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Self-StudyFebruary 2016

For visiting committees fromSouthern Association of Independent Schools

andCenter for Spiritual and Ethical Education

The Lovett School4075 Paces Ferry Road, N.W.Atlanta, Georgia 30327-3009

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Table of ContentsSection One: Introduction

Letter from the HeadmasterVisiting Teams School Profile MissionHistoryLeadershipExecutive Update Self-Study OverviewImprovement Goals

Section Two: Continuous Improvement

Goal 1: (CSEE) Mission Achieving Certification Research, Process, ReportGoal 2: Branding Goal Profile, Vision, Plan, ResultsGoal 3: Academic Goal Profile, Vision, Plan, ResultsGoal 4: Diversity Goal Profile, Vision, Plan, ResultsGoal 5: Faculty Goal Profile, Vision, Plan, Results

Section Three: Appendix

Guiding Documents NDE: Eva Edwards Lovett’s Founding Vision Mission, Purpose, Promise Vision for Learning

Internal Organization Organizational Chart Groups/Committees Strategic Planning Committees

Data College Profile Academic Scorecard Advanced Placement Scores: 10-Year Study Advanced Placement: Summary of Numbers of Tests and Students Advanced Placement: Average Scores Enrollment in Honors and AP Courses Applications by Grade Student Ethnicity Breakdown by Grade, 2015–16 Financial Aid Report, 2015–16 Financial Aid Distribution by Income, 2015–16 Faculty and Staff Ethnicity Breakdown, 2015–16 College Scorecard College Matriculations, 2014 College Matriculations, 2015 Dashboard Statistics, December 2015

Supporting Documents SAIS Value Narrative Executive Summary Civic Engagement Audit Faculty Evaluation and Development (FED) Overview Habits and Skills Assessment, Middle School Our Defining Decade Campaign Summary

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January 7, 2016

Dear Members of the SAIS and CSEE Visiting Teams:

It is a privilege to share with you the report we have constructed in preparation for your visit to our campus on February 7–9, 2016. The touchstone principle for our school and self-study process has been and is to be the best school we can be as called for by our par-ticular mission. The process of preparing for your work here in February has given us an important opportunity to affirm our progress in certain areas of school life, to think critically and intentionally about how we can improve our work, and to articulate clearly our priorities for the future and for more fully realizing our aspirations as a school.

The document before you represents a serious and thoughtful effort by us to articulate the current state of our school, recent progress toward the goals of our Strategic Plan and the thoughtful recommendations of the Art & Science Group, and the challenges we continue to face and seek to solve. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas about what we seek to do here and how we might go about our work even more effectively.

I deeply appreciate your giving Lovett a significant amount of time and energy before and during your visit and in the report writing process. We look forward to welcoming you to Lovett on February 7 and to working with you toward helping ensure that we sustain our commitment in our march toward carrying out ever more fully our purpose as a school.

Sincerely,

William S. Peebles IVHeadmaster

SAIS/SACS Accreditation Team

CSEE Mission Achieving Certification TeamThe Lovett SchoolFebruary 7–9, 2016

SAIS/SACS Visiting TeamFebruary 7–9, 2016 Mrs. Doreen Kelly, chairHead of SchoolRavenscroft SchoolRaleigh, NC (919) 861-2105dkelly@ravenscroft.org Mrs. Stephanie Balmer Head of SchoolHarpeth Hall SchoolNashville, TN(615) 297-9543stephanie.balmer@harpethhall.org

Mr. Thomas Dillow Head of Upper DivisionShorecrest Preparatory SchoolSt. Petersburg, FL(727) 522-2111tdillow@shorecrest.org

Mr. Claybourne Elliott (Clay)Head of Middle SchoolRandolph SchoolHuntsville, AL(256) 799-6137celliott@randolphschool.net

Mr. John Wallace Director of Finance and Support ServicesPorter-Gaud SchoolCharleston, SC(843) 556-3620johnny.wallace@portergaud.edu

CSEE Mission Achieving Certification TeamFebruary 7–8, 2016

Bob MattinglyExecutive DirectorCenter for Spiritual and Ethical EducationWashington, DC 20001(202) 236-4603bob@csee.org

Michelle M. Bostian, LCSWHead of CounselingGreensboro Day SchoolGreensboro, NC 27455(336) 282-2905michellebostian@greensboroday.org

Naomi ManzellaLibrary Media SpecialistNorwood SchoolBethesda, MD 20817(301) 365-2595nmanzella@norwoodschool.org

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Section One: IntroductionSchool Profile

History

In September 1926, Mrs. Eva Edwards Lovett, an in-novative educator who emphasized the development of the whole child, officially began The Lovett School with 20 boys and girls in Grades 1–3. By 1936, the school had expanded to Grades 1–7. On June 8, 1936, the first meeting of The Lovett School Board of Trust-ees convened. Thanks to the generous financial help of good friends, in 1936 Lovett was able to become a true day school with a move from a former home in town to a wooded campus north of the city.

From 1936 to 1954, the school successfully grew under Mrs. Lovett’s leadership. Her emphasis was placed on progressive education, where children learn by doing and not “the usual exclusive concern with textbook knowledge” (Mrs. Lovett, 1937). In 1953, plans for the continued direction of the school upon Mrs. Lovett’s retirement were taken into consideration by the Board of Trustees. Trustee John A. Sibley suggested that a committee, including Mrs. Lovett, explore the possibility of a merger with either The Westminster Schools or The Cathedral of St. Philip (Episcopal). On February 2, 1954, Mrs. Lovett and her trustees entered into an agreement with The Cathedral of St. Philip whereby The Lovett School and all its property passed into the ownership and control of The Cathedral and its successors, and a new Board of Trustees was selected.

In 1958, with the merger of Lovett with The Cathedral of St. Philip, the school name was changed to the Lovett Episcopal School, but Board of Trustee minutes continued to refer to The Lovett School. In 1959, the trustees embarked upon a development program to raise funds to construct a new school at 4075 Paces Ferry Road, Lovett’s current location. A professional fund-raising firm was retained for the challenge of raising $1.25 million to fund the building projects, and a search began for a headmaster to direct the expanded school.

In the midst of the intensive drive of the building campaign, Dr. Vernon B. Kellett was appointed headmaster. Plans were made to establish an Upper School for Grades 9 and 10. Classes were divided by gender, but not in separate buildings. A school crest was de-signed with the motto Omnia ad Dei Gloriam—“All to the Glory of God.” Ground was broken on Paces Ferry Road for the new school. During construction, students attended classes at The Cathedral of St. Philip, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, and a home referred to as Little Lovett on Paces Ferry.

The school year of 1960–61 opened in September at the new Paces Ferry location with an enrollment of 1,024 students representing grades Pre-K–11. A school uniform was adopted, creating “an esprit de corps among the students, hitherto unknown.” Reverend James R. McDowell was named Assistant Headmaster with the understanding he would become Headmaster July 1, 1961, when Dr. Kellett retired. The school was divided into three components: the Upper School, under the direction of Rev. James McDowell; the Middle School, under the direction of Admiral Richard C. Williams, Jr.; and the Lower School, under the direction of Mrs. Dorothy Floyd. Lovett’s first senior class graduated in June of 1962.

The years 1963 through 1966 were difficult ones in Lovett’s history with the beginning of integration. In 1963, Martin Luther King III applied to Lovett and was denied admission by the Board of Trustees. This was despite the objections of the governing Episcopal Diocese, which was in favor of open churches and open schools. Lovett’s trustees argued, however, that they were not in defiance since the school was not originally founded by the Episcopal Church. As a result, the Reverend McDowell, an Episcopal priest, resigned as headmaster, and the school’s admission policy was revised to free itself of ecclesiastical jurisdiction of The Cathedral of St. Philip. July of 1963 is the recorded date of Lovett’s official split from the Episcopal Church. By 1967, Lovett had adopted a non-discriminatory admission policy of evaluating students without regard to race or religion. The policy has since been expanded several times, and now reads: “The Lovett School admits students of any race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The Lovett School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and national or ethnic origin in administration of its em-ployment practices, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.”

By 1964, both the elementary and high schools were accredited by the Georgia Commission of Accreditation (and each year subsequent-ly), and the Upper School was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities. Dr. Rual W. Stephens was elected

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to serve as headmaster, a position he held until 1971 with the appointment of Dr. Allan E. Strand. Aggressive campus building projects continued through the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, bringing to campus the Kilpatrick Stadium, Loridans House, Smith Natatorium, the Vasser Woolley Library, and more. In the 1990s, several additional campus facilities were created, including the Fuqua Center, Wallace Gym, and Hite Wellness Center. In 1979, Verne A. Hawes became headmaster and was followed by Alvin Cash in 1983. In 1990, Al Cash resigned, and Dr. James P. Hendrix, Jr. was appointed headmaster in 1991.

In 1992, the school philosophy was reviewed and a mission statement was developed. The Upper School advising system was revised and expanded, creating smaller groups of students and more individual attention for student advisement and counseling. The school also purchased 300 acres of cloud forest in Ecuador, known as Siempre Verde, for the purpose of establishing a research and education center. An additional 500 acres were purchased in subsequent years to expand the site.

In 1996, a director was brought on board to initiate the Lovett-hosted Summerbridge Atlanta (now known as Breakthrough Atlanta), an academic enrichment program for Middle School students from Atlanta’s public schools. The late 1990s also saw the creation of SING (Service Initiative for Ninth Grade), with freshmen working in community service projects around the city. Other experiential educa-tion projects would follow for students in all divisions of the school.

During the 1998–99 school year, The Lovett School Board of Trustees worked in earnest toward a new strategic plan. Committees met to plan the school’s future in the areas of governance, educational environment, co-curricular programs, character education, inclusiv-ity, faculty/staff, technology, facilities, and endowment/development. The school was named an “independent school of distinction” in its fall 1999 interim review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This same year, the Lovett Lower School was voted Atlanta’s best private elementary school by readers of the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

The 2000–01 academic year was a very special one for Lovett. First and foremost, the school celebrated its 75th anniversary. The school came together to “Celebrate the Legacy and Continue the Vision” in many ways, including a history exhibition, a commemorative cal-endar, thoughtful classroom projects, an alumni dinner, a “75” aerial photograph, and special chapel services. A mid-year Open House and Gala also brought alumni, former faculty and staff, and many friends of the school back to campus for an extraordinary celebration.

The 2000–01 school year also marked the introduction of Lovett’s Character Pledge, developed by a committee of parents and staff in keeping with the goals of Lovett’s Strategic Plan 2000. This committee worked with the school chaplains to inaugurate the pledge and the way of life it seeks to promote: “We, who are members of the Lovett community, seek to live lives of good character. We believe that good character grows from daily acts of honesty, respect, responsibility, and compassion. We pledge ourselves to develop these ideals with courage and integrity, striving to do what is right at all times.”

Also in 2000–01, the school embarked on Continuing the Vision: The 75th Anniversary Campaign. This was Lovett’s largest and most ambitious capital campaign to date, raising the funds necessary to complete Phase I of the Master Campus Plan, a blueprint for dramat-ically improving the quality of student and faculty life. For its success in this effort, Lovett was a recipient of the CASE 2002 Circle of Excellence Award for Education and Fund Raising from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. In 2001, construc-tion began on several major projects, including new Upper and Lower School buildings and increased athletic facilities and green space. 2002–03 marked the last year for Lovett’s pre-kindergarten program, and the school continues today as a kindergarten through Grade 12 institution. Headmaster Jim Hendrix retired from Lovett in 2003 and was replaced by William S. Peebles IV, the school’s current headmaster.

In the spring of 2005, Lovett began a new strategic planning process. Under the leadership of Headmaster Peebles and trustee Bill Rog-ers, more than 100 students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, trustees, and grandparents thoughtfully developed new goals for the school. The efforts of all involved came together in Lovett’s Strategic Plan for 2007–2011: Excellence in Learning, Character, & Community.

It has been half a century since Lovett embarked upon its first major capital campaign: $1,250,000 to raise funds to construct the current Paces Ferry Road campus. The generosity of Lovett’s supporters in that first and all subsequent endeavors has made possible the continued growth and enhancement of the school’s campus, facilities, and educational pro-grams, and has greatly benefited faculty, staff, and students. Lovett’s most recent capital campaign, Our Defining Decade, had its origins in the Excellence in Learning, Character, & Community strategic plan. The Our Defining Decade campaign officially came to a close on June 30, 2015, having raised over $65 million for unrestricted purposes/facilities and over $28 million to fund endowment. In addition, 307 individuals joined the Legacy Society, by making planned gifts to the school.

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The Our Defining Decade campaign funded a number of new buildings, athletic fields, and renovated spaces, including an artificially turfed Railey Field, renovated dining hall, Learning Studio, recording studio, Rogers Westmoreland Activity Center, LEED certified Portman Family Middle School, baseball and softball complex, and improvements to the Community Center. In August 2015, a newly renovated Kilpatrick Stadium and LEED certified Murray Athletic Center opened their doors. Thanks to an outstanding construction team and tremendous discipline, all of these projects have come in on-time and at or under budget.

The essential rebuilding of the campus over the past twelve years reflects a new era at The Lovett School, one in which we acknowledge the vision of Eva Edwards Lovett with facilities that work for today’s educational environment. With this significant capital campaign behind us, we will now turn our attention to targeted fund-raising in support of student financial aid, faculty professional develop-ment, Breakthrough Atlanta, Siempre Verde, and the Academic Resource Center.

In 2011, Lovett drafted the Vision for Learning. This document, which serves as an explication of the Learning paragraph of the Mission statement provides common language and a shared vision for the academic program from kindergarten through grade 12. The Vision for Learning articulates Lovett’s desire to develop learners who are young men and women of character, creative agents, critical think-ers, effective communicators, and collaborators.

Thanks in large part to a leadership challenge grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation, Lovett will launch Lab Atlanta in January 2017. This non-residential semester program for up to 30 sophomores from public and independent schools across the metro area will feature an interdisciplinary, experientially-based curriculum, taught at the honors level. Over the course of the semester, students will be em-powered to understand the challenges and opportunities of their home city and the broader world around them. Lab Atlanta students will move beyond traditional academic disciplines while learning to approach challenges with the skills and habits of innovators and entrepreneurs, with special emphasis on developing an empathic, human-centered lens.

Enrollment and Demographic Data: 2014–15

The total school enrollment for the 2014–15 school year was:

Lower School (K–5) 514 Middle School (6–8) 515 Upper School (9–12) 644

The 1,673 students comprised of 834 girls and 839 boys. The largest geographic areas represented at Lovett are Fulton County (70 percent of the student body) and Cobb County (23 percent of the student body). The third largest group is from DeKalb County (5 percent). Lovett’s geographic diversity continues to grow: the 84 students in the 2014–15 kindergarten class represented 39 different preschools.

Approximately 21 percent (350 students) of our school population is non-Caucasian. African American students represent 42.85 percent percent of this non-Caucasian group (150 students). Asian Americans are the next largest group with 31.71 percent (111 students), and multiracial students represent 15.42 percent (54 students).

Approximately 50 percent of the student body is comprised of legacies, defined as children of alumni, siblings of alum-ni, siblings of current students, and children of faculty and staff.

Stakeholders

Students Lovett students come from all ethnic, cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds and benefit from a challenging academic program. They are expected to be active learners—intellectually, physically, spiritually, socially, aesthetically, and emotionally—and to make posi-tive contributions to the school and the greater community.

Faculty The average faculty teaching experience is 18 years. Of the 283 professional staff, 155 have master’s degrees and 11 hold doctoral degrees. Lovett-sponsored professional development programs encourage the use of new and innovative teaching practices, materials, and technology. Teachers regularly take part in local, regional, and national education conferences, as well as specialized workshops throughout the year. Lovett brings nationally recognized speakers to campus to meet with faculty. Thanks to endowed funds, many faculty take advantage of summer learning opportunities throughout the country and abroad.

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Since 2008, teachers have also been involved in Lovett’s K–12 Faculty Evaluation and Development Program (FED), a program de-signed to help Lovett grow as a community of collaborative learners and to engage faculty more fully in their evaluations. The Lovett professional evaluation and growth process is guided by a cycle that begins with a year of interaction with and feedback from a peer; moves to a second year with more involvement by the department chair; and culminates in the third year in a full evaluation by one’s division head.

Parents The Lovett Parent Association (LPA), founded as the Mothers Club in the late 1920s, has actively served the school community for more than 80 years. This 110 member board supports all school divisions through more than 30 service committees. Fundraisers include an ongoing Recycled Uniform Sale and an auction held every three years. Between August and November 2015 alone, the Recycled Uniform Sale raised over $21,000.

The Lovett Parent Association is responsible for slating two grade representatives for each grade, K–12. These individuals meet period-ically with the respective school administration to discuss any communications, cares, or concerns. Parents are invited to share general concerns or questions with their respective grade reps, who will bring these to the next grade rep meeting and then report back to the parent(s) making the inquiry.

Since 1967, the LionBackers have provided all types of support to Lovett’s athletic programs. Through memberships, concession sales, and the annual Golf and Tennis tournaments, the LionBackers have been able to provide financial support to areas of athletics and physical education not covered by the school’s budget. This parent organization keeps its members informed via a weekly newsletter that lists upcoming sporting events and reports on past results and highlights.

Recognizing that the fine arts are an essential element in the development of every Lovett student, many parents are involved in Friends of the Arts (FOTA). This group supports the fine arts program by creating an awareness of the arts, recognizing student and faculty achievements, promoting a cohesive fine arts community within the entire school, and raising funds to supplement the fine arts program. Each fall, FOTA sponsors the Faculty and Alumni Art Show and Sale to raise money for the arts program and showcase the work of Lovett artists. FOTA also presents “The Great Conversation” fundraiser, inviting local arts figures to join our community two of every three years. In addition, parent volunteers spend an entire year planning and preparing materials for a week-long Spring Arts Festival, complete with music, dance, theater and visual arts. Through this celebration of the creative process, Lovett’s kindergarten through fifth grade students learn about different forms of art and create their own works through cross-curricular projects. Parent Support Groups hold grade specific gatherings both on and off campus four times each year for parents of grade 5–12 students. Gatherings serve as outlets for open communication among parents and also provide educational information to enable parents to make informed, grade-appropriate parenting decisions.

The Lovett International Alliance (LIA) is committed to expanding international awareness through programs for the entire communi-ty. The LIA serves as an educational resource as well as a social platform for families of diverse backgrounds. The LIA hosts a cam-pus-wide World Fest celebration in the fall as well as a spring International Book Fair and numerous parent dinner gatherings through-out the year.

Alumni Alumni of The Lovett School are located throughout the United States and in many other countries, but approximately two-thirds of the more than 7,100 graduates live in and around the Atlanta area. The Alumni Association’s mission is to engage alumni on behalf of the school through fundraising and participation in alumni, school, and community-oriented activities. A 20-member Alumni Executive Board leads the Alumni Association and meets throughout the year to plan and coordinate alumni outreach. Lovett’s 54 graduating classes are represented by 82 Class Leaders who act as communications and fundraising liaisons to the Alumni Association. All alumni outreach and activities are coordinated by committees that are chaired by at least one member of the Alumni Executive Board and comprised of Class Leaders and other interested alumni. Nested among Lovett’s traditional alumni activities, such as homecoming, reunions, Run ’n Lovett, and annual fund solicitations, are a new complement of engagement events such as a business speaker series (A Legacy of Leadership), a 50th Reunion Society (Golden Lions), affinity events for the arts (Alumni Art Shows), and social events (fall and spring alumni mixers). Through Run ’n Lovett, alumni actively raise funds to support the endowed Alumni Reunion Scholarship benefitting children of alumni with demonstrable financial need.

TrusteesThe Lovett School is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees that delegates the management of the total school program to an appointed headmaster. The Board of Trustees sees its primary functions as follows: the establishment of the philosophy, broad goals, overall policies of the school, and a vision for the future; the employment and evaluation of the headmaster to operate the school within its goals and aims; and the preservation and enhancement of the assets of the school including land, buildings, endowments, and other income. Once policy has been established, the Board of Trustees does not interfere with the daily operation of the school. It directs all inquiries to the headmaster and his staff. The Board has a long tradition of honest self-assessment and action to strengthen Lovett as the school strives to fully carry out its mission.

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School Divisions

Lower School: Kindergarten through Grade Five The Lovett Lower School aims to develop the servant leaders of tomorrow who are prepared to engage and change the world. The learning environment focuses on nurturing the minds and hearts of children so that they are self-aware, empathetic, and curious. In turn, the curriculum cultivates motivated, creative, and confident students who have the content knowledge and skills necessary for Middle School and beyond. Whether in the core academics (reading, writing, math, social studies) or resource classes (fine arts, reli-gion, physical education, science, and Spanish), children are actively engaged in their learning and constructing new knowledge of self and world.

Middle School: Grades Six through EightThe goal of the Middle School is to balance a rigorous academic curriculum with the needs of the early adolescent. Utilizing inter-disciplinary team planning, the design thinking process, and project based learning, the Middle School curriculum provides a solid foundation in core academic disciplines that will develop both critical thinking skills and the ability to learn independently. Instruction focuses on the development of proficiency in mathematics, written and spoken communications, world languages, and laboratory skills in the physical and social sciences. Teachers go beyond the textbook to help students absorb and integrate information as it relates to their lives. For example, humanities classes conduct mock trials, promote their group’s Utopian societies, and prototype solutions to world problems. Science classes use biomimicry to solve a local problem, conduct forensics labs, and build and program robots to aid in planetary exploration. Advanced level math, science, French, Latin, Spanish and English classes are also offered.

