During Principia’s first decade, Mary Kimball Morgan wrote: “The problem of education is ever before our thought, demanding successful solution. It is a demand we shall continue to have with us as human thought and experience unfold. To be progressive, education must constantly adjust itself to meet these changing conditions.”

In 2010, “changing conditions” are continuing to demand successful solutions. Worldwide growth in the Christian Science movement, established and emerging technologies, an increased desire for Principia to meet the educational needs of an ever-more-diverse pool of potential students, and progressive ideas in education offer opportunities for Principia to grow. To address these opportunities, Principia has launched a 10-year strategic plan.

Every facet of this plan springs from and aligns with Principia’s mission. While, at the same time, the strategic plan pursues new channels and fresh ways to enhance learning, deepen understanding, and expand community by developing a global institution where education, connections, and inspiration are shared on-campus, online, and throughout the world.

Your participation—your prayer, your perspective, and your support—is essential to Principia’s progress in the plan’s three areas of focus: Academic Excellence, Spiritually Based Character Education, and Expansive Global Learning.

The Strategic Plan—Rising Higher, Reaching Further

Mission“The Principia shall seek to serve the Cause of Christian Science through appropriate channels open to it as an educational institution.” (Education at The Principia, Policy 1)

Vision for 2020In 2020, Principia is widely recognized for educational excellence, service to the Cause of Christian Science, and leadership in spiritually based character education. At our U.S.-based campuses, worldwide satellite locations, and online, we engage and educate 5,000 Christian Scientists each year in handwrought, experience-based programs that span from pre-kindergarten through bachelor’s, master’s, and lifelong learning programs. Principia is a nimble organization: technology-enhanced, sustainable, with an up-to-date global presence.

Academic Excellence

Principia’s strategic plan has consistent academic excellence as its first focus—but not because scholarly attainments are an end in themselves. Increased academic excellence at Principia is for the purpose of leading thought higher—leading ultimately to Principle. Academics enlightened in this way serve Principia’s purpose.

Handwrought educational experiences are, and will remain, a hallmark for Principia as we reach for higher academic achievement. The plan builds on this strength with measures such as differentiated instruction, experiential learning, and Understanding by Design (UbD); and the plan is based on the premise that a Principia education can challenge all students to reach their full potential, despite varying stages of academic readiness.

In order to advance consistent, enlightened academic excellence, Principia will focus on improving and expanding in the following areas:

• Curriculum• Recruiting, developing, and retaining outstanding educators• Supporting diverse learning needs• Technology integration• New and reconfigured learning spaces

Middle School building improvements under way

Teachers trained in differentiated instruction

2010–2011TIMELINE: School College

A sampling of notable milestones

Study of satellite locations and master’s degree offerings

Online course development under way—first course ready for students

Full-time director for Teaching Excellence Center

Implement educational trips for Middle School, Project Adventure in LS/MS

New Director of Teaching and Learning position filled

Freshman Year Experience (FYE) Program in the Upper School

Reading instructor added to Student Learning Center

Additional overnight educational field trips (experiential learning)

Additional abroad experiences (Brazil, Iceland, Guatemala, Vietnam)

History of Christian Science Movement course added

ALL-PRINCIPIA INCREASE IN PROSPECTIVE STUDENTSINCREASE IN PROSPECTIVE STUDENTSINCREASING ENGAGEMENT AND DONOR INCREASING ENGAGEMENT

Increase in prospective students, applicants, and enrollmentIncreasing engagement and donor support from the field

Academic Excellence—School Improvements Academic Excellence—College Improvements

1. Curriculum: Understanding by Design

Beginning with “big ideas” and “essential questions,” teachers will identify what students should understand, know, and be able to do as a result of their academic work. Working “backwards” from there, every element of the School’s curriculum is being examined and revised to ensure that it serves these learning goals as part of a connected sequence of interdisciplinary learning experiences.

2. Supporting diverse learning needs: Differentiated Instruction

Students start at different points and take different paths towards demonstrated understanding. Recognizing this, teachers must differentiate their instruction so that all students are engaged, challenged, and advancing efficiently towards mastery. Supporting ongoing training for teachers is a priority—this allows for strengthening, developing, and assessing our teachers’ abilities and skills in differentiated instruction.

3. New and reconfigured learning spaces: Revise the Middle School program and facility

The first phase of the Middle School renovation—to be completed in 2010—establishes new space for the Lower and Middle School library and lays the groundwork for improvements to support instructional, social, and administrative activities and establish a more cohesive, energizing identity for the Middle School.

4. Technology integration: Computers for all students, grades 1–12

Every Principia 6th–12th grade student has a tablet computer to use throughout the school year. Lower School students have computers in their classrooms—one for every two students. Training and support programs for teachers and students will help ensure that the computers are used to further our efforts to differentiate instruction, and for training in the wise use of technology.

