Comprehensive Review

Chief Executive Officer Joel D. Montero Administrative Agent Larry E. Reider Office of Kern County Superintendent of Schools West Fresno Elementary School District Assessment and Improvement Plan Fifth Progress Report April 2008 Submitted by Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team Executive Summary West Fresno Elementary School District Assessment and Improvement Plan Introduction This report, West Fresno Elementary School District Assessment and Improvement Plan, Fifth Progress Report, April 2008, provides data to the district, community and legislators to assist the West Fresno Elementary School District in building capacity within the district to promote student learning, conduct business operations effectively, and re-establish local governance. The report indicates the progress made by the West Fresno Elementary School District state- appointed administrator, advisory board of trustees, district administrators and staff to address the recommendations for improvement made in the West Fresno Elementary School District Assessment and Improvement Plan that was first presented to the district by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) in July 2003. Previous progress reports were provided to the district, community and legislators in January 2004, July 2004, July 2005 and April 2007. This progress report continues the use of FCMAT’s legal and professional standards in the assessment process in the five operational areas of Community Relations and Governance, Personnel Management, Pupil Achievement, Financial Management and Facilities Management. The initial Assessment and Improvement Plan of July 2003 assessed all aspects of school district operations using 357 legal and professional standards. The number of standards was reduced by FCMAT, in consultation with the California Department of Education, to a subset of 114 stan- dards, which, if addressed successfully, would provide the greatest probability for the district to achieve the necessary improvement and return to local governance. The same 114 standards have been assessed in each of the subsequent progress reviews conducted in the district. Reducing the number of standards has allowed the district to focus its improvement efforts in key areas. The report also provides a process and identifying criteria for the eventual return of the district from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the governance of the local board. The findings presented in this report represent a snapshot of the district at a specific point in time, and are intended to assist the district with the improvement of student learning. In the time since the data-gathering fieldwork for this report, the district has continued to address certain areas of concern, making progress that may not be reflected in this report. FCMAT would like to acknowledge the cooperation of the state-appointed administrator, advisory board members, and the district’s community and staff during the review process. As detailed later in this report, the district has met the established criteria of an average of 6.0 with no individual standard under a 4.0 in four of the five operational areas. FCMAT recom- mends to the Superintendent of Public Instruction the consideration of the return of the following operational areas to the governing board of the West Fresno Elementary School District: Com- munity Relations and Governance, Personnel Management, Pupil Achievement, and Facilities Management. Executive Summary 1 2 Executive Summary Background On March 6, 2003, Assembly Bill 38 (Reyes) was signed into law. The bill authorized the appointment of a State Administrator and provided an emergency state loan of $2 million to the West Fresno Elementary School District. The legislation required the Fiscal Crisis and Manage- ment Assistance Team (FCMAT) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the district in five major operational areas. The bill further required FCMAT to file status reports for two six-month periods through June 2004 with various entities, including the Legislature, on the school district’s progress in meeting the recommendations of the various improvement plans. In March 2003 the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, appointed a State Administrator to the West Fresno Elementary School District to serve as his designee. Also in March 2003, FCMAT organized a team of independent and external professional experts from both the private and public sectors to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the district and to develop a plan of improvement in five school district operational areas: Community Rela- tions and Governance, Personnel Management, Pupil Achievement, Financial Management, and Facilities Management. Initial fieldwork in the district was conducted in April and May 2003. In December 2003, the district accessed $1.3 million of the $2 million emergency apportionment made available by Assembly Bill 38. The funds were required to repay the state $430,000 for a 2001-02 audit finding relating to categorical program non-compliance issues, $667,000 to offset a negative beginning balance for the 2003-04 fiscal year and the remainder for lawsuits that were projected to be settled by the end of the fiscal year. The district did not access any additional funds from the balance of the state funds available. In July 2003, FCMAT distributed the West Fresno Elementary School District Assessment and Improvement Plan to the district and various entities, including the California Department of Education and specific members of the Legislature. The July 2003 report assessed the district utilizing 357 professional and legal standards applicable to all California school districts. The six-month progress reports issued in January 2004 and July 2004 and subsequent reports issued in July 2005, April 2007 and April 2008 provided an assessment of the district’s progress in addressing the recommendations of an identified subset of 114 standards. Assembly Bill 38 provided funding and authorization for the development of the initial com- prehensive assessment and improvement plan, and two six-month progress reports. AB 2525 provided authorization for FCMAT to utilize any of its own 2003-04 unexpended balances to develop an annual progress report for the West Fresno Elementary School District. That third progress report was issued to the district on July 1, 2005, one year after the second six-month progress report provided to the district on July 1, 2004. Language in the State Budget Act of 2006 provided authorization for FCMAT to again utilize any of its own unexpended fund balances to conduct another progress review for the district. A fourth progress report was issued in April 2007, more than a year and a half since the previous report. Executive Summary 3 This April 2008 progress report is the fifth in a series of progress reports provided, and continues to report on the district’s progress in addressing a subset of 114 identified standards. The use of a standards-based assessment process in July 2003 provided a baseline of information concerning district operations, against which improvements made by the district have been measured over time, at each progress review period. FCMAT has maintained the same review teams to continue the monitoring of the district, providing consistency and credibility in the assessment process. The State Administrator appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in March 2003 retired on June 8, 2005, and the SPI appointed a new State Administrator to the district, effective June 9, 2005. 4 Executive Summary Returning the District to Local Governance Certain conditions must be met before the West Fresno Elementary School District is returned to local governance. Assembly Bill 38, Reyes, Statutes of 2003, provides specifics regarding the return of the designated legal rights, duties and powers to the district’s Governing Board. The authority of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and his administrator designee shall continue in the district until the conditions are met. The return of legal rights, duties and powers to the Governing Board occurs when the Superintendent of Public Instruction determines that the conditions of AB 38, subdivision (e) have been satisfied. AB 38 provides specific and direct responsibilities to FCMAT in assisting the SPI with the dis- trict’s recovery. These duties include the following: 1. FCMAT shall complete the assessment and improvement plans for the district in five designated functional areas: Community Relations and Governance, Pupil Achievement, Personnel Management, Financial Management and Facilities Management. 2. Based upon its progress reports, FCMAT shall recommend to the Superintendent of Public Instruction those designated functional areas of school district operation that are appropriate for the Governing Board of the school district to assume. 3. FCMAT shall file written status reports that reflect the progress the district is making in meeting the recommendations of the improvement plans. 