Strategic Plan Year One Progress
As the 2024-2025 school year concludes, Father Ryan High School is pleased to provide our community with an update on our Strategic Plan initiatives. In July 2024, we launched our five-year Strategic Plan, Foundation for the Future, and with intentional and measured progress, we have made great strides toward advancing our vision.
Throughout this Strategic Plan, Father Ryan's Mission Statement — to be an experience of the living Gospel while challenging students to reach their spiritual, academic, and personal potential — serves as our North Star.
Read below to learn more about our Strategic Plan year one progress.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1:
Create the Opportunity for Each Student to Achieve His or Her Fullest Potential.
Father Ryan will provide students with challenges and resources to help them pursue their individual paths to academic success, personal development, and spiritual formation.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Dual Enrollment Program Development: offered seven unique courses across the curriculum areas of World Language, Science, Math, and English during 2024-2025 school year for students to receive college credit through courses taught by Father Ryan faculty; 46 students enrolled in this program during its first year; two courses have been added, bringing our Dual Enrollment program to nine course offerings with 53 students enrolled in program for 2025-2026 school year
Academic Achievement Center Research: conducted a study with Father Ryan teachers to ascertain the need and value of an Academic Achievement Center and will create a committee to determine student needs, staffing, and responsibilities to prepare for implementation in Fall 2026
Hayes Scholars Program Evaluation and Promotion: surveyed current Hayes Scholar participants to identify opportunities for program development and growth; developed new Hayes Scholars marketing materials to increase awareness of the program in the community; planned Summer 2025 field trips to Emory University and Georgia Tech to support Hayes Scholars in college search process
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Sports Psychology Partnership: partnered with White House Sports Psychology to provide resources and support for student-athletes beginning in 2025-2026 school year; designated one staff member of Personal Counseling Department to work alongside White House Sports Psychology to further develop partnership
Student-Athlete Recruiting Platform Partnership: launched partnership with Big Board Sports, an online platform designed to support student-athletes in their college recruitment process
Nutrition Resource Development: collaborated with Dining Hall provider to equip families with nutrition information for all Dining Hall offerings; added "Fit Fuel" food program designed for student-athlete performance; developed partnership with Bryan Snyder "On Your Mark Nutrition" to provide ongoing expertise and resources for community
SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL
Campus Ministry Department Restructure: incorporated Theology Department faculty into Campus Ministry Department to align faith formation across curriculum and extracurricular opportunities; added Coordinator of Service position to enhance community service opportunities for students starting in 2025-2026 school year
Faith Retreat Development: reimagined class retreats to increase spiritual impact as students progress through high school; educated student body on SEARCH Retreat opportunities, resulting in 89 members of the Class of 2025 making SEARCH, a 56% increase compared to previous year
Intentional Faith and Service Student Experience Development: developed opportunities for students to travel to Peru (Summer 2024) and Italy (Spring 2025) for mission trips; initiated planning of 100 Years of Father Ryan Community Service Day (Spring 2026)
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2:
Emphasize Learning Beyond the Classroom.
Father Ryan will deepen and enrich the student learning experience by leveraging and expanding relationships in the Nashville community and beyond.
Alumni Speaker Series Evolution: adapted program to create more impactful experiences by inviting speakers to visit relevant classes after student body presentations to hold in-depth conversations about their industry for career exploration; held Pearl v. Father Ryan 60th Anniversary Symposium, providing students the opportunity to learn about Father Ryan's history of social justice initiatives
Catholic School Student Exchange Program Formation: partnered with Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, NY, to begin a student exchange program in 2025-2026 school year
Internship/Shadow Program Research: began outreach with engaged alumni to gauge interest and develop pilot program for students interested in career exploration launching in Summer 2025
House System National Recognition: committed to hosting House System Institute National Symposium in Summer 2025 following fifth year of Father Ryan's House System, welcoming over 100 attendees from schools across the country interested in learning more from Father Ryan on how to develop community among student body while supporting student leadership opportunities through structure of a House System
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3:
Grow and Develop Faculty and Staff Who Are Prepared to Support the Next Generation of Learners.
