020294 NEW YORK STATE COMPACT FOR LEARNING PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT  

Presented to the Board of Education

February 2, 1994  

District Steering Committee

 

James Alloy, Principal

Liz Bailey, Parent

Beverly Card, CSEA

Bruce L. Dennis, Superintendent of Schools

Kallie Jurgens, Parent

Ken Kurzweil, Teacher

Jane Salvia, CSEA

Karen Schecter, Board of Education

Judith Schuldenfrei, Principal

Burt Solomon, Board of Education

Paula West, Teacher

          BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

INTRODUCTION

 

It is important to state at the outset what the Compact for Learning is and what it is not. The Compact presents a unique opportunity to extend to staff, parents and the community an increased role in educational decision‑malving. When implemented, the Compact will expand the dialogue about what is good for children to include a wider variety of constituents than has previously been the case. It creates a wonderful opportunity to involve community resources in more substantive ways. And most of all, it will marshal new and previously existing resources toward one important goal ‑­improving educational results for children.

The Compact for Learning does not call for the abandonment of administrative and staff responsibility for the educational program in a school district. Board of Education members, central office administrators, principals, teachers and other staff will retain much of their decision‑making authority and continue to bear ultimate responsibility for the schools. While parents, staff~ community members, and in some cases students will share responsibility for many decisions, educators will retain the obligation to insure Mat the needs of aH children are appropriately met, that no group is unfairly advantaged over another, and that district goals and standards are realized.

It is suggested that by extending the number of people who have a decision‑making role, the collective power of the group increases and no one's authority is diminished. I

 BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

PART 1 ‑ MANNER AND EXTENT OF INVOLVEMENT OF ALL PARTIES

 

The purpose of this section of the plan is to set forth the composition, organization and logNtics of the building teams, as well as the expected conduct and responsibilities of team members. Although certain specKcs have been set forth, each team will define its own set of organizational patterns and methods.  

Principles of Representation and Team Member Responsibilities

 

Certain basic principles of representation shall govern the conduct of the members of the building teams. All members of the building teams shall act as representatives of their particular constituencies. Members will also have individual beliefs and values which guide their thinking. As a general and overriding principle, members are expected to place the needs and interests of our students' education first and foremost. Members' conduct and approach to the task at hand should be intended to yield decisions which improve educational results for students.

 

To help ensure the success of the building team, its members shall:

Make the education of our students the highest priority.

Facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders in the shared decision­making process.

‑ Ensure that building goals are consistent with district goals.

‑ Ensure that plans are developed and implemented for achieving these goals.

‑ Effectively communicate with stakeholder groups represented on the team.

‑ Create and oversee sub‑groups to further the work of the building team.

‑ Monitor and evaluate team decisions and their implementation.

‑ Refer issues outside the authority of the building team to the appropriate party.

‑ Attend all meetings.

‑ Be prompt at all meetings.

‑ Participate actively in a meaningful and positive manner.

‑ Solicit input from stakeholder groups regarding issues being considered by the group. Every effort will be made to reach the broadest range of stakeholders.

‑ Participate in training provided by the district and/or the team.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

The Decision‑Making Process

 

The decision‑making process should reflect the goal of the Compacv to forge a partnership among all concerned parties for the benefit of children. Accordingly, decisions by the building teams shall be made using a consensus model. The New York State Department of Education, in its new lexicon, defines consensus as "general agreement resulting from a systematic group decision making process." The lexicon further sets forth as characteristics of consensus the following:

Requires that participants know the process

Is marked by group adherence to agreed rules for using the process

_ Means that all participants support the decision, although one or more participants may have reservations

‑ Ensures equitable opportunity for participation in making dections

‑ Represents the group's solidarity of sentiment and belief

‑ Requires time, thoughtfulness, and responsiveness of participants"

The following principles shall be used in the consensus model:

‑ Each participant agrees that he or she had an equal opportunity to influence the decision;

‑ Each participant agrees to the decision;

‑ Every team member agrees to support the decision even if that decision is not his or her first choice;

‑ Everyone is committed to the decision as if it were the first choice of all team members;

‑ The building principal or his or her designee must be present for any consensus decision.

When no consensus can be reached on a particular issue, that issue will be resolved according to procedures defined in Part 5, Dispute Resolution. At any point in a discussion, any team member who believes that the consensus process has broken down may call for a vote to determine whether a 3/4 majority of the group elects to proceed to dispute resolution.