4. FCMAT, after consultation with the administrator, determines that for at least the immediately previous six months the district made substantial and sustained progress in the following functional areas: 1. Community Relations and Governance 2. Personnel Procedures 3. Pupil Achievement 4. Financial Management 5. Facilities Management As required by AB 38, FCMAT developed the West Fresno Elementary School District Assess- ment and Improvement Plan for the district in July 2003. The California Department of Educa- tion and FCMAT collaboratively selected a subset of 114 standards to target for ongoing progress reports. These standards were selected as having the greatest probability to assist the district with the eventual return to local governance if addressed successfully. The selected standards are identified in bold print in the Table of Standards for each operational area in Section Two of this report and are discussed more fully in Section Two. The 114 standards in the five major operational areas were assessed at each progress review period and the district’s improvement reported in FCMAT progress reports issued in January 2004, July 2004, July 2005, April 2007 and this April 2008 report. A relative scaled score from zero (not met) to a 10 (fully met) was applied to each standard as to completeness. The scores applied to the standards provide a measure of the district’s progress toward recovery over time. The West Fresno Elementary School District is not required to reach a scaled score of 10 in every standard, but is expected to make steady progress that can be sustained, as this is a requirement Executive Summary 5 of AB 38. It is reasonable to expect the district to reach an average rating of at least six. As the average score of the subset of standards in a functional area reaches a level of six and it is considered to be sustainable, and no individual standard in the subset is below a four, FCMAT will recommend to the Superintendent of Public Instruction that this particular condition of AB 38 has been met and that the operational area could be considered for return to the Governing Board. Assembly Bill 38 suggests an incremental return of powers to the district as the condi- tions in each operational area are met. Additional conditions specified in AB 38 that need to occur for the return of all legal rights, duties and powers to the district’s Governing Board include the following: • The state administrator certifies that all necessary collective bargaining agreements have been negotiated and ratified, and that the agreements are consistent with the terms of the recovery and improvement plans. • The district completes all reports required by the SPI and the state administrator. The ultimate return of legal rights, duties and powers is based upon the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s concurrence with the assessment of his administrator designee and FCMAT that the future compliance by the West Fresno Elementary School District with the improvement plans and the multiyear financial recovery plan is probable. 6 Executive Summary Study Guidelines FCMAT’s approach to implementing the statutory requirements of Assembly Bill 38 is based upon a commitment to a standards-based, independent and external review of the West Fresno Elementary School District’s operations. FCMAT performed the assessment and developed the improvement plan in collaboration with four other external providers selected through a competi- tive process. Professionals from throughout California contributed their knowledge and applied the identified legal and professional standards to the specific local conditions found in the West Fresno Elementary School District. Prior to beginning work in the district, FCMAT adopted five basic tenets to be incorporated in the assessment and improvement plans. These tenets were based on previous assessments conducted by FCMAT in school districts throughout California and a review of data from other states imple- menting external reviews of troubled school districts. The five basic tenets are: 1. Use of Professional and Legal Standards FCMAT’s experience indicates that for schools and school districts to be successful in pro- gram improvement, the evaluation, design and implementation of improvement plans must be standards-driven. FCMAT has noted positive differences between an objective standards-based approach versus a non-standards-based approach. When standards are clearly defined, reachable, and communicated, there is a greater likelihood they will be measured and met. Every standard is measured on a consistent rating format, and each standard is given a scaled score from zero to 10 as to its relative status of completeness. The following represents a defini- tion of terms and scaled scores. The single purpose of the scaled score is to establish a baseline of information by which the district’s future gains and achievements in each of the standard areas can be measured. Not Implemented (Scaled Score of 0) There is no significant evidence that the standard is implemented. Partially Implemented (Scaled Score of 1 through 7) A partially implemented standard lacks completeness, and it is met in a limited degree. The degree of completeness varies as defined: 1) Some design or research regarding the standard is in place that supports preliminary develop- ment. (Scaled Score of 1) 2) Implementation of the standard is well into the development stage. Appropriate staff is engaged and there is a plan for implementation. (Scaled Score of 2) 3) A plan to address the standard is fully developed, and the standard is in the beginning phase of implementation. (Scaled Score of 3) 4) Staff is engaged in the implementation of most elements of the standard. (Scaled Score of 4) 5) Staff is engaged in the implementation of the standard. All standard elements are developed and are in the implementation phase. (Scaled Score of 5) Executive Summary 7 6) Elements of the standard are implemented, monitored and becoming systematic. (Scaled Score of 6) 7) All elements of the standard are fully implemented, are being monitored, and appropriate adjustments are taking place. (Scaled Score of 7) Fully Implemented (Scaled Score of 8-10) A fully implemented standard is complete relative to the following criteria: 8) All elements of the standard are fully and substantially implemented and are sustainable. (Scaled Score of 8) 9) All elements of the standard are fully and substantially implemented and have been sustained for a full school year. (Scaled Score of 9) 10) All elements of the standard are fully implemented, are being sustained with high quality, are being refined, and have a process for ongoing evaluation. (Scaled Score of 10) 2. Conduct an External and Independent Assessment FCMAT employs an external and independent assessment process in the development of school district assessment and improvement plans. FCMAT assessment reports present findings and improvement plans based on the external and independent assessment from professional experts and agencies recruited to assist FCMAT in the assessment process. Collectively, these profes- sional experts and agencies constitute FCMAT’s providers in the assessment process. Their external and independent assessments serve as the primary basis for the reliability, integrity and credibility of the reviews. 3. Utilize Multiple Measures of Assessment For a finding to be considered legitimate, multiple sources need to be utilized to provide the same or consistent information. The assessment and improvement plans are based on multiple mea- sures. Testing, personal interviews, group meetings, public hearings, observations, review and analysis of data all provide added value to the assessment process. The providers are required to utilize multiple measurements as they assess the standards. This process allows for a variety of ways of determining whether the standards are met. All school district operations with an impact on student achievement, including governance, fiscal, personnel, and facilities are reviewed and included in the improvement plan. 4. Empower Staff and Community The development of a strong professional development plan for the board and staff is a critical component of an effective school district. The assessment reports include the importance of a comprehensive professional development plan. The success of the improvement plans and their implementation are dependent upon an effective professional and community development pro- cess. For this reason, the empowerment of staff and community is one of the highest priorities, and emphasizing this priority with each of the providers is critical. As a result, a strong training component for board, staff and administration is called for consistently throughout FCMAT’s assessment reports. 8 Executive Summary Of paramount importance is the community’s role in local governance. The absence of parental involvement in education is a growing concern nationally. A key to success in any school district is the re-engagement of parents, teachers, and support staff. Parents generally care deeply about their children’s future and many are willing to participate in improving their school district and enhancing student learning. The community relations section of FCMAT’s assessment reports provides necessary recommendations for the community to have a more active and meaningful role in the education of its children. 