumni surveys, and our most recent CAIS accreditation process. We also benefited from the guidance of The Weaver Group, a trusted consulting firm that has a proven history of supporting independent schools in realizing their unique visions.

The Evolution of the Strategic Priorities

Through this extensive process involving approximately a dozen meetings and hundreds of collective people hours over seven months, six Strategic Priorities emerged:

1. A renewed obligation to ensure Pegasus delivers a distinctive educational program;

2. A restated commitment to our students that their experience at Pegasus will be transformative;

3. A recognition that our outstanding professional faculty lie at the foundation of our ability to deliver an extraordinary education and a pledge to nurture our educators in a variety of ways;

4. The significance of fostering a vibrant and engaged community that incorporates the dynamic value every member adds;

5. An appreciation that the physical environment must inspire our students by providing a campus that is innovative and spaces that are stimulating; and

6, The importance of ensuring a robust and sustainable future for the School.

Distilling what makes Pegasus unique is a subtle exercise. These six Priorities articulate the requirements necessary to deliver students an extraordinary education that will reveal their authentic selves while positioning them well for future success. Each Priority is backed by several goals and, where appropriate, specific steps to implement those goals. While Pegasus may feel magical to students and their parents, our faculty, administration, and staff recognize the complicated apparatus that makes this magic happen. We express our gratitude to all the teachers, parents, students, and alumni who contributed their time and efforts in helping us achieve this Plan. We extend special thanks to our Strategic Planning Committee who tirelessly scrutinized each component of the Plan and ensured that every sentence articulated and reflected our educational vision. And we acknowledge the important contributions of The Weaver Group for their steady hand in guiding the process.

Implementing this Plan will be a group effort, requiring the dedication and service of every component of our community. But, as this Plan reflects, that has always been one of our strengths—coming together and pooling our individual and collective resources for the benefit of the whole.

We are confident in our ambitious Plan and have abundant optimism for our future. We’re excited to share this strategic vision with you, our valued community, and we welcome your participation.

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We are Pegasus. The story of Pegasus begins with intellectual curiosity and compassion. We are a vibrant academic community that inspires bright, motivated students to discover and develop their unique gifts. Teachers and students build trusting relationships that foster self-reliance, confidence, and innovative thinking. A Pegasus education equips students to achieve future academic success and make a positive impact on society.

This is our Mission.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: A DISTINCTIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Pegasus reaffirms its founding principle to maintain “a safe place where bright minds can soar.” We emphasize teaching to bright and curious learners. In preparing students to be critical thinkers, we equip them with the skills needed to adapt to a rapidly changing world. Our curriculum provides opportunities for students to develop their unique gifts within the context of a balanced program.

Goal 1.1

Evaluate and apply the most effective and innovative research in learning theories, differentiated instruction, and best pedagogical practices.

Goal 1.2

Ensure the implementation of an articulated and aligned curriculum.

• Map our curriculum both horizontally and vertically across divisions and grade levels.

• Prepare students to be agile thinkers by creating an interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses on critical thinking, applied knowledge, and hands-on learning.

Goal 1.3

Consider additional academic and enrichment programs including, but not limited to, world languages, fine and performing arts, economic literacy, computer science, and oration.

• Increase project-based learning opportunities across divisions and disciplines with special emphasis on our computer science curriculum. Include new initiatives in coding, engineering, robotics, and digital citizenship.

• Implement a social-emotional curricula to develop students’ ability to manage stressful and rigorous academic environments.

Goal 1.4

Refine our support systems to address individual student needs, including both those seeking further challenges and those requiring additional support.

Goal 1.5

Examine additional ways to support relationship-building between students and faculty beyond our existing commitment to low student-teacher ratios, Middle School Advisory programming, and the utilization of faculty specialists.

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A TRANSFORMATIVE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Pegasus nurtures each child and their unique gifts. We encourage students to develop their talents and explore their interests. It’s a school where distinctiveness is cultivated, supported, and celebrated. As well, we recognize students’ social, emotional, and physical health is central to their academic success. In this challenging environment, students must feel confident to follow their curiosity and creativity without suffering fear of failure or the pressure for perfection. We intend to maintain an environment that both prepares students for the world, and helps them find their unique place in it.

Goal 2.1

Graduate responsible young individuals of strong character.

• Review the social-emotional curriculum. Enhance programs such as middle school advisory, our campus speaker series, and the buddy program.

• Encourage student service and leadership. Develop additional comprehensive service learning programs that encourage a culture of compassion.

• Foster the non-cognitive skills represented in our shared community values (i.e., kindness, perseverance, courage, and integrity).

• Increase opportunities for student interaction between grade levels and divisions, both in academic and nonacademic domains.

Goal 2.2

Sustain a culture of balance and wellbeing for students.

• Deliver a comprehensive Wellness Curriculum that ncorporates social-emotional learning, mindfulness, movement, nutrition, stress management, responsible use of technology and social media, and other relevant topics.

• Evaluate current research on adolescent health and earning. Focus on student schedules, homework demands, and outside tutorial programs.

• Analyze ways to further utilize the Learning Support Team (including our school psychologist, reading specialist, math specialist, and dedicated learning support faculty) to cultivate academic, emotional, physical, and psychological success in our students.

