Strategic Plan 2022-2027

By August 2024, the Head of Middle School, working with the middle school faculty and staff, will create and coordinate a 5-8 curriculum that addresses leadership, health, wellness, and other relevant life skills topics. This curriculum will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year. 

Status: Good progress was made toward this goal during the 23-24 school year. New areas of study have been identified, which will complement already existing leadership, health, and wellness programs. This revised and expanded curriculum will be organized into a coherent whole during the 24-25 school year under the leadership of the new head of middle school, Jessica Stargell, and will launch in the 25-26 school year.

By August 2024, the Head of School and Director of Development will work with the Parents’ Association leadership to create a parent education series that will be scheduled each school year and supported by the PA. This series will launch in the 2024-2025 school year.

Status: A new parent education series titled Prepped Parents, featuring speakers of national prominence, will debut in the 24-25 school year and continue every year thereafter.

By May 2024, the Director of Curriculum will establish a professional development committee composed of faculty from all three divisions to identify critical themes and areas for whole-school professional development. This committee will convene on an annual basis thereafter.

Status: The Professional Learning Committee was formed this past spring to identify, design, and support various professional development initiatives to enrich the educational experience of students. With a focus on enhancing engagement and promoting a culture of lifelong learning, the committee will play a pivotal role in shaping the professional development landscape at the school. Their work so far has involved honing the professional development timeline for next school year, choosing an all-faculty read, and planning the OnePrep faculty and staff retreat in October. The committee is chaired by the director of curriculum and includes eight faculty members representing the early, lower, and middle school divisions.

By August 2024, the Heads of Lower and Middle Schools, working with learning support specialists and counselors, will identify the range of students the school can best serve and then align methods of providing learning support and accommodations to make the student transition from Lower to Middle School more cohesive.  

Status: With an additional learning support specialist hired for the 24-25 school year, the school now has the proper staff resources to serve and support students and teachers. Conversations between staff and the admissions office have resulted in a clearer understanding of the students Prep can—and cannot—serve. New and better admissions evaluations have been adopted. Earlier interventions when students face learning challenges will strengthen student learning support. In addition, middle school counselor Jessica Sarnicola will now also oversee the coordination of learning support services to ensure they are coherent and effective as students move from division to division.

In October 2023, the Division Heads, Director of Curriculum, and faculty will begin to articulate the learning goals, content, and skills of each grade and every discipline, resulting in a curriculum that is aligned from PreK-8. This curricular review and alignment will continue for the duration of the strategic plan.

Status: The first steps in the alignment of the curriculum from PreK-8 took place with the creation of the portrait of the graduate and educational philosophy statements. Professional development for faculty in curricular alignment was offered last fall, and a cross-divisional group of faculty worked throughout the 23-24 school year to implement understanding by design (UBD)* elements into their curriculum. In August the entire faculty devoted two professional days to further their knowledge of UBD, and this work will continue throughout the 24-25 school year.

*Understanding by design is an approach to curriculum development that promotes the deepening of student understanding by being clear about the goals of learning (what should students know and be able to do) and then designing curriculum to achieve these learning goals.   

By May 2024, the Director of Curriculum, working with the faculty, will recommend mission and philosophy-appropriate social-emotional learning (SEL) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and curriculum from early school through grade 8.

Status: Additional lower school teachers were trained in Responsive Classroom, which links the emotional development of students to academic success. In addition, we implemented the highly regarded Social Institute SEL program in grades 4-8.

DEI programming was integrated into all-school assemblies and continued to be a focus of many BUDEE activities throughout the year, with expanded programming and field trips for the middle school MOSAIC club. This past spring, all faculty received training from Rosetta Lee about respecting differences and enhancing belonging. In addition, a service learning committee was formed to expand the school's community service program and to integrate service learning into the curriculum at each grade level during the 24-25 school year.

By May 2024, the Heads of Lower and Early School and Coordinator of After School Programs will refine and enhance choices for after-school studios and/or incorporate them into extended day and after-school programs.