5. Engage Local, State and National Agencies It is critical to involve various local, state and national agencies in the recovery of a school district. This is emphasized by engaging state-recognized agencies as partners to assist with the assessment and improvement process. The city and county interests, professional organizations, and community-based organizations all have expressed and shown a desire to assist and partici- pate in the improvement of the West Fresno Elementary School District. Executive Summary 9 Study Team The study team was composed of the following members: For the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team – Administration and Report Writing Roberta Mayor, Ed.D., Chief Management Analyst, FCMAT John Lotze, Public Information Specialist, FCMAT For the California School Boards Association – Community Relations and Governance: Scott Plotkin, Executive Director, CSBA Martin Gonzalez, Assistant Executive Director, Governance & Policy Services, CSBA Ben Bartos, Research Consultant, CSBA Diane Greene, Senior Consultant/Writer, CSBA Cindy Akin, Manual Maintenance Coordinator, CSBA For Schromm and Associates – Personnel Management: Richard Schromm, President and Project Director, Schromm Associates Michael J. Keebler, Human Resources Consultant; Former State Trustee, Coachella USD For MGT of America – Pupil Achievement: Michael Hearn, Curriculum Consultant, MGT of America Barbara Selvidge, Curriculum Consultant, MGT of America For School Services of California – Financial Management: Michele Huntoon, Associate Vice President, SSC For School Services of California – Facilities Management: Maureen Evans, Associate Vice President, SSC Kathleen O’Sullivan, Consulting Coordinator, SSC 10 Executive Summary Summary of Principal Findings and Recommendations The district has made significant progress in the year since the last progress report was issued in April 2007 in addressing the recommendations made in the initial West Fresno Elementary School Assessment and Improvement Plan, July 2003. Many staff members have remained with the district, resulting in a more experienced and trained staff, more consistently applied opera- tional procedures, increased collaboration in addressing the district’s fiscal recovery, refinement of previously implemented changes and instructional reforms, and a district culture that focuses on addressing the needs of the students and community. The district should direct its efforts toward sustaining its progress by formalizing policies and procedures in written documents. Board policies should be updated, operational procedural handbooks should be developed for each division and desk, and staff training should be provided on a regular basis. The district is currently developing a strategy for the thorough review of board policies and administrative regulations. The state administrator should ensure that the board is engaged in policy deliberations. When these policy updates are adopted, the district must also implement a plan to disseminate policy information and provide the public, parents and staff with open, consistent access to the policy. The district must continue to work towards responsible self-sufficiency by providing ongoing staff training in all operational areas. Training on newly adopted policies needs to be provided for board members and staff to ensure that the policies are widely disseminated, implemented and enforced. Staff capacity must be built and written policies and procedures must be developed to provide clear guidance for district operations in the future. In the area of Community Relations and Governance, the district continues to communicate through the use of the Inside/Out newsletter for parents and the Keeping In Touch newsletter for staff. The district has updated its Web site since the last progress report, which is a positive step in providing additional information to both staff and the public. The district has put into place the Teleparent outbound telephone calling system which allows teachers and administrators to pro- vide pre-recorded messages to parents in English, Spanish or Hmong to inform them of issues, problems or good news about the accomplishments of their students. The advisory board continues to meet regularly, and most board members are focused on actions that will prepare the district for a return to local governance. Board meetings during the last year have continued to include presentations on student academic achievement, curriculum, programs and test scores. These presentations have included data and analysis of pupil achievement on benchmark tests. Sustaining a board focus and a district culture that supports student achieve- ment will be important to the success of the district. In the area of Personnel Management, the district is piloting a position control system in coop- eration with the Fresno County Office of Education and two other districts. The district has also established a 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. professional work day for certificated teachers. The district continues to maintain well organized personnel files in lockable, fire-proof files. Employee data is maintained on the FCOE data system and provides the district with a valuable single data system for personnel. The county office continues to maintain original credential information for all district employees and it is included on the data system. Executive Summary 11 In the area of Pupil Achievement, the instructional programs have been in place for nearly two years and teachers have become more comfortable with the strategies implemented and find them to be useful tools for setting guidelines and performance expectations. Teachers report they have become more proficient in using assessment programs to track student achievement, identify strengths and weaknesses, and create simple reports to share with students and parents. Teachers are also beginning to see improvement in student performance. In the area of Financial Management, the district does not prepare a cash flow statement except at the state-mandated reporting periods. Determining the cash position of the organization is as important as projecting an ending fund balance. The district should provide a cash flow report to the state administrator at least monthly. This will provide information that can help the district plan for possible shortfalls in cash. The district increased internal controls over purchases and improved efficiency with the implementation of a hard code warning in the financial system’s purchasing module. The system does not allow purchases to be made unless funds are available. The district should also provide regular oversight of the charter school it has authorized, ensuring that financial reports are submitted on a regular basis. Any amendments to the charter petition proposed by the charter should be approved by the district advisory board. The district drew down $1.3 million of the $2 million authorized by Assembly Bill 38, and did not require any further loan funds. The district developed a Multiyear Financial Recovery Plan that includes the loan repayment on a multi-year basis. In the area of Facilities Management, the district continues to maintain its core facilities, such as classrooms and restrooms. In the last year, the district has developed a Comprehensive School Safety Plan, a Comprehensive Disaster Planning Guide, and a Facilities Master Plan (in draft form). The facilities master plan is awaiting approval by the California Department of Education (CDE). The district has implemented the comprehensive emergency and safety plan, and distrib- uted disaster management kits throughout the sites. The district has met the established criteria of an average of 6.0 with no individual standard under a 4.0 in four of the five operational areas. FCMAT recommends to the Superintendent of Public Instruction the consideration of the return of those four operational areas to the governing board of the West Fresno Elementary School District. A summary of the findings and recommendations for this progress review is provided here for each of the five operational areas of Community Relations and Governance, Personnel Manage- ment, Pupil Achievement, Financial Management, and Facilities Management. Further detail on each of the individual standards reviewed is provided in later sections of this report. 12 Executive Summary Community Relations and Governance The West Fresno Elementary School District has continued to demonstrate improvement in its internal and external communications, community and parent engagement, collaboration with other community groups and agencies, and in public meetings of the state administrator and advisory board. The district must next focus its attention on policy and has begun to implement plans to update its policy manual. Communications The district has made internal communications with staff and external communications with parents and the community a high priority since the last progress report. The district continues to communicate through the use of the Inside/Out newsletter for parents and the Keeping In Touch newsletter for staff. The district has updated its Web site since the last progress report, which is a positive step in providing additional information to both staff and the public. The district has put into place the Teleparent outbound telephone calling system which allows teachers and administrators to provide pre-recorded messages to parents in English, Spanish or Hmong to inform them of issues, problems or good news about the accomplishments of their students. The district’s parent resource center has expanded and continues to serve a critical role in getting messages out to parents. The district continues to show progress in its efforts to com- municate with parents who may not speak or read English, or who have not been involved with the schools in the past. Parent/Community Relations The district has expanded its parent resource center to provide training to parent volunteers and to provide parents with language skills and parent education classes. The district has also used themed breakfasts such as “Donuts with Dad” and “Muffins with Mom” to encourage additional parent participation in on-campus events. The district has continued to