5. Curriculum: Increase cross-curricular collaboration

In place of disconnected lessons on disparate subjects, our goal is to integrate instruction and the learning experience across academic disciplines—engaging subject matter from multiple perspectives and fostering a deeper, broader understanding. Initial examples include multi-discipline teaching teams in the Middle School and an Upper School Freshman Year Experience.

6. Curriculum: Hands-on experiences for all grades

Understanding increases as students learn experientially, as they make real-world observations and apply what they’re learning in hands-on exercises. Lesson plans will be reviewed and revised with the goal of going beyond the classroom walls in ways that engage students at the practical level and require their active participation in the learning process. Multiday educational trips planned for several grades and a high ropes course for P.E. are two initial examples.

1. Curriculum: New general education requirements, learning themes, and outcomes

Implementing improved general education requirements and the recently established learning themes is vital to ensuring that Principia graduates are equipped for effective service in today’s world. Moving to an outcome-focused curriculum and advancing our assessment practices will help ensure success in this effort.

2. Recruiting, developing, and retain-ing outstanding educators: Teaching Excellence Center

Expanding the recently established Teaching Excellence Center (TEC) means that all faculty will receive support in course design and training in instructional strategies. This will also support the growth of faculty learning communities—faculty groups learning collaboratively to advance their knowledge and teaching skills.

3. Supporting diverse learning needs: Student Learning Center

Evolving the College’s Writing Center into a Student Learning Center will support students as they develop their reading, math, public speaking, and research skills. This will help the College continue to meet the academic needs of a wide variety of incoming students while increasing overall scholarship and academic achievement.

4. Recruiting, developing, and retain-ing outstanding educators: Academic credentials and faculty scholarship

We expect that 75% of faculty will have their terminal degree by 2012. In addition, increased support for faculty attendance at conferences, presentations, scholarly research, and publishing will build faculty scholarship.

5. Curriculum: Increase experiential coursework

Strengthening the academic experience through hands-on, immersive experiences has proven successful with the woolly mammoth project, Sugarbush Management, Education Department blocks, and the solar car. The College will add programs such as in-country intensive language training and field research projects in the sciences.

6. New and reconfigured learning spaces: Master planning

The College is in the process of developing a master plan that will define the configuration of the campus and its buildings. Due to imminent maintenance needs, replacement or renovation of the library will likely be the first focus in the master plan, followed by updating or replacing the School of Nations and Government buildings. The long-term plan will identify a sequence for all buildings needing attention in the next ten years.

Academic Excellence—Expansions

SCHOOL

1. Curriculum: Director of Teaching and Learning

The Director of Teaching and Learning will support and mentor faculty members as they progress in curricular initiatives such as Understanding by Design and differentiated instruction.

2. Curriculum: Increased away-from-campus learning

Develop additional multiday educational trips for grades 5–12, including plans for a 5th-grade trip to Williamsburg and an Upper School trip to New England to visit Mrs. Eddy’s homes.

COLLEGE

1. Curriculum: Graduate programs

In order to offer master’s degrees, the College will explore partnerships with accredited institutions while taking the early steps in developing a Principia-based sustainability, education, or religion master’s program.

2. Technology Integration: Distance learning

As a starting point, the College will offer already-developed online courses taught by current or former Principia faculty. Later phases for online courses will support Principia students studying at satellite locations, and finally the College will evaluate the possibility of offering online degrees (these would include one or more segments of on-campus study).

3. Curriculum: Signature courses and programs

The College plan includes offering a History of the Christian Science Movement course, developing a Sustainability Center, establishing a Leadership Institute to offer students training and experience in leadership situations, and partnering with the Euphrates Institute—an opportunity for students to grow in their understanding of international politics, social entrepreneurship, and Mideast issues.

TIMELINE: School CollegeA sampling of notable milestones

Community service activities designed for each grade level

Expanded character education workshops

Moral courage seminar for community

2012–2013Hands-on learning experiences incorporated at all levels

Course designs integrate learning themes, revised assessment methods

Cohort master’s degree program under way

Additional online course(s) available

75% of professors have terminal degrees

Required character education orientation for students, teachers, parents

Training for all teachers in best practices for assessment

Character education camp for freshmen

2011–2012All teachers involved in interdisciplinary discussions, teamwork

Expanded Education at The Principia workshops

Qualified Upper School students enroll in Principia College courses (differentiation)

Training for all faculty in experiential pedagogy

ALL-PRINCIPIA INCREASE IN PROSPECTIVE STUDENTSINCREASE IN PROSPECTIVE STUDENTSINCREASING ENGAGEMENT AND DONOR INCREASING ENGAGEMENT