Goal 2.3

Support our growing excellence in athletics and enhance the student-athlete experience.

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STRATEGIC

PRIORITY 2:

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3: AN OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL FACULTY

Our faculty is the foundation of our success. Not only are they highly qualified in their academic fields, they are stewards of our mission to build trusting relationships that foster self-reliance, confidence, and innovative thinking. They are trusted to promote our students’ unique individuality and guide them to be socially engaged leaders for the 21st century. We expect much from our faculty and, more than that, they hold those same standards for one another. We commit to protecting, promoting, and supporting our greatest asset — our teachers...

Goal 3.1

Recruit and nurture talented faculty and staff who advance our mission.

• Support existing human resource systems (including hiring committees, mentorship, and instructional coaching).

• Continue to evaluate instructional and planning time to achieve efficient enhancements to the program.

• Review faculty compensation and benefits to ensure we attract and retain the most qualified, talented, and creative teachers.

Goal 3.2

Maintain high expectations for faculty, and support the longstanding practice of faculty being accountable to each other.

• Adopt a meaningful evaluative process for faculty and staff that supports professional growth.

• Incorporate the guidelines and principles set forth in the document, Expectations of Good Teaching at Pegasus. The text uses a research-based framework to describe the quality of teaching at Pegasus.

• Explore ways to further acknowledge and reward outstanding teachers.

Goal 3.3

Provide additional professional development opportunities that enhance our faculty’s ability to deliver an innovative experience for students.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4: A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

Pegasus has long benefited from a genuine, collaborative, and joyful school community. While this is fundamental to who we are, we take nothing for granted. A letter of acceptance to Pegasus is both an invitation and an obligation to actively participate in our community in order to preserve the integrity of the Pegasus culture. We view our parents as partners in education. Wellinformed and profoundly engaged student, parent, faculty, and administrative bodies enrich the whole. Each member brings unique strengths and expertise, and drawing from those natural resources elevates everyone’s experience. We intend to deepen our commitment to become an even more inclusive and diverse community.

Goal 4.1

Support a vibrant and inclusive community by providing diverse opportunities for parental engagement. This may include social events, ambassador programs, classroom volunteers, committee positions, parent education programming, and other supportive roles.

• Identify groups and events, both within Pegasus and the broader community, that contribute to our institutional identity. Find ways to cultivate and foster that support.

• Encourage student service and leadership. Develop additional comprehensive service learning programs that encourage a culture of compassion.

• Define the roles of each group above in enhancing community development and facilitate events to promote the same.

• Conduct periodic assessments of these activities to ensure they enhance an inclusive community atmosphere.

• Recruit and retain talented volunteers from the community to support the school.

Goal 4.2

Ensure our parent communications provide convenient access to all relevant matters. Develop an intentioned and meaningful communication strategy.

• Employ a formal Communication Plan, including procedures and expectations.

• Formalize enhanced Board and committee communications in order to better educate the community regarding opportunities for involvement.

• Solicit and collect parent feedback.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 5: AN INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT

The Pegasus campus reflects our vibrant community, offering many collaborative classrooms and several spaces that spark creativity and imagination. We provide students with an environment that fosters curiosity, learning, and growth. Even our playgrounds are designed with learning in mind.

We are now on the brink of further enriching our facilities to support our academic offerings, institutional goals, and environmental practices. While much of our campus aims to inspire, we recognize the need for additional growth and improvement. We believe places themselves can be instructive, and we intend all our spaces and facilities to feel exciting and stimulating, and to further promote an atmosphere of learning.

Goal 5.1

Create a state-of-the-art campus that reflects our commitment to interdisciplinary teaching. Spaces should be conducive to reflection, instruction, socializing, and collaborative work both across grade levels and our greater community. The campus must enhance the educational program and student experience.

• Commission both a short-term and long-term master plan that ensures our physical spaces and facilities align with our mission to provide an innovative, attractive, and sustainable campus where students will thrive academically, physically, and socially.

• Create a comprehensive infrastructure plan that enhances the learning experience. Ensure the plan provides students with state-of-the-art technology and multimedia experiences.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 6: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Conservative management of our financial resources, and anticipation of market changes, are critical to the health of the School. Being careful financial stewards of our resources is essential to our long-term goals and future development. We are committed to remaining a competitive and affordable option for all families of bright and curious students.

Goal 6.1

Remain competitive with market fluctuations and conditions.

• Evaluate market changes and their impact on educational trends.

• Understand changing demographics and develop flexible enrollment scenarios that reflect demographic trends and future demands.

Goal 6.2

Ensure long-term financial stability and security.

• Develop a financial model and appropriate raised funds to ensure the long-term sustainability of the school, including facilities investment and endowment growth to support our programming, financial aid, faculty and staff compensation, small class sizes, adequate liquidity, and affordable tuition.

Goal 6.3

Continue to enhance the security of all aspects of the School.

• Evaluate a broad range of topics including the physical safety of the community, market fluctuations, reputation and brand integrity, financial well-being, environmental responsibility, and any other matter impacting the sustainability of the School.