In an effort to involve as many people as possible in the process, team meetings shall be open to pubhc observation except in such cases when, subject to state law, a consensus dedsion is made to meet in closed session. In all other areas, each buddling team will establish its own ground rules for determining its agenda items and other operating procedures. Once the team undertakes a discussion of an item that is clearly within its scope of authority, it is understood that no significant changes in implementation will occur with regard to that item until the team agrees. However, while the team is considering an issue, existing clecision‑making procedures shall remain in place.

 

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                                          BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

Building Team Membership

 

It is important to balance the goal of sufficient and appropriate representation while maintaining a workable number of team members. The consensus model is not dependent upon a majority vote: various constituencies shall be working for a common goal; all team members are expected to make decisions which put the needs and interests of our students' education first and foremost; and members of the various constituencies often overlap.

 

Building teams shall exist in each of the elementary schools, the middle school, and the high school. The building teams should be of the same size and representational structure in each of the five elementary schools, and shall be composed of the following individuals/group members:

 

  building principal           teachers                         community representatives CSEA staff

       

 

*By Commissioners regulation, a parent representative may not be an employee of the district. "Other" is defined as a member of the community who is not eligible to serve as a representative of any of the other stakeholder groups.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

Selection of Members

 

As required by Commissioner's regulations, each constituency group shall select and remove its own members as outlined below. The process selected by each group shall be determined as soon as possible, shall be made public and shall ensure as far as possible that all members of the constituency group are aware of and understand the selection and removal process. It is recommended that the setcbon process for representation from each constituent group be open to all persons who are part of that constituency.

Teacher representatives will be chosen and removed through a process determined in each building by the school's teacher association.

CSEA representatives will be chosen and removed through a process determined in each building by the school's CSEA association.

Parent representatives will be chosen and removed through a process determined in each building by the school's parent association.

Community representatives will be chosen and removed through a process determined by each building team. It is expressly understood that the building team may begin and proceed with its work while that process is being determined.

Student representatives at the high school shall be chosen through a process determined by the high school student council, in consultation with the faculty advisor(s).

SeNction of nest representatives shall take place by June 1 of any given year Staggered two year terms will be the norm, running from July I ‑ June 30. Terms shall be renewable. The term (not to exceed two years) for the initial building team will be determined once the number of representatives and the actual starting date of the building team are resolved. Newly identified team members should be invited to attend June meetings of the building team for the purpose of information gathering and training, and formal training sessions should take place during the summer months, whenever possible.

 

Meetings

 

Each building team will identify its own organizational structure. This shall include the decision whether to operate with a fixed or rotating chairperson, facilitator, group leader, or any other suitable system.

The building teams shall develop their own calendar of meetings, with a minimum of one meeting per month of the entire team.

Team meetings shall generally be held during hours when classes are not in session, and at times that do not routinely disenfranchise any individual or group of team members. Actual times of meetings will be determined by consensus of the building team.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

Sub‑groups of the buil6ng team shall meet as necessary in order to fulfill rots and responsibilities, and deal with issues that may not involve all constituency groups or which require specific expertise. If the building team wishes, these sub‑groups may include people not on the building team. Building teams are responsible for maintaining minutes of their meetings.

 

Resources

 

Special resources may be necessary in each building to ensure an effective implementation of this plan. These resources may include but not be limited to training, materials, release time for team members, substitutes, and child care. The district will provide assistance in these areas as resources permit, to be used at the discretion of the building teams. The building teams will make recommendations to the Superintendent for future funding.

 

Modifications of This Section of the Plan

 

Once approved by the Board of Education, this plan for participation defines the operation of the seven building teams in the district. While it would generally be unwise to alter the essential aspects of this plan until the building teams have some experience operating under it, a building team which reaches a consensus decision for a proposed modification may bring such a proposal to the district team for review, subject to final review and approval by the Board of Education.

 

Waivers of the Bargaining Unit Contracts

 

In an effort to allow individual schools to modify a contract so as to allow for their individual needs, the bargaining units will consider waivers as requested.

 

District Team

 

Membership on the district team shall be as follows (alphabetically by category): 2 administrators, 2 board of education members, 2 CSEA members, 2 parents, the Superintendent of Schools, 2 teachers. To broaden participation in the decision‑making process, teachers, civil service and parent constituency representatives may not serve on both the district and building level teams. Each member shall serve for one year. Terms may be renewable, as determined by constituent groups. Meetings shall be held as necessary. Representatives to the team shall be selected by their respective constituent groups.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

PART 2                             ‑ EDUCATIONAL ISSUES SUBJECT TO COOPERATIVE

                    PLANNING AND SHARED DECISION MAKING

 

The plan for participation, with its consensus model, is at its best a vehicle for initiative, creativity and positive change. The building teams will use recommended guidelines to determine whether a particular area is appropriate for shared decision making by that particular team. Unless and until an issue is adopted and resolved by a team, current methods of decision making shall remain in place.

