Comprehensive Review Consent Decree

Compton Unified School District Consent Decree Comprehensive Review August 2005 Administrative Agent Larry E. Reider Office of Kern County Superintendent of Schools Chief Executive Officer Thomas E. Henry CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials This section of the report provides a review of the progress made by the district toward imple- menting the requirements of Consent Decree Sections 7-25. (Sections 1–6 refer to definitions and general provisions.) The language of the Consent Decree is provided in italics. Section 7. Bathrooms a. All bathrooms used by children on all school sites in the CUSD will be in safe, sanitary and operable condition, regularly cleaned with all lighting in working order and stocked with standard toilet supplies, including toilet paper, soap and paper towels. The bathrooms shall be accessible to children at all times school is in session; however, at high schools, some restrooms may be locked at certain times of the day so long as students have reasonable access to restrooms that are not locked. b. The principal of each school shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements of this Section. The principal shall ensure that each bathroom is inspected prior to the start of school, prior to lunch period, and after the lunch period. If the result of the inspection requires corrective action, the principal shall be responsible for taking corrective action. Any condition that arises that renders any portion of a bathroom unsafe, unsanitary, inoperable, unclean, or unlit shall be remedied in accordance with the following time period: (i) One hour after the inspection, if the condition can be remedied by janitorial or custodial staff. (ii) 24 hours (not counting weekends and holidays) after the inspection, if the condition cannot be remedied by janitorial or custodial staff. The principal shall notify the State Administrator’s office when conditions cannot be remedied by janitorial or custodial staff. c. The State Administrator shall require that each principal maintain a daily inspection record of the bathrooms. The daily inspection record shall be kept on the form developed by the State Administrator. The record shall include a description of the bathroom’s condition and identify supplies that need to be provided. The inspection record shall be available for inspection by the public. The State Administrator shall periodically conduct reviews to ensure that the inspection record is being maintained. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 9.4 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 7. Consent Decree 1 Facilities Management Standard 9.4 Instructional Program Issues - Bathroom Facilities are Clean and Operable Legal Standard The governing board of every school district shall provide clean and operable flush toilets for the use of pupils. [EC 17576; CCR Title 5 14030] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 7) include that all bathrooms used by children are safe, sanitary and operable, regularly cleaned and stocked with supplies, and accessible when school is in session; principals are to inspect bathrooms prior to the start of school, prior to and after the lunch period, and are to take corrective action; principals will maintain daily inspection records on a form developed by the State Administrator and make them available for public inspection. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Restrooms continue to be inspected daily by the principal and/or staff. Records of monitoring are maintained at the site for review. Inspectors should ensure that inspec- tion records are not being completed before inspections are actually performed. • The maintenance department provides an emergency hot line for sites to call for emer- gency services from the district. • Staff indicates that toilet facilities are operable. • The district has renovated restroom facilities at a number of schools through recent modernization projects. The district utilizes the path of student travel to identify the restrooms to be first addressed. Staff indicates that 100 percent of all school site rest- rooms will be modernized by December 2005. • The district has included modernizing the school site restrooms, and replacing aging toilets in its modernization plans. • Four restroom monitors have been assigned to each high school to monitor the rest- rooms throughout the school day. • A Facilities Compliance Coordinator, using a FCMAT inspection checklist, monitors compliance with Consent Decree stipulations. • The district participated in the Williams settlement pilot site inspections with the Los Angeles County Office of Education and other pilot districts. Visits to Kelly Elemen- tary, Bunch Middle and Centennial High Schools were made in February 2005 by a Williams review team. 2 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 4 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 5 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 6 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 8 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 3 4 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 8. Textbooks a. Appropriate textbooks and instructional materials (hereinafter “instructional materials”) in the core subject areas will be provided to all children in the CUSD. It is understood by the parties that this requirement does not apply to courses of study, such as performing or fine arts, that do not use textbooks. b. Appropriate instructional materials are those textbooks and materials identified by the teacher consistent with the adopted curriculum and approved by the principal and the Deputy Superintendent of Education Support Services. Core subject areas are those areas of study described for grades 1 through 6 in Education Code Section 51210 and for grades 7 through 12 in Education Code Section 51220. c. Children will be able to take home either a textbook used in each core subject class or a reproduced portion of the textbook in order to prepare for class, study for examinations, and complete homework. By February 1 of each year, defendants shall prepare an inventory of all existing textbooks and identify the number and type of textbooks that need to be acquired in order to implement this requirement during the following school year. d. Students will be assigned one textbook at the beginning of a course of study for the entire duration of the course. If a student’s textbook is lost or destroyed for any reason during the course, a replacement textbook need not be assigned unless the student pays the cost of replacement. FCMAT Pupil Achievement Standard 1.25 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 8. Consent Decree 5 Pupil Achievement Standard 1.25 Instructional Materials - Student Accessibility Professional Standard The district will ensure that all instructional materials are accessible to all students. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 8) include that each student will be assigned a textbook in core subject areas at the beginning of a course of study, that children will be able to take home textbooks or study materials, that a textbook inventory is developed by February 1st and that a textbook replacement plan is developed. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Each classroom has a complete set of textbooks. The district has implemented the Williams protocols and has ordered sufficient numbers of textbooks to provide each student with a copy in the core academic courses for the 2005-06 year. • Teachers prepare textbook orders and inventory in the spring for the next school year. A teacher follow-up survey to determine adequacy of textbooks is conducted in Sep- tember/October. • Individual textbooks for secondary students to take home are available in the core subject areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, History/Social Science and Sci- ence. The science and History/Social Science curricula will be updated during summer 2005. Textbook adoption for History/Social Science is scheduled for spring 2006. • The district purchases new textbooks based on the state textbook adoption cycle. Teachers participate in the selection of textbooks for adoption. Textbooks are recom- mended to the board for approval. All textbooks selected are standards-based. • Textbook adoption occurred in the following subject areas in spring 2005: Literature and English/Language Arts (6-12), English Language Development, Highpoint (4-12), Mathematics (3-5), Health (9-12), and Foreign Language (6-8). • The district has a written textbook replacement plan in place. Textbook availability is monitored by a review of the textbook assignment forms, lost textbook collection process, and the purchase order requests made for replacement copies. • Parents sign off on textbook responsibility forms and the returned forms are filed in a secure location at the school site. Students are required to maintain their textbooks in the condition they were issued. Textbooks and library books are collected at the end of each year to ensure accountability. • FCMAT conducted a survey of teachers from several district schools in June 2003 to gauge teacher satisfaction with availability of appropriate instructional materials. The vast majority of respondents indicated they had sufficient numbers of textbooks. A few teachers responded in the negative. Follow up was provided by the district to those schools that did not indicate 100 percent satisfaction. 6 Consent Decree • A textbook report dated November 10, 2003, provided detail on the district’s textbook management plan, the district adopted textbooks, a textbook accountability summary and a textbook order log. The textbook management plan is expected to be revised/ updated in summer 2005. • The Board of Trustees approved a district Library Plan in January 2003. The district has established a library book volume goal of a minimum of 13 books per student. The position title for Library Aide has been changed to Textbook Clerk. • The district board approved Resolution #04/05-22 on November 16, 2004, certifying the provision of standards-aligned instructional materials. • Notices have been posted in the classrooms, alerting parents, guardians and the public of their right to file a complaint under the Williams settlement concerning the follow- ing: adequacy of textbooks, a certificated teacher vacancy, the mis-assignment of a teacher who lacks credentials to teach English learners or who lacks subject matter competency, or any condition of the facilities that poses an emergency or threat to the health and safety of students or staff. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Substantially February 1999 Rating: 4 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 5 February 2001 Rating: 5 August 2001 Rating: 5 February 2002 Rating: 6 August 2002 Rating: 7 February 2003 Rating: 8 August 2003 Rating: 8 February 2004 Rating: 8 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 9 August 2005 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 7 8 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 9. Broken Windows a. All boarded-up windows shall be replaced with clear glass, clear plexiglass or other clear permanent material so that there are no boarded-up windows in the CUSD. In lieu of glass, plexiglass, or other clear permanent material, the lowest row of windows below eight feet in height may contain a permanent, painted material such as wood or metal when deemed necessary by the State Administrator to prevent individuals from breaking into or vandalizing school facilities. b. Any window that is broken shall be replaced with clear glass, clear plexiglass, or other clear permanent material within 72 hours (not counting weekends or holidays). c. Any material that is used to temporarily secure a broken window shall have affixed to it the date and time the temporary material was placed on the window. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 1.12 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 9. Consent Decree 9 Facilities Management Standard 1.12 School Safety - Inspection and Correction of Unsafe Conditions Legal Standard Building examinations are performed, and required actions are taken by the governing board upon report of unsafe conditions. [EC 173679(a)] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Sections 9 and 18) include replacing boarded-up windows, re- placing broken windows within 72 hours, affixing a date and time to temporary material placed on broken windows; establishing site committees to inventory and prioritize repair and mainte- nance needs, and reporting to the State Administrator and board at least once a semester. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Facilities examinations are regularly performed by site and district staff and required action taken upon any report of unsafe conditions. • Plant managers are instructed to conduct daily inspections of the site and to immedi- ately report any unsafe condition. • District personnel conduct periodic, unannounced school site visitations on a monthly basis to monitor conditions of school facilities. Schools receive a letter grade based on a criteria checklist developed by FCMAT. • The district continues to comply with the speedy replacement of broken windows. The General Obligation Bond for facilities improvements has allowed the district to replace older windows and frames. • Schools have organized parent safety committees at each site. The committees period- ically perform site inspections for unsafe or hazardous conditions and forward repair requests to the maintenance department to address. • The district continues to utilize a maintenance request flow chart and forms to track all maintenance requests from the sites. Logs of the maintenance requests are kept for each school. Individual sites receive copies of all responses to the requests generated by the site. • The district established two mobile maintenance teams to conduct routine mainte- nance. The teams report to school sites on a scheduled basis. However, the work of the teams has been temporarily suspended while site modernization is being conduct- ed. • The maintenance department continues to immediately address emergency calls to the maintenance hot line (310-639-4321, extension 55377). • Plant managers have been directed to conduct electrical inspections of their site on a daily basis and to immediately report, in writing, any potentially hazardous electrical condition. A monthly form for the documentation of these reviews was developed, and records of the reports from the sites are being maintained. 10 Consent Decree • Monthly training meetings are held with the plant managers on district procedures and/or on improving employee skills. • The district established a district-wide Beautification Committee to approve site beautification plans and to work with sites to support their beautification efforts. The committee approves site beautification plans and works with sites to support their beautification efforts. Activities of the committee were temporarily suspended while modernization was being conducted. The district plans to reinstitute the committee in September 2005. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 6 August 1999 Rating: 6 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 7 August 2001 Rating: 8 February 2002 Rating: 9 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 11 12 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 10. Electrical a. All broken and loose electrical wiring and fixtures shall be repaired or replaced, along with any other electrical problems that might immediately endanger children. b. On a monthly basis, CUSD shall inspect all school facilities and identify any broken or loose electrical wiring and fixtures or any other electrical problems that might immediately endanger children. A written record of these monthly inspections shall be maintained by the State Administrator. c. On or before September 1, 1999, a licensed electrical inspector shall be retained to inspect selected school sites identified by plaintiffs’ counsel. The inspector shall be mutually agreed upon between counsel for the plaintiffs and defendants. The inspector shall have no prior employment or contracting arrangement with either the CUSD or the City of Compton. The inspector shall perform inspections as directed by plaintiffs’ counsel and shall be compensated on an hourly basis, not to exceed the total sum of $50,000.00. The inspector shall prepare an inspection report containing the following information: (i) The location of any broken or loose electrical wiring and fixtures, the location of any other electrical problems that might immediately endanger children. (ii) The location of other electrical problems that the inspector believes should be called to the attention of the CUSD. d. A copy of the inspection report shall be delivered to counsel for plaintiffs and shall be available for public inspection at the CUSD. e. In the event the inspection indicates that broken or loose electrical fixtures remain or that electrical problems that might endanger children or employees exist, the inspector shall perform follow-up inspections to determine if the problem has been corrected. The costs of follow-up inspections shall not be charged against the $50,000.00 allocated pursuant to subsection (c) above. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 9.8 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 10. Consent Decree 13 Facilities Management Standard 9.8 Instructional Program Issues - Adequate Lighting, Electrical Service Provided Professional Standard All schools shall have adequate lighting and electrical service. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 10) include monthly inspections for electrical problems conducted by the district with written records of these monthly inspections maintained; an in- spection before September 1, 1999, conducted by a licensed electrical inspector of sites identified by plaintiffs’ counsel and a copy of the report delivered to counsel for plaintiffs and available for public inspection; and the correction of any electrical problems. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district and plaintiffs’ counsel selected a licensed electrician to conduct site inspections of specific identified sites during the 2000-2001 school year. Inspections were conducted at Compton, Centennial and Dominguez High Schools. All deficien- cies identified during the inspections were addressed. The district has four licensed electricians on staff. • Site plant managers have been directed to conduct electrical inspections of their sites on a daily basis and to immediately report any potentially hazardous electrical condi- tion. Monthly reports of these electrical inspections are submitted to the facilities divi- sion. A form for the documentation of the reviews was developed, and records of the reports from the sites are being maintained. • HVAC, lighting and electrical systems were included within the scope of the site modernization project plans which addressed energy conservation in equipment, infrastructure, and construction. The district utilized $60 million to upgrade electrical components throughout the district. New transformers, a retrofit of lights and other electrical upgrades have taken place at several schools. Motion sensors have been installed in many buildings. More power is now available to the sites, but the sites are utilizing less energy because of the energy efficient components. Most of the modern- ization projects are scheduled to be completed by December 2005. • The mobile maintenance repair teams replace lights and light fixtures as needed. The assignment of the mobile maintenance teams has been temporarily suspended during the modernization work. 14 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: 2 August 2000 Rating: 4 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 6 February 2002 Rating: 7 August 2002 Rating: 8 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 15 16 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 11. Certificated Teachers a. A certificated teacher will be present in every classroom on every school day. b. No violation of subdivision (a) will occur if the following procedures have been followed: (i) The CUSD maintains a list of certificated substitute teachers with sufficient numbers of certificated teachers to meet projected teacher absences. (ii) CUSD attempted to contact everyone on that list in an effort to secure the presence of a certificated teacher in the classroom. (iii) Whenever the list has been exhausted such that CUSD is unable to secure a certificated substitute teacher, the CUSD has commenced reasonable efforts to increase the number of certificated substitute teachers on the list who are willing and able to provide services to the CUSD. c. In the event a certificated teacher cannot be obtained, the principal shall be responsible for ensuring that children without a certificated teacher receive appropriate instruction in accordance with the curriculum for the class. FCMAT Personnel Management Standard 8.2 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 11. Section 12. Absenteeism a. Due to the high degree of employee absenteeism, it is reasonable and necessary that CUSD hold all personnel accountable for meeting attendance requirements. Absenteeism of CUSD employees impedes the ability of CUSD to provide instructional services to children. b. The State Administrator will develop a plan to reduce employee absenteeism district- wide, subject to the requirements of collective bargaining. The absenteeism plan shall address the issue of employees who are absent from any required staff development programs. FCMAT Personnel Management Standard 8.2 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 12. Consent Decree 17 Personnel Management Standard 8.2 Use of Technology Professional Standard The Personnel Division provides an automated substitute calling system. The system should have the ability to input and retrieve data. Data should be distributed to site and program managers. Consent Decree Stipulations Sections 11 and 12 of the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, includes the following stipulations: the district is to ensure that certificated teachers are present in each classroom every day, maintain a list of certificated substitutes in sufficient numbers to meet teacher absences, develop a plan to reduce employee absenteeism, and hold employees account- able for meeting attendance requirements. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • A district attendance goal was initiated by the superintendent for the 2002-2003 school year of 97 percent attendance for all classroom teachers. This goal was continued for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years. 1. At the elementary level the average attendance rate achieved for 2002-03 was 95.72 percent with four schools exceeding the goal; for 2003-04 it was 96.02 percent with three schools exceeding the goal; and for 2004-05 it was 97.27 percent with two schools exceeding the goal. 2. At the middle school level, the average achieved for 2002-03 was 95.97 per- cent with one school exceeding the goal; for 2003-04 it was 94.74 percent with no school exceeding the goal; and for 2004-05 it was 96.57 percent with no school exceeding the goal. 3. At the high school/alternative school level the average achieved for 2002-03 was 95.18 percent with the Community Day School exceeding the goal; for 2003-04 it was 96.13 percent with two alternative schools exceeding the goal; and for 2004-05 it was 96.04 percent with two alternative schools exceeding the goal. • Each school addresses staff attendance as part of their school improvement plan. The district regularly reports employee absences and reasons for absences to school site managers to work with their staffs to reduce absenteeism. • The Office of Human Resources and Employee Development (HRED) provides sub- stitutes when classroom teachers are absent. HRED increased its pool of substitutes from approximately 275 substitutes in 2002-03 to approximately 325 substitutes in 2003-04 and approximately 350 for 2004-05. HRED continues to process applica- tions for new substitutes. • Site administrators assign non-instructional certificated staff to substitute when a regu- lar substitute is not available to cover a teacher’s absence. If no substitute is available, certificated teachers are first solicited to substitute during their preparation period(s). Department chairs, counselors, curriculum specialists, learning support coordina- tors, assistant principals and principals are to be used on a rotational basis when other 18 Consent Decree teachers are not available. Teachers can be recalled from a locally held workshop or conference to return to school if no substitute is available. At the elementary level, 20 percent of the students in a class may be assigned to each of five other certificated teachers for the day. • HRED monitors on a daily basis, the number of classroom teacher absences by site, and provides weekly reports to the Executive Cabinet and monthly reports to the prin- cipals. • The district continues to utilize an automated substitute calling system, Substitute Employee Management System (SEMS). • The HRED staff conducts bi-monthly training sessions with new substitute teachers, and quarterly training for long term substitutes. Long term substitutes are also re- quired to attend staff development offered on-site to regular site teachers. • The district has developed a substitute teacher’s training manual for substitute teach- ers. • Substitute teachers are evaluated by teachers upon their return from an absence. Sub- stitutes are terminated upon receipt of a third negative report. • The district continues to demonstrate safety consciousness by requiring all district employees to wear a district-issued identification badge. • All high schools issue identification badges for their students. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 4 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: 6 August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 19 20 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 13. Homework a. The CUSD has adopted a homework policy. b. The State Administrator shall ensure that the homework policy is implemented at every school site. The State Administrator shall require that the principal of each school certify in writing on a monthly basis that the homework policy is being followed at each school, or if it is not being followed, that disciplinary proceedings have been commenced against personnel not complying with the homework policy. c. At the beginning of each semester, parents shall receive information on the homework policy and shall be requested to sign an acknowledgement of the receipt of such policy. If the parent fails to return the acknowledgement form to the district, the district will make one attempt to contact the parent by telephone regarding the homework policy. FCMAT Pupil Achievement Standards 1.2 and 1.11 were the standards used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 13. Consent Decree 21 Pupil Achievement Standard 1.2 Student Objectives - Core Curriculum Content Professional Standard The district has clear and valid objectives for students, including the core curriculum content. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 13) include a monthly certification from the site principal that a homework policy is implemented at each site, and that information about the policy is sent to parents each semester and parents acknowledge receipt of the notification. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district’s homework policy is included in the Student and Parent/Guardian Hand- book distributed at the beginning of each school year. The district complies with Sec- tion 13 of the Consent Decree by sending notification home to parents twice per year, through the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook and through a letter disseminated at the second semester. Parents must acknowledge receipt of the Student and Parent/ Guardian Handbook. Parent acknowledgements of receipt of the handbook are main- tained at the site. A monthly certification by site principals that the homework policy is being implemented continues to be a required submission to the district office to meet compliance. • The district has clear goals and objectives for student performance and improvement. • The district’s governing board has revised its mission statement and goals and devel- oped a new district logo. The mission statement and goals are reiterated on district documents. • All curriculum guides are aligned to state content standards. The curriculum guides are available on the district’s web site and on CD-Rom. • The ELD curriculum guide has been completed and K-12 ELD performance bench- marks have been developed. Open Court Pacing Guides have been used to ensure full implementation of the reading program across the district in grades K-5. The pacing guides have been aligned to the curriculum guides. Teacher leaders have been as- signed at each school site to work with the teachers. • K-3 teachers at eleven schools are receiving coaching/training in the Reading First program. • Student academic performance remains a district concern and focus of improvement. Four district schools are SAIT schools requiring the assistance of School Assistance and Intervention Teams such as the Principals Exchange, Education Redesign and Assessment, and the Professional Resources Network. Data is being used to drive curriculum and school improvement. English Language Learners, as a sub-group, are meeting the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals but the African-American stu- dents, as a subgroup, are not meeting the AYP at many sites. 22 Consent Decree • Two additional schools are state-monitored schools under the High Priority Schools program. Eight schools are in program improvement year 4. The district has also been identified as a program improvement district. • The number of students in the high school Advanced Placement (AP) program has increased significantly and course offerings have increased to twelve subjects. 426 students participated in AP courses during the 2004-05 school year and 501 AP exams were administered in spring 2005. • The district has developed a high school academic planner and course catalog to assist students in meeting requirements for graduation and in developing career plans. • The district received a $35,000 grant from Boeing to work in collaboration with Compton Community College to improve high school science and math programs. • The UC Irvine FOCUS project, funded by the National Science Foundation, assists Compton USD in improving math and science instruction. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: 2 February 2000 Rating: 3 August 2000 Rating: 5 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 6 February 2002 Rating: 7 August 2002 Rating: 8 February 2003 Rating: 8 August 2003 Rating: 9 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 23 Pupil Achievement Standard 1.11 Students Engaged in Learning Professional Standard Students are engaged in learning and they are able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skills. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 13) include a homework policy implemented at each site with a monthly certification from the site principal that this is occurring, information sent to parents each semester and parent acknowledgment of the notification. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district’s homework policy is included in the Student and Parent/Guardian Hand- book distributed at the beginning of each school year. The district complies with Sec- tion 13 of the Consent Decree by sending notification home to parents twice per year, through the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook and through a letter disseminated at the beginning of the second semester. Parents must acknowledge receipt of the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook. Parent acknowledgements of receipt of the handbook are maintained at the site. A monthly certification by site principals that the homework policy is being implemented continues to be a required submission to the district office to meet compliance. • Students have many opportunities in which to demonstrate their accomplishments through family-oriented district sponsored exhibitions and programs such as MESA, AVID, Student Leadership Conferences, Portfolio Day (grades 2-8), Puente, the K-12 math and science fair, the elementary schools (grades 2-5) spelling bee, and oratorical contests. • The number of students participating in Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the district’s three high schools has increased significantly. • Many high school students are concurrently enrolled in community college courses. • The district has initiated the Plato Learning software program to assist high school students in making up course credits. The program is standards based. • The district annually conducts a survey of graduating seniors to determine their post high school plans. Of the 946 seniors of the graduating class of 2005 who responded to the survey, 625 students indicated that they had plans to attend a college or univer- sity, 32 indicated they would join the military, 74 indicated they would attend a voca- tional school, and 215 indicated “other” or work. 24 Consent Decree • The college-going rate for seniors continues to increase. Approximately 80 graduat- ing seniors from the class of 2005 were accepted to the University of California (UC) system and 569 seniors were accepted to the California State University (CSU) sys- tem. Nineteen students plan to attend a private or out of state college and 432 students indicated plans to attend community college. Scholarship students and their parents were recognized by the district at a Senior Banquet in their honor. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: 3 August 2000 Rating: 4 February 2001 Rating: 5 August 2001 Rating: 5 February 2002 Rating: 6 August 2002 Rating: 7 February 2003 Rating: 7 August 2003 Rating: 8 February 2004 Rating: 8 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 9 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 25 26 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 14. Security Plan a. The State Administrator shall develop a district-wide security plan which addresses both the safety of students and employees and the protection of District property. In developing the security plan, the Statewide Administrator shall form a Security Committee consisting of (a) a member of the Advisory Board, (b) a teacher selected by the Compton Education Association, (c) a principal selected by the State Administrator, and (d) four parents nominated by counsel for the plaintiffs and approved by the State Administrator. In addition, the State Administrator shall consult with local law enforcement agencies regarding the security plan and invite such agencies to participate in the Security Committee. b. The Security Committee shall review the implementation of the plan and make recommendations for its improvement. It will meet with the State Administrator on a quarterly basis. An annual public hearing will be held before the Advisory Board to review the plan. c. The plan developed by the State Administrator shall include a program to encourage the voluntary participation of parents in school security patrols. The program will include the training of parents and appropriate provisions to indemnify and hold participants harmless from any personal liability for their participation in the school security patrols. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 1.3 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 14. Consent Decree 27 Facilities Management Standard 1.3 School Safety - Plan for Protection of People and Property Legal Standard Demonstrate that a plan of security has been developed which includes adequate measures of safety and protection of people and property. [EC 32020, 32211, 35294-35294.9, 39670-39675] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 14) include the development of a district-wide security plan, the establishment of a district security committee that reviews implementation of the secu- rity plan, providing an annual public hearing before the board, the encouragement of voluntary participation of parents in school security patrols and training for parents. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district has a district-wide security plan, and the district-wide safety committee continues to meet quarterly to review school safety issues. • Parent volunteers continue to be solicited to participate on district and site commit- tees. School site safety committees continue to determine site safety concerns and recommend remedial action to the school administrator and the district office. Docu- mentation of committee meetings and agendas are verified. • Security alarms are in place in all district schools. The security alarms are monitored by Advance Alarm. Board action in April 2004 provided approval for removal and replacement of intrusion alarms throughout the district. The company notifies district Police Services whenever an alarm is triggered. Two incidents of extensive vandalism occurred in summer 2005. However, the number of property crimes in the district has decreased over the years. • Signs are posted on each campus warning against trespassing, and directing visitors to report to the administration office. • The district participates in the WE-TIP program, an anonymous telephone tip line for community members to report property crimes against the district. Information on the WE-TIP program is posted, along with the number 1-800-78-CRIME. The WE-TIP program provides rewards up to $1,000. • The district and community have established an emergency command center, located at the district police services office, to prepare for and respond to school and commu- nity emergencies and/or disasters. An emergency drill was conducted in spring 2005. A Code Yellow drill procedure has been developed and practice school drills have been conducted. • The Los Angeles county received a $6 million Homeland Security Grant, of which the district received approximately $300,000 to upgrade its security equipment such as radios, bullet proof vests, first aid kits for each site and emergency preparedness containers for each school cluster and individual sites. 28 Consent Decree • The district received approximately $90,000 from the Emergency Response and Crisis Management grant applied for collaboratively with neighboring districts. These funds were used to update the current school emergency plan with new technology and sup- plies. A computerized system is being completed that will link each school site to the District’s Emergency Operations Center and Police Department. The district has also applied for the Safe Schools and Healthy Students grant. • Additional emergency response training has been provided to a number of district employees. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 5 August 1999 Rating: 6 February 2000 Rating: 7 August 2000 Rating: 7 February 2001 Rating: 8 August 2001 Rating: 8 February 2002 Rating: 9 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 29 30 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 15. Emergency Drills a. By September 1, 1999, the State Administrator shall certify that every school site has the fire warning system required by Education Code Section 32001. b. The State Administrator shall certify that every school site has an earthquake emergency procedure system in accordance with Education Code Sections 35296 and 35297. c. In accordance with Education Code Section 32001, monthly fire drills shall be conducted at the elementary and intermediate school levels and not less than twice yearly at the secondary level. d. In accordance with Education Code 35297, earthquake drop procedures shall be practiced at least once each school quarter in elementary and intermediate school levels and at least once a semester at the secondary level. e. The State Administrator shall require that each principal maintain a written log of fire drills and earthquake drop procedures. The written log shall be on the form developed by the State Administrator. The written log shall be available for inspection by the public. The State Administrator shall periodically conduct reviews to ensure that the log is being maintained. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 1.9 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 15. Consent Decree 31 Facilities Management Standard 1.9 School Safety - School Site Emergency Procedures Plan Legal Standard Each public agency is required to have on file written plans describing procedures to be em- ployed in case of emergency. [EC 32000-32004, 32040, 35295-35297, 38132, 46390-46392, 49505, GC 3100, 8607] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 15) include that each school site has a fire warning sys- tem by September 1, 1999, that each school site has an earthquake emergency procedure system, that fire drills and earthquake drop procedures are conducted according to Education Code, that written logs of fire and earthquake drop drills are maintained, that the written logs are available for public inspection and that the State Administrator conduct periodic reviews to ensure the log is being maintained. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Written emergency plans are available at the school sites for earthquakes and other disasters. School site safety plans include fire evacuation plans, bomb threats or dis- turbances, code yellow drills and staff assignments in cases of emergencies. The avail- ability of the school’s site plans are checked during site visitations by district person- nel. • Schools are required to conduct emergency drills according to Education Code and to maintain records of drills conducted. The school’s records are reviewed by district personnel. Periodic, unannounced site visits are conducted by FCMAT to review the written logs of the scheduled drills held on the campus. • All schools have a fire alarm system in place. Most of the schools have converted to a strobe fire alarm system. • The district has worked with the city to establish a community level disaster response team. The district and city have established the district police services office as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC is operational. A Code Yellow drill procedure has been developed and practice school drills have been conducted. • The Los Angeles county received a $6 million Homeland Security Grant, of which the district received approximately $300,000 to upgrade its security equipment such as radios, bullet proof vests, first aid kits for each site and emergency preparedness containers for each school cluster and individual sites. • The district received approximately $90,000 from the Emergency Response and Crisis Management grant applied for collaboratively with neighboring districts. These funds were used to update the current school emergency plan with new technology and sup- plies. A computerized system is being completed that will link each school site to the District’s Emergency Operations Center and Police Department. The district has also applied for the Safe Schools and Healthy Students grant. 32 Consent Decree • Additional emergency response training has been provided to a number of district employees. • The district responds to facilities emergencies that are called in to the district office on the emergency hot line as rapidly as possible. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 3 August 1999 Rating: 3 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 5 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 33 34 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 16. Litter a. All schools will remain clean and operational and free from graffiti. b. All playground equipment that is currently unusable will either be repaired or removed within thirty (30) days of the effective date of this Consent Decree. Playground equipment that becomes unusable in the future shall be repaired or removed within thirty (30) days of its becoming unusable. c. At the start of each school week, the school shall be free of litter. All litter will be removed on a daily basis while school is in session. d. Each school site shall develop a community service program in which all children are encouraged to perform five hours per semester of community service in supervised litter removal or recycling programs on school facilities or in the neighborhood surrounding the school site. FCMAT Facilities Management Standards 1.8 and 1.14 were the standards used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 16. Consent Decree 35 Facilities Management Standard 1.8 School Safety - Graffiti and Vandalism Abatement Plan Professional Standard The district has a graffiti and vandalism abatement plan. The district should have a written graf- fiti and abatement plan that is followed by all district employees. The district provides district employees with sufficient resources to meet the requirements of the abatement plan. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 16) include that all schools are clean and free from graf- fiti, that unusable playground equipment is removed or repaired, that schools are free of litter and that a community service program of five hours per semester has been developed for students. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district’s graffiti abatement program is one of immediate removal and remains a major district priority and ongoing concern. Monitoring by on-site staff remains key to eliminating graffiti. • School custodial staffs target graffiti as a priority for removal every day. Site custo- dians are responsible for removing graffiti located in areas less than ten feet in height and/or requiring less than one hour to remove. District maintenance is assigned to remove graffiti in areas higher than ten feet in height or requiring more than one hour to remove. • The district has established an emergency “hot line” (310-639-4321, extension 55377) for the reporting of graffiti that the school custodians cannot handle. • The district responds speedily to reports of vandalism. The maintenance department works cooperatively with the district’s police services to provide cost estimates of any damage to district property to assist in seeking restitution from the perpetrators. • Periodic, unannounced school visits continue to be conducted by district administra- tors and FCMAT to monitor compliance with the consent decree stipulations. The elementary and middle school campuses are clean and graffiti-free. The high school campuses remain a constant challenge for staff. • The district has changed the high school graduation requirements to include a required 2.5 credits of community service for students to meet prior to graduation. The course requirement is the equivalent of 45 hours, or one quarter of a year’s credits. Students who graduate in 2006 will need to meet this graduation requirement. In other com- munity service activities, students at various sites are engaged in numerous campus beautification projects and recycling programs. 36 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 6 August 1999 Rating: 6 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 7 February 2001 Rating: 7 August 2001 Rating: 8 February 2002 Rating: 9 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 37 Facilities Management Standard 1.14 School Safety - Sanitation is Maintained and Fire Hazards are Corrected Legal Standard Sanitary, neat and clean conditions of the school premises exist and the premises are free from conditions that would create a fire hazard. [CCR Title 5 633] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Sections 16 and 18) include that all schools are clean and free from graffiti, that unusable playground equipment is removed or repaired, that schools are free of litter and that a community service program of five hours per semester has been developed for students; other stipulations include establishing site committees to inventory and prioritize repair and maintenance needs, and reporting to the State Administrator and board at least once a semester. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Plant managers have been instructed to perform daily inspections of their site to ensure a clean, sanitary and safe environment for staff and students. Plant Managers submit a monthly Custodial Inspection report to the Maintenance Department. • School site safety committees continue to make periodic site inspections, and monitor facilities needs at the school. • Unannounced site inspections are conducted by the district Facilities Compliance Co- ordinator. • Random, unannounced site inspections continue to keep staff focused on maintaining the cleanliness of the school sites. • Principals, or their designees, are required to inspect student restrooms three times daily and to take action to remedy any problems. • A FCMAT site inspection checklist is used in the site inspection process, and a letter grade is given to a school based on the number of checklist criteria met. • Sites are free from fire hazards. Hazardous conditions have been addressed by the dis- trict in earlier progress reviews. If a random site inspection turns up any potential new hazard, it is addressed by the district maintenance staff right away. • All schools have an operational fire alarm system in place. Several schools have changed from a bell system to a strobe alarm system. • Any unusable playground equipment was long ago removed or repaired by the district in response to the Consent Decree. • Custodial staffs receive structured monthly training to improve site safety and cleanli- ness, and are directed to keep storage areas clean and exits free of obstructions. • Training workshops are conducted in collaboration with the district’s Risk Manager. • Both classified and certificated staffs remain responsible for addressing the daily re- moval of litter. 38 Consent Decree • The district has established a district-wide Beautification Committee to approve site beautification plans and work with sites to support their beautification efforts. Activi- ties of the committee were temporarily suspended while site modernization was being conducted and will begin again in September 2005. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: 4 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 39 40 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 17. Drinking Water a. Drinking water will be readily available to all school children. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 8.10 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 17. Consent Decree 41 Facilities Management Standard 8.10 Facilities Maintenance and Custodial - Adequate Repair and Supervision of School Buildings Legal Standard The governing board shall keep the school buildings in repair and supervised. [EC 17593] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. An additional related stipulation (Section 17) includes that drinking water will be readily avail- able to all students. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Ongoing, random, unannounced site inspections keep staff focused on campus cleanli- ness and the safe condition of school site facilities. • The district Facilities Compliance Coordinator visits the sites and uses the FCMAT inspection checklist to monitor compliance with Consent Decree stipulations. Exit conferences are held with the site administrators. Schools are given a letter grade based on the monitoring checklist. • Drinking water is readily accessible to students. The condition of student drinking fountains is checked during monthly site inspections. Inoperable fountains are report- ed to maintenance staff for correction. • The district maintains contracts for annual water service to check all water lines and test for water potability and toxic substances. • Repair work on site facilities is continuous. 