10000.1: Site-Based Planning and Shared Decision Making

Introduction

The Board of Education recognizes that strategic planning, site-based planning, and school improvement decision-making provide the opportunity for school personnel, parents, community members, and students to collaborate in the development of short and long-range planning. This involvement will promote increased school achievement and improve the educational process. 

I. Shared Decision-Making

The District uses a blend of centralized and decentralized decision making.  The following chart illustrates decisions that are made at the District and building levels and are provided as examples only.  All decisions must be consistent with District policies and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and state and federal mandates and laws.  

Educational Services

District

Building

  • Oversee compliance of NDE Rule 10
  • Provide comparable curriculum resources, instructional resources and assessment resources (6010)

  • Develop and maintain the written curriculum using Academic Skills & Applications and College & Career Readiness Skills (6110.1) & Performances (6110), through curriculum phases (6120, 6610)

  • Develop curriculum frameworks and course guides (6130)

  • Ensure principals monitor curriculum and evaluate staff (6201)

  • Identify appropriate field trips and approve those paid with District funds (6262)

  • Develop and support the instructional program (6220), the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), SPED Procedures (6635), EL, Summer School (6655), Night School, Homebound (6670), Programs of Choice (10,001), Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), Federal Programs, Early Childhood Programs, Alternative Education Programs, and High Ability Learner Programs

  • Establish accountabilities for guidance in relation to curriculum issues

  • Develop guidelines for controversial issues (6240)

  • Provide guidelines and professional learning on copyright procedures (6265)

  • Implement textbook loan program (6295)

  • Identify graduation requirements (6320)

  • Develop grading guidelines (6330) and District report cards

  • Identify, implement, and monitor professional learning related to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and special education (6400)

  • Identify and apply for appropriate grants to support District programs and initiatives

  • Encourage staff to participate in development of written curriculum and assessment

  • Monitor taught curriculum according to written curriculum (6201)

  • Monitor lesson plans (6203)

  • Administer instructional program and support programs (6220), including building schedules, grouping practices, and class size within District parameters (4005.1 & 6225), identify and recommend materials that supplement, not supplant, the District written curriculum

  • Develop and monitor homework and make up homework guidelines (6230 & 6235)

  • Implement and monitor guidelines for controversial issues (6240)

  • Approve curriculum-related field trips (6262)

  • Enforce and monitor copyright procedures (6265)

  • Monitor student production of services and materials (6270)

  • Develop and implement classroom assessments (6300)

  • Identify awards, recognition programs and graduation exercises (6320), credit for transfer students, and grade level placement

  • Implement grading procedures (6330), including communicating student progress to parents (6340)

  • Develop a culture of continuous learning related to curriculum, instruction, formative and summative assessment, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and special education

  • Oversee building student organizations

  • Develop and lead building level professional development

 

STUDENT SERVICES

District

Building

  • Establish centralized registration procedures to include resident status, program placement, transfer, and withdrawal (5100/5110/5120)

  • Establish policies for District safety and security (5900)

  • Establish policies for and supervise student record keeping (5720)

  • Establish policies for student attendance (5200)

  • Establish policies for student conduct (5300, 5400)

  • Develop procedures for school counseling and social work related response services (6628)

  • Establish policy for child abuse and neglect reporting (5620)

  • Establish student health service procedures (6615)

  • Finalize student enrollment, transfer, and withdrawal to include grade level placement and credit transfer

  • Maintain student records and accountability to include attendance, behavior, health, and social emotional issues

  • Implement safety procedures, drills, and building security procedures to include bullying awareness and prevention

  • Promote Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for positive student behavior and accountability

  • Enforce student code of conduct and maintain accurate student discipline records

  • Implement school counseling curriculum and response services

  • Facilitate student health care delivery in partnership with school health staff.

