The MKA Strategic Plan
One of the hallmarks of a strong academic institution is its ability to continually look to the future - to plan for and implement a vision that both anticipates future needs and promises to deliver an innovative education that will be as relevant for future generations as it is for today's students.
MKA's current Goals for Strategic Planning originated in September 2006. With over one hundred and twenty volunteers drawn from faculty, alumni, parents, trustees and administration, subcommittees were organized to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees that would maintain and strengthen MKA in the areas of Advising, Counseling and Academic Support, Athletics and Physical Education, Classroom Program and Fine and Performing Arts. In January 2007, volunteer committees made additional recommendations in the areas of Constituent Relations, Financial Resources, Human Resources, Facilities and Technology.
These recommendations, together with information gained from constituent surveys and a Diagnostic Report prepared as part of the School's re-accreditation process, informed MKA's Goals for Strategic Planning 2007-2014.
Since that time, significant progress has been made in realizing elements of these goals, thanks in large part to the leadership and commitment of the Board of Trustees. As of spring 2011, the Board has collectively pledged over $5,000,000 to ensure that some of the most immediate priorities in terms of program, facilities and endowment could be met, and that planning for future initiatives can proceed.
To date, facility upgrades include the installation of a synthetic turf field at the Primary School, the renovated Auditorium and Lobby area in the Penick Center at the Middle School and an upgraded Weight Room and Greenhouse at the Upper School. Program enhancements have included the successful implementation of the 1:1 Laptop Learning Program, the addition of a Chinese Language strand, greater support for student learning and increased Upper School honors offerings.
Additionally, guided by the school Mission Statement and building on the work that began with the Strategic Planning Committees and has continued with subsequent focus group research, MKA has developed a positioning statement that clarifies the focus and direction of an MKA education:
At MKA we do not just educate, we empower. We deliver an innovative education that combines excellence in teaching, creativity in curriculum, and a highly personal, technology enriched environment. As a result, our students have the capacity to think critically, the confidence to stretch, and the preparation required to meet the real world challenges ahead.
Plans for the future are bold: campus-wide state-of-the-art libraries to meet the ever-growing need for media literacy and to provide flexible teaching and learning spaces, renovated dining and meeting spaces at the Primary and Middle Schools, improved athletic facilities for all students and a goal for robust growth in endowment and annual giving to ensure that MKA can remain flexible and innovative while attracting world class faculty and delivering the best in creative and innovative educational programming.