Status: A new position, director of auxiliary programs, will now oversee all after-school, summer camps, extended day, and studio programs. Further improvements and expansion of these programs are primary objectives. Assessment of existing programs will take place during the 2024-2025 school year, with new programs being launched as soon as possible and continuing in successive years. The overarching goal of these changes is to provide our students with compelling options for after-school/summer care and enrichment programs.  

By August 2024, the Director of Development will work with the development committee of the Board of Trustees to further refine and develop methods of ongoing cultivation of all constituents, including major donors.  

Status: The Board of Trustees development committee oversees this objective. To help achieve this goal, staff purchased a new development software system to facilitate constituent record keeping. Major donors have been identified for the school’s first capital campaign, which will fund a portion of the new lower school. In addition, work with development consultants CapDev has aided in systematically organizing a donor cultivation program and process. Further refinements to this process will be made on an ongoing basis to communicate the importance of philanthropy at our school.        

By August 2024, the Director of Development will ensure all fundraising events correspond to clear development goals to maximize the efficiency of fundraising operations.

Status: All events have been reviewed for clarity of purpose and to advance the school's strategic development goals, especially those related to the annual Prep Fund and the new capital campaign.

By August 2024, the Director of Development will create a formal alumni program.

Status: A multifaceted plan to better engage alumni has been created and can be viewed here. In summary, the plan calls for creating structures such as an alumni board, an alumni mentor program, regular on- and off-campus alumni events, an alumni page on our website, offering more formal and regular alumni communications, and highlighting the achievements of our alumni more regularly. These initiatives will launch throughout the 24-25 school year.

By August 2024, the Head of School and Director of Finance and Operations will study opportunities to expand auxiliary revenues such as summer camps, after-school care, and special programs. New programs will launch as resources and staffing allow.

Status: Expanding revenues from these programs will be one of the primary goals of the new director of auxiliary programs. Creating new and exciting programs that serve students and families will be a priority, with the expectation that increased revenues will follow.

By December 2023, the Director of Enrollment, working with appropriate faculty and staff, will review and improve, if necessary, the methods and manner by which we assess prospective students to ensure they are mission-appropriate.

Status: A review of assessment tools was undertaken by the division heads and Director of Enrollment to ensure assessment tools, school visit structures, and testing requirements are well matched to our current curriculum and program and, at the same time, are efficient and yield useful information about applicants to Charlotte Prep.

By August 2024, the Head of School will work with the Board finance committee to study the feasibility and value of a tuition model that includes all fees as part of tuition.

Status: We have included the fees for athletics, fine arts, and technology in tuition for the 2024-25 school year and will continue to do so moving forward. Other fees, which are mainly for optional activities, will still be billed separately.

By August 2024, the Division Heads will create more opportunities for parents to observe their child's classroom experience to enhance retention.

Status: Several new opportunities for parents to visit classrooms were initiated this year, including “learning mornings” in the lower school, which will expand to once per trimester in 2024-2025; more “morning of Montessori” and sneak peeks in the early school; and the start of an open house for current parents in the upcoming school year. Information about these opportunities to visit classes will be shared throughout the school year.

By August 2024, the Director of Enrollment will market the school to alumni living in Charlotte.

Status: This initiative will be moved to 2024-2025.

By August 2024, the Director of Finance and Operations, working with the finance committee of the Board of Trustees, will create a five-year facilities maintenance plan detailing life spans and costs of facility maintenance and upgrades.

Status: This plan has been created and shared with the finance committee of the board. This committee will now prioritize facility repairs and replacement of aging systems such as roofing and HVAC units, ensuring that school resources are allocated properly over the five-year plan. The Director of Facilities, working with the Director of Finance and Operations, will oversee the implementation of the plan. Parents and staff will be notified as work is scheduled and completed.

In the summer and fall of 2023, the Head of School and Director of Finance will oversee the campus master planning process.

