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UINTAH SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY ACTION REVIEW

1st Reading	8/9/11	New
2nd Reading	8/9/11	Revised	X
Approved	8/9/11	Substitute

003.0600 SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL

REPLACES 003.0600 SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL POLICY (APPROVED 1/23/07)

1.0 FORMATION OF COMMUNITY COUNCILS

Each school within the District shall, in consultation with the Board of Education, establish a school community council at the school building level.

2.0 DUTIES OF COUNCILS.

2.1 Each school community council shall advise and make recommendations to the school, school district administrators, and the local school board regarding the school and its programs, school district programs, and other issues relating to the community environment for students.

Each school community council, in conjunction with all stakeholders, shall also:

2.1.1 Develop a school improvement plan in accordance with § 53A-1a-108.5;

2.1.2 Develop a School LAND Trust program for the school in accordance with § 53A-156-101.5;

2.1.3 Develop a child access routing plan in accordance with § 53A-3-402;

2.1.4 Assist in the development and implementation of a staff professional development plan in accordance with § 53A-3-701;

2.1.5 In addition, each school community council for an elementary school shall develop a reading achievement plan in accordance with § 53A-1-606.5.

Utah Code Ann. § 53A-1a-108

3.0 AUTHORITY

Utah Cod Ann. § 53A-1a-108.5

4.0 POLICY

4.1 Composition of councils.

4.1.1 Each school community council shall consist of school employees (including the school’s principal) and parents or guardians of students who are attending the school.

4.1.2 The recommended composition of school community councils for high schools is six (6) parent or guardian members and five (5) school employee members (including the principal). The recommended composition of school community councils for other schools is four (4) parent or guardian members and three (3) employee members (including the principal). While the number of members can be larger or smaller than the recommended number, the number of parent or guardian members must always exceed the number of school employee members, and the council must consist of at least three (3) parent or guardian members and two (2) school employee members.

4.2 At least one-co-chair or the chair if there is a chair and vice chair, must be elected from the parent or guardian members.

4.3 Selection of school employee members.

4.3.1 The principal shall serve as an ex officio member with full voting privileges.

4.3.2 Employee members shall be elected by majority vote of the school employees. Written notice of this election shall be given at least twenty-one days prior to the date of the election. Results of the election shall be made available to the public upon request.

4.3.3 If an employee position on the council remains unfilled following an election, the other employee members of the council shall appoint an employee to fill the position, and the council chair shall notify the Board of Education of the appointment.

4.4 Selection of parent and/or guardian members.

4.4.1 Parent or guardian members shall be elected by majority vote of those voting in an election held at the school. Have a voting period open for three consecutive school days; and commence no later than 30 days after the first day of the school year. Only parents or guardians of students attending the school are eligible to vote in this election. Written notice of this election shall be given at least twenty-one days prior to the date of the election. Results of the election shall be made available to the public upon request.

4.4.2 Any parent or guardian who qualifies to be a candidate may file or declare him or herself as a candidate for election to the council. An individual qualifies to be a candidate if she or he is the parent or guardian of a student who will be enrolled at the school at any time during the parent or guardian’s initial term of office; If the student was enrolled during the initial term of office, the parent may serve up to three successive terms even though the student is no longer enrolled in the school. However, if the parent or guardian is also an Educator employed by the District, the parent or guardian is not eligible to be a “parent or guardian” candidate or member of the council if his or her employment with the school exceeds an average of more than six hours per week.

4.4.3 If a parent or guardian position on the council remains unfilled following an election, the other parent or guardian members of the council shall appoint a parent or guardian who meets the above qualifications to fill the position, and the council chair shall notify the Board of Education of the appointment.

4.5 Term of office.

Elected or appointed members of the council shall serve two (2) years beginning the first day of July. However, initial terms shall be staggered so that no more than 50% of council members stand for election in any one year. Council members may serve up to three (3) successive terms.

Utah Code Ann. §53A-la-108

4.6 School or district administrators may not prohibit or discourage a school community council from discussing almost any issue offering advice or recommendations regarding the school or its programs.

4.7 The school board shall give (not make available) each community council member a copy of:

4.7.1 Utah Code Section 53A-1a-108 – School community councils authorized – Duties – Composition – Election procedures and selection of members;

4.7.2 Utah Code Section 53A-1a-108.5 – School improvement plans; and

4.7.3 Utah Code Section 53A-16-101-5 – School LAND Trust Program – Purpose – Distribution of funds – School plans for use of the funds.

4.8 Each School’s principal shall provide (as part of the School LAND Trust application) a signed, written assurance that (a) membership is consistent with 53A-1a-108; and (b) members were elected consistent with 53A-1a-108.

