1. Okaloosa County School District
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Okaloosa County School District
School Advisory Council:
The Nuts and Bolts
Welcome to the Okaloosa School District School Advisory Council Training.
As you prepare to participate in this activity, please make sure you have your training packet handy for easy reference.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 1

2. Your OCSD SAC Contacts:
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Your OCSD SAC Contacts:
District Point of Contact:
Denise McLaughlin
SAC Process Manager:
Linda Pinkert
Thank you for serving on your school’s advisory council.
The decisions you help make for your school will certainly benefit the students and positively affect their academic achievement.
Denise McLaughlin is the district-level School Advisory Council contact. As the year progresses, should you have any SAC questions or concerns you or the other members of your council can not answer, feel free to contact her at or via .
Again, welcome to the School Advisory Council team. Let’s get started.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 2

3. OCSD Vision and Mission
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
OCSD Vision and Mission
Vision Statement:
We inspire a lifelong passion for learning.
Mission:
We prepare all students to achieve excellence by providing the highest quality education while empowering each individual to positively impact their families, communities, and the world.
As a member of the School Advisory Council you should seek to embrace and support the vision and mission of the district
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

4. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
OCSD Core Values
Accountability: We, working in conjunction with students’ families, accept responsibility to ensure student learning, to pursue excellence, and to hold high standards for all.
Citizenship: We prepare all students to exercise the duties, rights, and privileges of being a citizen in a local community and global society.
Excellence: We pursue the highest academic, extracurricular, and personal/professional standards through continuous reflection and improvement.
Integrity: We embrace a culture in which individuals adhere to exemplary standards and act honorably.
Personal Growth: We promote the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and experience to develop individuals with the aspiration, perseverance, and resilience to be lifelong learners.
Respect: We show regard and consideration for all through a culture of dignity, diversity, and empathy.
Leadership: We provide guidance and direction to accomplish tasks while being a moral compass to others.
In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the district’s core values, promoting these values within yourselves and within the school community you support.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

5. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Today’s Objectives
Examine the statutory requirements of a school advisory council
Explore duties of the School Advisory Council
Examine how a council operates:
Membership selection/election
Bylaws, meeting requirements
Meeting documentation
Sunshine Laws and Robert’s Rules of Order
Explore resources to assist the work of the School Advisory Council
In today’s activity, we will cover the following content with the expectation of helping you learn what a School Advisory Council is, what its functions are, and who serves on the council.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 5

6. School Advisory Council (SAC)
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
School Advisory Council (SAC)
a diverse group of
stakeholders of a school,
with the goal of increasing
student achievement
in a safe learning
environment.
(established by Florida Statutes )
With membership including diverse stakeholders, a SAC attempts to mirror the ethnic/racial composition of the school community, and therefore, has the interest of ALL students at heart when making decisions that will improve student learning and learning environments.
School Board policy, 3-16: School Improvement and Accountability, prescribes the establishment of the SAC, its purpose, and membership composition.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 6

7. School Advisory Council Members
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
School Advisory Council Members
SAC is comprised of the principal, teachers, educational support personnel, students (MS and HS), parents (not required for vocational or technical schools), business and community members.
FL SS —section on membership…
“…shall be comprised of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students, parents and other business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school.”
“Technical center and high school advisory councils shall include students, and middle and junior high school advisory councils may include students.”
SAC must represent “the ethnic, racial and economic makeup of the community served by the school.” To achieve this, members may be appointed.
Majority of the school’s council members “must be persons NOT employed by the district.” IF SOMEONE RECEIVES AN OCSD PAYCHECK, HE/SHE IS EMPLOYED BY THE DISTRICT.
For the purposes of school advisory councils and district advisory councils, the term "teacher" shall include classroom teachers, certified student services personnel, and media specialists.”
“For purposes of this paragraph, "education support employee" means any person employed by a school who is not defined as instructional or administrative personnel pursuant to s and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each normal working week.”
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 7

8. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Actively participate in the development of educational priorities, assessment of the school’s needs, and the identification of resources for the school
Assist in the preparation and evaluation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) or School Performance Plan (SPP)
Be knowledgeable about the Florida Accountability System
Provide input into the school’s budget
Approve all expenditures from School Improvement Funds – if funded
Join with the school principal and staff in awarding the A+ recognition funds
Schools with dance and cheerleading teams: By School Board policy, establish and annually review procedures for eligibility and tryout procedures
Middle and High Schools—By School Board Policy, annual review of additional criteria for selection and continued participation of students in extra curricular activities.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

9. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Actively participate in the development of educational priorities, assessment of the school’s needs, and the identification of resources for the school
The council analyzes student assessment data to determine academic needs and establish ideas for improvement goals, prioritizes areas to address in the school’s budget based on student needs, and provides feedback to improve or revise the district’s strategic plan and vision, mission, and core values.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

10. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Assist in the preparation and evaluation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) or School Performance Plan (SPP)
The SPP is the guiding document for each school’s improvement initiatives, is created by a community of stakeholders, and is approved by SAC.
Roles of the School in the SPP process:
Development of goals and actionable steps to improve student achievement in ELA, math, SS, science, and writing
Allocation of school resources (money, staff, etc.) based on the action plans
Monitoring the effectiveness of the plan during the year to revise, if necessary, based on results
Roles of the District in the SPP process:
Provide team training on the SPP template
Provide research-based strategies for consideration of use in each content area
Support schools during creation of SPP through curriculum directors, district specialist, and instructional coaches
Meet with the school to review new plan and offer suggestions for revisions, if needed
Monitor school’s SPP throughout the year during district review meetings with school’s leadership team
Use the web link to preview your plan from last year to provide a brief overview of the contents.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

11. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Be knowledgeable about the Florida Accountability System
The council learns about the required assessments administered by the FDOE to determine student mastery of standards, as well as district assessments to determine pupil progression. School leaders provide frequent updates on student performance to the council to inform them of the progress made toward reaching SIP or SPP goals.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

12. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Provide input into the school’s budget
By reviewing student assessment data and receiving frequent progress monitoring updates, the council makes recommendations to the school on where funds should be targeted to increase student achievement.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

13. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Approve all expenditures from School Improvement Funds – if funded
According to state statute, SS (2), …”A portion of funds provided in the annual General Appropriations Act for use by school advisory councils must be used for implementing the school improvement plan.”
If funded, these funds must be expended on programs or projects selected by SAC and may not be used for capital improvements or projects over one year’s time; however, SAC may determine to approve for the subsequent year. (
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

14. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
Join with the school principal and staff in awarding the A+ recognition funds
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

15. School Recognition Funds
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
School Recognition Funds
State statutes specify that the monies may only be used for:
Nonrecurring faculty and staff bonuses;
Nonrecurring educational equipment and/or materials expenditures
Temporary personnel to assist in maintaining or improving student performance.
AND, a decision on how to use funds must be approved by vote by February 1 annually or the funds are dispersed as bonuses to classroom teachers employed in the current school year.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

16. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
School Board Policy, adopted 8/9/2004:
The council shall establish and annually review the procedures for eligibility and tryouts for cheerleading and dance teams.
This item should be reflected on an agenda and in approved meeting minutes.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

17. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Duties of the Council
School Board Policies, approved October 23, 2000 (MS), September 23, (HS)
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

18. Operational Procedures
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Operational Procedures
Annually, the council is responsible for doing the following:
Reviewing/revising its Bylaws*
Electing a Chairperson and Secretary
Documenting the meetings* (approved meeting minutes)
Holding a minimum of four (4) meetings each school year
Using flexibility in scheduling meetings
Additional information regarding each topic is located in the SAC Operations Manual.
By statute:
d) “Each school advisory council shall adopt bylaws establishing procedures for:
at least 3-days' advance notice in writing to all SAC members of any matter that is scheduled be voted on
requiring a quorum of at least 51% to be present before a vote may be taken by the school advisory council. Quorum must be present for each voting issue.
scheduling meetings when parents, students, teachers, business persons, and members of the community can attend
replacing any member who has two unexcused consecutive absences from a SAC meeting that is noticed as per bylaws
Recording minutes of meetings
Each SAC must have a set of bylaws in place that are reviewed annually, and revised if needed, prior to approval of the bylaws. According to Robert’s Rules of Order, changes to bylaws must be approved by 2/3 majority vote.
A copy of the approved bylaws, signed by the principal and Chairperson, are required to be submitted annually to the district Point of Contact by September 30.
Agenda and meeting minutes should reflect the review/revising, if necessary, and approval of the bylaws.
Meetings must adhere to Roberts Rules of Order and Sunshine Laws.
*Required to be submitted to district SAC Contact
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