42 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 2 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 43 44 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 18. Site Committees a. At each school site, a committee shall be established for the purpose of conducting an inventory and prioritization of repair and maintenance needs and for performing other obligations required by this Consent Decree. Existing school site committees may be used for this purpose so long as their membership is augmented to meet the requirements of this Section. b. Composition of the committee. i. At least sixty percent parents of students attending the school. Such parents will be selected randomly from among those parents expressing an interest in participation after notice of the opportunity has been distributed to all parents at the school. ii. The remainder shall be composed of administrators, teachers, classified employees, and interested members of the surrounding community. c. The site committee shall be constituted at each school within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Consent Decree. d. At least once each semester, the site committee shall prepare a report to the State Administrator and Advisory Board concerning repair and maintenance needs at the school. e. The site committees shall be chaired by a parent who has been trained in committee and meeting management. FCMAT Facilities Management Standards 1.12, 1.14, and 9.11 were the standards used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 18. Consent Decree 45 Facilities Management Standard 1.12 School Safety - Inspection and Correction of Unsafe Conditions Legal Standard Building examinations are performed, and required actions are taken by the governing board upon report of unsafe conditions. [EC 173679(a)] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Sections 9 and 18) include replacing boarded-up windows, re- placing broken windows within 72 hours, affixing a date and time to temporary material placed on broken windows, establishing site committees to inventory and prioritize repair and mainte- nance needs, and reporting to the State Administrator and board at least once a semester. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Facilities examinations are regularly performed by site and district staff and required action taken upon any report of unsafe conditions. • Plant managers are instructed to conduct daily inspections of the site and to immedi- ately report any unsafe condition. • District personnel conduct periodic, unannounced school site visitations on a monthly basis to monitor conditions of school facilities. Schools receive a letter grade based on a criteria checklist developed by FCMAT. • The district continues to comply with the speedy replacement of broken windows. The General Obligation Bond for facilities improvements has allowed the district to replace older windows and frames. • Schools have organized parent safety committees at each site. The committees period- ically perform site inspections for unsafe or hazardous conditions and forward repair requests to the maintenance department to address. • The district continues to utilize a maintenance request flow chart and forms to track all maintenance requests from the sites. Logs of the maintenance requests are kept for each school. Individual sites receive copies of all responses to the requests generated by the site. • The district established two mobile maintenance teams to conduct routine mainte- nance. The teams report to school sites on a scheduled basis. However, the work of the teams has been temporarily suspended while site modernization is being conduct- ed. • The maintenance department continues to immediately address emergency calls to the maintenance hot line (310-639-4321, extension 55377). • Plant managers have been directed to conduct electrical inspections of their site on a daily basis and to report, in writing, any potentially hazardous electrical condition. A monthly form for the documentation of these reviews was developed, and records of the reports from the sites are being maintained. 46 Consent Decree • Monthly training meetings are held with the plant managers on district procedures and/or on improving employee skills. • The district has established a district-wide Beautification Committee to approve site beautification plans and to work with sites to support their beautification efforts. Ac- tivities of the committee were temporarily suspended while modernization was being conducted and will begin again in September 2005. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 6 August 1999 Rating: 6 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 7 August 2001 Rating: 8 February 2002 Rating: 9 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 47 Facilities Management Standard 1.14 School Safety - Sanitation is Maintained and Fire Hazards are Corrected Legal Standard Sanitary, neat and clean conditions of the school premises exist and the premises are free from conditions that would create a fire hazard. [CCR Title 5 633] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Sections 16 and 18) include that all schools are clean and free from graffiti, that unusable playground equipment is removed or repaired, that schools are free of litter and that a community service program of five hours per semester has been developed for students; other stipulations include establishing site committees to inventory and prioritize repair and maintenance needs, and reporting to the State Administrator and board at least once a semes- ter. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • Plant managers have been instructed to perform daily inspections of their site to ensure a clean, sanitary and safe environment for staff and students. Plant Managers submit a monthly Custodial Inspection report to the Maintenance Department. • School site safety committees continue to make periodic site inspections, and monitor facilities needs at the school. • Unannounced site inspections are conducted by the district Facilities Compliance Co- ordinator. • Random, unannounced site inspections continue to keep staff focused on maintaining the cleanliness of the school sites. • Principals, or their designees, are required to inspect student restrooms three times daily and to take action to remedy any problems. • A FCMAT site inspection checklist is used in the site inspection process, and a letter grade is given to a school based on the number of checklist criteria met. • Sites are free from fire hazards. Hazardous conditions have been addressed by the dis- trict in earlier progress reviews. If a random site inspection turns up any potential new hazard, it is addressed by the district maintenance staff right away. • All schools have an operational fire alarm system in place. Several schools have changed from a bell system to a strobe alarm system. • Any unusable playground equipment was long ago removed or repaired by the district in response to the Consent Decree. • Custodial staffs receive structured monthly training to improve site safety and cleanli- ness, and are directed to keep storage areas clean and exits free of obstructions. • Training workshops are conducted in collaboration with the district’s Risk Manager. • Both classified and certificated staffs remain responsible for addressing the daily re- moval of litter. 48 Consent Decree • The district has established a district-wide Beautification Committee to approve site beautification plans and work with sites to support their beautification efforts. Activi- ties of the committee were temporarily suspended while site modernization was being conducted and will begin again in September 2005. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: 4 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 49 Facilities Management Standard 9.11 Instructional Program Issues - Facilities Reflect Community Standards and Expectations Professional Standard Facilities within the CUSD reflect the standards and expectations established by the community. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 18) include establishing site committees to inventory and prioritize repair and maintenance needs, and reporting to the State Administrator and board at least once a semester. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district continues to involve community members and parents in various facilities decisions. A representative community committee assisted in the development of the district’s Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. • The district facilities committee was involved in planning for two new elementary schools, including Clinton Elementary, and in promoting passage of the district’s gen- eral obligation bond, Measure I. • The district continues to keep parents and the community informed of projects and facilities improvements in the schools. The district is currently conducting town hall meetings with community members to address any concerns regarding facilities. • The facilities division has initiated a newsletter to update the community and staff on the status of facilities projects. • Site safety committees have been established at each school site. The composition of the committees is specified in the consent decree and should be composed largely of parents (60 percent). The committees are responsible for periodically inspecting their school sites and identifying repair and maintenance priorities. Copies of agendas and minutes are checked during periodic, unannounced visits to the school sites. • A special board informational meeting was held on August 10, 2004 to discuss facili- ties funding and the difference between general obligation bonds (GOB) and certifi- cates of participation (COP). Workshops on facilities issues are also provided for the board members whenever requested. 50 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: 2 August 2000 Rating: 4 February 2001 Rating: 4 August 2001 Rating: 5 February 2002 Rating: 7 August 2002 Rating: 8 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 9 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 51 52 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 19. Student Promotion a. The State Administrator shall develop a draft policy concerning the retention and promotion of students (“promotional policy”). b. In drafting the policy, the State Administrator shall consult with the Advisory Board and with the site committees. c. Upon completion of the draft promotional policy, one or more public meetings will be convened to secure the input of parents. Plaintiffs’ counsel shall assist the CUSD in securing broad parental participation at the public meeting(s). d. Plaintiffs’ counsel shall provide the State Administrator with written comments on the draft promotional policy prior to the first public meeting required by subdivision (c). FCMAT Pupil Achievement Standards 1.5 and 1.16 were the standards used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 19. Consent Decree 53 Pupil Achievement Standard 1.5 Preparation of Students - Expectations and Practices Professional Standard Expectations and a practice exist to improve the preparation of students and to build a school structure with the capacity to serve all students. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 19) include the development of a district policy on stu- dent promotion and conducting parent meetings to obtain input to the policy. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The promotion/acceleration/retention policy, Policy No. 5123, was revised and ad- opted on April 11, 2000. Information on the policy is distributed annually to parents through the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook. • District graduation requirements were revised to align them to the state graduation requirements and the UC and CSU A through G requirements. • The district has implemented several intervention programs to address low student performance. Students at the high school who fail a first semester course have to repeat the failed portion of the course before moving on to the second semester level. After school tutorials and Saturday school are provided at all high schools for students who did not pass the CAHSEE high school exit exam. • The district provides a network of supplemental services for students having academic difficulties. After school and Saturday programs are available to all students. Summer school has been made mandatory for failing students. However, 2005 summer school offerings were limited to specific sites during the district’s extensive modernization projects. • Bell schedules for schools have been modified to provide additional time that is “banked” for staff professional development activities. Twenty minimum Instruc- tional days are thus built into the school year schedule for staff meetings and inservice training. • All professional development activities are focused on the improvement of instruction and student achievement. • New and inexperienced teachers meet regularly with PAR teachers and personnel staff members for assistance with classroom management and curriculum and instruction. • Principals are required to spend a minimum of 20 percent of the school day in class- rooms or working with teachers on instructional improvement. • Central office administrators provide assistance in the monitoring of curriculum delivery. Cabinet members visit the school sites each week (Wednesday). • Thirteen district schools made their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals in 2003-04 and 32 of 36 schools met their Academic Performance Index (API) targets. The dis- trict, however, is working to improve the schools that have not made Adequate Yearly 54 Consent Decree Progress (AYP) for several years, identified as Program Improvement (PI) schools. Fifteen district schools were PI schools in 2003-04, seven in year 1 and eight in year 3. In 2004-05, 23 schools are PI schools, eleven in year 1, four schools in year 2, and eight schools in year 4 which is the planning year for restructuring the school. Four district schools also required School Assistance and Intervention Teams (SAIT). Two schools have been identified for state monitoring in the High Priority Schools pro- gram. • Four schools have exited the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Pro- gram (II/USP). • The district is focused on improving student academic performance and has developed an internal instructional audit process, detailed in an Instructional Audit Handbook, to monitor effective program implementation at the schools. Visiting teams of four or more administrators visit each of 12 sites for one day during the first quarter, with two to three visitations occurring in the next three quarters. Visits to the first 12 sites were conducted in November 2004. Second visits were conducted in February 2005 and third visits in May 2005. • The district’s internal instructional audit process also addresses the Office for Civil Rights and Comité compliance requirements. • Students are honored for their academic achievements at Board meetings. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Substantially February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: 3 February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 5 February 2001 Rating: 5 August 2001 Rating: 5 February 2002 Rating: 6 August 2002 Rating: 6 February 2003 Rating: 7 August 2003 Rating: 8 February 2004 Rating: 9 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 9 August 2005 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 55 Pupil Achievement Standard 1.16 Common Vision - Practice Professional Standard A common vision of what all students should know and be able to do exists and is put into prac- tice. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 19) include the development of a district policy on stu- dent promotion and conducting parent meetings to obtain input to the policy. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The promotion/acceleration/retention policy, Policy No. 5123, was revised and ad- opted on April 11, 2000. Information on the policy is distributed annually to parents through the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook. • Staff development training in the curricular standards for each core subject focuses teachers on what they are expected to do in teaching the instructional content, and reinforces standards-based instruction. • Eleven district schools received Reading First grants providing funds for early inter- vention with special needs students. • Each site has developed a Single Site Plan for Student Achievement that identifies all support and supplemental services provided to the students. Each site plan has a mis- sion statement and delineates instructional goals of what all students should know and be able to do. • All curriculum guides are aligned with the content standards. • High School graduation requirements are clearly defined in the Student and Parent/ Guardian Handbook. The document, A High School Academic Planner and Course Catalogue, has been developed to assist students in meeting graduation requirements and in career planning. • Course catalogues for grades 9-12 have been updated. Course catalogues for middle school grades have been developed. • Report cards for grades K-5 reflect content and performance standards. • A Master Plan for English Language Learners has been approved by the governing board and the state department. The English Language Development curriculum has been completed for K-12. • The district technology plan has been approved by the state and is being implemented by the district. Eight schools are participating in a consortium targeting middle school wireless connections. A Title I Enhancing Educational Technology (ETT) grant of $1.7 million has been received by the district. 56 Consent Decree • The district is focused on improving student academic performance and has developed an internal instructional audit process, detailed in an Instructional Audit Handbook, to monitor effective program implementation at the schools. Visiting teams of four or more administrators visit each of 12 sites for one day during the first quarter, with two to three visitations occurring in the next three quarters. Visits to the first 12 sites were conducted in November 2004. Second visits were conducted in February 2005 and third visits in May 2005. • The district’s internal instructional audit process also addresses the Office for Civil Rights and Comité compliance requirements. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Substantially February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: 4 August 2000 Rating: 5 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 6 February 2002 Rating: 6 August 2002 Rating: 6 February 2003 Rating: 7 August 2003 Rating: 8 February 2004 Rating: 9 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 9 August 2005 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 57 58 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 20. CBEST a. Any teacher hired after November 20, 1997, will be employed for no more than two years without passing CBEST. b. Each year the State Administrator will produce a public report which will identify every teacher employed by the CUSD who does not have a clear credential and how long the employee has been employed. c. No new teacher will be retained for more than three years if he or she does not obtain a preliminary credential. d. The State Administrator shall develop and implement an incentive program to encourage teachers to obtain a clear credential and to continue their employment with CUSD once they have obtained such credential. FCMAT Personnel Management Standard 3.10 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 20. Consent Decree 59 Personnel Management Standard 3.10 Certificated Recruitment and Selection Legal Standard The district limits the number of certificated persons on CBEST waiver. [EC 44252.5] Consent Decree Stipulations Section 20 of the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case no. BC 174282, includes the following stipulations: the district is to identify teachers without clear credentials, produce a pub- lic report, monitor teachers who have not passed CBEST, release teachers who have not passed CBEST after two years or who have not obtained a preliminary credential after three years, and provide an incentive program to teachers to obtain an appropriate credential. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district accepts CBEST waivers only if credentialed teachers are not available for the hard-to-fill special education positions. • The percent of total teaching staff with clear credentials continues to increase. Per- centages of the district’s regular teachers who are credentialed: • In June 2005, 77.90 percent of the district’s regular teachers were creden- tialed, 17.78 percent had Intern credentials, 1.93 percent had Pre-Intern Cer- tificates and 2.38 percent had emergency permits. • In January 2005, 74.79 percent were credentialed, 20.16 percent had Intern credentials, 2.26 percent were second year Pre-Interns, and 2.80 percent had emergency permits. • In June 2004, 66.40 percent were credentialed, 23.19 percent had Intern cre- dentials, 5.91 percent had pre-Intern certificates, 4.43 percent had emergency permits, and 0.07 percent had pupil personnel services waivers. • In January 2004, 63.21 percent were credentialed, 25 percent had Intern credentials, 7 percent had pre-Intern certificates and 5 percent had emergency permits. • Percentages of the district’s special education teachers with credentials: • In June 2005, 43.93 percent of the district’s special education teachers were credentialed, 25.23 percent had Intern credentials, 6.54 percent had Pre-Intern Certificates, 16.82 percent had emergency permits, and 3.74 percent or four teachers had SDC waivers. Four teachers also had waivers for both SDC and CBEST. • In January 2005, 39.81 percent were credentialed, 21.36 percent had Intern credentials, 10.68 percent had Pre-Intern certificates, 14.56 percent had Emer- gency Permits, 7.77 percent had SDC waivers, and 5.82 percent had SDC and CBEST waivers. • In June 2004, 32.43 percent were credentialed, 16.22 percent had Intern cre- dentials, 25.23 percent had pre-Intern certificates, 15.32 percent had emergen- cy permits, 3.60 percent had SDC waivers, 1.80 percent had SDC and CBEST waivers, and 5.40 percent had CBEST waivers. 60 Consent Decree • All teachers are required to meet subject matter competency requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. • The district provides a differentiated salary schedule, paying credentialed teachers at a higher level than non-credentialed teachers, providing a strong incentive for teachers to become credentialed as quickly as possible. • Although Teaching as a Priority (TAP) funds, which provided incentives for recruiting and retaining credentialed teachers in the district, are no longer available, the district has allotted other district funds such as Title I and Title II program funds to provide incentives to recruit fully credentialed teachers to the district. The district offers an $11,000 signing bonus to fully credentialed teachers of mathematics, science or spe- cial education for a two-year teaching commitment in the district. • The Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program (BTSA) provides coaching support to first and second year probationary teachers. • The district continues to comply with the Consent Decree stipulation to identify teach- ers without clear credentials, to monitor teachers who have not passed the CBEST, and to release teachers who have not passed CBEST after two years. Monthly reports indicating the number and percent of credentialed and non-credentialed teachers in the district are generated by the Human Resources and Employee Development Depart- ment and are periodically presented to the board. • The HR department added a recruiter position in February 2005 to attend career fairs to recruit and hire applicants in hard-to-fill areas. • In June 2005 the superintendent informed all K-12 teachers of the requirement to obtain English Learner authorization. Under the Williams v State of California settle- ment, a teacher who is assigned to teach a class with more than 20 percent English Learner pupils in the class must have an EL authorization. Under Education Code requirements, a teacher with any English Learner pupils in the class must have an EL authorization. • Among all district certificated personnel including management, 51 percent currently have EL authorization, and 24 percent are in training. • Among classroom teachers, 50 percent have EL authorization and 27 percent are in training. • The district has required all site administrators to obtain EL authorization and has given them two years in which to do so. Consent Decree 61 Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 8 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 8 February 2001 Rating: 8 August 2001 Rating: 9 February 2002 Rating: 10 August 2002 Rating: 10 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: 62 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 21. Food Service The results of any inspection by the Los Angeles County Health Department shall be shared with the site committee at the school where the food service facility is located. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 9.3 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 21. Consent Decree 63 Facilities Management Standard 9.3 Instructional Program Issues - Lunch Areas are Warm, Healthful and Safe Legal Standard The governing board shall provide a warm, healthful place in which children who bring their own lunches to school may eat their lunch. [EC 17573, CCR Title 5 14030] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. An additional related stipulation (Section 21) includes that any inspections conducted by the Los Angeles County Health Department should be shared with the school site committee. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The cafeterias at the three high schools and at Roosevelt and Whaley Middle Schools were remodeled for the 2002-03 school year to make them more attractive and to increase student lunch participation. • Shade structures to enhance the outdoor lunch areas have been erected at Roosevelt Elementary, Kelly Elementary, Foster Elementary and Roosevelt Middle Schools. • Colorfully painted trash barrels have been placed in the lunch courtyards and addi- tional outdoor benches have been provided for students. • Heating is provided to all cafeterias. • Attractive, new marquis messaging boards have been installed at the three high schools and several middle schools to announce upcoming school activities. • District modernization projects will provide several modernized school lunch rooms and upgrade other areas of campus for students to enjoy their lunches. • The district plans to modernize 12 kitchen food preparation areas in summer 2005. • The district plans to remodel six middle school cafeteria student dining areas in sum- mer 2005. • Inspections of site cafeterias by the Los Angeles County Health Department are shared with the school site administrators to share with the school site councils. Inspections occur only in response to a complaint. • No inspections were conducted by the County Health Department during the 2001-2002 school year. • In 2002-03 the Health Department visited a site cafeteria in response to a parent complaint and found that the complaint was unsubstantiated. • A visit occurred at a school in summer 2003, and a report of that complaint was shared with the site administration and site council. • One inspection was conducted during the second semester of the 2003-2004 school year in response to a complaint. The complaint was found to be unsub- stantiated. 64 Consent Decree • An inspection was conducted in January 2005 in response to a complaint of no hot water at a site kitchen. The complaint was substantiated and hot water was immediately restored with no loss of food preparation time. The complaint was shared with the school principal. • There were no complaints or inspections conducted in spring 2005. • All district cafeteria managers and cooks participate in the Serve-Safe national certifi- cation program, and three district food services employees are trainers in this certifica- tion program. • Training in food safety and service is provided regularly for all employees. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 3 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 4 February 2001 Rating: 4 August 2001 Rating: 4 February 2002 Rating: 6 August 2002 Rating: 7 February 2003 Rating: 8 August 2003 Rating: 8 February 2004 Rating: 9 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 9 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 65 66 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 22. Central Telephone Number for Facilities Complaints a. The State Administrator shall establish a central telephone number for the purpose of receiving complaints about condition of school facilities. b. The telephone number shall be distributed to all parents at the beginning of each school semester and shall be posted in prominent places at all school sites. c. All telephone calls shall be recorded on a form developed by the State Administrator. The form shall require information that will ensure that the State Administrator can prepare a quarterly report that provides information concerning the nature of the calls received, the number of calls received, the school that each call concerned, and the disposition of any complaints received. The quarterly report shall be provided to counsel for plaintiffs and defendants and shall be available to the public. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 11.2 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 22. Consent Decree 67 Facilities Management Standard 11.2 Communication - Communication of Actions Taken, Planned, Progress Made Professional Standard The district should apprise students, staff and community of efforts to rectify any substandard conditions. Consent Decree Stipulations Section 22 of the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, includes the following stipulations: the district is to establish a central telephone number for complaints about the condition of school facilities, distribute and post the telephone number for the public, develop a form for recording calls, record all calls on the developed form, prepare quarterly reports con- cerning the calls received at the school and district levels. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district provides ongoing communication about the district’s activities and posi- tive achievements to its community. • The Facilities Division provides monthly project status reports to the governing board and the district’s Bond Oversight Committee. • The district effectively communicated its facilities needs to its community and suc- cessfully passed an $80 million local general obligation bond in November 2002 with a community approval rate of more than 80 percent. • Complaints about facilities can be made through the district’s Emergency Hot-Line, anonymously through the WE-TIP program, or at open Board meetings. The WE-TIP hot-line program provides a means for community members to anonymously report facilities concerns or problems to the district. • Public complaints are also received through the district’s central telephone number, the public information office, or the superintendent’s office. School complaints are generally referred to the site principal for resolution. Complaints about security issues are made to the Police Services department. Facilities complaints are made to school principals, the facilities division, board members or the superintendent. • The district should receive regular reports from the WE-TIP program to analyze the type of calls received. 68 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 9 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 7 February 2001 Rating: 7 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 8 February 2003 Rating: 8 August 2003 Rating: 9 February 2004 Rating: 9 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 69 70 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 23. Volunteerism a. The District shall actively recruit parents to volunteer at school sites both during hours that school is in session and other periods. The State Administrator shall develop a parent involvement plan that includes strategies for recruiting and utilizing parent volunteers to carry out the terms of this Consent Decree. b. Volunteers shall be recruited to assist in security campus patrols, maintenance and litter removal, and after-school tutoring programs. Plaintiffs’ counsel shall actively assist in recruiting other parents to do volunteer work. Parents will be encouraged to perform at least 40 hours of volunteer work per year at their child’s school. c. The principal of each school, using a form developed by the State Administrator, shall keep a record of the number of volunteer hours at each school site. d. The State Administrator shall on a monthly basis present a certificate of appreciation to the volunteer of the month from each school. The certificate shall be presented at a public meeting, such as a meeting of the Advisory Board. FCMAT Facilities Management Standard 10.1 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 23. Consent Decree 71 Facilities Management Standard 10.1 Community Use of Facilities - Plan to Promote Community Involvement in Schools Professional Standard The district should have a plan to promote community involvement in schools. Consent Decree Stipulations Section 23 of the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, includes the following stipulations: the district is to develop a parent involvement plan, develop a form to record voluntarism, recruit parents to volunteer 40 hours per year, keep records of the number of volunteer hours at the schools, conduct monthly recognition programs and provide a certificate to the volunteer of the month. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district continues to promote community involvement in its schools, and contin- ues to implement the “Volunteers in Public Schools” (VIPS) guide developed in the 1999-2000 school year and updated in June 2005. • Schools continue to monitor volunteer participation and the number of parent volun- teer hours with sign-in sheets that are monitored by district administrative staff. • Training workshops continue to be provided to parents and school volunteers. • Each school has at least one or more parent coordinators to promote parent involve- ment and assist parents in volunteer activities. • Community input is regularly sought by the district. The district holds parent/commu- nity forums regularly to hear parents’ concerns and suggestions for improving district programs and operations. Four to five parent/community forums have been held each year in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05. • The district established a district-wide Beautification Committee to consider site beautification plans and to work with sites to support their beautification efforts. The activities of the Committee have been temporarily suspended while the district’s mod- ernization projects are being completed. • The district continues to provide training workshops to its classified personnel, par- ticularly front office staff, regarding providing a “customer service” attitude to parents and school visitors. • All schools have a designated area for parents to meet. Parent centers are included in the district’s Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. • The district conducts an annual volunteer recognition dinner at the end of the school year to show its appreciation for the many outstanding parent and community volun- teers who have worked with the schools. Individual sites also recognize parent volun- teers. • Parent involvement is a major component of several grant programs awarded to the district, and parent committees are encouraged and supported. 72 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 8 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 8 February 2001 Rating: 9 August 2001 Rating: 10 February 2002 Rating: 10 August 2002 Rating: 10 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 73 74 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 24. Race Relations a. The State Administrator shall develop a program to incorporate race relations and nonviolent conflict resolution into the ongoing course of study of all students. In addition, the plan shall encourage the participation of parents in the course of study. FCMAT Pupil Achievement Standard 1.10 was the standard used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 24. Consent Decree 75 Pupil Achievement Standard 1.10 Variety of Instructional Strategies - Student Diversity Professional Standard Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies and resources that address their students’ diverse needs. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 24) include the development of a program in race rela- tions in an ongoing course of study for all students, and the encouragement of parent participa- tion in the program. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district is including in the History/Social Science curriculum the study of the vari- ous ethnic populations that are reflected in the student population. • The district purchased instructional materials on the Latino experience and the Af- rican-American experience for use in the classroom. The district has added instruc- tional materials on the Asian, Pacific Islander, and Samoan experiences as well. Black History Month and Spanish Heritage Month are acknowledged in the instructional program. The birthdays of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez are celebrated annually. • The district’s second annual Asian/Pacific Islander celebration was held at Longfellow School in May 2004. A districtwide Cultural Diversity Celebration was held in April 2005 at Compton High. • The district has received one of only 17 Teaching American History grants awarded to California districts. This is a collaborative professional development effort with the California State Universities at Dominguez Hills and Long Beach to develop curricu- lum and train teachers in the teaching of American History, including the contribu- tions of its various racial and ethnic groups. The grant is a Title II three-year grant for $996,000 provided by the Museum of Tolerance. • District desegregation funds have increased the availability of Spanish supplemental materials in the school libraries. • All of the high schools have a student Human Relations Club. Programs for students in Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation are implemented in the schools. Other stu- dent programs such as Positive Action for the fourth grade level, Character Education, and Wise Skills for the middle schools are encouraged. Many schools have an Advi- sory period available to work directly on student issues. • The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) sponsored human rela- tions camps for students in December 2004 and April 2005. 