(Objective 1): St. Thomas More Catholic School Will Achieve and Maintain Academic Excellence

St. Thomas More2015 – 2022strategic plan

(Objective 1): St. Thomas More Catholic School Will Achieve and Maintain Academic Excellence

(Strategy 1): St. Thomas More School will implement Northwest Education Association’s (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing and evaluation to better understand each student’s education skill level and provide acceptable progress reports to high schools
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Administer NWEA Map tests twice yearly for K-8 students / September & February each year / Principal and Faculty
(Action Step 2) Evaluate and use the data to formdifferentiated instruction and intervention / October & March each year / Principal and Faculty
(Action Step 3) Conduct Parent Information Night to discuss test results and how to interpret reports / November
2015/ongoing / Principal and Faculty
(Action Step 4) Analyze and display data in parent friendly terms / November
2015/ongoing / Faculty
(Action Step 5) Measure improvement following 2nd test and post results for families / Every April / Principal
(Action Step 6) Apply assessment data to assist in curriculum review process / Beginning spring 2016 and every year thereafter / Principal and Faculty
(Action Step 7) Define and enhance our resources for students who struggle academically / 2015-16 / ERT teachers and principal
(Action Step 8) Define and enhance our resources for students who require academic enrichment
(Action Step 9) Document how assessment results guide future instruction. Align results to standards- based report cards. Hold in-service with NWEA experts and use their templates for documenting progress. / 2016-17
2016-ongoing / ERT Teachers and Principal
Teachers and Principal
(Strategy 2): St. Thomas More Catholic School will conduct curriculum review cycle semi-annually
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Develop teacher curriculum review team, goals and monthly meeting schedule / January each year / Teachers from the area of discipline
(Action Step 2) Coordinate and implement school-wide interdisciplinary activities for students / August 2016 / Principal and Faculty
(Action Step 3) Overlay Map tests, student grades, other school comparable and curriculum feedback and analyze results. / March each year / Principal and Faculty
(Action Step 4) Recommend curriculum changes to the Principal and grade leaders / March each year / Team members
(Action Step 5) Purchase appropriate curriculum / July each year / Office staff and Principal
(Action Step 6) Provide professional development opportunities for instructors around new curriculum / Ongoing / Principal and CSCOE
Strategy 3: St. Thomas More Catholic School will acquire electronic resources for students, families and teacher that will improve learning opportunities and communication and engagement as measured by increases in the family satisfaction survey
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Develop an on-line resources team comprised of teachers, students and parents / Fall 2016 /

Faculty team leader

(Action Step 1) Develop goals, timeline, meeting schedule / Fall 2016 /

Faculty team leader

(Action Step 2) Research resources and best practice used by other schools / School year 16-17 /

Resources team

(Action Step 3) Develop a multi-year resource acquisition plan and begin execution / Spring 2017 /

Resources team

(Action Step 4) Map new curriculum in Atlas / Faculty
Strategy 4: St. Thomas More School will use standards-based grading and reporting to demonstrate student mastery of academic skill
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) In-service K-5 teachers on standards-based grading / Ongoing /

Principal, outside resources

(Action Step 2) Introduce parents to K-5 standards-based grading with visual displays at a Parent Information Night / Fall 2015 /

Principal & Faculty

(Action Step 3) Provide continuing parent education on the reasons and function of standards-based report cards / 2015-2022 /

Principal & Faculty

(Action Step 4) Improve function and implementation of Cornerstone grading program / 2015-16 /

Cornerstone building reps

(Action Step 5) Provide comprehensive reports to parents and students at grading time / Beginning 2016 /

Faculty

(Action Step 6) Conduct pulse surveys with parents to gauge acceptance and comprehension / 2016-17 /

Principal &Faculty

(Action Step 7) Align standards mastery to high schools in the area, both private and public / 2015-17 /

Leadership team

(Action Step 8) Provide impetus and introduce standards-based grading and reporting to grades 5-8 parents / September 2017 /

Principal

(Action Step 9) Use standards-based grading practices in the middle school and grade 5 / September 2017 /

