Moving Forward, Together.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Table of Contents 3 Letter from the Co-Chairs 4 Collaborative Process 5 The Framework Strategic Pillar Overview 7 Strategic Pillar One Learning with Purpose 6 Strategic Pillar Two Growing with Character 8 Strategic Pillar Three Investing for the Future 12 Acknowledgments 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the Co-Chairs Dear Davidson Day Community, Two years ago, we began charting a course for Davidson Day to reach its full potential. We didn’t find the answer in a boardroom alone. We found it in classrooms, in hallway conversations, in the voices of parents and alumni who gave their time because they believe in what this place can be. Piece by piece, voice by voice, this community helped shape an answer. It’s called Moving Forward, Together, and it is Davidson Day’s plan for the next five years. We had the privilege of leading this work, and we return to you a plan that honors both our history and our horizon. It is grounded in the CORE values that have defined our community, while looking clearly at the world our students are inheriting and preparing them to meet it with confidence. We know it is our responsibility to make sure Davidson Day is ready to meet that world, and to ensure our students are ready to lead within it. With gratitude and anticipation, Andrew R. Bishop & Whitney Feld Co-Chairs of the Strategic Planning Task Force
L ETTER F ROM T HE CO-CHAI RS
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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS A year of disciplined, inclusive work grounded in reflection, research, and honest conversation. The Strategic Planning Task Force was charged with identifying our most significant opportunities and articulating bold ideas — the what and the why of Davidson Day’s next chapter. The how, including implementation and resource allocation, is entrusted to our leadership team, accountable for sustainable, measured outcomes. This direction did not emerge quickly, and that was by design. In partnership with Mission & Data, the Task Force guided
a process shaped by voices across our community through surveys, working sessions, and ongoing dialogue with administrators, faculty, staff, and trustees. Ideas were tested, assumptions were challenged, and language was refined throughout the year. What emerged is more than a strategic plan. It is a reflection of our community’s shared purpose that’s grounded in who we are, responsive to the world around us, and ambitious in what it asks of us.
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Task Force Meetings
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Board Governance Audit Integrated
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Small-Group Writing Sessions
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Community Surveys
Countless Conversations Along the Way
This is more than a plan. It’s our community’s voice, made actionable. 4
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
THE FRAMEWORK
Strategic Pillar Overview Three Pillars. One Direction
Pillar One · Learning With Purpose Think Deeper. Reach Further. We cultivate future-ready students through rigorous, purposeful academics and character development, guided by nationally excellent educators who inspire deep thinking and resilience.
Pillar Two · Growing With Character Challenge Yourself. Understand Others. We develop confident, well-rounded students by embedding core values across school-home partnerships that nurture empathy, integrity, and a commitment to the greater good.
Pillar Three · Investing For The Future Built to Lead. Built to Last. We invest in our faculty, our campus, and our capacity to grow — ensuring a mission-driven school that empowers deep learning and character development for generations to come. T HE F RAMEWORK
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PILLAR ONE
Learning With Purpose Think Deeper. Reach Further.
Our extraordinary educators and purposeful academics are preparing modern students for success. Davidson Day challenges students to think deeply, take ownership of their learning, grow with resilience, and lead lives of purpose.
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PILLAR ON E • LEARNING WITH PURPOSE
Where Vision Meets Action •
Strengthen academic alignment across divisions Ensure a connected ECH–12 learning journey through vertically and horizontally aligned curriculum, meaningful assessment, and intentional opportunities for reflection and metacognition that help students understand how they learn.
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Elevate a professional culture of excellence Recruit, retain, and develop exceptional faculty, empowering our educators with competitive compensation, meaningful professional growth, and the agency, support, and accountability to take ownership of their practice, contribute to innovation, and lead with purpose in service of our mission.
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Modernize teaching and learning Advance research-based pedagogy and experiential learning while integrating AI and educational technology in age and developmentally-appropriate ways. Students will use AI responsibly and ethically to deepen – not replace – the timeless skills of critical thinking and real-world learning. Evolve and adapt schedules that support depth, wellness, and engagement.
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Clarify our philosophy of academic challenge and personalized support Define what challenge means for our school through a personalized approach that is responsive to each learner’s strengths, needs, and aspirations, inspiring students to achieve beyond their expectations. This includes clear, consistent expectations that support all learners, grounded in shared responsibility among students, faculty, and families, which will prepare our students for life beyond Davidson Day.
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Expand purposeful partnerships and alumni pathways Cultivate relationships with colleges, universities, businesses, and alumni to enrich instruction, strengthen mentorship, and broaden authentic learning opportunities.
P IL L AR O N E • L EARN I N G WI T H P U RPOSE
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PILLAR TWO
Growing With Character Challenge Yourself. Understand Others.
CORE values create resilient students of integrity who are supported and challenged to become their best self. When Courage, Ownership, Resilience, and Empathy shape every corner of school life, students grow into citizens of strong character who act with empathy, lead with integrity, and serve the common good.
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PILLAR TW O • GROWING WITH C HARACTER
Where Vision Meets Action •
Establish clear, developmentally appropriate expectations Develop and implement shared codes of conduct and aligned expectations for academics, behavior, and community life across divisions, promoting accountability and a consistent student experience from early childhood through graduation.
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Strengthen advisory, student voice, and leadership development Foster a culture that leads by example, where faculty consistently model empathy and integrity, older students mentor younger peers, and every learner is empowered to advocate for themselves and others.
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Become a regional exemplar in student wellness and resilience Integrate physical, emotional, and mental wellness into daily school life through strong relationships, peer support, and intentional programming—including athletics, the arts, extracurriculars, and thoughtful scheduling—so students build resilience, self-awareness, and sustainable habits that enable them to thrive amid academic pressure, technological change, and an evolving world.
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Deepen service, belonging, and cultural competency Foster empathy and perspective-taking through curriculum, dialogue, service learning, and intentional programming—engaging divergent experiences, opinions, and beliefs while strengthening students’ sense of shared connection and common humanity.
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Live our CORE values with shared accountability Make Courage, Ownership, Resilience, and Empathy visible and actionable in all interactions, from classrooms and hallways to assemblies, athletics, and traditions. This commitment is strengthened through shared language and feedback practices among faculty, students, and parents that help students grow in character over time.
P IL L AR TWO • GR O WI N G WI T H CHARACT ER
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PILLAR THREE
Investing for the Future Built to Lead. Built to Last.
Starting strong today to be prepared for tomorrow, grounded in a mission that endures. Investing for the future is the disciplined, forward-looking work of supporting our faculty, strengthening our campus, and building the capacity to grow — so every student benefits from a school built to last.
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PILLAR TH REE • INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE
Where Vision Meets Action •
Execute a financial framework that secures our next stage of growth Develop a five-year financial framework that establishes a clear approach to full enrollment capacity, tuition modeling, robust philanthropy, investments, and responsible debt management, creating the financial strength needed to support faculty, advance programs, and sustain the School’s future.
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Develop a clear, phased campus master plan Create a comprehensive campus plan that explores multiple pathways for growth, including optimizing our current campus and pursuing off-campus opportunities and strategic partnerships, while balancing enrollment targets, class-size philosophy, and the overall student experience.
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Modernize teaching and learning Continue strengthening campus safety and infrastructure while designing engaging spaces that support collaboration, innovation, and well-being.
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Expand mission-aligned revenue and community partnerships Build local and regional partnerships aligned with future-ready learning, including higher education, workforce development, innovation, and emerging fields, while pursuing opportunities that deepen community engagement and preserve the integrity of our academic program.
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Strengthen engagement and community pride Use storytelling–through alumni journeys, student experiences, and meaningful milestones–to deepen connection, strengthen community, and inspire long-term engagement and giving among families, alumni, and friends.
P IL L AR THR EE • IN V EST I N G F OR T HE F U T U RE
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Acknowledgments Thank you to our Task Force Andrew Bishop, Head of School Whitney Feld, Trustee Melissa Nelson Tate, Trustee Paul Thompson, Trustee Sarah Dodd, Trustee Brian Tierney, Trustee Liz McAlister, Head of Lower School Julie Brown, Science Faculty Priscilla Saunders, STEM Faculty Megan Gray, Chief of Staff Steve McGill, English Faculty Tia Hill, Director of College Counseling Typhaine Soulet-Marks, World Language Faculty Addison Lanter, Marketing & Communications Manager Realizing this plan takes all of us — trustees stewarding the vision, administrators turning it into action, faculty and staff bringing it to life each day, and students, families, and alumni carrying it forward in partnership.
Learn more at: www.davidsonday.org/about/strategic-plan/