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Indiahoma Public Schools Office of Accountability May 2011 Oklahoma School Performance Review Education Oversight Board / Office of Accountability Susan Field, Chairman • Robert Buswell, Executive Director 655 Research Parkway, Suite 301 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 (405) 225-9470 Fax (405) 225-9474 www.SchoolReportCard.org May 2011 Fellow Oklahomans: The Education Oversight Board and the Office of Accountability are pleased to present this school performance review for Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS). This review is intended to help IPS contain costs, improve management strategies and operations, and increase student performance. To conduct this review the office contracted with WCL ENTERPRISES. Indiahoma Public Schools has a number of commendable programs and enjoys support from district residents; however, it is faced with several challenges. The review contains recommendations to help IPS meet those challenges and improve the efficiency of their operations. The review also highlights a number of “Commendable Practices” in programs, operations, and services provided by the administration, teachers, and staff. We are grateful for the cooperation of IPS Board of Education, administration, staff, parents, and community members. They are to be commended for their dedication toward improving educational opportunities for their community. We are pleased to announce that this review is available in hardcopy through the Office of Accountability and on the office’s web site at www.SchoolReportCard.org. For the Education Oversight Board, For the Office of Accountability, Susan Field Robert Buswell Oklahoma School Performance Review Indiahoma Public Schools May 2011 Education Oversight Board Office of Accountability Susan Field, Chairman Robert Buswell, Executive Director Patrick Gilmore, Vice-Chair Jeff Wallace, Assistant Director Dr. Sherry Labyer Jerry (Yu-Chao) Hsieh, Database Design Analyst Ami Shaffer Dr. Lonnie Melvin, School Improvement Coordinator Edward A. Petersen Reed Downey Millard House II Senator John Ford Representative Ann Coody WCL ENTERPRISES Bill Lenhart, President and Project Director Debbie Smothermon, Assistant Project Manager Marvin Crawford – Chapter 1, Management & Communications Skip Baskerville – Chapter 1, Personnel Management Diana Leggett – Chapter 2, Instruct Programs/Services & Personnel Managemt Chuck Yaple – Chapter 3, Business Operations Ann Wade – Chapter 3, Business Operations Roy Sprague – Chapter 4, Facilities Assessment Archie Hayes – Chapter 4 Maintenance and Custodial Operations Mark Hopkins – Chapter 4, Safety & Security Beth Wallace – Chapter 5, Child Nutrition Skip Baskerville – Chapter 5, Technology Stephen Loveless – Chapter 5, Transportation This publication was prepared by the Office of Accountability as authorized by Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 3-118 and 1210.5331. It was printed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Central Services Department, as authorized by the Education Oversight Board. Fifty paper copies have been prepared at a cost of $1,675.00. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, May 2011. Indiahoma Public Schools Table of Contents i Page Executive Summary 1 Acknowledgements 1 Indiahoma Public Schools 1 Commendations 3 Recommendations and Projected Costs and Savings 4 Chapter 1: Management, Personnel, and Communications 1-1 A. Management and Planning 1-9 B. Personnel Management 1-14 C. Communications and Community Involvement 1-17 Chapter 2: Instructional Delivery 2-1 A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance 2-2 B. Professional Development 2-17 C. Gifted and Talented Education 2-19 D. Special Education 2-23 E. Career and Technology Education 2-28 F. Guidance and Counseling 2-31 G. Federal Programs 2-34 H. Textbooks 2-37 Chapter 3: Business Operations 3-1 A. Auditing and Internal Controls 3-10 B. Financial Processes 3-15 C. Asset and Risk Management 3-20 D. Activity Funds 3-25 Chapter 4: Facilities Use and Management 4-1 A. Facilities Planning and Construction 4-2 B. Maintenance and Custodial Operations 4-15 C. Energy Management 4-25 D. Community Use of School Facilities 4-37 E. Safety and Security 4-40 F. Crisis Management 4-51 Chapter 5: Support Services 5-1 A. Food Service 5-1 Table of Contents Indiahoma Public Schools ii B. Technology 5-12 C. Transportation 5-19 Appendices: A. Professional Staff Survey Results A-1 B. Teacher Survey Results B-1 C. Support Staff Survey Results C-1 D. Student Survey Results D-1 E. Parent Survey Results E-1 F. Enrollment Projections F-1 G. Facilities Walk-through: Maintenance, Safety, and Security Needs G-1 H. Thermal Images of Facilities H-1 WCL ENTERPRISES 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oklahoma School Performance Review (OSPR) Program was authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature during the 2001 session and amended during the 2005 session. The responsibility to conduct School Performance Reviews was assigned to the Office of Accountability, which is under the direction of the Oklahoma Education Oversight Board. The purpose of a School Performance Review is to develop findings, commendations, and recommendations regarding (1) containing costs; (2) improving management strategies; and (3) promoting better education for Oklahoma children. The Office of Accountability began the School Performance Review of Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) in September 2010. The Oklahoma Office of Accountability has contracted with WCL ENTERPRISES to assist with the School Performance Review. The WCL ENTERPRISES consulting team conducted either individual or small group interviews with district personnel and Board of Education members. The team also reviewed operations by touring facilities, observing cafeteria operations, and riding school bus routes. Parents, teachers, principals, support staff, and central office administrators also completed written surveys that were customized to the district. The completed surveys were tabulated and the results were used in the School Performance Review. Survey results are contained in Appendices A-E. Data were received and used from the Office of Accountability, State Department of Education, State Regents for Higher Education, and State Auditor and Inspector. OSPR selected peer districts for comparisons based on similarities in student enrollment and demographics. The districts selected for comparison to Indiahoma were Butner, Duke, Verden, Chattanooga, and Blair. During the review, WCL ENTERPRISES developed 64 recommendations designed to improve operations. In some cases, these recommendations should result in a net savings to the district, in some cases a net cost, and in some cases should have no fiscal impact but should improve district effectiveness. A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Office of Accountability and WCL ENTERPRISES wish to express their appreciation to the Board of Education of Indiahoma Public Schools, its superintendent Barbalee Blair, and the district employees, students, parents, and others who helped during the School Performance Review. INDIAHOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) is located in southwest Oklahoma just over 23 miles west of Lawton along US Highway 62, just south of the western end of Fort Sill Army Post in Comanche County. IPS includes grades EC-12 in one elementary school and one high school. The district Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 2 WCL ENTERPRISES covers 123 square miles with 2.5 students per square mile and serves Indiahoma and the surrounding rural area. Exhibit 1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS for both of its schools for 2008-09. Exhibit 1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2008-09 Campus Grade Span Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Eligible For Free or Reduced Price Meals Elementary School EC-8 111.6 59% 2% 0% 6% 33% 72% High School 9-12 201.0 70% 4% 1% 7% 19% 19% IPS Totals 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 38% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database IPS’s average property valuation per student of $14,924 is the lowest among all peer districts and less than the community group and state averages. IPS has the second highest percentage of Native American students among peers and is more than the state average. Exhibit 2 displays demographic information for IPS, the peer districts, community group, and the state for 2008-09. Exhibit 2 Demographics of IPS, Peer Districts, and State 2008-09 Ethnic Group Entity Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Average Assessed Property Valuation Per Student Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% $14,924 37.7% Blair 271.6 73% 3% 1% 17% 6% $22,350 55.0% Butner 224.1 60% 2% 0% 1% 36% $30,916 65.5% Chattanooga 277.0 86% 1% 2% 2% 9% $29,344 50.7% Duke 180.5 68% 1% 0% 27% 4% $55,193 59.2% Verden 287.9 71% 1% 2% 5% 21% $29,311 62.8% Community Group 339.6 75% 2% 1% 7% 16% $50,308 45.1% State Average 1,194.3 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% $38,875 56.3% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 3 IPS’s ADM increased by 34.22 percent during the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09. This increase was by far the highest among all peer districts, was far less than the community group, and higher than the state average for this same period (Exhibit 3). The higher student count for IPS was due to the inclusion of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program, which will affect IPS student counts through the 2009-10 year. Exhibit 3 IPS, Peer Districts, and State Student ADM Trends Average Daily Membership Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 232.9 230.8 208.5 199.4 312.6 34.2% Blair 303.2 307.1 282.3 266.6 271.6 (10.4%) Butner 268.6 286.2 287.7 250.7 224.1 (16.6%) Chattanooga 261.5 263.0 280.9 260.2 277.0 5.9% Duke 187.0 206.0 201.9 190.3 180.5 (3.5%) Verden 318.1 323.5 328.0 321.6 287.9 (9.5%) Community Group 151.3 148.7 146.3 348.0 339.6 124.5% State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database COMMENDATIONS The Oklahoma Office of Accountability identified “exemplary” or “best practices” in Indiahoma Public Schools that led to 40 commendations. This report highlights the model programs, services, and operations of the district. The Office of Accountability recommends that other school districts throughout Oklahoma examine these exemplary programs and services to see if they could be adapted to meet local needs of other communities. The commendations are listed below and in each chapter. Chapter 1: MANAGEMENT, PERSONNEL, AND COMMUNICATIONS By using independently created and maintained financial analyses, based upon information contained on Indiahoma Public Schools automated financial system, the superintendent has been able to effectively manage finances and share this information with the School Board, district staff, and the public when necessary. Chapter 2: INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY IPS uses grant funds to provide a comprehensive after school program for students in grades 7- 12 that compliment the academic program and support increased achievement. IPS partners with the Great Plains Technology Center to supplement district programs and extend opportunities for career preparation and academic support. IPS has a career exploration and job shadowing program that provides students with academic focus and direction for post-secondary planning. Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 4 WCL ENTERPRISES Chapter 4: FACILITIES USE AND MANAGEMENT By involving district staff, establishing a series of regular procedures, and enforcing district policies, IPS provides a safe and secure environment for students and staff. Chapter 5: SUPPORT SERVICES IPS utilizes spare parts to repair computers rather than purchase new or refurbished parts. Although the parts are harvested from broken computers, items such as a mouse, keyboards, speakers, or memory can be used in other systems. This saves the district time and money in repairing minor computer hardware problems. IPS uses their insurance company’s program on school bus safety to educate students PreK through grade 6 on proper school bus behavior and safety. This program is used at no cost to the district. ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATIONS WCL ENTERPRISES’ recommendations would result in some savings that could be redirected into the classroom. The savings opportunities identified in this report are conservative and should be considered minimums. Proposed investments of additional funds usually are related to increased efficiencies or savings, or improved productivity and effectiveness. All estimable savings and costs are listed in Exhibit 4. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROJECTED TOTAL SAVINGS A detailed list of recommendations with costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4 and in each chapter. Detailed implementation strategies and the estimates of fiscal impact follow each recommendation in this report. The implementation section associated with each recommendation highlights the actions necessary to achieve the proposed results. Many of the recommendations have no costs or savings attached, but are designed to formalize, improve, and streamline operations. It must be understood that not all of the recommendations can be started at one time. The consulting team did not want to place priorities by indicating which should be implemented immediately and which ones implemented later. It will be up to the district to decide which ones to implement and the timelines for beginning implementation. WCL ENTERPRISES recommends that the IPS Board of Education ask district administrators to review the recommendations, develop an implementation plan, and monitor its progress. OSPR staff is available to help implement proposals. Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 5 Exhibit 4 Summary of Costs and Savings by Recommendations Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings Chapter 1 Management, Personnel, and Communications 1 Indiahoma Public Schools should hold School Board workshops focusing on operations and educational achievement planning for students. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 Indiahoma Public School Board members should receive a packet with appropriate contents in advance of all regular and Special Board meetings. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 Subscribe to the OSSBA’s Maintenance Subscription Service and the Policy Review Service. ($1,500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($3,500) 4 To ensure confidentiality, IPS should secure personnel records in locked file cabinets in an area with limited accessibility. ($390) $0 $0 $0 $0 ($390) 5 Develop a systematic process for making staffing decisions that includes careful consideration of the impact to district programs and services. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6 Develop a coordinated volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement in the district’s schools. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal ($1,890) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($3,890) Chapter 2 Instructional Delivery 1 Develop scope and sequence documents in all content areas and grade levels to define PASS objectives and determine the instructional sequence of objectives. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 IPS should structure time to provide teachers opportunities to work together across grades to address curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure increased student performance. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 The superintendent should work with the principal and counselor to develop a plan for using the EPAS EXPLORE and PLAN data to support student career planning and to increase student achievement. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 Develop a plan for using professional development days to support curriculum $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 6 WCL ENTERPRISES Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings development, data analysis, and instructional delivery. 5 Develop a gifted program for elementary students that includes a defined curriculum and an established schedule of services to ensure that learning experiences align across grades to maximize student learning. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6 Review the needs of the IPS Special Education Program each year to ensure that decisions regarding funding, staffing, and supporting interventions specifically address the needs and learning goals of all students. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 7 Develop a Guidance and Counseling Plan that provides a comprehensive program for grades PreK-12th to address student needs across levels and provides guidance services for all students. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 Develop a coordinated Indian Education program to ensure that students receive the supplemental educational support allowed by the allocated resources. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Chapter 3 Business Operations 1 Expand the Treasurer function to include the performance of necessary controls over all financial matters on a monthly basis. ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($35,000) 2 Establish a budgetary process that is timely and easily understood, and involves all stakeholders. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 Expand the current monthly financial reports to include specific types of revenues and expenditures, a comparison with the previous year’s financial information, and a more detailed treasurer’s report. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 Itemize the total authorized appropriation (from the Estimate of Need) down to individual Project- Function-Object budgets as furnished to the Oklahoma State Department of Education for Federal Grant Summary Budgets. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 5 Develop fixed asset tracking polices and track fixed assets acquired with district funds. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 7 Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings 6 Establish selection criteria for the local banking services contract and solicit proposals. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 7 Make sure to compensate employees in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 Develop and implement a policy outlining the duties surrounding textbook issuance and maintenance. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 9 A system should be developed whereby the sponsors bring the deposits, with an attached deposit reconciliation form, to the activity fund custodian on a daily basis. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($35,000) Chapter 4 Facilities Use and Management 1 IPS Board of Education should organize a formal committee consisting of several School Board members, district patrons, business leaders, and district staff to help develop a long-range facilities master plan. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 IPS should develop a comprehensive facilities database to maintain accurate records on all of its facilities. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 IPS should evaluate and consider including the noted items from the site visits into the scope of work for future bond programs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 IPS should consult with other districts, as well as legal council, to obtain modified versions of the standard AIA design services and construction contract documents, and then change the standard general conditions and supplementary conditions to best meet district needs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 5 IPS should develop facility design and construction standards, along with educational specifications, so that equity between facilities can be obtained. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6 IPS should locate any facility related documents that may exist and create an environmentally conditioned and fire-rated space within an existing building to store all of its facility related documents for ready reference and to protect this critical information from $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 8 WCL ENTERPRISES Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings being damaged. 7 IPS should include the noted items as part of their long-range facilities master plan for consideration as part of future bond election. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 IPS should, at a minimum, develop a spreadsheet to track district maintenance work orders, equipment inventory, labor and material costs, purchase orders, and preventive maintenance requirements. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 9 The IPS Maintenance Department should develop a preventive maintenance program and long-range facilities maintenance plan. ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($12,500) 10 IPS should provide in-house training for its maintenance employee by bringing training materials and possibly trainers to the district or allowing him to team-up with neighboring districts to attend safety trainings. ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($2,500) 11 IPS should explore the possibility of hiring at least a part-time employee to share the custodial responsibilities of the facility. ($5,500) ($5,500) ($5,500) ($5,500) ($5,500) ($27,500) 12 IPS should provide training for their custodian in the use and storage of cleaning chemicals as well as basic cleaning practices. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 13 IPS should consider installation of a central air and heating system along with a comprehensive energy management control system. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 14 IPS should consider purchasing one of the available energy accounting software programs. ($672) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($5,360) 15 IPS should develop a comprehensive energy management program to be adopted by the Board of Education. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 16 IPS should consider either allocating funds within their current budget to replace the windows in the Jr/Sr High School Building or include this replacement cost in a future bond program. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 17 IPS should evaluate its actual cost to operate buildings and develop a rental rate schedule and policy for facility use by community and outside groups to $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 9 Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings ensure that IPS will be reimbursed for costs incurred in any facility rental. 18 IPS should develop a formal rental agreement with legal counsel to address the risks associated with the leasing of district facilities to outside groups and recommend revisions to board policy for approval and adoption by the Board of Education. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 19 The fall zones conditions around playground equipment should be brought into compliance with Oklahoma Department of Labor safety standards. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 20 Video surveillance warning signs should be installed around the perimeter of all district owned or operated facilities. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 21 Campus administrators should ensure that all hazardous material storage spaces are kept secure at all times. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 22 The superintendent and campus principal should develop strategies and implement procedures that will mitigate the long-term use of extension cords and power strips in IPS. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 23 An all-hazards emergency operations plan should be developed and implemented. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 24 All district personnel should receive emergency management training, and the emergency response plan should be routinely exercised beyond fire, tornado, and lockdown drills. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 25 The National Incident Management System should be adopted and used by Indiahoma Public Schools to manage all emergency incidents and events. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 26 Students with special needs or disabilities should be specifically assisted during emergencies and evacuations. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal ($9,172) ($9,672) ($9,672) ($9,672) ($9,672) ($47,860) Chapter 5 Support Services 1 Evaluate options for optimal organizational structure to ensure monitoring, compliance, and technical assistance in the kitchen operations. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 IPS should only code food service $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 10 WCL ENTERPRISES Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings financial transactions from special revenue fund code 22. 3 IPS food service program should comply with program regulations and implement the use of all required records and documents. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 IPS should pre-cost menus in advance to determine the amount the district should charge to cover the cost of the meal being served. $21,912 $21,912 $21,912 $21,912 $21,912 $109,560 5 The Food Service Department should follow the State Department of Education School Food Service Compliance Document recommendation for meals per labor hour. $10,640 $10,640 $10,640 $10,640 $10,640 $53,200 6 IPS food service program should follow procurement regulation for the purchase of their food and non-food supplies. $6,884 $6,884 $6,884 $6,884 $6,884 $34,420 7 IPS’ technology staff should revise and update its Internet filter content manager provided by Scholastic Communications to allow teachers access to appropriate sites in order to integrate technology into their lessons. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 IPS should develop and test a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that outlines the steps to take to insure timely recovery of district critical data. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 9 IPS should develop and implement a software and hardware purchase and implementation plan that includes all parties involved in the assessment, purchase, implementation and evaluation of any requested technology product. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 10 IPS should centralize its servers to one location to better manage server content, optimize performance, and provide an efficient method of accessing servers. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 11 IPS should develop a comprehensive professional development plan for technology that coordinates the training opportunities for all teachers to have the necessary skills for integrating technology into classroom instruction. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12 The principal should review the state requirements for pre-trip school bus inspections. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 13 The daily pre-trip inspection forms, $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 11 Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings when completed, should be given to the school principal each day after the driver completes his or her route. 14 A folder should be created for each school bus and district-owned vehicle. Whenever work is performed, a record should be kept of what repairs were made, the date of the repairs and the cost of the repairs. These records should be grouped by fiscal year to track annual repairs and related costs. Daily fuel records could also be included in tracking costs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 15 The school principal should review both routes. With each route bus starting from the school, describe the direction ventured, street name if available, and distance from one turn to the next and one stop to the next for the entire route. Also, identify each stop by address, name, and description. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $197,180 Total recurring savings $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $197,180 Total recurring costs ($18,062 ($17,172) ($17,172) ($17,172) ($17,172) ($86,750) Total net savings and costs $21,374 $22,264 $22,264 $22,264 $22,264 $110,430 Chapter 1: Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-1 Chapter 1 Management, Personnel, and Communications This chapter addresses the management, personnel, and communications of the Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) in the following sections: A. Management and Planning B. Personnel Management C. Communications and Community Involvement The organization and management of a school district involves cooperation between elected members of the Board of Education and staff of the district. The School Board’s role is to set goals and objectives for the district in both instructional and operational areas, determine the policies by which the district will be governed, approve the plans to implement those policies, provide the funding sources necessary to carry out the plans, and evaluate the results of the plans. Once the School Board adopts the goals and objectives of the district, it is the responsibility of the superintendent and staff to establish policies and procedures to achieve these end results. That achievement involves the hiring and retention of employees as well as ongoing communication with the community to ensure an understanding of those goals and the district’s efforts to accomplish them. Background Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) is located in southwest Oklahoma just over 23 miles west of Lawton along US Highway 62, just south of the western end of Fort Sill Army Post in Comanche County. IPS includes grades EC-12 in one elementary school and one high school. The district covers 123 square miles with 2.5 students per square mile and serves Indiahoma and the surrounding rural area. According to the IPS Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP) for 2007 through 2013, a committee of educators, and parents serving on the IPS CLEP Committee developed IPS’s mission statement, goals, and plans. The IPS CLEP included the following sections: • Mission Statement. • Demographics, district profile and overview – student achievement. • Extended learning opportunities. • Goals, objectives, strategies, and resources. • Action plan for parental involvement. • CLEP Timeline. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-2 WCL ENTERPRISES • Reading sufficiency. • Remediation plan. • Professional development plan and professional learning activities for the past two years. • Alternative education. • Deregulation. • Assurance statement. • Quality time analysis. • Title I site plans for all grades. The district’s mission statement is: The Indiahoma Board of Education, in partnership with our school and community, will provide a quality education for all children. This education will be provided in a safe, respectful environment and will maximize the potential of students to become effective, successful, productive citizens of tomorrow. The district’s philosophy is: To expect the very best academically and behaviorally of our students. It is our belief that these ideals are an integral part of our lives as citizens living under the U.S. Constitution that affords each student equal educational opportunities to achieve their highest goals. We encourage all students to abide by a code of behavior that promotes good citizenship and compliments the educational process. We believe that all students can learn and by uniting together in this great endeavor, the results will be educated and disciplined young people prepared to meet the challenges of our ever-changing society. We are here to meet the needs of our children and our community, to help our students reach their highest potential educationally, and to cultivate citizens and leaders who will rise above mediocrity. Demographics Exhibit 1-1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS for both of its schools for 2008-09. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-3 Exhibit 1-1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2008-09 Campus Grade Span Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Eligible For Free or Reduced Price Meals Elementary School EC-8 111.6 59% 2% 0% 6% 33% 72% High School 9-12 201.0 70% 4% 1% 7% 19% 19% IPS Totals 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 38% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Based on size, geography, and demographics, the Office of Accountability selected five Oklahoma school districts to serve as peer districts for comparative purposes: Butner, Duke, Verden, Chattanooga, and Blair. This report calls these five districts “peer districts” throughout this report. For further comparison, a community group average is also used throughout this chapter. IPS falls into Community Group G1 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, primarily due to the assignment of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program. Community Group G1 includes districts with average daily memberships (ADM) of between 250 and 499 students. The “1” indicates that the percentage of IPS students eligible for free and reduced price meals was below the state average. For years prior to 2008-09, IPS fell into Community Group H2, which includes districts with average daily memberships (ADM) of fewer than 250 students. The “2” indicates that the percentage of IPS students eligible for free and reduced price meals was above the state average. IPS’s average property valuation per student of $14,924 is the lowest among all peer districts and less than the community group and state averages. IPS has the second highest percentage of Native American students among peers and is more than the state average. Exhibit 1-2 displays demographic information for IPS, the peer districts, community group, and the state for 2008-09. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-4 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 1-2 Demographics of IPS, Peer Districts, and State 2008-09 Ethnic Group Entity Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Average Assessed Property Valuation Per Student Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% $14,924 37.7% Blair 271.6 73% 3% 1% 17% 6% $22,350 55.0% Butner 224.1 60% 2% 0% 1% 36% $30,916 65.5% Chattanooga 277.0 86% 1% 2% 2% 9% $29,344 50.7% Duke 180.5 68% 1% 0% 27% 4% $55,193 59.2% Verden 287.9 71% 1% 2% 5% 21% $29,311 62.8% Community Group 339.6 75% 2% 1% 7% 16% $50,308 45.1% State Average 1,194.3 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% $38,875 56.3% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database IPS’s ADM increased by 34.22 percent during the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09. This increase was by far the highest among all peer districts, was far less than the community group, and higher than the state average for this same period (Exhibit 1-3). The higher student count for IPS was due to the inclusion of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program, which will affect IPS student counts through the 2009-10 year. Exhibit 1-3 IPS, Peer Districts, and State Student ADM Trends Average Daily Membership Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 232.9 230.8 208.5 199.4 312.6 34.2% Blair 303.2 307.1 282.3 266.6 271.6 (10.4%) Butner 268.6 286.2 287.7 250.7 224.1 (16.6%) Chattanooga 261.5 263.0 280.9 260.2 277.0 5.9% Duke 187.0 206.0 201.9 190.3 180.5 (3.5%) Verden 318.1 323.5 328.0 321.6 287.9 (9.5%) Community Group 151.3 148.7 146.3 348.0 339.6 124.5% State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Among ethnic groups, IPS experienced the biggest change in the Caucasian category, increasing 12 percent for the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09 (Exhibit 1-4). During this same period, average assessed property valuation per student decreased by 13 percent and students eligible for free or reduced meals decreased by 19 percent. The higher student counts for IPS due to the inclusion of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program, which will affect IPS student counts through the 2009-10 year, is the primary reason for these changes. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-5 Exhibit 1-4 Change in Demographics of IPS Ethnic Group School Year Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Average Assessed Property Valuation Per Student Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals 2008-09 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% $14,924 37.7% 2007-08 199.4 57% 1% 2% 5% 34% $21,731 64.7% 2006-07 208.5 55% 1% 0% 5% 38% $19,807 63.8% 2005-06 230.8 56% 0% 0% 6% 38% $17,660 62.8% 2004-05 232.9 54% 0% 0% 6% 39% $17,096 57.1% Change 34% 12% 3% 1% 1% (15%) (13%) (19%) Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database School Board Governance Oklahoma state education laws, as codified in the Oklahoma School Law Book (OSLB) and district policies, establish the powers and responsibilities of the district board of education and the superintendent. The OSLB contains 12 chapters subdivided by applicable topic into articles that are further subdivided by sections (Exhibit 1-5). Each section provides legal guidance for school district governance and operations. Exhibit 1-5 Oklahoma School Law Book Chapters, Articles, and Sections Chapter No. - Title Articles Sections 1 - Oklahoma School Code I-XXIV 1-517 2 – Administration I-VII 518-521 3 – Bonds I-II 522-619 4 - Funds And Finance I-V 620-707 5 - Elections And Ethics I-II 708-727 6 – Personnel I-V 728-802 7 – Students I-III 803-841 8 – Instruction I-IX 842-919 9 - Facilities And Equipment I-VII 920-1005 10 - Career And Technology Education I 1006-1016 11 – Transportation I-III 1017-1027 12 - Safety And Security I-VII 1028-1062 Appendix A Appropriation Bills Relating to Education Appendix B Senate Bill No. 1114 Appendix C Amendments, Repeals, and New Sections Appendix D Table of Statutes Index Source: Oklahoma School Law Book, Oklahoma State Department of Education Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-6 WCL ENTERPRISES OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 54 states, “Every school district shall be a body corporate and shall possess the usual powers of a corporation…” OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 55 states, “The governing board of each school district in Oklahoma is hereby designated and shall hereafter be known as the Board of Education of such district.” Powers and duties of the Board of Education are contained in OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 68. These powers and duties cover all activities related to operating public school districts. Key powers and duties prescribed in OSLB include election of officers, establishing School Board policies, building and operating schools and related facilities, and contracting for an annual audit of all district funds and school activity funds. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 56 addresses the size and election of School Boards in Oklahoma, and Section 77 provides a description of the required officers for School Boards in Oklahoma. The IPS Board of Education consists of five members elected by the citizens of IPS, all serving five-year terms (Exhibit 1-6). Exhibit 1-6 IPS Board Members March 2011 Board Member Board Position Term Expires Occupation Ron Kenney President 2014 Goodyear (manufacturing) Skip Voegli Vice-President 2015 Retired veteran Chase Morgan Board Clerk 2016 Fireman Glenn Lonetree Member 2012 Goodyear (manufacturing) * 2013 Source: IPS Business manager, March 2011 *This position to be decided by runoff election on April 5, 2011. Elections are held each year in February on a date set by the state. At the first regular, special, or emergency meeting after the annual School Board election and certification of election of new members, the IPS School Board organizes itself by electing officers. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Sections 78, 79, and 80 list the duties of each officer of the Board of Education. The School Board must also select a secretary, who may or may not be a member of the School Board. At IPS the superintendent’s assistant also serves as secretary for the Board of Education. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. I, Sections 57 and 58 outline the training requirements for Oklahoma School Board members. New School Board members are required to complete 12 hours of instruction on education issues, including school finance; Oklahoma education laws and ethics; and duties and responsibilities of district Board of Education members within 15 months following election. Every member of a school district Board of Education elected to a full term of office of five years or more shall also be required to attend a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education. Authorized training may be taken in State Department of Education’s New School Board Member Workshops, State Board of Education approved workshops and seminars, or higher education institution workshops/seminars/classes. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-7 Board of Education Meetings The IPS Board of Education meets on the second Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the school library. The meeting place and time may be changed by agreement of the majority of the School Board. Special meetings are held as needed, and School Board members receive their agendas and any supporting information in advance of the meeting. The superintendent’s assistant handles Board of Education secretary duties and prepares the School Board minutes for final approval by the School Board. Oklahoma statutes and IPS School Board policy require all Board of Education meetings to be held in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act (OOMA). The OOMA is included in Title 25 of Oklahoma Statutes Sections 301 through 314 (Exhibit 1-7). According to section 302 of OOMA, it is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma to encourage and facilitate an informed citizenry’s understanding of governmental processes and problems. Exhibit 1-7 Oklahoma Open Meeting Act Sections Section Section Subject 301 Citation. 302 Public policy. 303 Times and places — Advance notice. 304 Definitions. 305 Recording of votes 306 Circumvention of act — Teleconferences accepted. 307 Executive sessions. 307.1 Teleconference Exceptions. 308 Meeting between Governor and majority of members of public body. 309 Legislature. 310 Legislative committee members attending executive sessions. 311 Public bodies — Notice. 312 Minutes of meetings — Recording of Proceedings. 313 Actions taken in willful violation of act. 314 Violations — Misdemeanor — Penalty. Source: Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, Forty-Ninth Oklahoma Legislature, First Regular Session, 2003 All Oklahoma public Boards of Education are required to adhere to the OOMA. Section 307 of OOMA provides for requirements regarding executive sessions of School Boards and violations of which could lead to members facing criminal prosecution. Accordingly, executive sessions of the IPS School Board are convened only for specific purposes (Exhibit 1-8). An executive session for the purpose of discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property is limited to IPS School Board members, the IPS attorney, and immediate IPS staff. No landowner, real estate sales person, broker, developer, or any other person who may profit directly or indirectly from a proposed transaction concerning real property under consideration may be present or participate in the executive session. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-8 WCL ENTERPRISES Executive sessions are noted on the IPS agenda, which contain sufficient information for the public to ascertain that an executive session will be held identifying the items of business and purposes of the executive session. All executive sessions are required to be authorized by a majority vote of a quorum of the members present and the vote is recorded. Except for matters considered in executive session, which are required by state or federal law to be confidential, any vote or action on any item of business considered in an executive session is taken in the public portion of the Board of Education meeting with the vote of each member publicly cast and recorded. Exhibit 1-8 Specific Purposes of School Board Executive Sessions In Accordance with Section 307 of The Oklahoma Open Meeting Act Item Description 1 Discussing the employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or resignation of any individual salaried public officer or employee; 2 Discussing negotiations concerning employees and representatives of employee groups; 3 Discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property; 4 Confidential communications between a public body and its attorney concerning a pending investigation, claim, or action if the public body, with the advice of its attorney, determines that disclosure will seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the claim or conduct a pending investigation, litigation, or proceeding in the public interest; 5 Permitting district Boards of Education to hear evidence and discuss the expulsion or suspension of a student when requested by the student involved or the student’s parent, attorney, or legal guardian; 6 Discussing matters involving a specific handicapped child; 7 Discussing any matter where disclosure of information would violate confidentiality requirements of state or federal law; 8 Engaging in deliberations or rendering a final or intermediate decision in an individual proceeding pursuant to Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act; or 9 Discussing the following: a. the investigation of a plan or scheme to commit an act of terrorism, b. assessments of the vulnerability of government facilities or public improvements to an act of terrorism, c. plans for deterrence or prevention of or protection from an act of terrorism, d. plans for response or remediation after an act of terrorism, e. information technology of the public body but only if the discussion specifically identifies: (1) design or functional schematics that demonstrate the relationship or connections between devices or systems, (2) system configuration information, (3) security monitoring and response equipment placement and configuration, (4) specific location or placement of systems, components, or devices, (5) system identification numbers, names, or connecting circuits, (6) business continuity and disaster planning, or response plans, or (7) investigation information directly related to security penetrations or denial of services f. the investigation of an act of terrorism that has already been committed. Source: Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, Forty-Ninth Oklahoma Legislature, First Regular Session, 2003 Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-9 A. MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING An effective central office organization structure is essential to the efficient and effective delivery of services throughout a school district. Efficient central office structures have the appropriate spans of control for district leadership with clearly defined lines of authority that are reflected in the district’s organization charts. Effective central office structures encourage communication at all levels. The superintendent of a school district serves as the chief executive officer and is the administrative leader responsible for policy implementation and the day-to-day operation of the school district. IPS hired the current superintendent, Barbalee Blair, under a two-year contract covering the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. The IPS superintendent position is currently being advertised as being open for the 2011-12 school year. Due to the district’s size with approximately 200 onsite students, the superintendent and high school principal constitute IPS’ district administration. The superintendent and high school principal direct the district’s 36 staff members, including 22 certified personnel and 14 support personnel, on a daily basis. In Oklahoma, school district planning requirements are included in OSLB. Ch. 1, Art. III, Section 31 requires that each school district board of education prepare and adopt a six-year Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP). At a minimum, the plan must contain: • A school improvement plan • An alternative education plan (submitted annually) • A reading sufficiency plan (submitted annually) • A quality time analysis (submitted annually) Instead of submitting the CLEP and any updates to the state, the state’s regional accreditation officers (RAO) check with districts during the annual accreditation process to ensure that the plans and updates are being done properly. FINDING 1-1 Despite the small size and staffing constraints IPS faces on an ongoing basis, including the limited availability of financial information from the current automated system, the IPS superintendent has taken steps to monitor the budget regularly by preparing independent financial analyses monthly for School Board review and for overseeing routine operations. The superintendent maintains automated spreadsheets for budget measurement with actual revenue and expenditure information for all local funds, child nutrition, federal title, and federal Special Education programs in a format consistent with Oklahoma Cost Accounting System (OCAS) information for submission to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE). The Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-10 WCL ENTERPRISES superintendent shares this information with the School Board at monthly meetings and with the high school principal and other key staff in managing the district’s finances. By doing this, IPS has a plan to deal with reduced state funding in the short-term, primarily due to current and projected state funding cuts and further cuts of up to $370,000 annually for the 2010-11, as well as future fiscal periods due to discontinued participation in the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program. COMMENDATION By using independently created and maintained financial analyses, based upon information contained on Indiahoma Public Schools automated financial system, the superintendent has been able to effectively manage finances and share this information with the School Board, district staff, and the public when necessary. FINDING 1-2 The School Board is divided in policy setting and future educational objectives for IPS. The IPS Board of Education does not serve as a team of six with the superintendent. As a result, key management and planning issues are not addressed in a systemic manner. The IPS administration does not maintain records for state required School Board training. Contributing to this lack of a coordinated approach are the following: • The School Board does not seem overly concerned with instructional matters. • The School Board has not participated in orientation as new members are elected. • The School Board listens to complaints of the teachers as its main information gathering tool. • The community is quite supportive of the school; however, change, even positive change, is discouraged by the teachers and the School Board. • The School Board participates only minimally in professional development. • School Board members sometimes fail to follow the chain of command protocol. • The district does not use retreats or workshops to address issues. • There is no evidence of organized goal setting activities. • Task forces and committees are not frequently used by the district. Expansion of new School Board members’ orientation process would assist the School Board in their effectiveness in the operational areas, especially student performance goals, while ongoing School Board member instruction will enhance board oversight related to the main purposes of the district: student educational achievement. The School Board would benefit from periodic Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-11 retreats or workshops to address goal setting for current and future educational and operational plans held in a local setting. Many school districts provide these opportunities to School Board members through in-depth workshops at least bi-annually through two to four hour workshops in a relaxed setting, either at the district’s offices on a non-workday, or even at an offsite location. This gives all School Board members, including newly elected ones, an opportunity to learn in-depth what the major programs of the district are designed to achieve. RECOMMENDATION Indiahoma Public Schools should hold School Board workshops focusing on operations and educational achievement planning for students. These workshops should be held at least every six months and be of two to four hours in duration. The superintendent should coordinate this activity with the School Board for timing and content. This opportunity should give new board members a chance to gain a basic understanding of the district’s operations and provide all School Board members an opportunity to be involved in planning educational objectives for the district’s students. As a part of this activity, IPS administrators should maintain a record of each School Board member’s hours fulfilled toward state training requirements. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 1-3 The superintendent routinely communicates with the School Board members by phone, with little written communication other than what is on the agenda for regular and special meetings. As a result, School Board members are not cognizant of how the IPS budget is being affected by state funding problems. Board members do not know about policies that the district may have adopted. Many districts prepare a packet for distribution to the School Board prior to all regular and special board meetings. Common contents of the board packets include: • Detailed information on each agenda item with supporting information for all action requests. • Current information on student achievement, including test scores and related data. • Complete financial information for the year and month to facilitate discussion of short and long-term outlooks. • Copies of all contracts and agreements that may be considered at the School Board meeting. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-12 WCL ENTERPRISES • Any other information that would be appropriate based upon the School Board meeting agenda items. RECOMMENDATION Indiahoma Public School Board members should receive a packet with appropriate contents in advance of all regular and Special School Board meetings. The superintendent should oversee the preparation of these packets. The School Board members should have these packets available to them in advance of all School Board meetings. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 1-4 Although, IPS has used the OSSBA policy service subscription in the past, IPS School Board policies have not been reviewed comprehensively since 2004. As a result, the board is not familiar with IPS board policies and the district is at risk of noncompliance with federal and state laws. A comprehensive update of School Board policies is part of the superintendent’s initial goals for IPS and the superintendent desires to make policies available online for transparency purposes. The 2004 review was done under the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) School Board policy review service. Through subscriptions to its Policy Service, OSSBA provides its members with up-to-date information regarding policies. Having policies up to date also allows them to be posted online on the school district website for easy access. The various levels of service the OSSBA provides are shown below. Costs range from $300 annually to $1,000 annually depending upon the services used. Information on these services may be found at the OSSBA web site at (http://www.ossba.org/policy-services). Policy Subscription Service - $300 per year: • New or newly revised mandated and SDE required policies - in generic format, hard copy only. • Twelve generic format policies at your request. Any policies requested over 12 will be available for $50/policy. • Monthly policy newsletter, which features at least three sample policies. • Annual policy revisions based on legislative action during subscription year (generic format in hard copy only as published in the monthly newsletter; neither CD nor e-mail will be available at this service level). Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-13 Maintenance Subscription Service - $500 per year: • Review School Board minutes monthly. • Revise or develop new customized policies based on information from the School Board minutes (within the subscription period), A district may receive 12 new or revised policies per year, or any requested, Any policies requested over 12 will be available for $50 per policy (also available on diskette). • Registration for any two School Board members or administrators at any one workshop, which addresses policy, issues (OSSBA/CCOSA Annual Conference and Preconference not included). • New or newly updated SDE required policies – customized. • Monthly policy newsletter, which features at least three sample policies. • Annual policy revisions based on legislative action during subscription year (customized; CD available at this service level). Policies customized during the subscription year are available on CD or by email. Policy Review Service $1,000 for 10-hour analysis of existing manual: • Suggested policies may be purchased at the current per policy fee of $50. • If a current policy services subscriber, suggested policies may be provided up to 12 policies with additional policies available at the current per policy fee of $50. Online Policy Service: Refer to the following website: (http://www.ossba.org/Websites/ossba/Images/Online%20Policy%20Service.pdf). The initial conversion fee (one time cost) to set up a district website that can be linked in from the regular district website is based on the number of pages included in the district’s policy: up to $1,900 plus an additional $100 per 30 pages over 700 pages. The annual hosting fee to maintain the website for online policy access is based on the number of pages included in the district’s policy: up to $1,300 plus an additional $200 per 100 pages over 700 pages. The Online Policy Service allows: • Access to the Online Policy Service from the OSSBA website. • A digital document platform to search for needed policy updates. • Full text searching in policies accessed. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-14 WCL ENTERPRISES • References the texts of Oklahoma law cited as the legal basis for policy. • High speed retrieval of information. • A guarantee of password security. • Content customization for specific districts. • Enhanced understanding of district policies and their legal requirements on a real time basis. RECOMMENDATION Subscribe to the OSSBA’s Maintenance Subscription Service and the Policy Review Service. Implementation of this recommendation will allow for inclusion of policies directly on the district’s website in electronic format. Although more costly, the superintendent should also contact OSSBA to find out more about the Online Policy Service for future consideration by the district. FISCAL IMPACT Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2015-16 2016-17 Subscribe to the OSSBA’s Maintenance Subscription Service and the Policy Review Service. ($1,500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) Exact costs may vary depending on the number of policies reviewed or needed. The superintendent should contact OSSBA to make sure that costs are known prior to having the service performed. B. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT The human resources function of a school district substantially impacts its educational services as payroll and benefits usually comprise the largest expenditure of a school district’s budget. The human resource functions include the recruitment and retention of quality staff, development of compensation and benefit plans, creation of job descriptions and job evaluations, and the compliance to personnel policies and procedures at the local, state, and federal level. In order to ensure the mission of a school district, it is important that the human resources function be efficient and effective. Like most employers, public school districts must comply with federal laws governing human resources management. These laws include the Fair Labor Standards Act that governs wages and hourly payments as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to any employee or job applicant who has a disability. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-15 These laws also include the Equal Employment Opportunity Act that prevents employers from making hiring and firing decisions based upon age, race, religion, gender, or other factors not related to performance. In addition, state laws govern school district human resource administration in areas such as grievances, due process, termination, and contract renewal. Personnel management in IPS is the responsibility of the encumbrance clerk who is under the direct supervision of the superintendent. The encumbrance clerk manages the personnel files, employment logistics, sick leave, insurance benefits, and payroll. FINDING 1-5 IPS does not maintain personnel records in a secure location. If records are not secured, there is a risk that confidential information is lost or compromised. The personnel files and medical records are maintained separately in unlocked file cabinets in the encumbrance clerk’s office. This office is located adjacent to the superintendent’s office and serves as a reception area for visitors. The consulting team noted that when the clerk and superintendent are out of the office area, the door sometimes remains open, and the office is accessible to students, staff, and the general public. This level of accessibility puts confidential files at risk. According to Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) guidelines, personnel files and medical records should be treated as private documents and maintained in locked file cabinets in a secure location. Files should only be accessible to those people with a legitimate need to access the files. Special guidelines apply to securing and handling medical information obtained through medical examinations and tests. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that medical records must be secured and accessible only for safety and health purposes (www.shrm.org). RECOMMENDATION To ensure confidentiality, IPS should secure personnel records in locked file cabinets in an area with limited accessibility. The superintendent should work with the encumbrance clerk to select and purchase locked fireproof file cabinets to store all personnel records properly. Personnel files should be stored in separate files from medical records. The locked file cabinets should be located in the superintendent’s office. This allows accessibility by the encumbrance clerk but will put personnel records in a more restricted area. FISCAL IMPACT A fire proof, lockable vertical file cabinet can be purchased at a minimum cost of $390. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-16 WCL ENTERPRISES FINDING 1-6 IPS does not have a systematic process for making staffing decisions. Without a clear decision-making process, staffing decisions are made without consideration of the impact to programs and services. For the 2010-11 school year, IPS reduced staffing in special education, library media, and secondary electives. In interviews with the consulting team, the superintendent and principal shared that staff reductions were made due to financial cutbacks in state funding and the decision to discontinue the virtual school program. The superintendent shared that there are no clear guidelines for making staffing decisions or for studying the potential impact of the decisions. As a result, the superintendent noted that teachers do not understand the staffing reassignments and reductions. In interviews, the principal, counselor, and teachers indicated that providing quality elective courses is challenging in a district the size of IPS. Reductions in staff can impact the ability of the district to offer electives. Staff shared that reduction of the library media specialist position from 1.0 FTE to 0.5 FTE resulted in the loss of the service learning classes. The elimination of the 1.0 FTE position that provided two middle school language arts classes, a computer elective, and elementary special education services impacted three different program areas. Districts often develop an objective process for determining staffing needs, reductions, and reassignments to ensure that the best possible decisions are made toward accomplishing district goals. In Hinton Public Schools in Oklahoma, the superintendent works with principals and teachers in developing district priorities and establishing options for budget reductions. The superintendent meets monthly with all district staff to discuss priorities and financial status. During times of financial constraint, the meetings generate options for staffing reductions or reassignments that have the least impact on student learning. This helps all staff understand how staffing and budget decisions are made, and that objective processes are used to minimize the negative impact of reductions on district programs and services. Many associations provide guidelines and formulas for staffing specific positions. The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA-CASI) provides staffing guidelines for school administrators, counselors, and media specialists. The Southern Association of Colleges and School Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI) and the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE) provide similar information for these and other positions. The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) and the Association of School business Officials International (ASBO) also provide staffing guidelines for custodial and maintenance positions. RECOMMENDATION Develop a systematic process for making staffing decisions that includes careful consideration of the impact to district programs and services. The superintendent should work with the principal and a representative group of teachers to develop a process for making staffing decisions. Consideration should be given to a workforce Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-17 planning process such as that suggested by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) (http://www.napawash.org). According to NAPA, workforce planning is a continuous process that ensures an organization has the right people in the right positions to address goals, support programs, and services. Such planning for the district would involve: • A systematic process that is integrated, methodical, and ongoing. • The identification of the human resource needs required to meet organization goals. • A determination of the number and skills of needed teachers and support staff, and where and when they will be needed. • The development of strategies to attract and retain the number and types of staff needed to meet the goals of the district in addressing student learning. As part of the process, the superintendent should consider engaging all staff in identifying needs and generating options that best aligns staffing resources to district goals. This methodical review should include a critical look at course offerings, scheduling, class size, and staff skills and credentials. Options and priorities should reflect the best possible solutions for addressing student programs and services within the existing financial constraints. The superintendent should consider a communication model similar to that used in Hinton Public Schools as a component of the workforce planning process. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. C. COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT School districts are a vital part of communities and are often associated with their identity, sense of pride, quality, and growth. In order to maintain this role, school districts develop methods to communicate their policies and programs and to involve parents and residents in the activities of the district and the individual schools. Robert Marzano’s book, What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action, ranks parental and community involvement as the third most critical factor affecting student achievement. It further states that “one of the defining features” of effective involvement is good communications. The primary role of communications in a school district is to convey a message and image consistent with the policies put forth by the Board of Education and implemented through procedures established by the superintendent and district staff. Critical components of communications include strategies for externally communicating with the community and internally communicating within the school district. Two-way communications are vital to the success of a district. Effective communications will lead to an informed staff and community, support for programs and bond issue elections, and an Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-18 WCL ENTERPRISES atmosphere of openness in the district. They also contribute to effective leadership with the School Board and superintendent serving as a leadership team. Ineffective communications result in confusion, lack of support, conflicting messages and decision-making, and a sense of detachment in the district. Effective community involvement programs should address the unique characteristics of the school district and the community. These programs can significantly affect citizen perceptions of the school system. Effective programs will garner public support and involvement in the form of parent and community volunteers, public participation in decision-making processes affecting the schools (e.g. bond issue and School Board elections), and productive business and community alliances. Exhibit 1-9 provides survey results from IPS teachers and professional staff regarding communications. Exhibit 1-9 IPS Teacher and Professional Staff Survey Results Survey Group Statement Agree No Opinion Disagree Teacher My school regularly communicates with parents. 83% 11% 6% Professional Staff The district regularly communicates with parents. 100% 0% 0% Source: WCL ENTERPRISES survey, September 2010 School districts’ web pages are often a source for communicating valuable information to the community that it serves. They also serve as a recruiting tool for prospective employees, homeowners, and businesses that are considering investing in the area. In this day and age, this tool may be the most efficient and economical method of conveying a district’s message to a broad audience. School district websites should include the following: • District information such as address, contact numbers, demographics, locations, etc. • Dates of School Board meetings and an archive of School Board meetings and minutes. • List of all the teachers and aides and email addresses for each. • Breakfast and lunch menus for each day of the current month. • Departmental staff and telephone listings. • Campus web pages. • Policies, procedures, and other critical internal information. • A listing of current employment opportunities. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-19 The current content of IPS’s website contains comparable information with that of its peer districts and is in the process of being updated (Exhibit 1-10). Exhibit 1-10 Comparison of IPS and Peer District Web Page Content District District Announcements and Other Information School Board Meeting Dates Staff Email Directory Breakfast and Lunch Menus Department and Staff and Telephone Campus Listing School Web Pages Policy and Procedures Employment Opportunities Indiahoma X X X X X X X X Blair X X X X X - - - Butner - - X - X X - - Chattanooga X X X X X X X - Duke X X X X X N/A X - Verden - - X - X - - - Source: IPS and peer district Internet websites, November 2010 FINDING 1-7 The district does not have a formal process for engaging parental engagement or soliciting, training, and using volunteers in the schools and classrooms. Most of the staff reported that parent involvement is greatest in athletics. Some parents volunteer for special events, such as the annual ice cream social. There is no Parent-Teacher Organization in any of the schools. When IPS teachers were asked to respond to the following statement on the survey, “My school has sufficient volunteers to help student and school programs,” only 28 percent agreed with the statement, while 56 percent disagreed with the statement. The Office of Accountability 2009 District Profile reports that only 33.6 percent of IPS parents attend at least one parent-teacher conference each year compared to a state average of 72.1 percent. Exhibit 1-11 shows a comparison of IPS and peer district attendance at parent-teacher conferences. IPS has the lowest attendance rate of all peer districts by a wide margin. Exhibit 1-11 Comparison of IPS and Peer Districts for Attendance at Parent-Teacher Conferences District Percentage of Parents Attending at Least One Parent-Teacher Conference Indiahoma 33.6% Blair 85.0% Butner 68.4% Chattanooga 66.6% Duke 88.1% Verden 65.7% State 72.1% Source: Office of Accountability 2009 Profiles Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-20 WCL ENTERPRISES According to the superintendent, the community is not involved in the schools, only with special events or programs. She has attempted to involve the community in the schools by posting information on the marquee in front of the schools and sending flyers and newsletters home with students. Since there is no local newspaper, articles about the district appear only infrequently in the newspapers of surrounding communities. According to the superintendent, on average, articles about IPS appear about once per month between the Lawton Constitution and the Cache County Times. These facts make parent involvement difficult but also make it critical for the district to develop innovative ways to reach out to parents and involve them in their children’s education. Joyce Epstein at Johns-Hopkins University and others have documented research showing the positive effect that encouraging parental involvement has on schools and student achievement: • Fifty to eighty-five percent of the variance in achievement scores, IQ, or verbal ability can be attributed to parent, family, and home environment variables. • Parent education programs, especially those that train low-income parents to work with their children improve how well students use language skills, perform on tests, and behave in school. • Many studies have found that when parents become involved in school activities, not only do their attitudes improve, but also those of their children. Student achievement rises as well. RECOMMENDATION Develop a coordinated volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement in the district’s schools. IPS should develop a volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement. The superintendent should form a committee that includes administrators, teachers, parents, and community members to develop this program. The program should seek consistency in policies and practices throughout the district and should also be formally approved by the School Board. It should be flexible in thinking of opportunities for parents to be involved in the school outside of the traditional concept of classroom volunteering. The National Parent Teacher Association’s Seven Steps to a Successful Volunteer Program provides useful information for creating and maintaining an active school volunteer program. IPS should use these seven steps as a guide in developing their own program: • Assessing volunteer needs each school has. • Working with and training, principals, teachers, and school staff on effectively using and supervising volunteers. • Setting goals and objectives for volunteer assignments. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-21 • Recruiting volunteers. • Training and orienting volunteers. • Training and recognizing volunteers. • Evaluating volunteer performance and program success. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. Chapter 2: Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-1 Chapter 2 Instructional Delivery This chapter examines the instructional delivery of Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) in the following sections: A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance B. Professional Development C. Gifted and Talented Education D. Special Education E. Career and Technology Education F. Guidance and Counseling G. Federal Programs H. Textbooks The primary purpose of any school system is educating children. Effective instructional delivery is based upon the district’s mission for educating students and requires policies and procedures to direct the instructional process, well designed programs to meet the needs of all students, and resources to support program implementation. The monitoring and evaluation of program effectiveness based on student performance data is also essential. School districts offer educational services to students through a variety of programs including regular education programs and special programs. Special programs are designed to provide quality services for certain student populations, such as those in Gifted and Talented Education, Special Education, and Career and Technology Education. Background Exhibit 2-1 provides fall enrollment, ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS and each of its schools for 2008-09 and comparative data for the state. Exhibit 2-1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2008-09 Campus Grade Span Fall Enrollment Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Eligible For Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma Elementary School EC- 8 126 59% 2% 0% 6% 33% 72% Indiahoma Secondary School 9-12 227 70% 4% 1% 7% 19% 19% District Totals 353 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 38% State Totals 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-2 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-2 provides ethnicity and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS, each of the peer districts, the comparison community group, and the state. Exhibit 2-2 Demographic Data 2008-09 Ethnic Groups Entity Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Percentage Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 37.7% Blair 73% 3% 1% 17% 6% 55.0% Butner 60% 2% 0% 1% 36% 65.5% Chattanooga 86% 1% 2% 2% 9% 50.7% Duke 68% 1% 0% 27% 4% 59.2% Verden 71% 1% 2% 5% 21% 62.8% Community Group 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 37.7% State Average 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56.3% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report From 2004-05 through 2008-09, IPS’s average daily membership (ADM) increased, beginning and ending with a 34.2 percentage difference over the five year period. Compared to peer groups, only two districts experienced an increase in student population while the others had decreases. The community group noted a significant increase in ADM while the state experienced a slight increase (Exhibit 2-3). Exhibit 2-3 Student ADM Trends Average Daily Membership Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 232.9 230.8 208.5 199.4 312.6 34.2% Blair 303.2 307.1 282.3 266.6 271.6 (10.4%) Butner 268.6 286.2 287.7 250.7 224.1 (16.6%) Chattanooga 261.5 263.0 280.9 260.2 277.0 5.9% Duke 187.0 206.0 201.9 190.3 180.5 (3.5%) Verden 318.1 323.5 328.0 321.6 287.9 31.7% Community Group 151.3 148.7 146.3 348.0 339.6 124.5% State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report A. INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE Managing the instructional process to ensure academic success for all students is the responsibility of the school district. A district’s instructional program, along with its allocation of Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-3 resources, determines the extent to which the district meets the educational needs of all students. A well designed and managed process for developing curriculum and directing instruction, collecting assessment data to evaluate and monitor programs, and providing the resources needed to support educational efforts is essential if a district is to meet the needs of its students. Curriculum development and instructional delivery are critical components of student learning. The presentation of materials, concepts, skills, and new ideas greatly effect acquisition of knowledge. Curriculum content and instructional strategies must be properly aligned and regularly evaluated in order to promote improvement of student performance. Local School Boards and superintendents must provide principals and teachers with the tools necessary to consistently deliver the state adopted curriculum, Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS), and to prepare students to be successful on state mandated assessments. Districts must provide curriculum documents that clearly define standards and learning objectives for each subject and each grade so that teachers know content expectations and instructional timelines for student mastery of objectives. Starting in 1998, Tim Waters, Ed.D., Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D., and Brian McNulty, Ph.D. from Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) began synthesizing the body of research on the effects of leadership practices on student achievement. In Balanced Leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement, McREL identified 21 leadership responsibilities that are significantly associated with student achievement. They have translated the results of this research into a balanced leadership framework that describes the knowledge, skills, strategies, and tools leaders need to positively impact student achievement. The framework moves beyond abstraction to concrete responsibilities, practices, knowledge, strategies, tools, and resources that principals and others need to be effective leaders. McREL’s leadership framework is based on the idea that effective leadership means more than simply knowing what to do. Effective leadership means knowing when, how, and why to take action. A combination of knowledge and skills is the essence of balanced leadership (www.mcrel.org /balanced_leadership). Oklahoma School Testing Program Student assessment is an integral part of measuring student performance. The Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) details the various standards-based tests that students must take during the school year. The Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT) consists of criterion-referenced tests designed to measure student attainment of skills established in core classes. These skills are guided by PASS. OCCT helps monitor student and school performance relative to state-mandated curriculum standards. The OSTP program used a phase in process to increase tested grades and subjects. In 2008-09, Criterion Referenced Tests (CRT's) were administered in mathematics and reading in grades three through eight, writing in grades five and eight, science and social studies/U.S. history in grades five and eight, and geography in grade seven. End-of-Instruction (EOI) tests are administered in high school following completion of instruction for specified subject area Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-4 WCL ENTERPRISES competencies: U.S. History, Geometry, English II and III, Algebra I and II, and Biology I. On the 2008-09 CRTs, IPS grade three students performed above the community group in reading and math, above the state average in reading, and the state average in math. In reading, IPS student performance was the highest among the peer districts and the third highest in math (Exhibit 2-4). Exhibit 2-4 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Grade 3 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Indiahoma 90% 70% Blair 73% 82% Butner 25% 17% Chattanooga 81% 44% Duke ** ** Verden 82% 76% Community Group 66% 63% State Average 71% 70% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report ** Data Protected by Privacy Laws Exhibit 2-5 shows 2008-09 test results of fourth grade students in IPS. Performance was lower than the average for the community group and the state in reading and math. Compared to peer districts, IPS reading and math scores were the third highest. Exhibit 2-5 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Grade 4 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Indiahoma 57% 57% Blair ** ** Butner 31% 15% Chattanooga 64% 57% Duke 86% 71% Verden 53% 60% Community Group 70% 70% State Average 68% 71% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report ** Data Protected by Privacy Laws The 2008-09 OCCT grade five tests included five content areas: reading, math, social studies, science, and writing. Exhibit 2-6 shows the results for grade five students in IPS. Student performance was above the community group and the state average in math, social studies, science, and writing but fell below both groups in reading. Compared to its peer districts, IPS Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-5 student performance was the highest in math, social studies, science, and equaled the highest score in writing. Reading score was the second lowest among peer districts. IPS performance in both science and writing resulted in the highest score possible on both the science and writing tests. Exhibit 2-6 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 5 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Social Studies Science Writing Indiahoma 57% 86% 86% 100% 100% Blair 62% 46% 69% 92% 100% Butner 13% 25% 38% 56% 80% Chattanooga 67% 73% 80% 93% 93% Duke 60% 67% 60% 93% 93% Verden 75% 69% 69% 94% 71% Community Group 70% 66% 81% 91% 93% State Average 70% 68% 75% 87% 89% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Exhibit 2-7 shows 2008-09 test results for sixth grade students in IPS. In math, student performance was 100% and the highest among the community group and the state. Reading performance was below that of the same groups. Compared to peer districts, IPS’s performance for sixth grade in math equaled that of one district and was higher than all others. Reading performance was the second highest among peer districts. Exhibit 2-7 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 6 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Indiahoma 64% 100% Blair 53% 100% Butner 22% 80% Chattanooga 53% 93% Duke 67% 93% Verden 46% 71% Community Group 70% 93% State Average 69% 89% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Performance for students in grade seven is shown in Exhibit 2-8. The results show that IPS students scored below the community group and the state average in reading and math but above both groups in geography. Performance in geography resulted in 100 percent passing for students. Comparison to the peer districts shows IPS performance was the third lowest in reading, the lowest in math, and the highest in geography. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-6 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-8 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 7 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Geography Indiahoma 70% 40% 100% Blair 71% 65% 94% Butner 42% 42% 83% Chattanooga 60% 70% 90% Duke 91% 55% 82% Verden 68% 63% 89% Community Group 75% 71% 93% State Average 74% 67% 88% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report The 2008-09 grade eight tests included five content areas: reading, math, history/constitution/government, science, and writing. Exhibit 2-9 shows the results for grade eight students in IPS. In reading and math, student performance was above the community group and the state average. Grade eight students scored below the community group and state in history/constitution/government and writing. Science performance was below that of the community group and above the state. Among peer groups, IPS student performance was the highest in reading and equaled the score of another peer district in math in scoring the second highest. Performance was the third lowest in history/constitution/government and science and the second lowest in writing compared to performance of peer districts. Exhibit 2-9 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 8 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math History/ Constitution/ Government Science Writing Indiahoma 91% 82% 55% 91% 92% Blair 59% 82% 71% 94% 100% Butner 38% 38% 75% 88% 100% Chattanooga 75% 88% 63% 100% 100% Duke 70% 40% 50% 100% 90% Verden 53% 65% 41% 88% 100% Community Group 73% 68% 76% 94% 97% State Average 72% 65% 76% 90% 95% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report The EOI tests are administered to students taking the related high school level coursework. Eighth grade students taking the related coursework are included in the results of the testing program. IPS students scored above the community group in US History but below in all other tested subject areas. IPS students scored higher that state averages in Algebra I, equaled the state average in Biology I, and were below in all other tested subjects. Compared to the performance Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-7 of peer districts, students in IPS scored the highest in US History and the third lowest in Algebra I and English II. Performance was the second lowest in Biology I, Algebra II, and English III, and the lowest among peer groups in Geometry (Exhibit 2-10). Exhibit 2-10 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above on EOI Tests 2008-09 Entity Algebra I English II US History Biology I Algebra II Geometry English III Indiahoma 86% 73% 78% 75% 55% 61% 79% Blair 100% 73% 65% 76% 70% 71% 95% Butner 64% 89% 60% 47% 10% 63% 43% Chattanooga 95% 71% 63% 95% 95% 95% 92% Duke 70% 100% 70% 78% 75% 100% 90% Verden 100% 95% 65% 82% 71% 100% 100% Community Group 89% 84% 70% 76% 65% 82% 88% State Average 83% 81% 73% 75% 66% 79% 84% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Under the accountability provisions in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the federal government evaluates all public schools sites, school districts, and states for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The NCLB annual report card for IPS in 2008-09 shows that the district met the AYP standard. Exhibit 2-11 shows the percentage of students from IPS who completed the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) college bound curriculum from 04-05 through 2008-09. IPS was higher than the community group and state averages in all comparison years except 2004-05. A comparison of peer districts shows that the percentage of IPS students completing the college bound curriculum was the second lowest among peer districts in 2004-05 but was 100%, equaling that of peer districts, from 2005-06 through 2008-09. Exhibit 2-11 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Graduates Completing Regents’ College Bound Curriculum Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Indiahoma 73.3% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Blair 91.7% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Butner 78.3% 35.7% *FTR 60.0% 38.9% Chattanooga 95.0% 82.4% 92.0% 100.0% 100.0% Duke 52.9% *FTR 100.0% 71.4% 100.0% Verden 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 95.7% 100.0% Community Group 74.6% 78.3% 85.1% 88.9% 81.8% State Average 77.9% 70.1% 78.0% 81.8% 81.9% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report *Failure to Report (FTR) Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-8 WCL ENTERPRISES Oklahoma Educational Planning and Assessment System The Oklahoma Educational and Planning Assessment System (EPAS) was created by the state of Oklahoma and ACT, Inc. The system uses an integrated series of assessments and reporting services to support educators as they help students set and reach goals for life after high school. The components of EPAS are the EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT assessments. EPAS assessments provide information about academic progress at crucial points in a student’s educational career. Information provided by EPAS assessments is linked longitudinally to provide an academic information management system. These linkage reports can be used to monitor student progress overtime, detect trends, and evaluate instructional outcomes in support of school improvement efforts. The program is funded by the OSRHE and content guides are available online to assist districts in curriculum alignment and improvement efforts at: http://okhighered.org/epas/. EXPLORE, the eighth grade assessment, is the entry point to EPAS. The EXPLORE test includes objective assessments in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. It also includes activities that help young students begin the process of career and educational exploration. EXPLORE provides baseline data for monitoring student progress through the high school years. Exhibit 2-12 shows how IPS students performed on the EXPLORE test as compared to their peers nationally. IPS scores were lower than that of peers across the nation in all tested areas. Exhibit 2-12 IPS 8th Grade EXPLORE Scores Compared to the Nation 2009-10 Subject IPS Score National Score English 13.5 14.2 Mathematics 12.7 15.1 Reading 12.8 13.8 Science 15.6 15.9 Composite 13.6 14.9 Source: EXPLORE, Profile Summary Report PLAN, the tenth grade assessment, includes objective assessments in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. The educational and career planning activities are tailored to the needs of students who are preparing to make decisions about life after high school. PLAN provides a midpoint review of tenth grade students’ progress toward their educational and career goals. Exhibit 2-13 shows how IPS students performed on the PLAN test as compared to their peers nationally. IPS scores were higher than those of national peers in English and Mathematics and lower in Reading and Science. In the Composite category, performance equaled that of peers across the nation. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-9 Exhibit 2-13 IPS 10th Grade PLAN Scores Compared to the Nation 2009-10 Subject IPS Score National Score English 18.3 16.9 Mathematics 18.7 17.4 Reading 16.6 16.9 Science 17.7 18.2 Composite 17.5 17.5 Source: PLAN, Profile Summary Report The ACT assessment is designed to evaluate the general educational development of high school students and predict their ability to successfully complete college level work. The ACT assessment includes over 200 multiple choice questions covering English, math, reading, and science reasoning. It also includes an interest inventory that provides information for career and educational planning. IPS student performance on the ACT has varied from year to year. Overall, student performance decreased from 2004-05 to 2008-09 (Exhibit 2-14). IPS student performance on the ACT was above the community group average for four out of the five years reported. IPS scores were above the state average in two of the five years reviewed. Compared to peer districts, IPS students recorded the highest score in 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2008-09 and the fourth highest in all other years. Exhibit 2-14 IPS and Peer District Average ACT Composite Scores Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 22.6 20.1 18.3 19.4 21.3 (5.8%) Blair 19.6 19.6 16.8 19.8 18.5 (5.6%) Butner 21.3 18.1 23.0 19.1 18.0 (15.5%) Chattanooga 18.7 20.6 20.7 20.6 21.2 13.4% Duke 18.9 18.6 20.3 17.4 19.3 2.1% Verden 18.9 17.6 17.2 20.1 20.7 9.5% Community Group 19.2 18.8 18.7 18.2 20.3 5.7% State Average 20.6 20.6 20.8 20.8 20.8 0.9% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Dropout and Graduation Rates Exhibit 2-15 shows the four-year dropout and senior graduation rates for IPS, peer districts, the community group, and the state for 2008-09. IPS’s dropout rate was 0.0%, the lowest achievable, and equaled that of two other districts and was lower that both the community group and the state. The senior graduation rate for IPS and all comparison districts was the highest attainable rating and was above both the community group and the state graduation rates. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-10 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-15 IPS and Peer District Four-Year Dropout and Senior Graduation Rates 2008-09 Indicator Indiahoma Blair Butner Chattanooga Duke Verden Community Group State Dropout Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 8.3% 5.6% 17.9% 6.7% 12.4% Graduation Rate 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 96.8% 97.8% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Classroom Teachers The ratio of students per classroom teacher in IPS decreased slightly over a three year period (Exhibit 2-16). The district’s ratio in 2006-07 was slightly above the community group and the below the state averages. Compared to its peer districts, the ratio for students per teacher in IPS was the lowest in all years. This district ratio is no longer included on the district profiles report from the Office of Accountability so the percentage change is based on the analysis of data over three years. Exhibit 2-16 IPS and Peer District Students per Regular Classroom Teacher Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 12.0 12.0 11.9 *NA *NA (0.8%) Blair 13.7 13.0 12.5 *NA *NA (8.7%) Butner 14.1 16.6 16.6 *NA *NA 17.7% Chattanooga 12.7 13.0 13.9 *NA *NA 9.5% Duke 12.5 13.7 12.6 *NA *NA 0.8% Verden 17.6 15.9 15.2 *NA *NA (13.6%) Community Group 12.2 11.8 11.8 *NA *NA (3.3%) State Average 17.2 16.3 16.7 *NA *NA (2.9%) Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report *Data not available (NA) beyond 2006-07 The average experience of IPS teachers increased 21.1 percent from 2004-05 through 2008-09. The community group average increased 10.2 percent, and the state average decreased 0.8 percent (Exhibit 2-17). IPS teachers average more years of experience than their community group in all years except 2004-05. As compared to the state, IPS teachers have more years of experience in three of five years comparison years. IPS teachers as a whole have the second lowest years of experience among their peer districts in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and rank fourth highest in 2006-07 through 2008-09. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-11 Exhibit 2-17 IPS and Peer District Average Years of Experience of Regular Classroom Teachers Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 12.3 12.8 14.1 15.2 14.9 21.1% Blair 15.9 15.5 16.3 16.3 15.6 (1.9%) Butner 12.5 12.8 13.0 9.9 9.7 (22.4%) Chattanooga 14.8 16.8 15.9 15.6 17.1 15.5% Duke 9.6 10.5 12.1 12.6 13.3 38.5% Verden 14.3 13.5 14.3 15.7 17.5 22.4% Community Group 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.8 14.0 10.2% State Average 12.8 13.3 12.7 12.7 12.7 (0.8%) Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report The percentage of teachers in IPS with advanced degrees was below the community group and state percentages in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2008-09 (Exhibit 2-18). IPS was above the community group and the state in 2006-07. Compared to its peer districts, IPS had the second lowest percentage of teachers with advanced degrees in two years, the third lowest in two years, and the third highest in 2006-07. Exhibit 2-18 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Regular Classroom Teachers with Advanced Degrees Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Indiahoma 13.0% 16.4% 28.6% 22.9% 3.3% Blair 20.8% 24.7% 29.8% 27.3% 23.9% Butner 15.8% 5.8% 17.4% 5.2% 10.9% Chattanooga 19.6% 19.0% 18.4% 17.1% 16.5% Duke 0.0% 0.0% 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% Verden 28.9% 25.7% 30.1% 25.5% 32.7% Community Group 25.5% 25.4% 23.5% 23.5% 25.6% State Average 27.8% 26.4% 26.7% 26.5% 25.7% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Course Offerings Oklahoma high schools must offer a minimum of 34 courses per year including six core areas plus electives: four units of language arts, four units of science, four units of math, four units of social studies, two units of languages, two units in the arts, and 14 units of other electives. Exhibit 2-19 shows the number of core units offered in IPS’s high school curriculum by subject from 2004-005 through 2008-09. According to the Oklahoma Office of Accountability Report Card, IPS increased the number of core curriculum units from 11.5 in 2004-05 to 34.0 in 2008- 09. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-12 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-19 IPS High School Core Curriculum Units by Subject Courses 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Language Arts 3.0 6.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 Science 2.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 Math 2.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 7.5 Social Studies 2.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 9.5 Fine Arts 0.5 1.0 1.0 0.0 3.0 Languages 1.5 3.0 3.0 2.5 4.0 Total 11.5 20.0 20.0 20.5 34.0 Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Exhibit 2-20 shows the number of units offered in IPS’s high school core curriculum by subject in 2008-09 compared to the peer districts, community group, and state. IPS was below the community group and the state in language arts, science, and fine arts and above both groups in math and social studies. Compared to peer districts, IPS offered more core curriculum units than all peer districts. Exhibit 2-20 IPS and Peer District Core Curriculum Units by Subject 2008-09 Courses Indiahoma Blair Butner Chattanooga Duke Verden Community Group State Language Arts 5.0 7.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.0 6.4 8.1 Science 5.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 3.0 6.0 5.2 6.4 Math 7.5 3.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 5.9 6.6 Social Studies 9.5 4.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.6 5.8 Fine Arts 3.0 4.0 1.0 2.0 5.0 4.0 4.4 6.9 Languages 4.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.7 3.1 Total 34.0 22.5 23.0 22.0 22.0 24.0 28.1 36.8 Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report FINDING 2-1 IPS uses grant funds to provide a comprehensive after school program for students in grades 7-12. As a result, students have access to enrichment activities that complement the academic program and support increased achievement. In 2007, IPS was awarded the competitive Title IV, Part B, 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grant resulting in $600,000 in additional funds over five years. The district is currently is in the fourth year of the grant, which is designed to provide academic enrichment opportunities for children during non-school hours. IPS teachers provide the majority of the after school activities and the counselor serves as program coordinator. Student activities are scheduled during a three-hour block, Monday through Friday of each week. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-13 In interviews, the counselor shared that the district used the grant funds to create an after school program for students in grades 7-12 that offers a variety of instructional activities. These include tutorial support, academic enrichment, fine arts, physical education (PE), service learning, web design, chess, study of world cultures, and entrepreneurship. A review of the schedule noted that students are provided with an hour of academic tutoring, a snack break, 30 minutes of PE, and an hour of enrichment activities. A teacher shared that the 21st CCLC program promotes strong teacher-student relationships and provides enriched learning activities. COMMENDATION IPS uses grant funds to provide a comprehensive after school program for students in grades 7-12 that compliment the academic program and support increased achievement. FINDING 2-2 IPS does not have a curriculum scope and sequence to guide instruction. Without such a document, instruction is not consistently aligned to ensure student success and teachers new to a course or grade level are left without clear direction. In interviews, the principal and teachers indicated that PASS objectives and textbooks serve as the basis for curriculum for all grade levels. Teachers use PASS objectives and results of state mandated tests to guide instruction. According to the principal, teachers interpret PASS objectives, develop instructional strategies, and determine the sequencing and pacing of learning objectives. Comments to the consulting team by new teachers indicated that a curriculum document defining the instructional sequence and pacing for objectives was needed. Interviews with staff indicated that the district adopted textbook series provides alignment of instruction for elementary teachers. However, the adopted textbooks did not provide alignment between elementary and secondary instruction, and no other curriculum document was in place to ensure consistency from elementary to secondary grade levels. The principal noted a need to emphasize the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) recently adopted by the State Department of Education (SDE). Time for teachers to work on developing the required transition plan, which must be based on the district’s curriculum for teaching PASS, had not been allocated at the time of the review. According to the state timeline, districts should begin developing a transition plan for moving from PASS to CCSS in 2010 and continue the curriculum revision process until completion in 2014.in 2014. The SDE supports districts in aligning instruction through a technique called curriculum mapping, where teachers collaborate to create an operational curriculum rather than a static document of learning objectives. Curriculum maps include: learning objectives, what is actually taught, instructional timeline and sequence, assessment tools, instructional materials, student activities, and essential questions. This is an ongoing process that allows teachers to work together to make critical decisions about student learning and develop a clear scope and sequence for instruction. The staff from the state Office of Standards and Curriculum will assist schools through the mapping process that will align district curriculum to PASS and provide a transition to CCSS. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-14 WCL ENTERPRISES Noble Public Schools in Noble, Oklahoma implemented curriculum mapping with support from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE) by using a process phased in over a multi-year timeline. RECOMMENDATION Develop scope and sequence documents in all content areas and grade levels to define PASS objectives and determine the instructional sequence of objectives. The principal should work with teachers to develop the scope and sequence documents or consider using resource consultants from SDE to facilitate the mapping process. Teachers from each grade level and content area should be involved in the process to discuss objectives taught, timeframe for teaching identified objectives, and to compare PASS to CCSS. Secondary teachers should develop plans for the cross content literacy strand found in CCSS. The second phase in the process should focus on establishing the sequence of instructional objectives within each grading period and ensure alignment across grade levels in each content area. Assessments tools can also be included in scope and sequence documents. Once the draft curriculum document is completed, the principal and teachers should engage in ongoing dialogue to continuously evaluate, revise, and update the instructional guides. Resulting scope and sequence documents should provide clear instructional timelines and alignment of PASS/CCSS related learning objectives for each content area across all grade levels. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 2-3 IPS does not provide opportunities for teachers to work together across grades to address curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As a result, teachers are not able to collaborate to ensure increased student performance. In interviews with the consulting team, the principal identified vertical communication across grade levels as an area for improvement. IPS has one teacher at each grade level in PreK through sixth grade, and one in each core content area at the secondary level. According to the principal, this staffing configuration means that the pacing and sequencing of curriculum is determined by the teacher at each grade level. Without structured times for vertical collaboration, there is no assurance that instruction is aligned across the district. In focus group meetings, teachers stated that discussions about curriculum and instruction occur informally during lunch, except for the structured collaboration during the textbook selection process. Elementary teachers have planning time each day when students have PE, and this schedule allows common planning periods for Kindergarten and first, second and third, and fourth through sixth. According to elementary teachers, this plan time is usually used for personal plan time, and not for cross-grade collaboration. Secondary teachers have a plan time Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-15 each day that is determined by scheduling needs. The plan time is not used to discuss content curriculum with teachers from intermediate and elementary levels. The principal and teachers noted that there were no structured opportunities for collaboration across the primary, intermediate, and secondary levels. According to the principal, teachers are asked to review assessment data on an individual basis. No time is provided for group discussion about district results. In interviews with the consulting team, teachers stated that communication between elementary and secondary teachers is limited, which results in fragmentation in curriculum and instruction, special services, and schedules for pull out programs The principal and teachers stated that weekly faculty meetings are scheduled separately for elementary and secondary teachers. Vertical communication is a critical component of continuous improvement. Teachers need time to meet routinely to discuss the sequencing of skills and assessment data in order to design instruction that improves student performance. It is necessary that teachers have the opportunity to share best practices and develop strategies to increase student performance. RECOMMENDATION IPS should structure time to provide teachers opportunities to work together across grades to address curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure increased student performance. The principal should convene secondary-elementary faculty meetings together to review current practices and explore ways of providing time for collaboration across all grade levels and content areas. Time should be provided for elementary teachers to connect with each other and with secondary teachers on a regular basis. Consideration should be given to: • Designating at least one planning period per week for vertical collaboration in those grades with common plan time. • Flexing the PE schedule to provide time for primary and intermediate teachers to meet or for intermediate teachers to meet with a designated secondary content teacher. • Scheduling the special fine arts classes, which are provided by part-time or adjunct staff, to release pairs of teachers for collaborative planning. • Planning professional development days to provide time and training for curriculum mapping. The allocated time for vertical collaboration should support teachers in creating content curriculum maps to align instruction and assessments, and provide sequencing and pacing guides across all grade levels. IPS has a teacher with training and experience in the curriculum mapping process that can work with the principal to facilitate collaborative discussions. In addition, regularly scheduled meetings should provide time for vertical teams to develop transitions’ plans for changing from PASS to CCSS, review of new state testing blueprints, analyze student performance on state tests, and align instructional strategies and units of study as a means of Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-16 WCL ENTERPRISES increasing student performance. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 2-4 IPS does not use EPAS EXPLORE and PLAN results to assist teachers in improving student achievement. As a result, students and teachers do not use this tool to improve learning, direct career and academic planning, and align curriculum. EPAS is a comprehensive resource designed to assist students in assessing current academic development and exploring career/educational options, and to provide teachers with normative data for curriculum planning. EXPLORE and PLAN are important tools that focus attention on both career preparation and academic achievement. In interviews with the consulting team, the superintendent and counselor noted that the EPAS data from the EXPLORE and PLAN is not used to the maximum benefit. The counselor indicated that EPAS results are shared with students and the career cluster information is used in career exploration. Consultants noted that the data is not shared with teachers. EPAS linkage reports can be used to monitor student progress over time, detect trends, and evaluate instructional outcomes in support of school improvement efforts. According to the counselor, these reports are not ordered for teachers. The counselor attended training sessions on the use of EPAS and worked with Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) staff to develop a tentative plan to assist teachers in using the PLAN and EXPLORE results for curriculum alignment. According to the counselor, many teachers do not realize that the norm-referenced EPAS results provide a consistent source of student performance data. In the 2006 Journal of Oklahoma Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (OASCD), the Chancellor for the OSRHE wrote that the true value of EPAS will be attained when administrators and teachers use the data as curriculum tools. The rubric developed by OSRHE provides a framework for organizing curriculum, instruction, guidance, and leadership to work together to increase student achievement through academic and career planning. The continuity of the EXPLORE and PLAN data provides concrete evidence of the strength and weakness in the curriculum and instruction provided to students. It is the only norm-referenced data available to most schools. RECOMMENDATION The superintendent should work with the principal and counselor to develop a plan for using the EPAS EXPLORE and PLAN data to support student career planning and to increase student achievement. The superintendent and principal should meet with the counselor and a representative from Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-17 OSRHE to develop a plan that outlines strategies for using EXPLORE and PLAN as comprehensive tools for career and academic planning as well as curriculum planning. The tentative plan developed by the counselor should provide a starting point for introducing the benefits of EPAS to the teachers. The plan should outline ways to increase teachers’ understanding of the tool and how the data can be used in conjunction with EOI results to improve student achievement and to improve academic planning for students. Representatives from the OSRHE are available to provide customized professional development that presents the district’s EPAS data, crosswalks the data with EOI results, and prepares teachers and counselors to fully utilize the tool for career and academic planning. A rubric is provided for districts to use in assessing where they are in the full implementation of the EPAS program. The rubric should be used by the district in developing a plan for utilizing EPAS to improve student learning and career planning. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. The services of OSRHE are available at no cost to districts. B. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE), the purpose of professional development is to ensure that all teachers continue their education beyond initial licensing and certification. Local Boards of Education, by Oklahoma statute, must establish professional development programs for all certified, licensed teachers, and administrators of the district. Such programs must be based upon recommendations of a professional development committee, of which the majority are teachers. Since 2003, Oklahoma schools have been expected to adhere to the SDE guidelines based on the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for quality and NCLB guidelines. In 2005-2007, the SDE issued major revisions to the professional development regulations based on legislative action. These regulations expanded requirements to include data-driven professional development plans that are based on state testing and accountability data. Programs must address the five student performance goal areas outlined by SDE and the topical categories; once required, but are now optional for districts. Each year districts are required to submit a report to SDE that shows the activities under each of the five goal areas and the staff development funds expended in each. Due to reductions to the school finance budget, Oklahoma lawmakers passed House Bill 3029 in the 2010 legislative session, which waives existing professional development requirements for the years ending 2011 and 2012. Districts will have the option to continue providing ongoing learning opportunities or reallocate the state funds for alternative district needs. If schools opt to use funds for other purposes, they are not required to submit the annual state report on goal expenditures. Professional development programs enhance the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of educators in order to improve student learning. The base of knowledge in education is growing Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-18 WCL ENTERPRISES so rapidly in every academic discipline that educators must stay current and develop new expertise. FINDING 2-5 IPS does not have a coordinated plan for using professional development days to support curriculum development, data analysis, and instructional delivery. Without a defined plan, professional days are not used to provide teachers with quality experiences targeting increased student performance. In interviews with the consulting team, administrators and teachers described professional development as driven by staff interests and non-academic requirements. Program content was not focused on student performance needs. No district plan for professional development was available for review, and the 2009-10 report to the state showed $4,000 was spent on professional development activities. Teachers shared that professional development programs were predominantly planned by the principal and occasionally by the superintendent of schools. Due to current financial constraints, professional days and state sponsored workshops are the primary sources of professional development for teachers. For the 2010-2011 school year, IPS allocated five days for professional development with three days before the start of school and the remaining two days in December and April. In interviews with the consulting team, the superintendent, principal, and teachers shared that professional days were used for trainings, updates, and awareness presentations. Areas of focus include: CPR training, OSHA, special education, drug awareness, and gang prevention. Staff indicated that some time on the designated professional development days was used to work in classrooms. During the three days before school, no time was devoted to the analysis of student data or curriculum discussions focusing on academic improvement. Teachers stated that student data was not available for them to review on those professional days. The superintendent shared that data reports were held and distributed to teachers a month after the start of school. In interviews with the consulting team, the principal stated a primary instructional goal is to identify performance weakness and develop a plan for improvement. The principal shares and discusses data with individual teachers on a one on one basis. Teachers review individual student scores, but there have been no discussions of the collective data and improving student performance. According to the principal, the professional days are the only time for curriculum or data analysis related discussions; but days are not consistently used for that purpose. The principal identified the transition to the Common Core Curriculum Standards (CCCS) as a priority and emphasized the importance of providing teachers with appropriate training. McREL’s Professional Development Analysis, a research synthesis compiled in 2005, states that changes in instructional practice that impact student achievement depend on sustained and targeted professional development focused on particular content knowledge. Professional development that positively affects learning is of considerable duration, focused on specific content, characterized by collective participation, coherent, and infused with active learning. A fragmented program for professional development does not support improved student achievement across the district. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-19 RECOMMENDATION Develop a plan for using professional development days to support curriculum development, data analysis, and instructional delivery. The district should establish a professional development committee that includes a representative group of district teachers and the counselor. The principal should work with the committee to develop a comprehensive multi-year plan for using professional development days that are focused on student achievement. The plan should initially address data analysis and curriculum related issues, and then be expanded to include appropriate instructional strategies. The days before the start of school should be targeted for data analysis discussions. The SDE timeline and planning tools for implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are available as resources for planning professional days. A team that includes primary, intermediate, and secondary teachers should be identified to attend CCSS training with the principal. This team can be available to facilitate discussions that assist teachers in comparing CCSS with PASS in order to develop a framework for transition. The planning process and plan should also consider partnerships to access professional development needs and possible grant funds to support training needs. Partnerships might include Cache and Lawton school districts and the Professional Development Center in Lawton, which serves schools in Comanche County. By coordinating school calendars with surrounding districts, IPS could schedule the same professional days and create the opportunity for sharing resources, such as SDE curriculum specialists. The Great Plains Museum is also a resource for curriculum support and professional development in inquiry-based science through the Oklahoma Museum network. As McREL researchers point out in Professional Development Analysis, rural districts may have difficulty organizing centralized and high quality professional development. Partnerships, regional coalitions, and state funded professional development institutes are means of supporting quality professional development to address student achievement. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. C. GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION Article VII, Section 904 of the Oklahoma School Code defines gifted and talented children as those children identified at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level as having demonstrated potential abilities of high performance capabilities and needing differentiated or accelerated educational services. The definition includes students who scored in the top three percent on any national standardized test of intellectual ability or who excel in the areas of creative thinking ability, leadership ability, visual performing arts ability, and specific academic ability. Section 910 of the Oklahoma School Code requires each school district to provide Gifted and Talented educational programs and to serve those identified students who reside within the Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-20 WCL ENTERPRISES school district boundaries. The local School Board of each district is required to submit a plan to the State Board of Education for Gifted and Talented programs and to provide annual program reports to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE). Required components for gifted child education programs include: • A written policy statement which specifies a process for selection and assessment of children for placement in Gifted and Talented programs that is consistent for grades one through twelve. • A description of curricul
Object Description
Description
Title | Indiahoma |
OkDocs Class# | E2500.3 S372p/in 2011 |
Digital Format | PDF, Adobe Reader required |
ODL electronic copy | Downloaded from agency website: http://www.schoolreportcard.org/ospr/2011/OSPR-Indiahoma.zip |
Rights and Permissions | This Oklahoma state government publication is provided for educational purposes under U.S. copyright law. Other usage requires permission of copyright holders. |