Faculty

(Action Step 10) Use standards-based report cards for grades 5-8 / First grading period 2017 /

Faculty

Strategy 5: St. Thomas More School willimprove math comprehension and mastery for K-5 students by implementing the Singapore method and Math in Focus Curriculum
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Train teachers in the Singapore method of instruction / 2014-ongoing /

Principal and outside resources

(Action Step 2) Adopt curriculum / 2015-2017 /

All faculty

(Action Step 3) Meet monthly to discuss effectiveness of curricular resources/ online resources / On-going /

All faculty

(Action Step 4) Install Singapore applications on iPads and other tablets in the school / 2016 /

Technologist and Principal

(Action Step 5) Map new curriculum in Atlas / Spring of each year /

Teachers

Objective 2: St. Thomas More Catholic School will increase enrollment PK-8

Strategy 1: St. Thomas More School will recruit new students and retain enrolled students
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Collaborate with CSCOE (Catholic Schools Center of Excellence) to build a robust plan using their expertise / Spring 2016 / Healey Grant
Pastor, Principal, Finance Council & Marketing team
(Action Step 2) Create and implement incentives for Pre-K students / Summer 2016 / Healey Grant
Principal/ SEAC/ Business administrator
(Action Step 3) Create and implement incentives for larger families / Summer 2016 / Healey Grant
Pastor, Principal/ SEAC Business administrator
(Action Step 4) Brainstorm and implement creative ways to offer tuition assistance to families in need / 2016
Spring / Healey Grant
Pastor, Principal/ SEAC Business administrator
(Action Step 5) Conduct Middle School Forum for parents of 4th and 5th grade students (MS retention / November and February each year / Faculty grades 4-8
(Action Step 6) Create more opportunities for grades or groups of grades to have social events and gatherings / Ongoing / SEAC/ Room Parents/ PTO
(Action Step 7) Create opportunities to speak at mass and promote the school / 2016-17 Ongoing / Healey Grant
Principal and SEAC members
(Action Step 8)Hold an annual “State of the School” meeting advertising it to the entire parish community. Publish the strategic plan and any updates to website and make paper copies available to any stakeholder. / 2016-17
Ongoing / Healey
New board
Principal
Strategy 2: St. Thomas More School will market the School to the community
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Develop community based marketing team through requests with other Commissions / Winter 2016 / Healey Grant
CSCOE
SEAC
Principal
(Action Step 2) Create a branding strategy with input from the community / Spring
2016 / Healey Grant
CSCOE
SEAC
Principal
(Action Step 3) Design a yearly calendar of all events and tasks for the marketing team / Spring
2016 / Healey Grant
Marketing team/ Principal
(Action Step 4) Attend all local learning and school choice fairs PK-8 / Ongoing / Healey Grant
Marketing team/ Principal
(Action Step 5) Promote our Jesuit relationship and other things that make us different from surrounding schools / 2016 / New Pastor and Faculty
(Action Step 6) Submit photos and news blurbs to Pioneer Press and Star Tribune after every event / 2015-2022 / Healey Grant
Marketing team
(Action Step 7) Update and maintain the school’s Facebook and Twitter presence / 2015- / Teachers
(Action Step 8) Foster relationships with PK parents through fun, family activities quarterly / 2015- / Healey Grant
Principal and pre-K director
(Action Step 9) Place items and information about school events in local papers and magazines / 2015- / Healey Grant
Marketing team

Objective 3: St Thomas More Catholic School will work to enhance its financial resources to ensure sustainability and growth