Upper School: Grades Nine through TwelveLovett’s Upper School immerses students in a broad liberal arts curriculum with each course contributing to an integrated preparation for college and 21st-century citizenship and leadership. The Upper School curriculum is designed to foster in students the knowledge and intellectual skills necessary to respond to the complex problems of our world. Students are challenged to bring together insights from seemingly disparate disciplines. Each upper school department offers a range of courses, including a wide variety of electives intended to provide students with the opportunity to delve more deeply into a specific topic. Students in grades 10-12 may also enroll in online classes through Global Online Academy, a consortium Lovett joined in 2013. Twenty Advanced Placement courses and 32 honors courses are available to students who are ready to challenge themselves with a more rigorous curriculum. Students may pursue a diploma distinction in sustainability, global studies, or service & leadership. Approximately 15 students each year take advantage of this opportunity.

Upper School graduation requirements include: 4 units of English; 3-4 units of math, at least one of which must be beyond Algebra II; 3 units of history, including 10th grade Modern Global History or AP European History and 11th grade American Studies; 2-3 units (through level three) of one language; 3 units of science, which must include biology and chemistry; 1 unit of religion; 1 unit of physical education; and 1 unit of fine arts.

Chapel, Character Education, and Civic and Global Engagement

ChapelAlthough Lovett no longer maintains any of-ficial connection to the Episcopal Church and promotes itself as a nonsectarian, indepen-dent institution, it has retained many of the traditions associated with its historical Epis-copal affiliation, including a Christian cross on the school seal and a religiously rooted motto: “Omnia ad Dei Gloriam.” Regular chapel services in all divisions of the school offer opportunities to worship God, facilitate spiritual growth, and provide meaningful, age-appropriate messages that relate faith to life. These services are presented from a Judeo-Christian perspective and expressed through a Christian orientation. Lovett has an active Vestry organization consisting of students who want to express their faith in a tangible way, and these students help plan chapel services as well as service projects and faith building retreats. Lovett also has an active Fellowship of Christian Athletes program that meets weekly on Thursday mornings as well as several Bible studies, which meet before and after school and during lunch.

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Character Education Since its founding, The Lovett School has had an educational vision that places great emphasis on the formation, not only of the mind, but of the heart and character of the students placed in its care. Eva Edwards Lovett considered the “dominant effort” of education to be one in which we strive “to integrate the child as a contributing member of society instead of permitting him to become an egotistical person obsessed with the notion that society should contribute to him.” Mrs. Lovett envisioned a school community of cooperation, social responsibility, and mutual respect. This vision of the Lovett community is embodied in its Character Pledge.

The Character Education Advisory Committee is chaired by the headmaster and consists of faculty, parents, staff, and trustees. This group, which meets three to four times per year, discusses, reviews, and suggests programs and speakers designed to strengthen the ethos of character in our school. Income from the Glenn Character Education Speakers Fund is used to bring speakers to campus.

The Honor CodeConsistent with Lovett’s goal of developing a culture of integrity, the community has established an Honor Code. This code facilitates the creation of a safe environment for the discussion of matters of moral import, establishes a set of values and responsibilities es-teemed by the entire community, and gives students the opportunity to monitor and maintain their own community.

The Honor Code A Lovett student will not lie. A Lovett student will not steal. A Lovett student will not cheat. A Lovett student will not plagiarize.

The Lower School Character Council, comprised of fourth and fifth grade students, has written a code in the language of our younger students: “I promise that I have been honest and this is all my own work.”

To instill the meaning of the Honor Code, each school has established a system whereby students learn the value of the code in their daily lives. In the Lower and Middle Schools, the administrators, teachers, and chaplains help students understand the meaning of honesty and the ways in which people are expected to be honest. As the students mature, more specific areas of the Honor Code are dis-cussed, along with the consequences of violating the code. The principals are charged with the implementation of the code.

In the Upper School, the Honor Code is discussed during the opening of school meetings each year, and teachers explain and reinforce the code throughout the year. Students sign every major assignment and assessment with the Honor Pledge: “On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received help on this assignment/assessment.” Violations of the Honor Code are submitted to the Honor Council, which is comprised of students and faculty.

Community Service and Service LearningLovett students have many opportunities for involvement and service in the local community. Beginning in Lower School, classes are encouraged to participate in projects that reach beyond the classroom in service to others. The youngest students get to know house-keeping and grounds staff members and express appreciation for their contributions to the School. Third, fourth and fifth graders may join the Student Service Council (SSC), which plans “hands-on” service opportunities throughout the year with agencies such as AGAPE Community Center, Atlanta Union Mission, and Kids 4 Cure. Classes and grade levels also plan projects benefitting shelter ministries in downtown Atlanta.

Middle School students regularly volunteer as homework helpers at Agape’s after school program. Students also have monthly oppor-tunities to serve at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Campbell-Stone Apartments (a retirement community), and they participate in the school-wide Thanksgiving Project each year that provides meals for families served through the Agape Center. The Middle School Student Council sponsors service activities as well and supports other school-wide initiatives, including Relay for Life. Individ-ual students with an interest in a particular non-profit may work with the chaplain to have a chapel offering for that cause.

In order to provide leadership, structure, and organization to service projects in the Upper School, an elected Student Service Board oversees service projects and the allocation of the Service Fund. Students from each grade are elected every spring. The SSB works closely with the student government to promote events and encourage student participation. This group organizes and hosts the Buck-head / Vinings Relay for Life event and a “gala” for the special-needs children at FOCUS each spring. SSB members also coordinate individual and group volunteer opportunities at Central Presbyterian Night Shelter, Agape Community Center, The Atlanta Mission, and more.

A few long-standing service projects in the Upper School fall outside the Student Service Board. The Thanksgiving Can Drive, orga-nized by the Upper School Vestry, extends to all divisions of the school and provides 500 Thanksgiving meals to the families of the Agape Community Center. Lovett’s long-time partnership with Habitat for Humanity is another such project. Upper School students worked with students from Marist School, Woodward Academy, Pace Academy, and The Westminster Schools to construct its 24th home in 2015.

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Service learning is also promoted through courses and grade-wide programs in each division. In the Lower School, students explore the importance of servant leadership and what it means to be an active and responsible Lower Schooler/Atlantan/American citizen through:

Reading and writing assignments across the curriculum that explore social issues and their implications for growth and change; A school garden and science curriculum, that addresses food needs in the community; and Relationships with local and international partners designed to explore social justice and human rights issues.

In the Middle School, students take service learning-infused courses in each grade level. Sixth grade students develop empathy and un-derstanding of others through a World Languages unit that focuses on persons with differences (blind, hearing impaired, immigrants) and through Lovett Life Lessons, a mini-course that explores service, philanthropy, and unique Lovett programs such as Breakthrough Atlanta and Siempre Verde. In seventh grade humanities classes (English and Global Issues), students explore how geography impacts the issues faced by people around the world. Students develop human-centered design solutions to meet specific needs and become informed citizens by studying national and international current events. In eighth grade Civics, students explore the question, “How can we develop our civic voice and best participate as informed citizens?” Through two days of service and leadership, eighth grad-ers work with organizations dedicated to building Atlanta’s community and gain a better understanding of the responsibilities of an engaged citizen.

In the Upper School, students have two grade-wide service learning programs and a number of courses that feature service learning and civic engagement. Urban Experience and Atlanta 2.0: Urban Design Fellowship are two examples of such courses.

The ninth grade class trip, SING (Service Initiation for Ninth Graders), focuses on service learning through activities with planned cur-ricular support. SING places ninth graders and advisors in service sites around the City of Atlanta over a two-day period. Prior to the trip, students read, analyze and write about poverty, service, homelessness, and urban development issues. While on SING, students re-spond to journal prompts and have evening discussions about their experiences. English teachers then ask students to use their journal entries to create personal narratives, and in some cases, students are asked to present their works during chapel. Another class experi-ence, RAFT (River Awareness for Tenth Graders), provides a one-day service learning experience focused on ecology, conservation and sustainability.

Service TripsIn order to foster mutual understanding and respect among diverse cultures, Lovett offers members of the Lovett community an opportunity to spend spring break serving as a volunteer in under-resourced communities. Students and faculty work in partnership with the local community to fulfill real needs through construction-based projects and relationship-building activities with schools, churches, and community groups. Participants are encouraged to explore and share personal connections to faith through reflection and discussion and to see God’s presence in the world. It is our hope that these experiences will strengthen the dignity, cooperation, and awareness of all involved and will help our students better understand their place in the global context. In 2016, groups will travel to the Grand Canyon and Dominican Republic.

Global EngagementThe Lovett School’s Vision for Learning speaks to the school’s desire to develop students who are “prepared to think and act with empathy as responsible global citizens in an increasingly diverse landscape.” In addition to coursework that helps students to devel-op a global lens, we challenge students to reach outside their comfort zones to engage authentically with others, often in settings that stretch them physically, emotionally, academically, and culturally. Siempre Verde, Lovett’s property in Ecuador, hosts over 100 visitors each year, including Lovett students in grades 5-12. Upper School classes on location are offered at Siempre Verde (tropical ecology, art, Spanish); Israel (religion or history); and Mexico (photography). Approximately eight students each year attend semester schools, and another eight students each year participate in short-term exchanges in South Africa, Turkey, England, and Australia. Lovett also hosts a group of Chinese students for a short-term exchange in partnership with the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA). Spring break service trips and cultural trips round out a full complement of global engagement opportunities.

Multicultural ExperienceThe Lovett School celebrates the uniqueness of each individual within an intentionally inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment. We recognize that our community is enhanced as we seek to appreciate and respect the differences among our students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni. We are committed to supporting this environment through classroom instruction, professional development, and other curricular and co-curricular programming and in accordance with our nondiscriminatory policy. A multicultural coordinator in each division meets regularly with the Director of Multicultural Programs and Services to discuss programming for faculty, students and parents. Along with the Lovett International Alliance parent group, Lovett supports student clubs and organizations that promote inclusivity and diversity. These include Teens Against Prejudice (TAP) and affinity groups in the Upper School; Cultural Appreciation for Everyone (CAFÉ) and a mentoring program for students of color in the Middle School; and Culture Crew in the Lower School.

SustainabilityFollowing our values of servant leadership and sound character, Lovett is committed to fostering students who are good stewards of the Earth and its resources. Lovett’s sustainability program has developed over the last ten years to incorporate leading environmental practices into the school’s operational and educational goals. Lovett has two LEED-Gold certified buildings; three organic gardens;

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extensive composting and recycling programs; a biodiesel fuel refinery to power maintenance vehicles; a solar panel array; and an organic chicken coop, just to name a few of the initia-tives. With Lovett’s sustainable operations, teachers have the opportunity to integrate hands-on experiences to support classroom learning. Lovett has recently partnered with the Cloud Institute to provide professional development for faculty as they integrate a mindset of sustainability into all academic disciplines and grade levels.

Support Services

Guidance Program: Lower School The guidance & counseling program in the Lower School is designed to be developmen-tally appropriate and student-empowering in nature. The program is divided into three parts: a classroom guidance curriculum, indi-vidual and group counseling, and teacher/parent consultation and community outreach services.

Classroom guidance covers age-appropriate topics based on leadership and civic engagement. Students learn the value of self-aware-ness, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, empathy, and advocacy through lessons tailored to the timely needs of individual classes. Health and wellness education is taught in the spring of each year through the Mendez curriculum “Too Good for Drugs,” which focus-es on the overall scope of wellness as related to positive decision-making skills. Individual and group counseling is offered to students on an as-needed basis. Group counseling focuses on friendship concerns, behavioral issues, changing families, and other teacher-noted concerns, while individual counseling focuses on particular issues a student and his/her family are facing. Teacher/parent consultation is also offered on an as-needed basis, and parent education is addressed through annual programs on behavior management and child safety advocacy.

Guidance Program: Middle School The Middle School guidance curriculum strives to support the standards and guidelines of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). The goal of the program is to provide Lovett Middle School students with comprehensive, developmentally appropriate class-room guidance lessons which support their academic and social emotional needs. All sixth graders participate in Lovett Life Lessons, a class in which students discuss stress management, executive functioning skills, harassment, bullying, relational aggression, friend-ships, communication, diversity and inclusivity, peer pressure, study skills, public speaking, leadership, public service, etiquette, and responsible use of technology. All seventh and eighth grade students meet once per week in small, single gender classes for structured classroom guidance lessons including topics such as peer relationships, alcohol and drug use prevention, positive decision-making, responsible digital citizenship, and social-emotional health. Adolescent mental health presentations and parent support discussions are held bi-annually for Lovett Middle School community members. Additionally, individual, family, and group counseling sessions are available to students and Lovett families on an ongoing basis. The Middle School guidance program is directed and maintained under the supervision of clinicians holding degrees and/or state licensure in the disciplines of Social Work, Professional Counseling, and Marriage and Family Therapy. Guidance Program: Upper SchoolThe Upper School Guidance Counseling Department has two personal counselors who are available to work with individuals and groups of students, providing a safe place and resource for students, parents, faculty, and staff. The counselors’ focus is two-fold: prevention and intervention. As part of the prevention efforts, they provide educational opportunities for students, parents, and faculty through a variety of programming on topics including, but not limited to, substance use, mental health, suicide, transition to college, leadership, active listening, and safe driving. In regards to intervention efforts, they counsel students, faculty, and families and are members of grade-level support teams (GLT) that monitor students’ progress through the Upper School. The counselors provide additional support to students through PAL (Peer Assistance and Leadership), a program that focuses on training seniors to mentor freshmen throughout the school year, which includes facilitating Freshman Orientation in August. Guidance counseling also sponsors Boys and Girls Mentor Groups, which train juniors and seniors to mentor younger students (5th grade–9th grade) at Lovett, as well as “Thank Goodness I’m Female (TGIF), a club for 9th and 10th grade girls.

Health and WellnessIn programming coordinated by the physical education and guidance departments, and with support of the division offices, students combine cognitive and active learning experiences designed to help them acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to make positive lifestyle choices and optimize well-being. The health curriculum covers a range of developmentally appropriate topics, from stress management to cyberbullying, to healthy relationships. Tenth graders participate in a year-long program in partnership

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with Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD), and a series of educational events for seniors helps prepare them to make healthy choices in college.

College Counseling: Upper SchoolThe College Counseling Program provides highly personal support for students and parents in determining a post-secondary path, focusing primarily on colleges and universities that best match a student’s particular interests and goals. In the spring of their sopho-more year, students are assigned to one of Lovett’s four college counselors, who will assist them through all facets of the college search. Emphasis is placed on a thoughtful application process and on minimizing the stress often associated with planning for college.

Academic Resource CenterThe Academic Resource Center (ARC) provides support for students through a variety of models. Lovett’s learning specialists meet one-on-one with students with diagnosed learning differences, sharing academic strategies toward classroom success, and they work with faculty to help them address the various learning styles of their students. The ARC also employs part-time tutors in all divisions, and their services are available on campus during the school day for any student experiencing academic difficulty. Since fall 2011, learn-ing specialists have worked with over 330 students and tutors with more than 775 in all grades, kindergarten through grade 12.

A six-week reading program for every sixth grader is designed to solidify and advance effective reading skills. A year-long class for sixth and seventh grade students who have a demonstrated need to further develop fluency, comprehension and vocabulary skills is also available. The Learning Styles Program targets all third, sixth and ninth graders and helps them grow more cognizant of them-selves as learners.

Academic TechnologyThe Lovett School invests strategically in technology and faculty to support our Vision for Learning and provide the rich and relevant learning experience that readies our students for an ever-changing world. Lovett students are encouraged to use technology resource-fully and responsibly to deepen their learning, collaborate with others, and create and share new ideas.

A wide array of curricular and co-curricular opportunities enable students to explore their interests in computer science, design and engineering, and robotics. A 1:1 laptop program in grades 4–12, STEAM makerspaces, specialized computer labs, and an iPad program designed especially to support our youngest students provide a rich environment for learning in our community.

LibraryThe primary mission of the Vasser Woolley Memorial and the Dorothy Floyd Libraries is to support and sustain the educational pro-grams of The Lovett School. Within this framework, the libraries select materials and provide services to enrich and expand the curric-ulum, to further the research and reading interests of students and faculty, and to promote a lifelong enthusiasm for reading and librar-ies. The Lovett libraries allow students to delve more deeply into a multitude of subjects through an extensive collection of books and periodicals, as well as an extraordinarily rich collection of electronic resources. The Library website allows students access to library databases and electronic resources anywhere on campus, as well as remotely via their home computer. Lovett believes that a successful approach to research incorporates the best of traditional and technological methods and that these paths are not mutually exclusive.

Auxiliary ProgrammingThe Department of Auxiliary Programming runs ASAP (After School Activities Program) for students in grades K–5 who need to stay at Lovett beyond dismissal time. A full slate of activities, from chess to tennis to ballet to art, is also available through the Afternoon Enrichment program. Middle School students who need after-school supervision may stay for the Extended Day Program or participate in one of many Middle School intramurals. Lovett also sponsors an array of summer day and specialty camps. In 2015, there were 1477 camp registrations from 654 campers.

Athletics and Fine Arts

Athletics The Lovett School seeks to provide a broad opportunity of interscholas-tic activities for both male and female students in Grades 7–12 that will support The Lovett School mission of developing the whole child by pro-viding “integrated experiences in academics, arts, athletics, and service through an education grounded in learning, character, and community.” Personal traits, including commitment, discipline, team cooperation, indi-vidual leadership, sportsmanship, and consideration of others are empha-sized and considered to be vital to the success of the athletics program.

In 2014–15, 82 percent percent of Lovett’s students competed in one or more of the 50 Upper School and 26 Middle School teams fielded in 15 sports. Lovett’s varsity teams have won 110 state championships, and

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since 1981, 60 Lovett athletes have been named High School All Americans in nine sports: soccer, tennis, swimming, lacrosse, track & field, baseball, diving, cheerleading, and football. Lovett won the 2014-15 AA Directors Cup, which recognizes programs that have ex-celled and shown superior performance. State Championships in girls cross country, girls track, and boys golf were the highlights of the school-year athletic campaign, but overall program consistency was the key, as 20 Lions teams advanced to state tournament competi-tion.

Fine ArtsThe Fine Arts Department works to inspire and develop Lovett students, both individually and collectively. The department strives to provide an education that promotes creative learning through cross-curricular work while still fully focused on excellence in the arts within the arts curriculum. The school employs 53 fine arts teachers (most are working professional artists) for 62 courses and applied lessons offerings. Ninety percent of the student body participates in at least one fine arts activity during the year, and over 250 students enroll each year in Lovett’s Applied Lessons Program studying piano, voice, and band and orchestral instruments and performing in winter and spring recitals. Encompassing both the visual and performing arts, Lovett offers a comprehensive array of classes to students in all three divisions of the school. These include chorus, band, orchestra, painting and drawing, sculpture, photography, dance, film history, critical approaches to film, motion picture production, screenwriting, theater arts, technical theater (Design and Production), jazz ensemble, and more. Students have multiple opportunities to perform in over 55 recitals, plays, musical productions, concerts, chapel services, and school events, as well as in local and out-of-state festivals and competitions. Visual arts students show their works within the school, at festi-vals and events, and in external shows and competitions. In the spring of 2015 at the Southern Star Music Festival, the Middle School Concert Band won the silver award and the Middle School Orchestra won the gold award. At the 2015 Disney Music Festival, the Lovett Ellington Jazz Band won the gold award along with 3 outstanding jazz soloist awards, the Concert Band won the Bronze Metal, the Singers, Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus won gold awards, and the Chamber Orchestra won the gold award. Lovett also received Shuler Award Nominations in the spring of 2015 for best lighting/sound/technical execution and best leading actress performance for the musical “Oklahoma.”

Student Performance Data

ERBEach spring, Lovett administers the ERB standardized achievement test (CTP IV) to all students in Grades 4–8. In the fall of 2006, the school also implemented the ERB Writing Assessment Program. An analysis of ERB scores is one component used to evaluate curricu-lum and determine areas for improvement.

PSAT All Lovett students in Grades 10 and 11 are required to take the PSAT. Depending on the year, ninth graders take a practice PSAT and/or the CWRA. A summary of PSAT mean scores is included in the Academic Scorecard which can be found in the Appendix. Seven students from the Class of 2016 have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists, and 13 were recognized as National Merit Com-mended Scholars.

CWRASince April 2011, Lovett has administered the CWRA (College and Work Readiness Assessment) to ninth graders each fall and to twelfth graders each spring. In 2016, the test will be given to eleventh graders rather than twelfth graders. The CWRA is an online assessment of critical thinking and communication skills, which is given at approximately 250 high schools across the country. The assessment provides sub-scores in analysis and problem solving; writing effectiveness; writing mechanics; scientific and quantitative reasoning; critical reading and evaluation; and critiquing an argument. We use this information to focus our internal conversation and to track progress and growth over time.

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement courses are offered in numerous curricular areas at Lovett. Students are selected for those AP courses that are not “open access” based on teacher recommendations, and all students enrolled are required to sit for the AP exam. In 2015, 249 students took a total of 487 exams on which 90 percent of the scores were 3 or higher and 61 percent were 4 or 5. AP results for the past ten years are included in the Appendix.

Graduate StatisticsWith very few exceptions, all Lovett graduates are college bound. The Appendix contains specific data related to college matriculation for the classes of 2014 and 2015.

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Mission

The Lovett School is a community that seeks to develop young men and women of honor, faith, and wisdom with the character and intellect to thrive in college and in life.

Founded in 1926 by Eva Edwards Lovett, we continue today as an Atlanta independent school serving children in kindergarten through Grade 12. With an emphasis on the whole child, we provide integrated experiences in academics, arts, athletics, and service through an education grounded in learning, character, and community.

LearningLovett faculty and staff inspire our students to love learning. We help them discover how to think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully. We create opportunities for them to grow in all dimensions—intellectual, emotional, physical, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual.

CharacterLovett teaches the qualities of servant leadership and sound character—honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, courage, and integ-rity. We celebrate the uniqueness of each individual within an intentionally inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment. We honor God in an atmosphere that is rooted in Judeo-Christian beliefs and is further enriched by a variety of religious traditions.

CommunityLovett is a dedicated community of students and teachers, joined by loyal parents, staff, alumni, trustees, and friends. We are commit-ted—with shared purposes and principles—to improving our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world.

