Website Head-Royce School
Head-Royce School seeks an educational leader with experience in developing and implementing data-driven strategic initiatives to lead institution-wide research along with the development and implementation of the school’s strategic planning process. Reporting to the Head of School, and as a member of the senior administrative team (“Administrative Council”), the Assistant Head for Planning & Strategic Initiatives is responsible for integrating a comprehensive institutional research and assessment practice into the school’s planning process and developing a robust data-driven decision-making leadership practice. Assistant Head of School for Planning & Strategic Initiatives 2 The Assistant Head for Planning & Strategic Initiatives will work closely with colleagues in facilitating conversations regarding school effectiveness and educational best practices to internally advance and externally communicate Head-Royce as an exceptional K-12 teaching and learning community. The development of schoolwide performance dashboards, cultivation of a culture of data-informed practices, along with the alignment of policies, procedures, and systems will be a priority for the Assistant Head in their first two years of this new role. With a great opportunity to bring data-driven practices to all aspects of school operation, the thrust of the Assistant Head’s work will be driven by areas connected to the strategic plan with a special focus on using data to understand, assess, and improve academic and co-curricular programs and the overall student experience.
The School
Grounded in its 135-year history, and nearly 60 years in Oakland, Head-Royce School is in the middle of a period of significant opportunity. Over the last two decades, the school has seen growth in the diversity of the student body as well as in the overall enrollment, growth that took place during an ever more complex educational climate and amid global challenges. The Assistant Head of School for Planning & Strategic Initiatives will find an exceptional K-12 school community poised to strengthen its approach to teaching and learning; lead the way nationally with equity and inclusion; and explore meaningful civic engagement with the City of Oakland, local organizations, and the global community. The mission of the Head-Royce School states that the school seeks …to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and pursuit of academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for the diversity that makes our society strong, and to encourage constructive and responsible global citizenship. The mission, with the core tenets of Scholarship, Diversity, and Citizenship, informs the work of the professional community (faculty, staff, and administrators) in delivering a challenging and transformative experience that characterizes a Head-Royce education. The commitment to excellence and whole child education provides opportunities for the intellectual and personal development of each student in the school.
In 2016, the Head-Royce community developed a collaborative and inclusive strategic plan, Bridge to 2022, with five strategic priorities: teaching and learning, equity and inclusion, civic engagement, balance & well-being, and financial stewardship. With the appointment of Rachel Skiffer as the Head of School in July 2022, the school is prepared to reexamine and renew its strategic priorities after successfully navigating the pandemic. The Assistant Head for Planning & Strategic Initiatives will be a lead administrator working closely with Ms. Skiffer, the administrative team, and the Board of Trustees in developing a comprehensive strategic plan to firmly establish Head-Royce, not only as the premier K-12 school in the East Bay, but also as a national leader in K-12 education. In support of the strategic planning process, the school has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan and a campus Master Plan for the development of an eight-acre parcel of land that was purchased a decade ago. As the site is developed over the coming years, the school will significantly expand instructional space–including unique outdoor learning and green spaces that will further differentiate Head-Royce School from other East Bay schools.
PROGRAM
The Head-Royce community puts the relationships between students and teachers at the center of all that happens in the school. Alumni and their parents speak passionately about the connections and the importance in making students feel valued, respected, and connected with the school. Excellent teaching and long teacher tenures support this central Head-Royce value. In each of the divisions, Lower (K-5), Middle (6-8) and Upper (9-12), the highly skilled teaching staff construct programs that are comprehensive, thought-provoking, and developmentally appropriate. The overall program is intentionally designed to inspire a love of learning, providing both challenge and support for each student and the talents they bring to school each day. The Assistant Head of School for Planning & Strategic Initiatives will work closely with the three division heads and other academic leaders in measuring program efficacy, using data to inform decisions and practices aligned with school priorities, and supporting the work to look towards the future and delivering an exceptional experience for students and the professional community schoolwide.
The Lower School follows a “whole-child” philosophy. The academic program provides a strong foundation of concepts and skills in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, science, art, world language (French, Mandarin, Spanish), library/media, music, physical education (including swimming for grades 2 through 5), community engagement, and technology.