distribute parental notifi- cations and uniform complaint procedures in English, Spanish and Hmong. As required by law, the SARCs have been updated yearly and are available in printed form. Community Collaboratives, District Advisory Committees and School Site Councils The district has continued to broaden its strategy to address the physical and emotional health of the students and families it serves. For example, the district has brought in a mobile health unit to provide medical care and a “Smile-Mobile” to provide dental care. The district has also initi- ated or restarted partnerships with outside entities, including the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno Parks & Recreation Department and Pelco, a local corporation. Further, the district has a plan to engage the faith-based community by reaching out to the ministers of local churches. Committees of parents, including the school site councils and migrant advisory council, have been more effective in the past year. Policy The district’s policy manual needs to be updated. The district is currently developing a strategy for the thorough review of board policies and administrative regulations. The state administrator should ensure that the board is engaged in policy deliberations. When these policy updates are adopted, the district must also implement a plan to disseminate policy information and provide the public, parents and staff with open, consistent access to the policy. This should include con- sidering posting the policy manual on the district Web site. In addition, a plan should be created Executive Summary 13 and a culture established to ensure that policies are consistently reviewed, updated and adopted. This process should involve feedback from staff and input from the public. Board Roles/Boardsmanship The district has sustained progress in the area of board training and education. Individual mem- bers of the advisory board have continued to participate in conferences and training. As the board begins to regain governing authority in some operational areas, the district should consider additional formal training and continuing education about the board’s roles and responsibilities. Board training should include meeting facilitation, agenda development, parliamentary procedure and the Brown Act. Three board seats will be open in the November 2008 election. Plans should be in place to provide orientation and training for any new members that may be elected. Board Meetings The advisory board continues to meet regularly, and most board members are focused on actions that will prepare the district for a return to local governance. At board meetings, most members of the board understand their responsibility to represent the public and ask questions to ensure the district is accountable to the community it serves. Because not all board members act in a manner that is conducive to productive discussions, the board president should take action to ensure that meetings run efficiently, adhere to the agenda, and welcome comments from the staff and the public. Board meetings during the last year have continued to include presentations on student academic achievement, curriculum, programs and test scores. These presentations have included data and analysis of pupil achievement on benchmark tests. Sustaining a board focus and a district culture that supports student achievement will be important to the success of the district. Conclusion A subset of 28 professional and legal standards was identified in the area of Community Rela- tions and Governance for ongoing assessment. These 28 standards were assessed in each of the progress reviews conducted. An average rating of 6.0 in this subset, with no standard rated lower than a 4, will indicate that the district has met the criteria for the recommended return of this operational area to local governance. The average rating of the identified subset of Community Relations and Governance standards at this review period is 6.07, with no standards rated less than 4. This operational area is recom- mended to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for consideration for return to local gover- nance. 14 Executive Summary Personnel Management Staffing and Organization The district continues to be administered by a State Administrator and the personnel responsi- bilities are monitored by the District Service Technician/Human Resources staff member who reports equally to the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for business functions and the State Administrator for Human Resources. The district started the 2007-08 school year with both an elementary and a middle school princi- pal. During the school year, the elementary principal also assumed responsibility for the middle school. A Learning Director is assigned to each site to provide support for the principal who cur- rently supervises both sites. The family center program that had one social worker last year was expanded to two social workers and several interns from Fresno State College. The district has also added a full time office receptionist. Operations A district policy and procedures manual, including human resources procedures, has been devel- oped and is updated as needed. A desk manual for human resources is still needed. Standard operating procedures are in place for new position requests, the vacancy process and the inter- view and selection process. The district has developed two certificated new employee applicant forms, a certificated application and a temporary application, that meet professional and legal standards. The district has developed employee job descriptions and maintains them in a master file that is online and available to employees. The district job descriptions also address ADA requirements by indicating the physical characteristics for each job. The district is piloting a position control system in cooperation with the Fresno COE and two other districts. Continued and full implementation of a position control system is recommended. The district has also established a 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. professional work day for certificated teachers. The district has adopted a single telephone contact reference report form for reference checking. Completion of this report form is required before an employee candidate is hired. The district should continue to emphasize requiring reference checking on all candidates for employment. The district continues to maintain well organized personnel files in lockable, fire-proof files. Employee data is maintained on the Fresno County Office of Education data system and provides the district with a valuable single data system for personnel. The county office continues to maintain original credential information for all district employees and it is included on the data system. Two staff members are trained to work with credential information. The district is encouraged to continue developing a written Personnel Operational Procedures Manual with a table of contents. This should become part of a desk manual for human resources staff and should include any forms associated with the included procedures. Executive Summary 15 Training The district has implemented online training for new employees and provided a fall training workshop for the leadership team. The district continues to provide each new employee a packet of information that includes information on child abuse reporting, bloodborne pathogens, sexual harassment and numerous other pertinent state and federal laws. New employees must also complete online training modules in several of these areas. The district has also started to provide more ongoing training of current employees in these areas and should provide continued training for human resources staff. Evaluation The evaluation of certificated and classified employees is governed by board policy, adminis- trative regulations and standard operating procedures. The district has the necessary monitor- ing system in place to track evaluations of all employees. The district has completed annual employee evaluations. Continued emphasis in this area is recommended. Conclusion A subset of 21 professional and legal standards was identified in the area of Personnel Manage- ment for ongoing assessment. These 21 standards were assessed in each of the progress reviews conducted. An average rating of 6.0 in this subset, with no standard rated lower than a 4, will indicate that the district has met the criteria for the recommended return of this operational area to local governance. The average rating of the identified subset of Personnel Management standards at this review period is 6.90, with no standards rated less than a 4. This operational area is recommended to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for consideration for return to local governance. 