Status: The campus master plan was completed in December 2023 and shared with the school community in January 2024.

By August 2024 the Board of Trustees will create a plan to act on the recommendations of the campus master plan.

Status: The campus master plan articulates a series of improvements to our campus that will unfold in phases and as resources allow. The first phase of the campus master plan is the construction of the new lower school building, which the board is currently overseeing. Future implementation of the campus master plan will be studied by the board of trustees on an annual basis.

By August 2024, the Director of Marketing and Communications will expand communication mediums to engage parents and tell the Prep story with blogs, video content, alumni stories, photo galleries, and other media as necessary.

Status: Starting September 29, 2022, every weekly Get Prepped newsletter has featured a blog, video, photo gallery, or combination of media to engage and inform the Charlotte Prep community. Topics have ranged from parenting advice, head of school reflections, student achievements, staff and alumni spotlights, class projects, events, and more. The subject matter is reflective of communications and marketing strategic priorities. This content is also shared publicly on our website and social media platforms. Engagement data and parent feedback have been excellent.

By August 2024, the Director of Marketing and Communications will implement a full-funnel digital marketing strategy.

Status: Progress toward this goal has been significant and is bolstered by our partnership with Truth Tree, our digital marketing agency. Advertising for Charlotte Prep has expanded to online search and display networks, as well as regularly scheduled campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Performance across these channels is reaching new and relevant audiences, consistently beating industry benchmarks. Users are directed to campaign-specific website landing pages and prompted to provide contact information, which is then used by our admissions team for follow-up. The next phase of implementing automated and personalized email campaigns has been rescheduled to the summer of 2025 due to the heavy resources that will be required and a shift in priorities this year in response to the accelerated capital campaign.

By August 2023, the Director of Community Life will oversee a process to develop a clear DEI statement of beliefs that articulates the purpose and value of diversity at our school

Status: The statement of beliefs was finalized in the summer of 2023 and states the purpose and value of diversity at Prep. This statement will be featured on our website and ground our actions in a shared understanding of the value of diversity at Charlotte Prep.

By August 2023, the Division Heads will review and clarify the school’s dress code

Status: Minor modifications and clarifications were made to the middle school dress code and communicated in the revised student handbooks prepared for the 23-24 school year. The school affirmed its current dress code as reflective of the mission and ethos of the school, as it allows students to express their individuality.

By August 2023, the Head of School and Division Heads will create a staff retreat that features professional development and team-building activities. This retreat will launch in the 2023-2024 school year and be scheduled on an annual basis.

Status: This retreat has been scheduled for October 6, 2023 and will feature the desired professional learning and team-building activities. Annual retreats will be held in successive years.

By August 2023, the Division Heads will create mechanisms to develop a campus-wide shared understanding of the nature of independent school culture among all faculty

Status: An overview of independent school culture has been added to the staff handbook and discussed with faculty; all new teachers who have not taught in an independent school will go to the NCAIS workshop for teachers new to Independent schools; and all prospective teachers who do not have experience in independent schools will be informed of Prep’s expectations during the interview process.          

Beginning in the spring of 2023 and continuing on an annual basis thereafter, the Directors of Enrollment and Development will work with the leadership of the parents’ association to create events and opportunities that strengthen the bonds and community connections of Prep parents.

Status: Plans to create additional opportunities for building community connections are underway. Initiatives include the following: adult-only parent socials; cross-divisional meet-ups; a more robust parent education series; parent admissions and development ambassadors; inviting parents to all school assemblies; and other events and opportunities throughout the school year.

By August 2023, the Director of Development and executive committee of the Parents’ Association will further clarify the PA’s operating principles to clearly define the PA's purpose, leadership roles, and optimal operating structure and to ensure broad and inclusive participation of parents.

Status: Revised PA operating principles were approved by the PA leadership team, Head of School, and Director of Development in the spring of 2023 and will subsequently guide the work of the PA.

By August 2023, the Director of Community Life and Division Heads will lead a process to ensure the school calendar reflects and recognizes the variety of cultural traditions within our school community.

Status: A review of the demographic composition of our community was conducted in the spring of 2023, and this information informed the creation of the school calendar, which now reflects the diversity of our community.       

By August 2023, the Head of School will initiate a process to attract and retain a diverse professional staff.         

Status: The school now works with two firms that place teachers of color in independent schools; advertises openings at historically black colleges and universities; and prioritizes building candidate pools that include diverse candidates. In addition, the senior administrative team has received training in unconscious bias in the hiring process, and the Director of Community Life will offer support for all new faculty and staff of color to ensure their transition to Prep is successful. This goal will remain a priority of the school’s leadership in the coming years, and statistics about staff diversity will be shared on an annual basis by the Director of Community Life.    

By August 2023, the Director of Community Life will lead a process to create a DEI strategic plan.

Status: This plan, titled Building a Culture of Belonging, articulates two key goals that will maximize the positive impact of DEIB work throughout our school: strengthening our school culture to make our community even stronger and more connected, and achieving clear objectives to enhance the student experience at Prep. The plan will guide the work of DEIB initiatives over the next two- three years.

In January 2023 the Head of School will Increase the budget for faculty professional development. Adequate professional development funds will remain a priority for the school in successive years.

Status: Professional development funds were increased by 20% for the 23-24 school year

By August 2023, the Head of Early School will create a plan and materials to educate all staff about the Montessori method and value to the Charlotte Prep mission.

Status: A workshop for faculty on Montessori methods was offered in the spring of 2023. Additional presentations about Montessori will be held during staff meetings, and staff and teachers will be invited to observe Montessori classrooms. Finally, the head of the early school will share information with staff about Montessori philosophy and practice via occasional newsletters.  

By August 2023, the Division Heads will create permanent time and structures in the academic calendar for professional development at the department, division, and whole-school levels.

Status: A new full day professional learning retreat and several in-service half days have been added to the calendar and will be utilized for school-wide faculty and staff professional development. In addition, time at divisional meetings will be used for the same purpose throughout the school year.

By August 2023, the Division Heads will create a plan to expand and formalize opportunities for teachers to connect and collaborate to better prepare students for transitions from grade to grade. 

Status: Formal meetings between teachers of different grade levels and division were held during the 2022-2023 school year and will continue and expand in 2023-2024. Particular emphasis will be given to the 4 to 5 transition and meetings between these teachers.

By August 2023, the Division Heads and Director of Curriculum, working with the faculty, will identify the school’s core beliefs about teaching, learning, and pedagogy. This work will be informed by current research and best practices and will result in a shared understanding of and commitment to a philosophy of education that serves students and distinguishes Prep from other schools.

Status: The new statement of educational philosophy will guide curricular work and decisions in the coming years.

By August 2023 the Division Heads will assess current use of standardized tests and make recommendations to link testing to useful understandings of student achievement and program effectiveness.

Status: The school streamlined its use of the ERB standardized test and will reduce the scope of this testing to reading and mathematics, which will give teachers more relevant data and take less time to administer, leaving more time for other important student learning.

By August 2023, the Heads of Lower and Middle Schools, working with learning support specialists and counselors, will identify the range of students the school can best serve and then align methods of providing learning support and accommodations to make the student transition from Lower to Middle School more cohesive.

Status: Meetings between the admissions team, division heads, and learning specialists have resulted in a greater shared understanding of the students we can best serve. The development of better admissions assessment tools is in progress and will also aid in the admissions process.

Systems of support for current students are also being clarified between divisions and will be reflected in the school’s handbooks and practices. The need for an additional learning specialist position is also being considered.

By January 2023 and on an annual basis, the Head of School and finance committee of the board will make it a priority to ensure staff salaries and benefits are as competitive as resources allow.

Status: Significant increases to staff salaries and benefits have been made for the past two years. The board and senior leadership will continue to prioritize and benchmark salaries and benefits to ensure they are competitive.