The Middle School program is designed to provide a highly engaging, experiential educational experience for students. Faculty members are attuned to the development transitions that students face during this time and provide an environment that is physically, emotionally, and academically safe. The academic program builds upon the foundations introduced in the lower school.
The After-School Program provides a high-quality experience for students in grades K through 8. There is a balance of student-led and adult-led activities, games, and play spaces. There are fee-based enrichment classes and private music lessons.
The Upper School provides an exceptionally strong curriculum. Upper school courses are designed to provide learning opportunities in which students develop critical thinking skills, take intellectual risks, work in collaborative settings, engage in creative and imaginative learning, and practice ethical decision making. A recent initiative in connection with the current strategic plan will move Head-Royce fully away from courses with an official connection to the AP Program and toward rigorous teacher-generated coursework by the 2023-24 school year.
The Arts feature a strong program focusing on the four disciplines of dance, theatre, music, and visual arts. From arts integration in the classroom to formal instruction, the school delivers a diversified and professional arts program to every student.
Jayhawk Athletics at Head-Royce School are a source of pride with over 26 interscholastic teams, with teams that have won more than 60 league championships over the last two decades. The objective of the Athletics Department is to enrich the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of all student-athletes by providing equal opportunities for competition in which the lifelong values of sportsmanship, individual effort, teamwork, integrity, commitment, and self-discipline are emphasized.
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE), which emerged from the last strategic planning process, serves as Head-Royce’s cross-divisional, K–12 organizational hub for all civic and community engagement initiatives. The CCE works with each division at the school to instill self-awareness, compassion for others, a commitment to equity and sustainability, and purpose-driven action.
The Heads Up program, launched in 1987, is a manifestation of Head-Royce School’s core tenets of Scholarship, Diversity, and Citizenship. The mission of Heads Up is to provide first-generation college-bound students of color from Oakland public schools with challenging and enriching programming to cultivate socially responsible leaders. The program has three primary, tuition-free program components: the Summer Program, Saturday Leadership Academy (SLA), and the Workforce Development Program.
STUDENT LIFE
Within and beyond the classroom, students at Head-Royce are engaging, motivated, and dynamic young people who are having a positive impact in Oakland and the greater Bay Area. Middle and upper school students participate in student government and various clubs and activities such as community service, debate, student and community affinity groups, diversity council, green team, computer science club, robotics, and outdoor adventures. The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) provides a myriad of service opportunities for students to explore.
The climate at the school is one of collaboration, support, and genuine warmth in relationships between and among students and the faculty. There is a familial feel to the school with a legacy of families attending and staying connected to the school and with a long-tenured faculty. Students, the professional community, parents, past parents, and alumni feel a strong sense of stewardship for the school.
Head-Royce School has a long-established diversity, equity, and inclusion program, led by an Interim Director of Equity + Inclusion, a member of the senior administrative team, who works closely with the divisional Deans of Equity + Inclusion and the professional community. There is a search underway for the next Director of Equity + Inclusion
THE CAMPUS + LOCATION
The Head-Royce campus is located approximately 5 miles east of downtown Oakland in the Lincoln Highlands-Oakmore-Dimond neighborhoods and is situated on a 16-acre hillside with three distinct areas for each division. You can explore the campus with the interactive tour.
Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay, the busiest port on San Francisco Bay, and is known as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country. With its multicultural influences, Oakland boasts a strong arts, music, and sporting community, and enjoys a vibrant economy.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The Assistant Head of School for Planning & Strategic Initiatives will be an experienced independent school leader who can fluidly balance the role of researcher and practitioner in a vibrant K-12 school. The successful individual will be curious and inquisitive while also being collaborative and serviceoriented in working with the Head of School, the Administrative Council, the Board of Trustees, and professional community. As the head of institutional planning and strategy in collaboration with the Head of School, the Assistant Head of School will need to be well-informed of current trends, research, and best practices within education and have the skills needed to lead data-informed and human-centered change in a large, established institution.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
• Oversees the institutional research, planning, and assessment processes that advance the school’s mission; improve student learning, experience, and outcomes; and intentionally guide operational effectiveness.
• Drives a strategic planning process that defines and continues to refine the vision for the school’s future, working closely with the Head of School, trustees, and the extended Head-Royce community.
