School Improvement Program

Pol-6200

Page 1of 4

6-28-88

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

It is the intention of the Board of Trustees of the Pleasanton Unified School District to encourage and support local schools to participate in School Improvement Programs as outlined in the Education Code. Those schools, which are not categorically funded, shall be encouraged to establish School Site Councils of an advisory nature under Policy 1200. (Advisory councils report findings and/or recommendations to the Board of Trustees who possess the final authority for decision-making.)

The Board of Trustees affirm the legislative intent of the program and encourage and support efforts of each participating school to provide suitable educational programs to meet the educational, personal and career needs of the pupils of that school.

Discussion, advice and recommendation related to personnel matters are outside the scope and function of School Site Councils. Such items shall be reserved for the Board. Personnel matters include but are not necessarily limited to employment, evaluation and dismissal of personnel.

The District Superintendent, working through the Educational Services Division, shall be responsible for establishing administrative regulations to implement the policy. The Educational Services Division, working with school principals, shall be responsible for planning and organizing the District Master Plan for School Improvement. The principal, working with the professional staff of the school, shall be responsible for implementing and administering the School Improvement Program developed by the individual school and approved by the Board.

The Educational Services Division and principals shall be responsible for disseminating information that describes the intention, the specifics, and implication of the School Improvement Program.

The Educational Services Division shall establish on an annual basis a phase-in schedule for schools into the School Improvement Program. Such a plan shall insure that at least one-half of the elementary and one-half of the secondary schools that participate in the School Improvement Program shall be selected from schools that have the highest concentration of educationally disadvantaged pupils. (EC 52011)

The principal of each school shall be responsible for establishing a School Site Council. The council shall be composed of the principal and representatives of:

* teachers selected by teachers at the school;

* other school personnel selected by other school personnel at the school;

*parents of pupils attending the school selected by such parents;

* and in secondary schools, pupils selected by pupils attending the school. (EC 52012)

At the elementary level, the council shall be constituted to insure parity between (a) parents or other community members selected by parents. The same parity is required at the secondary level, but with the addition of pupils to subdivision (b). At both levels, classroom teachers shall comprise the majority of persons represented under subdivision (a) of this section. (EC 52012)

The principal shall be responsible to inform the Board of Trustees the date of the organizational meeting, the selection process used, and the names of the members and alternates of the School Site Council. The School Site Council shall adopt bylaws consistent with Board policy.

School Site Councils shall have the opportunity to meet with the Board of Trustees annually to communicate progress made by schools with the School Improvement Program.

Elementary only: Each School Site Council shall select a representative to a district council, which shall meet at least four times per year for the purpose of sharing progress, ideas, and issues of general concern. Minutes of these meetings shall be recorded and transmitted to the Board of Trustees.

The responsibility of the Board of Trustees and School Site Councils for categorically funded schools shall be those prescribed in the Education Code. Specific responsibilities of the Board of Trustees include:

A.Review and approve or disapprove school site planning applications and School Improvement Plans including budgets that were developed and approved by a School Site Council.

B.Develop, update annually, and submit to the state for approval a District Master Plan, keyed to the School Improvement objectives of the participating schools.

C.Develop a Master Plan which will include:

1. The District's strategies to assist schools to plan, implement and evaluate School Improvement Programs.

2. A scheduled phase-in of schools. (Each year at least one-half of the schools participating must be schools with the greatest number of educationally disadvantaged pupils.)

3.Copies of all approved School Improvement Programs.

4.A schedule of planning grants and implementation grants for participating schools.

D.Evaluate effectiveness of schools in meeting their School Improvement Program objectives.

E.Terminate implementation grants to schools which are unsuccessful over a four-year period in substantially meeting the objectives of their approved plans.

F.Provide for staff development activities jointly developed with teachers and other school personnel.

G.Insure that funding provided by the School Improvement Program is used to supplement, not supplant existing fiscal efforts and that schools which receive such allowances shall have base expenditures comparable to non-participating schools.

The Board of Trustees may allocate funding provided by the School Improvement Program for the purpose of program administration. (EC 52039) In addition, School Site Councils may allocate a portion of their budget to defray overhead expenses in their local program. Such expenses may include, but are not limited to, postage, office supplies, and workshop materials.

H.Receive, and grant or deny request from School Site Councils to discontinue their participation in the School Improvement Program. If granted, amend the phase-in schedule in the Master Plan.

School Site Council's responsibilities include the following:

A.Recommend to the Board of Trustees the participation of the school in a School Improvement Program. A council may request to be excluded from participating in the School Improvement Program, if a majority of the members representing the school employees and a majority of members who are not school employees approve. The principal of the school shall inform the Board of Trustees in writing of the Council's request and shall certify the vote taken by the Council. If the Board of Trustees accepts the request, the Council must reconsider the possibility of participating in the School Improvement Program no later than three years from the date of the decision not to participate. Final determination as to whether a local school will participate rests with the Board. (EC 52011)

B.The Council may apply to the Board of Trustees for a planning grant to develop a three-year School Improvement Plan.

C.The School Site Council shall develop and define the goals, outcomes and objectives for the School Improvement Program which will be transmitted to the school staff. The staff shall develop educational activities that are consistent with the guidelines and procedures established by the Council, prepare the written School Improvement Plan, and transmit the Plan to the School Site Council for study, review, discussion, revision and approval. The Council shall review the School Improvement Plan and recommend by at least seventy-five percent of the membership the final plan to be transmitted to the Board of Trustees.

D.The School Site Council, following approval of a School Improvement Plan by the Board of Trustees, shall have ongoing responsibility to review with the principal, teachers, other school personnel and pupils at the secondary level the implementation of the School Improvement Program and to assess periodically the effectiveness of such a program. The Council shall annually review the School Improvement Plan, establish a new School Improvement Budget consistent with law and, if necessary, make other modifications in the plan to reflect changing improvement needs and priorities.* If a Council chooses to use a needs assessment survey instrument, prior to its use the instrument shall be submitted for review by the Research Department to determine validity of items; clarity of questions; and possible conflict with policy limitations on scope of Council.

E.At any time during the planning or implementation cycle a School Site Council, upon a majority vote of the persons in the school employment component, and a majority vote of persons in the non-school employment component, may request from the Board of Trustees to be excluded from participating in the School Improvement Program. Such a request shall be transmitted to the Board of Trustees in writing by the principal, including the reasons for the request and a certification of the vote taken. If the Board accept the Council's request, the request shall become effective the subsequent school year. Final determination of whether a local school will participate in a School Improvement Program rests with the Board.

______

*Establish a new School Improvement Budget means the study, discussion, revision and approval of the School Improvement Budget.

Cross Reference: Policy 1200 - Community Groups

Legal Reference: Education Code Chapter 6, Sections 52000-52047

ADOPTED: 1978, 6-28-88

AMENDED: 6-24-80

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

PLEASANTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA