Strategic Plan
Approved October 25, 2004
PDF Version
I. Program
Goals
· Foster a love of learning
· Celebrate childhood and adolescence in a caring environment, providing age-appropriate structure
· Balance a challenging and stimulating academic program with time for joyful play and relaxation
· Build students’ understanding of and responsibility to themselves, their school, and the broader community
Rationale
To prepare students for a purposeful and fulfilling life in our multicultural world, Norwood encourages a love of learning, a respect for self and others, and an appreciation for other cultures in an outstanding, broad-based K-8 program. The School recognizes the importance of the mastery of core subjects and the development of students intellectually, spiritually, morally, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Program Action Points
1.1 Reaffirm Norwood’s commitment to a superior educational program
1.2 Further enrich the culture and curriculum of Norwood to reflect its ideals of diversity, embracing a multicultural world
1.3 Reaffirm chapel and the role of spirituality and community at Norwood for every child
1.4 Reevaluate the fundamental goals of the foreign language program
1.5 Examine the increasing demands of the program to ensure an appropriate emphasis among curricular activities, recreational time, and co-curricular activities, including class programs and performances
1.6 Evaluate the balance between the developmental and competitive goals of the sports program
1.7 Maintain grade and class size consistent with the 1999 Board study (as updated 2002 and 2004)
1.8 Continue to address a range of learning styles through grouping, teacher training, tutors, and learning specialists while making it clear that Norwood cannot meet every learning need
II. Students
Goals
· Enroll a talented and diverse student body that can take good advantage of Norwood’s offerings
· Graduate confident, independent learners who are well prepared for the challenges that await them
· Foster the intellectual, social, emotional, moral, spiritual, and physical development of each child
· Keep parents informed regarding student progress
Rationale
Norwood seeks to educate and support the whole child within a diverse student body.
Student Action Points
2.1 Adhere to traditions that enrich the Norwood experience, such as morning greeting, chapel, the birthday prayer, class programs, the Christmas Pageant, and the Winter Concert
2.2 Help students achieve a healthy balance in their lives and to manage the stress they encounter
2.3 Achieve a diverse and inclusive student body consistent with the goals of Section IV -- Diversity
2.4 Enhance the student support system to ensure that the individual academic and counseling needs of students are understood and addressed
2.5 Communicate and equitably enforce the School’s code of conduct
2.6 Review the dress code, including consideration of uniforms
2.7 Review admission standards to ensure consistency with the Mission and Philosophy of the School
III. Faculty
Goals
· Encourage creative teaching and learning
· Recruit, reward, retain, and recognize a superior and diverse faculty committed to the mission of the School
· Provide a supportive environment for Norwood’s educators
Rationale
The fulfillment of Norwood’s mission is predicated upon exceptional and dedicated educators.
Faculty Action Points
3.1 Ensure all faculty and staff understand and support the traditions and values of Norwood
3.2 Ensure that Norwood faculty is compensated, at all experience levels, in the top half, while striving to be in the top third, of a select peer group of other leading independent schools in the Washington area
3.3 Make sure that the total benefits package is competitive with AISGW schools
3.4 Achieve a diverse faculty consistent with the goals of Section IV -- Diversity
3.5 Strive to provide more professional time for continuing education and faculty collaboration concerning students and curriculum
3.6 Strengthen orientation and mentoring for new/incoming faculty
3.7 Through faculty training, accommodate student learning differences
3.8 Review recruitment process to ensure that Norwood attracts the most qualified candidates
3.9 Review faculty evaluation process, with focus on supporting teachers in maintaining Norwood’s standard of performance
3.10 Develop plan for the establishment of a Norwood teacher institute
IV. Diversity
Goals
· Provide students enhanced educational opportunity, learning with and from people of diverse backgrounds
· Prepare students to function effectively and productively in our multicultural society
· Continue to establish Norwood as an inclusive, welcoming, and diverse community for its students, faculty, staff, and families
Rationale
Excellent education requires exposure to people of diverse backgrounds and their perspectives.
