Strategic Design - Harpeth Hall School

Strategic
Design

Mission
Harpeth Hall educates girls and young women to think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably.

Vision
With a deepening understanding of herself and boundless curiosity about the world, each Harpeth Hall graduate embraces her strengths and leads a life of purpose.

Values
Harpeth Hall’s values are the foundation of our school community.

We build resilience, empowering our girls to be confident in their beliefs and abilities.

Integrity and honor guide every decision and action.

We celebrate intellectual curiosity and creativity, encouraging a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Kindness and respect enrich our interactions and strengthen the bonds within our community.

The Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees approved the school's strategic design in June 2024 following an 18-month process of gathering feedback from all constituent groups in the school community through surveys and focus group meetings.

Strategic Priorities

EDUCATE BOLDLY
Harpeth Hall will leverage knowledge, innovation, collaboration, and creativity to educate boldly and continue the tradition of excellence for girls.

CULTIVATE CONFIDENCE
Harpeth Hall will teach girls to lead with strength, resolve, and compassion.

AMPLIFY PURPOSE
Harpeth Hall will enrich relationships within our school and community by cultivating respect, integrity, and purpose beyond oneself.

Educate Boldly

Nurture a diverse and supportive learning community where all are known, affirmed, and intellectually inspired
Invest in extraordinary educators through endowed resources supporting competitive salaries, benefits, and ongoing professional development
Remain agile by integrating data-driven research and teaching methodologies into the way we educate
Fuel innovation and discovery in science, technology, engineering, and math studies by funding and constructing a new Center for STEM Studies for Girls
Elevate our Center for Civic Engagement to be a national exemplar in civil dialogue and to respect diversity of thought
Fortify the study of humanities and advance the writing and creative thinking skills necessary to identify and clearly articulate solutions to contemporary challenges
Encourage creativity and self-expression through the arts by modernizing our performing arts facilities
Expand immersive and student-led learning experiences that prepare our girls for college and future career pursuits

Cultivate Confidence

Develop every girl’s trust in her individual strengths and her ability to lead
Enhance opportunities for each girl to discover the power of her voice and the importance of attentive listening
Equip girls and young women with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions, ultimately preparing them for entrepreneurship, business leadership, and financial wellness
Prepare our students to address complex challenges by using emerging technologies to complement their skills, intelligence, and intuition
Provide a supportive school environment that integrates wellness, emotional health, and physical safety
Showcase the caliber of our artistic and athletic programs and uplift the talents of our girls
Increase philanthropic resources to support premier programs that develop confidence and self-reliance
Strengthen the bonds between Harpeth Hall students and alumnae and nurture the sisterhood throughout generations as they learn from one another

Amplify Purpose

Uphold a shared commitment to honor wherein all members of the school community contribute to a culture of trust and responsibility
Broaden global perspectives that empower our students to navigate their communities and the world with well-researched opinions and a sense of social responsibility
Further the school’s mission by growing a strong endowment for the education of current and future generations of students
Foster the cultural and social diversity represented in our school to build understanding across differences
Ensure that our arts, athletic, and academic venues serve as welcoming gathering places for Harpeth Hall families, alumnae, educators, and the community
Partner with families in the development and well-being of our students so each girl may thrive
Celebrate the meaningful contributions made in the broader community by our students and alumnae

Celebrating Achievements of the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan

The 2018-2023 Strategic Plan has guided Harpeth Hall forward in continued educational excellence. Collaboratively crafted and implemented by the board of trustees, leadership team, faculty, and staff, this plan offered a blueprint for the strategies and tactics that advanced our mission across four strategic areas of focus. Harpeth Hall is pleased to share a high-level summary of the many achievements from the last five years.

College Preparatory

Continue to prepare our students to thrive in college, career, and life in a complex and ever-changing world.

Achievements

Launched the Center for Civic Engagement, which educates and empowers Harpeth Hall students to be active and informed citizens, to engage thoughtfully with public and private institutions, and to appreciate — through action and reflection — what is required for civil societies to thrive. The three main objectives are 1) information literacy, 2) active citizenship, and 3) civic education.
Added deans of curriculum in both divisions in order to create another level of support and idea generation for department chairs and faculty. The middle and upper school faculties continued to develop curricular maps to use for deeper-dive curricular reviews. The faculty read Neuroteach and incorporated best practices into curriculum maps to ensure a common language in the middle school and upper schools. Thinking by Design was used to create map templates and educate teachers about backward design.
Introduced Transition to College Series, which constitutes the final four lessons in our comprehensive college counseling curriculum. Topics covered in the series include personal finance, data security, and library research at the university level. An alumnae panel of current college students talks with Harpeth Hall seniors about the transition to independence. College counseling also partners with the Winterim office and Nashville-based alumnae professionals to develop student job interview skills.
Crafted the Portrait of a Graduate outlining the skills and strengths students possess when they complete Harpeth Hall’s program and serving as a valuable tool for admissions, strategic planning, and curriculum development at Harpeth Hall.