16 Executive Summary Pupil Achievement In the 2007-08 school year the district has stabilized its vision, programming and strategies for achieving its pupil achievement goals. The State Administrator’s efforts to restructure the dis- trict’s resources and increase focus on assessment have gained greater acceptance among staff. Although the district still needs to fill some key positions, formalize some of its efforts, and transform its efforts into improved test scores, critical steps have been taken toward advancing pupil achievement. Leadership As planned, the district hired two principals prior to the 2007-08 school year. However, with the departure of the middle school principal early in the fall, the elementary school principal assumed leadership for both school sites. A Learning Director is assigned to each site to provide support to the principal. The district also experienced the departure of its English Language (EL) Resource coach and the middle school Literacy Intervention coach early in the school year. These positions remain vacant. The district has delegated EL and literacy duties to administrators and learning directors, and relies on assistance from the Fresno County Office of Education (county office). In addition, the district has yet to hire a mathematics coach. The district has begun to prepare staff to assume lead roles in the district, which has promoted decentralization of decision-making authority. Instruction The district has made little change to its curriculum and teaching strategies since the team’s visit a year ago. As a result, teachers have increased their familiarity with the content and improved their ability to pace lessons and align the curriculum with supplemental materials and assess- ments. To bolster instruction, the district adopted additional programs focused on language arts and mathematics intervention. The schools have retained the scheduling changes made last year, which included longer school days for kindergarten and grades 4-8. However, to meet the increased demand for student intervention, the extra class time has been converted from enrichment activities to language arts instruction. In prior progress reports, teachers appeared wary of the increased emphasis on teaching strate- gies, benchmarks and student assessment. The new programs represented change and were often seen as time-consuming, restrictive and lacking in instant impact. However, now that the changes have been in place for nearly two years, teachers have become more comfortable with these strategies and find them to be useful tools for setting guidelines and performance expectations. Teachers report they have become more proficient in using assessment programs to track student achievement, identify strengths and weaknesses, and create simple reports to share with students and parents. Teachers are also now beginning to see improvement in student performance. The district has created an on-site Family Resource Center, at which it holds English as a second language (ESL) and parenting classes for parents. By taking a holistic approach to student educa- Executive Summary 17 tion, the social worker model has improved the discipline, attendance and performance of some students. A second social worker position has recently been added. Pupil Progress Districtwide, students continue to underperform on state exams. The standardized test scores for 2006-07 changed little at the elementary school and decreased at the middle school. Con- sequently, the district’s Academic Performance Index (API) scores continue to rank among the lowest in the state. Both schools remain designated for Program Improvement (PI) and district administrators expect to retain the PI designation for two more years. Mid-year benchmark district assessments have the district hopeful that student performance will improve considerably this year. These district-administered benchmark assessments show students at every grade level increasing their proficiency in Language Arts. Unfortunately, the assessments also show decreasing student proficiency in mathematics. Conclusion A subset of 20 professional and legal standards was identified in the area of Pupil Achievement for ongoing assessment. These 20 standards were reviewed in each of the progress reviews conducted. An average rating of 6.0 in this subset, with no standard rated lower than a 4, will indicate that the district has met the criteria for the recommended return of this operational area to local governance. The average rating of the identified subset of Pupil Achievement standards at this review period is 6.05, with no standards rated less than 4. This operational area is recommended to the Super- intendent of Public Instruction for consideration for return to local governance. 18 Executive Summary Financial Management The West Fresno Elementary School District continues to make progress toward fiscal recovery. Business personnel continue to strongly support the current administration and work well as a team. Staff morale is positive and collegial, and the level of professionalism in the office read- ily apparent. The physical changes made to the office space last year brought the department together in a collaborative manner and business practices have continued to improve. Ratings for many finance standards have increased at this reporting period as the district has implemented oft repeated recommendations. The most significant change to policy and procedure is in the area of attendance accounting. The attendance accounting function was previously centralized in the district office but is now decen- tralized, with additional roles and responsibilities assigned to the school site level. As with any new change, continued training and support for site staff by the district office is necessary. Operations The district does not prepare a cash flow statement except at the state-mandated reporting peri- ods. Determining the cash position of the organization is as important as projecting an ending fund balance. The district should provide a cash flow report to the state administrator at least monthly. This will provide information that can help the district plan for possible shortfalls in cash. The district has taken steps to update and provide additional information to parents and the com- munity regarding the upgraded Web site. Although the Web site is not completely finished, it is organized in such a way that community members can easily access information. The district increased internal controls over purchases and improved efficiency with the imple- mentation of a hard code warning in the financial system’s purchasing module. The system does not allow purchases to be made unless funds are available. The district has not implemented a position control system for budgeting and accounting but is one of three districts currently piloting a position control module in the Fresno County Office of Education’s (county office) financial system. The district should continue to develop operating procedural manuals for business office staff to help ensure that transactions are processed appropriately and to provide a comprehensive resource for reference and training. Training The district continues to provide ongoing training for all staff members; however, the district should establish a training plan to ensure that all business office staff maintain and increase their technical skills in order to perform their functions effectively. Training is one of the key com- ponents needed for success and for building staff capacity. Training should include new district policies and procedures as they are developed. Executive Summary 19 Charter Schools The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the charter school is being revised to expand the information required by the district so that it can provide appropriate oversight to the charter school. The charter school’s reports should include a cash flow statement, an income statement (i.e., an operating statement) and the annual report. Submission of reports should be required monthly or quarterly. The district has strengthened its oversight of the financial aspects of the charter school during the 2007-08 fiscal year. The district should ensure that all material revisions to the charter school petition or MOU are submitted to the district for action by the district’s advisory board. Conclusion A subset of 24 professional and legal standards was identified in the area of Financial Manage- ment for ongoing assessment. These 24 standards were assessed in each of the progress reviews conducted. An average rating of 6.0 in this subset, with no standard rated lower than a 4, will indicate that the district has met the criteria for the recommended return of this operational area to local governance. The average rating of the identified subset of Financial Management standards at this review period is 5.29, with no standards rated less than a 4. Although significant progress has been made in this operational area, the average of the subset of scores has not yet met the threshold of 6.0. 