Norwood’s mission is supported by providing a welcoming and supportive environment.
Our multicultural world requires a proactive approach to being an inclusive community.
Diversity Action Points
4.1 Communicate the educational rationale for diversity and inclusiveness and their importance in the Norwood experience
4.2 Actively work to retain a racially and ethnically diverse faculty, staff, Board, and student body
4.3 Define the scope of Norwood’s diversity goals
4.4 Continue to develop the curriculum to include the diverse heritages of our world
4.5 Help to further define and evolve the role of the Diversity Coordinator
4.6 Reaffirm the importance of spirituality in a child’s development; appreciate and celebrate the diverse religious backgrounds of the Norwood community, while reaffirming the role of chapel at the School
4.7 Provide regular education about the value and challenges of diversity and inclusiveness for faculty, parents, students, and trustees
4.8 Grow financial aid for economic diversity
4.9 Review comparative statistics on diversity for peer schools
V. Parents and Families
Goals
· Attract and welcome families who appreciate and support Norwood’s mission
· Involve parents and families in an appropriate partnership to build a community that is both inclusive and supportive of their varied needs
· Preserve the tradition of being a family school
Rationale
Understanding and cooperation between families and the School are essential to the fulfillment of Norwood’s mission.
Parents and Family Action Points
5.1 Continue to foster volunteerism and parent contributions of time, talent, and financial resources
5.2 Explore new ways to embrace and welcome families of different ethnic, racial, religious, and economic backgrounds
5.3 Review all school-related financial requests of families
5.4 Expand volunteer and community activities designed to involve parents with different work schedules and family circumstances
5.5 Continue to give strong preference to siblings in admission to kindergarten, while recognizing that Norwood might not be appropriate for every child
5.6 Expand communication from the Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty to parents
VI. Plant
Goal
· Provide and maintain a physical plant that capably supports current and planned program objectives and excellence
Rationale
Appropriate and well-maintained spaces are important to meeting the School's program needs.
Plant Action Points
6.1. Reinvest in existing plant and infrastructure to keep current and well maintained
6.2. Annually review maintenance schedule and preventative maintenance program and enhance as appropriate
6.3. Seek consistent HVAC and air quality throughout the School
6.4. Respond to space needs for academic and auxiliary programs including tutoring, storage, meeting, technology, classrooms, performance, administrative, and dining
6.5. Develop a comprehensive site plan
6.6. Address zoning requirements for potential future operations of Norwood
VII. Communications
Goals
· Communicate to the School’s constituents the important aspects of a Norwood education, including its philosophy, policies and special strengths
· Keep the School community informed about current school activities and developments
· Develop an increasingly visible presence in the local community, the greater metropolitan area, and the national school community
Rationale
Norwood School’s mission, accomplishments, and activities need to be known by its own constituents and the community at large in order to attract and retain students, faculty, and staff from a broad base and to encourage family and community support.
Communication Action Points
7.1 Communicate broadly the School’s core values, traditions, and key strengths
7.2 Communicate values and basic school policies to parents and staff during recruitment to Norwood and throughout their tenure so they will understand the School’s traditions and programs as well as its expectations for students, parents, and staff
7.3 Establish and implement a public relations and marketing plan
7.4 Improve the effectiveness of marketing strategies to attract a more diverse faculty and student body
7.5 Continue to improve operational communications, emphasizing frequency, different approaches, transparency, and openness
7.6 Communicate the Strategic Plan to the Norwood community and publish regular updates
7.7 Communicate the effectiveness of Norwood’s next school placement process to all Norwood parents
7.8 Communicate the life successes of Norwood graduates
VIII. Extended Alumnae/i and Family
Goal
· Locate and creatively involve alumnae/i and the extended Norwood family in the life of the School
Rationale
Alumnae/i, parents of alumnae/i, grandparents, former faculty, and friends of the School embody the enduring value of a Norwood education. They can and should play a significant role in supporting the School and in providing connections to the School’s history and traditions.