In determining whether an issue fits within the following guidelines, the consensus model must be used. When there is a question about the suitability of a particular topic for shared decision making, members of the building teams will defer to those of its members with particular expertise or experience in the area in question, or will request advice or guidance from the Superintendent, or the district team. In addition, a reference library of Plans for Participation for school districts around the state should be maintained at the Central Administration Building, and the teams should avail themselves of the information contained therein as a reference tool

While the building teams are autonomous and each of the district's five elementary schools is unique, the building teams should balance their decisions with the need to maintain consistency of curriculum, expectations and outcomes among the five elementary schools, and among the elementary, middle and high schools. The building teams should remain mindful that the elementary schools must retain a common focus, so that they offer children consistent educational programs and experiences. Therefore, curriculum outcomes and means of assessment should be developed on a district, and not a building, level.

 

DISTRICT TEAM

 

The district team shall be involved with three issues. The First team shall serve as an aid in conflict resolution for a building team that requests its help pursuant to the procedures outlined 5 Part 1, Decision‑Making Process and Par. 5, Dispute Resolution. The district team shall respond to suggestions for modifications of the plan made to it by a building level team pursuant to Part 1, Modifications of the Plan. Finally, the district team shall serve as a resource to the building teams.

The responsibilities of the district team include:

‑ To ensure that district goals are developed, implemented at the building level, and evaluated on an ongoing basis.

‑ To monitor and improve communications among all constituent groups.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

‑ To facilitate the shared decision‑making process in all buildings.

‑ To deal with any issues which transcend the authority of the building teams, in a manner consistent with the procedures established for the operation of the building teams.

‑ To implement specific functions as designated in other parts of the district plan.

‑ To provide support as needed to the building teams, subteams which the district team establishes, and members of the district team so that they can fulfill their responsibilities.

 

BUILDING TEAMS

 

The following questions should be asked by the building team in determining whether a particular issue is subject to cooperative planning and shared decision making by the building team:

‑ Does the issue impact the educational program?

‑ Are the issues to be discussed, or the specifics of the issue, intended to improve student performance?

‑ Is the issue, or its potential resolution, consistent with the district's Vision, Mission and Goals Statement, and the goals and outcomes set for the buildings and grade levels in question as they currently ex4t or arRe subsequently developed?

‑ Is the impact of the issue restricted only to the building considering it, and will the resolution of the issue preserve the autonomy of the other buildings?

‑ Will the resolution of the issue promote reasonable consistency among the elementary schools, as well as promote curriculum or program articulation among the elementary, middle and high schools?

‑ Can the issue be resolved without the expenditure of moneys unavailable to the team?

‑ Can the issue be resolved in a manner consistent with statute or appropriate variance; Commissioners regulations or appropriate variance; Board of Education Policy or appropriate variance; contract or waivers obtained from the appropriate bargaining unit(s)?

‑ Do the members of the team have the resources, experience, expertise, and access to information necessary to make and implement an informed decision?

If the answers to the above questions are all yes, then the issue to be resolved is suitable for a consensus decision by the building team. If any answer is no, the issue may still be suitable for consideration on an advisory basis or by a subteam that satisfies the guidelines.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

The following are examples of areas that would be suitable for decision making by a building team pursuant to the foregoing guidelines. These are examples only and are by no means intended to be an exhaustive l4t.

‑ developing codes for student behavior

‑ determining how designated financial resources should be used in the building

‑ setting priorities for budgetary funding and cutting

‑ defining a building's philosophy concerning grouping and placement of students

‑ reviewing aggregate student achievement results

‑ interviewing and recommending applicants to the Superintendent and Board of Education for hiring, subject to Superintendent's and Board approval

‑ identifying areas of need within the school program by performing a needs assessment and setting long term and short term goals

‑ determining building needs for staff development

‑scheduling

‑ developing building goals

 

The following are examples of areas that would not be suitable for decision making by a building team pursuant to the foregoing guidelines. Again, the following are examples only and is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list.

