School Community Councils: Roles and Responsibilities of Local School Boards

Leading School Community Councils: Responsibilities of Local School Boards USBA REGIONAL TRAINING SPRING 2015

Board Presidents Role Utah State Code: 53A-16-101.5 (9) The president or chair of a local school board or charter school governing board shall ensure that the members of the local school board or charter school governing board are provided with annual training on the requirements of this section. Training must occur before school plans can be approved and the date of training must be provided annually to the USOE

Five Key Local Board Responsibilities Train members of all School Community Councils (SCC) 2. Read and approve each School Community Council plan or return to SCC for amendment and resubmission 3. Encourage dialog/sharing among all members of SCC s and the local board of education 4. Disperse funds for approved uses 5. Monitor and celebrate school successes 1.

Training SCC Members Ensure all principals, chairs and co-chairs fully understand SCC requirements of election, voting, participation, leadership, plan production, data mining, and expenditures. Establish a training program whereby all members of each SCC are fully informed of all applicable laws and State Board rules and methods by which to develop an effective plan. Encourage and model collaboration toward academic achievement planning and resource allocation

Key Components of SCC Plans School improvement plan Reading achievement plan (for elementary schools) Professional development plan Class size reduction needs Access routing plan Ensuring responsible filtering systems and internet use by providing training to parents and students, in partnership with school administration

Helping Schools to Develop Effective Plans Note strengths and weaknesses in the school Issue a parent/community member survey regarding achievement in the school Review data about student achievement, teacher quality, assessment practices, curricular patterns, etc., disaggregated for subgroup information Note trends of success and failure; face the concerns Read studies and/or visit other schools/districts where similar concerns have been improved

What Constitutes Plan Approval? Did the plan address all areas required in statute? Were expenditures academic under law and State Board rule? Were expenditures consistent with those outlined in the plan? Does the plan have specific and measurable goals and projected outcomes? If a plan is not approved, the local board shall give specific, written feedback for resubmitting an approvable plan.

Ensure Plans Are Riveted Around Goals Is each plan focused on improving academic achievement? Are funds strategically targeted around the goals in the plan? Are data being used by each SCC to understand trends, successes and challenges? Are the resources of time, money, schedule, people all focused around the goals? Are only evidence-based practices included in the plan? (programs that have a positive track record of improving teaching and learning)

Examples of Approved Expenditures Instructional software and hardware Study skills classes and after school tutoring Classroom equipment and materials such as flashcards, math manipulatives, calculators, microscopes, maps, or books Professional development directly tied to school academic goals Nominal student incentives that are academic in nature or of marginal total cost

Examples of Non-Approved Expenditures AV systems in non-classroom locations Auditorium curtains Sports equipment Non-academic field trips Security Phone costs Food and drink for council meetings or parent nights Printing/mailing for notices to parents Staff bonuses

Disperse Funds for Approved Uses Ensure early access to funds to enable today s learner Require a final report from each SCC Make sure final report matches planned goals and expenditures Allow no more than 10% carry over funds unless the school submits in writing and the local board approves the savings for a larger, significant outlay of funds in the coming year

Monitor, Celebrate and Replicate Success Visit schools and talk with SCC members regularly. Take interest in school data and activities to help students succeed. Help schools set up student reinforcement programs that celebrate academic success of every type (grades, GPAs, attendance, improvement, rigorous course-taking, state/regional/national recognition, etc.) Invite SCCs into Board meetings to share updates and successes. Recognize excellent teachers and staff members who have contributed to the success of the SCC plans. Establish a district wide process of disseminating and replicating best practices and achievement methods.