Windows to the Future
EHS Strategic Plan 2005

History and Vision

Founded in 1983 by a group of Houston business and Episcopal Church leaders, Episcopal High School is an intellectual and spiritual community committed to educating the minds and hearts of students.  Through the Four Pillars—academics, religion, fine arts, and athletics—EHS encourages critical thinking, intellectual risk-taking, responsibility for one’s own actions, personal integrity, ethical awareness, respect for diversity, and individual leadership.  For over twenty years, EHS has responded to the needs and capabilities of each student, providing opportunities for growth and achievement in a Christian community within the beliefs and traditions of the Episcopal Church. 

As we prepare to implement a new Strategic Plan, we celebrate our mission and guiding principles and affirm the heritage and traditions of Episcopal High School, which serve as the foundation for our future endeavors.   At the same time, we recognize the profound changes—particularly in emerging technologies and globalization—in our increasingly complex world and the challenges we face in responding to them.  We understand that the next phase of our history will require both tradition and innovation as we prepare students to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives as responsible citizens and capable leaders.

Episcopal High School remains committed to a four-pillar program in Academics, the Arts, Athletics, and Religion.  As a Diocesan school, we affirm the Episcopal tradition through daily Chapel, religion courses, community service, and retreats.  Emphasizing a college-preparatory curriculum, we will continue to strive for social, economic, ethnic, gender, and academic diversity in our student body, along with the development of character, honor, and integrity.  Our faculty will also continue to represent diversity in age, experience, and ethnicity.  We will maintain a school size that allows for optimization of program, as well as strong faculty-student interaction.  Our admission policy will remain unchanged, with admission on a bell curve as to ability levels, and preference given to siblings; faculty, staff, and alumni children; and Episcopalians.  As in the past, two-thirds of the EHS Trustees will be Episcopalians.

This Strategic Plan builds upon the foresight and accomplishments of earlier plans and continues the vision of those who preceded us.  The Brown Learning Resource Center, the Underwood Student Center, the Simmons Stadium and Brown Field, and the establishment of an endowment—all resulting from the 1996 Strategic Plan—allow EHS an enhanced opportunity to provide an outstanding education in a supportive environment. 

In the spring of 2004, having completed the goals of the 1996 Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees and the Head of School put in place a structure to begin work on a new plan.  Throughout the 2004-2005 school year, each department assessed its strengths and challenges and created its own strategic plan, consisting of goals, rationales, priorities, and implementation steps, each of which will become a part of our internal operational strategy.  Capturing the major issues detailed in the department reports, the Strategic Planning Committee, appointed by the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2005 and comprised of trustees, administrators, and faculty, developed five goals on which to focus in the coming period:  Faculty, Program, EHS and the Community, Finance, and Facilities.

Goal One:  Faculty, Administration, and Staff

EHS will attract and retain a faculty, administration, and staff of the highest academic and ethical standards, who are committed to the education and nurturing of students.   The faculty, administration, and staff will consist of men and women who represent diverse intellectual and cultural experiences; varied regional influences; and diverse racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.

Implementation strategies:

  1. The EHS administration will continue to recruit—on a nationwide basis—a diverse faculty of the highest academic and moral standards, using the resources of regional and national teacher recruitment fairs and college and university placement offices.
  2. The Board of Trustees will direct funds to appropriately compensate faculty on a competitive basis with NAIS and ISAS peer schools.
  3. The EHS administration will ensure excellence by continuing and enhancing the faculty evaluation process, the mentoring of new faculty, and the many professional development programs that benefit the faculty.
  4. The EHS administration will continue to encourage faculty involvement in the broad range of activities available to the school community, assessing the total responsibilities of each faculty member to ensure that no one is overloaded.  

Goal Two:  Program

EHS students will receive an intellectually and spiritually challenging liberal arts education, characterized by rigor and excellence, emphasizing critical reading; clear and logical reasoning; analytical, creative, and independent thinking; problem-solving; respect for diversity; and intellectual risk-taking in an environment that values intellect, imagination, and integrity.  Class sizes will be conducive to a vital interplay among students and between students and teachers.  Appropriate technology will be used in all classes to enhance the dialogue essential to learning.

Implementation strategies:

  1. EHS will continue to support an extensive liberal arts curriculum that fosters students’ intellectual and moral growth by ensuring that they acquire an integrated education in the humanities, religion, social sciences, arts, sciences, technology, and mathematics.
  2. EHS will support the individual needs of students by providing academic assistance, personal and college counseling, elective courses, and leadership development.
  3. Chapel will remain a major part of the daily schedule.
  4. EHS will continue to offer opportunities—Outreach, Honor and Discipline Councils, and Student Government, for example—that foster accountability, responsibility, integrity, and leadership.

Goal Three:  EHS and the Community

As a major educational institution in the Greater Houston area and in the Southwest region, EHS will maintain close ties with regional and national independent schools, as well as with public, parochial, and charter schools.  In addition, we will share the intrinsic value of an EHS education—within the EHS family and in the greater Houston community—as an independent Episcopal school that balances rigorous academics, strong arts, competitive athletics, and inclusive spirituality, preparing students to become leaders in an increasingly complex world and global society.

Implementation strategies:

  1. EHS will continue to be active in the Greater Houston area, offering such programs as Summerbridge, Interim Term, SOS and Senior Outreach, and other student activities in the community.
  2. EHS seeks an increasingly diverse student body, engaging all community members in opportunities for admission and community outreach.
  3. EHS will celebrate the value of an Episcopal education and will continue to provide leadership in offering an academically rigorous, emotionally nurturing, and character-building program.
  4. EHS will continue to strengthen a dynamic alumni program, working toward increased alumni commitment.
  5. EHS will continue to expand the usefulness and appeal of the EHS website and online communications.

Goal Four:  Campus and Facilities

EHS will maintain, renovate, expand, and build facilities that enhance teaching and learning in the academic, artistic, athletic, and religious programs of the School.

Implementation strategies:

  1. The Building and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees, along with the faculty and administration, will identify and plan any new facilities and renovations needed to enhance the School’s overall program.
  2. The Facilities Audit of 2004 will be reviewed, and priorities for future action will be developed.
  3. After priorities and new initiatives have been identified, a Master Campus Plan will be developed.

Goal Five:  Finance and Development

Through extensive financial planning, EHS will develop and maintain the financial resources to fulfill the School’s Mission and the goals of this Strategic Plan.

Implementation strategies:

  1. EHS will expand efforts to increase the Endowment Fund to support faculty compensation, financial aid, and general endowment for campus facilities and grounds.
  2. EHS will engage in a capital fund-raising program whenever new facilities or major renovations to existing buildings are identified and needed.
  3. EHS will develop a rolling multi-year financial plan to balance the current and future operations of the School and to guide annual budget decisions.
  4. EHS will continue with its comprehensive fund-raising programs such as the Auction, the Annual Fund, the Endowment program, and deferred giving.