Our Strategic Action Plan

Aligned and Integrated with our WASC Accreditation

Our 2024 Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) re-accreditation provided the opportunity to re-evaluate the Taipei American School Strategic Plan. Through a rigorous, two-year self-study and extensive community engagement, we identified the strategic priorities that will shape our next chapter. Today, our successful re-accreditation and Strategic Action Plan provide a clear roadmap for strengthening Taipei American School and advancing our mission into the future.

Refining Our Strategic Action Plan

Our Strategic Action Plan was developed through an extensive, evidence-based process informed by hundreds of data points and the voices of employees, students, parents and guardians, administrators, and trustees. Rooted in our mission, it provides the framework for our continued growth as a school while strengthening the educational experience and community that define Taipei American School.

Since its launch in 2024, the Strategic Action Plan has continued to evolve through ongoing reflection, assessment, and community feedback. This refinement has strengthened our priorities, sharpened our goals, and introduced a fifth strategic pillar, Operational Excellence and Institutional Sustainability, recognizing that outstanding learning is supported by strong systems, responsible stewardship, and a sustainable foundation for the future.

Together, these five strategic pillars guide our work, ensuring that every initiative is aligned with our mission, informed by evidence, and focused on creating lasting impact for our students and community.

Explore the five strategic pillars below and discover the goals that are shaping the future of Taipei American School.

WASC Strategic Action Plan

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Strategic Area 1: A Strong Foundation

A Strong Foundation

Goal 1:

To strengthen foundational structures to ensure the delivery of an integrated educational experience that achieves the mission and schoolwide learning outcomes.

Aligned to: WASC Category A: Organization for Student Learning

Rationale:

To ensure a strong foundation that allows for the delivery of an integrated educational experience, TAS must implement and evaluate mission-aligned practices.

1.1 Ensure Strategic Direction and Collective Accountability:

1.2 Optimize Board Governance for Continuous School Improvement:

1.3 Implement Consistent Structures for Community Feedback:

1.4 Establish Systems to Enhance the Effectiveness of Professional Growth, Evaluation, and Development Processes for All Employees:
1.5 Attract, Recruit, and Train Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Who Are Able to Execute TAS’s Mission, Values, and Schoolwide Learning Outcomes:

1.4 Establish Systems to Enhance the Effectiveness of Professional Growth, Evaluation, and Development Processes for All Employees:

1.5 Attract, Recruit, and Train Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Who Are Able to Execute TAS’s Mission, Values, and Schoolwide Learning Outcomes:

SY24–25

Strategic Area 1: A Strong Foundation

Refined Strategic Plan & Benchmarks

Revised TAS Strategic Action Plan post-2024 WASC self-study to align with mission, values, and learning outcomes
Introduced SMART benchmarks and began building an integrated data dashboard for real-time goal monitoring, transparency, and accountability

Stakeholder Engagement

Held faculty and parent sessions to preview and refine key priorities (1.4, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1)
Leveraged community input to strengthen home-school partnerships

Experience Surveys & Focus Groups

Updated and administered 2024–25 TAS Experience Surveys per handbook guidelines
Conducted follow-up focus groups; re-established Faculty Advisory Council with clear structure and terms

Professional Growth & Evaluation

Launched Professional Pathways Model with Stronge & Associates for consistent evaluations of teachers, specialists, and administrators
Continued learning initiatives in Adaptive Schools, Cognitive Coaching, DEIB, and curriculum design

Recruitment & Onboarding

Implemented SkoolSpot platform to streamline hiring aligned with staffing goals
Published updated Recruitment & Hiring Handbook and enhanced new-staff onboarding

Campus Master Planning

Partnered with Rosan Bosch Studios on “Transforming Spaces” initiative
Engaged 200+ stakeholders in workshops to envision mission-centered, future-ready learning environments

SY25-26

Strategic Area 1: A Strong Foundation

Strategic Planning & Alignment

Revised the 2025–2028 Strategic Action Plan in collaboration with the Office of Learning, directly aligning divisional goals and integrating SMART benchmarks.
Prioritized the development of a robust, in-house system to monitor and evaluate strategic progress.
Change Management Integration
Developed a new change management guide, successfully piloting the protocols within the Latin program sunsetting and Upper School task forces.

