School Site Councils

Focus on School Improvement and

Student Achievement

Provided byCalifornia Teachers Association

Instruction and Professional Development Department

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Processes

RAI

GOALS

Improvement Plan

Random Acts of Improvement

7.0 Vision–Highest Achievement for Each Student

6.0 Results/Accountability

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Processes

Aligned Acts of Improvement

7.0 Vision–Highest Achievement for Each Student

6.0 Results/Accountability

Improvement Plan

AAI

GOALS

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It All Starts With a Plan SSC is integral to developing and

evaluating the school’s plan for improvements in student learning.

Categorical budgets are part of the plan too.

The plan must be approved by SSC and the Board of Trustees

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School Governance 101

Legislative role—SSC writes plan/budget

Executive role—Principal/school staff implement school plan

Judicial role—Local governing board makes and interprets policy and approves plan

Advisory committees-advise the SSC

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Functions of a School Site Council (SSC)

The SSC is not to be viewed as an advisory body whose advice may be accepted or rejected.

Instead, the actions of the SSC constitute the first step in a formal process for developing improvement strategies and for allocating resources to support these efforts

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Functions of a School Site Council (SSC)

Develop a comprehensive school site plan

Ensure that the school is continually engaged in identifying and implementing curriculum and instructional practices

Develop a budget aligned to categorical program funds

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Functions of a School Site Council(SSC)

Recommend Single Plan for Student Achievement to local School Board

Recommend plan for targeting use of other categorical or supplemental funds to local School Board

Continuous planning, monitoring, and review of effectiveness

Annual review and revision of plan

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Organizing the SSC: Selection

Determine process (By-laws/Board policy)

Election procedures Terms Officers School principal Committees Operating rules Records

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Roles and Responsibilities of SSC Members

Regularly attend SSC meetings

Become knowledgeable of state and local educational issues related to assessment, curriculum and instruction

Communicate SSC business internally and externally

Review bylaws annually

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Roles and Responsibilities of SSC Members

Review district policies

Develop training program for SSC members

Review meeting and operating procedures

Develop annual meeting calendar

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Information Necessary for SSC Members

Access to state content/performance standards, state frameworks, CDE publications: It’s Elementary; Taking Center Stage; Aiming High

Student achievement data•Local assessments•State assessments•API results•Attendance •Grades

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Elementary ConfigurationPrincipal (1)

Teachers (3)

Other (1)

Parents/Community (5)

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Composition of the SSCElementary

Any school which has two or more grades in

the K-6 grade span:

10 member minimum, if all categories are to be represented

One half staff and one half parents/community members

Staff includes: principal, majority of classroom teachers, other staff

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Secondary Configuration

Principal (1)

Teachers (3)

Other (2)

1/2 Parents/Community(3)

1/2 Students

(3)

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Composition of the SSCSecondary

Any school which has two or more grades in the 7-12 grade span:

12 member minimum, if all categories are to be represented

One half staff and one half parents/community and students elected by their peers

Staff includes: principal, majority of classroom teachers, other staff

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Other Category

Includes all other staff

Itinerant teachers—resource, speech therapist, music specialist, ESL, librarian, etc.

Classified personnel—instructional assistants, secretaries, custodians, etc.

Administration—vice principal, student services coordinators

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Parent is defined as the parent or guardian of a student at a school, unless that parent is a paid

employee of the school district at that site

Community is defined as any person having an interest in the local

school process and is elected by parents to take one of their slots

Parent/Community Eligibility

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Brown Act—SB 355Requirements

Be open to the public Allow the public to address the council on

any matter within the jurisdiction of the council

Post a meeting notice 72 hours in advance specifying date, time and location, and agenda describing each item of business

Make any meeting materials available to the public upon request

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Roles and Responsibilities A staff development program for

teachers, other school personnel, paraprofessionals, and volunteers, including those participating in special programs

Ongoing evaluation of the educational program

Other activities and objectives as established by the council

[E.C. §52853 (a)]

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Evaluation

Where are we?

Needs Assessment

Where do we want to be?

Focus

Planning Implementation

4-7 Year Change—Including Annual Report

The School Site Plan

Planning Process

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Developing the Single School Site Plan

Obtain inputadvisory committees, parent, staff,

student Review School Characteristics

school vision, school profile, SARC Analyze Current Educational Practice

curriculum, standards, CCR, WASC Analyze performance data

API, STAR, SARC, CAHSEE, student grades

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Developing the Single School Site Plan

Establish school goals

Strategic and Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Results-based

Time-bound

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Developing the Single School Site Plan

Review available resources

Select specific improvements--each goal has a specific activity

Consider technical assistance from district

Recommend plan to School Board

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Developing the Single School Site Plan

Monitor progress Evaluate effectiveness of plan

1. Are school goals based on tested student performance and a

factual assessment of current educational practice?

2. Is the plan an educationally sound means of reaching school

goals?3. Was the plan implemented in a

timely manner?

Modify the plan

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Conducting A Needs Assessment

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WITHOUT DATA,

YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER

PERSON

WITH AN OPINION

Sam Ewing

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“The Needs Assessmentidentifies the gap betweenwhere the school is and where the Mission Statement says the school wants to be.”

L. Lezotte

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Areas to Consider Student demographics

Student achievement

Curriculum and instruction

Professional development

Professional demographics

School organization

Family and community involvement

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The Needs Assessment

Develop a management plan for conducting a comprehensive needs assessment Specify tasks, responsibilities and

timelines

Develop the scope of the needs assessment Scope determines the who, what, when

and why of the information to be analyzed

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Areas Outside the Scope of School Site Councils A school management

committee

A policy-making body

A political organization

A personnel committee

A grievance committee

A fund-raising organization

An extension of the PTSA

A social group

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School Site Council: Quotes

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. Is it enough? author unknown

There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals. author unknown

It’s better to know some of the questions than all the answers. James Thurber

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The School Site Plan

The School Site Council shall develop a school

plan which shall include all of the following: Curricula, instructional strategies and

materials responsive to the individual needs/learning styles of each pupil

Instructional and auxiliary services to meet the special needs of English Language Learners, educationally disadvantaged pupils, gifted and talented pupils; and pupils with exceptional needs

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The School Site PlanKey Considerations Aligns with the Requirements of the PSAA Reinforces the importance of data driven

decisions to determine: what students currently know and are able to

do in relationship to content and performance standards

determine where the gaps are develop a plan to close those gaps

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The School Site Plan How are all students achieving relative to

state academic content standards? Based on this analysis, what needs to be

done to support, improve and increase student achievement?

Are our students mastering the content standards covered on the HSEE?

Are instructional practices, student assessments and curriculum aligned to State content standards?