Leading Edge

Secure Harpeth Hall’s position as a nationally recognized innovator in girls education through practices and programs that inspire and enable every girl to reach her potential.

Achievements

Envisioned, constructed, and debuted the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab, a collaborative space where students and teachers from STEM and the humanities come together to learn. The Bright IDEA Lab features maker spaces, a podcast studio, a robotics room, a teaching kitchen, student common areas, and other spaces designed for new programming, creativity, and critical thought.
Re-imagined the STEM program with a new director of the Center for STEM Education for Girls. Through that leadership, the school increased STEM-focused professional development for faculty and expanded curricular options for students, including the addition of courses in coding. The new robotics team also qualified for the World Championships in back-to-back years as one of the few all-girls teams in the nation competing at that level. Honors STEM research students participated and won multiple awards in the Middle Tennessee Science and Engineering Fair, going on to represent Harpeth Hall on the regional and national level.
Formed a campaign steering committee of the Board of Trustees that worked with consultants to create a comprehensive campaign plan and enlisted the skills of architects to refine the school’s vision and draft plans for improved performing arts and STEM facilities that match the caliber of our students and faculty.
Made internal improvements to the existing performing arts facility, including the Performing Arts Lab, new stage rigging, new audio and lighting, and audio/visual upgrades and additions in Morrison Hall.

Community

Continue to cultivate and promote a school that is diverse, welcoming, and inclusive and that appreciates differences while fostering community.

Achievements

Increased annual financial aid resources from $1.98 million to $2.5 million to promote socio-economic diversity within our student body and to ensure that cost is not a barrier to girls enjoying the full Harpeth Hall experience and expanded communication via website and printed materials to educate prospective families.
Raised faculty salaries to reach above the 90th percentile of average pay offered by southeast region NAIS schools. Made notable improvements to employee benefit plan offerings, including increased health insurance coverage, access to a health coach, expanded parental leave, and free diapers through a bundled childbirth plan.
Redefined the role of Director of Equity and Inclusion to strategically lead the equity, inclusion, and belonging work on campus alongside faculty and students and continued to support the formation of affinity groups and clubs.
Expanded admission outreach by leveraging on-campus programs, including STEM Summer Institute, SPARK, Harpeth Hall summer camps, Time to Rise, and strengthened relationships with school outplacement directors and community organizations to include 90 different schools and organizations.
Enhanced security resources and personnel on campus to further safeguard our learning community.
Reimagined parent engagement and education with the PLAID Series (Parents Learning and in Discussion) occurring seven times a year.
Increased applicant pool of underrepresented students by 3.6% and increased retention of all enrolled students.

Financial Strength

Sustain and develop financial resources that serve current and future generations in a way that amplifies Harpeth Hall’s core values.

Achievements

Gained Board of Trustees approval of the Leading the Way Campaign in January 2022 for the following key campaign priorities: build a new Center for STEM Studies; build a new Center for Performing Arts; increase endowment for faculty support, programs, and financial aid; and continue support of the Annual Fund. New gifts and pledges for all capital projects and endowment counted in this campaign as of Dec. 31, 2023, totaled $24.2 million.
Received $9.5 million in endowment gifts and pledges from April 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2023; 77% of these gifts were directed to financial aid. Through these gifts and market appreciation, Harpeth Hall’s endowment grew from $47.6 million as of March 31, 2018, to $67.8 million as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Increased unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund by 28% from the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year to the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Maintained tuition increases below 4% each year during this strategic plan. All mandatory fees were bundled into tuition to make the true cost of the program more transparent.
Responded to and fully funded the need to make major improvements to the dining hall post-pandemic, thereby enhancing the quality of school life.

Harpeth Hall Strategic Design Team Members
—

Crissy Wieck '96, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Melanie Patterson Blank '82, Strategic Design Team Chair
Jess Hill, Head of School

Trustees
Jane Allen
Kate Berry '00
Mary Cady Bolin
Michelle Gaskin Brown '01
Shani Dowell
Lauren Melkus '96
Kristen Meltesen

Trustees
Amit Misra
John Morris, M.D.
Arie Nettles
Reid Patton Fleishman '14
Amy Richards
Amanda Powell Smith '04
Dana Deaton Verner, M.D. '95

Leadership Team
Jessica Bliss
Mary Lea Bryant '72
Frances Fondren-Bales
Jasmin Hopkins
Kylene Lee
Susan Moll
Tom Murphy
Molly Rumsey
Jessica Viner '89

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