Community Feedback & Data Collection

Revised and translated annual community surveys to ensure consistency across stakeholders, utilizing the data to track strategic objectives and refine Middle and Upper School initiatives.
Piloted a new ongoing feedback tool within Communications and established new Staff and Faculty Counsels to actively gather operational input.
Increased leadership communication cadence through regular PTA meetings and weekly divisional Parent Post submissions.

Professional Growth & Evaluation

Developed targeted professional standards tailored for both student-facing and non-student-facing staff.
Trained evaluators on completing summative faculty evaluations and aligned professional learning documentation with the new Professional Standards.
Coordinated cycles of feedback within academic leadership groups to strategically plan professional learning in response to community input.

Strategic Area 2: An Enduring Commitment to Learning

An Enduring Commitment to Learning

Goal 2:

To cultivate an enduring commitment to learning across the TAS community through the implementation of current research-based best practices.

Aligned to: WASC Category B: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

Rationale:

To reinforce an enduring commitment to learning, TAS must adopt a comprehensive approach encompassing the systematic development and documentation of curriculum, coupled with the strategic collection and analysis of student data to enhance teaching effectiveness and inform educational strategies. By investing in robust professional development opportunities aligned with evolving pedagogical landscapes and fostering methods for divisional and cross-divisional collaboration, the aim of Goal 2 is to ensure that all students experience a cohesive, research-driven educational journey supported by the implementation of a vertically and horizontally aligned curriculum and underpinned by data-driven decision-making.

2.1 Ensure the Mission and Schoolwide Learning Outcomes Serve as the Foundation of the Curricular Programs:

2.2 Provide Systematic and Well-Funded Professional Learning in Alignment with Schoolwide Initiatives and Professional Growth and Evaluation:

2.3 Actively Nurture a Consistent Culture of Collaboration:

2.4 Implement a Documented, Horizontally and Vertically Aligned Curriculum That Ensures the Achievement of the Mission and Schoolwide Learning Outcomes for all Students:

2.5 Promote Deep, Transfer, and Student-Centered Learning:

2.6 Incorporate Deeper Connections to Taiwan and Taiwanese Culture into Educational Programs:

Progress on Area 2

SY24–25
SY25-26

SY24–25

Strategic Area 2: An Enduring Commitment to Learning

Curriculum Alignment with SLOs

Embedded Schoolwide Learning Outcomes into ATLAS UbD unit planning templates for K–12 coherence

Professional Development Framework

Published KA–12 PD Handbook clarifying eligibility and processes
Hosted the EduLead Speaker Series featuring Denise Pope, Rosan Bosch, Homa Tavangar, and many others

Collaborative School Culture

Trained a third Adaptive Schools cohort; offered refreshers and standardized meeting norms
Formed cross-divisional Coaching Task Force to build a TAS Culture of Coaching

Curriculum Repository & Leadership

Relaunched ATLAS Rubicon as centralized curriculum hub with phased faculty training
Continued curriculum review cycle; recruiting Middle and Upper School Academic Deans for 2025–26

SY25-26

Strategic Area 2: An Enduring Commitment to Learning

Curriculum Review & Data Inquiry

Trained curriculum review participants in the data inquiry process to actively support the data collection phase.
Developed research questions and assessment tools to evaluate current practices, utilizing the analyzed data to set concrete goals for improving planning, instruction, and assessment.
Initiated a required reading of John Hattie's Visible Learning series for all curricular review teams.

Professional Learning & Innovation

Provided ongoing professional learning opportunities focused on utilizing artificial intelligence to deepen student learning.

Local Integration & Cultural Connections

Integrated stronger connections to Taiwan in the Middle School by partnering with more consultants and local experts than in previous years.
Hosted a full-day Taiwan Indigenous Day for Upper School students (supported by IB courses and electives), featuring workshops on history, culture, identity, activism, and national movements.
Expanded Upper School experiential learning through targeted field trips to the Human Rights Museum, National Palace Museum, Amah Museum, and a historical Japanese Police building.