19. Nomination and Election of Members
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Nomination and Election of Members
The School Advisory Council shall notify all stakeholders of the nomination and election process in a timely manner in order to ensure widespread participation.
Prospective members must be nominated and elected by their peer group, except for business/community members and the principal.
Seek candidates
Principal prepares ballots by peer group
Voting takes place so ALL can vote
Nomination and election of members shall use multi-media approach to seek new members, such as letters, newsletters, school web page, school social media pages, telephone, or other methods, including a designated nomination period prior to the election of new members prior to September 30 annually.
Interested members should complete a nomination form (see manual). Individuals may nominate themselves.
The principal will prepare ballots by peer group, and then, ballots will be accessible to be cast in the front office, sent home and returned by student, online to be printed and submitted to the principal, or may be cast during a public meeting.
The principal will count the votes and prepare a list of new members, retaining any other nominees as potential replacements should a member vacate their membership during the year.
The principal and SAC Chairperson shall seek candidates from the business/community sectors who wish to serve on SAC. Similar methods should be used to advertise this opportunity.
The principal shall prepare a list of individuals seeking membership to present before SAC for ratification.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

20. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Election of Officers
Upon completion of the membership process, each school’s council will elect officers by vote to include the following:
Chairperson
Vice-Chairperson*
Secretary
Treasurer*
*optional officers
Please see the SAC Handbook for roles of each officer and the principal, Pages 10-12
Public roster of membership should identify officers.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

21. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Sunshine Law and SAC
Advance advertisement of meetings
Public meeting place that is accessible to all
Minutes, bylaws and documents available to public
Minutes taken, attendance and votes recorded
Public may videotape or record meetings
Quorum required for each voting issue
SAC business must be “in the Sunshine,” including agenda preparations and member discussions
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 21

22. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Compliance Artifacts
Items to be housed on school campus in PUBLIC LOCATION:
Roster of membership with officers delineated
Meeting schedule
Copy of each meeting’s agenda (7 days in advance of meeting)
Approved minutes of previous meeting
Draft minutes of current meeting displayed until approved
Meeting cancellation notice (at least 3 days prior to meeting date)
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

23. Artifacts sent to District SAC Contact
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Artifacts sent to District SAC Contact
Items to be submitted to the district School Advisory Council Contact:
MIS 1411 form, prior to September 30 annually
Roster of membership with officers delineated
Meeting schedule
Meeting agendas
Approved minutes of meetings
Approved copy of bylaws
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

24. Resources for the Council
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Resources for the Council
State Laws
School Board Policy
SAC webpage on OCSD web site
School Performance Plan
Assessment Calendars, Information
Pupil Progression Plan
Curriculum and Instruction website
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

25. Council Resources: FL Laws
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: FL Laws
Section (1)(a), F.S.
District and School Advisory Councils
Section (18), F.S.
Implement School Improvement and Accountability
Section (5)(c), F.S.
School Improvement and Education Accountability – School Improvement Plan
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

26. Council Resources: School Board Policy
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: School Board Policy
School Board Policy governing School Advisory Councils
Chapter 3.16 (E)
School Improvement and Accountability
(E) The School Board shall establish a School Advisory Council for each school and develop procedures for election, appointment and operation of advisory council members. A majority of the members of each school advisory council must be persons not employed by the School Board.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

27. Council Resources: Web Resources
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: Web Resources
Florida School Advisory Councils website
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

28. Council Resources: School Performance Plan
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: School Performance Plan
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

29. Council Resources: Calendars—Assessment, Year
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: Calendars—Assessment, Year
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

30. Council Resources: Pupil Progression Plan
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: Pupil Progression Plan
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

31. Council Resources: Curriculum and Instruction website
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: Curriculum and Instruction website
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

32. Council Resources: AdvancED Accreditation
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Council Resources: AdvancED Accreditation
District accreditation occurs every five years with the latest being Okaloosa County Schools continues to meet all requirements to remain accredited through
AdvancED SACS-CASI.
OSCD Accreditation website:
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

33. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
Five Star School Award
Minimum of 8 meetings per year with average 80% attendance of members
Annual presentation of School Improvement Plan to school community after public notice to all stakeholders
Evidence of ongoing training and/or development of the SAC
School Improvement Plan reflects one new idea that involves the community in its implementation
School Advisory Council participated in the development and/or interpretation of the needs assessment data.
Training provided for staff and SAC members on collaborative partnering and shared decision-making.
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert, 33

34. School Advisory Council Training, 2018
SAC and the School
“One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up, add just a few more pieces to blast an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends; needless to say that individuality counts but teamwork dynamites.”
Jin Kwon
The members of a school advisory council are like the tools needed to start and maintain a fire: bricks to create a foundation, a safe place to put the fire (the Sunshine Laws, Rules of Order and statutes guide the work), sticks to create the fuel (purposes created under law), and the fire starting tools (the resources and materials to do your job).
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

35. What can I clarify for you?
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
What can I clarify for you?
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,

36. With further questions…
School Advisory Council Training, 2018
With further questions…
Please contact:
Denise McLaughlin, District SAC Point of Contact
Denise McLaughlin, ; Linda Pinkert,