Increase in prospective students, applicants, enrollmentIncreasing engagement and donor support from the field

Full page photo of Spiritually-Based

Character Education

Spiritually Based Character EducationPrincipia will continue to approach character education—or, as Mrs. Morgan noted, “the spiritualization of thought”—as a process of unfoldment of the true, divine nature within. Building on Principia’s strengths, the strategic plan outlines that we’ll improve and expand our character education efforts through these means:

• Spiritual emphasis• Consistent expectations• Training• Character engagement• Sharing results

Spiritually Based Character Education —Expansion

Spiritually Based Character Education —Improvements

SCHOOL

1. Character Engagement: Community service projects

Community service projects will be designed and carried out for each grade level of the School.

2. Character Engagement: Programs for struggling students

The School will design and implement programs to provide specific training and support to students who are struggling to meet Principia’s community standards.

COLLEGE

1. Character Engagement: Character education camps

The College intends to design and offer a one-week character education camp intended to help incoming students understand Principia’s purpose and expectations, particularly those related to the unfoldment of character and Christian Science.

2. Consistent Expectations and Training: Online character educators

The College will establish expectations, methods, and training for Principia educators, enabling them to engage online students in the knowledge of character (moral reasoning, theory of leadership, historical/curricular ties to topics of character) and character expectations (demands placed on online students).

3. Character Engagement: Leadership Institute

The Leadership Institute will mentor and guide students as they develop their understanding of leadership and will offer opportunities for them to put that understanding into practice.

SCHOOL

1. Consistent Expectations: Character education framework

School faculty and community members (students, parents, staff) will establish a character education framework using the Understanding by Design model. Through this process, the School will develop progressive character expectations—what students should understand and standards for behavior—at each grade level. Training for community members and character education curricula will all be organized according to this framework.

2. Training: Orientation

The School will develop and require orientation and training for all community members—faculty, staff, students, and parents—to help them further develop their skills in fostering, from a spiritual standpoint, the unfoldment of character. Orientation for students will be expanded, and new orientation programs will be developed for parents so that all community members can work together more effectively.

COLLEGE

1. Training: Character education training for all faculty and staff

Structured workshops, seminars, informal talks, and individual training are all part of the College’s strategy to provide character education training for faculty and staff.

2. Spiritual Emphasis: Sharing Christian Science

The College will provide more structured and unstructured opportunities for students to share their experience with and application of Christian Science, including ways that their Christian Science practice has supported the unfoldment of character.

3. Character Engagement: Expanded moral reasoning, Education at The Principia, and policy workshops

The College’s Moral Reasoning program (presently for freshmen) will be expanded to a four-year program, and workshops on Principia’s 23 policies and Education at The Principia will be required for all students.

Middle School program revisions and building improvements complete

New report card structure reflects updated assessment approach

Learning Excellence Center supports writing, reading, math, speech, research

First satellite location operational

Marked increase in papers published and presented by faculty and students

2013–2014TIMELINE: School College

A sampling of notable milestones

Curriculum revised based on UbD/ interdisciplinary work

Improved support for students struggling to meet community standards

Comprehensive moral reasoning program for all students

Marked increase in experiential coursework

Marked increase in the number of international faculty on campus

2014–JUNE 2015

ALL-PRINCIPIA INCREASE IN PROSPECTIVE STUDENTSINCREASE IN PROSPECTIVE STUDENTSINCREASING ENGAGEMENT AND DONORINCREASING ENGAGEMENT

Elsah students register for courses taught remotely (int’l faculty)

Increase in prospective students, applicants, enrollmentIncreasing engagement and donor support from the field

Expansive Global Learning—ExpansionsExpansive Global Learning

Expansive Global Learning—IMPROVEMENTS

1. Connecting through Technology: International faculty

Some courses for on-campus students will be taught online by faculty who are unable to relocate to Elsah. This will not only add to the list of highly qualified scholars teaching at Principia, but also provide an additional avenue for students to hear world perspectives on a daily basis.

2. Connecting through Technology: Online courses

Principia will offer, initially, discrete for-credit courses to remote students who, although otherwise qualified, are not enrolled at Principia. This will later expand to online coursework that will comprise a part of a Principia degree and be offered to students who eventually spend some of their time on campus and to students at Principia satellite locations.

3. Satellite Locations: Africa, South America . . .

Principia will establish one or more satellite locations, based on student demand and overall feasibility. Each location will offer classes taught by a core of local, Principia-trained educators, as well as Principia’s online courses.

Principia’s strategic plan enlarges its boundaries and embraces a worldwide community. By expanding global learning through more diverse abroad programs and online education, Principia will serve a larger segment of the Christian Science community and enrich the educational experience of all students.

