The Choate Strategic Plan is a document that outlines the initiatives that are to be prioritized by the school. As the eight-year mark from the previous update approaches, the administration seeks to re-write the plan, which is usually updated every five to seven years. Led by Head of School Dr. Alex Curtis and the Board of Trustees, this plan will be finalized over the next few months, and the administration will outline a strategy for its implementation.
The most recent Strategic Plan, adopted in 2013, comprised of four sections: cohesion and culture, teaching and learning, enrollment and student outcomes, and communication and outreach. Included within this document were plans for iPad-based learning, the creation of the position of Director of Equity and Inclusion, and the construction of St. John Hall and Colony Hall.
The 2021 Strategic Plan will build upon the one written in 2013, with an emphasis on incorporating input from community-wide conversations, supporting health and wellness, and reaffirming the School’s dedication to sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Director of Strategic Planning and Communications Ms. Alison Cady said, “We want to build a vibrant, kind, and robust student body, implement the best teaching and learning practices, support faculty and staff, increase connections between alumni and students, and expand financial aid.”
Originally slated for 2020, the Strategic Plan was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to refocus planning and resources for the safe reopening of campus this school year.
After months of gathering data and responses to community surveys and focused group discussions, the information was collated for a strategic retreat held in January 2020 during the Winter Long Weekend. Over a span of two days, members of the Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty and staff representatives, and students met to analyze the information and devise initiatives for the School to implement in coming years.
According to Ms. Cady, compared to the 2013 Strategic Plan, this year’s plan will be more open-ended, as the new Board of Trustees wants to keep it as a higher, broader-level document, with specifics discussed within the subsequent implementation plan.
This June, the Strategic Plan will be reviewed by senior administrators of the School and published in the Bulletin later this summer. In consultation with the Board of Trustees, a new implementation plan will be devised, including a timeline for completion, assignment of responsibilities, means of execution, and monetary needs for the outlined goals. This new implementation plan will ensure, and pledge to the community, the School’s desire to implement all aspects of the new Strategic Plan.
With the introduction of the new Strategic Plan, the School will continue its mission, according to the 2020-2021 Student Handbook, of providing a “rigorous academic curriculum and an emphasis on the formation of character in a residential setting that allows for teachers and students to live with, and learn from, each other in important ways.”
