Page 7 - Priorities #32 2005-November

• Consistent long-range planning begins at the board level and reaches through to faculty.
• Course offerings offer an appropriate range and depth, and they are clearly defined
• The school is in a strong financial position. • Diversity is valued and promoted in the student body and faculty.
• Teachers are academically excellent. They become good role models for their students as a result of relationships that form in frequent encounters in and out of class.
• Students have a variety of venues for getting involved outside of class and can initiate new courses and activities.
Citing something as a strength does not preclude making it a priority for further work. It is perfectly reasonable to set a goal, achieve it, and in the next accreditation study, to extend that goal further, Brother Edward explained.
In their discussions, the volunteers shared
their individual experiences, and these become
one source of information for the action plan, The students’ comments about freshman life are an example. Natasha, a junior, “loves the Priory now but I wanted to leave during freshman year because freshmen get absolutely no choices. It’s too hard to go a whole year without a class in something you love!” Chris, a freshman, said, “It’s really hard to feel a part of the high school because we take all of our classes (with other freshmen), and we eat with the Middle School.”
This group of students focused on a number of small changes in the freshman class that might be adding up to a different experience than school officials realized. Brother Edward’s committee will take information such as this and compare it with other input when they write the final draft. A self-study would not be likely to prescribe specific solutions, but might highlight such issues as the freshman experience.
Several Data Points
Other data points that might generate action items include faculty knowledge of changes in their fields, information from colleges and universities
regarding admissions, reports on the status of facilities, and statistical reports on everything from student test scores to demographics. The Priory takes a pro-active stance to planning and favors well-documented reports.
At the second review session, the all-faculty meeting, Brother Edward emphasized that “This is the time to get everything out. If you see something in the report that concerns you, or DON’T see something you think we should be considering, let’s get it out there.”
It was late on a Friday afternoon, but teachers and administrators had no difficulty in coming up with issues large and small. This is a small sampling.
• Communicate better the role of the Board of Trustees.
• Integrate the various calendars and activities more effectively.
• Increase racial and socio-economic diversity. • Increase knowledge of technical tools and integrate it into the curriculum.
• Investigate homework loads with a goal of creating a reasonable load for all students.
The strengths they cited often recalled action items in the last Action Plan that have been successfully addressed. Here are a few:
• Librarians can respond quickly to requests for materials.
• Visual and performing arts departments have grown immensely.
• Faculty is available to students individually. • There are channels for student input to the school community.
• The school has a long-range plan addressing program and facilities needs.
The last comment of the day summed up the positive and focused approach of both the volunteer Saturday and the all-faculty meeting.“ We have a strong sense of who we are as a school, and that sense is clearly expressed.” someone stated. That sense of purpose leaves plenty of room for change under a familiar umbrella.
The protocols can give one the sense of a perfectionist older relative going over a small child’s room with a white glove.
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