Extended Family and Alumnae/i Action Points
8.1 Communicate the School’s vision and current priorities to the School’s extended alumnae/i and family
8.2 Collect, maintain, and publish alumnae/i and extended family home and email addresses and relevant information
8.3 Explore new and creative ways to encourage alumnae/i involvement in Norwood School through reunion events, participation in campus activities, and “peer-to-peer” alumnae/i activities
8.4 Expand alumnae/i news and accomplishments section in the Norwood Magazine and on the web site
8.5 Explore ways to involve grandparents, parents of alumnae/i, former faculty and staff, and other members of the extended Norwood family in the life of the School
IX. Administration
Goal
· Ensure that Norwood is organized, staffed, and led to promote excellence in fulfilling the School’s mission
Rationale
Outstanding leadership ensures the continuation of Norwood’s excellence and prepares the School for the future.
Administration Action Points
9.1 Enhance communication between the leadership of Norwood and its constituencies, including faculty, staff, parents, and students
9.2 Continue to focus attention on next school placement
9.3 Continue to provide leadership in the diversity effort
9.4 Achieve a diverse administration consistent with the goals of Section IV -- Diversity
9.5 Bring greater unity and consistency to the Lower and Middle School operations as appropriate
9.6 Maintain, update, and communicate Norwood’s Safety and Security Plan and Crisis Management Plan
9.7 Evaluate Development Office, including office structure and space needs, and policies and procedures to ensure Norwood is prepared for expanded endowment and annual fundraising efforts
X. Finance
Goals
· Enhance the financial health of the School
· Control tuition costs
· Allocate financial resources consistent with the Strategic Plan
Rationale
A solid fiscal basis is essential to the School’s ability to carry out its mission.
Finance Action Points
10.1 Develop the annual budget for the School preserving Norwood’s emphasis on excellence in a cost-effective manner
10.2 Increase financial aid to support the School’s strategic priority of economic diversity
10.3 Decrease the School’s reliance on tuition income by increasing income from non-tuition sources
10.4 Continue to build the deferred maintenance accrual
10.5 Ensure timely financial reporting including investment performance and endowment activity
10.6 Complete the annual audit within 90 days of the end of fiscal year
10.7 Compare Norwood’s financial performance to that of peer schools
10.8 Inform, at least annually, the Norwood community about the School’s financial performance and financial resources
XI. Non-Tuition Funding
Goals
· Build the School’s long-term stability through endowment growth and other fund raising initiatives
· Decrease the School’s reliance on tuition
Rationale
Norwood needs to limit tuition and become less reliant on tuition income to maintain the twin goals of maintaining a strong school with an excellent faculty and an economically diverse student body.
Non-tuition Action Points
11.1 Increase the endowment to be comparable to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) benchmarks for K-8 schools
11.2 Plan and undertake capital campaign to increase endowment and possible plant expansion for current space needs, development of auxiliary programs, and potential requirements for a Norwood teacher institute
11.3 Expand auxiliary programs and services to grow non-tuition income
11.4 Complete raising the necessary capital for the renovation of the Murray Arts Building
11.5 Establish a planned and alternative giving program that includes bequests and trusts
11.6 Seek grants and foundation support
11.7 Expand efforts to increase non-tuition revenue to support financial aid
11.8 Create a maintenance endowment for existing and future facilities
XII. Governance/Board of Trustees
Goals
· Serve as stewards of the School’s mission
· Provide oversight of the administration of the School
· Plan for the School’s future well-being
Rationale
As the School’s governing body, the Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that Norwood continues to be a healthy and dynamic educational institution.
Governance/Board of Trustee Action Points
12.1 Oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan
12.2 Continue Board leadership on diversity throughout the School
12.3 Increase diversity of Board membership consistent with goals of Section IV - Diversity
12.4 Evaluate, reward, and support the Head of School
12.5 Work with the administration to monitor institutional performance benchmarks
12.6 Review the best practices for Board functioning
12.7 Create an ad-hoc committee to perform a study of the long-term possibility of Norwood’s expansion to a high school