Strategic Area 3: A Supportive, Personalized, and Empowering Student Journey

A Supportive, Personalized, and Empowering Student Journey

Goal 3:

To ensure every student’s academic and social-emotional needs are proactively identified and addressed.

Aligned to: WASC Category C: Support for Student Social-Emotional and Academic Growth

Rationale:

To ensure a systematic and schoolwide approach to identifying and supporting the academic and social-emotional needs of each student, TAS should implement the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Framework to establish a cohesive and integrated model that encompasses both academic interventions and social-emotional learning. This approach will be reinforced by targeted professional learning for faculty, as well as clearly defined roles and responsibilities of members within the Student Success Team, both of which will help ensure consistency, appropriate interventions. By doing so, TAS commits to fostering a nurturing environment where all students are empowered and supported to reach their fullest potential.

3.1 Develop and Execute a Process that Ensures the Systematic Implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) across PreK-Grade 12:

3.1 Develop and Execute a Process that Ensures the Systematic Implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) across PreK-Grade 12:

3.2 Embed Social-Emotional Learning into All Parts of the Curricular Program:

3.2 Embed Social-Emotional Learning into All Parts of the Curricular Program:

Progress on Area 3

SY24–25
SY25-26

SY24–25

Strategic Area 3: A Supportive, Personalized, and Empowering Student Journey

Inclusion & MTSS Roadmap

Conducted inclusion audit with Next Frontier Inclusion; created MTSS roadmap
Deployed August Schools data platform for proactive screening and progress monitoring
Integrated UDL and MTSS principles into PD offerings

Social-Emotional Learning & Student Success

Delivered SEL training on inclusive practices and relationship-building
Appointed first Director of Student Success and Well-being within MTSS framework

SY25-26

Strategic Area 3: A Supportive, Personalized, and Empowering Student Journey

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Framework

Formed a cross-divisional SEL committee—consisting of Lower, Middle, and Upper School members—to develop a comprehensive K-12 scope and sequence.
Selected PASS to serve as the official SEL screener.
Established an SEL scope and sequence in the Lower School.
Utilized Responsive Classroom and RULER to build a strong foundation for the Lower School "advisory" program in homerooms, with teachers beginning to embed SEL directly into academics.

Faculty Training & Program Expansion

Conducted Responsive Classroom training for all Middle School faculty for the current school year.
Expanded the Middle School homeroom program, supported by a dedicated task force that is actively developing content for weekly lessons.
Collected ongoing feedback from Middle School teachers and students regarding the homeroom program and SEL lessons to ensure program effectiveness and adaptability.

Assessment & Student Success Initiatives

Planned the pilot rollout for MAP testing.
Completed four Tier 1 trainings for various Upper School faculty members, facilitated by the Director of Student Success.

Strategic Area 4: Culture of Safety and Belonging

Culture of Safety and Belonging

Goal 4:

To nurture a secure, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.

Aligned to: WASC Category D: School Culture, Child Protection, and Parent / Community Involvement

Rationale:

To nurture a culture of safety and belonging, it is essential that TAS enhances policies and practices related to child protection, digital safety, DEIB, multilingualism, service learning, and parent engagement, as well as providing opportunities for students to develop stronger connections with Taiwan and Taiwanese culture. These measures, collectively, will help to create a secure, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every community member experiences a sense of belonging.

4.1 Improve Child Safeguarding Policy and Practice:

4.2 Implement a Comprehensive Digital Safety and Wellness Plan:

4.3 Advance a Culture of Belonging and Social Impact:

4.4 Strengthen PreK-12 Practices to Empower Multilingual Learners:
4.5 Increase opportunities to strengthen parent partnerships:

4.4 Strengthen PreK-12 Practices to Empower Multilingual Learners:

4.5 Increase opportunities to strengthen parent partnerships:

Progress on Area 4

SY24–25
SY25-26

SY24–25

Strategic Area 4: A Culture of Safety and Belonging

Child Safeguarding & Bullying Prevention

Established K–12 Child Safeguarding Coordinator role (starting July 2025)
Revised Student Bullying Policy; implemented scenario-based ICMEC-aligned training

Digital Safety & DEIB

Rolled out workshops on responsible online behavior led by Allison Ochs
Supported divisional DEIB Coordinators; adopted Learning for Justice standards
Hired Director of Belonging and Social Impact to integrate DEIB and service-learning

Language & Service-Learning

Restructured MLL program; appointed K–6 MLL Coordinator
Offered service-learning PD with Cathy Berger Kaye; hosted Upper School Service-Learning Day on Taiwanese heritage

Home-School Partnerships

Launched Parent & Guardian Partnership Task Force; drafted new engagement commitments and handbook language
Introduced Wordly AI translation to enhance communication equity

SY25-26

Strategic Area 4: Culture of Safety and Belonging

Child Safeguarding & Digital Safety

Adopted the CPOMS system.
Revised and enhanced the anti-bullying policy to ensure greater alignment with MOE requirements.
Advanced the digital literacy scope and sequence, defined components of a digital safety plan, and began an audit of current alignment in December 2025.
Formed employee, student, and parent focus groups to reflect on current and desired approaches to cell phone use in the Upper School.
Implemented Social Institute lessons in the Middle School.
Engaged Upper School students in advisory lessons on responsible cell phone use, followed by in-person group sessions with external consultant Allison Ochs.

Belonging, Well-being, & Social Impact

Refined the roles of Belonging and Social Impact Coordinators.
Facilitated "The Art of Community" book club for faculty and staff, and embedded an identity workshop into new faculty orientation.
Began incorporating Learning for Justice (LFJ) standards into the curriculum, with faculty selecting these standards in Atlas as part of SWLO transdisciplinary standards.
Completed the first community-wide belonging survey across students, faculty, and staff.
Formed Challenge Success task forces whose leaders attended the Stanford conference to determine spring pilots.
Unpacked survey data in cross-divisional task forces—including parents, students, and faculty—to plan specific pilots targeting student well-being, belonging, and engagement.

Multilingual Learner (MLL) Support & Curriculum

Revised admissions materials and communications to better serve multilingual families.
Ensured all K-8 multilingual learners have an English-language development score recorded in PowerSchool.
Deployed ML specialists to advocate for students at all SSTs and co-plan with Middle School core content teachers to integrate a language-additive curriculum.
Facilitated ML specialist collaboration in Lower School math and literacy meetings as well as UbD stage three planning.
Highlighted the importance of student oral engagement in Lower School faculty meetings and offered Middle School professional development on engagement strategies and visual charts, including Word Walls.
Modeled explicit language teaching in Lower School Morning Meetings and hosted faculty book clubs focused on Culturally Responsive Teaching and Small Group Reading for Multilingual Learners.

Community Engagement & Milestone Celebrations

Hosted Head of School parent gatherings focused on how the school's mission, SWLOs, and vision are experienced by children in the programs.
Convened a task force of community stakeholders to develop a K-12 plan for celebrating key moments in a student's journey, including graduation.

Strategic Area 5: Operational Excellence and Institutional Sustainability

Operational Excellence and Institutional Sustainability

Goal 5:

Operational Excellence and Institutional Sustainability

5.1 Schoolwide Operations:

5.2 Legal Operations:

5.3 Finance Operations:

5.4 IT Operations:

5.5 HR Operations:

To build a transparent, fair, and future-ready human resources function that supports staff satisfaction, retention, and operational excellence while addressing legacy inconsistencies and ensuring clear, equitable, and sustainable HR practices. This will enhance TAS's human resource capabilities, support institutional agility, and ensure that HR operations are aligned with best practices and regulatory standards, fostering a positive workplace culture and long-term organizational success.

5.6 Communications and Marketing:

5.7 Alumni Relations:

5.8 Community Relations:

5.9 Development:

5.10 Enrollment Management:

Click to View the PDF of the Strategic Action Plan

English Version

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If this sounds like the type of education you want for your child or the kind of learning community you wish to join, we invite you to explore the people, places, and programs that help us foster our definition of success for every student on our campus.