In order to serve a greater segment of the Christian Science movement, Principia will focus on improving and expanding the following areas:

• Embracing diversity• Expanded abroads• Connecting through technology• Satellite locations

1. Embracing Diversity: Support international students on campus

The School and College student bodies include many international students. On both campuses, international students contribute significantly to the learning experience of their fellow students—in structured and unstructured ways. Principia will build on these successes by increasing the number of opportunities offered for international students to share their perspectives and culture, and by more actively helping international students thrive at Principia.

2. Expanded Abroads: Increased offerings

The College’s very successful abroad program will continue, with the addition of in-country, immersive language experiences, field research internships in the sciences, and summer abroads.

How does the plan align with the mission of Principia?

Principia’s founder, Mary Kimball Morgan, wisely counseled in a 1910 edition of The Principia Alumnus, “It must be possible to establish some basis of operation that will offer an unchanging foundation upon which may be erected a perfect educational structure . . .” (Education at The Principia, p. 5). Mrs. Morgan and her colleagues established this unchanging foundation for Principia through the purpose and 23 policies, which undergird all of our strategic initiatives. We also have regularly referred to the “Intended Outcome of a Principia Education,” which was written to assist Principia’s strategic planning efforts in 2001. During the past year, these documents helped the School faculty and staff develop specific learning lrinciples and the College faculty and staff design learning themes and outcomes to help guide our curriculum development on each campus.

Is the strategic plan flexible?

The success of the strategic plan will be highly influenced by our ability to adjust and correct as needed. For this reason, each of the objectives detailed within the plan includes accompanying assessments. We will measure results at regular intervals and make adjustments as our progress unfolds. New and ongoing initiatives will be consistently evaluated in terms of their place in the evolving strategic plan.

Does the strategic plan include all of Principia?

As one institution, the strategic plan addresses the needs of all of Principia, including academics, athletics, character education, facilities, financial resources, marketing, advancement, technology, and organizational processes.

Development of the Plan

Principia’s Board of Trustees launched our strategic planning process in 2008 and commissioned a Strategic Planning Steering Committee to oversee it. The steering committee included members of the Board and executive team and was charged with the following responsibilities:

• Overseeing the creation of the strategic plan

• Ensuring that all constituencies were actively engaged in creating the plan

• Ensuring that the plan held true to Principia’s purpose and policies

The development of our strategic plan began with a focus on Principia’s mis-sion, values, and vision, along with an assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). With these in hand, work turned to the development of strategies, objectives, and assessments designed to advance Prin-cipia toward our vision while addressing critical weaknesses and threats. Faculty, students, staff, parents, alumni, friends, and community members have shaped and reshaped each segment of the plan through open forums, presentations, surveys, and focus groups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your interest in and support of Principia’s strategic plan will help us move forward. Here are some of the ways you can demonstrate your support:

• Prayerfully supporting Principia’s planning efforts

• Understanding and helping others understand our plan

• Helping ensure that our plan stays true to the Principia idea

• Donate and continue to support Principia financially

• Sharing your thoughts and ideas to help revise and refine the plan as it evolves in the coming years: strategicplan@principia.edu

Summer/Fall 2010 Updates

College

• The Teaching Excellence Center assisted 80% of faculty in 2009–10, a full-time TEC Director has been hired.

• The Student Learning Center expands this fall with the addition of a reading instructor.• Ten faculty members are completing their terminal degrees; 75% of faculty will have

their terminal degree by 2012.• Discussions with potential master’s degree partners are under way.• A faculty member has been hired to teach the History of the Christian Science

Movement this fall.• Workshops for exploring character education, Principia’s policies, and Mrs. Morgan’s

writings have been added.• An interim director of online education has been hired.• The Leadership Institute was launched in the spring of 2010 and will offer students

opportunities to develop their leadership skills.• On-site interviews and discussions with potential educational partners took place as part

of this spring’s investigation into the establishment of a satellite campus in Africa.• Experiences in Brazil, Iceland, Guatemala, and Vietnam have been added to our

already-strong array of abroad programs.• This spring, a partnership with the Euphrates Institute was established for students

wishing to expand their perspective on international issues.

School

• Revisions to the academic and character education curricula are under way.• The Director of Teaching and Learning position has been filled (beginning in January).• The Middle School building revision project is under way.• An interdisciplinary Freshman Year Experience program will be in place this fall.• Incorporating the “Project Adventure” program into the School’s PE classes is under

way, including a new ropes course under construction now.• Several new long-distance educational trips have been planned for 2010–11, including

a trip to Mrs. Eddy’s homes in New England for Upper School juniors.• The first phase of redesigning the character education curriculum was completed

this past year.• Improved support for students struggling to meet Principia’s community standards

was implemented during the 2009–10 school year.