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Hillside School Strategic Goals 2019
Hillside School Strategic Goals 2019
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STRATEGIC GOALS | 2019<br />
Reigniting the Joy of Learning
OUR Mission<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School provides specialized instruction enabling students<br />
with dyslexia and other learning differences to reach their academic<br />
potential and become capable and confident lifelong learners.<br />
OUR Vision<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School is a leader in the development of innovative teaching<br />
strategies for students with learning differences and serves as a<br />
community resource about the education and the well-being of children.<br />
2
OUR<br />
Guiding Beliefs<br />
All children can learn<br />
The joy of learning is every child’s right<br />
Ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of<br />
the academic program is essential<br />
Educating children must include care<br />
for their affective needs<br />
Collaboration with parents and professionals<br />
promotes student success<br />
Learning happens best when<br />
children are engaged in a supportive<br />
environment that is free of judgment<br />
Serving as a resource about learning and<br />
the well-being of children supports the whole<br />
community<br />
3
OUR<br />
History<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School was founded in 2005 by Suzanne Neuman and Kathy Sherman to address<br />
a need in the community for an educational facility designed for students with learning<br />
disabilities such as dyslexia.<br />
Many parents were finding that their children<br />
with dyslexia were not being provided the<br />
intensive, daily, individual instruction that<br />
they needed. Students reported<br />
frustration, depression, anger,<br />
and loss of confidence.<br />
When <strong>Hillside</strong> opened its doors<br />
in 2005, it modeled its original<br />
program on the successful Hill<br />
School in Durham, NC. Through<br />
the years, the <strong>Hillside</strong> program was<br />
refined, building its own model based on<br />
research and the collective experience of its<br />
highly-trained faculty. The unique program<br />
at <strong>Hillside</strong> involves one teacher working<br />
with four students in three-hour<br />
intensive daily sessions. On<br />
average, students transition<br />
back to their traditional schools<br />
within two years. Students make<br />
tremendous academic gains<br />
during this time and grow into<br />
confident learners.<br />
4
A NOTE<br />
FROM OUR<br />
Leaders<br />
Dear <strong>Hillside</strong> Community,<br />
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it gives us great pleasure to share<br />
with you the strategic plan recently completed for our school. <strong>Hillside</strong><br />
is maturing quickly, and this plan helps us chart a path forward with<br />
both confidence and excitement.<br />
The plan is the result of a concerted effort of many hours of study<br />
involving all stakeholders in our school community led by consultants<br />
who are knowledgeable in the field of education as well as strategic<br />
planning. Parent and teacher input was an important piece of this<br />
planning. We all know that <strong>Hillside</strong> is poised for growth to further<br />
expand our reach in helping children and families. Having a strong<br />
plan with clear goals supports our continued success.<br />
It is truly a privilege to be a part of <strong>Hillside</strong> School and the positive<br />
impact it continues to manifest in our community.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Kathy Sherman<br />
Kathy Sherman, Head of School<br />
Sue Ryan<br />
Sue Ryan, Board Chair<br />
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OUR Process<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School launched its comprehensive strategic planning<br />
process in July 2018. The strategic plan is the result of a collaborative<br />
process that benefited from broad community input and that<br />
envisions a bright future for <strong>Hillside</strong> School. The resulting plan takes<br />
a medium-range view, setting our sights on the advances we plan<br />
to make in the next three years.<br />
To facilitate the process, the school partnered with<br />
SparkED: An Education Consulting Collective. SparkED<br />
used their expertise working with small, independent<br />
schools to craft a process that was customized to<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School’s culture and goals. As a part of the<br />
process, they reviewed a broad range of data from<br />
multiple sources, including financials, past parent and teacher<br />
surveys, fundraising targets and initiatives, and staffing and salary<br />
information. SparkED then spent a day at <strong>Hillside</strong> School, meeting<br />
with teachers, administrators, and parents, and observing the<br />
magic that happens in our classrooms.<br />
GOALS ARE MET IN A<br />
THOUGHTFUL,<br />
RESPONSIBLE &<br />
SUSTAINABLE WAY<br />
Following SparkED’s visit, we created and administered a series<br />
of surveys to school stakeholders, including teachers, parents,<br />
alumni parents,and board members. These surveys and frequent<br />
conversations with board and school leadership reflected consistent<br />
themes around <strong>Hillside</strong> School’s opportunities for growth and a<br />
clear vision for the future. The strategic planning<br />
process culminated in a full-day strategic planning<br />
retreat where members of the <strong>Hillside</strong> board<br />
reviewed community input and finalized the goals<br />
and actionable initiatives that will guide our focus<br />
for the next three years.<br />
After final board approval of the strategic plan,<br />
our administrative team began working closely with the board to<br />
develop an implementation plan that will ensure that these goals<br />
are met in a thoughtful, responsible, and sustainable way. Bringing<br />
this plan to life depends upon the involvement of everyone in our<br />
community. Please join us in generously supporting these initiatives<br />
and working with us to ensure a bright future for our school!<br />
6
OUR STRATEGIC GOALS<br />
Expanding Impact<br />
Strong Leadership<br />
Inspiring Facilities<br />
Excellence in Teaching<br />
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OUR STRATEGIC GOALS<br />
Strong Leadership<br />
STRATEGIC GOAL 1:<br />
Work intentionally to nurture strong and sustainable school leadership that promotes and<br />
maintains <strong>Hillside</strong> School’s distinctive culture and program.<br />
RATIONALE:<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School has benefited tremendously from the strong and consistent leadership of a visionary founding Head of School. As <strong>Hillside</strong> faces<br />
a leadership transition, it is essential that the school focus on intentional and careful planning that honors our history while preparing for our<br />
bright future. Promoting and nurturing a dedicated leadership team and developing a strong Board that reflects best practices in governance<br />