  • Facilitate student referrals to community agencies

 

HUMAN RESOURCES

District

Building

  • Direct staffing allocation procedures

  • Implement building assignments and transfers

  • Direct advertising/recruiting/selecting/hiring

  • Direct the development of job descriptions

  • Ensure the use of the performance appraisal process

  • Direct employee discipline practices

  • Monitor policies for safety and security

  • Direct employee services, including compensation, benefits, and paid leave

  • Direct administrative hiring procedures

  • Conduct collective bargaining with all employee unions/associations

  • Develop employee work calendars

  • Schedule and administer District-wide contracted transportation services

  • Direct intra-school staff assignments and transfers

  • Conduct interviews/make hiring recommendations

  • Conduct performance appraisal

  • Develop staffing recommendations to human resources staff

  • Communicate employee work calendars

  • Schedule and administer building transportation services

  • Address student behavior related to both building and District - wide transportation

 

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

District

Building

  • Research, write, administer, and conduct the financial accounting and reporting related to District-level (or multi-building level) grants

  • Conduct collective bargaining with all employee unions/associations

  • Provide custodial, maintenance, and grounds services to all facilities in the District

  • Conduct all construction and renovation projects in the District

  • Provide food service programs throughout the District

  • Provide intra-District mail delivery services

  • Provide District-wide large volume printing services

  • Provide all budgeting, accounting, and finance services (including payroll) related to all funds except the building activity fund



 
  • Research, write, administer, and conduct the financial accounting and reporting related to building-level grants (subject to District approval related to accounting and reporting)

  • Communicate needs and deficiencies for custodial, maintenance, and grounds to the appropriate supervisor

  • Recommend building renovation projects (subject to review, approval, and supervision by the District)

  • Schedule serving times for breakfast and lunch programs

  • Supervise the distribution of mail within the building

  • Provide any copiers desired by the buildings in excess of what is supplied by the District and provide all personnel for copying conducted in the buildings

  • Manage all aspects of the building’s activity fund (subject to the District’s procedures), manage the building’s general fund line items, and participate in the District’s budgeting process

 

 

GOVERNANCE

District

Building

  • Develop and implement the District strategic plan and support buildings with facilitation of site planning

  • Develop the academic calendar including school hours and parent/teacher conferences (6020, 6020.1)

  • Approve school and community use of school facilities and conduct the related accounting

  • Develop and implement policies, procedures and rules

  • Develop yearly and long-range budgets

  • Determine emergency closing procedures (6020.2)

  • Provide and direct system-wide planning for curriculum instruction, assessment, and professional learning (6005)

  • Identify, implement, and monitor District professional learning initiatives (4300.2)

  • Develop and implement new teacher induction plan (4105, 4105.1, 4105.2)

  • Direct certificated staff & administrator evaluation (4160)

  • Develop and revise Indicators of Effective Teaching in Millard Instructional Model (6200, 6200.1)

  • Direct new administrator and admin inter induction

  • Organize and implement District leadership programs

  • Direct state accreditation process

  • Plans and designs communication strategies to inform the public about district promotion, specific problems or situations

 

  • Develop and implement the school site plan and facilitate the School Improvement Team

  • Develop the school activities calendar including parent/teacher conference schedules

  • Schedule activity and community use of school facilities

  • Develop and implement school procedures and rules

  • Develop the school schedule

  • Allocate the building discretionary budget

  • Ensure staff engagement in District professional learning initiatives and facilitate building level professional development (4300.2)

  • Evaluate teachers according to the Indicators of Effective Teaching in Millard Instructional Model (6200, 6200.1)

  • Support new teacher induction (4105), identify and recommend mentors and induction coaches, match peer coaches, and communicate expectations

  • Conduct performance appraisal

  • Support new administrator and admin intern induction

  • Support District leadership programs

  • Implement state accreditation recommendations/requirements

  • Supports District communication and directs building communication strategies to inform the public about district and building promotion, specific problems or situations

 

TECHNOLOGY

District

Building

  • Provide network operations (7000)

  • Provide email (7000)

  • Establish hardware and software standards

  • Establish Technology inventory controls & Check-
    in/Check-out processes

  • Provide helpdesk & desktop support

  • Facilitate technology donations approval

  • Establish web page guidelines (7305)

  • Develop technology hardware standards

  • Provide content filtering (7310)

  • Implement Cyber Security Protection Measures
    (7310)

  • Evaluate curriculum software (7000)

  • Establish policies and rules for social media use by district staff (7305.1)

  • Support school libraries (6625)

 

  • Provide for integrating technology into instruction
  • Maintain building web pages
  • Supervise building social media accounts.
  • Budget for optional technology hardware purchases with approval 
  • Budget for optional curriculum software with approval
  • Supervise staff and student use of technology
  • Supervise building technology inventories using the District’s inventory control processes.
  • Supervise school libraries
  • Purchase library materials to maintain compliance
    with NDE Rule 10