Brief History

In September 1926, Mrs. Eva Edwards Lovett, an innovative educator who emphasized the development of the whole child, officially began The Lovett School with 20 boys and girls in Grades 1–3. By 1936, the school had expanded to Grades 1–7 and was able to become a true day school with a move from a former home in town to a wooded campus north of the city.

The school year of 1960–61 opened at Lovett’s new and current location, 4075 Paces Ferry Road, with an enrollment of 1,024 students representing grades Pre-K–1. Lovett’s first senior class graduated in June of 1962. 2002–03 marked the last year for Lovett’s pre-kinder-garten program, and the school continues today as a kindergarten through Grade 12 institution.

In 1992, Lovett’s philosophy was re-written, and the school also purchased more than 800 acres of rainforest, known as Siempre Verde, in Ecuador for the purpose of establishing a research and education center. In 1996 Lovett began hosting Summerbridge Atlanta (now known as Breakthrough Atlanta), an academic enrichment program for middle school students from Atlanta’s public schools.The essential rebuilding of the campus over the past twelve years reflects a new era at The Lovett School, one in which we honor the vision of Eva Edwards Lovett with facilities that work for today’s educational environment. Included in that rebuilding are Lovett’s three divisions, which house a total current enrollment (2014–15) of 1,664 students, 834 boys and 830 girls.

Lower School (K–5) 513 Middle School (6–8) 511 Upper School (9–12) 640

Lovett students come from 10 counties in the metropolitan area, and approximately 20 percent are students of color.

Executive Update since January 2011 Accreditation

Lovett’s last accreditation visit was in January 2011; the team was chaired by Tom Johnson, Head of School at Bayside Academy (AL). The 2011 self-study was centered on Lovett’s most recent strategic plan at the time: Strategic Plan for 2007–2011: Excellence in Learning, Character, & Community. Lovett’s four goals were:

To heighten the overall academic ethos of the school; To strengthen Lovett’s culture of honor and respect, including respect for differences; To increase the diversity of faculty and students at Lovett; and To expand the role and importance of environmental sustainability.

The school has made significant progress towards these goals over the past five years, and the 2016 goals flow naturally from our 2011–16 work.

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A major component of heightening the overall academic ethos of the school was the creation of an ad-hoc academic study group, which was co-chaired by the headmaster and a trustee. Results of the work of this group included the creation of academic and college scorecards; more public displays of the academic accomplishments of our students; an increase in the requirements for various honor distinctions; the introduction of scholar athlete awards; and the creation of the Vision for Learning. This 2011 goal and the related com-mittee recommendations focused on the traditional measures of academic success. This year, we turn our attention to underlying habits of mind—curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought.

As is the case with schools across the country, creating a culture of respect for differences continues to deserve significant attention and care. As an outgrowth of the 2011 goal, we instituted a series of faculty diversity trainings and focus groups and continued significant work led by the director of multicultural programs and services. We also prioritized student and faculty recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds. The continued centrality of this work is reflected in the inclusion of a 2016 goal focused on diversity and inclusiv-ity. Though we have made strides in building a diverse and welcoming community, we have more work still to do.

In 2015, Jaimie Cloud of the Cloud Institute completed a sustainability audit at Lovett. After a thorough review of curriculum and extensive meetings with Lovett stakeholders, Jaimie shared valuable affirmations and recommendations regarding our sustainability program. In terms of environmental sustainability, Lovett has indeed become a leader in the southeast. (We invite you to watch this video for the 2014–15 year end summary of our sustainability work.) While our commitment to environmental sustainability continues, we are increasingly cognizant that sustainability also has social and economic dimensions that are just as important as the ecological dimensions. With the help of the Cloud Institute, we are exploring the Education for Sustainability (EfS) benchmarks and providing sig-nificant professional development opportunities (coaching and conferences) for faculty to design curriculum with the EfS benchmarks in mind.

Leadership

The Lovett School is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees that delegates the management of the total school program to an appointed headmaster. In essence, the Board of Trustees sees its primary functions as follows: the establishment of the philosophy, broad goals, overall policies of the school, and a vision for the future; the employment and evaluation of the headmaster to operate the school within the goals and aims; and the preservation and enhancement of the assets of the school including land, buildings, endow-ments, and other income. Once policy has been established, the Board of Trustees does not interfere with the daily operation of the school. It directs all inquiries to the headmaster and his staff. The Board has a long tradition of honest self-assessment and action to strengthen Lovett as we strive to fully carry out our mission.

Self-Study Process

The Lovett School’s most recent self-study process has comprised nearly five full years of reflection, evaluation, and assessment. The accreditation process provides an opportunity to pull a number of pieces together into a unified whole, identifying synergies and com-mon themes and providing accountability to our action plan.

The most recent strategic planning process (Strategic Plan 2013) began with a retreat in November 2011, at which approximately 50 trustees and school administrators conducted a SWOT analysis and ultimately agreed on the strategic imperatives that have guided our work ever since:

Cultivate excellence and distinctiveness in our school, programs, and people; Promote stewardship and sustainability in all its forms; Share the Lovett story in compelling and consistent ways; and Create a cohesive community whose members strive to grow, to learn, and to engage one another.

Over the subsequent two years, 16 committees, aligned with the standing Board of Trustees committees, met regularly to develop specific recommendations and tactics consistent with Lovett’s mission and the strategic imperatives. One sub-committee, on Strategic Partnerships, conducted nearly 75 community interviews that informed the work not just of that committee, but of the entire process. The committee recommendations were presented to the Board of Trustees in May 2013. Two committees—one dedicated to the work of the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and another to evaluating and strengthening School Culture—continue to meet.

The work of the Strategic Planning committees prompted a great deal of additional reflection and analysis, including a 10-year finan-cial sustainability study, an ad hoc trustee committee on recruiting diverse faculty, and an external audit of the Civic Engagement and Sustainability programs. The School Culture committee recommended an employee engagement survey that would allow us to identify specific areas for improvement relative to employee culture. This survey, developed by HumanEx, was administered in fall 2013 and 2014 and will be administered again in winter 2016.

One of the Advancement subcommittees recommended that Lovett undertake a comprehensive marketing study, something the school had not done in at least 25 years. Art & Science Group, a Baltimore-based firm, was retained to complete this study, which was based on

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on-campus interviews with 75 faculty, staff, students, and alumni; telephone interviews with 45 community leaders; an online sur-vey to current parents (822 responded); and telephone interviews with 30 families who were offered admission and chose to enroll their children elsewhere. The recommenda-tions from Art & Science Group led us not just to evaluate our branding and program, but to wrestle with our purpose as a school. We entered into this work from a position of relative strength, as evidenced by the recent successful completion of the $94 mil-lion Our Defining Decade capital campaign and a robust admission pool.

A final tool for reflection was the SAIS Val-ue Narrative Survey, administered in March 2015 to active trustees, current faculty, grade 6-12 students, and alumni. Having administered the NAIS parent survey in fall 2012 and the Art & Science Group survey to parents in 2014, we opted not to ask parents to complete the Value Narrative. Nearly 3000 people responded, providing a helpful snap-shot of Lovett’s performance in 34 dimensions and raising a number of new questions, which we continue to explore through faculty focus groups.Through the many Strategic Planning committees and associated focus groups and interviews, Art & Science Group market research, and engagement surveys, we have heard from a wide range of Lovett constituents: trustees, Lovett parents, students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We have also considered Lovett’s reputation with unaffiliated community leaders and those who chose not to enroll their chil-dren at Lovett. This multifaceted analysis and reflection has informed our school-improvement plan.

Improvement

Over the past several years, we have collected tremendous feedback about Lovett’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The most recent challenge has been to consider the numerous recommendations that have emerged from the self-study process, identify synergies and recurring themes, prioritize the recommendations, and finalize action plans. Many of the action plans that emerged directly from the 2013 Strategic Plan have been completed, but there is much work still to be done.After a careful review of the recommendations that emerged from the Art & Science Group research, 2013 Strategic Plan, Siempre Verde Strategic Plan, Diversity & Multicultural Programs Strategic Plan, Civic Engagement audit, and Sustainability audit, we identified five areas for improvement that aligned with our strategic imperatives and that represent recurring themes. These five areas form the basis of our 2016 accreditation goals:

Goal 1: Prioritize the development of students’ social, emotional, and spiritual awareness, built on a foundation of integrity and strong character and practiced through civic and global engagement.

This goal echoes Lovett’s mission and prioritizes students’ development of non-cognitive skills. Social, emotional, and spiritual awareness are built on a foundation of integrity and character. This personal development is not for its own sake, but ultimately for the betterment of our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world. Thus, there is an external focus—an employment of character and awareness through civic and global engagement to better our world.

As part of its accreditation process, Lovett also seeks the Mission Achieving Certification offered by the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE). This accreditation goal, which speaks directly to Lovett’s mission, will allow us to evaluate our efficacy and opportu-nities for improvement consistent with the CSEE Mission Certification.

The CSEE process diverges somewhat from the SAIS / SACS self-study process. At the urging of CSEE, the committee focusing on this goal has spent tremendous time in reflection, without an expectation that they develop an action plan prior to the February site visit. After the site visit, which will include three professionals who will focus entirely on this goal, the Lovett committee will meet to consider the visitors’ feedback and develop an action plan.

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Goal 2: Share the Lovett story in compelling and consistent ways, by defining the Lovett brand and adopting a strategic focus in marketing.

This goal flows directly from one of the Strategic Planning imperatives and emerged as one of the strongest recommendations from the Art & Science Group marketing study. Yes, Lovett must share its story in compelling and consistent ways, but we must first identify exactly what that story is, defining our brand and communicating that brand intentionally and strategically, while staying true to our mission and ethos.

Goal 3: Foster greater student curiosity, intellectual confidence, and depth of thought.

This goal speaks directly to Lovett’s new Purpose Statement, an outgrowth of the Art & Science Group marketing study. A central tenet of that statement is that we are committed to helping our students develop curiosity and confidence, as we inspire them to find and cultivate their individual voices and best selves. In the 2011 accreditation process, Lovett focused its academic work on the traditional measures of academic success, such as college placement and standardized test scores. This goal allows us to shift our focus to teaching and learning and the school’s intellectual climate.

Goal 4: Increase the diversity of faculty and students at Lovett and further cultivate a culture of respect for difference.

Lovett has made significant progress in the past decade in building a diverse student body. (In 2004–05, diverse students comprised 12.86 percent of the student body; in 2015–16, that percentage is 21 percent.) However, we have not made as much progress in building a faculty that mirrors the diversity of the student body, let alone the diversity of our city. (In 2007–08, faculty diversity was 10.46 per-cent. In 2015–16 faculty diversity is at 16.6 percent). Further, we have much work still to do in creating a culture of respect for differ-ence, for all members of our community.

Goal 5: Prioritize the recruitment and retention of top quality faculty and staff.

Consistently over the past five years, students and parents have commented on a perceived unevenness of faculty quality. Faculty themselves have questioned whether the right people are in the right jobs. While Lovett has always been fortunate to have a robust pool of faculty applicants, we have not focused as intentionally as we might on faculty recruitment and retention. With clear feedback that we can do better in this area, and with a significant number of retirements anticipated in the next several years, the time is right to be more intentional about recruiting and retaining an excellent faculty and staff.

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Section Two: Continuous ImprovementGoal 1: Prioritize the development of students’ social, emotional, and spiritual awareness, built on a foundation of integrity and strong character and practiced through civic and global engagement. (CSEE Mission Achieving Goal)

Section 1: Profile/Research

Mission: The Lovett School mission statement was adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2012.

The Lovett School is a community that seeks to develop young men and women of honor, faith, and wisdom with the character and intellect to thrive in college and in life.

Founded in 1926 by Eva Edwards Lovett, we continue today as an Atlanta independent school serving children in kindergarten through Grade 12. With an emphasis on the whole child, we provide integrated experiences in academics, arts, athletics, and service through an education grounded in learning, character, and community.

Learning Lovett faculty and staff inspire our students to love learning. We help them discover how to think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully. We create opportunities for them to grow in all dimensions— intellectual, emotional, physical, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual.

Character Lovett teaches the qualities of servant leadership and sound character—honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, courage, and integrity. We celebrate the uniqueness of each individual within an intentionally inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment. We honor God in an atmosphere that is rooted in Judeo-Christian beliefs and is further enriched by a variety of religious traditions.

Community Lovett is a dedicated community of students and teachers, joined by loyal parents, staff, alumni, trustees, and friends. We are committed—with shared purposes and principles—to improving our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world.

The Learning paragraph of the mission speaks specifically to Lovett’s academic aspirations for students. This information is further explicated in the Vision for Learning, which defines each of the central tenets (critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collabo-ration).

As a school committed to the whole child, however, our mission extends well beyond the academic skills and content we hope stu-dents will develop. An education that honors the whole child is grounded not just in learning, but in character and community as well. Further, our commitment to the whole child means offering a wide range of experiences, honoring experiences in the arts, athletics, and service in addition to academics.

Character is a process of developing and becoming. The Character Pledge, which was written and adopted in 2000 intentionally begins with the words, “we...seek to live lives of good character” and ends with a promise to strive “to do what is right at all times.” We don’t always get it right, and we have a lot of opportunities to practice good character, but the aspiration to do what is right is constant. The Character Pledge is also explicit in defining good character as arising “from daily acts.” That is, character is practiced every day, in myriad ways.

Character Pledge: We, who are members of the Lovett community, seek to live lives of good character. We believe that good character grows from daily acts of honesty, respect, responsibility, and compassion. We pledge ourselves to develop these ideals with courage and integrity, striving to do what is right at all times.”

Honesty and integrity are woven into the Character Pledge and are further defined in Lovett’s Honor Code: Honor Code: A Lovett student will not lie. A Lovett student will not steal. A Lovett student will not cheat. A Lovett student will not plagiarize.

Lovett’s commitment to community and to character are both rooted in servant leadership. Students are encouraged to lead by devel-oping empathy for others, giving generously of their time and energy, and focusing not on accolades and awards, but on making lives better. Our commitment to improving “our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world” drives our interactions both within and outside the school buildings and permeates our approach to academics, arts, and athletics.

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We have strong convictions about the people we will send out into the world. If they are, indeed, to improve our school, city, society, environment, and world, they must practice and develop certain skills while at Lovett, beyond the content and knowledge skills they learn in the classroom.

First, they must develop social, emotional, and spiritual awareness. They must know themselves and understand how they fit into Lovett’s community and the larger communities that comprise their lives. They must develop empathy and respect for different view-points. This awareness of self and of the wider community is grounded in character and integrity. It is not enough, however, simply to be aware of oneself and the wider world, even with the best of intentions. It is our fervent belief that character must be put into practice by engaging in the wider community—at Lovett, in Atlanta, and beyond our city’s and country’s borders.

Though The Lovett School is an independent school with no religious affiliation, the school’s brief association with the Episcopal Church (1959-1963) left a legacy of rootedness in the Judeo-Christian tradition and a commitment to embrace the spiritual dimensions of a student’s development. All students attend chapel services once every seven school days, and religion classes are a required part of the curriculum in all school divisions.

The Lovett School’s commitment to teaching students the qualities of servant leadership and sound character and to providing oppor-tunities for students to practice character and leadership in the community is woven deeply into all that we do. Below is list of repre-sentative strategies that offers a glimpse into Lovett’s approach to fostering character and community.

How do we fulfill this commitment to character? (A representative list)

Familiarity with the Character Pledge: In the Lower School, students recite the character pledge every day. This daily practice and rep-etition reinforces the importance of these words and qualities and brings them into constant focus. In the Middle School, programming focuses on one of the qualities mentioned in the character pledge each month. Prime Time (advisory) conversations, chapel messages, assemblies, and visual displays all reinforce the character trait of the month. At three all-school chapels each year, all members of the Lovett community (students, faculty, and staff) recite the character pledge.

Student Recognition and Awards: While students are recognized for academic success-es, the highest student awards in each division are for character. In the Lower School, end of year scholarships for three students (grades 3, 4, and 5) are awarded to students who lead by example, model good citizenship, and persevere in spite of challenges. In the Middle School, the highest end of year awards are also based on citizenship, leadership, and service. In the Upper School, in addition to awards based on service to the school and community, citizenship awards are given at each grade level, grades 9 through 11. These awards, considered the highest awards given in the Underclass Awards Ceremony, honor students for integrity, citizenship, and generosity of spirit. A relatively new award for seniors, the Dan Dalke Award for Character, is given to the senior who most exemplifies the qualities of the character pledge. Finally, the highest student award given at Lovett, awarded to a graduating senior, is the Eva Edwards Lovett Award. This honor is bestowed upon a senior who has “most nearly attained the qualities taught and exemplified by the founder of the school: love of learning, truth, and beauty; and service to God and mankind.”

Chapel: In all divisions, chapel services provide an excellent opportunity for direct in-struction relative to character and community. Sermons frequently focus on a word from the character pledge or a moral teaching in scrip-ture. Chapel services provide a rare “pause” in

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the day as students are given the opportunity to reflect. A highlight of the year is the Upper School Vestry Retreat, which gives between 150 and 200 students the chance to get away for a weekend of bible study, reflection, and fun.

Religion and Guidance Classes: In all divisions, character and the importance of service are taught through direct instruction in reli-gion and guidance classes. Students in grades K–2 meet with the guidance counselor once every seven school days for a class that fo-cuses on servant leadership and foundations of leadership. In grades three through five, these guidance classes are based on the Leader in Me curriculum (www.theleaderinme.com), which begins with the premise that leadership stems from good character. Lower School-ers all take a course in Religious Studies each year, K–5. In the Middle School, guidance classes continue to meet once every seven days, as students discuss topics such as positive decision-making, peer relationships, and emotional health. In Upper School, students take at least two religion classes to fulfill graduation requirements. These classes, many of which offer an academic study of the bible and other sacred texts, afford students the opportunity to wrestle with moral and ethical issues. A new religion elective, Ethical Leadership, is offered for the first time in 2015–16.

Framework for student expectations and discipline: The character pledge and honor pledge form the framework for conversations about appropriate student behavior. Several years ago, the technology code of conduct was rewritten: the document shifted from a two-page list of do’s and don’ts to a simple statement that affirms that use of technology at Lovett is governed by the ideals of the character pledge. (“A Lovett student is expected to abide by the principles in the character pledge at all times. These principles—respect, respon-sibility, courage, compassion, honesty, and integrity— apply to student use of technology, just as they apply to all other areas of school life. Students will be held accountable to these standards when using school hardware, applications, or networks; personal computing devices on the Lovett campus; or at any point when the student is representing Lovett either on or off campus.”) When deans of stu-dents meet with students who have broken a school rule, the conversation is often rooted in the character pledge, as students consider how they might have more fully demonstrated courage, integrity, honor, respect, compassion, or responsibility. In the Upper School, chair of the student-led Honor Council or Discipline Council is considered one of the most important leadership positions in the school.

Habits and Skills Assessment: In 2014, the Middle School instituted the Habits and Skills Assessment, an instrument for providing feedback to students and parents about a student’s growth in a number of non-cognitive skills, including resilience and self-advocacy (as well as creativity, communication, and work habits). Five times during the year, students self-assess on these qualities and receive feedback from their teachers and advisors as they move towards their goals.

Committee work: The School Culture Committee is a standing committee that emerged from the 2013 Strategic Plan. This committee, comprised of Lovett trustees, parents, faculty, and administrators focuses on school culture for faculty and for students. The Character Education Advisory Committee, similarly comprised of Lovett trustees, parents, faculty, and administrators gathers regularly to share information and further work specific to character education. The committee was recently expanded to include a representative group of Upper School student leaders who are committed to even more intentional work around character development. How do we fulfill this commitment to community? (A representative list)

Experiential Learning and class trips: In each grade, from grade 5 through grade 12, students participate in a class trip. Particularly noteworthy in the context of global and civic engagement are trips in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. In 7th grade, students spend several days in Washington, D.C., building respect for our government and country. In 8th grade, students participate in a two-day leader-ship training. Day one focuses on leadership skills and reflection. Day two includes community service in Atlanta, making explicit the expectation that leaders serve. In ninth grade, students spend two days in small groups conducting service in Atlanta through the Ser-vice Initiation for Ninth Graders (SING). They spend the night with their advisor and fellow advisees, building community with that four-year “family.” In grade 10, students stay closer to home, working and playing on the Chattahoochee River, which runs adjacent to campus. At the end of grade 11, juniors participate in Junior Outdoor Expedition (JOE), five days and four nights of hiking and camp-ing in the Pisgah National Forest.

Atlanta-focused courses: We take seriously our relationship with the city of Atlanta. All students expand their understanding of the city through SING. Students also have the opportunity to dig much deeper by enrolling in Urban Experience, a two-week Upper School summer course that is a study of issues facing metropolitan Atlanta, including poverty, racism, homelessness, immigration, transpor-tation, and the environment. Through readings, site visits, guest speakers, and small-group discussions, we will not only learn about these challenges, but also about the different organizations—community, governmental, and faith-based—who are working to solve them. In the summers of 2013, 2014, and 2015, students also had the opportunity to enroll in Atlanta 2.0, a summer course taught in partnership with The Westminster Schools. As explained in the course description, the course focuses on “urban design, and, more specifically, the ways in which design of Atlanta’s public spaces can impact community development. Students will engage with the Atlanta Beltline and Ponce City Market, as well as other public space initiatives designed to make our city more sustainable, sociable, beautiful, and functional. They will also build fundamental skills necessary for the design of streets and parks, the shaping of neigh-borhoods’ form and function, and the integration of the natural and built environment. Additionally, students will develop the ability to deduce, question, and evaluate the design of Atlanta’s public spaces.” Finally, in spring 2017, Lovett will begin a non-residential, honors-level semester school for 30 sophomores from Lovett and across the city. Lab Atlanta will immerse a diverse team of students and faculty in collaboration with some of the city’s finest institutions—educational, cultural, and enterprise—to develop innovation and entrepreneurship skills as they design solutions for a vibrant and sustainable city of the future.

