CASTILLEJA SCHOOLDEFINING EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR GIRLS

IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

STRATEGIC PLAN 2008

CASTILLEJA’S STRATEGIC PLAN

In Castilleja: Celebrating a Century, we are reminded of Castilleja’s distinguished history as a premiere girls school steeped in tradition yet embracing innovations that have paved the way for educational excellence for the 21st century. Castilleja enters the second century poised to set the course for even greater strides in the future. The year 2008 marks the culmination of our Centennial Celebration, the opening of the Joan Z. Lonergan Center, the completion of the Centennial Capital Campaign, and the start of our accreditation self-study—catalysts for Castilleja’s newest Strategic Plan: Defining Educational Excellence for Girls in the 21st Century.

In this document, we articulate the steps we will take to ensure Castilleja’s place at the forefront of girls’ education. First, the faculty and academic administration must redefine educational excellence

for girls and redesign the curricular and co-curricular programs to meet the demands of 21st century learning. Second, we must continue to attract the best faculty, students and families who are poised to partner with us in this endeavor. Third, we must secure the resources necessary to make this Strategic Plan a reality.

Work on this plan began in the fall of 2006, with every school constituency playing a key role. The Long Range Planning Committee worked throughout the 2006-2007 academic year to prepare a comprehensive document for the Board of Trustees. Based on the extensive work of this committee, the Board then created and approved this Strategic Plan.

Implementation planning was underway throughout the 2007-2008 academic year and continues this fall. As each department prepares for our upcoming accreditation, faculty members are devising departmental strategic plans, complete with timelines, action plans, resource requirements and metrics. Highlights from these plans will soon be made available on our website.

We are grateful to the Long Range Planning Committee, the board, and the entire school community for the many hours of reflection, brainstorming, deliberation, and fine-tuning required to

produce such a challenging and ambitious plan. We count on each and every one of you to work with us to make this Strategic Plan a reality.

Joan Lonergan Karen Fisher Bitsie Root Ken KornbergHead of School Board of Trustees Chair LRP Committee Chair LRP Committee Chair

Dear members of the Castilleja community,

LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE

GRACE CHEN ’11Middle School Government President

ANGELIKA DEOGIRIKAR ’00President of the Alumnae Board

MICHELE ELAM

Current parent

NANCI KAUFFMAN

Assistant Head of School and Dean of Faculty

KEN KORNBERG

Trustee, Co-chair of the LRP Committee, and alumnae parent

CAMILLA LAU

Faculty member

JILL LEE

Director of Admission and current parent

JOAN LONERGAN

Head of School

JOE MARTIGNETTI

Trustee and current parent

PEGGY MCKEE

Faculty member

MAGGIE PRINGLE ’71 Director of Alumnae Relations andalumnae parent

ELIZABETH ROOT

Trustee and Co-chair of the LRP Committee

BARB ROSSTON Current parent

KELLY SCHRYVER ’07 Upper School Government President

HELEN SHANKS

Faculty member

CHRISTY STORY

Faculty member

BRYDIE SULLIVAN

Faculty member

DON BOGUE

KIRK BOSTROM

LOREN BROWN

ANJELIKA DEOGIRIKAR ’00

JOHN DOERR

KAREN FISHER, CHAIR

STEVE FRANKLIN

BILL FRIEDMAN, VICE CHAIR

DIANNE GIANCARLO

JOHN GUNN

BARBARA HAZLETT

WILLIAM KIND

DAVID KELLEY

KENNETH KORNBERG

MARTA KOSARCHYN

JOAN Z. LONERGAN

JOSEPH MARTIGNETTI

ANITA MEHTA

BRUCE MOSBACHER

JOHN NELSON

FRANK QUATTRONE

KAVITA RAMDAS

BITSIE ROOT

MARTIN SHELL

HANNAH VALANTINE

MARK VANDER PLOEG

LINDA YATES ’80

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2007-2008

Castilleja School inspires a quest for knowledge and learning that lasts a lifetime.To prepare our students for the wider world, we infuse our challenging college preparatory curriculum with a global program that fosters awareness, compassion, and engagement with issues beyond Castilleja. Our comprehensive academic program and extensive co-curricular offerings develop in each student the self-confidence to reach her full potential.

Above all, our faculty and staff dedicate themselves to excellence in educating young women and in cultivating young leaders.

DEFINING EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR GIRLS IN THE 21st CENTURY

WOMEN LEARNING • WOMEN LEADING

It is in the 5 Cs and the mission of the school that this Strategic Plan has its strength and its foundation.

The 5 Cs—conscience, courtesy, character, courage, and charity—date back to Castilleja School’s founding and are essential to our mission:

GOAL: BUILD ACADEMIC AND CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Establish objectives of a Castilleja education in the 21st century

Create appropriate interdisciplinary scope and sequence for general and specialized areas of study, •

including: English Fitness and Wellness History Mathematics Modern and Classical Languages Science Visual and Performing Arts Environmental Sustainability Equity and Social Justice Global Education Leadership and Communication Research and Technology Skills

Expand scope and sequence beyond classroom by identifying connections between academic program •

and co-curricular program in such areas as Journalism, Robotics, Technology, Arts, and Athletics

Castilleja’s academic and co-curricular programs reflect the School’s mission and its core values. The program

for the 21st century will retain the academic excellence fundamental to a college preparatory school while maintaining in its curricular and co-curricular offerings the essence of a liberal arts education. Castilleja will enhance this program and prepare young women for the 21st century by expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and learning.