20 Executive Summary Facilities Management The West Fresno Elementary School District has made significant progress in addressing the pre- vious recommendations regarding facilities management. The district continues to maintain its core facilities, such as classrooms and restrooms. A facilities master plan has been developed and is awaiting approval by the California Department of Education (CDE). The district has shown significant progress by developing and implementing a comprehensive emergency and safety plan, and distributing disaster management kits throughout the sites. Since FCMAT’s last site visit, the district has increased restroom accessibility at the middle school, and the restrooms were unlocked during the school day for student use. The district has still not adopted a board policy regarding capital/construction projects, nor has it provided training on policies that have been adopted. In addition, the district has not made any significant progress in developing procedures or plans to implement adopted board policies. In the last year, the district has developed the following operational plans: • Comprehensive School Safety Plan • Comprehensive Disaster Planning Guide • Facilities Master Plan (in draft form) In addition, the district has made considerable improvements to the staff training programs. Safety and job-related training for new employees and current staff has been increased. The majority of the staff have been provided with training regarding the comprehensive school safety plan, the comprehensive disaster planning guide and the newly implemented disaster manage- ment plan. The district is not currently engaged in any construction projects as it awaits approval of the facilities master plan. The district has selected an architectural firm to act as the district architect for modernization and deferred maintenance projects and is still developing procedures and con- trols for all aspects of the facilities program before beginning new projects. The district should continue to address the facilities recommendations to ensure that it adequately maintains the buildings and grounds and appropriately uses, records, and reports state facilities funds received. Conclusion A subset of 21 professional and legal standards was identified in the area of Facilities Manage- ment for ongoing assessment. These 21 standards were assessed in each of the progress reviews conducted. An average rating of 6.0 in this subset, with no standard rated lower than a 4, will indicate that the district has met the criteria for the recommended return of this operational area to local governance. The average rating of the identified subset of Facilities Management standards at this review period is 6.71, with 0 standards rated less than a 4. This operational area is recommended to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for consideration for return to local governance. Executive Summary 21 22 Executive Summary Implementation Plan In the initial comprehensive West Fresno Elementary School District Assessment and Improve- ment Plan, July 2003, FCMAT assessed the district using 357 professional and legal standards in five operational areas of school district management. In the follow-up progress reports of January 2004, July 2004, July 2005, April 2007, and this fifth April 2008 progress report, FCMAT has assessed fewer standards to allow the district to focus its improvement efforts in specific areas. In July 2003, the California Department of Education and FCMAT collaboratively identified a subset of 114 standards to be assessed during each progress review period. The 114 standards selected provide the greatest probability that the district, if it addresses the standards success- fully, will be able to achieve the necessary improvement and return to local governance. Although all 357 of the professional and legal standards utilized in the initial comprehensive assessment process are important to any district’s success, focusing on the identified subset of 114 standards will enable the West Fresno Elementary School District to more quickly achieve a return to local governance. The subset of 114 standards in the five operational areas include: 28 standards in Community Relations and Governance 21 standards in Personnel Management 20 standards in Pupil Achievement 24 standards in Financial Management 21 standards in Facilities Management These standards are identified in bold print in the Table of Standards following each of the five operational areas in Section Two of this report. As the average score of the subset of standards in an operational area reaches a level of six and is considered to be sustainable, and no individual standard in the subset is below a four, FCMAT will recommend to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) that this particular condition of AB 38 has been met and that this operational area could be returned to the Governing Board. Subject to progress, areas of school district operations could be returned to the Governing Board of the school district on an incremental basis. The ultimate return of legal rights, duties and powers will be based upon the SPI’s concurrence with the assessment of his administrator desig- nee and FCMAT that the future compliance by the West Fresno Elementary School District with the improvement plans and the multiyear financial recovery plan is probable. The average score of the subset of standards in each operational area is indicated below and in the following table. Average ratings in each operational area have continued to increase during each reporting period. Executive Summary 23 Average Rating in Each Subset, Comprehensive Assessment and Improvement Plan, July 2003: Community Relations and Governance: average rating 1.36, with 26 standards under a 4. Personnel Management: average rating 2.52, with 13 standards under a 4. Pupil Achievement: average rating 1.71, with 20 standards under a 4. Financial Management: average rating 0.83, with 24 standards under a 4. Facilities Management: average rating 2.86, with 13 standards under a 4. Average Rating in Each Subset, First Six-Month Progress Report, January 2004: Community Relations and Governance: average rating 2.04, with 23 standards under a 4. Personnel Management: average rating 3.38, with 11 standards under a 4. Pupil Achievement: average rating 2.81, with 15 standards under a 4. Financial Management: average rating 1.54, with 24 standards under a 4. Facilities Management: average rating 3.81, with 12 standards under a 4. Average Rating in Each Subset, Second Six-Month Progress Report, July 2004: Community Relations and Governance: average rating 2.82, with 18 standards under a 4. Personnel Management: average rating 3.86, with 11 standards under a 4. Pupil Achievement: average rating 3.75, with 9 standards under a 4. Financial Management: average rating 2.00, with 21 standards under a 4. Facilities Management: average rating 4.43, with 8 standards under a 4. Average Rating in Each Subset, Third Progress Report, July 2005: Community Relations and Governance: average rating 3.11, with 17 standards under a 4. Personnel Management: average rating 5.10, with 3 standards under a 4. Pupil Achievement: average rating 4.25, with 8 standards under a 4. Financial Management: average rating 3.13, with 14 standards under a 4. Facilities Management: average rating 4.81, with 7 standards under a 4. Average Rating in Each Subset, Fourth Progress Report, April 2007: Community Relations and Governance: average rating 4.46, with 9 standards under a 4. Personnel Management: average rating 5.71, with 2 standards under a 4. Pupil Achievement: average rating 4.90, with 4 standards under a 4. Financial Management: average rating 3.78, with 5 standards under a 4. Facilities Management: average rating 5.76, with 1 standard under a 4. Average Rating in Each Subset, Fifth Progress Report, April 2008: Community Relations and Governance: average rating 6.07, with 0 standards under a 4. Personnel Management: average rating 6.90, with 0 standards under a 4. Pupil Achievement: average rating 6.05, with 0 standards under a 4. Financial Management: average rating 5.29, with 0 standards under a 4. Facilities Management: average rating 6.71, with 0 standard under a 4. 24 Executive Summary Recommended Incremental Return of Operational Areas to Local Governance As indicated in the following table of ratings averages, the West Fresno Elementary School Dis- trict has met the established criteria of an average of 6.0 with no individual standard under a 4.0 in four of the five operational areas: Community Relations/Governance, Personnel Management, Pupil Achievement, and Facilities Management. FCMAT recommends to the Superintendent of Public Instruction the consideration of the return of these four operational areas to the governing board of the West Fresno Elementary School District. Summary Table of Average Ratings Over Time July Jan. July July April April Number of Operational Area 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standards Average Average Average Average Average Average below a 4 Community Relations/ 1.36 2.04 2.82 3.11 4.43 6.07 0 Governance Personnel 2.52 3.38 3.86 5.10 5.71 6.90 0 Management Pupil 1.71 2.81 3.75 4.25 5.10 6.05 0 Achievement Financial 0.83 1.54 2.00 3.13 3.91 5.29 0 Management Facilities 2.86 3.81 4.43 4.81 5.52 6.71 0 Management Executive Summary 25 Community Relations and Governance Community Relations and Governance The West Fresno Elementary School District has continued to demonstrate improvement in its internal and external communications, community and parent engagement, collaboration with other community groups and agencies, and in public meetings of the state administrator and advisory board. The district must next focus its attention on policy. The district has begun to implement plans to update its policy manual; it must also establish a process and a culture which ensures that policies are regularly reviewed, updated and adopted as needed. Communications The district has made internal communications with staff and external communications with parents and the community a high priority since the last progress report. The district has com- missioned a marketing analysis to help identify the types and methods of communication that could be the most successful in getting its messages out to the public. The district continues to communicate through the use of the Inside/Out newsletter for parents and the Keeping In Touch newsletter for staff. The district uses a delayed start to the school day each Wednesday to provide teachers and staff with opportunities to meet and collaborate. Since the beginning of 2008, the district has put into place the Teleparent outbound telephone calling system. This system allows individual teachers to provide pre-recorded messages to parents in English, Spanish or Hmong to inform them of issues or problems