1. School Community Council Overview & Orientation Hawaii State Department of Education Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support
This powerpoint presentation can be used for orientation for new Council members or an overview for the SCC

2. Objectives:
Provide an overview of the purpose of School Community Councils
Provide a road map to organizing your Council
Engage Council members in becoming partners in your school community

3. What is a School Community Council?
Forums for open discussion and problem solving related to student achievement and school improvement
School-Based Council composed of principal, teachers, non-certificated staff, students, parents and community members
SCC Handbook II, Section 2: Organizing Your Council
Act 51-Is required to be established at each school pursuant to Hawaii State Laws, Session (Reinventing Education Act)
Stakeholders are more supportive when they have the opportunity to serve or be represented on a council that has a role in shaping the policies and programs of the school.

4. Why were SCCs established?
Required by
Act 51: Part V- Community Involvement
Establishing School Community Councils at each school to provide a mechanism whereby key stakeholders can have a substantially increased voice in the affairs of their local schools
It’s the Law.
Is required to be established at each school as pursuant, Session (Act 51/as amended by Act 221)

5. SCC is composed of… The Principal Teachers elected by teachers
At least one member of the following groups:
Teachers elected by teachers
Non-certificated support staff elected by non-certificated support staff
Student Representatives selected by the student council
Parent Representatives elected by parents
Community Representatives elected by parents
SCC Handbook II, Section 2: Organizing Your Council
NOTE: If the school does not have a student council, the principal is responsible for developing a selection process for the student member(s)

6. Balanced Representation
50% of the members are from the school staff including the principal, teachers and non-certificated support staff
50% of the members are parents, students and community members
= 6 members
If you add a member to one side, then you need to add a member to the other side in order to keep a 50% balance
SCC Handbook Section 2

7. Membership
School personnel cannot be parent or community representatives
Legislators, Board of Education members cannot be SCC representatives
Parents can be community representatives as long as they are not an employee of the school
Legislatures and BOE members cannot be SCC representatives due to a potential conflict of interest because the legislature approves funds for the SCCs and the BOE approves waivers to Board policy.
School staff can be parent and community members for schools other than the one they work at.
VP’s may be facilitators or organizers of the SCC meetings.

8. Elections: Nominations/Voting
The Principal is responsible for ensuring that elections are conducted fairly for each role group
Nominations should be conducted with evidence of a wide solicitation for nominees
Voting should follow the democratic election process
The SCC Bylaws should include the guidelines for the election process

9. SCC Bylaws
The Bylaws provide the framework from which the Council will operate.
The Bylaws cannot contradict the requirements in Act 51/Act 221 legislation
The Bylaws should be reviewed annually and amended as necessary

10. SCC Roles and Responsibilities
The SCC is the “trustee” of the school’s vision and mission.
SCC Responsibilities include:
Review the Academic Financial Plan (AFP) and provide recommendations
Review evidence of school progress on the implementation of the AFP on a quarterly basis
Participate in the principal selection and evaluation process (SCC Survey of the Principal)
Submit requests for waivers to policies, rules, procedures and exceptions to collective bargaining agreements
Provide recommendations for revising or creating new school level policies and procedures
Provide opportunities for community input
Review principal’s determination of school’s repair and maintenance needs
A member of the SCC is asked to sit on the selection committee for the Principal
The SCC Survey of Principal is completed collaboratively by all SCC members and submitted to the CAS

11. Waivers and Exceptions
Waivers are to BOE policies, DOE procedures, rules or regulations, and to other state agency policies.
Exceptions are to Collective Bargaining Agreements

12. Waivers and Exceptions
Refer to the annual SCC memo to find out when SCC Waivers/Exceptions need to be submitted
Waiver/Exception is submitted for review by CAS and then sent to OCISS, School Community Council Section
Waiver/Exception request should be aligned to the school’s AFP.
All Waiver/Exception requests must include the completion of the HSTA Process Check Requirement. (see SCC Handbook II, Section 5, SCC Procedures and Forms)

