Strategic Plan

Year One Highlights

This year, The Howard School laid the foundation for piloting the Howard Journey, an innovative portfolio initiative designed to celebrate each student's unique story of growth. Rather than viewing each school year in isolation, Howard Journey will create a continuous record of learning from year to year. Students will help tell their own stories through personal reflections while teachers document meaningful growth, creating a portfolio that captures both academic progress and personal development.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, the committee designed the Howard Journey framework, aligned the process with existing classroom tools, and developed a sustainable model that minimizes additional work for teachers while preserving the moments that matter most.

Year One Accomplishments

• Designed the Howard Journey portfolio framework
• Developed a student reflection and teacher growth model
• Integrated the process with existing classroom documentation systems
• Established a pilot program for implementation 

Looking Ahead

During the 2026-2027 academic year, Howard Journey will be piloted with volunteer faculty, allowing the school to refine the process before broader implementation.

Year One Highlights

Transforming the learning experience begins with ensuring every student, family, and educator experiences the same high level of excellence across The Howard School. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the committee focused on strengthening three essential areas: 
enriching the student experience, increasing consistency in research-based instructional practices, and supporting faculty growth.

The committee developed new frameworks for improving Learning Profiles, parent communication, faculty coaching, and professional learning while identifying systems that will make schoolwide practices more consistent and transparent.

The work completed this year establishes the roadmap for future implementation, ensuring students and families experience an increasingly connected, supportive, and personalized learning journey.

Year One Accomplishments

• Designed improvements to Learning Profiles and progress monitoring
• Began development of a Profile of a Howard Educator
• Created a framework for parent education and onboarding
• Planned a centralized resource ecosystem for families and faculty
• Established measurable outcomes for future implementation

Looking Ahead

Year Two will focus on bringing this work to life through enhanced Learning Profiles, expanded parent education, strengthened instructional practices, and new professional learning opportunities for faculty. These efforts will continue to create a more consistent, connected, and transparent experience for every student and family at The Howard School.
 

Year One Highlights

Preparing students for success beyond graduation requires more than a strong academic foundation—it requires intentional planning for the future. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the committee concentrated on defining what distinguishes a Howard School graduate by developing the Portrait of a Howard Graduate, a framework that identifies the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and characteristics students will carry into college, careers, and life.

The committee also evaluated current programs, examined opportunities to strengthen internships and community partnerships, and explored new ways to measure long-term student success after graduation. This work will guide curriculum development and student experiences for years to come.

Year One Accomplishments

• Developed the Portrait of a Howard Graduate
• Conducted strategic reviews of all Priority Three initiatives
• Evaluated internship and partnership opportunities
• Began planning for graduate outcome tracking
• Identified future work to strengthen executive functioning and intervention continuity

Looking Ahead

Building on the newly developed Portrait of a Howard Graduate, the 2026-2027 academic year will focus on aligning programs, student experiences, and curriculum to the skills and attributes that prepare students to thrive beyond The Howard School. The committee also will continue strengthening internships (now known as fellowships), executive functioning supports, community partnerships, and long-term graduate success measures.
 

Year One Highlights

To ensure The Howard School continues transforming lives for generations to come, the 2025-2026 academic year focused on building the infrastructure necessary for sustainable growth.

One of the year's most significant accomplishments was creating and filling the new Executive Director of Enterprise Growth & Operations position, providing dedicated leadership for expanding programs, partnerships, and new sources of revenue.

The committee also advanced efforts to strengthen financial aid, pursue grant funding, grow The Howard Exchange, expand community partnerships, and establish meaningful metrics to evaluate future marketing and communications initiatives.

Together, these efforts position The Howard School to broaden its impact while remaining financially strong and mission-focused.

Year One Accomplishments

• Created and hired the Executive Director of Enterprise Growth & Operations
• Expanded planning for The Howard Exchange
• Strengthened grant writing and financial aid sustainability efforts
• Advanced NeuroArts partnerships and community engagement
• Began developing long-term marketing and communications performance metrics

Looking Ahead

With new leadership in place to guide enterprise growth, the 2026-2027 academic year will focus on expanding innovative programs, strengthening strategic partnerships, and identifying new opportunities that extend The Howard School's mission beyond our campus. At the same time, continued investment in fundraising, financial sustainability, and marketing will help ensure the school remains strong and vibrant for generations to come.