Design and implement program for meeting established educational objectives

Determine, develop, and employ best pedagogical practices for 21st century teaching and learning in •

all disciplines and across disciplines, in order to prepare students to: Create Communicate Collaborate Innovate

Create more effective opportunities for student-initiated learning and real-world experiences, such as •

internships, school exchanges, global travel, community service, and collaborative projects with other organizationsProvide every student with academic and co-curricular resources to reach her intellectual, emotional, and •

physical potential

Collaborate with other knowledge leaders in girls education

Identify leaders and form collaborative relationships•

Engage in research initiatives with potential to inform Castilleja’s program development•

Develop a strong voice in dialogue about girls education and 21st century education•

Gather and Assess Information Think Critically Solve Problems

GOAL: ATTRACT, RETAIN, AND INSPIRE EXCELLENT FACULTY AND STAFF

Align compensation philosophy and structure with 21st century program

Assess and, where appropriate, restructure teaching at Castilleja to meet the needs of a •

21st century programImplement multi-level compensation package for faculty and staff that rewards excellence •

and contributions to accomplishing Strategic Goals and Key InitiativesEvaluate periodically competitiveness and suitability of all aspects of compensation•

Create, redesign, and strengthen key human resource processes

Establish recruiting, hiring, and professional development protocols for all departments •

and positions to attract best candidatesRevise performance appraisal objectives and processes to reflect Strategic Goals and Key •

Initiatives

Increase faculty and staff engagement in leadership and innovation

Provide significant opportunities and clear expectations for engagement, leadership, and •

innovationStrengthen leadership skills and practices of administrative team and department heads•

Support professional development to meet Strategic Goals and Key Initiatives•

The faculty and staff at Castilleja form the core strength of the school community, built on the 5 Cs. To ensure our future success, we will continue to cultivate exceptional teachers with pedagogical expertise and mastery of content, and foster a faculty and staff committed to supporting the educational mission of the school.

GOAL: ENROLL AND EMPOWER A STUDENT COMMUNITY THAT EMBODIES CASTILLEJA’S MISSION AND VALUES

Attract students and families who will partner with School to both benefit from and contribute

to the Castilleja experience

Articulate to broader community value of Castilleja education•

Forge partnerships with families to support Mission and Values and to work with students •

to balance school and home lifeProvide students more varied co-curricular opportunities to interact with boys•

Increase size, quality, and diversity of applicant pool in face of changing Bay Area •

demographics

Support a culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse community

Increase outreach to underrepresented communities•

Hire and retain a diverse faculty and staff•

Commit resources and expertise to ensure each student has opportunity to thrive at •

Castilleja

Address affordability issues created by cost of Castilleja education

Generate alternatives to present tuition and tuition payment plans•

Optimize tuition assistance across broader range of economic circumstances•

Search for opportunities to reduce expenses without jeopardizing Mission•

Evaluate impact on affordability of each proposed new program element•

Castilleja strives to be an inclusive community of students, families, alumnae, faculty, and staff who share a commitment to an education that fosters engaged citizenship. In the 21st century, the girls and young women who enter Castilleja to pursue our motto, Women Learning, Women Lead-ing, will gain the foundation to engage in, direct and act on their own learning.

GOAL: DEVELOP INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES REQUIRED TO REACH STRATEGIC GOALS

Secure outstanding leadershipRecruit and develop trustees with vision, commitment, and capabilities required to guide •

implementation of this PlanDevelop succession plans that ensure strong administrative, academic, and co-curricular •

leadership

Align operations and support functions with School’s future needsImplement best practices for each function•

Identify and address opportunities to improve staffing, processes, and systems•

Ensure ongoing suitability of Castilleja’s infrastructureDevelop plan for physical plant to address changing space, facilities and equipment •

needs over timeProvide information technology systems and equipment to meet program and operations •

requirements

Increase engagement of alumnae and alumnae parent communitiesBroaden and deepen alumnae connections revitalized by Centennial•

Launch, grow, and support new organization focused on alumnae parents •

Enlist broader community in support of Castilleja’s financing needs

Motivate higher-capacity supporters to become “asset donors”•

Create opportunities for long-term support from foundations•

Launch endowment campaign by 2012•

The trustees, parents, alumnae, faculty and staff are dedicated to ensuring that Castilleja acquires the resources needed to pursue the goals of the Strategic Plan and to provide a program that exceeds the needs of the 21st century.

The 5 Cs set the standard for a community of civility and inclusion, where diversity is honored and differences are respected.

We believe that a Castilleja education is a privilege, carrying with it the obligation for student to act responsily and in the best interests of others. The 5 Cs remind us that the best education is of the whole child—and that educational excellence, grounded in the academic realms of the school, extends to the creative, emotional, and physical growth of our students.

Conscience Courtesy Character Courage Charity