Strategy 1: St. Thomas More School willIncrease revenue raised through fundraising
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Establish a comprehensive, community based fundraising committee / Fall 2016 / Principal, SEAC
Home and School
(Action Step 2) Work in partnership with the larger parish community to foster stewardship (time, talent and treasure) in order to improve the financial health of all ministries of the parish and school / Winter 2016 / Principal, Committee chairs, Commission chairs
(Action Step 3) Establish an endowment for tuition assistance and scholarship / 2017 / Principal, Finance committee and donors
(Action Step 4) Reach out to alumni of the school with specific events and communications after up-dating the alumnidata base / 2016-17 / SEAC alumni subcommittee
Strategy 2: St. Thomas More Catholic School willImprove budget setting process, timeframe, and reporting
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Work with Parish Finance Council to establish improvement process / 2015-17 / Principal, Business Administrator and Finance council
(Action Step 2) Examine discretionary spending across the budget lines / 2016 Spring and every year afterward / Principal, Administrative Assistant Business Administrator
(Action Step 3) Combine parish and school budgets and records / 2016-17 / Principal
Church Admin
(Strategy 3): St. Thomas More Catholic School will explore new sources of revenue
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Work with CSCOE to determine available grants / 2015-ongoing / SEAC, Principal, parents
(Action Step 2) Reach out to stakeholders who are not currently supporting the school / Focused 2016-17 / SEAC, Principal
(Action Step 3) Utilize website, Facebook and school publications for year-round giving / Focused 2016-2022 / Principal, Website administrator

Objective 4: St. Thomas More School will foster an environment of achievement, appreciation and recognition of students, faculty and staff

Strategy 1: St Thomas More School will encourage leadership among students in grades 6-8
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Appoint Middle School Liaison and review responsibilities / Summer 2015 / Principal
(Action Step 2) Develop team building activities for middle school teachers / 2015-16 / Principal and Middle School coordinator
(Action Step 3) Promote discipline program with parents and students at a Parent and student information night / 2015 ongoing / Principal and Middle School Coordinator
(Action Step 4) Design and develop a Student Council in the middle school / 2016 / Middle School Coordinator
(Action Step 5) Enter years 2-5 of Discipline With Purpose (DWP) implementation / 2016-21 / Principal
All staff and faculty
(Action Step 6) Provide on-going professional development for all staff in the DWP program / 2015-21 / Principal
(Action Step 7) Implement monthly Peacemakers program / 2015-22 / Principal and Homeroom teachers
(Action Step 8) Reward Middle school students with MorePride tickets when they are “caught” doing good / 2015-16 / All school staff
Strategy 2: St. Thomas More School will encourage leadership among students in grades PK-5
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Continue to implement the peacemakers program / 2015-22 / Principal and Homeroom teachers
(Action Step 2) Use “Saintly Recognition” slips to celebrate exemplary behavior / 2016- / All school staff and faculty
(Action Step 3) Teach DWP lessons in each homeroom / 2015- / Homeroom teachers and principal
Strategy 3: St. Thomas More School will work to provide a supportive and caring environment for students, faculty and staff
Actions / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1) Faculty and staff will use DWP language with students and each other
(Action Step 2) Individual staff accomplishment will be recognized and celebrated
(Action Step 3) Each faculty member will be given time at faculty meetings to display their areas of expertise
(Action Step 4) The principal will conduct bi-monthly one-on-one meetings with al staff to set goals, evaluate performance. There will be at least one formal evaluation yearly, including pre-observation conference, observation and post-observation conference and written report. / 15-16
and ongoing / Principal
Teachers
(Action Step 5) The school commission/ board, along with the pastor will conduct a yearly employee satisfaction survey and the Pastor will write a review of performance for the principal. / 15-16
On-going / Pastor
Principal
School Board
Objective 5: St. Thomas More School will enhance its Catholic identity

Strategy 1: St. Thomas More School will integrate and infuse all school curriculum with the Catholic Social Teachings

Action / Timeline / Responsibility / Progress Report
(Action Step 1)Design and implement a “House” system for multi-age learning / 2015-16 / Teachers and students
(Action Step 2)Each homeroomclass will implement a specific service learning experience / Ongoing
Yearly / Teachers and students
(Action Step 3)Religion classes in all grades will explore our Jesuit tradition / 2016-17 / New Priest, Principal, students and teachers
(Action Step 4)5th and 8th graders will take the IFG tests annually / 2016 / Teachers, Principal and students
(Action Step 5)Teachers and staff will take the ACRE tests annually / Beginning 2016-17 / Principal, Faculty & Staff
(Action Step 6)Results from the IFG and ACRE will be used to develop formation opportunities for staff and students / Beginning 2016-17 / New Priest,
Principal