 

DATA, ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

 DISTRICT  BUILDING
  •  Develop and implement a comprehensive District student assessment system (6300)
  • Oversee assessment of student achievement
  • Review and approves Research Requests from internal and external stakeholders (6900.1)
  • Develop District Assessment Procedures (6301)
  • Oversee District student information system
  • Develop and oversee District student information
    data reports in District systems.
  • Develop and implement a system for engagement
    surveys for staff, students and parents.
  •  Oversee assessment schedules, retakes, security and remediation
  • Implement the District assessment program (6301)
  • Maintain accurate student information in District
    student information system and monitor staff use
  • Utilize student information from reports to guide decision making and carry out tasks.
  • Disseminate and utilize the student, staff and parent feedback from the District engagement surveys.

 

II.     District Strategic Planning Team

The Superintendent or designee will appoint a team consisting of administrators, teachers, Board members, parents, students, and community members to serve as the District strategic planning team. Every 5 years the District strategic planning team will meet to rewrite the plan to address critical issues. The Superintendent is charged with determining the implementation schedule of the action plans for the 5 year Strategic Plan.

II.     Site-Based Planning Team

Each school in the District shall have a site-based planning team that meets to write or update the school site plan.   The team will be responsible for long-range site planning including the development of the school mission and strategies.  The team will also approve action plans and make a recommendation for implementation of action plans. Each principal’s supervisor will assist the principal and team in the development of the site plan, the implementation of strategies, the collection and analysis of data to evaluate action plans, the relationship of the site plan to the District’s plan, and compliance with District policies.  The team will also meet as needed to comply with the school accreditation process.  The team will follow the District guidelines and established process for site planning and include administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and/or community members.  High schools and middle schools may choose to involve students.  Staff members on the team are volunteers and will serve at will.  The site-based planning team will be approved by the Superintendent or designee.  

IV.     School Improvement Team (SIT)

Each school in the District shall have a School Improvement Team that meets a minimum of four times each school year.   The SIT will monitor progress on the school site plan and make recommendations on pertinent issues including, but not limited to, calendar, schedules, budget, programming changes, and some staffing decisions.  It may be necessary for ad hoc teams to form and meet to develop programs or further develop action plans for implementation. The ad hoc team will then report to the SIT for consideration.  The SIT will also meet as needed to review data analysis and comply with the school accreditation process.  The SIT will include administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and/or community members.  High schools and middle schools may choose to involve students.  Each SIT will develop a process to ensure genuine participation and develop the rules for determining who will serve on these teams including the term of service.  Meetings will be open to all.  Agendas, attendees and minutes of the meetings will be communicated and made available.  Staff members on the team are volunteers and will serve at will.   Copies of the SIT meeting minutes will be shared with supervisors.   

V.     Decision Making Process

Different styles of leadership and decision making will be employed when facilitating Strategic Planning Teams, Site-Based Planning Teams and School Improvement Teams.

During Strategic Planning and Site-Based Planning, teams will seek consensus in an affirming environment marked by mutual support and respect.  Consensus exists when participants whose support is needed to implement a decision, agree with the decision and express a commitment to support its implementation.  If consensus cannot be achieved on a specific issue the administrator may make the necessary interim decisions as they continue to work for consensus.  

During School Improvement Team meetings, the principal will seek input from the School Improvement Team by employing a variety of leadership styles including consultative and collaborative (consensus building).

VI.     Appeals

In the event the SIT is unable to function effectively the principal (or any three team members) shall report the situation to the building supervisor.  The building supervisor will attempt to resolve the situation.  In the event the situation is not resolved it shall be presented to the Superintendent or designee for a final decision.

Date of Adoption
December 7, 1992
Date of Revision
January 3, 1994
December 19, 1994
January 13, 1997
August 3, 1998
August 23, 1999
June 19, 2000
February 2006
March 6, 2006
July 9, 2007
June 2, 2008
August 17, 2009
August 2, 2010
August 15, 2011
August 19, 2013
July 6, 2015
May 15, 2017
May 20, 2019
June 7, 2021
April 17, 2023