Long Range Planning @ the

1. Long Range Planning @ the A Community Approach to Quality Education VSBA/VSA Annual Conference Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, Vermont October 25, 2012

2. IntroductionFrank Bass

3. Introduction • Unique approach at MCS • Build community into the future of the school • Non-hierarchical – anyone can be chair of a group • Introduction of Presenters/MCS Staff • Distribution of Handouts

4. Introduction (cont.) • Long Range Planning: A 3-5 Year Horizon for Strategic Planning • School and Community: An Holistic View • Local Control: How Best to Self-Govern  • Collective Leadership: Equalized Value  • Principal as Gatekeeper: A Synapse Center • Overview of Presentation

5. Concept & DevelopmentAnne Day

6. Long Range Plan Development • Linda Kelley, then principal of the school, bought a proposal to develop a long range plan to the Board at its retreat in May 2009 • Based on her experience as Head of School at Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, PA

7. Conceptual Steps • Vision for the School • Mission Statement • Goals • Strategies

8. Process: Form Committee • Committee was to consist of Board members, administrators, faculty and community members/parents • Solicited applications; Board Chair, Principal and Superintendent chose members • Committee consisted of two board members (including Chair), Superintendent, Principal, four teachers, and six parents • Committee met monthly, Oct. 2009 – April 2010

9. Vision What is the community’s vision for the school? • Committee identified and prioritized external and internal influences and submitted their thoughts on what the school should look like in five years • Parent, Faculty, Community Survey and Forums • What do they love about MCS and do not want to change? • What existing concerns would they like to see addressed at MCS? • What would they like MCS to look like in 3-5 years?

10. Vision (cont.) Surveys: 169 completed • Survey responses (people could be in more than one category) • 33 teachers • 99 parents • 20 future parents • 29 former parents • 38 community members • 17 community members attended two forums, 14 faculty attended a faculty forum

11. Mission Statement Committee took information from internal/external influences analysis, forums and surveys and revised mission statement (this took a couple of meetings): Marion Cross School is a nurturing kindergarten through sixth grade public school that: • Promotes educational excellence and fosters a life-long love of learning. • Empowers all students to realize their intellectual, physical, emotional, creative and social potential. • Partners with families and the community to develop responsible local and global citizens who can adapt to a changing world.

12. Goal Development • Models: Winchester Thurston plan, Rivendell’s Strategic Plan 2008-2013 • All goals must support the mission statement. • Often a goal serves more than one provision of the mission statement. • Eight goals: • Leadership • Facilities operation and management • Parents and community • Finances • Students • Staff • School culture • Curriculum and instruction

13. Goal Development (cont.) • Students: to meet the individual educational, behavioral, social and emotional needs of all students so that they can maximize their potential. • Leadership: to ensure the highest quality administration to carry out the mission of the school and implement the long range plan. • Finances: to ensure the fiscal stability of the school through sound and transparent financial planning and management.

14. Strategy Development How will we achieve the goals? • Goals had between 3 (Leadership) and 11 (Curriculum) strategies • Strategies could support more than one goal, but were placed under only one goal to avoid duplicate work • Some strategies could be implemented immediately, some would need more planning before implementation • Some strategies could be implemented administratively, some would need Board approval (policy changes; budget impacts)

15. Examples of Strategies • Student goal: Identify and provide opportunities for students to develop leadership skills. • Staff goal: review the current mentoring program for faculty and recommend any changes as needed. • Curriculum goal: expand emphasis on 21st century skills. • Leadership goal: Evaluate, and restructure as necessary, the administrative organization to ensure that if furthers all school goals and maximizes the principal’s time in classrooms, in the playground and on the community. • Finances goal: Identify new revenue sources. For example: a. create a preschool; b. attract more tuition students; c. administer the after school program; d. engage aggressively in competitive grant writing; e. establish a volunteer Marion Cross School Development Committee, consisting of MCS parents, staff, Board members and members of the community.

16. Board Adoption • Draft plan submitted to Board in May and approved by Board on June 2, 2010 • Revisions to plan will come to Board as needed

17. ProcessNeil Odell

18. Current Goal Groups • Curriculum and Instruction To develop a sequential, developmentally appropriate, student centered curriculum that will use a variety of approaches to learning and will meet the needs of the individual student. • School Culture and Leadership To develop and maintain a school culture that celebrates diversity and fosters activities that result in a sense of belonging by all students and school community members. To ensure the highest quality administration to carry out the mission of the school and implement the long range plan. • Students To meet the individual educational, behavioral, social and emotional needs of all students so that they can maximize their potential. • Parents and Community • To ensure the continued support of the Norwich community and the Marion Cross School parents and alumni. • Facilities Operation and Management • To provide a physical environment that is safe, attractive, comfortable and conducive to learning. • Finances • Ensure the fiscal stability of the school through sound and transparent financial planning and management. • Staff • To attract and retain talented faculty and staff committed to the school’s mission and goals.

19. Goal Groups • Membership • Teacher/staff, community, board member • Meet monthly, ongoing • Annual review of progress/deliverables • Each has liaison to Steering Committee

20. Steering Committee • Maintain the overarching vision for innovations, strategies, and accomplishments for each goal group • Function as a liaison to an individual goal group and report to the principal the direction that the committee is taking. Each member of the Steering Committee is responsible for one committee • Meet 3 to 4 times a year to monitor and communicate the progress of each group • Principal as hub. Manages/filters requests

21. Idea to Initiative • Goal groups develop areas of interest/concern • Regular communication with Principal and School Board • Request to Principal, School Administration, Board • Execution of initiative • Realize need to be flexible

22. “Typical” Idea to InitiativeParents & Community Goal GroupTom Candon

23. Parents and CommunityGoal Group • Recruited members from within the school and across the community • 3 teachers, 4 parents, 2 community members • Prioritized strategies outlined in the Long Range Plan • Broaden communication with all members of the Norwich community • Develop an outreach strategy to increase financial and non-financial support • Continue to support a strong and active PTO • Promote use of school by community groups

24. Parents and CommunityPast & Current Initiatives • Outreach strategies to increase financial and non-financial support / Work to increase enrollment • Worked with MCS parent to develop school brochure • Worked across goal groups (w/ Finance) to provide information on the school through an Open House for local realtors

25. Parents and CommunityPast & Current Initiatives • Initiated greater level of outreach into the community through pilot programs with 3rd grade class • Developed mailing list • Poetry reading with local retiree group • Caroling • Service day • Invitations to school concerts

26. Parents and CommunityCurrent & Future Initiatives • Raising local awareness of school activities by inviting local media to events • Developing a list with school’s teachers to highlight upcoming programs • Reaching out to more community groups, particularly those with no direct links into the school

27. “Atypical” Idea to InitiativeForeign Language SubcommitteeJim Mackall

28. Foreign Language Subcommittee

29. Challenges & SummaryNeil Odell

30. Challenges • Bridging School and Community • Meeting times • Participation • Leadership/maintain momentum • Overlap with other district initiatives • Communication

31. Summary • LRP provides a mechanism for discussing and working towards a future vision. • Collaborative, community based approach. • Sustained effort. • Need to be flexible.

32. Questions? Photo by Steve Flanders Contact Information Marion Cross School 22 Church Street PO Box 900 Norwich, VT 05055 802.649.1703www.marioncross.org Contact Information SAU 70 41 Lebanon Street Hanover, NH 03755 603.643.6050 info@sau70.orgwww.sau70.org Slides available for download at:www.marioncross.org/vsba_longrangeplan.pdf www.marioncross.org/vsba_longrangeplan.pps