Language | English |
Full text | Indiahoma Public Schools Office of Accountability May 2011 Oklahoma School Performance Review Education Oversight Board / Office of Accountability Susan Field, Chairman • Robert Buswell, Executive Director 655 Research Parkway, Suite 301 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 (405) 225-9470 Fax (405) 225-9474 www.SchoolReportCard.org May 2011 Fellow Oklahomans: The Education Oversight Board and the Office of Accountability are pleased to present this school performance review for Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS). This review is intended to help IPS contain costs, improve management strategies and operations, and increase student performance. To conduct this review the office contracted with WCL ENTERPRISES. Indiahoma Public Schools has a number of commendable programs and enjoys support from district residents; however, it is faced with several challenges. The review contains recommendations to help IPS meet those challenges and improve the efficiency of their operations. The review also highlights a number of “Commendable Practices” in programs, operations, and services provided by the administration, teachers, and staff. We are grateful for the cooperation of IPS Board of Education, administration, staff, parents, and community members. They are to be commended for their dedication toward improving educational opportunities for their community. We are pleased to announce that this review is available in hardcopy through the Office of Accountability and on the office’s web site at www.SchoolReportCard.org. For the Education Oversight Board, For the Office of Accountability, Susan Field Robert Buswell Oklahoma School Performance Review Indiahoma Public Schools May 2011 Education Oversight Board Office of Accountability Susan Field, Chairman Robert Buswell, Executive Director Patrick Gilmore, Vice-Chair Jeff Wallace, Assistant Director Dr. Sherry Labyer Jerry (Yu-Chao) Hsieh, Database Design Analyst Ami Shaffer Dr. Lonnie Melvin, School Improvement Coordinator Edward A. Petersen Reed Downey Millard House II Senator John Ford Representative Ann Coody WCL ENTERPRISES Bill Lenhart, President and Project Director Debbie Smothermon, Assistant Project Manager Marvin Crawford – Chapter 1, Management & Communications Skip Baskerville – Chapter 1, Personnel Management Diana Leggett – Chapter 2, Instruct Programs/Services & Personnel Managemt Chuck Yaple – Chapter 3, Business Operations Ann Wade – Chapter 3, Business Operations Roy Sprague – Chapter 4, Facilities Assessment Archie Hayes – Chapter 4 Maintenance and Custodial Operations Mark Hopkins – Chapter 4, Safety & Security Beth Wallace – Chapter 5, Child Nutrition Skip Baskerville – Chapter 5, Technology Stephen Loveless – Chapter 5, Transportation This publication was prepared by the Office of Accountability as authorized by Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 3-118 and 1210.5331. It was printed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Central Services Department, as authorized by the Education Oversight Board. Fifty paper copies have been prepared at a cost of $1,675.00. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, May 2011. Indiahoma Public Schools Table of Contents i Page Executive Summary 1 Acknowledgements 1 Indiahoma Public Schools 1 Commendations 3 Recommendations and Projected Costs and Savings 4 Chapter 1: Management, Personnel, and Communications 1-1 A. Management and Planning 1-9 B. Personnel Management 1-14 C. Communications and Community Involvement 1-17 Chapter 2: Instructional Delivery 2-1 A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance 2-2 B. Professional Development 2-17 C. Gifted and Talented Education 2-19 D. Special Education 2-23 E. Career and Technology Education 2-28 F. Guidance and Counseling 2-31 G. Federal Programs 2-34 H. Textbooks 2-37 Chapter 3: Business Operations 3-1 A. Auditing and Internal Controls 3-10 B. Financial Processes 3-15 C. Asset and Risk Management 3-20 D. Activity Funds 3-25 Chapter 4: Facilities Use and Management 4-1 A. Facilities Planning and Construction 4-2 B. Maintenance and Custodial Operations 4-15 C. Energy Management 4-25 D. Community Use of School Facilities 4-37 E. Safety and Security 4-40 F. Crisis Management 4-51 Chapter 5: Support Services 5-1 A. Food Service 5-1 Table of Contents Indiahoma Public Schools ii B. Technology 5-12 C. Transportation 5-19 Appendices: A. Professional Staff Survey Results A-1 B. Teacher Survey Results B-1 C. Support Staff Survey Results C-1 D. Student Survey Results D-1 E. Parent Survey Results E-1 F. Enrollment Projections F-1 G. Facilities Walk-through: Maintenance, Safety, and Security Needs G-1 H. Thermal Images of Facilities H-1 WCL ENTERPRISES 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oklahoma School Performance Review (OSPR) Program was authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature during the 2001 session and amended during the 2005 session. The responsibility to conduct School Performance Reviews was assigned to the Office of Accountability, which is under the direction of the Oklahoma Education Oversight Board. The purpose of a School Performance Review is to develop findings, commendations, and recommendations regarding (1) containing costs; (2) improving management strategies; and (3) promoting better education for Oklahoma children. The Office of Accountability began the School Performance Review of Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) in September 2010. The Oklahoma Office of Accountability has contracted with WCL ENTERPRISES to assist with the School Performance Review. The WCL ENTERPRISES consulting team conducted either individual or small group interviews with district personnel and Board of Education members. The team also reviewed operations by touring facilities, observing cafeteria operations, and riding school bus routes. Parents, teachers, principals, support staff, and central office administrators also completed written surveys that were customized to the district. The completed surveys were tabulated and the results were used in the School Performance Review. Survey results are contained in Appendices A-E. Data were received and used from the Office of Accountability, State Department of Education, State Regents for Higher Education, and State Auditor and Inspector. OSPR selected peer districts for comparisons based on similarities in student enrollment and demographics. The districts selected for comparison to Indiahoma were Butner, Duke, Verden, Chattanooga, and Blair. During the review, WCL ENTERPRISES developed 64 recommendations designed to improve operations. In some cases, these recommendations should result in a net savings to the district, in some cases a net cost, and in some cases should have no fiscal impact but should improve district effectiveness. A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Office of Accountability and WCL ENTERPRISES wish to express their appreciation to the Board of Education of Indiahoma Public Schools, its superintendent Barbalee Blair, and the district employees, students, parents, and others who helped during the School Performance Review. INDIAHOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) is located in southwest Oklahoma just over 23 miles west of Lawton along US Highway 62, just south of the western end of Fort Sill Army Post in Comanche County. IPS includes grades EC-12 in one elementary school and one high school. The district Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 2 WCL ENTERPRISES covers 123 square miles with 2.5 students per square mile and serves Indiahoma and the surrounding rural area. Exhibit 1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS for both of its schools for 2008-09. Exhibit 1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2008-09 Campus Grade Span Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Eligible For Free or Reduced Price Meals Elementary School EC-8 111.6 59% 2% 0% 6% 33% 72% High School 9-12 201.0 70% 4% 1% 7% 19% 19% IPS Totals 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 38% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database IPS’s average property valuation per student of $14,924 is the lowest among all peer districts and less than the community group and state averages. IPS has the second highest percentage of Native American students among peers and is more than the state average. Exhibit 2 displays demographic information for IPS, the peer districts, community group, and the state for 2008-09. Exhibit 2 Demographics of IPS, Peer Districts, and State 2008-09 Ethnic Group Entity Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Average Assessed Property Valuation Per Student Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% $14,924 37.7% Blair 271.6 73% 3% 1% 17% 6% $22,350 55.0% Butner 224.1 60% 2% 0% 1% 36% $30,916 65.5% Chattanooga 277.0 86% 1% 2% 2% 9% $29,344 50.7% Duke 180.5 68% 1% 0% 27% 4% $55,193 59.2% Verden 287.9 71% 1% 2% 5% 21% $29,311 62.8% Community Group 339.6 75% 2% 1% 7% 16% $50,308 45.1% State Average 1,194.3 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% $38,875 56.3% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 3 IPS’s ADM increased by 34.22 percent during the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09. This increase was by far the highest among all peer districts, was far less than the community group, and higher than the state average for this same period (Exhibit 3). The higher student count for IPS was due to the inclusion of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program, which will affect IPS student counts through the 2009-10 year. Exhibit 3 IPS, Peer Districts, and State Student ADM Trends Average Daily Membership Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 232.9 230.8 208.5 199.4 312.6 34.2% Blair 303.2 307.1 282.3 266.6 271.6 (10.4%) Butner 268.6 286.2 287.7 250.7 224.1 (16.6%) Chattanooga 261.5 263.0 280.9 260.2 277.0 5.9% Duke 187.0 206.0 201.9 190.3 180.5 (3.5%) Verden 318.1 323.5 328.0 321.6 287.9 (9.5%) Community Group 151.3 148.7 146.3 348.0 339.6 124.5% State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database COMMENDATIONS The Oklahoma Office of Accountability identified “exemplary” or “best practices” in Indiahoma Public Schools that led to 40 commendations. This report highlights the model programs, services, and operations of the district. The Office of Accountability recommends that other school districts throughout Oklahoma examine these exemplary programs and services to see if they could be adapted to meet local needs of other communities. The commendations are listed below and in each chapter. Chapter 1: MANAGEMENT, PERSONNEL, AND COMMUNICATIONS By using independently created and maintained financial analyses, based upon information contained on Indiahoma Public Schools automated financial system, the superintendent has been able to effectively manage finances and share this information with the School Board, district staff, and the public when necessary. Chapter 2: INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY IPS uses grant funds to provide a comprehensive after school program for students in grades 7- 12 that compliment the academic program and support increased achievement. IPS partners with the Great Plains Technology Center to supplement district programs and extend opportunities for career preparation and academic support. IPS has a career exploration and job shadowing program that provides students with academic focus and direction for post-secondary planning. Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 4 WCL ENTERPRISES Chapter 4: FACILITIES USE AND MANAGEMENT By involving district staff, establishing a series of regular procedures, and enforcing district policies, IPS provides a safe and secure environment for students and staff. Chapter 5: SUPPORT SERVICES IPS utilizes spare parts to repair computers rather than purchase new or refurbished parts. Although the parts are harvested from broken computers, items such as a mouse, keyboards, speakers, or memory can be used in other systems. This saves the district time and money in repairing minor computer hardware problems. IPS uses their insurance company’s program on school bus safety to educate students PreK through grade 6 on proper school bus behavior and safety. This program is used at no cost to the district. ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATIONS WCL ENTERPRISES’ recommendations would result in some savings that could be redirected into the classroom. The savings opportunities identified in this report are conservative and should be considered minimums. Proposed investments of additional funds usually are related to increased efficiencies or savings, or improved productivity and effectiveness. All estimable savings and costs are listed in Exhibit 4. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROJECTED TOTAL SAVINGS A detailed list of recommendations with costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4 and in each chapter. Detailed implementation strategies and the estimates of fiscal impact follow each recommendation in this report. The implementation section associated with each recommendation highlights the actions necessary to achieve the proposed results. Many of the recommendations have no costs or savings attached, but are designed to formalize, improve, and streamline operations. It must be understood that not all of the recommendations can be started at one time. The consulting team did not want to place priorities by indicating which should be implemented immediately and which ones implemented later. It will be up to the district to decide which ones to implement and the timelines for beginning implementation. WCL ENTERPRISES recommends that the IPS Board of Education ask district administrators to review the recommendations, develop an implementation plan, and monitor its progress. OSPR staff is available to help implement proposals. Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 5 Exhibit 4 Summary of Costs and Savings by Recommendations Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings Chapter 1 Management, Personnel, and Communications 1 Indiahoma Public Schools should hold School Board workshops focusing on operations and educational achievement planning for students. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 Indiahoma Public School Board members should receive a packet with appropriate contents in advance of all regular and Special Board meetings. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 Subscribe to the OSSBA’s Maintenance Subscription Service and the Policy Review Service. ($1,500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($3,500) 4 To ensure confidentiality, IPS should secure personnel records in locked file cabinets in an area with limited accessibility. ($390) $0 $0 $0 $0 ($390) 5 Develop a systematic process for making staffing decisions that includes careful consideration of the impact to district programs and services. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6 Develop a coordinated volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement in the district’s schools. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal ($1,890) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($3,890) Chapter 2 Instructional Delivery 1 Develop scope and sequence documents in all content areas and grade levels to define PASS objectives and determine the instructional sequence of objectives. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 IPS should structure time to provide teachers opportunities to work together across grades to address curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure increased student performance. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 The superintendent should work with the principal and counselor to develop a plan for using the EPAS EXPLORE and PLAN data to support student career planning and to increase student achievement. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 Develop a plan for using professional development days to support curriculum $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 6 WCL ENTERPRISES Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings development, data analysis, and instructional delivery. 5 Develop a gifted program for elementary students that includes a defined curriculum and an established schedule of services to ensure that learning experiences align across grades to maximize student learning. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6 Review the needs of the IPS Special Education Program each year to ensure that decisions regarding funding, staffing, and supporting interventions specifically address the needs and learning goals of all students. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 7 Develop a Guidance and Counseling Plan that provides a comprehensive program for grades PreK-12th to address student needs across levels and provides guidance services for all students. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 Develop a coordinated Indian Education program to ensure that students receive the supplemental educational support allowed by the allocated resources. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Chapter 3 Business Operations 1 Expand the Treasurer function to include the performance of necessary controls over all financial matters on a monthly basis. ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($35,000) 2 Establish a budgetary process that is timely and easily understood, and involves all stakeholders. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 Expand the current monthly financial reports to include specific types of revenues and expenditures, a comparison with the previous year’s financial information, and a more detailed treasurer’s report. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 Itemize the total authorized appropriation (from the Estimate of Need) down to individual Project- Function-Object budgets as furnished to the Oklahoma State Department of Education for Federal Grant Summary Budgets. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 5 Develop fixed asset tracking polices and track fixed assets acquired with district funds. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 7 Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings 6 Establish selection criteria for the local banking services contract and solicit proposals. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 7 Make sure to compensate employees in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 Develop and implement a policy outlining the duties surrounding textbook issuance and maintenance. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 9 A system should be developed whereby the sponsors bring the deposits, with an attached deposit reconciliation form, to the activity fund custodian on a daily basis. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($7,000) ($35,000) Chapter 4 Facilities Use and Management 1 IPS Board of Education should organize a formal committee consisting of several School Board members, district patrons, business leaders, and district staff to help develop a long-range facilities master plan. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 IPS should develop a comprehensive facilities database to maintain accurate records on all of its facilities. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 3 IPS should evaluate and consider including the noted items from the site visits into the scope of work for future bond programs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 IPS should consult with other districts, as well as legal council, to obtain modified versions of the standard AIA design services and construction contract documents, and then change the standard general conditions and supplementary conditions to best meet district needs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 5 IPS should develop facility design and construction standards, along with educational specifications, so that equity between facilities can be obtained. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6 IPS should locate any facility related documents that may exist and create an environmentally conditioned and fire-rated space within an existing building to store all of its facility related documents for ready reference and to protect this critical information from $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 8 WCL ENTERPRISES Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings being damaged. 7 IPS should include the noted items as part of their long-range facilities master plan for consideration as part of future bond election. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 IPS should, at a minimum, develop a spreadsheet to track district maintenance work orders, equipment inventory, labor and material costs, purchase orders, and preventive maintenance requirements. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 9 The IPS Maintenance Department should develop a preventive maintenance program and long-range facilities maintenance plan. ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($12,500) 10 IPS should provide in-house training for its maintenance employee by bringing training materials and possibly trainers to the district or allowing him to team-up with neighboring districts to attend safety trainings. ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($2,500) 11 IPS should explore the possibility of hiring at least a part-time employee to share the custodial responsibilities of the facility. ($5,500) ($5,500) ($5,500) ($5,500) ($5,500) ($27,500) 12 IPS should provide training for their custodian in the use and storage of cleaning chemicals as well as basic cleaning practices. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 13 IPS should consider installation of a central air and heating system along with a comprehensive energy management control system. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 14 IPS should consider purchasing one of the available energy accounting software programs. ($672) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($5,360) 15 IPS should develop a comprehensive energy management program to be adopted by the Board of Education. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 16 IPS should consider either allocating funds within their current budget to replace the windows in the Jr/Sr High School Building or include this replacement cost in a future bond program. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 17 IPS should evaluate its actual cost to operate buildings and develop a rental rate schedule and policy for facility use by community and outside groups to $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 9 Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings ensure that IPS will be reimbursed for costs incurred in any facility rental. 18 IPS should develop a formal rental agreement with legal counsel to address the risks associated with the leasing of district facilities to outside groups and recommend revisions to board policy for approval and adoption by the Board of Education. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 19 The fall zones conditions around playground equipment should be brought into compliance with Oklahoma Department of Labor safety standards. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 20 Video surveillance warning signs should be installed around the perimeter of all district owned or operated facilities. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 21 Campus administrators should ensure that all hazardous material storage spaces are kept secure at all times. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 22 The superintendent and campus principal should develop strategies and implement procedures that will mitigate the long-term use of extension cords and power strips in IPS. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 23 An all-hazards emergency operations plan should be developed and implemented. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 24 All district personnel should receive emergency management training, and the emergency response plan should be routinely exercised beyond fire, tornado, and lockdown drills. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 25 The National Incident Management System should be adopted and used by Indiahoma Public Schools to manage all emergency incidents and events. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 26 Students with special needs or disabilities should be specifically assisted during emergencies and evacuations. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal ($9,172) ($9,672) ($9,672) ($9,672) ($9,672) ($47,860) Chapter 5 Support Services 1 Evaluate options for optimal organizational structure to ensure monitoring, compliance, and technical assistance in the kitchen operations. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2 IPS should only code food service $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Executive Summary Indiahoma PS Performance Review 10 WCL ENTERPRISES Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings financial transactions from special revenue fund code 22. 3 IPS food service program should comply with program regulations and implement the use of all required records and documents. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 4 IPS should pre-cost menus in advance to determine the amount the district should charge to cover the cost of the meal being served. $21,912 $21,912 $21,912 $21,912 $21,912 $109,560 5 The Food Service Department should follow the State Department of Education School Food Service Compliance Document recommendation for meals per labor hour. $10,640 $10,640 $10,640 $10,640 $10,640 $53,200 6 IPS food service program should follow procurement regulation for the purchase of their food and non-food supplies. $6,884 $6,884 $6,884 $6,884 $6,884 $34,420 7 IPS’ technology staff should revise and update its Internet filter content manager provided by Scholastic Communications to allow teachers access to appropriate sites in order to integrate technology into their lessons. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 8 IPS should develop and test a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that outlines the steps to take to insure timely recovery of district critical data. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 9 IPS should develop and implement a software and hardware purchase and implementation plan that includes all parties involved in the assessment, purchase, implementation and evaluation of any requested technology product. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 10 IPS should centralize its servers to one location to better manage server content, optimize performance, and provide an efficient method of accessing servers. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 11 IPS should develop a comprehensive professional development plan for technology that coordinates the training opportunities for all teachers to have the necessary skills for integrating technology into classroom instruction. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12 The principal should review the state requirements for pre-trip school bus inspections. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 13 The daily pre-trip inspection forms, $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Indiahoma PS Performance Review Executive Summary WCL ENTERPRISES 11 Estimated (Cost)/Savings Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Total 5- Year (Costs) or Savings when completed, should be given to the school principal each day after the driver completes his or her route. 14 A folder should be created for each school bus and district-owned vehicle. Whenever work is performed, a record should be kept of what repairs were made, the date of the repairs and the cost of the repairs. These records should be grouped by fiscal year to track annual repairs and related costs. Daily fuel records could also be included in tracking costs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 15 The school principal should review both routes. With each route bus starting from the school, describe the direction ventured, street name if available, and distance from one turn to the next and one stop to the next for the entire route. Also, identify each stop by address, name, and description. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $197,180 Total recurring savings $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $39,436 $197,180 Total recurring costs ($18,062 ($17,172) ($17,172) ($17,172) ($17,172) ($86,750) Total net savings and costs $21,374 $22,264 $22,264 $22,264 $22,264 $110,430 Chapter 1: Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-1 Chapter 1 Management, Personnel, and Communications This chapter addresses the management, personnel, and communications of the Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) in the following sections: A. Management and Planning B. Personnel Management C. Communications and Community Involvement The organization and management of a school district involves cooperation between elected members of the Board of Education and staff of the district. The School Board’s role is to set goals and objectives for the district in both instructional and operational areas, determine the policies by which the district will be governed, approve the plans to implement those policies, provide the funding sources necessary to carry out the plans, and evaluate the results of the plans. Once the School Board adopts the goals and objectives of the district, it is the responsibility of the superintendent and staff to establish policies and procedures to achieve these end results. That achievement involves the hiring and retention of employees as well as ongoing communication with the community to ensure an understanding of those goals and the district’s efforts to accomplish them. Background Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) is located in southwest Oklahoma just over 23 miles west of Lawton along US Highway 62, just south of the western end of Fort Sill Army Post in Comanche County. IPS includes grades EC-12 in one elementary school and one high school. The district covers 123 square miles with 2.5 students per square mile and serves Indiahoma and the surrounding rural area. According to the IPS Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP) for 2007 through 2013, a committee of educators, and parents serving on the IPS CLEP Committee developed IPS’s mission statement, goals, and plans. The IPS CLEP included the following sections: • Mission Statement. • Demographics, district profile and overview – student achievement. • Extended learning opportunities. • Goals, objectives, strategies, and resources. • Action plan for parental involvement. • CLEP Timeline. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-2 WCL ENTERPRISES • Reading sufficiency. • Remediation plan. • Professional development plan and professional learning activities for the past two years. • Alternative education. • Deregulation. • Assurance statement. • Quality time analysis. • Title I site plans for all grades. The district’s mission statement is: The Indiahoma Board of Education, in partnership with our school and community, will provide a quality education for all children. This education will be provided in a safe, respectful environment and will maximize the potential of students to become effective, successful, productive citizens of tomorrow. The district’s philosophy is: To expect the very best academically and behaviorally of our students. It is our belief that these ideals are an integral part of our lives as citizens living under the U.S. Constitution that affords each student equal educational opportunities to achieve their highest goals. We encourage all students to abide by a code of behavior that promotes good citizenship and compliments the educational process. We believe that all students can learn and by uniting together in this great endeavor, the results will be educated and disciplined young people prepared to meet the challenges of our ever-changing society. We are here to meet the needs of our children and our community, to help our students reach their highest potential educationally, and to cultivate citizens and leaders who will rise above mediocrity. Demographics Exhibit 1-1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS for both of its schools for 2008-09. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-3 Exhibit 1-1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2008-09 Campus Grade Span Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Eligible For Free or Reduced Price Meals Elementary School EC-8 111.6 59% 2% 0% 6% 33% 72% High School 9-12 201.0 70% 4% 1% 7% 19% 19% IPS Totals 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 38% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Based on size, geography, and demographics, the Office of Accountability selected five Oklahoma school districts to serve as peer districts for comparative purposes: Butner, Duke, Verden, Chattanooga, and Blair. This report calls these five districts “peer districts” throughout this report. For further comparison, a community group average is also used throughout this chapter. IPS falls into Community Group G1 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, primarily due to the assignment of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program. Community Group G1 includes districts with average daily memberships (ADM) of between 250 and 499 students. The “1” indicates that the percentage of IPS students eligible for free and reduced price meals was below the state average. For years prior to 2008-09, IPS fell into Community Group H2, which includes districts with average daily memberships (ADM) of fewer than 250 students. The “2” indicates that the percentage of IPS students eligible for free and reduced price meals was above the state average. IPS’s average property valuation per student of $14,924 is the lowest among all peer districts and less than the community group and state averages. IPS has the second highest percentage of Native American students among peers and is more than the state average. Exhibit 1-2 displays demographic information for IPS, the peer districts, community group, and the state for 2008-09. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-4 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 1-2 Demographics of IPS, Peer Districts, and State 2008-09 Ethnic Group Entity Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Average Assessed Property Valuation Per Student Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% $14,924 37.7% Blair 271.6 73% 3% 1% 17% 6% $22,350 55.0% Butner 224.1 60% 2% 0% 1% 36% $30,916 65.5% Chattanooga 277.0 86% 1% 2% 2% 9% $29,344 50.7% Duke 180.5 68% 1% 0% 27% 4% $55,193 59.2% Verden 287.9 71% 1% 2% 5% 21% $29,311 62.8% Community Group 339.6 75% 2% 1% 7% 16% $50,308 45.1% State Average 1,194.3 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% $38,875 56.3% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database IPS’s ADM increased by 34.22 percent during the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09. This increase was by far the highest among all peer districts, was far less than the community group, and higher than the state average for this same period (Exhibit 1-3). The higher student count for IPS was due to the inclusion of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program, which will affect IPS student counts through the 2009-10 year. Exhibit 1-3 IPS, Peer Districts, and State Student ADM Trends Average Daily Membership Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 232.9 230.8 208.5 199.4 312.6 34.2% Blair 303.2 307.1 282.3 266.6 271.6 (10.4%) Butner 268.6 286.2 287.7 250.7 224.1 (16.6%) Chattanooga 261.5 263.0 280.9 260.2 277.0 5.9% Duke 187.0 206.0 201.9 190.3 180.5 (3.5%) Verden 318.1 323.5 328.0 321.6 287.9 (9.5%) Community Group 151.3 148.7 146.3 348.0 339.6 124.5% State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Among ethnic groups, IPS experienced the biggest change in the Caucasian category, increasing 12 percent for the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09 (Exhibit 1-4). During this same period, average assessed property valuation per student decreased by 13 percent and students eligible for free or reduced meals decreased by 19 percent. The higher student counts for IPS due to the inclusion of students from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program, which will affect IPS student counts through the 2009-10 year, is the primary reason for these changes. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-5 Exhibit 1-4 Change in Demographics of IPS Ethnic Group School Year Average Daily Membership Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Average Assessed Property Valuation Per Student Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals 2008-09 312.6 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% $14,924 37.7% 2007-08 199.4 57% 1% 2% 5% 34% $21,731 64.7% 2006-07 208.5 55% 1% 0% 5% 38% $19,807 63.8% 2005-06 230.8 56% 0% 0% 6% 38% $17,660 62.8% 2004-05 232.9 54% 0% 0% 6% 39% $17,096 57.1% Change 34% 12% 3% 1% 1% (15%) (13%) (19%) Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database School Board Governance Oklahoma state education laws, as codified in the Oklahoma School Law Book (OSLB) and district policies, establish the powers and responsibilities of the district board of education and the superintendent. The OSLB contains 12 chapters subdivided by applicable topic into articles that are further subdivided by sections (Exhibit 1-5). Each section provides legal guidance for school district governance and operations. Exhibit 1-5 Oklahoma School Law Book Chapters, Articles, and Sections Chapter No. - Title Articles Sections 1 - Oklahoma School Code I-XXIV 1-517 2 – Administration I-VII 518-521 3 – Bonds I-II 522-619 4 - Funds And Finance I-V 620-707 5 - Elections And Ethics I-II 708-727 6 – Personnel I-V 728-802 7 – Students I-III 803-841 8 – Instruction I-IX 842-919 9 - Facilities And Equipment I-VII 920-1005 10 - Career And Technology Education I 1006-1016 11 – Transportation I-III 1017-1027 12 - Safety And Security I-VII 1028-1062 Appendix A Appropriation Bills Relating to Education Appendix B Senate Bill No. 1114 Appendix C Amendments, Repeals, and New Sections Appendix D Table of Statutes Index Source: Oklahoma School Law Book, Oklahoma State Department of Education Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-6 WCL ENTERPRISES OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 54 states, “Every school district shall be a body corporate and shall possess the usual powers of a corporation…” OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 55 states, “The governing board of each school district in Oklahoma is hereby designated and shall hereafter be known as the Board of Education of such district.” Powers and duties of the Board of Education are contained in OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 68. These powers and duties cover all activities related to operating public school districts. Key powers and duties prescribed in OSLB include election of officers, establishing School Board policies, building and operating schools and related facilities, and contracting for an annual audit of all district funds and school activity funds. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 56 addresses the size and election of School Boards in Oklahoma, and Section 77 provides a description of the required officers for School Boards in Oklahoma. The IPS Board of Education consists of five members elected by the citizens of IPS, all serving five-year terms (Exhibit 1-6). Exhibit 1-6 IPS Board Members March 2011 Board Member Board Position Term Expires Occupation Ron Kenney President 2014 Goodyear (manufacturing) Skip Voegli Vice-President 2015 Retired veteran Chase Morgan Board Clerk 2016 Fireman Glenn Lonetree Member 2012 Goodyear (manufacturing) * 2013 Source: IPS Business manager, March 2011 *This position to be decided by runoff election on April 5, 2011. Elections are held each year in February on a date set by the state. At the first regular, special, or emergency meeting after the annual School Board election and certification of election of new members, the IPS School Board organizes itself by electing officers. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Sections 78, 79, and 80 list the duties of each officer of the Board of Education. The School Board must also select a secretary, who may or may not be a member of the School Board. At IPS the superintendent’s assistant also serves as secretary for the Board of Education. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. I, Sections 57 and 58 outline the training requirements for Oklahoma School Board members. New School Board members are required to complete 12 hours of instruction on education issues, including school finance; Oklahoma education laws and ethics; and duties and responsibilities of district Board of Education members within 15 months following election. Every member of a school district Board of Education elected to a full term of office of five years or more shall also be required to attend a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education. Authorized training may be taken in State Department of Education’s New School Board Member Workshops, State Board of Education approved workshops and seminars, or higher education institution workshops/seminars/classes. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-7 Board of Education Meetings The IPS Board of Education meets on the second Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the school library. The meeting place and time may be changed by agreement of the majority of the School Board. Special meetings are held as needed, and School Board members receive their agendas and any supporting information in advance of the meeting. The superintendent’s assistant handles Board of Education secretary duties and prepares the School Board minutes for final approval by the School Board. Oklahoma statutes and IPS School Board policy require all Board of Education meetings to be held in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act (OOMA). The OOMA is included in Title 25 of Oklahoma Statutes Sections 301 through 314 (Exhibit 1-7). According to section 302 of OOMA, it is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma to encourage and facilitate an informed citizenry’s understanding of governmental processes and problems. Exhibit 1-7 Oklahoma Open Meeting Act Sections Section Section Subject 301 Citation. 302 Public policy. 303 Times and places — Advance notice. 304 Definitions. 305 Recording of votes 306 Circumvention of act — Teleconferences accepted. 307 Executive sessions. 307.1 Teleconference Exceptions. 308 Meeting between Governor and majority of members of public body. 309 Legislature. 310 Legislative committee members attending executive sessions. 311 Public bodies — Notice. 312 Minutes of meetings — Recording of Proceedings. 313 Actions taken in willful violation of act. 314 Violations — Misdemeanor — Penalty. Source: Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, Forty-Ninth Oklahoma Legislature, First Regular Session, 2003 All Oklahoma public Boards of Education are required to adhere to the OOMA. Section 307 of OOMA provides for requirements regarding executive sessions of School Boards and violations of which could lead to members facing criminal prosecution. Accordingly, executive sessions of the IPS School Board are convened only for specific purposes (Exhibit 1-8). An executive session for the purpose of discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property is limited to IPS School Board members, the IPS attorney, and immediate IPS staff. No landowner, real estate sales person, broker, developer, or any other person who may profit directly or indirectly from a proposed transaction concerning real property under consideration may be present or participate in the executive session. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-8 WCL ENTERPRISES Executive sessions are noted on the IPS agenda, which contain sufficient information for the public to ascertain that an executive session will be held identifying the items of business and purposes of the executive session. All executive sessions are required to be authorized by a majority vote of a quorum of the members present and the vote is recorded. Except for matters considered in executive session, which are required by state or federal law to be confidential, any vote or action on any item of business considered in an executive session is taken in the public portion of the Board of Education meeting with the vote of each member publicly cast and recorded. Exhibit 1-8 Specific Purposes of School Board Executive Sessions In Accordance with Section 307 of The Oklahoma Open Meeting Act Item Description 1 Discussing the employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or resignation of any individual salaried public officer or employee; 2 Discussing negotiations concerning employees and representatives of employee groups; 3 Discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property; 4 Confidential communications between a public body and its attorney concerning a pending investigation, claim, or action if the public body, with the advice of its attorney, determines that disclosure will seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the claim or conduct a pending investigation, litigation, or proceeding in the public interest; 5 Permitting district Boards of Education to hear evidence and discuss the expulsion or suspension of a student when requested by the student involved or the student’s parent, attorney, or legal guardian; 6 Discussing matters involving a specific handicapped child; 7 Discussing any matter where disclosure of information would violate confidentiality requirements of state or federal law; 8 Engaging in deliberations or rendering a final or intermediate decision in an individual proceeding pursuant to Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act; or 9 Discussing the following: a. the investigation of a plan or scheme to commit an act of terrorism, b. assessments of the vulnerability of government facilities or public improvements to an act of terrorism, c. plans for deterrence or prevention of or protection from an act of terrorism, d. plans for response or remediation after an act of terrorism, e. information technology of the public body but only if the discussion specifically identifies: (1) design or functional schematics that demonstrate the relationship or connections between devices or systems, (2) system configuration information, (3) security monitoring and response equipment placement and configuration, (4) specific location or placement of systems, components, or devices, (5) system identification numbers, names, or connecting circuits, (6) business continuity and disaster planning, or response plans, or (7) investigation information directly related to security penetrations or denial of services f. the investigation of an act of terrorism that has already been committed. Source: Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, Forty-Ninth Oklahoma Legislature, First Regular Session, 2003 Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-9 A. MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING An effective central office organization structure is essential to the efficient and effective delivery of services throughout a school district. Efficient central office structures have the appropriate spans of control for district leadership with clearly defined lines of authority that are reflected in the district’s organization charts. Effective central office structures encourage communication at all levels. The superintendent of a school district serves as the chief executive officer and is the administrative leader responsible for policy implementation and the day-to-day operation of the school district. IPS hired the current superintendent, Barbalee Blair, under a two-year contract covering the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. The IPS superintendent position is currently being advertised as being open for the 2011-12 school year. Due to the district’s size with approximately 200 onsite students, the superintendent and high school principal constitute IPS’ district administration. The superintendent and high school principal direct the district’s 36 staff members, including 22 certified personnel and 14 support personnel, on a daily basis. In Oklahoma, school district planning requirements are included in OSLB. Ch. 1, Art. III, Section 31 requires that each school district board of education prepare and adopt a six-year Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP). At a minimum, the plan must contain: • A school improvement plan • An alternative education plan (submitted annually) • A reading sufficiency plan (submitted annually) • A quality time analysis (submitted annually) Instead of submitting the CLEP and any updates to the state, the state’s regional accreditation officers (RAO) check with districts during the annual accreditation process to ensure that the plans and updates are being done properly. FINDING 1-1 Despite the small size and staffing constraints IPS faces on an ongoing basis, including the limited availability of financial information from the current automated system, the IPS superintendent has taken steps to monitor the budget regularly by preparing independent financial analyses monthly for School Board review and for overseeing routine operations. The superintendent maintains automated spreadsheets for budget measurement with actual revenue and expenditure information for all local funds, child nutrition, federal title, and federal Special Education programs in a format consistent with Oklahoma Cost Accounting System (OCAS) information for submission to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE). The Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-10 WCL ENTERPRISES superintendent shares this information with the School Board at monthly meetings and with the high school principal and other key staff in managing the district’s finances. By doing this, IPS has a plan to deal with reduced state funding in the short-term, primarily due to current and projected state funding cuts and further cuts of up to $370,000 annually for the 2010-11, as well as future fiscal periods due to discontinued participation in the Oklahoma Virtual Academy program. COMMENDATION By using independently created and maintained financial analyses, based upon information contained on Indiahoma Public Schools automated financial system, the superintendent has been able to effectively manage finances and share this information with the School Board, district staff, and the public when necessary. FINDING 1-2 The School Board is divided in policy setting and future educational objectives for IPS. The IPS Board of Education does not serve as a team of six with the superintendent. As a result, key management and planning issues are not addressed in a systemic manner. The IPS administration does not maintain records for state required School Board training. Contributing to this lack of a coordinated approach are the following: • The School Board does not seem overly concerned with instructional matters. • The School Board has not participated in orientation as new members are elected. • The School Board listens to complaints of the teachers as its main information gathering tool. • The community is quite supportive of the school; however, change, even positive change, is discouraged by the teachers and the School Board. • The School Board participates only minimally in professional development. • School Board members sometimes fail to follow the chain of command protocol. • The district does not use retreats or workshops to address issues. • There is no evidence of organized goal setting activities. • Task forces and committees are not frequently used by the district. Expansion of new School Board members’ orientation process would assist the School Board in their effectiveness in the operational areas, especially student performance goals, while ongoing School Board member instruction will enhance board oversight related to the main purposes of the district: student educational achievement. The School Board would benefit from periodic Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-11 retreats or workshops to address goal setting for current and future educational and operational plans held in a local setting. Many school districts provide these opportunities to School Board members through in-depth workshops at least bi-annually through two to four hour workshops in a relaxed setting, either at the district’s offices on a non-workday, or even at an offsite location. This gives all School Board members, including newly elected ones, an opportunity to learn in-depth what the major programs of the district are designed to achieve. RECOMMENDATION Indiahoma Public Schools should hold School Board workshops focusing on operations and educational achievement planning for students. These workshops should be held at least every six months and be of two to four hours in duration. The superintendent should coordinate this activity with the School Board for timing and content. This opportunity should give new board members a chance to gain a basic understanding of the district’s operations and provide all School Board members an opportunity to be involved in planning educational objectives for the district’s students. As a part of this activity, IPS administrators should maintain a record of each School Board member’s hours fulfilled toward state training requirements. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 1-3 The superintendent routinely communicates with the School Board members by phone, with little written communication other than what is on the agenda for regular and special meetings. As a result, School Board members are not cognizant of how the IPS budget is being affected by state funding problems. Board members do not know about policies that the district may have adopted. Many districts prepare a packet for distribution to the School Board prior to all regular and special board meetings. Common contents of the board packets include: • Detailed information on each agenda item with supporting information for all action requests. • Current information on student achievement, including test scores and related data. • Complete financial information for the year and month to facilitate discussion of short and long-term outlooks. • Copies of all contracts and agreements that may be considered at the School Board meeting. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-12 WCL ENTERPRISES • Any other information that would be appropriate based upon the School Board meeting agenda items. RECOMMENDATION Indiahoma Public School Board members should receive a packet with appropriate contents in advance of all regular and Special School Board meetings. The superintendent should oversee the preparation of these packets. The School Board members should have these packets available to them in advance of all School Board meetings. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 1-4 Although, IPS has used the OSSBA policy service subscription in the past, IPS School Board policies have not been reviewed comprehensively since 2004. As a result, the board is not familiar with IPS board policies and the district is at risk of noncompliance with federal and state laws. A comprehensive update of School Board policies is part of the superintendent’s initial goals for IPS and the superintendent desires to make policies available online for transparency purposes. The 2004 review was done under the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) School Board policy review service. Through subscriptions to its Policy Service, OSSBA provides its members with up-to-date information regarding policies. Having policies up to date also allows them to be posted online on the school district website for easy access. The various levels of service the OSSBA provides are shown below. Costs range from $300 annually to $1,000 annually depending upon the services used. Information on these services may be found at the OSSBA web site at (http://www.ossba.org/policy-services). Policy Subscription Service - $300 per year: • New or newly revised mandated and SDE required policies - in generic format, hard copy only. • Twelve generic format policies at your request. Any policies requested over 12 will be available for $50/policy. • Monthly policy newsletter, which features at least three sample policies. • Annual policy revisions based on legislative action during subscription year (generic format in hard copy only as published in the monthly newsletter; neither CD nor e-mail will be available at this service level). Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-13 Maintenance Subscription Service - $500 per year: • Review School Board minutes monthly. • Revise or develop new customized policies based on information from the School Board minutes (within the subscription period), A district may receive 12 new or revised policies per year, or any requested, Any policies requested over 12 will be available for $50 per policy (also available on diskette). • Registration for any two School Board members or administrators at any one workshop, which addresses policy, issues (OSSBA/CCOSA Annual Conference and Preconference not included). • New or newly updated SDE required policies – customized. • Monthly policy newsletter, which features at least three sample policies. • Annual policy revisions based on legislative action during subscription year (customized; CD available at this service level). Policies customized during the subscription year are available on CD or by email. Policy Review Service $1,000 for 10-hour analysis of existing manual: • Suggested policies may be purchased at the current per policy fee of $50. • If a current policy services subscriber, suggested policies may be provided up to 12 policies with additional policies available at the current per policy fee of $50. Online Policy Service: Refer to the following website: (http://www.ossba.org/Websites/ossba/Images/Online%20Policy%20Service.pdf). The initial conversion fee (one time cost) to set up a district website that can be linked in from the regular district website is based on the number of pages included in the district’s policy: up to $1,900 plus an additional $100 per 30 pages over 700 pages. The annual hosting fee to maintain the website for online policy access is based on the number of pages included in the district’s policy: up to $1,300 plus an additional $200 per 100 pages over 700 pages. The Online Policy Service allows: • Access to the Online Policy Service from the OSSBA website. • A digital document platform to search for needed policy updates. • Full text searching in policies accessed. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-14 WCL ENTERPRISES • References the texts of Oklahoma law cited as the legal basis for policy. • High speed retrieval of information. • A guarantee of password security. • Content customization for specific districts. • Enhanced understanding of district policies and their legal requirements on a real time basis. RECOMMENDATION Subscribe to the OSSBA’s Maintenance Subscription Service and the Policy Review Service. Implementation of this recommendation will allow for inclusion of policies directly on the district’s website in electronic format. Although more costly, the superintendent should also contact OSSBA to find out more about the Online Policy Service for future consideration by the district. FISCAL IMPACT Recommendation 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2015-16 2016-17 Subscribe to the OSSBA’s Maintenance Subscription Service and the Policy Review Service. ($1,500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) Exact costs may vary depending on the number of policies reviewed or needed. The superintendent should contact OSSBA to make sure that costs are known prior to having the service performed. B. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT The human resources function of a school district substantially impacts its educational services as payroll and benefits usually comprise the largest expenditure of a school district’s budget. The human resource functions include the recruitment and retention of quality staff, development of compensation and benefit plans, creation of job descriptions and job evaluations, and the compliance to personnel policies and procedures at the local, state, and federal level. In order to ensure the mission of a school district, it is important that the human resources function be efficient and effective. Like most employers, public school districts must comply with federal laws governing human resources management. These laws include the Fair Labor Standards Act that governs wages and hourly payments as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to any employee or job applicant who has a disability. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-15 These laws also include the Equal Employment Opportunity Act that prevents employers from making hiring and firing decisions based upon age, race, religion, gender, or other factors not related to performance. In addition, state laws govern school district human resource administration in areas such as grievances, due process, termination, and contract renewal. Personnel management in IPS is the responsibility of the encumbrance clerk who is under the direct supervision of the superintendent. The encumbrance clerk manages the personnel files, employment logistics, sick leave, insurance benefits, and payroll. FINDING 1-5 IPS does not maintain personnel records in a secure location. If records are not secured, there is a risk that confidential information is lost or compromised. The personnel files and medical records are maintained separately in unlocked file cabinets in the encumbrance clerk’s office. This office is located adjacent to the superintendent’s office and serves as a reception area for visitors. The consulting team noted that when the clerk and superintendent are out of the office area, the door sometimes remains open, and the office is accessible to students, staff, and the general public. This level of accessibility puts confidential files at risk. According to Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) guidelines, personnel files and medical records should be treated as private documents and maintained in locked file cabinets in a secure location. Files should only be accessible to those people with a legitimate need to access the files. Special guidelines apply to securing and handling medical information obtained through medical examinations and tests. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that medical records must be secured and accessible only for safety and health purposes (www.shrm.org). RECOMMENDATION To ensure confidentiality, IPS should secure personnel records in locked file cabinets in an area with limited accessibility. The superintendent should work with the encumbrance clerk to select and purchase locked fireproof file cabinets to store all personnel records properly. Personnel files should be stored in separate files from medical records. The locked file cabinets should be located in the superintendent’s office. This allows accessibility by the encumbrance clerk but will put personnel records in a more restricted area. FISCAL IMPACT A fire proof, lockable vertical file cabinet can be purchased at a minimum cost of $390. Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-16 WCL ENTERPRISES FINDING 1-6 IPS does not have a systematic process for making staffing decisions. Without a clear decision-making process, staffing decisions are made without consideration of the impact to programs and services. For the 2010-11 school year, IPS reduced staffing in special education, library media, and secondary electives. In interviews with the consulting team, the superintendent and principal shared that staff reductions were made due to financial cutbacks in state funding and the decision to discontinue the virtual school program. The superintendent shared that there are no clear guidelines for making staffing decisions or for studying the potential impact of the decisions. As a result, the superintendent noted that teachers do not understand the staffing reassignments and reductions. In interviews, the principal, counselor, and teachers indicated that providing quality elective courses is challenging in a district the size of IPS. Reductions in staff can impact the ability of the district to offer electives. Staff shared that reduction of the library media specialist position from 1.0 FTE to 0.5 FTE resulted in the loss of the service learning classes. The elimination of the 1.0 FTE position that provided two middle school language arts classes, a computer elective, and elementary special education services impacted three different program areas. Districts often develop an objective process for determining staffing needs, reductions, and reassignments to ensure that the best possible decisions are made toward accomplishing district goals. In Hinton Public Schools in Oklahoma, the superintendent works with principals and teachers in developing district priorities and establishing options for budget reductions. The superintendent meets monthly with all district staff to discuss priorities and financial status. During times of financial constraint, the meetings generate options for staffing reductions or reassignments that have the least impact on student learning. This helps all staff understand how staffing and budget decisions are made, and that objective processes are used to minimize the negative impact of reductions on district programs and services. Many associations provide guidelines and formulas for staffing specific positions. The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA-CASI) provides staffing guidelines for school administrators, counselors, and media specialists. The Southern Association of Colleges and School Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI) and the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE) provide similar information for these and other positions. The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) and the Association of School business Officials International (ASBO) also provide staffing guidelines for custodial and maintenance positions. RECOMMENDATION Develop a systematic process for making staffing decisions that includes careful consideration of the impact to district programs and services. The superintendent should work with the principal and a representative group of teachers to develop a process for making staffing decisions. Consideration should be given to a workforce Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-17 planning process such as that suggested by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) (http://www.napawash.org). According to NAPA, workforce planning is a continuous process that ensures an organization has the right people in the right positions to address goals, support programs, and services. Such planning for the district would involve: • A systematic process that is integrated, methodical, and ongoing. • The identification of the human resource needs required to meet organization goals. • A determination of the number and skills of needed teachers and support staff, and where and when they will be needed. • The development of strategies to attract and retain the number and types of staff needed to meet the goals of the district in addressing student learning. As part of the process, the superintendent should consider engaging all staff in identifying needs and generating options that best aligns staffing resources to district goals. This methodical review should include a critical look at course offerings, scheduling, class size, and staff skills and credentials. Options and priorities should reflect the best possible solutions for addressing student programs and services within the existing financial constraints. The superintendent should consider a communication model similar to that used in Hinton Public Schools as a component of the workforce planning process. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. C. COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT School districts are a vital part of communities and are often associated with their identity, sense of pride, quality, and growth. In order to maintain this role, school districts develop methods to communicate their policies and programs and to involve parents and residents in the activities of the district and the individual schools. Robert Marzano’s book, What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action, ranks parental and community involvement as the third most critical factor affecting student achievement. It further states that “one of the defining features” of effective involvement is good communications. The primary role of communications in a school district is to convey a message and image consistent with the policies put forth by the Board of Education and implemented through procedures established by the superintendent and district staff. Critical components of communications include strategies for externally communicating with the community and internally communicating within the school district. Two-way communications are vital to the success of a district. Effective communications will lead to an informed staff and community, support for programs and bond issue elections, and an Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-18 WCL ENTERPRISES atmosphere of openness in the district. They also contribute to effective leadership with the School Board and superintendent serving as a leadership team. Ineffective communications result in confusion, lack of support, conflicting messages and decision-making, and a sense of detachment in the district. Effective community involvement programs should address the unique characteristics of the school district and the community. These programs can significantly affect citizen perceptions of the school system. Effective programs will garner public support and involvement in the form of parent and community volunteers, public participation in decision-making processes affecting the schools (e.g. bond issue and School Board elections), and productive business and community alliances. Exhibit 1-9 provides survey results from IPS teachers and professional staff regarding communications. Exhibit 1-9 IPS Teacher and Professional Staff Survey Results Survey Group Statement Agree No Opinion Disagree Teacher My school regularly communicates with parents. 83% 11% 6% Professional Staff The district regularly communicates with parents. 100% 0% 0% Source: WCL ENTERPRISES survey, September 2010 School districts’ web pages are often a source for communicating valuable information to the community that it serves. They also serve as a recruiting tool for prospective employees, homeowners, and businesses that are considering investing in the area. In this day and age, this tool may be the most efficient and economical method of conveying a district’s message to a broad audience. School district websites should include the following: • District information such as address, contact numbers, demographics, locations, etc. • Dates of School Board meetings and an archive of School Board meetings and minutes. • List of all the teachers and aides and email addresses for each. • Breakfast and lunch menus for each day of the current month. • Departmental staff and telephone listings. • Campus web pages. • Policies, procedures, and other critical internal information. • A listing of current employment opportunities. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-19 The current content of IPS’s website contains comparable information with that of its peer districts and is in the process of being updated (Exhibit 1-10). Exhibit 1-10 Comparison of IPS and Peer District Web Page Content District District Announcements and Other Information School Board Meeting Dates Staff Email Directory Breakfast and Lunch Menus Department and Staff and Telephone Campus Listing School Web Pages Policy and Procedures Employment Opportunities Indiahoma X X X X X X X X Blair X X X X X - - - Butner - - X - X X - - Chattanooga X X X X X X X - Duke X X X X X N/A X - Verden - - X - X - - - Source: IPS and peer district Internet websites, November 2010 FINDING 1-7 The district does not have a formal process for engaging parental engagement or soliciting, training, and using volunteers in the schools and classrooms. Most of the staff reported that parent involvement is greatest in athletics. Some parents volunteer for special events, such as the annual ice cream social. There is no Parent-Teacher Organization in any of the schools. When IPS teachers were asked to respond to the following statement on the survey, “My school has sufficient volunteers to help student and school programs,” only 28 percent agreed with the statement, while 56 percent disagreed with the statement. The Office of Accountability 2009 District Profile reports that only 33.6 percent of IPS parents attend at least one parent-teacher conference each year compared to a state average of 72.1 percent. Exhibit 1-11 shows a comparison of IPS and peer district attendance at parent-teacher conferences. IPS has the lowest attendance rate of all peer districts by a wide margin. Exhibit 1-11 Comparison of IPS and Peer Districts for Attendance at Parent-Teacher Conferences District Percentage of Parents Attending at Least One Parent-Teacher Conference Indiahoma 33.6% Blair 85.0% Butner 68.4% Chattanooga 66.6% Duke 88.1% Verden 65.7% State 72.1% Source: Office of Accountability 2009 Profiles Management, Personnel, and Communications Indiahoma Public Schools 1-20 WCL ENTERPRISES According to the superintendent, the community is not involved in the schools, only with special events or programs. She has attempted to involve the community in the schools by posting information on the marquee in front of the schools and sending flyers and newsletters home with students. Since there is no local newspaper, articles about the district appear only infrequently in the newspapers of surrounding communities. According to the superintendent, on average, articles about IPS appear about once per month between the Lawton Constitution and the Cache County Times. These facts make parent involvement difficult but also make it critical for the district to develop innovative ways to reach out to parents and involve them in their children’s education. Joyce Epstein at Johns-Hopkins University and others have documented research showing the positive effect that encouraging parental involvement has on schools and student achievement: • Fifty to eighty-five percent of the variance in achievement scores, IQ, or verbal ability can be attributed to parent, family, and home environment variables. • Parent education programs, especially those that train low-income parents to work with their children improve how well students use language skills, perform on tests, and behave in school. • Many studies have found that when parents become involved in school activities, not only do their attitudes improve, but also those of their children. Student achievement rises as well. RECOMMENDATION Develop a coordinated volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement in the district’s schools. IPS should develop a volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement. The superintendent should form a committee that includes administrators, teachers, parents, and community members to develop this program. The program should seek consistency in policies and practices throughout the district and should also be formally approved by the School Board. It should be flexible in thinking of opportunities for parents to be involved in the school outside of the traditional concept of classroom volunteering. The National Parent Teacher Association’s Seven Steps to a Successful Volunteer Program provides useful information for creating and maintaining an active school volunteer program. IPS should use these seven steps as a guide in developing their own program: • Assessing volunteer needs each school has. • Working with and training, principals, teachers, and school staff on effectively using and supervising volunteers. • Setting goals and objectives for volunteer assignments. Indiahoma Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications WCL ENTERPRISES 1-21 • Recruiting volunteers. • Training and orienting volunteers. • Training and recognizing volunteers. • Evaluating volunteer performance and program success. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. Chapter 2: Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-1 Chapter 2 Instructional Delivery This chapter examines the instructional delivery of Indiahoma Public Schools (IPS) in the following sections: A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance B. Professional Development C. Gifted and Talented Education D. Special Education E. Career and Technology Education F. Guidance and Counseling G. Federal Programs H. Textbooks The primary purpose of any school system is educating children. Effective instructional delivery is based upon the district’s mission for educating students and requires policies and procedures to direct the instructional process, well designed programs to meet the needs of all students, and resources to support program implementation. The monitoring and evaluation of program effectiveness based on student performance data is also essential. School districts offer educational services to students through a variety of programs including regular education programs and special programs. Special programs are designed to provide quality services for certain student populations, such as those in Gifted and Talented Education, Special Education, and Career and Technology Education. Background Exhibit 2-1 provides fall enrollment, ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS and each of its schools for 2008-09 and comparative data for the state. Exhibit 2-1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2008-09 Campus Grade Span Fall Enrollment Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Eligible For Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma Elementary School EC- 8 126 59% 2% 0% 6% 33% 72% Indiahoma Secondary School 9-12 227 70% 4% 1% 7% 19% 19% District Totals 353 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 38% State Totals 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-2 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-2 provides ethnicity and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for IPS, each of the peer districts, the comparison community group, and the state. Exhibit 2-2 Demographic Data 2008-09 Ethnic Groups Entity Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American Percentage Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals Indiahoma 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 37.7% Blair 73% 3% 1% 17% 6% 55.0% Butner 60% 2% 0% 1% 36% 65.5% Chattanooga 86% 1% 2% 2% 9% 50.7% Duke 68% 1% 0% 27% 4% 59.2% Verden 71% 1% 2% 5% 21% 62.8% Community Group 66% 3% 1% 7% 24% 37.7% State Average 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56.3% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report From 2004-05 through 2008-09, IPS’s average daily membership (ADM) increased, beginning and ending with a 34.2 percentage difference over the five year period. Compared to peer groups, only two districts experienced an increase in student population while the others had decreases. The community group noted a significant increase in ADM while the state experienced a slight increase (Exhibit 2-3). Exhibit 2-3 Student ADM Trends Average Daily Membership Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 232.9 230.8 208.5 199.4 312.6 34.2% Blair 303.2 307.1 282.3 266.6 271.6 (10.4%) Butner 268.6 286.2 287.7 250.7 224.1 (16.6%) Chattanooga 261.5 263.0 280.9 260.2 277.0 5.9% Duke 187.0 206.0 201.9 190.3 180.5 (3.5%) Verden 318.1 323.5 328.0 321.6 287.9 31.7% Community Group 151.3 148.7 146.3 348.0 339.6 124.5% State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report A. INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE Managing the instructional process to ensure academic success for all students is the responsibility of the school district. A district’s instructional program, along with its allocation of Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-3 resources, determines the extent to which the district meets the educational needs of all students. A well designed and managed process for developing curriculum and directing instruction, collecting assessment data to evaluate and monitor programs, and providing the resources needed to support educational efforts is essential if a district is to meet the needs of its students. Curriculum development and instructional delivery are critical components of student learning. The presentation of materials, concepts, skills, and new ideas greatly effect acquisition of knowledge. Curriculum content and instructional strategies must be properly aligned and regularly evaluated in order to promote improvement of student performance. Local School Boards and superintendents must provide principals and teachers with the tools necessary to consistently deliver the state adopted curriculum, Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS), and to prepare students to be successful on state mandated assessments. Districts must provide curriculum documents that clearly define standards and learning objectives for each subject and each grade so that teachers know content expectations and instructional timelines for student mastery of objectives. Starting in 1998, Tim Waters, Ed.D., Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D., and Brian McNulty, Ph.D. from Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) began synthesizing the body of research on the effects of leadership practices on student achievement. In Balanced Leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement, McREL identified 21 leadership responsibilities that are significantly associated with student achievement. They have translated the results of this research into a balanced leadership framework that describes the knowledge, skills, strategies, and tools leaders need to positively impact student achievement. The framework moves beyond abstraction to concrete responsibilities, practices, knowledge, strategies, tools, and resources that principals and others need to be effective leaders. McREL’s leadership framework is based on the idea that effective leadership means more than simply knowing what to do. Effective leadership means knowing when, how, and why to take action. A combination of knowledge and skills is the essence of balanced leadership (www.mcrel.org /balanced_leadership). Oklahoma School Testing Program Student assessment is an integral part of measuring student performance. The Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) details the various standards-based tests that students must take during the school year. The Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT) consists of criterion-referenced tests designed to measure student attainment of skills established in core classes. These skills are guided by PASS. OCCT helps monitor student and school performance relative to state-mandated curriculum standards. The OSTP program used a phase in process to increase tested grades and subjects. In 2008-09, Criterion Referenced Tests (CRT's) were administered in mathematics and reading in grades three through eight, writing in grades five and eight, science and social studies/U.S. history in grades five and eight, and geography in grade seven. End-of-Instruction (EOI) tests are administered in high school following completion of instruction for specified subject area Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-4 WCL ENTERPRISES competencies: U.S. History, Geometry, English II and III, Algebra I and II, and Biology I. On the 2008-09 CRTs, IPS grade three students performed above the community group in reading and math, above the state average in reading, and the state average in math. In reading, IPS student performance was the highest among the peer districts and the third highest in math (Exhibit 2-4). Exhibit 2-4 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Grade 3 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Indiahoma 90% 70% Blair 73% 82% Butner 25% 17% Chattanooga 81% 44% Duke ** ** Verden 82% 76% Community Group 66% 63% State Average 71% 70% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report ** Data Protected by Privacy Laws Exhibit 2-5 shows 2008-09 test results of fourth grade students in IPS. Performance was lower than the average for the community group and the state in reading and math. Compared to peer districts, IPS reading and math scores were the third highest. Exhibit 2-5 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Grade 4 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Indiahoma 57% 57% Blair ** ** Butner 31% 15% Chattanooga 64% 57% Duke 86% 71% Verden 53% 60% Community Group 70% 70% State Average 68% 71% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report ** Data Protected by Privacy Laws The 2008-09 OCCT grade five tests included five content areas: reading, math, social studies, science, and writing. Exhibit 2-6 shows the results for grade five students in IPS. Student performance was above the community group and the state average in math, social studies, science, and writing but fell below both groups in reading. Compared to its peer districts, IPS Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-5 student performance was the highest in math, social studies, science, and equaled the highest score in writing. Reading score was the second lowest among peer districts. IPS performance in both science and writing resulted in the highest score possible on both the science and writing tests. Exhibit 2-6 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 5 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Social Studies Science Writing Indiahoma 57% 86% 86% 100% 100% Blair 62% 46% 69% 92% 100% Butner 13% 25% 38% 56% 80% Chattanooga 67% 73% 80% 93% 93% Duke 60% 67% 60% 93% 93% Verden 75% 69% 69% 94% 71% Community Group 70% 66% 81% 91% 93% State Average 70% 68% 75% 87% 89% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Exhibit 2-7 shows 2008-09 test results for sixth grade students in IPS. In math, student performance was 100% and the highest among the community group and the state. Reading performance was below that of the same groups. Compared to peer districts, IPS’s performance for sixth grade in math equaled that of one district and was higher than all others. Reading performance was the second highest among peer districts. Exhibit 2-7 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 6 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Indiahoma 64% 100% Blair 53% 100% Butner 22% 80% Chattanooga 53% 93% Duke 67% 93% Verden 46% 71% Community Group 70% 93% State Average 69% 89% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Performance for students in grade seven is shown in Exhibit 2-8. The results show that IPS students scored below the community group and the state average in reading and math but above both groups in geography. Performance in geography resulted in 100 percent passing for students. Comparison to the peer districts shows IPS performance was the third lowest in reading, the lowest in math, and the highest in geography. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-6 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-8 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 7 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math Geography Indiahoma 70% 40% 100% Blair 71% 65% 94% Butner 42% 42% 83% Chattanooga 60% 70% 90% Duke 91% 55% 82% Verden 68% 63% 89% Community Group 75% 71% 93% State Average 74% 67% 88% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report The 2008-09 grade eight tests included five content areas: reading, math, history/constitution/government, science, and writing. Exhibit 2-9 shows the results for grade eight students in IPS. In reading and math, student performance was above the community group and the state average. Grade eight students scored below the community group and state in history/constitution/government and writing. Science performance was below that of the community group and above the state. Among peer groups, IPS student performance was the highest in reading and equaled the score of another peer district in math in scoring the second highest. Performance was the third lowest in history/constitution/government and science and the second lowest in writing compared to performance of peer districts. Exhibit 2-9 Percentage IPS and Peer District Grade 8 Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above 2008-09 Entity Reading Math History/ Constitution/ Government Science Writing Indiahoma 91% 82% 55% 91% 92% Blair 59% 82% 71% 94% 100% Butner 38% 38% 75% 88% 100% Chattanooga 75% 88% 63% 100% 100% Duke 70% 40% 50% 100% 90% Verden 53% 65% 41% 88% 100% Community Group 73% 68% 76% 94% 97% State Average 72% 65% 76% 90% 95% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report The EOI tests are administered to students taking the related high school level coursework. Eighth grade students taking the related coursework are included in the results of the testing program. IPS students scored above the community group in US History but below in all other tested subject areas. IPS students scored higher that state averages in Algebra I, equaled the state average in Biology I, and were below in all other tested subjects. Compared to the performance Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-7 of peer districts, students in IPS scored the highest in US History and the third lowest in Algebra I and English II. Performance was the second lowest in Biology I, Algebra II, and English III, and the lowest among peer groups in Geometry (Exhibit 2-10). Exhibit 2-10 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Regular Education, Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above on EOI Tests 2008-09 Entity Algebra I English II US History Biology I Algebra II Geometry English III Indiahoma 86% 73% 78% 75% 55% 61% 79% Blair 100% 73% 65% 76% 70% 71% 95% Butner 64% 89% 60% 47% 10% 63% 43% Chattanooga 95% 71% 63% 95% 95% 95% 92% Duke 70% 100% 70% 78% 75% 100% 90% Verden 100% 95% 65% 82% 71% 100% 100% Community Group 89% 84% 70% 76% 65% 82% 88% State Average 83% 81% 73% 75% 66% 79% 84% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Under the accountability provisions in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the federal government evaluates all public schools sites, school districts, and states for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The NCLB annual report card for IPS in 2008-09 shows that the district met the AYP standard. Exhibit 2-11 shows the percentage of students from IPS who completed the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) college bound curriculum from 04-05 through 2008-09. IPS was higher than the community group and state averages in all comparison years except 2004-05. A comparison of peer districts shows that the percentage of IPS students completing the college bound curriculum was the second lowest among peer districts in 2004-05 but was 100%, equaling that of peer districts, from 2005-06 through 2008-09. Exhibit 2-11 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Graduates Completing Regents’ College Bound Curriculum Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Indiahoma 73.3% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Blair 91.7% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Butner 78.3% 35.7% *FTR 60.0% 38.9% Chattanooga 95.0% 82.4% 92.0% 100.0% 100.0% Duke 52.9% *FTR 100.0% 71.4% 100.0% Verden 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 95.7% 100.0% Community Group 74.6% 78.3% 85.1% 88.9% 81.8% State Average 77.9% 70.1% 78.0% 81.8% 81.9% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report *Failure to Report (FTR) Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-8 WCL ENTERPRISES Oklahoma Educational Planning and Assessment System The Oklahoma Educational and Planning Assessment System (EPAS) was created by the state of Oklahoma and ACT, Inc. The system uses an integrated series of assessments and reporting services to support educators as they help students set and reach goals for life after high school. The components of EPAS are the EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT assessments. EPAS assessments provide information about academic progress at crucial points in a student’s educational career. Information provided by EPAS assessments is linked longitudinally to provide an academic information management system. These linkage reports can be used to monitor student progress overtime, detect trends, and evaluate instructional outcomes in support of school improvement efforts. The program is funded by the OSRHE and content guides are available online to assist districts in curriculum alignment and improvement efforts at: http://okhighered.org/epas/. EXPLORE, the eighth grade assessment, is the entry point to EPAS. The EXPLORE test includes objective assessments in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. It also includes activities that help young students begin the process of career and educational exploration. EXPLORE provides baseline data for monitoring student progress through the high school years. Exhibit 2-12 shows how IPS students performed on the EXPLORE test as compared to their peers nationally. IPS scores were lower than that of peers across the nation in all tested areas. Exhibit 2-12 IPS 8th Grade EXPLORE Scores Compared to the Nation 2009-10 Subject IPS Score National Score English 13.5 14.2 Mathematics 12.7 15.1 Reading 12.8 13.8 Science 15.6 15.9 Composite 13.6 14.9 Source: EXPLORE, Profile Summary Report PLAN, the tenth grade assessment, includes objective assessments in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. The educational and career planning activities are tailored to the needs of students who are preparing to make decisions about life after high school. PLAN provides a midpoint review of tenth grade students’ progress toward their educational and career goals. Exhibit 2-13 shows how IPS students performed on the PLAN test as compared to their peers nationally. IPS scores were higher than those of national peers in English and Mathematics and lower in Reading and Science. In the Composite category, performance equaled that of peers across the nation. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-9 Exhibit 2-13 IPS 10th Grade PLAN Scores Compared to the Nation 2009-10 Subject IPS Score National Score English 18.3 16.9 Mathematics 18.7 17.4 Reading 16.6 16.9 Science 17.7 18.2 Composite 17.5 17.5 Source: PLAN, Profile Summary Report The ACT assessment is designed to evaluate the general educational development of high school students and predict their ability to successfully complete college level work. The ACT assessment includes over 200 multiple choice questions covering English, math, reading, and science reasoning. It also includes an interest inventory that provides information for career and educational planning. IPS student performance on the ACT has varied from year to year. Overall, student performance decreased from 2004-05 to 2008-09 (Exhibit 2-14). IPS student performance on the ACT was above the community group average for four out of the five years reported. IPS scores were above the state average in two of the five years reviewed. Compared to peer districts, IPS students recorded the highest score in 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2008-09 and the fourth highest in all other years. Exhibit 2-14 IPS and Peer District Average ACT Composite Scores Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 22.6 20.1 18.3 19.4 21.3 (5.8%) Blair 19.6 19.6 16.8 19.8 18.5 (5.6%) Butner 21.3 18.1 23.0 19.1 18.0 (15.5%) Chattanooga 18.7 20.6 20.7 20.6 21.2 13.4% Duke 18.9 18.6 20.3 17.4 19.3 2.1% Verden 18.9 17.6 17.2 20.1 20.7 9.5% Community Group 19.2 18.8 18.7 18.2 20.3 5.7% State Average 20.6 20.6 20.8 20.8 20.8 0.9% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Dropout and Graduation Rates Exhibit 2-15 shows the four-year dropout and senior graduation rates for IPS, peer districts, the community group, and the state for 2008-09. IPS’s dropout rate was 0.0%, the lowest achievable, and equaled that of two other districts and was lower that both the community group and the state. The senior graduation rate for IPS and all comparison districts was the highest attainable rating and was above both the community group and the state graduation rates. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-10 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-15 IPS and Peer District Four-Year Dropout and Senior Graduation Rates 2008-09 Indicator Indiahoma Blair Butner Chattanooga Duke Verden Community Group State Dropout Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 8.3% 5.6% 17.9% 6.7% 12.4% Graduation Rate 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 96.8% 97.8% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Classroom Teachers The ratio of students per classroom teacher in IPS decreased slightly over a three year period (Exhibit 2-16). The district’s ratio in 2006-07 was slightly above the community group and the below the state averages. Compared to its peer districts, the ratio for students per teacher in IPS was the lowest in all years. This district ratio is no longer included on the district profiles report from the Office of Accountability so the percentage change is based on the analysis of data over three years. Exhibit 2-16 IPS and Peer District Students per Regular Classroom Teacher Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 12.0 12.0 11.9 *NA *NA (0.8%) Blair 13.7 13.0 12.5 *NA *NA (8.7%) Butner 14.1 16.6 16.6 *NA *NA 17.7% Chattanooga 12.7 13.0 13.9 *NA *NA 9.5% Duke 12.5 13.7 12.6 *NA *NA 0.8% Verden 17.6 15.9 15.2 *NA *NA (13.6%) Community Group 12.2 11.8 11.8 *NA *NA (3.3%) State Average 17.2 16.3 16.7 *NA *NA (2.9%) Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report *Data not available (NA) beyond 2006-07 The average experience of IPS teachers increased 21.1 percent from 2004-05 through 2008-09. The community group average increased 10.2 percent, and the state average decreased 0.8 percent (Exhibit 2-17). IPS teachers average more years of experience than their community group in all years except 2004-05. As compared to the state, IPS teachers have more years of experience in three of five years comparison years. IPS teachers as a whole have the second lowest years of experience among their peer districts in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and rank fourth highest in 2006-07 through 2008-09. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-11 Exhibit 2-17 IPS and Peer District Average Years of Experience of Regular Classroom Teachers Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percentage Change Indiahoma 12.3 12.8 14.1 15.2 14.9 21.1% Blair 15.9 15.5 16.3 16.3 15.6 (1.9%) Butner 12.5 12.8 13.0 9.9 9.7 (22.4%) Chattanooga 14.8 16.8 15.9 15.6 17.1 15.5% Duke 9.6 10.5 12.1 12.6 13.3 38.5% Verden 14.3 13.5 14.3 15.7 17.5 22.4% Community Group 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.8 14.0 10.2% State Average 12.8 13.3 12.7 12.7 12.7 (0.8%) Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report The percentage of teachers in IPS with advanced degrees was below the community group and state percentages in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2008-09 (Exhibit 2-18). IPS was above the community group and the state in 2006-07. Compared to its peer districts, IPS had the second lowest percentage of teachers with advanced degrees in two years, the third lowest in two years, and the third highest in 2006-07. Exhibit 2-18 Percentage of IPS and Peer District Regular Classroom Teachers with Advanced Degrees Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Indiahoma 13.0% 16.4% 28.6% 22.9% 3.3% Blair 20.8% 24.7% 29.8% 27.3% 23.9% Butner 15.8% 5.8% 17.4% 5.2% 10.9% Chattanooga 19.6% 19.0% 18.4% 17.1% 16.5% Duke 0.0% 0.0% 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% Verden 28.9% 25.7% 30.1% 25.5% 32.7% Community Group 25.5% 25.4% 23.5% 23.5% 25.6% State Average 27.8% 26.4% 26.7% 26.5% 25.7% Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Course Offerings Oklahoma high schools must offer a minimum of 34 courses per year including six core areas plus electives: four units of language arts, four units of science, four units of math, four units of social studies, two units of languages, two units in the arts, and 14 units of other electives. Exhibit 2-19 shows the number of core units offered in IPS’s high school curriculum by subject from 2004-005 through 2008-09. According to the Oklahoma Office of Accountability Report Card, IPS increased the number of core curriculum units from 11.5 in 2004-05 to 34.0 in 2008- 09. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-12 WCL ENTERPRISES Exhibit 2-19 IPS High School Core Curriculum Units by Subject Courses 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Language Arts 3.0 6.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 Science 2.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 Math 2.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 7.5 Social Studies 2.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 9.5 Fine Arts 0.5 1.0 1.0 0.0 3.0 Languages 1.5 3.0 3.0 2.5 4.0 Total 11.5 20.0 20.0 20.5 34.0 Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report Exhibit 2-20 shows the number of units offered in IPS’s high school core curriculum by subject in 2008-09 compared to the peer districts, community group, and state. IPS was below the community group and the state in language arts, science, and fine arts and above both groups in math and social studies. Compared to peer districts, IPS offered more core curriculum units than all peer districts. Exhibit 2-20 IPS and Peer District Core Curriculum Units by Subject 2008-09 Courses Indiahoma Blair Butner Chattanooga Duke Verden Community Group State Language Arts 5.0 7.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.0 6.4 8.1 Science 5.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 3.0 6.0 5.2 6.4 Math 7.5 3.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 5.9 6.6 Social Studies 9.5 4.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.6 5.8 Fine Arts 3.0 4.0 1.0 2.0 5.0 4.0 4.4 6.9 Languages 4.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.7 3.1 Total 34.0 22.5 23.0 22.0 22.0 24.0 28.1 36.8 Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report FINDING 2-1 IPS uses grant funds to provide a comprehensive after school program for students in grades 7-12. As a result, students have access to enrichment activities that complement the academic program and support increased achievement. In 2007, IPS was awarded the competitive Title IV, Part B, 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grant resulting in $600,000 in additional funds over five years. The district is currently is in the fourth year of the grant, which is designed to provide academic enrichment opportunities for children during non-school hours. IPS teachers provide the majority of the after school activities and the counselor serves as program coordinator. Student activities are scheduled during a three-hour block, Monday through Friday of each week. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-13 In interviews, the counselor shared that the district used the grant funds to create an after school program for students in grades 7-12 that offers a variety of instructional activities. These include tutorial support, academic enrichment, fine arts, physical education (PE), service learning, web design, chess, study of world cultures, and entrepreneurship. A review of the schedule noted that students are provided with an hour of academic tutoring, a snack break, 30 minutes of PE, and an hour of enrichment activities. A teacher shared that the 21st CCLC program promotes strong teacher-student relationships and provides enriched learning activities. COMMENDATION IPS uses grant funds to provide a comprehensive after school program for students in grades 7-12 that compliment the academic program and support increased achievement. FINDING 2-2 IPS does not have a curriculum scope and sequence to guide instruction. Without such a document, instruction is not consistently aligned to ensure student success and teachers new to a course or grade level are left without clear direction. In interviews, the principal and teachers indicated that PASS objectives and textbooks serve as the basis for curriculum for all grade levels. Teachers use PASS objectives and results of state mandated tests to guide instruction. According to the principal, teachers interpret PASS objectives, develop instructional strategies, and determine the sequencing and pacing of learning objectives. Comments to the consulting team by new teachers indicated that a curriculum document defining the instructional sequence and pacing for objectives was needed. Interviews with staff indicated that the district adopted textbook series provides alignment of instruction for elementary teachers. However, the adopted textbooks did not provide alignment between elementary and secondary instruction, and no other curriculum document was in place to ensure consistency from elementary to secondary grade levels. The principal noted a need to emphasize the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) recently adopted by the State Department of Education (SDE). Time for teachers to work on developing the required transition plan, which must be based on the district’s curriculum for teaching PASS, had not been allocated at the time of the review. According to the state timeline, districts should begin developing a transition plan for moving from PASS to CCSS in 2010 and continue the curriculum revision process until completion in 2014.in 2014. The SDE supports districts in aligning instruction through a technique called curriculum mapping, where teachers collaborate to create an operational curriculum rather than a static document of learning objectives. Curriculum maps include: learning objectives, what is actually taught, instructional timeline and sequence, assessment tools, instructional materials, student activities, and essential questions. This is an ongoing process that allows teachers to work together to make critical decisions about student learning and develop a clear scope and sequence for instruction. The staff from the state Office of Standards and Curriculum will assist schools through the mapping process that will align district curriculum to PASS and provide a transition to CCSS. Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-14 WCL ENTERPRISES Noble Public Schools in Noble, Oklahoma implemented curriculum mapping with support from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE) by using a process phased in over a multi-year timeline. RECOMMENDATION Develop scope and sequence documents in all content areas and grade levels to define PASS objectives and determine the instructional sequence of objectives. The principal should work with teachers to develop the scope and sequence documents or consider using resource consultants from SDE to facilitate the mapping process. Teachers from each grade level and content area should be involved in the process to discuss objectives taught, timeframe for teaching identified objectives, and to compare PASS to CCSS. Secondary teachers should develop plans for the cross content literacy strand found in CCSS. The second phase in the process should focus on establishing the sequence of instructional objectives within each grading period and ensure alignment across grade levels in each content area. Assessments tools can also be included in scope and sequence documents. Once the draft curriculum document is completed, the principal and teachers should engage in ongoing dialogue to continuously evaluate, revise, and update the instructional guides. Resulting scope and sequence documents should provide clear instructional timelines and alignment of PASS/CCSS related learning objectives for each content area across all grade levels. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 2-3 IPS does not provide opportunities for teachers to work together across grades to address curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As a result, teachers are not able to collaborate to ensure increased student performance. In interviews with the consulting team, the principal identified vertical communication across grade levels as an area for improvement. IPS has one teacher at each grade level in PreK through sixth grade, and one in each core content area at the secondary level. According to the principal, this staffing configuration means that the pacing and sequencing of curriculum is determined by the teacher at each grade level. Without structured times for vertical collaboration, there is no assurance that instruction is aligned across the district. In focus group meetings, teachers stated that discussions about curriculum and instruction occur informally during lunch, except for the structured collaboration during the textbook selection process. Elementary teachers have planning time each day when students have PE, and this schedule allows common planning periods for Kindergarten and first, second and third, and fourth through sixth. According to elementary teachers, this plan time is usually used for personal plan time, and not for cross-grade collaboration. Secondary teachers have a plan time Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-15 each day that is determined by scheduling needs. The plan time is not used to discuss content curriculum with teachers from intermediate and elementary levels. The principal and teachers noted that there were no structured opportunities for collaboration across the primary, intermediate, and secondary levels. According to the principal, teachers are asked to review assessment data on an individual basis. No time is provided for group discussion about district results. In interviews with the consulting team, teachers stated that communication between elementary and secondary teachers is limited, which results in fragmentation in curriculum and instruction, special services, and schedules for pull out programs The principal and teachers stated that weekly faculty meetings are scheduled separately for elementary and secondary teachers. Vertical communication is a critical component of continuous improvement. Teachers need time to meet routinely to discuss the sequencing of skills and assessment data in order to design instruction that improves student performance. It is necessary that teachers have the opportunity to share best practices and develop strategies to increase student performance. RECOMMENDATION IPS should structure time to provide teachers opportunities to work together across grades to address curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure increased student performance. The principal should convene secondary-elementary faculty meetings together to review current practices and explore ways of providing time for collaboration across all grade levels and content areas. Time should be provided for elementary teachers to connect with each other and with secondary teachers on a regular basis. Consideration should be given to: • Designating at least one planning period per week for vertical collaboration in those grades with common plan time. • Flexing the PE schedule to provide time for primary and intermediate teachers to meet or for intermediate teachers to meet with a designated secondary content teacher. • Scheduling the special fine arts classes, which are provided by part-time or adjunct staff, to release pairs of teachers for collaborative planning. • Planning professional development days to provide time and training for curriculum mapping. The allocated time for vertical collaboration should support teachers in creating content curriculum maps to align instruction and assessments, and provide sequencing and pacing guides across all grade levels. IPS has a teacher with training and experience in the curriculum mapping process that can work with the principal to facilitate collaborative discussions. In addition, regularly scheduled meetings should provide time for vertical teams to develop transitions’ plans for changing from PASS to CCSS, review of new state testing blueprints, analyze student performance on state tests, and align instructional strategies and units of study as a means of Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-16 WCL ENTERPRISES increasing student performance. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. FINDING 2-4 IPS does not use EPAS EXPLORE and PLAN results to assist teachers in improving student achievement. As a result, students and teachers do not use this tool to improve learning, direct career and academic planning, and align curriculum. EPAS is a comprehensive resource designed to assist students in assessing current academic development and exploring career/educational options, and to provide teachers with normative data for curriculum planning. EXPLORE and PLAN are important tools that focus attention on both career preparation and academic achievement. In interviews with the consulting team, the superintendent and counselor noted that the EPAS data from the EXPLORE and PLAN is not used to the maximum benefit. The counselor indicated that EPAS results are shared with students and the career cluster information is used in career exploration. Consultants noted that the data is not shared with teachers. EPAS linkage reports can be used to monitor student progress over time, detect trends, and evaluate instructional outcomes in support of school improvement efforts. According to the counselor, these reports are not ordered for teachers. The counselor attended training sessions on the use of EPAS and worked with Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) staff to develop a tentative plan to assist teachers in using the PLAN and EXPLORE results for curriculum alignment. According to the counselor, many teachers do not realize that the norm-referenced EPAS results provide a consistent source of student performance data. In the 2006 Journal of Oklahoma Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (OASCD), the Chancellor for the OSRHE wrote that the true value of EPAS will be attained when administrators and teachers use the data as curriculum tools. The rubric developed by OSRHE provides a framework for organizing curriculum, instruction, guidance, and leadership to work together to increase student achievement through academic and career planning. The continuity of the EXPLORE and PLAN data provides concrete evidence of the strength and weakness in the curriculum and instruction provided to students. It is the only norm-referenced data available to most schools. RECOMMENDATION The superintendent should work with the principal and counselor to develop a plan for using the EPAS EXPLORE and PLAN data to support student career planning and to increase student achievement. The superintendent and principal should meet with the counselor and a representative from Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-17 OSRHE to develop a plan that outlines strategies for using EXPLORE and PLAN as comprehensive tools for career and academic planning as well as curriculum planning. The tentative plan developed by the counselor should provide a starting point for introducing the benefits of EPAS to the teachers. The plan should outline ways to increase teachers’ understanding of the tool and how the data can be used in conjunction with EOI results to improve student achievement and to improve academic planning for students. Representatives from the OSRHE are available to provide customized professional development that presents the district’s EPAS data, crosswalks the data with EOI results, and prepares teachers and counselors to fully utilize the tool for career and academic planning. A rubric is provided for districts to use in assessing where they are in the full implementation of the EPAS program. The rubric should be used by the district in developing a plan for utilizing EPAS to improve student learning and career planning. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. The services of OSRHE are available at no cost to districts. B. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE), the purpose of professional development is to ensure that all teachers continue their education beyond initial licensing and certification. Local Boards of Education, by Oklahoma statute, must establish professional development programs for all certified, licensed teachers, and administrators of the district. Such programs must be based upon recommendations of a professional development committee, of which the majority are teachers. Since 2003, Oklahoma schools have been expected to adhere to the SDE guidelines based on the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for quality and NCLB guidelines. In 2005-2007, the SDE issued major revisions to the professional development regulations based on legislative action. These regulations expanded requirements to include data-driven professional development plans that are based on state testing and accountability data. Programs must address the five student performance goal areas outlined by SDE and the topical categories; once required, but are now optional for districts. Each year districts are required to submit a report to SDE that shows the activities under each of the five goal areas and the staff development funds expended in each. Due to reductions to the school finance budget, Oklahoma lawmakers passed House Bill 3029 in the 2010 legislative session, which waives existing professional development requirements for the years ending 2011 and 2012. Districts will have the option to continue providing ongoing learning opportunities or reallocate the state funds for alternative district needs. If schools opt to use funds for other purposes, they are not required to submit the annual state report on goal expenditures. Professional development programs enhance the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of educators in order to improve student learning. The base of knowledge in education is growing Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-18 WCL ENTERPRISES so rapidly in every academic discipline that educators must stay current and develop new expertise. FINDING 2-5 IPS does not have a coordinated plan for using professional development days to support curriculum development, data analysis, and instructional delivery. Without a defined plan, professional days are not used to provide teachers with quality experiences targeting increased student performance. In interviews with the consulting team, administrators and teachers described professional development as driven by staff interests and non-academic requirements. Program content was not focused on student performance needs. No district plan for professional development was available for review, and the 2009-10 report to the state showed $4,000 was spent on professional development activities. Teachers shared that professional development programs were predominantly planned by the principal and occasionally by the superintendent of schools. Due to current financial constraints, professional days and state sponsored workshops are the primary sources of professional development for teachers. For the 2010-2011 school year, IPS allocated five days for professional development with three days before the start of school and the remaining two days in December and April. In interviews with the consulting team, the superintendent, principal, and teachers shared that professional days were used for trainings, updates, and awareness presentations. Areas of focus include: CPR training, OSHA, special education, drug awareness, and gang prevention. Staff indicated that some time on the designated professional development days was used to work in classrooms. During the three days before school, no time was devoted to the analysis of student data or curriculum discussions focusing on academic improvement. Teachers stated that student data was not available for them to review on those professional days. The superintendent shared that data reports were held and distributed to teachers a month after the start of school. In interviews with the consulting team, the principal stated a primary instructional goal is to identify performance weakness and develop a plan for improvement. The principal shares and discusses data with individual teachers on a one on one basis. Teachers review individual student scores, but there have been no discussions of the collective data and improving student performance. According to the principal, the professional days are the only time for curriculum or data analysis related discussions; but days are not consistently used for that purpose. The principal identified the transition to the Common Core Curriculum Standards (CCCS) as a priority and emphasized the importance of providing teachers with appropriate training. McREL’s Professional Development Analysis, a research synthesis compiled in 2005, states that changes in instructional practice that impact student achievement depend on sustained and targeted professional development focused on particular content knowledge. Professional development that positively affects learning is of considerable duration, focused on specific content, characterized by collective participation, coherent, and infused with active learning. A fragmented program for professional development does not support improved student achievement across the district. Indiahoma Public Schools Instructional Delivery WCL ENTERPRISES 2-19 RECOMMENDATION Develop a plan for using professional development days to support curriculum development, data analysis, and instructional delivery. The district should establish a professional development committee that includes a representative group of district teachers and the counselor. The principal should work with the committee to develop a comprehensive multi-year plan for using professional development days that are focused on student achievement. The plan should initially address data analysis and curriculum related issues, and then be expanded to include appropriate instructional strategies. The days before the start of school should be targeted for data analysis discussions. The SDE timeline and planning tools for implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are available as resources for planning professional days. A team that includes primary, intermediate, and secondary teachers should be identified to attend CCSS training with the principal. This team can be available to facilitate discussions that assist teachers in comparing CCSS with PASS in order to develop a framework for transition. The planning process and plan should also consider partnerships to access professional development needs and possible grant funds to support training needs. Partnerships might include Cache and Lawton school districts and the Professional Development Center in Lawton, which serves schools in Comanche County. By coordinating school calendars with surrounding districts, IPS could schedule the same professional days and create the opportunity for sharing resources, such as SDE curriculum specialists. The Great Plains Museum is also a resource for curriculum support and professional development in inquiry-based science through the Oklahoma Museum network. As McREL researchers point out in Professional Development Analysis, rural districts may have difficulty organizing centralized and high quality professional development. Partnerships, regional coalitions, and state funded professional development institutes are means of supporting quality professional development to address student achievement. FISCAL IMPACT This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources. C. GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION Article VII, Section 904 of the Oklahoma School Code defines gifted and talented children as those children identified at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level as having demonstrated potential abilities of high performance capabilities and needing differentiated or accelerated educational services. The definition includes students who scored in the top three percent on any national standardized test of intellectual ability or who excel in the areas of creative thinking ability, leadership ability, visual performing arts ability, and specific academic ability. Section 910 of the Oklahoma School Code requires each school district to provide Gifted and Talented educational programs and to serve those identified students who reside within the Instructional Delivery Indiahoma Public Schools 2-20 WCL ENTERPRISES school district boundaries. The local School Board of each district is required to submit a plan to the State Board of Education for Gifted and Talented programs and to provide annual program reports to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE). Required components for gifted child education programs include: • A written policy statement which specifies a process for selection and assessment of children for placement in Gifted and Talented programs that is consistent for grades one through twelve. • A description of curricul |
Date created | 2011-06-07 |
Date modified | 2011-06-07 |