‑ all matters designated by law to be the responsibility of the Superintendent, Board of Education, and/or other certified personnel, including staff evaluations and specific personnel issues

‑ contract and legal issues

‑ individual student issues

‑ Curriculum outcomes

 

                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

PART 3 ‑ MEANS AND STANDARDS TO EVALUATE IMPROVEMENT IN

                                              STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

 

A stated purpose of the New Compact for Learning is to improve public education results in the I 990s. To promote that goal, the Compact requires the district to devise means of assessment that will guide activity and promote accountability.

The task of developing means of assessing student performance, and the methods themselves, are a work in progress that must be fluid enough to reflect the fact that the district is constantly evaluating and reevaluating the goals it sets for its students. The means of assessing student performance must be consistent with the vision, mission and goals of the district, which will . . . set forth broad exit goals for our students and the guiding principles with which we educate our students. The means of assessing student performance must also be flexible enough to allow individual disciplines to develop their own goals, exemplars and means of assessment. Finally, the means of assessing student performance must reflect state mandates and curriculum.

Assessing student performance is an integral part of a teacher's role. Teachers retain the authority and responsibility to develop and execute means of assessment necessary to monitor student performance in their classroom.

In developing and implementing means of assessing student performance, the district's Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction shall take a leadership position. The methods to be employed will, in the first instance be developed by staff, administrators, and others with expertise in the particular field in question. Current measures will continue to be used while new standards consistent with the district's vision, mission and goals are developed and added.

In light of the foregoing, the following guidelines shall be used for the development of means and standards to assess student performance.

‑ Are the standards of performance and the means of assessment consistent with the district's vision, mission and goals?

‑ Are the standards of performance and the means of assessment congruent with the district's concern for balancing students' well‑being with the demands of a quality education?

‑ Are the standards of performance and means of assessment consistent with and suitable to the nature of the discipline in question?

‑ Are the standards of performance and means of assessment clearly defined, measurable, and understandable, and is the level of expected performance dennonstrabTe‑7‑C‑a‑n‑‑st‑a‑n‑da‑rds of performance be exemplified and quantified to give students, staff and community accurate parameters of expectations?

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

‑ Are the standards of performance and means of assessment consistent among the different elementary schools, and coordinated among the elementary, middle and high school levels?

‑ Can performance be measured with sufficient frequency and accuracy to provide appropriate feedback to students and parents and adequate information for program evaluation?

‑ Do the standards of performance and means of assessment measure individual student growth, assess performance in relation to peers, and consider standards set by external institutions of higher learning and potential employers?

‑ Are the means of assessment sufficiently sophisticated to address students' different learhnyg styles and provide the district with the broadest range of information and data with which to continuously evaluate its program, curriculum, and goals?

In connection with the latter, the following methods shall be utilized when appropriate. This is for example only, and is not inclusive of all appropriate means of assessment and measures of student achievement. MEANS OF ASSESSMENT:

‑ portfolios

‑ attendance data

‑ demonstrations

‑ standardized tests

‑ teacher developed assessments

‑ performances and presentations

‑ exhibitions

‑ self‑evaluation

‑ research reports

MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT aggregated and disaggregated standardized test data number of A.P., honor roll, and academically and non­academically honored or recognized student% as well as number of students with various types of diplomas

‑ number or percentage of students who complete their education, and number or percentage of students who complete their education by a particular point in time

‑ number or percentage of students who continue their formal education or who are gainfully employed within a particular period of time following graduation.

 

The specific standard of performance, means of assessment, or measure of achievement should be clear, concise and reflect the district's evolving vision, mission, and goals.

                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

PART 4 ‑ ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DECISIONS

 

FRAMEWORK FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

 

Issues of accountability cannot be addressed separate, from issues of communication and support. In a shared decision‑making structure, the group which makes a decision bears responsibility for that decision, rather than a single individual. Through experience and ongoing education, stakeholders will, undoubtedly, become increasingly more comfortable with the process. As a guiding premise, involvement of those affected by decisions should be actively sought by the building teams, so that the decisions are not a surprise. Building teams will then be responsible for the decisions that they make.

Each district or building team member is expected to have on‑going, open communications with his or her stakeholder group and any other interested party. Members should educate their stakeholder group about the issues under consideration, and should solicit input before decisions are made. Decisions, once made, should be disseminated to all stakeholder groups.

The team is responsible for monitoring and gathering data concerning the intended and unintended impact of As decisions upon students and others and upon improved student performance. It will modify or affirm its decisions, as appropriate, based on such evaluation, and report those impacts and/or modifications to the stakeholder groups.