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Design Thinking: In 6th grade World Languages and 7th grade Global Issues, the curriculum is built in largely around the use of Design Thinking as a tool for human-centered problem-solving, rooted in empathy. In World Languages, students develop empathy through a project that focuses on persons with differences (blind, hearing impaired, immigrants). In seventh grade, students study how geography impacts the issues faced by people around the world. Students develop empathy and design innovative plans to meet specific needs and become informed citizens by studying national and international current events. At other points throughout the Lovett experience, the Design Thinking process may also be employed.

Community Service and Service Leadership: In each division, a board of nominated or appointed students provides leadership and vision for the community service program. Service coordinators in each division ensure that there are a variety of service opportuni-ties with low barriers to participation. For example, Upper School students can volunteer with children at Agape once each week. No advance sign-up is necessary, and students are transported in a Lovett bus, arriving back on campus in time for evening carpool. Each varsity athletic team has at least one team community service experience as well. Diploma Distinctions: In 2016, the first set of Lovett students will graduate with diploma distinctions in Service & Leadership or Glob-al Studies. An additional distinction, in Sustainability, is also available. Over the course of five semesters beginning sophomore spring, students pursuing a distinction intentionally select their courses and activities to support the distinction; complete outside reading around a theme; document their work in a digital portfolio; and complete a senior capstone project or thesis. Those who successfully complete the entire process graduate with distinction in their area of study. These diploma distinctions are meant to provide a venue for students to build upon and/or demonstrate an area of interest as they more fully personalize their Lovett Upper School experience.

Community Partners: The Lovett School has a number of community partners who work alongside us to support junior internships, STEAM initiatives, the fine arts program, and the science curriculum. One new partner, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, provides an easy connection point to expose students to the local and national, historical and current conversations around civil and human rights. Lovett also has on-going service partnerships with Agape, Boys and Girls Club, Focus, and several other organiza-tions. These partnerships allow Lovett students to engage in ongoing work, building relationships over a period of several years and immersing themselves in a particular community.

Curriculum: Throughout the school, a commitment to character and community is explicitly embedded in the curriculum. In the Lower School, students begin understanding community through the local lens of their school community. Throughout Lower School and Middle School, they expand that understanding to include their city, state, country, and the entire world. A number of Upper School classes are designed help students understand the history and culture of non-Western societies. For example, students may enroll in Honors African Studies, Honors Latin American Studies, AP Art History, Introduction to World Cultures, and an assortment of other globally-focused courses. In the Upper School, PAL (Peer Leadership) and Ethics & Leadership provide a venue for students to explore leadership through a more academic / research-based lens.

Teens Against Prejudice (TAP), Alliances, and Affinity Groups: In the Upper School, several student alliances and affinity groups function under the umbrella of TAP, a student organization committed to making Lovett a more inclusive place and providing a forum for teachers and students to discuss a range of issues. The Black Affinity Group and Asian Affinity Group are for students who share those identifiers. Spectrum, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Jewish Appreciation Club function as alliances, which all students are welcome to join.

Siempre Verde: One of the best vehicles for understanding a culture, history, and ecology different than our own is by visiting Siempre Verde, the research station Lovett owns in the cloud forest of Ecuador. Each year, approximately 40 Lovett students (along with stu-dents from other secondary and post-secondary institutions) visit Siempre Verde as part of the Lower School trip, Middle School trip, Tenth grade trip, or Cloudforest Classroom. The Cloudforest Classroom provides a way for Upper School students to earn academic credit in Spanish, Tropical Ecology, or Art & the Environment while living and learning at Siempre Verde. Lovett purchased the Siempre Verde property in 1992 and has, since then, been instrumental in supporting the local school in Santa Rosa.

Exchange Students: Each year, up to eight Upper School students travel to Turkey, South Africa, England, and Australia on short-term exchanges of three to five weeks. Their exchange partners also visit Lovett and Atlanta for three to five weeks, enriching the entire student body while they are on campus. Through our membership in the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA), we bring 10 Chinese students to Lovett for two weeks each February. Recently, Lovett partnered with New Oasis to bring a small number of inter-national students to Lovett as fully matriculated students who will graduate after three or four years at Lovett. While it isn’t feasible for every Lovett student to have an immersive international experience, we can bring international voices to Lovett, giving a broad range of Lovett students the chance to expand their horizons over the course of their Lovett career.

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Service and Mission Trips: Eight years ago, we initiated a series of spring break service trips in order to foster mutual understanding and respect among diverse cultures. Each year, between 30 and 45 Upper School students participate in an international spring break service trip. More recently, Middle School students have been given the option of a domestic service trip. Students in all grades, 6-12, are invited to participate in even shorter service trips during the year (between one and five days). In addition to service trips, students also have myriad opportunities for cultural and / or academically focused international travel to locations including Israel, Mexico, Italy, and England, among others.

Breakthrough Atlanta: Since 1996, Lovett has hosted Breakthrough Atlanta on the Lovett campus. In 2011, we launched a second Breakthrough Atlanta site at Atlanta Youth Academy. Breakthrough’s mission is twofold: 1) to provide an academically intense pathway to college for motivated metro Atlanta public school students to encourage academic success and 2) to provide an intensive hands-on teacher training experience (internship) for high school and college students, inspiring a new generation of teachers. The entire Lovett community benefits from our partnership with Breakthrough. Students regularly volunteer with Breakthrough during the school-year and summer programs, and a small number of Lovett students intern as teachers during the summer.

Sustainability: Following our values of servant leadership and sound character, Lovett is committed to fostering students who are good stewards of the Earth and its resources. Lovett’s sustainability program has developed over the last ten years to incorporate leading environmental practices into the school’s operational and educational goals. Lovett has two LEED-Gold certified buildings; three organic gardens; extensive composting and recycling programs; a biodiesel fuel refinery to power maintenance vehicles; a solar panel array; and an organic chicken coop, just to name a few of the initiatives. With Lovett’s sustainable operations, teachers have the opportunity to integrate hands-on learning experiences to support classroom learning. Lovett has recently partnered with the Cloud Institute to provide professional development for faculty as they integrate a mindset of sustainability into all academic disciplines and grade levels.

What is the breadth and depth of the understanding of Lovett’s mission?

There is no question but that Lovett is a mission-driven school with a strong commitment to nurturing the whole child. The mission statement is visible and frequently referenced by parents, faculty, administrators, and alumni, particularly with respect to Lovett’s com-mitment to the whole child. The 2013-14 marketing study by Art & Science Group affirmed that all Lovett stakeholders (faculty, parents, community leaders, students, and alumni) see Lovett as a “village”—a caring community with a deep-seated commitment to the whole child.

Research by Art & Science Group further affirmed that current parents see a balanced experience (Lovett’s commitment to the whole child) as critical. (59 percent of parents cited a balanced experience as one of the three most critical aspects of a K–12 school; 31 percent of parents cited a balanced experience as the single most critical characteristic of the best education experience.) Further, “strong mor-als” are the most important potential educational outcome cited by current Lovett parents.

The SAIS Value Narrative Survey, administered in March 2015, gave constituents the opportunity to rate 34 school attributes in terms of importance and Lovett performance. The attributes most directly related to the character and community aspects of Lovett’s mission are: character education, ethics, and global education.

For all of the survey constituents (students, faculty, alumni, trustees), ethics falls in the top third of attributes in terms of importance. There is widespread agreement that helping students develop the skill of ethical decision making is critical. For active trustees, ethics is the fourth most important attribute; for alumni, it is the second most important attribute. The results also indicate that there is contin-ued room for improvement in Lovett’s performance of helping students develop ethical decision-making: faculty and alumni put ethics in the middle third of performance; students and trustees put ethics in the top third of performance.

Character Education is particularly important to trustees, who rate it as the number one most important school attribute (and number four in terms of performance). Students, faculty, and alumni see character education as somewhat less important and with room for improvement in terms of performance.

Finally, all constituents see global education as relatively unimportant (low on the list of 34 school attributes). This speaks directly to the opportunity Lovett has to communicate the need for Lovett students to understand the global context of their education. Clearly, we can do significantly better work in communicating both the importance of global education and our efforts in that area. We are in the very early stages of conversation about the knowledge and mindsets we hope students will develop as globally competent individuals.

Comment on successes and challenges of the implementation of teaching character/community.

As an institution and community, Lovett is always striving to improve, constantly asking questions about how we might be more purposeful and intentional in our work of preparing our students as citizens and leaders. As the school has become larger and more diverse over time, it is both more important than ever and more difficult than ever to ensure that every student finds his or her place and develops the character, mindset, and action-orientation to which we are committed. Some current questions on the table include:

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Is engagement in the community deep enough and pervasive enough? Are we providing experiences that go beyond surface exposure? Are we taking full advantage of the opportunities we have for community engagement?

How might we integrate more service learning into the curriculum, to augment our successful program of community service? How might we even more consistently recognize and affirm students for excellent character and / or community engagement? How might we be more intentional and consistent in helping students to develop social and emotional awareness? How do we navigate the tension between the pressures to achieve academic excellence and the awareness that academic excellence is

only one aspect of the whole child that Lovett seeks to develop? How might we more fully utilize the time available in Middle School and Upper School advisories, to further our commitment to

social and emotional awareness? Are we effectively holding students accountable to the “daily acts” of responsibility and respect that are referenced in the character

pledge? Are we affirming them when they attend to these daily acts? Do we give students enough instruction/encouragement/time to practice these daily acts?

In assessing Lovett’s work relative to the character and community aspects of our mission, we have done significant benchmarking and research. One of the most helpful sources of external review was an audit of Lovett’s community engaged learning (service learning) programs, conducted in spring 2014. In response to the thoughtful recommendations included in this report (attached in the Appendix), we made a number of changes to our programs:

Changed our program/personnel title from Department/Director of Service Learning to Department/Director of Civic Engagement; Created a civic engagement advisory board comprised of faculty and administrators across the school, who crafted a definition of

civic engagement at Lovett, identified areas of the curriculum where service learning is already happening, and identified areas of curricular opportunity to add or better integrate service learning;

Identified service learning coordinators in each division, who are responsible for helping faculty identify opportunities for service learning; these coordinators have been given several professional development opportunities to prepare them for this role.

Added Global and Civic Engagement to the Curriculum poster that hangs around the school and describes the K-12 curriculum scope and sequence;

Added additional student opportunities for community service in the Middle School; and Built out the Global and Civic Engagement section of the Lovett website.

Also particularly helpful was the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), which was administered to Upper School stu-dents in May 2014. In addition to providing values based on Lovett student responses, the report facilitates comparison to other schools within NAIS and public schools. Several relevant facets of school life are highlighted below. For each of these survey questions, the Lovett mean represents a statistically significant difference from the NAIS mean.

Lovett NAIS mean Public School mean

Emotional Engagement 21.6 22.2 19.7(students’ feelings of connection or disconnection to their school)Scale of 7-28

“There is at least one adult in 3.5 3.41 3.07this school who knows me well.” Scale of 1-4 (high)

“I am comfortable being myself 3.05 3.2 2.91at this school” Scale of 1-4 (high)

“How much has your experience 2.75 3.01 2.63at this school contributed to understanding yourself?”Scale of 1-4 (high)

“How much has your experience 3.32 3.41 2.96at this school contributed to treating people with respect?”Scale of 1-4 (high)

“In a typical week, how many 1.42 1.56 1.49hours outside of school are spent doing volunteer work?” Scale of 1-4 (high)

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The data from Lovett’s self-study points to some areas for improvement in providing a safe environment that encourages students to develop character and practice that in the community. Anecdotally, we continue to hear from students who go through much of their Lovett experience feeling as though they are on the periphery. While the research conducted by the Art & Science Group spoke to the caring village that is Lovett, a critical mass of parents also described Lovett as a tough community to break into. In the SAIS Value Nar-rative, students gave relatively low marks (bottom third) to Lovett’s performance in terms of faculty care and concern. Student promot-ers gave an average score of 4.29 (out of 5) on this dimension, whereas student detractors gave an average score of 3.04, demonstrating a wide range of student experiences relative to this aspect of school life.

Lovett also administered the Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) survey to all students in grades 6-12 in March 2015. While the survey focused on students’ attitudes and behaviors relative to substance use, a few questions focused on students’ perception of school community. Encouragingly, 91.28% of students agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “I feel that teachers and school staff care about me as a student.” In addition, 90.62% of students agree or strongly agreed with the statement “I feel valued as a person at my school.”

The themes and recommendations throughout this report were also informed by the work of two strategic planning committees, one on Civic Engagement and one on Strategic Partnerships (including global partnerships), as well as an external Sustainability Audit completed in spring 2015.

In terms of budget and resources, we are fortunate to have generous funding for personnel in the area of Civic Engagement. A full-time director and two part-time program assistants oversee that program, which includes internships, community partnerships, service learning, and community service. Additional personnel in each division are given stipends to support both community service initia-tives and service learning.

We are, however, challenged in some areas. Character Education at the school is handled in a variety of ways and championed by a variety of people, from the chaplains to the deans and counselors; however, no one person is ultimately responsible for coordinating or monitoring that work. Similarly, Global Education does not fall under the purview of any one person. The Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs supports some aspects of the Global Education program, including risk-management for international trips; however, that is not the primary or central focus of her job.

We remain limited, too, in financial aid funds available to support the many international travel opportunities that we believe are so important to our mission.

One of Lovett’s greatest strengths is a leadership team committed to ethical leadership and servant leadership. Headmaster Billy Pee-bles, the Board of Trustees, and the school’s administration are deeply committed to modeling servant leadership and making ethical choices. This reputation is well-known throughout the Atlanta community. Indeed, the highest award that an adult member of the Lovett community can win, the Headmaster’s Award, is meant to honor individuals who model these very traits. The award descrip-tion reads (in part), “The recipient will be one who displays an unselfish concern for others and leads by example through a life of integrity, high character, modesty, and respect for others.” (Aptly, the 2015 winner was Lovett’s Director of Civic Engagement.)

Section 2: Process

In October 2015, a cross-divisional committee of faculty and professional staff was created to discuss and make recommendations re-garding Lovett’s Mission Certification through The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE). The group began meeting in late October, and the initial discussions quickly took an “action” orientation and focused on improvements. CSEE Executive Director Bob Mattingly advised the committee to slow down the push to create lists and goals. Mr. Mattingly encouraged the group to simply spend this time discussing and “wallowing” in what we do, differences and commonalities among divisions and departments, evolution over time, etc. This led to rich conversations that continued long after the meetings ended and which grew to include other members of our school community. As our discussions evolved, a final report that outlined our strengths, areas for growth, and plans for the future became clear. Committee MembersSteve Allen, Senior Chaplain and Head of Religion DepartmentConway Brackett, Upper School Director of Academic TechnologySteve Brown, Director of Financial Aid and Institutional ResearchKeira Camillo, Middle School ParentGayle Greenwood, Director of Lower School Guidance and CounselingDiane Husmann, Middle School, 6th grade Science TeacherJoseph Moody, Middle School Dean of StudentsAngela Morris-Long, Director of Civic Engagement and Committee ChairMartha Osborne, Civic Engagement Assistant and former Lower School Chaplain

Mike Pardee, Associate Director of Lab AtlantaWade Reck, Middle School Chaplain and Religion TeacherJessica Sant, Director of College CounselingJennifer Sarginson, Associate Director of CommunicationsKohler Sartain, Alumna and 5th Grade TeacherSheila Shessel, Parent of AlumnaMary Spencer, Upper School Associate Principal and Dean of Grades 9 and 11

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Timeline of ProcessCommittee Meetings and Communication

October Meeting Review Lovett’s stated values and mission Define “spiritual” through a Lovett lens Define social and emotional learning Discuss the CSEE process and begin discussion of Research document Divide into sub-committees on Character and Community

November Meeting Sub-committee work to discuss Character and Community Discuss areas and programs listed in Research document Add additional items and context Pose essential questions based on Lovett’s stated values and mission statement

December Meeting Sub-committees report on group discussions Prior to this meeting, sub-committee notes were shared and there was further conversation around all topics. Final report for visiting committee drafted for committee review immediately following the meeting.

January Communication Committee asked to comment, edit, and approve final report for visiting committee.

Spring (TBD) Committee will reconvene to discuss and review the CSEE visiting committee’s response and to create an action plan for growth.

Section 3: Report

After careful reflection and rich discussions regarding the comprehensive research document (Section 1: Profile / Research), themes nat-urally emerged. Lovett’s many strengths became clear as the group examined all of the programming, courses, initiatives, and projects in light of the school’s Mission Statement. Some areas for growth were also identified. Issues and challenges to ponder were always present, which are reflected in the report below.

StrengthsThough not an exhaustive list (see Research Document), these areas represent some of the programs and areas in which Lovett is partic-ularly strong.

Character PledgeIn each division the School’s Character Pledge is used in age appropriate ways.

We, who are members of the Lovett community, seek to live lives of good character. We believe that good character grows from daily acts of honesty, respect, responsibility, and compassion. We pledge ourselves to develop these ideals with courage and integrity, striving to do what is right at all times.

In the Lower School, student pairs (1st and 4th grade / K and 5th grade) lead the daily pledge during morning announcements. Kin-dergarten students discuss and memorize the pledge prior to the opening LS Chapel that includes presenting of signed pledges from each LS class. Each month in Middle School, a key word/value from the Pledge is highlighted in a visual illustration. Sixth graders new to Lovett memorize and recite the Pledge individually. In Upper School the highest student awards given at the end of the year are character-based.

In all three divisions, counselors, deans, and student Honor and Discipline Councils use the Pledge as a point of reference in discipline discussions. The School’s Digital Citizenship and Technology Code of Conduct include reference to the Character Pledge core values.

The Anti-Defamation League has recognized the Lower and Middle Schools as “No Place for Hate” schools as a result of their training.

Questions to consider: Is it time to revisit ways the pledge is used and defined/explained in each division? Are updates needed? Should we talk to Upper School students about a way to make signing the pledge a ritual?

Chapel ServicesThe entire school community gathers for Chapel three times each year. Traditions have developed for each of these events. Opening Chapel begins with a procession of class representatives including each senior holding the hand of a kindergarten student as they enter.

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Founder’s Day Chapel includes an alumna/us speaker who represents an example of one whose life and work have been shaped by the core values of a Lovett education. All-School Closing Chapel ends with singing “Rise and Shine” (motions included) and a Senior Walk honoring students as they are greeted and cheered on by teachers from all divisions.

Each division has its own Chaplain who plans and leads regular services with the help of students and faculty.

Questions to consider: To what traditions shall we anchor ourselves? Do we need to come up with a board-approved definition of what it means to be “spiritual” at Lovett? Our mission calls for an “atmosphere that is rooted in Judeo-Christian beliefs and is further enhanced by a variety of religious traditions.” Are we reflecting this commitment in chapel? Is the phrase “Judeo-Christian” a meaningful and accurate descriptor?

Experiential Learning and Grade-Wide ExperiencesA sense of community and belonging is a hallmark of Lovett. Each grade from five through eleven has an annual class trip. Fifth, sixth, and seventh grade trips are connected to curriculum. Eighth graders participate in a two-day leadership training that includes skills training as well as community service and reflection. The ninth grade trip is SING (Service Initiative for Ninth Grade) which sends newly formed advisory groups into the city of Atlanta for a 36-hour community service experience. Tenth graders focus on the Chatta-hoochee River adjacent to the campus while eleventh graders spend five days and four nights backpacking in small groups in Pisgah National Forest on JOE (Junior Outdoor Experience).

Questions to consider: Is it appropriate to have grade experiences and trips solely for the purpose of “bonding?” How do we educate parents about these programs and how they help us realize our mission? Lovett’s experiential programs are tried and true. How can we make sure they are adapting and being evaluated in a timely manner? Are we utilizing our advisory program in the planning and reflection for these great programs?

Inclusivity and AwarenessIn the Upper School, several student alliances and affinity groups function under the umbrella of TAP (Teens Against Prejudice). The organizations are committed to making Lovett a more inclusive place and providing opportunities for teachers and students to discuss a range of issues. Groups such as the Black Affinity Group and the Asian Affinity Group are for students who share those identifiers while other groups (Spectrum, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Jewish Appreciation Club) function as alliances that all stu-dents are welcome to join. Students in Middle and Lower School benefit from programs run by upper school mentors.

Questions to consider: We’ve done a lot to educate and prepare students for these programs. How do we educate parents and alumni about these programs and their importance? Affinity groups are primarily in the US. Should/can we make these more available to MS and LS students?

Regional, National, and International FocusCivic engagement, community service, and service learning are highly valued by Lovett faculty, parents, and students as well as alumni and trustees. Evidence of this commitment is found in the position of Director of Civic Engagement on the Headmaster’s team and the designation of faculty coordinators in each division who work to support, plan, and implement service-learning and projects of com-munity service in all grades. Students have the option to work towards diploma distinctions in Service & Leadership, Global Studies, or Sustainability, allowing them to pursue directed curricular and co-curricular opportunities that focus on a particular passion during their Upper School years.

Partnerships with local community organizations provide opportunities for deeper engagement. Our newest partner is the National Center for Civil and Human Rights where students may engage in historical and current conversations related to human rights. Stu-dents may develop relationships over time with organizations such as AGAPE Community Center where they regularly tutor children from underserved communities, and many other nonprofits that improve the lives of Atlanta’s underserved.

Opportunities for global engagement are also supported through the curriculum and co-curricular experiences. Upper School students may travel to other countries on short-term (3-5 week) exchange trips with return visits from their peers. Lovett also partners with New Oasis to bring a small number of international students to the School who will fully matriculate and graduate after three or four years. Mission and service trips during spring break and summer offer students and families opportunities to develop greater connections to other cultures and countries.

Trips to Lovett’s own research station, Siempre Verde, in the cloud forest of Ecuador, give students and faculty unique experiences in cultural and ecological diversity. Classes offered at Siempre Verde give students options to study Spanish, tropical ecology, art and more. Trips are planned for students in all divisions.

