1. School Site Councils
Focus on School Improvement and Student Achievement
Provided by
California Teachers Association
Instruction and Professional Development Department

2. Random Acts of Improvement
7.0 Vision–Highest Achievement for Each Student
6.0 Results/Accountability
Processes
RAI
GOALS
Improvement Plan

3. Aligned Acts of Improvement
7.0 Vision–Highest Achievement for Each Student
6.0 Results/Accountability
Processes
Improvement Plan
GOALS
AAI

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Organizing the SSC: Selection
Determine process (By-laws/Board policy)
Election procedures
Terms
Officers
School principal
Committees
Operating rules
Records

10. 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

11. Roles and Responsibilities of SSC Members
Review district policies
Develop training program for SSC members
Review meeting and operating procedures
Develop annual meeting calendar

12. 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

13. Elementary Configuration
Principal (1)
Teachers (3)
Other (1)
Parents/
Community
(5)

14. Composition of the SSC Elementary
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

15. Secondary Configuration
Principal (1)
1/2 Parents/
Community
(3)
Teachers (3)
1/2 Students
(3)
Other (2)

16. Composition of the SSC Secondary
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

17. 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

18. Parent/Community Eligibility
SCHOOL SITE COUNCILS
Parent/Community Eligibility
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
Instruction and Professional Development Department California Teachers Association

19. Brown Act—SB 355 Requirements
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

20. 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)]

21. 4-7 Year Change—Including Annual Report
SCHOOL SITE COUNCILS
The School Site Plan
Planning Process
Where are we?
Needs Assessment
Where do we want to be?
Implementation
Focus
Planning
Evaluation
4-7 Year Change—Including Annual Report
Instruction and Professional Development Department California Teachers Association

22. Single School Site Plan
Developing the
Single School Site Plan
Obtain input
advisory 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

23. Single School Site Plan
Developing the
Single School Site Plan
Establish school goals
Strategic and Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-based
Time-bound

24. 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

25. Single School Site Plan
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

26. Conducting A Needs Assessment
Show Me the Data

27. WITHOUT DATA, YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER PERSON WITH AN OPINION
Sam Ewing

28. identifies the gap between
“The Needs Assessment
identifies the gap between
where the school is and where the Mission Statement says the school wants to be.”
L. Lezotte

29. Areas to Consider Student achievement Curriculum and instruction
Student demographics
Student achievement
Curriculum and instruction
Professional development
Professional demographics
School organization
Family and community involvement

30. 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

31. 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
Instruction and Professional Development Department California Teachers Association

32. 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

33. 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

34. The School Site Plan Key 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

35. 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?