Every consensus decision made by any one of the district or building teams is the decision of the whole team. Every member of the team is expected to support fully and unequivocally this decision of the team, even if it was not the first choice of the team member. Once a consensus decision is made by the team, an individual member is expected to explain the decision and its implications in a positive manner and exert every effort to implement the decision.

 

LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

 

‑ The Board of Education is the policy setting body of the district, accountable for its decision to district residents. The Board of Education is responsible for:

‑ adopting the Plan for Participation

‑ monitoring its implementation

‑ providing staff development and community education in the areas of group processes, election‑making and consensus building

‑ supplying resources needed by the teams to perform their duties effectively.

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

‑ The Superintendent is the chief executive officer of the district. Reporting directly to the Board of Education, the Superintendent is also accountable to the community at large, school district personnel, students and parents. While not an arbiter of team decisions, nor the appropriate person to question with respect to the correctness of a particular team's decision, the Superintendent is responsible for providing the building administrators and the teams with the appropriate resources and flexibility to implement the shared decision‑making process effectively.

‑ The Building Principal is direct1y respon0ble to the Superintendent and is also accountable to the building's staff, parents, and the school community. As only one member of the building team, the principal cannot be held solely responsible for team decisions. Therefore, all responses to decisions should be directed to the team as a whole.

The building principal 4 responsible for fostering a climate of trust and respect in which all stakeholders can meaningfully participate in the shared decision‑making process. He or she should also inform team members about the issues facing the school community that are suitable for shared decision making, and encourage a wide range of topics for discussion and exploration by the building teams.

‑ The Teacher is directly responsible to the building principal or other designated administrator, and is also accountable to students, parents, and colleagues. In the unique position of working most directly with children in the schools, the teacher is responsible for providing the best possible education for each and every child consistent with the curriculum and the district's vision, mission and goals.

‑ The Civil Service Staff Member is directly responsible to the building principal and to his or her immediate supervisor. Because of his or her contribution to the total educational environment, the staff member is responsible for supporting the best possible education for every child, consistent with the district's vision, mission and goals.

‑ The Parent is accountable to his or her peers, children and the community at large. The parent is in the unique position of viewing the long-term results of the educational process. The parent is responsible for helping to ensure understanding of and support for team decisions within the community at large.

‑ The Community Member is directly responsible to the team, and possesses a presumed accountability to members of the community at large.

 

Every Team Member is responsible for helping to create and maintain a climate of trust and respect in which all stakeholders can meaningfully participate in the shared decision‑making process. Every team member, regardless of the constituency from which he or she is chosen, is accountable both to the team and the stakeholder group he or she represents, as well as

 

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                                         BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION

 

to the students of the district and the community at large. Every team member is expected to represent the needs and concerns of students of diverse backgrounds and differing achievement levels, including special education and ESL students. Every team member has a responsibility to support publicly and work for the successful implementation of all decisions reached by the team, even if it is not that team member's first choice. It is incumbent on the team member to reach out to his or her stakeholder group as well as to the community at large, to attend community meetings as needed, and to be supportive of the team in public and in private. The team member must make all decisions and recommendations within the parameters of improved student achievement and the attainment of excellence and equity. If a team member fails to fulfill his or her responsibilities, then the team may request that a different team member be chosen by the appropriate stakeholder group, and the incumbent removed from the team. The procedures for doing so must be developed and adopted by the team. Stakeholder groups are also encouraged to develop procedures to monitor the manner in which their representatives fulfill their responsibilities, and to re0ace such team members if they fad to fulfill those responsibilities.

 

PART 5 ‑                              THE PROCESS BY WHICH DISPUTES WILL BE

                         RESOLVED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

 

It is inherent in the philosophy underlying the Compact for Learning that the best decisions are made by the people closest to the issues. It is therefore important that the resolution of any disputes takes place within the building teams, whenever possible.

It is to be expected that from time to time individual building teams will not be able to reach consensus on each and every issue. The fact that the school teams cannot reach consensus on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that there is a dispute. A "dispute" will have occurred when a decision cannot be reached in a timely manner via its established method for decision making.

If there is a dispute, the building teams may decide to use one of the following options for the resolution of that dispute:

a. the team may decide by consensus to have a decision made by a majority vote, recognizing the existence of dissenting views.

b. the team may ask the Superintendent for advice in resolving the dispute.

c. the team may refer the matter to the district team which shall attempt to help the parties resolve the matter. Though imposing resolutions on a shared decision‑making team is usually counterproductive, the district team, by consensus, shall have that authority. 14