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Questions/Concerns to consider: We are doing so much in this area. How do we better educate parents and students about the importance of these experiences? Liability concerns regarding international travel continue to grow. How can we do a better job of ensuring that the trips we offer closely align with our school mission? Are the trips “mission” or “service” trips? What’s the difference and how do we define?

SustainabilityFostering stewardship of the earth and its resources is a cornerstone of Lovett’s commitment to character and leadership development. During the past decade, Lovett has incorporated leading environmental practices into the school’s operational and educational goals. From LEED-Gold certified buildings to organic gardens and a chicken coop, the campus promotes sustainable practices. Students learn from participating in campus-wide recycling and learn about clean energy from solar arrays, a wind turbine, and biodiesel fueled vehicles at the school. Cross-divisional connections through student “green teams” and events such as an Earth Day celebration and learning fair are planned each year.

Questions to consider: How can we best support the great work in this area? Many see Lovett’s sustainability programs as a silo that does not impact them. How can we help all members of our community to see their part in these efforts?

Areas for GrowthThe group agreed on several areas of growth and development based on committee discussions and the research, surveys, and feed-back detailed in the Research Document.

Help parents to be more aware of and to better understand the connections between curriculum and service/civic engagement opportunities. (Communication!)

Provide more opportunities for connections and collaboration across divisions particularly in the civic engagement and service learning arenas.

Strengthen our partnership with Breakthrough Atlanta so that across Lovett’s constituencies there is greater awareness of and investment in the mission of Breakthrough.

Continue to define the role of religion and spirituality in the Lovett community with particular focus on the purpose of Chapel services in school life and student development.

Continue to explore and provide leadership for social emotional aspects of student life.

Underway or on the HorizonLovett is always working to improve. There are a number of new initiatives that might be impactful as we work to achieve our mission. Listed below are some areas that are already in the planning stages:

The SING (Service Initiative for Ninth Grade curriculum/experience will be evaluated and rewritten to maximize the impact and learning from this two-day off campus service-learning experience by connecting more fully with ninth grade curriculum goals.

Lab Atlanta is a non-residential semester school which will open in spring 2017 offering 30 honors level students from a variety of Atlanta high schools opportunities to be immersed in some of the city’s most challenging initiatives. Finding ways to make connections between the Lab Atlanta experiences and the more traditional Lovett experiences will be important.

Adding a seventh grade day of service in the MS is scheduled for 2016–17. The theme for this day will support and extend the seventh grade curriculum.

Lovett has partnered with the Cloud Institute and is working to explore the Education for Sustainability benchmarks as a possible means of unifying the curriculum school-wide.

Lovett is currently researching and working towards a new daily schedule. Some of the ideas under consideration could add to our ability to be more flexible and fluid giving time for experiences to enrich social emotional learning.

Continue to seek support for social emotional learning perhaps through designated leadership. Each division is undergoing significant work around the school’s diversity and inclusivity programs and services. This may offer

opportunities for social, emotional and spiritual programs and courses.

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Goal 2: Share the Lovett story in compelling and consistent ways, by defining the Lovett brand and adopting a strategic focus in marketing. Section 1: Profile

In the wake of the economic recession of 2008—and growing competition from a wide range of independent schools and an increas-ing number of charter schools—a number of very fine schools across the country experienced a decline in enrollment. More and more families across the country were—and still are—requesting and qualifying for financial aid and asking hard questions about the value added provided by an independent school. While Lovett was full from an enrollment standpoint, the school had indeed begun to see some softening in demand for kindergarten and an increase in financial aid applications.

For 2015–16, the number of Lovett kindergarten applications was 195, down from an all-time high of 280 in 2005–06 and 2007–08 (other grades, such as 6 and 9, saw steady increases). From 2011–12 to 2014–15, the number of financial aid applications at Lovett increased from 379 to 447; the number qualifying increased, as well, from 325 to 378. And, more than eight percent of the families receiving aid at Lovett had family incomes that exceeded $210,000 per year.

Anecdotal reports also suggested that legacy families were making the decision to live near strong elementary schools and deferring their consideration of Lovett for their children—thus shortening a family’s personal and financial investment from 13 years to seven or eight years, or even less. The school knew that it needed to act, and act differently. For the past several decades, the school’s marketing operations had been seen as primarily, if not exclusively, the role of the Lovett Admission Office. That began to change as the Lovett Communications Office made a gradual shift from publications to strategic communications. This shift became more pronounced as Lovett embarked on its 2013 Strategic Plan and looked for ways to address this enrollment conundrum--and, specifically, to better share the Lovett story in compelling and consistent ways, and by better defining the Lovett brand and adopting a strategic focus. During the strategic planning process, a marketing work group was formed within the Advancement Strategic Planning Steering Com-mittee. This group, jointly led by the heads of the Admission and Communications Offices and guided by a trustee, included faculty, staff, alumni, and administrators, as well as professional experts from beyond the Lovett community (including marketing executives from The Coca-Cola Company and Jackson Spalding Communications). The group met regularly over the course of a year to discuss the recession’s implications for Lovett, specifically in terms of admission, and to begin to formulate ideas to counteract this softening. The group began with an exercise to articulate and define the Lovett brand through the Brand-Vision Architecture (BVA) process. A pro-prietary process of The Coca-Cola Company, the purpose of the BVA was to help Lovett articulate what its brand aspires to stand for in the hearts and minds of consumers. The BVA informs how the brand is brought to life—and endures—over time, and ideally serves as a blueprint for the school’s programs and projects. Through the BVA, the group studied the school’s market, competitors, societal forces, and equities. As an initial exploration, the BVA was a wonderful exercise that helped the Communications and Admission Offices to better focus their work. But it also became clear through the process that Lovett needed more than simply an exercise based on the group’s opinions; the school needed true research and outside perspective.

Ultimately, the group presented the following recommendations to the Advancement Strategic Planning Steering Committee in the fall of 2012, which then became part of the school’s Strategic Plan goals:

Find new ways to aggressively tell Lovett’s story Better target Lovett’s message to different constituencies and demographics Evolve Communications staff from generalists into specialists Measure effectiveness of Lovett communications

Based upon these recommendations, the Communications Office began what it could do in the absence of substantial additional fund-ing. One of the first and most compelling projects was conducting and editing interviews of teachers, students, and alumni with the help of StoryCorps. Elements from the interviews found their way into video, audio, and printed materials used by the school. Next, Lovett worked with its website provider to develop “apps” for Admission to engage parents and older students both before their visit and while waiting on campus. These apps focused visually on academics, fine arts, and service and emphasized college counseling, alumni, college athletes—the “outcomes” of a Lovett education. The apps also offered an attractive campus tour and included a feed-back form so Admission had an opportunity to follow up with more information, tailored to the applicant.

While these projects were helpful, the Lovett staff knew that additional funding could make possible more projects with a greater impact. Thankfully, the Advancement Committee of the Lovett Board of Trustees approved funding in the summer of 2013 to help the school better reach its strategic communications goals. The positive impact was immediate.

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Recognizing how the nature of communications has changed over the past several years, an additional member of the department was hired to carry out the school’s electronic and online communication pro-gram. The electronic communications specialist serves as school webmaster and manages all social media, maintaining a coordinated online presence and ana-lyzing data to track usage and evaluate strategies. This additional staff member also allowed other department members to better define and specialize their roles, one of the goals suggested by the marketing work group.

The electronic communications specialist was also vital for carrying out the work group’s other goals: more aggressively telling Lovett’s story, targeting the school’s communications, and measuring their effectiveness. And all of these goals were all addressed through the development of a new website, begun in late 2013 and launched in the fall of 2014.

The new website features a greater use of video and more showcasing of our student projects and teacher initiatives. Fewer “nuts and bolts” clutter the homepage, with key information moved into secure portals, tailored for the different site users—teachers, students, alumni, and parents. The site offers direct access to online versions of the Lovett Lines newsletter, the bi-annual Lovett magazine, and The OnLion student newspaper, as well as embedded live Twitter and Instagram feeds—making the site new every time one visits, and enabling the school to better track readership and viewership, and thus evaluate the effectiveness of such communication. The result is a website that the Lovett community can count on as a resource. Shortly after investing in the creation of a new website, the school allocated funding to begin its much-needed market research. After receiving and evaluating proposals from several research firms, Lovett engaged Art & Science Group to conduct a planning study in order to give the school outside perspective and market information. By so doing, Lovett hoped to clarify its distinctions and identify ways to strengthen communication and admission efforts. The project began in November 2013 with a comprehensive assessment of Lovett’s strategic position, consisting of more than 75 on-campus interviews and a review of relevant materials, data, and planning documents. A market research phase followed, including:

Interviews with 45 community leaders and “influencers” of school choice Interviews with 30 parents who declined Lovett’s offer of admission An online survey open to all current parents

More than 822 individuals representing 679 Lovett families (60 percent) participated in the survey, enabling Art & Science to analyze data by school division and legacy status. Art & Science’s major finding from all research phases was that Lovett was held in high regard. Significant strides had been made in identifying Lovett with a whole-child approach, and Lovett had successfully addressed many of the negatives associated with its long-standing “social” reputation. However, perhaps due in part to the school’s focus on these issues, their other major finding was that the school’s academic reputation was indistinct. Art & Science recommended four primary strategies for positioning The Lovett School more effectively:

Maintain commitment to the whole child, recognizing that is insufficient by itself to sustain a strong market position. Focus and articulate the school’s educational program and academic vision; seek ways to find synergies and thematic commonality

among existing programs and incorporate what the research shows that Lovett’s market values most: a young person whose individual voice and direction is grounded in strong academics, complemented by the social-emotional learning to be a highly effective citizen.

Embody as an institution (and as individual members of the community) the qualities Lovett seeks to develop in its students. Continue to demonstrate and claim leadership among Atlanta schools in community outreach.

Art & Science also suggested the following Positioning Platform, which Lovett revised and adopted as its Purpose Statement: Because we are committed to improving our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world, we hold strong convictions about the persons we must send out into that world. Over the course of a Lovett education, we are committed to our students’ developing these qualities:

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Knowing Content and Skills The ability to think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully.

Knowing Oneself Curiosity and confidence, inspiring them to find and cultivate their individual voices and their best selves.

Knowing the World Social, emotional, and spiritual awareness, built on a foundation of integrity and strong character and practiced through civic and global engagement.

The specific recommendations from Art & Science were broad and grouped by area of school life, encompassing not just marketing communications and admission, but also educational experience and school culture. The broadest of these was to develop an external expression of this positioning platform/purpose statement, along with a new visual identity that is warm, professional, collaborative, dynamic, and more contemporary. In the late summer of 2015, so that the school might continue its forward momentum, the administration allocated funds for Lovett to engage the services of outside professionals who can help the school bring this new platform to life. Lovett interviewed and invited proposals from three firms, ultimately contracting with a consortium of creative agencies working under the umbrella of one project manager. This group of brand strategists, copywriters, producers, designers, videographers, directors, and producers has collectively reviewed Lovett’s existing research and materials (including the SAIS Value Narrative Survey, the Art & Science Market Research and Planning Study, the NAIS Parent Survey, and the 2013 Strategic Plan), as well as current publications, advertising, and electronic/online communications of benchmark schools. They will work with Lovett over the coming year to develop market-ready key messages; help clarify Lovett’s sense of purpose; create a brand strategy that provides rationale and talking points for Lovett’s constituents; and refresh Lovett’s graphic identity. While significant leadership changes in both the Admission and Communications Offices have delayed this project, the work is still progressing. Several meetings and an all-school presentation in the late fall of 2015 have yielded fruitful conversation about the possibility of creating a new Lovett logo and wordmark. With the blessing and encouragement of Lovett’s headmaster and board, the designers have been looking to the school’s past to inspire a design for the school’s future. Their goal is to create an entirely modern and contemporary visual identity rooted in the school’s origins, honoring where the school has been, but keeping the school’s brand moving forward. A presentation of these preliminary designs will be made to the Board’s Advancement and Education & Student Life Committees in late January 2016.

It is the school’s hope that this new brand identity, when complete in the spring of 2016, will serve as a reminder that founder Eva Ed-wards Lovett’s vision still guides the school today.

Section 2: Vision

Lovett has always done a good job of telling its story in different areas--be it to promote athletics, celebrate the fine arts, or facilitate fund raising. However, we can do better at is integrating those stories and making sure the whole school is on message with the same story, rather than telling siloed tales.

Throughout the most recent strategic plan, marketing study, and now the SAIS/SACS accreditation, Lovett has been working to better coordinate and leverage its message, and the school has begun to allocate the needed resources (financial and human) to make it hap-pen. Progress has also been made in finding synergies and commonalities among existing programs.

Ultimately, the goal is to create an overall and centralized marketing plan and budget for the school so that it can set priorities among the many disparate programs and projects about which the school wishes to inform its constituents. Currently, whichever department, division, or group has the most resources or the loudest voice gets its message heard. Lovett needs to be more strategic about what information it chooses to share, how it chooses to share it, and how it allocates budgets accordingly.

Related to this, Lovett can and should do a better job of getting buy-in and support from the community on why it needs to be this way. In the age of social media, it’s so easy to put one’s own message out there. But Lovett would profit more in the long run by keeping the focus on the school’s message as a whole, and not just trumpeting individual agendas. Working together across departments will help Lovett realize efficiencies in spending and staffing, share assets and content, and ensure more consistent messaging. It will also enable the Lovett Communications Office to operate less as a service department and more as an in-house marketing agency.

The key to making this new approach work will be defining the school’s message, along with the subsequent deliverables from Proper Medium--the school’s branding partner. Over the course of the 2015-16 school year, Proper Medium will create the market-facing expression of the school’s Purpose Statement, with specific messaging for key audiences outlined in a messaging matrix, as well as a refreshed graphic identity and brand identity standards. Key to their work will be an emotionally potent and visionary film and accom-panying brand book to debut this refreshed brand. Both will serve to tell the story of the Lovett promise and express the qualities that differentiate The Lovett School, as well as to build understanding and create excitement among existing stakeholders, and to pique the interest of the external community.

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Section 3: Plan

Action Step Point Person(s) Status/Next Steps

1) Communicate positioning Director of Strategic Underway, with support from Proper platform and key messages, Communications Medium to develop associated brand bookinternally and externally and brand promise film 2) Create a school-wide Headmaster, Director of Strategic Initial investment allocated to a school-widemarketing budget and integrated Communications, Assistant Head budget for 2015–16 to fund branding marketing strategy for External Affairs initiatives; additional monies requested for 2016–17, primarily for faculty/staff recruitment materials—but still not a true consolidated marketing budget

3) Consider bringing Headmaster, Board of Trustees Communications will likely report to a newcommunications under position of Assistant Head for External Affairsheadmaster, rather than in 2016-17, better separating Communicationsadvancement from the development/fund raising function

4) Develop a visual identity that Director of Strategic Underway, with support from Proper is warm, professional, Communications Medium to develop new brand identitycollaborative, dynamic, and contemporary

5) Focus publications around Communications Office, working Ongoing, as new publications are developedthe purpose statement themes— with respective department headsdepth, not breadth 6) Develop one-page stories Associate Director of Still to develop; to use in concert with mediaof members of the community Communications relations plandoing interesting things and emphasizing the key messages of the school 7) Focus one issue per year of the Communications Specialist, Underway, with past issues focusing Lovett magazine on academics working with respective division on Religion and Fine Arts or department heads 8) Highlight stories that provide Communications Office, Requested budget for 2016–17 to fund anexternal validation of the school Director of College Counseling, alumni profile film that clearly links alumniin areas of college success, etc. Director of Alumni Relations success to their Lovett experience; creating video testimonials on a newly revamped College Counseling website

9) Improve data collection and Assistant Head for External Working with a committee to establishcontinue ongoing research/ Affairs, Director of Alumni guidelines and create a new position in chargesurvey of alumni and other key Relations, Director of Strategic of data; budgeting funds for an extensiveconstituents Communications, Development alumni survey; capitalizing on new position Office, Director of Information of Prospect Researcher Technology

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Section 4: Results

The Communications Office will be at its best when it is working with other campus departments to provide strategic support for fund-raising, constituent engagement, student enrollment and retention, and faculty recruitment. The best way to do this is to help raise the profile and public perception of Lovett and to uncover the campus stories that help clarify and communicate the distinctive and aspi-rational nature of Lovett’s academic experience. While school goals in these areas might fluctuate by year or by constituent type, taken together they can give a good sense of the health of a school; if the metrics are strong, then marketing communications is doing its job.

As the Communications Office takes on new leadership, and a new position of Assistant Head for External Affairs is created, it is hoped that one of the results will be greater internal cooperation among the school’s outward-facing functions. Working together across departments rather than in silos will allow Lovett to realize efficiencies in spending/staffing, share assets/content, and ensure more consistent messaging. By being more strategic, the metrics should improve for all areas of the school.

We will end the 2015–16 academic year with a new “brand promise statement” and market-ready messages based on the school’s new purpose statement and our existing mission and Vision for Learning, allowing us to integrate the Lovett brand into all that we do as a school. A graphic identity refresh--with updated wordmarks, visual elements, and graphic standards--will allow us to illustrate this new brand, making sure our message appears compelling. Guidelines for print collateral will serve as a resource for us going forward, ensuring consistency. And, a brand book and a brand launch film will help us tell the story of Lovett’s promise and express the qualities that differentiate the school. The result will be increased interest and attention from the greater community, and increased understand-ing and excitement among our existing stakeholders.

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Goal 3: Foster greater student curiosity, intellectual confidence, and depth of thought.

Section 1: Profile

Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School Background(See school profile section for additional information.)

Lower School: Kindergarten through Grade FiveThe Lovett Lower School aims to develop the servant leaders of tomorrow who are prepared to engage and change the world. The learning environment focuses on nurturing the minds and hearts of children so that they are self-aware, empathetic, and curious. In turn, the curriculum cultivates motivated, creative, and confident students who have the content knowledge and skills necessary for Middle School and beyond. Whether in the core academics (reading, writing, math, social studies) or resource classes (fine arts, reli-gion, physical education, science, and Spanish), children are actively engaged in their learning and constructing new knowledge of self and world. Middle School: Grades Six through EightThe goal of the Middle School is to balance a rigorous academic curriculum with the needs of the early adolescent. Utilizing inter-disciplinary team planning, the design-thinking process, and project-based learning, the Middle School curriculum provides a solid foundation in core academic disciplines that will develop both critical thinking skills and the ability to learn independently. Instruction focuses on the development of proficiency in mathematics, written and spoken communications, world languages, and laboratory skills in the physical and social sciences. Teachers go beyond the textbook to help students absorb and integrate information as it relates to their lives. For example, humanities classes conduct mock trials, promote their group’s Utopian societies, and prototype solutions to world problems. Science classes use biomimicry to solve a local problem, conduct forensics labs, and build and program robots to aid in planetary exploration. Advanced level math, science, French, Latin, Spanish and English classes are also offered. Upper School: Grades Nine through TwelveLovett’s Upper School immerses students in a broad liberal-arts curriculum with each course contributing to an integrated preparation for college and 21st-century citizenship and leadership. The Upper School curriculum is designed to foster in students the knowledge and intellectual skills necessary to respond to the complex problems of our world. Students are challenged to bring together insights from seemingly disparate disciplines. Each Upper School department offers a range of courses, including a wide variety of electives in-tended to provide students with the opportunity to delve more deeply into a specific topic. Students in grades 10-12 may also enroll in online classes through Global Online Academy, a consortium Lovett joined in 2013. Twenty Advanced Placement courses and 32 honors courses are available to students who are ready to challenge themselves with a more rigorous curriculum.

Upper School graduation requirements include: 4 units of English; 3-4 units of math, at least one of which must be beyond Algebra II; 3 units of history, including 10th grade Modern Global History or AP European History and 11th grade American Studies; 2-3 units (through level three) of one language; 3 units of science, which must include biology and chemistry; 1 unit of religion; 1 unit of physical education; and 1 unit of fine arts.

Lovett’s Vision for Learning

Over the past ten years, Lovett, like many schools, has transitioned from a curricu-lum built primarily on content to one that strikes a deliberate and intentional balance between content and skills. Students must, if they are to be prepared as citizens, leaders, and change agents, know how to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate in diverse teams, and creative-ly solve new problems. However, these skills do not and cannot exist in a vacuum, independent of the content about which to think and communicate. These global citizens and future change agents must also be prepared to think and act with empathy.

In 2011, Lovett codified the skills we con-cluded were most important in the Vision for Learning, a kindergarten through

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grade 12 document that defines the “4C’s” and character through a Lovett lens. Though inten-tional work to build student capacity as critical thinkers, collaborators, creative agents, and effective communicators was already well un-derway in each of the three divisions, the Vision for Learning provided shared language across the entire school and offered a K–12 vision of the Lovett learner. This shared language has been a powerful tool for faculty collaboration. Cross-di-visional department head meetings have also become an integral part of the academic culture. Department heads meet six times each year with their counterparts in other divisions (e.g. the three science department heads meet) to discuss curriculum, transitions between divisions, and ongoing work in the department.

In 2012-13, the Director of the Academic Re-source Center and Director of Strategic Innova-tion wondered aloud what classrooms might look like if they were designed in support of the Vision for Learning. Over the next two years, Lovett redesigned seven classrooms that were shared by approximately 16 teachers. The classrooms, which came to be known as “model classrooms,” all feature writable walls and highly flexible furniture in a variety of configurations. In each of the rooms, teacher desks were removed to allow for greater mo-bility and flexibility and to overtly signal the space as one of student-centered, not teacher-centered learning. The model classrooms are shared equally by the teachers in the cohorts, with no sense of room “ownership.” The teachers who teach in model classrooms have been through a one-year professional development program in which they explored what the Vision for Learning looks like in teaching and learning and what role space (the third teacher) can play in curriculum design and pedagogy.

In addition to the model classrooms, several other learning spaces on campus align closely with the Vision for Learning. In the Lower School, the inGen studio functions as a non-technical makerspace that supports academic technology integration, computer science, and design thinking; the Middle School iCube facilitates collaborative learning and tinkering; and a K-12 makerspace supports STEAM initiatives in all divisions. The Learning Studio, which also functions as the office of Lovett’s Director of Strategic Innovation, is config-ured with writable walls and flexible seating, ideal for faculty collaboration. Increasingly, teachers consider the role of space as part of their pedagogy. Standing desks, writable walls, and flexible furniture arrangements can be found in various classrooms throughout the school.

In 2011, Lovett began administering the CWRA (College and Work Readiness Assessment), a test of critical thinking and written com-munication skills that is administered annually to 9th graders and upperclassmen (to seniors for several years, and to juniors instead of seniors starting in 2016). This assessment provides a focal point for conversation as we track students’ scores each year and discuss how our curriculum and pedagogy prepare students for this annual test. Though we keep the Vision for Learning constantly in front of us, there is always more we can do to prepare students for this assessment, which uses the tagline “A test worth teaching to.”

Increasingly, the Vision for Learning is woven into the fabric of Lovett. It is central to Lovett’s website redesign (completed October 2014) and figured prominently in the 2015 New Faculty Orientation and opening of school full faculty meeting. A new faculty job post-ing template begins with the Vision for Learning. Student and faculty work that illustrates the Vision for Learning in action is regularly highlighted on the Vision for Learning page of the website, in print publications, and in faculty meetings. The Academic Technology directors and Library are hard at work developing a K-12 scope and sequence aligned to the ISTE and AASL students standards and mapped to Lovett’s Vision for Learning.

In 2014, K–12 Department Heads gathered for the first time for a working retreat; a discussion of creativity--one aspect of the Vision for Learning—served as the foundation for that retreat and for the 2015 retreat and continues to inform departmental work in all divisions. Based on the K–12 conversations started at the first retreat, the Lower School faculty designed a creativity infographic which now hangs in each Lower School classroom and that reminds students and faculty of the many dimensions of creative problem solving.

Vision for Learning in Action

The recognition that we need to develop these skills in students has been the basis for a number of curricular initiatives and improve-ments in the past five years, including the adoption of the modeling pedagogy in US physics and chemistry; development of STEAM curriculum and programming; incorporation of interdisciplinary and project based learning in the classroom; restructuring of Middle School teaching teams to foster interdisciplinary work; the redesign of the required 10th-grade Modern Global History course; and school-wide integration of the arts and academics (http://samflaxprogramatthelovettschool.weebly.com). Increasingly, teachers are using the lens of skills to identify opportunities for cross-divisional student collaboration. Faculty design teams in each division model the use of design thinking as a problem-solving strategy, and parts or all of this approach to human-centered design are also used in the classroom.

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When asked to reflect on their departments’ primary work in recent years, Middle School department heads spoke enthusiastically about the use of project-based learning, interdisciplinary projects, student inquiry, and authentic learning experiences that have come to define the Middle School experience. The entire curriculum in 6th grade World Languages and 7th grade Global Issues revolves around the use of design thinking to develop empathy and prototype solutions to authentic problems. They also point to extensive faculty col-laboration at the grade level, vertically across grade levels, and on interdisciplinary teams that help teachers align content and pedago-gy and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Lovett’s Middle School is in its second year of offering student feedback on non-cognitive skills through the Habits and Skills As-sessment, a tool created by the Middle School faculty. By the end of the first semester, students receive feedback from parents, their teachers, and their advisors. Utilizing this feedback, they set goals for the second semester. In a student-led conference in January, they share their goals with their parents and their advisor. Teachers are intentional about incorporating the language of the Habits and Skills Assessment (HSA) into written course comments, project rubrics, and verbal feedback as well. While we have only used the HSA for two years, already students are demonstrating a greater awareness of the importance of these skills and an ability to speak metacogni-tively about their own learning.

In the Upper School, the last five years have seen departments working to make courses relevant and accessible for all types of learn-ers, in part by incorporating more interdisciplinary and authentic experiences but also by reconsidering content. Redesigned curricula and new courses in English and history allow students to more deeply pursue topics of particular interest at the appropriate level of challenge. The math and science departments have also successfully built a continuum of courses for students of all levels. Though only three credits of math and three credits of science are required to fulfill graduation requirements, it’s telling that nearly every student takes math and science for four years, and a significant percentage of students graduate with at least five math or science classes. Non-honors upper-level language classes are all designed around student-centered projects and opportunities to use the language in authentic settings. For nearly 20 years, seniors have had the opportunity to follow a passion by completing a senior project during the month of April, in lieu of some or all of the student’s classes. For three years, students have been invited to pursue a diploma distinc-tion in service & leadership, sustainability, or global studies, in order to personalize the Upper School experience and invite deeper curiosity and depth of thought in a particular area of focus.

Over the past ten years, Lower School teachers have worked diligently to deepen their understanding of best practice in literacy. This work has focused on crafting learning experiences in reading and writing, which promote student agency, process over product, and effective feedback. To this end, the Lower School adopted and fully implemented Lucy Calkins Reading and Writing Workshops of Teachers College’s Reading and Writing Project. The hallmarks of workshop teaching include offering students choice over their con-tent, high expectations balanced with appropriate scaffolding (such as one-on-one conferring and goal setting), and extended periods of time to practice the craft of writing and reading. These essential characteristics perfectly align with the Lower School vision of devel-oping learners who are effective and innovative communicators and collaborators. Every Lower School lead teacher has been trained in the workshop methodology. Some have expanded their understanding by attending additional professional development opportu-nities such as the Argumentation Institute and the Content Area Literacy workshop. The Reading and Writing Project sponsors both of these seminars. Lovett has also invited several prominent literacy experts to speak with Lower School faculty. In the last five years, Jen Serravallo, an expert on literacy assessments in workshop lessons, Jeff Anderson, an expert on effective grammar instruction, and Kathy Collins, an expert on teaching comprehension strategies, have all presented to the Lower School faculty.

In all divisions, an invigorated Academic Technology and Library team helps teachers learn about the latest technologies and teaching strategies, so that teachers can make informed choices about which tools and approaches will help move teaching and learning for-ward, towards the Vision for Learning.

Opportunities for Improvement: Challenging all students

Chris Lehmann, principal of Science Leadership Academy, asks, “What if we treated school as real life instead of preparation for real life?” In a series of interviews with students, alumni, parents, and faculty that were conducted as part of the 2013 strategic planning process, constituents consistently voiced the concern that Lovett students are too parochial. Many of the programs and opportunities that Lovett brags about are incredible “real-world”/authentic experiences (Siempre Verde, senior projects, Advanced Science research projects, internships, etc.), but we need more of these experiences, and they need to be more visible and strategic.

Despite the strides that we have made in recent years, the marketing study conducted by Art & Science Group (2013–14) offered the following as a common theme, across all research phases:

Lovett’s academic identity is characterized as indistinct. Some question if there is a clear K–12 progression and consistent standards of excellence across the School. Others simply want more information—a clearer description of the School’s philosophy and curriculum that is brought to life through specific examples. . . Representatives of all the constituencies we studied want to see Lovett’s academic program be aspirational for all students.

To a large extent, the critique that Lovett’s academic program is not yet “aspirational for all students” stems from parent concerns about lack of access to AP classes and college counseling that is not perceived as comprehensive or aspirational enough. Partly in response to student and parent urging, we have, in the past three years, significantly increased access to Upper School honors and AP courses

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(2015-16 Honors/AP enrollment represents a 27 percent increase over 2013–14 Honors/AP enrollment). We must, however, be partic-ularly attentive to ensuring that our curriculum and pedagogy for all courses, whether AP or not, holds students to the highest stan-dards, combines choice and rigor, and provides myriad opportunities to nurture student curiosity. There has also been significant focus on college counseling in the past two years. A new director is in her second year in that position, a fourth counselor has been added, and the college counseling program has been revamped to provide improved communication to students and parents and to allow counselors to begin their work with sophomores, rather than with juniors.

In the Art & Science Group research of current parents, “Encourages students of all ability levels to reach their full potential” was the most-often cited characteristic of a school that “provides the best possible educational experience their child could have.” When asked to rank the outcomes of their child’s education through Upper School, parents ranked “Is motivated to perform to his or her highest academic potential” number two, behind “Is guided by a strong moral compass.” In addition, non-legacy families, which represent approximately half of Lovett’s student body, place particularly high value on “Is intellectually curious” and “Will attend one of the most prestigious colleges or universities in the country.” Finally, for families who had a child admitted to Lovett but chose to enroll elsewhere, the most often-provided reason for that decision was “Academics considered to be more rigorous at school chosen.” (Each of these surveyed families chose the same school as an alternative to Lovett.)

This theme was also evident in the 2013 NAIS Parent Survey. Nearly 600 families completed that survey; overall, the results were excel-lent. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said that they were very satisfied or satisfied with their child’s experience at Lovett. When asked to cite their top ten priorities for the school, “challenging curriculum” was the highest priority. The Lovett School analyzed the parent surveys in part by looking at negative gap numbers. The negative gap is the degree (measured in percentages) to which those who are very satisfied or satisfied with a particular program falls short of the percentage of respondents who feel that program is very important or important. In this 2013 survey, the negative gap numbers related to this goal were as follows:

AP Program -17% Challenging Curriculum -13% College Placement -37%

Not surprisingly, these concerns were affirmed in the free-response section of the survey as well. As detailed above, we have already made significant strides in increasing access to AP courses (scores remain excellent, with a 90 percent passing rate) and improving the college counseling program since the 2013 survey.

A hallmark of Lovett is the Academic Resource Center, which strives to develop students’ comfort and confidence in the classroom while invigorating their love of learning. The ARC supports students with learning differences through the Learning Specialist Pro-gram; provides instruction to all Middle School students on reading strategies; and supports students K-12 who need subject-specific tutoring. ARC Learning Specialists also use their expertise to support classroom teachers; guide Middle School students in study hall; offer one-on-one or small group to Upper School students on A is for ARC day (once every 7 school days); and serve on grade level teams and student support teams in each division. Lovett teachers have a strong commitment to supporting students who struggle in the classroom. One recommendation from Art & Science Group was to “rename and reposition the ARC so that it becomes a center for monitoring and measuring all students and who they are as learners” (italics added). Indeed, even as Lovett faculty do an excellent job of supporting students who struggle, the feedback from Art & Science in particular suggests that we can do better work in supporting and challenging students who are ready for more rigor. Whether the ARC expands its scope to focus on enrichment as much as it focus-es on support is still under consideration. Currently, the Lower School is addressing this need through continued focus on differentia-tion, while the Middle School and Upper School have added several new advanced (MS) and honors classes (US) and increased access to those classes.

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Opportunities for Improvement: Intellectual and Academic Climate Particularly helpful in understanding Lovett’s intellectual and academic climate is the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), which was administered to Upper School students in May 2014. In addition to providing values based on Lovett student responses, the report facilitates comparison to other schools within NAIS and public schools. Several relevant facets of school life are highlighted below. For each of these survey questions, the Lovett mean represents a statistically significant difference from the NAIS mean, as indicated by the asterisk.

Lovett NAIS mean Public School mean

How much has your experience 3.46 3.53* 3.01*at this school contributed to: Thinking critically?Scale of 1-4 (high)

How much has your experience 3.33 3.40* 2.90*at this school contributed to: Developing creative ideas and solutions?Scale of 1-4 (high)

How much has your experience 3.38 3.46* 2.95* at this school contributed to: Reading and Understanding Challenging Materials?Scale of 1-4 (high)

In a typical week, how many 1.52 1.78* 1.85*hours outside of school are spent: Reading for your own personal interest?Scale of 1-4 (high)

During this school year, how 2.50 2.65* 2.08*often have you: Discussed ideas from readings or classes with teachers outside of class?Scale of 1-4 (high)

I enjoy working on tasks that 2.81 3.00* 2.67*require a lot of thinking and mental effort.

Based on student responses to individual questions, HSSSE also provides additional information through the Dimensions of Engage-ment Report, which aggregates data for cognitive/intellectual/academic engagement; social/behavioral /participatory engagement; and emotional engagement. Cognitive / intellectual/academic engagement “describes students’ effort, investment, and strategies for learning--the work students do and the ways students go about their work. This dimension can be described as ‘engagement of the mind.’” Several relevant facets of school life are highlighted below. For each of these aspects of the cognitive /intellectual/academic en-gagement dimension, the Lovett mean represents a statistically significant difference from the NAIS mean, as indicated by the asterisk.

Aggregate: Cognitive/Intellectual/ 33.4 34.3* 30.8*Academic EngagementScale of 10.75 to 43 (high) Cognitive growth through 11.0 11.4* 10.0*personal skill developmentScale not provided Attitude toward learning 6.03 6.27* 5.67*Scale not provided Cognitive engagement with academic 4.38 4.54* 4.10*goals, future plans, and aspirationsScale not provided

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In April 2015, Lovett gave the SAIS Value Narrative Survey to all current parents, faculty, students in grades 6-12, active trustees, and alumni. The survey asks respondents to rate the importance of 34 school attributes in nine categories and to rate Lovett’s performance for each of the 34 attributes. Responses are on a scale of one (low) to five (high). Several of the school attributes speak to non-cognitive skills, including teamwork, resilience, and creativity. One of the attributes on the survey is curiosity, and the results are telling. As de-tailed below, all constituents except Middle School students see a significant disparity between the importance of curiosity as a school attribute and Lovett’s performance on that attribute.

Lovett’s 2011 Accreditation Self-Study also included a goal that focused on Lovett’s academic program: “To heighten the overall aca-demic ethos of the school.” In that goal and the action items that stemmed from it, the focus was on improving the traditional measures of academic achievement and their communication both internally and externally. As an outgrowth of that work, an ad hoc Academic Study Group met throughout the 2010-11 school year. The group was comprised of Lovett academic leaders and trustees, and their recommendations fell into three major categories: 1) improving standardized test scores; 2) increasing academic awareness; and 3) increasing academic standards. As a result of this committee’s work, for example, the grade point average for academic honors were raised; a Middle School chapter of The National Junior Beta Club was created; a scholar athlete award was created for each varsity team; the Middle School (and consequently, Upper School) math sequence was accelerated; SAT math and writing practice were woven into curricula; and an Academic Scorecard was created, allowing school leadership and trustees to track students’ standardized test scores over time.

The action items that were successfully implemented from that 2011 school improvement plan have been critical in helping us to more effectively communicate our academic expectations and successes. Our current opportunity and challenge is to continue to develop our academic program from the perspective of these traditional measures while also redefining academic aspiration and success to include curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought characterized by intellectual engagement. As the Lovett mission states, “Lovett faculty and staff inspire our students to love learning,” a commitment that extends beyond SAT scores and college lists. There exists, however, a very real tension between our desire to inspire students to love learning and a cultural fixation on the end result: grades, test scores, and college admission. How might we nurture curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought while acknowledging, redefining, or har-nessing this results orientation?

Section 2: Vision

What might it look like for the Lovett student body to be characterized by curiosity, intellectual confidence, and depth of thought? What might it look like if curiosity were a defining attribute of all students, as it is of the relentlessly question-asking five-year-olds? What questions might students ask if there were less focus on having the right answers and more focus on asking thoughtful questions?

To be clear, Lovett’s student body is in no way devoid of these qualities. We have a solid foundation on which to build, with a faculty committed to developing lovers of learning, intelligent and motivated students, and a curriculum that--at a number of points--invites student choice and investigation. It is true, too, that the traditional measures of academic success--AP scores, SAT scores, college lists--are important and informative, though not sufficient to fully describe the Lovett learner we seek to develop.

As an outgrowth of the recommendations offered by Art & Science Group, Lovett has recently adopted a new purpose statement which captures this commitment to curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought. Our mission (what we do) remains unchanged. Our purpose statement (why we do it) is designed to provide greater internal clarity and focus. The aspirations reflected in this accreditation goal are central to our purpose statement. The section labeled “Knowing Content and Skills” is consistent with the Vision for Learning; students

Importance (curiosity) Performance (curiosity)

Students, Grades 6–8 4.32 4.23

Students, Grades 9–10 4.28 3.85

Students, Grades 11–12 4.05 3.42

Faculty, Lower School 4.48 3.82

Faculty, Middle School 4.57 3.66

Faculty, Upper School 4.57 3.50

Faculty, Administrators 4.40 3.15

Trustees 4.62 3.95

Alumni 4.40 3.47

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characterized by depth of thought will develop mastery over significant content and be able to draw on that content to think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully. Students who are both curious and confident will identify, explore, and develop their own interests, cultivating a strong individual voice and an interest in the “life of the mind.” This purpose statement, which was shared with faculty for the first time in October 2015 reads:

Because we are committed to improving our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world, we hold strong convictions about the person we must send out into that world. We are committed to our students developing these qualities:

Knowing Content and Skills The ability to think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully.

Knowing Oneself Curiosity and confidence, inspiring them to find and cultivate their individual voices and their best selves.

Knowing the World Social, emotional, and spiritual awareness, built on a foundation of integrity and strong character and practiced through civic and global engagement.

We envision a student body in which more students pursue a senior project or diploma distinction, in which students brim with thoughtful and enthusiastic questions in assemblies, and in which students affirm that they are reading for pleasure and discussing the ideas they encounter with friends and teachers. We envision a school that parents and community leaders describe as one that encour-ages all students to stretch and fulfill their full potential. We envision a school that college admissions officers describe as excellent by traditional measures, with graduates who come to college curious, confident, and characterized by depth of thought.

Dr. Michael Wesch, an acclaimed digital ethnography professor from Kansas State University speaks regularly on wonder. He says this:

What is needed more than ever is to inspire our students to wonder, to nurture their appetite for curiosity, exploration, and contemplation, to help them attain an insatiable appetite to ask and pursue big, authentic, and relevant questions, so that they can harness and leverage the bounty of possibility all around us. (quoted in https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com, November 14, 2015)

Curiosity is tied to depth of thought not only in our goal and in Lovett’s purpose statement, but in science as well. Research published in October 2014 in the journal Neuron explores this connection:

[W]hen people were highly curious to find the answer to a question, they were better at learning that information. More surprising, however was that once their curiosity was aroused, they showed better learning of entirely unrelated information that they encountered but were not necessarily curious about. People were also better able to retain the information learned during a curious state across a 24-hour delay. (quoted in Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141002123631.htm, October 2, 2014)

Over the next several years, we look forward to focusing on Lovett’s teaching and learning as we seek to provide even more opportuni-ties for students to nurture curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought.

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Section 3: Plan

Action Step Point Person(s) Status/Next Steps

1) Consider a new daily schedule and cal-endar that would support Lovett’s Vision for Learning and allow time to nurture student curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought.

Assistant Head of School; Schedule Committee; Division Heads

A cross-divisional schedule committee has been meeting since April 2015. If a new schedule is developed, it will most likely be implemented in 2017–18. Conversation about changes to the calendar is in its very early stages.

2) Articulate structures and systems for students to “stretch” academically.

Division Heads The US and MS have recently added advanced/honors/AP courses and opened access to those classes. The Lower School is in the process of iden-tifying opportunities for enrichment and further differentiation.

3) Conduct quadrennial reviews of the curriculum K–12, through which a visiting team would work with department mem-bers to identify opportunities and plans for growth.

Assistant Head of School; Division Heads; Department Heads

This work will be planned in 2016–17 in order to begin in 2017–18.

4) Identify opportunities for student reflection and incorporate that reflection into the school’s practice.

Division Heads; Division administration; Department Heads

Consider physical space for reflection; opportuni-ties for end of course reflection, end of grade re-flection, and end of division reflection (in writing or in required speeches); use of a digital portfolio, etc. This work can begin in 2016–17.

5) Provide instructional coaching consis-tent with Lovett’s mission and purpose statement and rooted in best practice research.

Assistant Head of School; Director of Academic Resource Center; Division Heads

A cross-divisional committee has been meeting since July 2015 with the goal of sharing an instruc-tional coaching proposal for one, two, and five years with the headmaster and division heads in late January 2016.

6) Administer the HSSSE to Upper School students every 2-3 years.

Upper School Division Head The HSSSE was administered in spring 2014 and will be administered again in 2016 or 2017. Regu-lar administration of this survey will allow us to monitor our progress on cognitive/ academic/in-tellectual engagement and benchmark our results against other NAIS schools.

7) Examine the admission process through the lens of Lovett’s purpose statement and specifically curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought; identify opportu-nities in the application and interview process to identify students who already demonstrate these qualities and may be a particularly good fit for Lovett.

Director of Admission and Enrollment Management; Division Heads

This work will begin in 2016–17.

8) Foster empathy, acceptance, and a cul-ture of inclusivity through careful selec-tion of summer reading texts and assem-bly speakers, attention to “boy culture,” and showcasing a range of ideas through the curriculum, assemblies, and chapel.

Division Heads; Division administration; Department Heads

We have recently formed a committee that is studying how to help boys flourish at Lovett. Schoolwide, we are researching consultants/experts who can support us in diversity training. Other significant work relative to diversity/inclu-sivity is detailed in the profile section of Goal 4. This work will continue in 2016-17 and beyond.

Continued on next page

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Section 4: Results

Though difficult to measure, we will know we have made progress towards this goal as we begin to see a shift in student culture...in the hallways, in the classroom, and in assemblies.

In the Lower School in particular, we will re-examine assessments to ensure we are providing opportunities for 1) students to learn in ways that nurture curiosity, confidence, critical thinking etc. 2) teachers to provide feedback on these specific habits of mind, and 3) stu-dents to show what they know/learned in authentic and meaningful ways. This re-examination of assessments might mean rethinking how we assign homework and evaluating how teachers and students ask and use questions during a lesson. We will also see students working more independently in the later-elementary grades, evidence of intellectual confidence and student-centered teaching.

For a number of years, we have wrestled with how to incorporate a broader definition of academic excellence into our Academic Scorecard, as a way of holding ourselves accountable not just to standardized test scores but to the skills defined in our Vision for Learning as well. Towards that end, we have begun to track the number of senior projects and diploma distinctions pursued by Upper School students. Though not a perfect measure, an uptick in the number of students pursuing a senior project or diploma distinction (or independent study) might signal increased student curiosity, confidence, and depth of thought (as well as initiative and civic and global engagement).