Father Ryan will attract and retain outstanding educators who are passionate about developing students academically, personally, and spiritually.
Faculty and Staff Strategic Plan Feedback Opportunity: held sessions for faculty and staff to provide feedback on Strategic Plan initiatives and develop feasible objectives
Dean of Faculty Position Creation: created Dean of Faculty position to start in 2025-2026 school year to focus on faculty formation and instructional supervision by collaborating directly with teachers to strengthen teaching practices, foster professional growth, and support curriculum development that fully aligns and supports the school's mission
Professional Learning Community Development: established Professional Learning Communities to provide the opportunity to align curriculum objectives and outcomes through collaboration
Faculty-Driven Course Proposal Opportunity: offered faculty the opportunity to submit proposals for new courses to further diversify Father Ryan's curriculum based on teacher interest and expertise leading to the introduction of the following courses in 2025-2026 school year: Greek Mythology & Etymology, Economic Principles, Film & Video Production, and Foundations of Strength & Conditioning
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4:
Ensure a Robust Pipeline of Prospective Students.
Father Ryan will be recognized by every Nashville family as a desirable independent school offering best-in-class academics and character formation in an outstanding Catholic educational environment.
Marketing Partnership: partnered with Kalix Marketing, a Baltimore-based firm specializing in the private education industry, to create a clear and cohesive marketing strategy to further Father Ryan's reach and brand awareness in the greater Nashville community, resulting in 232 prospective student leads from digital marketing campaign efforts, Father Ryan’s first-ever digital Viewbook, new thought-leader blog series, and more
Summer Camp Offering Expansion: surveyed summer camp attendees to determine potential programming opportunities; developed diverse academic, art, athletic, and specialty camp sessions; rebranded summer camps to Camp Ryan with new marketing materials to reach families outside of current Father Ryan community; increased camp registration by 14% compared to previous year with 840+ campers registered; introduced 12 new camps to bring total offerings to 35 camps, a 59% increase compared to 22 camps offered in 2024; examples of new camps include Theatre Exploration, Chess Camp, Video Game Design, Finance Club, and more
Bus Transportation Program Expansion: expanded bus transportation program by adding new bus route for Father Ryan families in the Murfreesboro/Smyrna area to make school commutes more accessible starting in 2025-2026 school year
Catholic Community Relationship Building: partnered with Our Lady of Guadalupe parish to celebrate a bilingual Mass to honor Hispanic Heritage Month and to provide opportunities for Father Ryan's Hispanic students to feel known and loved while celebrating their culture
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 5:
Enhance Financial Resources, Allowing Father Ryan to Improve Access to High-Quality Catholic Education.
Father Ryan will strengthen existing funding sources and cultivate new support avenues to enhance its financial viability and commitment to delivering a best-in-class Catholic education to all accepted students.
Tuition Strategy Implementation: introduced an approach to tuition 1) aligning tuition closer to the cost to educate, 2) moving to a single tuition rate, 3) increasing multi-student discount from 10% to 15%, and 4) increasing tuition assistance to meet a higher percentage of qualified financial need — this strategy provides the opportunity for Father Ryan to become more sustainable, viable, and accessible
Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program Participation: elected to participate in new scholarship program to provide families the opportunity to receive $7,295 per student from the State of Tennessee to use toward Father Ryan tuition; many families have been able to obtain these scholarships, thus providing another way to make Father Ryan education accessible to our community
Philanthropic Initiatives: advanced key philanthropic initiatives by expanding the Class Representative Program to strengthen the Annual Fund, conducted feasibility studies for a potential Capital Campaign, created 2023–2024 Impact Report to honor the school’s legacy of generosity, and secured transformative gifts, resulting in a record-breaking fundraising year with over $4.5 million raised to date—including five new endowed scholarships and a $1 million+ anonymous gift designated for campus security enhancements
Father Ryan's Role in Middle School Education: continued assessment of Father Ryan's role in middle school education through an ongoing market feasibility study to gauge community interest and financial support; committed to keeping community informed as outcomes are determined