• Leads the tracking, evaluation, and calibration of strategic initiatives across the school, particularly around student-facing programs and experience. This includes creative use of current assessment tools and the development of novel indices and metrics.
• Coordinates topic-specific analysis of current and proposed school policies and practices by means of research, modeling, and framing community discussion of implications.
• Collaborates with division heads to pilot program innovations, ensuring efficacy through grounded research.
• Serves as a resource to offices and departments across the school to promote effective, ongoing evaluation and a coordinated planning processes.
• Cultivates a culture of collection, inquiry, and analysis of data to inform practices across the school; grows the data literacy of the professional community and develops internal capacity for data-driven work across the school.
• Ensures that high-quality enterprise data is readily available and meaningfully conveyed to appropriate stakeholders.
• Collaborates with IT professionals at the school to coordinate the housing and use of current data sources, develops and refines systems to link and visualize relevant information, and effectively communicates queries about and interpretations of both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Forges strong relationships with colleagues and students across the school to increase coordination and collaboration of initiatives.
• Proactively seeks emerging ideas and information on the challenges and opportunities facing independent schools and the education sector nationally and globally.
• Serves as an advisor to the Head of School and Board of Trustees as a member of the senior administrative team.
SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES
• Ability to source and interpret information and provide insight around current research and data through knowledge of K-12 education, higher education, work readiness, and thriving in an ever-changing environment.
• A disposition toward and a skillset in systems thinking.
• Experience leading strategic planning processes, including implementation and ongoing evaluation.
• Familiarity with and access to peer data via participation in data sharing consortia.
• Fluency with backend data sourcing from an SIS and a familiarity with and/or ability to learn data management and queries in Blackbaud.
• Strong background in statistics and quantitative analysis with fluency in concepts like sampling and survey design, hypothesis testing, linear and non-linear regression analysis, machine learning algorithms, and the difference between correlation and causation.
• Ability to use one or more data analysis platforms (Excel, Google Sheets, R, Qualtrics, SQL, SAS, STATA, Python, Google Data Studio, Tableau, etc).
• Proven ability to create dashboards and data visualizations and experience consolidating and presenting data in reports and other vehicles most useful to decision makers.
• Experience with both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, including both external benchmarks (standardized tests and surveys), internally generated data, and innovative ways to measure traditionally unquantified aspects of student and professional community experience.
• Humble and curious approach to data; inclined to consider multiple perspectives and seek additional evidence; understands that data are about people and proactively manages emotional impacts of research results for individuals and a community.
• Proven ability to intentionally and deliberately build trust and a shared sense of purpose across multiple constituents in a K-12 school; can foster the development of the learning organization characterized by a desire for unbiased assessment and constructive feedback, learning and experimentation, and reflection and adjustment.
• An understanding that a visible, engaged presence in community life is critical for effective institutional research, strategic planning, and implementation.
• Experience building partnerships with and collaborating meaningfully with other senior administrators; works to elevate the effectiveness of the team as a whole.
• Demonstrated commitment to the core values of Head-Royce in previous work, particularly in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Desire to commit deeply to a community-connected school with an identity anchored in Oakland, CA.
APPLICATION
Head-Royce School is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks qualified candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds and identities.
Compensation will be within the expected norms of comparable schools. Educational Directions is assisting with the search.
Please direct all inquiries, applications, and nominations in confidence to:
Jerry Larson at jerry.larson@edudx.com
Meera Shah at meera.shah@edudx.com
Electronic submission of credentials is required (see below).
Please use “Head-Royce Application” in the subject line.
Candidates are encouraged to begin the application process as soon as possible. Candidates should submit:
• a letter of interest explaining their experience and qualities related to the position, addressed to Ms. Rachel E. Skiffer, Head of School
• a current resume that highlights accomplishments, particularly in the areas of use of data and program improvement
• a personal statement
• a list of five to seven references, including reference name, email address, telephone number, and relationship to the candidate (Note: References will not be contacted without the prior agreement of the candidate.)
• a sample of work related to institutional research and data-driven decision making
Semifinalists will complete a recorded video interview as part of the search process. The deadline for final submission of applications is December 30, 2022.
Interested candidates should make their intentions known to the consultants before December 20th, before submitting their materials.