will ensure the school’s sustainability and support future leadership. Positive and collaborative relationships between Board and Head of School<br />
and a focus on maintaining school culture will be paramount.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 1.1<br />
Facilitate a thoughtful<br />
Head of School transition<br />
that honors <strong>Hillside</strong><br />
School’s history while<br />
enthusiastically planning<br />
for our vibrant future.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 1.2<br />
Create a sustainable<br />
and collaborative<br />
administrative structure<br />
that supports efficient<br />
school operations and<br />
promotes the work of our<br />
teachers.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 1.3<br />
Form a strong foundation for <strong>Hillside</strong><br />
School’s leadership by advancing<br />
the role of the Board from advisory<br />
to governing and by prioritizing<br />
a positive and collaborative<br />
relationship between the Board and<br />
Head of School.<br />
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OUR STRATEGIC GOALS<br />
Excellence in Teaching<br />
STRATEGIC GOAL 2:<br />
Maintain a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, self-reflection, and excellence.<br />
RATIONALE:<br />
Teachers are <strong>Hillside</strong> School’s greatest asset. Our program offers a unique academic model that produces transformative results. The<br />
curriculum is focused, purposeful and individualized, to meet each student’s learning needs while simultaneously instilling self-confidence and<br />
perseverance. The success of <strong>Hillside</strong>’s program relies on the expertise of our teachers, as well as the individual relationships they form with<br />
their students.<br />
Our teachers and staff place a high value on continued professional development and maintaining flexibility and autonomy within the<br />
classroom so that teachers can utilize their expertise to best meet the needs of their students. As a result, we have created a culture of<br />
authentic collaboration and growth that is shared by all members of our community. Maintaining this environment will result in continued<br />
transformational impact for families and students.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 2.1<br />
Recruit and retain high<br />
quality teachers and staff<br />
who share a passion for<br />
our mission.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 2.2<br />
Continue to provide<br />
ongoing teacher<br />
professional<br />
development and to<br />
recognize individual<br />
faculty expertise.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 2.3<br />
Preserve and foster our authentic<br />
culture of excellence, focusing on<br />
a highly collaborative and studentoriented<br />
climate in which all<br />
members share a growth mindset<br />
and respect for every individual<br />
including both staff and students.<br />
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OUR STRATEGIC GOALS<br />
Inspiring Facilities<br />
STRATEGIC GOAL 31:<br />
Create a learning environment that reflects and supports <strong>Hillside</strong> School’s unique program<br />
and opportunities for expanding our impact.<br />
RATIONALE:<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School’s unique program is based on using innovative teaching strategies and specialized instruction to enable students with dyslexia to<br />
meet their academic potential. Individualized instruction, low student-teacher ratios, and an environment focused on collaboration and support<br />
for student needs are all crucial to the strength and success of the program.<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School’s recent purchase of the property on Lookout Road provides a permanent and sustainable home for our school. This is a rare<br />
opportunity to create a learning environment that is as unique and student-centered as our program, supports future growth, preserves our<br />
culture and reputation as a community resource.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 3.1<br />
Create a long-term<br />
financial plan that<br />
prioritizes fiscal<br />
sustainability and<br />
responsibly supports<br />
development of our<br />
campus.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 3.2<br />
Plan and execute a<br />
capital campaign<br />
focused on achieving<br />
broad community<br />
support for our<br />
future facility needs.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 3.3<br />
Craft a facilities master plan<br />
that envisions innovative and<br />
inspiring classroom spaces,<br />
advances the highest use of the<br />
property, promotes the strength<br />
of our community, and supports<br />
opportunities for future growth.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 3.4<br />
Design and execute<br />
a building and<br />
renovation plan that<br />
minimizes disruption<br />
to students and<br />
teachers.<br />
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OUR STRATEGIC GOALS<br />
Expanding Impact<br />
STRATEGIC GOAL 4:<br />
Expand <strong>Hillside</strong> School’s impact while maintaining the integrity of our current program.<br />
RATIONALE:<br />
As demonstrated by student learning outcomes as well as faculty and family feedback, <strong>Hillside</strong> School transforms the lives of our students.<br />
This transformation takes the form of significant and measurable academic progress and also improved self-confidence, both in and out of the<br />
classroom. By expanding our impact, <strong>Hillside</strong> School can gift the world with more self-assured and capable minds.<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School believes that all children have the right to experience the joy of learning and can do amazing things when given the right<br />
foundation. We are committing to expanding our impact by exploring opportunities to share our unique expertise with other schools and<br />
educators, identifying learning challenges more effectively, and reaching more students who learn differently. We are dedicated to maintaining<br />
the integrity of our current program as it expands.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 4.1<br />
Create an assessment center offering<br />
screening that provides useful<br />
information to families and leads<br />
to appropriate intervention and<br />
teaching strategies.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 4.2<br />
Expand professional<br />
development and teacher<br />
training opportunities<br />
to benefit the broader<br />
community beyond<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong>.<br />
ACTIONABLE INITIATIVE 4.3<br />
Grow our program by<br />
increasing the number<br />
of students and grades<br />
served.<br />
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Thank you!<br />
<strong>Hillside</strong> School wishes to thank our founders, administrators,<br />
teachers, students, parents, alumni, and board for their<br />
support and assistance in the completion of this strategic<br />
plan and for making the <strong>Hillside</strong> magic happen each day.<br />
Cheers to our future!<br />
303.494.1468 | 7415 Lookout Road, Longmont, CO 80503 | info@hillsidelearning.org | www.hillsidelearning.org