13. SCC Meetings Effectiveness of meetings requires planning
Define the purpose of the meeting
Plan the agenda
Set the date and time limit
Establish and follow ground rules

14. Public Notice of Meetings
Notices and agendas of SCC meetings must be posted in the school’s administrative office or school website and on the School Documents Online (SDO) website not less than 6 calendar days prior to the meeting.
Minutes of SCC meetings must be posted in the school’s administrative office or website and on the SDO website on a timely basis.
School Documents On-line website:

15. Values of School-Based Shared Decision Making
Supports a common vision
Unites all members of the school community
Focus is on students and improved learning
Being informed and having a voice in shared decision-making

16. Group Activity
How can shared decision making support school improvement?
Discuss in groups of 2-3 (2 minutes)
Groups will share ideas
Using a Popcorn strategy, ask groups to share one idea from their small group disucssion.
Ideas for shared decision-making:
Contribute to an improved school culture
Encourage development of an involved school community
Support and improve student learning
Support instructional programs of the school
Helps increase shared ownership
Breaking Ranks II, Breaking Ranks in the Middle: Recommendation is to include site based councils in shared decision-making

17. Decision Making Decision Making Defined:
Voting: “majority rules,” a simple majority of those eligible to vote is needed for making decisions.
Compromise: a collection of viewpoints are put together where most preferences are included in the decision.
Consensus: “for the good of the whole” based on the school’s vision/mission. All view points are heard and the decision is supported by the group.
Fallback from Consensus: a “fallback” decision-making option can be prearranged if it is felt that the group may not be able to reach consensus. (for educational reform decisions, a vote of a large majority, e.g. 80% of participants, may be appropriate.) Once a decision is made, everyone commits to its implementation.
SCC bylaws should include a fallback decision making process to be used when consensus cannot be reached (i.e. majority voting 50% +1 or 51%,

18. Decision Making Guidelines
BOE SCC Policy 2411 requires the following:
Provide an outline of decision making processes that may be used by the SCC; provided that each SCC decision making process includes a fallback procedure whereby the final recommendations of the SCC are made by majority vote, by the principal, or by some other method that is agreed upon by the SCC.
Decision Making Guidelines should be defined in the SCC Bylaws.

19. Approval Process/Decision Making
The Principal may set aside any decision made by the SCC if determined to be in the best interest of the school with notification to the SCC
The SCC may appeal to the CAS for resolution and if necessary, to the Superintendent and finally to the BOE
The Superintendent may recommend to the BOE dissolution of a SCC or removal of any member if deemed necessary.
The approval process is conducted at all levels of decision making, by the SCC, Principal, CASs, Superintendent, and the BOE. Each level may approve or not approve an action item or issue but authority for the final approval is made by those held directly accountable.
The Appeal Process, timeline and forms may be found in the SCC Handbook, Section 2.

20. Decision Making Considerations
Focus decisions on what is best for all students
Seek involvement by the wider community
Support decisions with data and research
Become a learning community
Be aware of collective bargaining issues
Guard against “group think”: going along with a group decision because of the desire to please one another.
Network , learn from each other, seek information – What is most important is a climate where everyone is allowed to learn.
See Section 4 in Handbook.

21. Resources for SCCs http://hawaiipublicschools.org – search for scc
School Documents Online go to:
School Community Council (SCC) go to:
SCC Handbook II (revised)
-SCC Implementation Timeline Checklist
-SCC Self-Assessment
-ACT 51/221 Matrix of Requirements -

22. The Value of SCC Membership
Become an important partner in the educational system
Contribute to the shared goal of improving student achievement
Have a vehicle through which to express opinions and share ideas
Be able to keep informed about what is happening at the school
SCCs play a vital role in the education system in Hawaii.
Research findings indicate that when families participate in a variety of ways in their children’s education, including decision making, their children and the school are more successful.

23. In Summary… SCCs play a vital role in the education system in Hawaii.
Organize, plan and utilize the SCC Handbook II as a guide.
Focus all discussions and decisions on what’s in the best interest of the students.
Thank you!
Questions?