90 students participated in the district’s Student Leadership Conference on January 28, 2005. Compton’s leadership students also participated with other student leaders in the area in a one-day training conference supported by NCCJ in April 2005. 76 Consent Decree • 125 K-12 students participated in the district’s Student Leadership Summit in Febru- ary 2005. • Staff development for teachers focuses on the differentiation of instruction to meet the instructional needs of all students. All staff development activities use student data as the basis for determining teacher training needs. Recent staff development emphasis has been on how to increase the achievement of students of color. Specific instruc- tional programs have been designed for the targeted groups of students. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Substantially February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: 3 August 2000 Rating: 4 February 2001 Rating: 4 August 2001 Rating: 5 February 2002 Rating: 6 August 2002 Rating: 7 February 2003 Rating: 7 August 2003 Rating: 8 February 2004 Rating: 8 August 2004 Rating: 9 February 2005 Rating: 9 August 2005 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 77 78 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 25. Additional Compliance Requirements a. Facilities Plan. A comprehensive facilities plan is currently being developed by CUSD. Upon completion of that plan, defendants shall submit to the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (“FCMAT”) an implementation plan to implement all recommendations of the facilities plan including specific timelines. FCMAT shall solicit comments from plaintiffs’ counsel on the proposed implementation plan prior to its approval. FCMAT shall approve, with such modifications as it deems appropriate, the plan within 60 days of its submission. The implementation plan shall provide that all recommendations of the facilities plan are implemented at the earliest feasible date, and as part of the approval process, FCMAT shall issue detailed findings setting forth the reason each timeline was chosen. Defendants shall make a good faith effort to implement such implementation plan. c. During the period of this Consent Decree, the proceeds of any local CUSD bonds or other local CUSD borrowing instruments shall be used solely to implement the facilities plan required by Section 25(a) until such plan is fully implemented or for such other capital expenditures determined by FCMAT to be necessary or appropriate to implement the FCMAT recovery plans until such plans are fully implemented. FCMAT Facilities Management Standards 2.1 and 3.10 were the standards used to monitor the district’s compliance with Section 25a and 25c. Consent Decree 79 Facilities Management Standard 2.1 Facility Planning - Maintenance of a Long-Range Facilities Master Plan Professional Standard Compton Unified School District should have a long-range school facilities master plan. Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 25) include developing a comprehensive facilities plan with time lines, submitting the plan to FCMAT for approval, and FCMAT soliciting comments from plaintiffs’ counsel. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The board adopted a long-range Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan on July 13, 1999. The district completed a Facilities Implementation Plan which was approved by FCMAT effective August 10, 2001. The implementation plan provides a timeline and priority for modernization and new construction projects. • All district facilities projects since that time have been based on the long-range Facili- ties Master Plan. Decisions about the use of the district’s deferred maintenance funds have also been guided by the plan. • Twenty-eight modernization and three new construction projects were approved by the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) several years ago and have awaited the availability of state funds. • The state’s General Obligation Bond (GOB), Proposition 47, was passed in November 2002. • The district’s local $80 million General Obligation Bond, Measure I, was passed in November 2002. • The district established a bond oversight committee of 12 community members and a representative of FCMAT to ensure that the bond proceeds are utilized as the voters intended. The committee meets on the first Monday of each month to review district reports on project updates. • The district approved a Certificate of Participation (COP) for $19 million to build the William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School, which opened to students in January 2003 and accommodates 850 students. Funds for construction of Clinton Elementary School were included in the GOB and will be used to retire the COP balance. Ad- ditional classrooms are planned to expand Clinton Elementary to accommodate the additional students that will be attending the school. • Additional classroom buildings with science/technology labs are planned for Domin- guez, Compton and Centennial High Schools. • The district has initiated work on the second of the three new schools identified in the Facilities Master Plan. The district offices at South Tamarind Avenue are being de- molished for the Tamarind Avenue elementary school. District office staff and admin- istrators are currently housed in temporary bungalows at 500 South Santa Fe Avenue. 80 Consent Decree The district board has approved a $10 million Certificate of Participation (COP) to build permanent facilities for district office operations to be located on South Santa Fe Avenue. • Completion of the majority of the district’s current modernization projects is expected by summer 2005. • The district is currently seeking additional funding for future facilities projects. The district carefully monitors its student enrollment growth for eligibility in increased facilities funding. Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: 5 February 2000 Rating: 6 August 2000 Rating: 7 February 2001 Rating: 8 August 2001 Rating: 9 February 2002 Rating: 10 August 2002 Rating: 10 February 2003 Rating: 10 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 81 Facilities Management Standard 3.10 Facilities Improvement and Modernization - Plan for Maintenance and Modernization Exists Legal Standard The CUSD maintains a plan for the maintenance and modernization of its facilities. [EC 17366] Consent Decree Stipulation This standard was identified in the Consent Decree in the action Serna v Eastin, Case No. BC 174282, as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant. Additional related stipulations (Section 25) include developing a comprehensive facilities imple- mentation plan with time lines, submitting the plan to FCMAT for approval, and FCMAT solicit- ing comments from plaintiffs’ counsel. Progress on Recommendations and Recovery Steps This standard is fully implemented and the Consent Decree stipulations have been met. • The district developed a Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan, adopted by the Board in July 1999. • The district completed a Facilities Implementation Plan, approved by FCMAT effec- tive August 10, 2001, to implement the district’s Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. The plan identifies sources of district general funds and provides a priority for the completion of construction projects. • All district facilities projects since 1999 have been based on the long-range Facilities Master Plan. Decisions about the use of the district’s deferred maintenance funds were also guided by the plan. • The state’s General Obligation Bond, Proposition 47, was passed in November 2002, and the district’s local $80 million General Obligation Bond, Measure I, was passed in November 2002. The district established a bond oversight committee to ensure that the bond proceeds from the district’s $80 million local general obligation bond are utilized as the voters intended. This committee was expanded from 13 to 16 members in January and February 2005. • The district has initiated work on the second of the three new schools identified in the Facilities Master Plan. The district offices at South Tamarind Avenue are be- ing demolished for the Tamarind Avenue elementary school. District office staff and administrators are currently being housed in temporary bungalows on South Santa Fe Avenue. The district board has approved a $10 million Certificate of Participation (COP) to build permanent facilities for district office operations to be located on South Santa Fe Avenue. • The district is currently seeking additional funding for future facilities projects. • Completion of the majority of the district’s current modernization projects is expected by summer 2005. 82 Consent Decree Standard Implemented: Fully Implemented - Sustained February 1999 Rating: 0 August 1999 Rating: Not Reviewed February 2000 Rating: Not Reviewed August 2000 Rating: 6 February 2001 Rating: 6 August 2001 Rating: 7 February 2002 Rating: 8 August 2002 Rating: 9 February 2003 Rating: 9 August 2003 Rating: 10 February 2004 Rating: 10 August 2004 Rating: 10 February 2005 Rating: 10 August 2005 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Consent Decree 83 84 Consent Decree CONSENT DECREE III. School Conditions and Instructional Materials Section 25. Additional Compliance Requirements b. FCMAT has prepared five recovery plans for CUSD: Pupil Achievement; Financial Management; Facilities Management; Personnel Management; and Community Relations. In each of these five plans, FCMAT has identified specific legal and Professional Standards by which to assess CUSD’s compliance. In connection with each standard, FCMAT has measured CUSD’s progress using a 10-point scale, with a scaled score of “0” representing a standard that is not implemented and a scaled score of “10” representing a standard that is fully implemented. The standards of the Pupil Achievement recovery plan and Facilities recovery plan are made a part of this Consent Decree and shall be subject to the compliance requirements of this Consent Decree. (i) A list of standards for the Pupil Achievement recovery plan and Facilities recovery plan, including the current scaled scores is set forth in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated by reference. Any standard that has a scaled score of 8, 9, or 10 shall be deemed to have been implemented. Any standard that has a scaled score of less than 8 shall be addressed and improved by defendants. Compliance with a recovery plan’s standards shall be deemed satisfied when FCMAT certifies that defendants have achieved an average scaled score for all such standards of 7.5 and no standard has received a scaled score of less than 4. In addition, compliance shall not be deemed achieved unless the following standards have received a score of at least 8: 1) Pupil Achievement: 1.2; 1.4; 1.5; 1.10; 1.11; 1.16; 1.20; 1.21; 1.23; 1.25; 2.3; 2.6; 2.9; 2.10 2) Facilities: 1.3; 1.6; 1.7; 1.8; 1.9; 1.12; 1.14; 1.17; 2.1; 2.3; 2.4; 2.5; 2.6; 3.4; 3.8; 3.10; 6.2; 6.3; 8.5; 8.6; 8.8; 8.9; 8.10; 8.12; 9.3; 9.4; 9.7; 9.8; 9.10; 9.11. (ii) Within 60 days of the approval of this Consent Decree, defendants shall submit to FCMAT a proposed timeline to implement the Pupil Achievement recovery plan and Facilities recovery plan. FCMAT shall solicit comments from plaintiffs’ counsel on the proposed timelines prior to its approval. FCMAT shall approve, with such modifications as it deems appropriate, the timelines within 60 days of its submission. The timelines shall provide that all recommendations of these recovery plans are implemented at the earliest feasible date, and FCMAT shall issue detailed findings setting forth the reason each timeline was chosen. (iii) In the event that defendants are unable to comply with any timeline, defendants may apply to the Special Master for an extension of time upon a showing of good cause. Absent an extension, plaintiffs may apply to the Special Master for specific orders directing particular actions to bring CUSD into compliance. Consent Decree 85 The FCMAT standards that were identified in the Consent Decree Section 25.b.i as needing to reach a rating of 8 to be deemed compliant follow on the next pages of this report. All of the identified standards in Pupil Achievement and Facilities Management have reached a rating of 8 or better as required. Charts of the Pupil Achievement and Facilities Management standards are included in this report to provide an overview of the ratings of the standards over time and the status of their implemen- tation. 86 Consent Decree