Strategic Plan

To address concerns and interests in global education, Houston Academy formed a Global Citizenship Committee in 2015‐16, to encourage an appreciation for our global context throughout the school. Furthermore, in order to enrich their education and to broaden their experiences, students participate in yearly class trips: locally, regionally, and worldwide.

The goals for the Global Citizenship initiative vary between school divisions:

We are implementing strategies to achieve an emotionally safe environment for all students. Our approach will include a Raider Ambassador program, an advisory program for Middle and Upper School students, and the Global Citizenship Committee’s focus on a key world issue for the entire school. One of the primary, overarching goals is to give students authentic opportunities for leadership. By “authentic,” we mean opportunities for students to make real decisions with real consequences.

Houston Academy accomplished the first step in the plan to create a distinct Middle School Division for students in grades 5-­‐8 with the hire of Dr. Vince Janney as the new Head of Middle School. We have also identified the following actions as vital to the creation of the learning environment we envision:

• Foster a real Middle School mindset
• Help the Middle School student learn how to learn
• Adopt and implement consistently the Middle School Mission Statement and Core Values
• Develop language for guiding daily choices
• Establish a dedicated faculty for the Middle School
• Organize the Middle School faculty to increase collaboration among teachers
• Develop a policy for Middle School honors and on‐grade level classes to make a clear distinction in content and pacing
• Establish explicit guidelines to assign students
• Increase flexibility and ease in shifting between levels
• Improve communication with Middle School parents
• Eliminate curriculum gaps in the Middle School
• Encourage Middle School curricular creativity and fun
• Implement a Middle School Advisory program
• Develop student mentorship programs
• Develop leadership opportunities for Middle School students
• Offer more grade‐wide projects and activities, as well as more inter‐grade clubs and sports teams, for Middle School students

An endowment can be used for many purposes. Financial Aid continues to be a cost reflected in the annual budget, and we would like to see that cost-­‐burden relieved by another source of revenue. Our goal is to create financial sustainability, which would allow the school to weather unexpected difficulties such as a dip in enrollment.

The Houston Academy Performing Arts Program, which includes band, chorus, the drama department, and the general music program, has outgrown its current facilities. Despite this lack of adequate space, the Performing Arts Program has continued to flourish. It has expanded its programming and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Multi-grade assemblies, programs, and guest speakers would also benefit from an auditorium or other facility to accommodate public assembly.

Our vision of a Fine Arts facility for Houston Academy consists of a new building that would include rooms for band, chorus, art, drama, Lower School music, and even additional classrooms as needed. In addition, we would have an auditorium that would seat 400+ people and that would provide a full‐size stage, wings, and fly space.