Indiahoma Public Schools

              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.
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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.
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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
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• 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.
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• 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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