In the Middle School, the Habits and Skills Assessment provides a forum for goal-setting, conversation, and reflection around curiosity and confidence. This language is quickly becoming part of the Middle School culture, as students receive regular feedback on the quali-ties that comprise the Habits and Skills Assessment.

Two annual or biennial surveys should also shed light on our progress towards this goal: the SAIS Value Narrative and the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). The SAIS Value Narrative provides an opportunity for students, faculty, parents, alumni, and trustees to rate the importance of and Lovett’s performance on 34 attributes of school life. Ratings for Lovett performance on curiosity in particular will hopefully improve. The HSSSE survey, which we plan to give to Upper School students every two-three years, in-cludes an aggregate score and a number of sub-scores relative to cognitive / intellectual / academic engagement. Hopefully we will see an increase in these scores, more consistent with our peer NAIS schools.

Finally, several of the proposed action items have tangible deadlines, towards which we are already making significant progress. Con-sideration of a new daily schedule and calendar are already underway, as is development of a K-12 instructional coaching program, which will likely be phased in over several years.

Having focused in the previous accreditation cycle on the traditional measures of academic performance (college acceptances, standard-ized tests, etc.), we are excited now to focus on the classroom, developing a clearer sense of our pedagogical focus and continuing to align teaching and learning across the three academic divisions.

9) Foster empathy and civic engagement through the development of learning opportunities that use the city of Atlanta as a campus.

Division Heads; Division administration; Department Heads

We continue to build on the success of Urban Ex-perience (a two week summer course) by explor-ing other opportunities for establishing meaning-ful connections in Atlanta. We are developing Lab Atlanta (a semester school for 10th graders) and a new 8th grade Civic Leadership course. A design team is working to re-imagine the 10th grade trip. We are in our first year of partnership with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, which further supports this goal. Additional work relative to civic engagement is detailed in the pro-file section of Goal 1.

Action Step Point Person(s) Status/Next Steps

10) Build and sustain a cohesive K–12 approach to teaching that is based on brain research and best practice.

Assistant Head of School; Division Heads; Department Heads; Director of the Academic Resource Center

This work began in 2015-16 with all faculty com-pleting summer reading on brain research and learning; a day-long visit by Dr. JoAnn Deak, who is an expert on the brain and learning; the develop-ment of an April 2016 conference (Lovett Learning Institute: The Brain Matters) on brain research; and faculty professional development around the Ed-ucation for Sustainability benchmarks. This work will continue in 2016–17 and beyond.

11) Identify creative staffing opportunities that would allow teachers more flexibility for differentiation and peer coaching of fellow faculty.

Assistant Head of School; Director of Human Resources; Division Heads

Considerations may include interns, re-definition of co-teachers, more administrative faculty teaching, etc. This work will begin in 2016–17.

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Goal 4: Increase the diversity of faculty and students at Lovett and further cultivate a culture of respect for difference.

Section 1: Profile

This goal is comprised of three separate but intertwined dimensions: increase the diversity of Lovett’s faculty; increase the diversity of Lovett’s student body; and cultivate a culture of inclusivity and respect for difference. Though this discussion and the related action steps will treat each of these dimensions as separate, the reality is that they are inextricably linked. Lovett’s mission statement speaks to our desire to develop “young men and women of honor, faith, and wisdom with the character and intellect to thrive in college and in life.” That is, we hope to develop students as citizens and leaders who are committed to “improving our school, our city, our society, our environment, and our world. We cannot accomplish this vision independent of fostering a healthy, diverse community. Though Gurin, Nagda, and Lopez make the following claim in reference to higher education, their words are just as relevant to our work at Lovett: “For diverse students to learn from each other and become culturally competent citizens and leaders of a diverse democracy, institutions of higher education have to go beyond simply increasing enrollment of students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. These institutions must also attend to both the quality of campus racial climate and actual interactions among diverse students” (Gurin, Nagda, & Lopez, 2003).

Lovett’s 2013 Strategic Plan revolved around five strategic imperatives and three strategic initiatives. One strategic imperative (“Create a cohesive community whose members strive to grow, to learn, and to engage one another”) and two strategic commitments (“Increase enrollment of students of color from the current 19 percent to 22 percent of student body, with an emphasis on Latino and Asian stu-dents” and “Increase (ethnic) diversity of faculty/staff from the current 13 percent to a range of 18percent to 22 percent) speak directly to the three elements of this goal. (Since 2013, our student diversity goal has changed to 25 percent of the student body.)

In March 2015, Lovett administered the SAIS Value Narrative to students in grades 6–12, alumni, trustees, and faculty. The Value Nar-rative includes three types of diversity: religious, cultural, and socio-economic, which can be considered separately as dimensions of diversity and school life or in the aggregate category of diversity. Based on their ratings of each dimension of diversity, the category of diversity was ranked ninth out of nine categories of school life in performance, importance, and congruence (the relationship between performance and importance) for the stakeholders who were sampled, when taken together. Disaggregated by stakeholder group, the results change little: for all stakeholder groups who were sampled, diversity ranked ninth out of nine categories in terms of perfor-mance; for all groups except faculty, diversity ranked ninth out of nine categories in terms of importance. (Faculty ranked diversity sixth out of nine categories in terms of importance.) These results paint a remarkably consistent picture: diversity is low on our stake-holders’ list of priorities, and we can do much more to improve our performance relative to diversity. Although the survey results for Lovett are similar to the SAIS benchmark, comprised of the approximately 34,000 respondents through fall 2014, the Lovett results are troubling in their lack of alignment with the School’s strategic commitments and imperatives. Indeed, many independent schools may struggle with building a diverse and inclusive culture, but that does not absolve us of our responsibility to do better.

Despite significant increases in student and faculty ethnic and socioeconomic diversity over the past ten years, community stakehold-ers do not, as a whole, consider the school diverse. The Art and Science Group marketing study (2013–14) included this sentence with respect to community influencer interviews: “Some individuals indicated that they would be more likely to recommend Lovett if the school 1) offered more financial aid and 2) increased diversity and reached out to students from different walks of life.”

Lovett’s Diversity Mission Statement is clear that diversity extends well beyond skin color. The Mission Statement reads:

The Lovett School celebrates the uniqueness of each individual within an intentionally inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment. We recognize that our community is enhanced as we seek to appreciate and respect the differences among our students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni. We are committed to supporting this environment through classroom instruction, professional development, and other curricular and co-curricular programming, and in accordance with our nondiscriminatory policy.

The School’s Strategic Plan for 2000 led to the creation of the full-time administrative position of director of multicultural programs and services—the first of its kind at an Atlanta-area independent school. The Office of Multicultural Programs and Services is dedicated to presenting rich and vibrant approaches to matters of multiculturalism and inclusivity. This concept celebrates each student’s individ-uality by supporting the commonalities in all of us as compassionate human beings. Staffed by a director and coordinators in each school division, the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services is charged with ensuring that diversity is integrated throughout the community and the curriculum at Lovett.

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The below chart provides a helpful snapshot of Lovett student and faculty diversity over the past five years, compared to the average diversity figures out our fellow INDEX Schools. The 50 schools in the large-school INDEX list (Independent School Data Exchange) are, like Lovett, all independent, co-educational K–12 day schools of 750 or more students.

Increase the Diversity of Faculty

Of Lovett’s 426 full time and part time employees (2015-16), 28.17 percent identify with a race other than Caucasian. Considering only the administrative, faculty, instructional support, and co-teachers (“faculty”), 16.6 percent or 42 of 253 faculty come from culturally diverse backgrounds. In 2009–10, this percentage was 9.1 percent; in 2013 it was 12.4 percent. So while we have made significant strides, the diversity of Lovett’s faculty does not yet mirror that of the student body (20.66 percent diverse) or of the city of Atlanta as a whole (61.6 percent diverse) (United States Census Bureau, 2015).

Of the 23 members of the Core Administrative Team, which includes directors and administrators from across school functions, five people (21.73 percent) identify with a race other than Caucasian, representing significant growth in the past five years. In 2011–12, two out of 20 members of the Core Administrative Team (10 percent) identified with a race other than Caucasian. The Principals Group is comprised of eleven administrators who are responsible for academic leadership. Two of the eleven members off that team (18.18 per-cent) are non-Caucasian.

In describing the importance of a diverse faculty, Milem, Chang, and Antonio write:

Having a diverse faculty ensures that students see people of color in roles of authority and as role models or mentors. Faculty of color are also more likely than other faculty to include content related to diversity in their curricula and to utilize active learning and stu-dent-centered teaching techniques (Astin et al. 1997; Milem 1999).

In the spring of 2013, Lovett’s Chair of the Board of Trustees asked Emeritus Trustee Sallie Adams Daniel to chair an ad hoc committee whose purpose would be to identify strategies for more effective recruitment and retention of people of color for our faculty and staff. The committee, comprised of Lovett administrators, parents, and trustees, met six times, from August 2013 through October 2014. Committee members agreed that we needed better data; indeed, with help from Human Resources and from hiring managers, we are getting more sophisticated in evaluating the number of inquiries for each opening, the sources of the inquires, the number of people we interview by phone and ultimately bring to campus, and the ultimate decisions and why these decisions are made. Within our Core Administrative Team and the Principals Group, we are constantly working to strengthen our hiring practices, including the training of our hiring managers and the implementation of best practices for hiring diverse faculty.

Over the past several years, Lovett has adopted a broader and more consistent approach to sourcing faculty candidates. While there is more work to be done (see goal 5), Lovett now regularly uses three recruitment agencies that focuses primarily on candidates from diverse backgrounds: TCPI / SBAN (Teacher of Color Preparatory Institute and the Summerbridge Alumni Network), StrateGenius, and nemnet Minority Recruitment & Consulting Group. All faculty job postings are shared with these agencies (among others). Unfor-tunately, Lovett has successfully hired relatively few faculty through these sources.

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In fall 2015, three members of Lovett’s Core Administrative Team (Assistant Head, Lower School Principal, and Director of Human Resourc-es) attended a workshop sponsored by nemnet, entitled “Overcoming Obstacles to Recruiting Minority Teachers, Administrators and Coaches.” The workshop leader, Warren Reid, Founder and CEO of nemnet, described research demonstrating that in order to make one offer to a candidate of color, a school must start with 15 minority versus 10 majority candidates. Thus, the primary goal in recruiting a more diverse faculty must be to increase exposure and access to qualified minority candidates. In addition to providing numerous specific strategies for increasing exposure and access for quality minority candidates, Reid high-lighted the difference between concern for devel-oping a diverse faculty, which might be theoretical and intellectual, and commitment to developing a diverse faculty, which implies providing time, energy, and money to accomplish this important work.

A recent article in The Atlantic, “More Minority Students, Fewer Minority Teachers” makes clear that the challenge Lovett faces in build-ing a more diverse faculty is felt in schools across the country. In 2011–12, minority students comprised 44 percent of the K-12 popula-tion nationwide. In the same year, only 17.3 percent of K–12 teachers are teachers of color. Between 1987 and 2012, there has been a 16.8 percent increase in minority students; during that same period, there has been only a 4.9 percent increase in minority teachers (Green 2015).

As Lovett focuses on building a more diverse faculty, we must be certain to keep in front of us a broad definition of diversity. Racial and ethnic diversity matter a great deal. We must also remain attentive to the benefits of religious, cultural, socio-economic, and gender diversity.

Increase the Diversity of Students

The percentage of students of color at Lovett has increased from 17 percent in 2008–09 to 21 percent in 2015–16, with the largest groups of minority students identifying as African-American, Asian-American, or Multiracial. In 2015–16, the Lower School is the most diverse division (24 percent), followed by the Upper School (20 percent) and the Middle School (19 percent).

For several years, Lovett’s Director of Financial Aid and Institutional Research has conducted an annual audit of a number of statistics that might reveal patterns or causes of concern. A six-year study of African American male application statistics (2010–15) was meant to answer the question, “Are we failing to yield African American males because of insufficient financial aid?” The data strongly supports the conclusion that a lack of financial aid is not affecting yield rates for African American males, though of course some students (of all backgrounds) may choose not to apply to Lovett because they assume they will not receive aid.

The Director of Financial Aid and Institutional Research has also studied withdrawal reasons for Caucasian vs. African-American stu-dents. Lovett’s overall attrition is extremely low (between three and four percent each year), so when considering withdrawal reasons, each individual story is particularly important. Just over 8 percent of Lovett’s students are African-American. In each of the past three years, just over 14% of the withdrawals are from African-American students. While these percentages are not completely in line with each other, they are also not alarming, especially when one considers the individual stories behind the numbers. Having studied reten-tion for years, the Director of Financial Aid and Institutional Research concludes that there is not a significant story in terms of retention when considered by race; however, in recent years several African-American males who are excellent matches with Lovett’s mission have opted to enroll elsewhere, and these high profile withdrawals have made some wonder whether there is a pattern we are not attending to. We must remain extremely vigilant in creating a culture of inclusivity for all students so that students of all backgrounds who are an excellent fit with Lovett’s mission will choose to stay through graduation. (In fact, we have faced a similar challenge with faculty and administrators of color, as in 2012-13 when three high profile African-American male administrators left at the same time.)

In 2014-15, Lovett entered into a partnership with New Oasis International Education, Inc, an organization that assists independent schools by facilitating the application and enrollment process for international students. We were excited to welcome three New Oasis students to Lovett this year, who will be with us through graduation: 9th and 10th grade students from China and a 10th grade student from Cambodia. These students are exceptionally qualified, and we believe that welcoming them into our community nicely comple-ments Lovett’s global curriculum. International recruitment can be a successful tool for independent schools to increase enrollment and diversity; however Lovett wishes to matriculate only a very small number of international students in any given year.

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The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) advises that in order to compete with peer schools, schools must continue to engage new market segments and communities in new and different ways. With that in mind, the Admission Office has added a sti-pended position, Multicultural Outreach Coordinator, to give particular attention to nurturing and maintaining partnerships with mul-ticulturally-focused organizations in the community. The faculty member in this role will coordinate visits with program directors at A Better Chance (ABC), Agape, La Amistad, and Latino Youth Leadership Academy (LYLA). Each of these organizations support students from multicultural backgrounds. Our goal is to continue developing relationships with these program directors and to develop ways to better identify good candidates for admission to Lovett. This Coordinator will also serve as the primary liaison through the admission process for students from these partner organizations and will individually track applicants referred by these organizations. Since some of these organizations specifically serve Hispanic families whose native language is not English, the Coordinator will also be a valuable resource as a Spanish speaker and interpreter.

As the Admission Office refines its recruitment plan, it is informed by feedback from the Art & Science Group Marketing Study. In particular, Art & Science urged Lovett to “take the message about Lovett’s educational experience out to the world more aggressively and more personally, especially to new and growing communities,” and to “Go beyond the admissions staff in reaching out to prospec-tive families.” In the past, Lovett parents and alumni have hosted outreach events in their homes and communities, but Art & Science Group feedback about these events was that they sometimes felt “clubby” and did not foster the atmosphere of inclusivity that is so important to us. The Admission Office is considering how it might continue to offer intimate and comfortable opportunities for families to collect information, without sending an unintentional message of exclusivity.

Over the past five years, the Admission Office has become even more intentional about recruiting and retaining a diverse class. It’s clear, however, that this work must be even broader and deeper in order to increase diversity significantly. But bringing in a diverse class is only part of the story. We must also attend to the culture of inclusivity on campus, to create an environment conducive to learn-ing for all students.

Cultivate a Culture of Respect for Difference

Through both the curriculum and the co-curriculum, Lovett seeks to cultivate a culture of inclusivity and respect for difference. The Lower School and Middle School have both earned No Place for Hate designation through the Anti-Defamation League. No Place For Hate® is designed to “foster a culture of respect and create a safe, bully-free learning environment for students at all grade levels” (http://atlanta.adl.org/npfh_/npfh/). No Place for Hate provides common language and unites students around the mantra that “it’s cool to be kind.” In the Lower School, the Culture Crew club provides an avenue for students to understand other cultures; in the Mid-dle School, the Cultural Appreciation for Everyone club (Café), serves the same purpose; and SOCs, a group for Middle School students of color, regularly brings together approximately twenty students and ten adults for focused mentoring.

Since 2006, Lovett has sponsored Teens Against Prejudice (TAP) in the Upper School. Made up of student and faculty leaders and dozens of interested students, this group has gathered regularly to discuss issues of diversity at Lovett and local and national events that affect minority groups. Harnessing the power of conversation, TAP members have worked to educate all faculty, students, and staff about diversity and to make Lovett more inclusive.

Over the years, and especially in 2014-15, when a handful of seniors formed Spectrum, a group focused on LGBT issues, members of TAP have expressed the desire to recreate it into a larger umbrella organization populated by affinity groups and alliances. Starting in 2015-16, we did just that: TAP rolled out affinity groups and alliances to provide safe spaces for all participants to identify salient issues and common concerns through dialogue. This sharing is designed to bring about affirmation, fellowship, connection, and empower-ment and foster greater community-wide understanding. We use the phrase “affinity group” to describe a gathering of people who share an important identifier, such as race, gender, orientation, religious heritage, or ethnic background. An affinity group is only for those who directly belong to, or identify with, that group. And by “alliance” we mean a gathering of people who might or might not share one of these identifiers but who have a genuine interest in the issues facing a particular identity group—who want to support it and to serve as allies for members of it. Lovett currently offers affinity groups for Asian-Americans and African-Americans, as well as several organizations that function as alliances: Spectrum, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Jewish Appreciation Club.

In an effort to build capacity for all students to discuss issues of diversity and inclusivity, ninth graders spend one day each fall in a daylong workshop called Help Increase the Peace Project (HIPP). As detailed on the HIPP website, the program “invites participants to share their personal experiences and to be enriched by the knowledge of the group.” The program is designed to “reduce violence, strengthen cross-cultural understanding and [help students] become agents of social change” (https://afsc.org/resource/help-increase-peace-project-hipp). Student and faculty leaders are further invited to explore issues of diversity and inclusivity through the NAIS Peo-ple of Color Conference (POCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), to which Lovett sends a team of approximately ten people each year.

The Lovett International Alliance (LIA), a parent-run organization, is committed to expanding international awareness through pro-grams for the entire community and serves as an educational resource, as well as a social platform for families of diverse backgrounds. Each year, the LIA sponsors events including WorldFest, Chinese New Year, International Day, and Diwali celebrations, among other events. The Office of Multicultural Programs and Services also coordinates the month-long celebrations of Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, with speakers and activities designed to expand students’ worldview. Over the past decade, Lovett partic-

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ipation in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march in downtown Atlanta has become an important tradition, with hundreds of students and faculty participating. Supporting both Lovett’s curricular and co-curricular options, a new partnership with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights provides great opportunities for Lovett faculty and students to supplement the curriculum.

With respect to the curriculum, faculty remain committed to offering courses that both allow students to see themselves and that broad-en their perspectives. In the Lower School, faculty are cognizant of the stories and literature they share, being mindful of each students’ many circles of identity. In the Middle School, students use the design thinking process to build empathy as they ask questions to understand others’ perspectives. They put this process to the test in seventh grade Global Issues, where they prototype a solution to a global problem. In the Upper School, the sophomore required history class for non-AP students, Western Civilizations, was recently replaced with Modern Global History, and the literature in English 10 now makes that class truly a World Literature course. For many years, all new Upper School history and English electives have included a strong non-Western focus.

The critical programs, classes, organizations, and trainings described above have helped us make significant inroads in promoting a culture of inclusivity and respect for differences. However, anecdotal feedback from parents, along with the results of the SAIS Value Narrative, point to the fact that we still have significant work to do. Our faculty, students, parents, and Board could all benefit from ongoing training relative to diversity issues. A significant contingent of Upper School faculty have attended Safe Space training (to support and work toward being an ally for the LGBT community) in the past two years, and Middle School faculty regular clamor for diversity training by their peers. These and other examples demonstrating a willingness and eagerness on the part of faculty to engage in the challenging work of further creating a culture characterized by inclusivity.

Section 2: Vision

Lovett’s Mission statement includes these words: “The Lovett School celebrates the uniqueness of each individual within an intention-ally inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment.” These are not just words on a page; rather, they represent our vision and com-mitment to a culture of inclusivity and respect for difference. However, not all members of Lovett’s community would affirm that these words ring true. Our vision is that each member of Lovett’s community--students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, and alumni--would recognize the truth in these words.

The 2013 Strategic Plan called for an increase in student diversity from 19 percent to 22 percent of the student body. The 2015–16 student body is 21 percent diverse, representing significant progress towards this goal. Obviously, we will not consider our work done when we reach 22 percent, and we are currently working towards a goal of 25 percent student diversity.

The 2013 Strategic Plan also called for an increase in faculty diversity to a range of 18 percent to 22 percent, consistent with the percent-age of student diversity. We envision a community where faculty diversity is aligned with student diversity, and where our community increasingly mirrors that of the wider Atlanta community.

We envision, too, a community characterized by respect for difference and commitment to diversity in all of its forms. Lovett’s Purpose Statement includes a commitment to students knowing themselves—”finding and cultivating their individual voices and their best selves.” This cannot happen outside of a diverse, welcoming, inclusive environment. We are eager for a culture that represents all kinds of diversity, where each individual sees herself in the curriculum, feels free to share his views, and is surrounded by peers and role models to whom he or she can relate.

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Section 3: Plan

Student Recruitment and Retention

1) Create and implement a marketing plan for each of several multicultural groups, including African-American, Indian-American, Asian-American, and Latino

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

This work will be completed in preparation for the 2016–17 school year.

2) Explore advertising and sponsoring for organizations that work with multicultural students

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management; Director of Strategic Communications

In 2015–16, Lovett advertised in the Jewish Atlanta Times and was a Gold Sponsor of the Latino Youth Leadership Conference. We will continue these and develop new advertising opportunities and sponsorships in 2016–17.