5.0 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

5.1 Each school community council, in conjunction with all stakeholders, shall develop a school improvement plan. In developing this plan, the council shall annually evaluate and use the results of the school’s U-Pass test. (However the council may not have access to data which reveals the identity of students.)

The school improvement plan shall:

5.1.1 Identify the school’s most critical academic needs;

5.1.2 Recommend a course of action to meet those needs;

5.1.3 List any programs, practices, materials, or equipment that the school will need to implement its action plan to have a direct impact on the instruction of students, and result in measurably increased student performance; and

5.1.4 Describe how the school intends to enhance or improve academic achievement, including how financial resources available to the school (for example, state and federal grants, or School LAND Trust Program monies) will be used for this purpose.

5.2 The school principal shall make the school budget and other data available to the council as needed in developing the school improvement plan.

5.3 The school improvement plan developed by the council is subject to the approval of the Board of Education. The school improvement plan, as approved by the Board of Education, shall be implemented by the school. The school shall provide ongoing support for the council’s plan.

5.4 The school shall also, through the school community council, prepare and present an annual report to the Board of Education at the end of the school year which details the use of School LAND Trust funds and which assess the results obtained from the use of those funds, and which also details the use of funds from other sources and the results obtained from use of those sources.

5.5 The council may develop a multi-year school improvement plan, but the plan must nevertheless be presented to and approved by the Board of Education each year.

Utah Code Ann § 53A-1a-108.5

6.0 SCHOOL LAND TRUST PROGRAM.

6.1 In developing the school improvement plan, the council shall include a program to use the School LAND Trust funds allocated to the school to implement a component of the school improvement plan, including a description of programs, practices, materials or equipment needed to implement the component of the plan.

6.2 The program developed by the council to use the School LAND Trust funds is subject to the approval of the Board of Education. The program, as approved by the Board of Education, shall be implemented by the school. The school shall provide ongoing support for the council’s plan. The school shall also publicize to its patrons and the general public how the School LAND Trust funds were used to implement a component of the improvement plan and the results of those efforts. Also through the school community council, the school shall prepare and present an annual report to the Board of Education at the end of the school year which details the use of School LAND Trust funds and which asses the results obtained from the use of those funds.

6.3 The council may develop a multi-year program for using School LAND Trust funds, but the program must nevertheless be presented to and approved by the Board of Education each year. Major modifications may be made during the year, but must be re-approved by the Board of Education.

7.0 UTAH CODE ANN. § 53A-16-101.5. STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN ASSISTANCE.

The school community council shall assist the school with the development and implementation of the school’s staff professional development plan.

Utah Code Ann. § 53A-3-701

8.0 CHILD ACCESS ROUTING PLAN

Each school community council shall annually develop a child access routing plan for its school and submit it to the school traffic safety committee.

Utah Code Ann. § 53A-3-402

9.0 READING ACHIEVEMENT PLAN FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

9.1 The school community council for each elementary school shall, in conjunction with all stakeholders, develop a reading achievement plan for the school which shall be submitted to the District for review and approval prior to implementation and reviewed and approved by the District annually. (In developing this plan, the council may not have access to data which reveal the identity of students.)

9.2 Following approval by the District, the reading achievement plan shall be implemented by the school’s principal, teachers, and other appropriate staff.

9.3 The reading achievement plan shall be designed to reach the long-term goal of having all students in the school reading on or above grade level by the end of the third grade.

9.4 The reading achievement plan shall include the following components:

9.4.1 An assessment component. This assessment component may only allow the principal, teachers, and other appropriate school staff to have access to information that identifies those students reading below grade level. The assessment component shall make use of U-Pass and local assessment information to determine students’ instructional needs. The assessment component shall be consistent with exemption provisions for scores of students with disabilities or with limited English proficiency (see Utah Code Ann. § 53A-1-603(3)(©))

9.4.2 An intervention component. This intervention component shall provide adequate and appropriate interventions focused on bringing each student up to reading at or above grade level and which shall permit retention in the grade level of a student reading below grade level, based on a joint determination made by the principal or principal’s designee, the student’s teacher, and the student’s parent/guardian. The intervention component shall be based on best practices identified through proven research-based methods and shall include parental participation. The intervention component shall, as resources allow, involve a reading specialist.

9.4.3 A reporting component. This reporting component shall be consistent with the data to be included in the school’s performance report required under Utah Code Ann. § 53A-3-602.5.

Utah Code Ann. § 53A-1-606.5

10.0 SUBCOMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES

10.1 A school community council may create subcommittees or task forces to advise the council or make recommendations to the council, or to develop all or part of the plans that the council’s duties require it to prepare. However, any plan or portion thereof developed by a subcommittee or task force shall be subject to the approval of the council.

10.2 A school community council may appoint individuals who are not members of the council to serve on a subcommittee or task force (including parents, school employees, or other community members).

Utah Cod Ann. §53A-1a-108