By August 2023, the Director of Finance and Operations will recommend ways to optimize new employee onboarding, mentoring, training, and support.

Status: An enhanced onboarding system with more formal training and support has been created. New employees will receive thorough onboarding from a variety of staff, including human resources, division heads, divisional assistants, and formal mentors.  

By August 2023, the Director of Marketing and Communications will improve website content highlighting the benefits of working at Charlotte Prep, including teacher testimonials.    

Status: A new webpage has been created with testimonials from four current faculty members highlighting the advantages of working at Prep.

By August 2023, the Director of Community Life will arrange for cross-cultural competency training for those who interview prospective employees.

Status: This training, offered by a leading DEI consultant, recently took place and provided useful guidance, sensitivity, and understanding to senior administrators.

By August 2023, the Head of School will expand funding for the faculty summer grant program to facilitate professional development and curricular/teaching improvements.

Status: Funding for more summer grants has been included in the increased professional development budget. 

Beginning in January 2023 and on an annual basis, the finance committee of the Board of Trustees will align tuition to the strategic needs and investments of the school.

Status: This has been an ongoing strategy of the board for the past two years and will continue moving forward. Comparisons with regional peer schools will be done on an annual basis to keep tuition at or below the median of peer schools while still investing in impactful programs and school needs.

By August 2023, the Director of Development will Identify the optimal tactics and structures to facilitate the success of the Prep Fund.

Status: A comprehensive development plan, articulating key actions and dates for a successful Prep Fund campaign, has been created. Essential actions within the plan include new Prep Fund grandparent, alumni, and past parent ambassadors; greater communication about the purpose and impact of the Prep Fund; proactive leadership donor identification and engagement; more development-focused events; and new development publications (annual report calendar created in August 2023 and annually thereafter).

By August 2023, the Director of Enrollment, working with appropriate faculty and staff, will review and improve, if necessary, the methods and manner by which we assess prospective students to ensure they are mission-appropriate.

Status: This work is in progress and will result in better and more accurate admission assessment tools for the 2024 admissions season.

By August 2023, the administrative team will have evaluated and scheduled the implementation of database systems that serve school-wide needs.

Status: This review resulted in the following actions: the development office has transitioned to a new database system that will significantly increase functionality and accuracy of data. Other administrative areas will continue to use the current database system in the hope that recent upgrades to it will result in better functionality. If it does not, a move to a new database system will be made for the 2024-2025 school year.

By August 2023, the Director of Enrollment will create a plan to build and strengthen relationships with relocation agencies/realtors, preschools, and physicians to convey the Charlotte Prep value proposition. This plan will launch in the 2023-2024 school year 

Status: The admission team will connect with realtors within our school community to make connections with the relocation arms of their companies in Charlotte. Local realtors will also be invited to tour our school and meet with the admissions team. Connections with physicians within the Prep community will also be scheduled to share information about Prep within their practices.

By August 2023, the Director of Finance and Operations will obtain quotes for a campus master plan. The finance committee of the Board of Trustees will then decide by August if this is a feasible and worthy undertaking and, if not, what other mechanisms will best identify the facility needs of the school.  Key considerations will be, among others, a library, more multi-purpose space, more teacher work space.

Status: The campus master planning process has been awarded to Little Architects and will commence in the summer of 2023, resulting in a new campus master plan by December 2023.

By August 2023, the Director of Finance and Operations will create a plan, with needed resources, to enhance campus beautification on an ongoing basis.

Status: A local landscaping company has been engaged to regularly beautify the grounds of the school. In addition, the Parents’ Association has a committee to decorate the campus for holidays throughout the school year.

By August 2023, The Director of Marketing and Communications will conduct a communications survey and audit to align communication types and frequency with parents’ preferences and effectively share timely, accessible, and relevant information with the community.

Status: This survey was administered in the spring of 2023 with strong participation from parents. Results of the survey and specific actions taken because of it will be shared with the community in the fall of 2023.