3) Intentionally nurture multicultural programs, their directors, and their families to ultimately enroll at least two students each year, beginning in 2016–17

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

This work will be planned in 2016–17 in order to begin in 2017–18.

4) Identify opportunities for student reflection and incorporate that reflection into the school’s practice.

Division Heads; Division administration; Department Heads

Lovett is working with A Better Chance (ABC), Agape, La Amistad, Boys and Girls Club of Brookhaven and Latino Youth Leadership Academy (LYLA) in 2015–16 for the upcoming admissions cycle, with a focus on developing a sustainable partnership.

1) Host a job fair at Lovett, specifically designed to attract potential teachers from diverse backgrounds.

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School.

After a series of exploratory conversations in 2014-15, we will host this fair in spring 2017.

3) Develop consistent hiring and interview protocol across divisions

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School.

Since fall 2014, Division Heads have had a con-sistent approach to job posting and tracking. We will continue that work in 2015–16 to develop consistent protocols for interview days. A hiring handbook has been developed and is in use by the core administrative team. We will consider setting an expectation that candidates from diverse backgrounds are on the interview slate in at least a certain percentage of open positions.

4) Incorporate diversity awareness/cultural competency training in new faculty orientation

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School; Director of Multicultural Programs

Develop and implement education for fall 2016 New Faculty Orientation. Learning will incorpo-rate tools and education around creating and cel-ebrating the uniqueness of each individual within an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment.

Faculty Recruitment and Retention

2) Create a separate budget line item for diversity recruitment

Director of Human Resources; Controller

New budget line item to be phased in for 2016-17.

5) Develop and implement a sourcing strategy that encompasses the identifica-tion and successful recruitment of high quality under-represented candidates.

Director of Human Resources; Director of Multicultural Programs

Fully utilize current third party agencies (nemnet, StrateGenius, SBAN / TCPI) by sharing all job postings with these agencies. Research and use 2-3 diversity minded websites or groups (e.g. NSHM-BA--National Society of Hispanic MBAs; NBM-BAA--National Black MBA Association, etc.) to post all faculty positions. Consider developing and implementing an employee referral program.

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Culture of Respect for Difference

6) Study attrition of faculty of color to identify any patterns.

Director of Human Resources; Director of Multicultural Programs; Director of Financial Aid and Institutional Research

Study retention and attrition of faculty of color including: average tenure of faculty of color; leadership opportunities offered and accepted by faculty of color; and reasons for leaving Lovett.

1) Develop and strengthen Upper School affinity groups and alliances

Upper School administration; Director of Multicultural Programs and Services; Division Diversity Coordinators

An African-American Affinity Group and Asian-American Affinity Group began in 2015–16. Spectrum, FCA, and Jewish Appreciation Club function as alliances.

2) Develop mechanisms for feedback from multicultural parents regarding our prog-ress and opportunities for improvement in creating a culture of inclusivity

Division administration; Director of Multicultural Programs and Services.

Since 2014, the Lower School has held Multi-cultural Parent Coffees several times each year. Beginning in 2015–16, the US hosts a Multicultural Advisory Parent Council four times/year.

3) Identify resources for Board and Core Administration diversity training

Headmaster; Director of Multicultural Programs and Services

We have begun to gather resources and will continue to vet possible consultants/speakers through 2016–17.

4) Allow for diverse faculty needs by coordinating faculty diversity training in each division (LS, MS, US, Arts, Athletics) rather than K–12, while seeking overlap and synergies as often as possible.

Division administration; Director of Multicultural Programs and Services

Beginning in 2015–16, Division Heads were charged with creating a plan for faculty diversity training in each division (LS, MS, US, fine arts, athletics); We hope to send a cross-divisional team to New Leaders’ Week at the National SEED Proj-ect, with the expectation that they will guide K–12 faculty SEED seminars in 2016–17.

6) Increase diverse representation in all Lovett volunteer organizations

Head of School; Director of Community Relations; Division Administration

Since 2013, this has been a focus of the Develop-ment, Alumni, and Community Relations offices. There is a fledgling Alumni committee focused on engaging diverse alumni. There was no diversity in Lovett Parent Association leadership prior to 2009-10. Since then, one of the two co-presidents has come from a diverse background in 6 of the 8 past years with strong multicultural representation in other parent volunteer organizations as well.

7) Develop non-minority allies and ambassadors to assist in implementing diversity initiatives

Director of Multicultural Programs

This work is underway, particularly with a restruc-tured Lower School diversity committee and the establishment of alliances in the Upper School. We will continue to work intentionally towards this goal in 2016–17 and beyond.

5) Strengthen mentoring group for Middle School students from diverse backgrounds

Middle School administration; Director of Multicultural Programs and Services; Division Diversity Coordinators

After a two-year hiatus, this program was re-started in 2015–16.

8) Redesign website for Multicultural Programs to showcase the depth of Lovett’s commitment to diversity

Director of Multicultural Programs; Director of Strategic Communications

This work will be completed in 2016–17.

9) Increase diverse representation on the Board of Trustees

Head of School; Chairman of the Board; Assistant Head of School for External Affairs

Despite focused effort, the Board of Trustees is only 6 percent diverse (up from 5 percent 10 years ago).

10) Consider administering the Assess-ment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM), sponsored by NAIS, to serve as an initial benchmark and ongoing formative assessment of Lovett’s ongoing diversity work.

Head of School; Director of Multicultural Programs and Services

This work will be completed in 2016–17.

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Section 4: Results

Thankfully, it will be readily apparent when we have successfully increased the diversity of faculty and students at Lovett. It is affirm-ing that our current percentage of diverse faculty (16 percent) exceeds the INDEX average (14 percent), but we have significant work to do. Our goal is to have a teaching faculty that is at least 18–22 percent diverse and a student body that is at least 25 percent diverse. More ambitiously, it is our hope that the diversity of our student body will be on par with that of other INDEX schools and that our faculty diversity will far outpace the INDEX average.

The SAIS Value Narrative is a helpful tool for understanding the perception of cultural, socioeconomic, and religious diversity at Lovett, as measured by parents, alumni, students, trustees, and faculty. In 2015, diversity ranked ninth out of nine categories in terms of performance for all stakeholders who were surveyed (students, alumni, trustees, and faculty), and diversity ranked ninth out of nine in terms of importance for all surveyed stakeholder groups other than faculty. We will know that we have made real progress in developing a culture of inclusivity when members of our community affirm both the importance and Lovett’s improved performance in diversity work.

We will also know that we have been successful towards this goal when, several years from now, Upper School affinity groups and al-liances and the Middle School SOCs mentoring program are well established and thriving parts of our community. We look forward to bringing the work of the National SEED Project to Lovett (http://www.nationalseedproject.org/about-us/about-seed), through which SEED leaders (trained faculty) design ongoing seminars to include personal reflection and testimony, listening to others’ voices, and learning experientially and collectively. SEED seminars, coupled with other, additional diversity training for all constituents, should help us all to be more aware of our blind spots as we develop an increasingly empathetic and inclusive environment.

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Goal 5: Prioritize the recruitment and retention of top quality faculty and staff.

Section 1: Profile

The Lovett School is fortunate to have a faculty full of creative, curious, growth-minded teachers, who love children and care deeply about the community. Our commitment to recruiting and retaining an excellent faculty is consistent with one of the strategic imper-atives from the school’s most recent strategic plan: cultivate excellence and distinctiveness in our school, programs, and people. The average faculty and staff tenure—18 years—speaks volumes about the commitment of Lovett’s teachers and their engagement in and affection for Lovett. With some regularity, employees remain at Lovett for 30, 35, or even 40 years of service.

Twenty percent of Lovett’s faculty workforce is between the ages of 50–59. Another 12 percent is 60 years of age or older. Given these demographics, Lovett is likely to see a significant number of retirements in the next 10–15 years. These retirements, combined with the usual faculty turnover, mean that the number of faculty openings each year is likely to increase dramatically in the near future. Assum-ing that other metro-Atlanta schools face similar demographic pressures, the competition to hire the very best teachers for Atlanta’s many excellent independent and public schools will only increase.

In the many surveys and reports that comprised Lovett’s self-study, Lovett received feedback from parents and current faculty that teacher quality is not as consistent as it should be at a school of Lovett’s caliber. Parent feedback prompted Art & Science Group to offer the following as key recommendations: “Make the recruitment of top quality teachers and communicating those efforts a top priority,” and “Hold teachers accountable for the quality of their work.”

This theme was also evident in the 2013 NAIS Parent Survey. Nearly 600 families completed that survey; overall, the results were excel-lent. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said that they were very satisfied or satisfied with their child’s experience at Lovett. When asked to cite their top ten priorities for the school, “high quality teachers” was second (behind “challenging curriculum”). The Lovett School analyzed the parent surveys in part by looking at negative gap numbers. The negative gap is the degree (measured in percent-ages) to which those who are very satisfied or satisfied with a particular program falls short of the percentage of respondents who feel that program is very important or important. In this 2013 survey, quality of teachers had a negative gap number of -30 percent, indicat-ing a significant discrepancy between reported satisfaction and reported importance of this important criterion. Among those parents who answered a free response question asking why they might not recommend Lovett, thirty-nine respondents cited “poor teachers” as a detractor.

Interestingly, concerns about quality were also evident in two internal surveys: the SAIS Value Narrative (March 2015) and the Hu-manEx Ventures Engagement Survey (November 2013 and November 2014). As an outgrowth of the strategic planning process, Lovett hired HumanEx ventures to administer an engagement survey to Lovett faculty and staff in each of three consecutive years. In the aggregate, the survey allows us to see the percentage of Lovett faculty and staff who are both highly engaged and highly satisfied (76.83 percent in 2014, up from 72.22 percent in 2013). Disaggregated by department and division, the engagement survey allows us to target particular strengths to build upon and weaknesses around which to set improvement goals. For the past two years, departments and divisions across the school have used the data in the engagement survey to inspire efforts towards more effective communication, improved recognition and job growth, and a focus on relationships.

The 2014 HumanEx results speak clearly to the pride and engagement that Lovett employees feel in their work. The top five attributes rank ordered by mean are:

I feel great pride in the work I do. I am committed to the success of Lovett. I am fully engaged in the work that I do. I speak of Lovett with pride. There is someone I can turn to for help if the need arises.

The bottom five attributes also provide insight as to the areas of greatest need relative to faculty and staff engagement. The greatest areas for growth appear to center around coaching, career growth, and talent/fit:

I am provided personal coaching from my administrator/supervisor. I have received meaningful recognition in the past 10 days. In the past three months, my administrator/supervisor has discussed my successes and progress with me. Lovett selects the right people for the right job. My administrator/supervisor demonstrates effort in establishing and reinforcing a coaching relationship with me.

In March 2015, Lovett administered the SAIS Value Narrative to students in grades 6–12, alumni, trustees, and faculty. The Value Narrative includes three dimensions of faculty excellence: subject area expertise; care and concern; and inspirational and motivating. For faculty, trustees, and alumni, each of these faculty dimensions was in the top seven in terms of importance of the thirty-four school attributes that were queried. For students, subject area expertise and care and concern were in the top seven in terms of importance.

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While there was general agreement that faculty care, inspiration, and expertise are extremely important, there was also general agree-ment that Lovett’s performance on each of these dimensions could be better. Performance means (out of 5) are listed below. Congru-ence, which shows the relationship between importance and performance, is also indicated on the below chart. A congruence score of 100 indicates “perfect” congruence between how much a given attribute is valued by the stakeholder group and how well the same group believes the school performs. Congruence less than 100 means that the stakeholder group places a greater value on the item than the level which the school is currently performing.

The data from all of these sources suggest two specific areas for improvement: More intentional recruiting of excellent faculty and staff, given the number of likely retirements in the next ten to fifteen years. More intentional coaching and performance planning for all faculty and staff, providing the tools to help all employees reach their

maximum potential.

Though there is plenty of opportunity for improvement, there are also a number of bright spots relative to the recruitment and retention of excellent faculty and staff that are worth celebrating:

Mentoring program for new-to-Lovett teaching faculty: In 2006–07, Lovett redesigned the mentoring program for new-to-Lovett teaching faculty, making the program more robust, more structured, and more consistent across divisions. All new faculty are paired with a mentor who works within the same division, though generally not within the same department. The mentor and protégé meet once every 5–7 school days, attend a series of training sessions throughout the year, and participate in three classroom observations each semester. The mentor and protégé are engaged in the formal mentoring program for an entire school year.

Significant donations to Lovett’s endowment have made it possible for Lovett to offer generous faculty and staff awards to those who exemplify professional excellence. The number of awards and the monetary value of those awards has increased steadily over the past ten years. Most recently, cash awards were added for those who reach the 10-year and 20-year milestones in years of service. Three master teacher awards have been established in the past five years, providing for extremely generous stipends and salary offsets. The Mathews Family Distinguished Teaching Fellowship and The Kahn Family Distinguished Teaching Fellowship are awarded every five years to master teachers in the Lower School and Middle School respectively, and the newest faculty award, the Wood Master Teaching Fellowship, allows Lovett to provide a significant three-year stipend to a teacher who embodies the qualities of master teacher.

Since approximately 2010, Lovett has partnered with Jackson Spalding, an Atlanta-based marketing communications firm, to provide mentoring and inspiration to a small group of emerging leaders each year. Alumni of the Jackson Spalding cohorts continue to meet quarterly with each other and Lovett’s head of school as they develop as leaders.

Generous professional development funding, benefits, and employee education assistance contribute to making Lovett an employer of choice among Atlanta-area independent schools. Lovett provides extremely generous retirement funding (6 percent match plus additional contributions based on years of service, immediate vesting) and professional development money. Since January 2015, support for continuing education has been available to all full-time Lovett employees, not just faculty. Lovett offers competitive salaries (in at least the 50th percentile compared to INDEX schools and adjusted for cost of living) at all bands of years of service. For faculty with 1-10 and 26+ years of service, Lovett salaries are in the 75th or higher percentile compared to INDEX schools and adjusted for cost of living.

Full-time teaching faculty participate in a three year cycle of continuous improvement and feedback called FED (Faculty Evaluation and Development). The program, introduced in 2008, is guided by a cycle that begins with interaction with and feedback from a peer; moves to a second year with more involvement by the department chair; and culminates in the third year in a full evaluation by one’s division head.

Section 2: Vision

Data collected throughout the strategic planning process and multiple surveys administered as part of the self-study clearly points us towards the work we must do to make The Lovett School an employer of choice for top-quality faculty and staff throughout the metro-Atlanta area. We cannot simply assume that the best candidates will find us on their own. Further, we must be more devoted to developing a growth mindset for all Lovett employees and providing the tools to help all employees reach their full potential.

In terms of faculty and staff recruitment, the vision can be accomplished in part through more intentional, consistent, and systematic processes. We must establish a recruiting pipeline that helps us to attract qualified candidates who are the best fit for Lovett.

In order to retain top quality faculty and staff, we must be more consistent and intentional in providing quality job performance feed-back to all employees, both in terms of coaching and evaluation.

It is our hope that as this work progresses, constituents would, with increasing frequency, affirm that Lovett hires the right people, helps those people grow professionally over the course of their Lovett careers, and holds employees accountable to meeting Lovett’s high expectations.

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Action Step Point Person(s) Status/Next Steps

1) Develop and implement a marketing plan for recruiting qualified employees.

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School; Director of Strategic Communications

The development of a marketing plan will be a priority in 2016–17.

2) Develop print and digital materials to market careers at Lovett to potential candidates (website, video testimonials, job fair handouts, etc.)

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School; Director of Strategic Communications

Careers at Lovett webpage launched in October 2015. Initial faculty video testimonials are on the webpage, with more in development. The Com-munications Office is attentive to collecting video soundbites for this purpose whenever videos are shot. Print materials will be developed in 2016.

3) Begin the recruiting pipeline earlier and establish a system for keeping job prospects “warm” outside of the traditional hiring season.

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School; Director of Strategic Communications

Since fall 2014, candidates have been able to apply for “future jobs” at Lovett. In fall 2015, that process was further refined to make the system more user-friendly and ensure that candidates are not falling through the cracks.

4) Develop consistent hiring protocols across divisions

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School; Division Heads

Since fall 2014, Division Heads have had a consis-tent approach to job posting and tracking. We will continue that work in 2015–16 to develop consis-tent protocols for interview days, with a particular focus on hiring those with traits consistent with our purpose statement. A hiring handbook has been developed and is in use by the core adminis-trative team.

5) Evaluate the current means of sourcing faculty and administrator jobs to devel-op the most cost-effective approach and avoid over-reliance on staffing agencies. Develop creative strategies to connect with passive prospects.

Director of Human Resources; Assistant Head of School

In 2015–16, we will be more intentional about collecting data on the resume sources of faculty candidates and new hires, in order to make adjust-ments to the sourcing list the following year.

6) Develop 3-5 new sourcing strategies to support hard-to-fill positions

Director of Human Resources After conducting some additional data review in 2015–16, this will be a priority in 2016–17.

1) Formalize a process for performance feedback for non-teaching faculty employees

Director of Human Resources The Director of Human Resources will work alongside managers to establish a process that can be put into place in the 2016–17 school year.

2) Evaluate and refine the Faculty Evalua-tion and Development (FED) program to ensure it accomplishes its aims of provid-ing meaningful evaluative and growth feedback to teaching faculty.

Assistant Head of School; Division Heads

The Assistant Head of School will lead this work, beginning in the 2016–17 school year.

Section 3: Plan

Recruitment

Retention

3) Evaluate and refine the Master Teacher Description, to ensure it captures the expectations and priorities of the school.

Principals Group Updating the Master Teacher description is a nec-essary first step in refining the FED process; this work will begin in 2016–17.

4) Pilot an instructional coaching program to provide embedded professional development for teaching faculty

Assistant Head of School; Director of Academic Resource Center

A cross-divisional team of 6 faculty and adminis-trators has been meeting since July 2015, design-ing a prototype for instructional coaching at The Lovett School. They will submit a proposal to the Principals Group in January 2016.

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Section 4: Results

In July 2015, Lovett welcomed a new director of Human Resources, who is bringing fresh eyes to that role and the way that Human Resources can support hiring managers in recruiting employees of choice. We are in our early stages of adopting a more strategic, marketing and recruiting focus to hiring, rather than assuming that candidates will find Lovett on their own. We took initial steps in this direction by creating an opportunity for teaching candidates to apply for future jobs that are not yet posted, to facilitate our devel-opment of relationships outside the usual hiring cycle. We have also created a webpage to market careers at Lovett and communicate why Lovett is a great place to work. That web page went live in October. A web page is a long way from a marketing plan, of course. With the help of a new Director of Strategic Communications who joined the Lovett staff in December 2015, we will be in the position to create a comprehensive faculty recruiting plan over the coming year. One element of that recruiting plan will be the development of a comprehensive sourcing strategy.

Over the past year, we have made significant strides in developing consistent hiring protocols across divisions. The division heads collaborated to create a job posting template, job posting protocols, and applicant tracking protocols. Our next steps are to refine expec-tations for faculty interview days, in order to consistently show Lovett in its best light. A handbook for faculty hiring is now available for all members of the core administrative team to draw on, and we will continue to add to and edit the handbook as we build out addi-tional pieces of the process.

The existence of a faculty recruitment plan and a faculty hiring handbook will serve as evidence of the completion of the aforemen-tioned recruitment tactics.

Recruiting and retaining top quality faculty and staff requires that we provide meaningful feedback, support faculty and staff in a pro-cess of continuous improvement, and hold people accountable to meeting Lovett’s standards. While we have a fairly robust system for faculty evaluation and development (FED), it has been eight years since that process was closely reviewed with an eye towards refining it.

We do not have a systematic performance feedback process in place for non-teaching staff. While some staff receive regular feedback from their supervisors, others have not had received formal feedback in several years. We must establish a process (or series of process-es) to meet the needs of staff as diverse as groundskeeping and division leadership.

Not all feedback for teachers needs to run through the FED process. Indeed, many faculty have eagerly expressed interest in receiving coaching feedback, independent of evaluation. Thanks in part to a donation from an anonymous friend of the school, a small cross-di-visional team of faculty and administrators has met weekly since July 2015 to study Jim Knight’s framework for instructional coaching, attending one of Knight’s conferences, welcoming a consultant to campus, and studying two of Knight’s books. By late January 2016, the team will present a proposal to the Principals Group, offering a picture of what instructional coaching at Lovett might look like. Research shows that this type of embedded professional development is more effective than any conference or in-service, if the goal is to bring about sustained change.

Our three-year commitment to the HumanEx Ventures Engagement survey and its follow up has been an important stimulus for con-versation about faculty engagement. Awareness of faculty concerns, in and of itself, has been powerful. More importantly, each division or department has taken steps to follow up on the survey, setting goals for improvement and taking steps towards accomplishing those goals. Conversations originating with the survey results have led to new working groups and organizational structures, more effective communication within teams, a more intentional culture of recognition, and new approaches to professional development.

The establishment of effective performance feedback instruments for all school employees, inception of an instructional coaching pro-gram, and continued goal setting based on the final HumanEx Engagement survey will show our work towards this goal.

We expect that success in this area will also be demonstrated by higher engagement scores on the HumanEx Engagement survey; fewer parent concerns about teacher quality in upcoming NAIS parent surveys; and higher faculty performance scores in repeat administra-tions of the SAIS Value Narrative.

5) Provide soft skills training to all manag-ers, including giving feedback, setting and communicating expectations, providing follow up, and holding all team members accountable.

Director of Human Resources The “Lovett Leaders” program will provide intentional learning opportunities for soft skills development of all managers. The program is currently in development and will go into effect in 2016–17 or 2017–18.

6) Integrate recommendations/action items coming out of three-year HumanEx Engagement surveys

Headmaster; members of Core Administrative Team

This ongoing work, led by the US Associate Principal and the HR Employee Relations Specialist will continue through 2016–17.

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Section Three: Appendix