as well as to provide them with good news about the accomplishments of their students. The principal also uses the Teleparent system to record customized messages in all three languages regarding issues that affect all students and their families. The district’s parent resource center has expanded and continues to serve a critical role in getting messages out to parents. Because of its small size, the district is also able to use home visits successfully to provide information to parents. The district continues to show progress in its efforts to communicate with parents who may not speak or read English, or who have not been involved with the schools in the past. The district has updated its Web site since the last progress report, which is a positive step in providing additional information to both staff and the public. However, not all of the content for the Web site has been created, including information about board meetings such as meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes. The district has posted its School Accountability Report Cards (SARC) for both the elementary and middle schools, in both English and Spanish. However, the SARCs are dated November 13, 2006. The SARC for the 2007-08 academic year should be made available on the district’s Web site. Parent/Community Relations The district has continued to reach out to parents to involve them in school activities. The district has expanded its parent resource center to provide training to parent volunteers and to provide parents with language skills and parent education classes. The district has also used theme breakfasts such as “Donuts with Dad” and “Muffins with Mom” to encourage additional parent participation in on-campus events. In addition, the district has continued the successful practice of holding family nights dedicated to academics while also acknowledging the ethnic diversity of its student population. The district has made significant efforts to provide more opportunities for parents who have not traditionally been involved in school activities to become more engaged. Community Relations and Governance 1 The district has continued to distribute parental notifications and uniform complaint procedures in English, Spanish and Hmong. As required by law, the SARCs have been updated yearly and are available in printed form. As mentioned previously, the most recent SARC information should be made available on the district’s Web site. Community Collaboratives, District Advisory Committees and School Site Councils The district has increased its parent resource center staff to two social workers in addition to several part time social work interns. By using social workers instead of counselors, the district has continued to broaden its strategy to address the physical and emotional health of the students and families it serves. For example, the district has brought in a mobile health unit to provide medical care and a “Smile-Mobile” to provide dental care. The district has also initiated or restarted partnerships with outside entities, including the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno Parks & Recreation Department and Pelco, a local corporation that has sponsored an engineering competition. Further, the district has a plan to engage the faith-based community by reaching out to the ministers of local churches. Committees of parents, including the school site councils and migrant advisory council, have been more effective in the past year. Through enhanced support by staff, including the principal, the membership of these groups has been sustained. In the future, additional training regarding roles, responsibilities, and protocols can help to make these groups an even stronger asset to the district. Policy The district’s policy manual needs to be updated; policies were last revised nearly four years ago. The district is currently developing a strategy for the thorough review of board policies and administrative regulations. It is crucial that the district have a framework of the mandated and recommended policies in place to serve as a guide for action and to provide a mechanism for accountability. The district must take this step to ensure that policies are customized to reflect local needs and practices, and the advisory board must be committed to taking part in the process. The state administrator should ensure that the board is engaged in policy deliberations. When these policy updates are adopted, the district must also implement a plan to disseminate policy information and provide the public, parents and staff with open, consistent access to the policy. This should include considering posting the policy manual on the district Web site. In addition, a plan should be created and a culture established to ensure that policies are consis- tently reviewed, updated and adopted. This process should involve feedback from staff and input from the public. Board Roles/Boardsmanship The district has sustained progress in the area of board training and education. Individual mem- bers of the advisory board have continued to participate in conferences and training. As the board begins to regain governing authority in some operational areas, the district should consider additional formal training and continuing education about the board’s roles and responsibilities. Board training should include meeting facilitation, agenda development, parliamentary procedure and the Brown Act. Members of the board have demonstrated their desire to build community relations by initiating discussions of campus safety and in developing relationships with local ministers to support the district’s work. Three board seats will be open in the November 2008 election. The board and the state administrator should ensure that plans are in place to provide orientation and training for any new members that may be elected. 2 Community Relations and Governance Board Meetings The advisory board continues to meet regularly, and most board members are focused on actions that will prepare the district for a return to local governance. The state administrator continues to demonstrate a commitment to working with board members and ensuring that they routinely participate in discussions about critical topics at open meetings, such as student achievement and the district’s budget. Staff indicated that dialogue with the advisory board about specific presentations from the business office and program staff was open and productive. To ensure that morale in the district does not suffer, the advisory board should take steps to reaffirm their sup- port of and respect for district staff. At board meetings, most members of the board understand their responsibility to represent the public and ask questions to ensure the district is accountable to the community it serves. Because not all board members act in a manner that is conducive to productive discussions, the board president should take action to ensure that meetings run effi- ciently, adhere to the agenda, and welcome comments from the staff and the public. Since the last progress report, the district has continued to provide required notices of board meetings and official minutes of all board meetings. Meeting packets are distributed to board members on the Friday prior to the Tuesday board meetings. These meeting materials and back- ground documentation should also be made accessible to the public via the district’s Web site. Board meetings during the last year have continued to include presentations on student academic achievement, curriculum, programs and test scores. These presentations have included data and analysis of pupil achievement on benchmark tests. Sustaining a board focus and a district culture that supports student achievement will be critical to the long-term health of the district. Community Relations and Governance 3 4 Community Relations and Governance 1.1 Communications Professional Standard The district has developed a comprehensive plan for internal and external communications, including media relations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues its attempts to find more ways to communicate with parents, staff, and the community. Since the last progress report, the district commissioned a public relations consultant to conduct an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, oppor- tunities, and threats (SWOT) of its communications. From this analysis, a brochure was developed that highlights key initiatives and programs offered by the district. Given the small, rural character of the district, a media relations plan is not a high priority, but the district has continued its attempts to generate occasional positive news stories in local newspapers. 2. The district has improved and expanded its communications since the last progress report. The state administrator and the principal have made communication a key goal, sharing information through the Inside/Out newsletter for parents, the Keeping In Touch newsletter for staff, the district’s Web site, the Teleparent outgoing telephone phone call system, and personal contact through the parent resource center and home visits. These multiple means of communication are to be applauded; however, the district needs to develop a written communications plan and share it more broadly. 3. As part of a comprehensive communications strategy, the district should have in place a plan to monitor and evaluate its efforts to communicate. The district should periodi- cally survey parents, community members, administrators and staff about the status of district communications and refine the ways in which communication occurs. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 5 1.2 Communications Professional Standard Information is communicated to staff at all levels in an effective and timely manner. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district relies heavily on the state administrator and principal to serve as conduits for information to district and site staff. Interviews indicated that communication is perceived to be more open than in the past and that opportunities for two-way commu- nication are provided. In addition to formal communication among faculty, staff and administrators, such as the Keeping in Touch staff newsletter and grade-level teacher meetings, the state administrator provides information and receives feedback through informal meetings with district staff. Staff members also indicated that a growing emphasis on technology has contributed to improved communication through e-mail and file sharing. The district must ensure communications with staff are understood and practiced consistently. The district should continue holding regular meetings to engage the staff. The state administrator has established a culture of open communication. To ensure that open, two-way communications remain strong, the advisory board must work to ensure the stability of this culture. The district administrators should periodically survey staff to gauge their impressions of communication and to ensure that adequate opportunities exist for feedback and two-way communication. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 6 Community Relations and Governance 1.4 Communications Professional Standard The district effectively implements strategies for communicating with parents, the community and the media. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Since the last progress report, the district has continued to identify additional ways to communicate with parents and the public. An analysis of the district’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) in the area of communications was conducted by a public relations consultant. From this analysis, a brochure was devel- oped that highlighted key district initiatives and programs. Given the small, rural character of the district, a media relations plan is not a high priority; however, the district has continued its attempts to generate occasional positive news stories in local newspapers. 2. The district has made the Teleparent outgoing telephone call system a key compo- nent of its communications plan. This system allows individual teachers to provide recorded messages to parents in English, Spanish, or Hmong to inform them of issues or problems or to provide them with good news about the accomplishments of their students. The principal also uses the Teleparent system to record customized messages in all three languages regarding issues that affect all students and their families. The parent resource center continues to serve an important role in communicating directly with parents. Because of its small size, the district is also able to use home visits suc- cessfully to provide information to parents. 3. The district has updated its Web site since the last progress report, providing an additional information source for both staff and the public. The district also continues to send written newsletters to inform parents of news at both the school and district levels. 4. Since the last progress report, the district continues to make efforts to communicate with parents who speak Spanish and Hmong. The newsletters and Teleparent mes- sages, translated into multiple languages, are key communication strengths for the district. These strategies to engage non-English-speaking parents should be monitored and evaluated so that they can be expanded and improved in the future. Community Relations and Governance 7 Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 8 Community Relations and Governance 2.1 Parent/Community Relations Legal Standard Annual parental notice of rights and responsibilities is provided at the beginning of the school year. This notice is provided in English and in languages other than English when 15% or more speak other languages. (Education Code 48980, 48985) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district distributed parental notifications in English and Spanish for the 2007-08 school year as part of the handbook provided to all students. The district must ensure that the required parental notifications are updated yearly and provided in all required languages. These notifications should be posted to the district’s Web site to make the information even more readily accessible to parents and the public. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 7 July 2004 Rating: 7 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 10 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 9 2.2 Parent/Community Relations Legal Standard A school accountability report card is issued annually for each school site. (Education Code 35256) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district issued the 2006-07 school accountability report cards (SARCs) for the elementary and middle school in both English and Spanish. The district mailed the report cards to parents and made copies available at the district office upon request. The SARC currently posted on the district’s Web site is accurate as of November 13, 2006. The SARC for the 2007-2008 academic year should be made accessible on the district Web site. 2. The district should review its policy regarding school accountability report cards to ensure that it reflects current law. This action should be taken as part of the compre- hensive review of policy recommended in standard 4.1. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: 10 Community Relations and Governance 2.3 Parent/Community Relations Legal Standard The district has developed and annually disseminates uniform complaint procedures. (Title 5, Sections 4621 and 4622) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has in place a policy regarding uniform complaint procedures; however, this policy should be reviewed and updated to reflect current law. This action should be taken as part of the comprehensive review of policy recommended in standard 4.1. The associated administrative regulations, procedures and forms should also be updated and translated into both Spanish and Hmong. The policy should be reviewed annually as part of the district’s regular updates to its policy manual. District office staff members are familiar with the uniform complaint procedure, but staff training could benefit the district by helping to ensure consistent comprehension and application of the procedures. Information, complaint forms, instructions, and the policy itself should also be posted to the district’s Web site to make the information more accessible to the public. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 7 July 2004 Rating: 7 July 2005 Rating: 8 April 2007 Rating: 8 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 11 2.7 Parent/Community Relations Professional Standard Parent and public input into school and district operations is encouraged. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Since the last progress report, the district has made significant efforts to provide additional opportunities for parents who have not traditionally been involved in school activities to become more engaged. The district has also sought to link students, families, and communities to the district’s schools. The district has expanded the staff at its parent resource center to two social workers and several part-time social work interns. Using social workers instead of counselors has helped the district continue to broaden its strategy to address the physical and emotional health of students and their families. 2. The Teleparent outbound telephone call system has been employed to allow individual teachers to provide parents with recorded messages in English, Spanish and Hmong to inform them of issues or problems as well as provide them with good news about the accomplishments of their students. The principal also uses the Teleparent system to record customized messages in all three languages on issues that affect all students and their families. The district continues to rely on Spanish- and Hmong-speaking staff to support these communication efforts with non-English-speaking parents. The district has also used family nights and theme breakfasts such as “Donuts with Dad” and “Muffins with Mom” to encourage additional parent participation in on-campus events. The district should continue to support the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), which provides another means for parents to become involved in the schools. Committees of parents, including the school site councils and migrant advisory council, have been more effective during the past year. Enhanced support by staff, including the princi- pal, has sustained the membership of these groups. In the future, additional training regarding roles, responsibilities and protocols can help to make these groups an even stronger asset to the district. 3. The district should implement a process to monitor and evaluate its efforts at com- municating with parents. The state administrator should continue to ensure that groups such as the Parent-Teacher Association, migrant advisory committee and school site councils are actively engaged and that input from these groups is considered when policy decisions are made. 12 Community Relations and Governance Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 13 2.10 Parent/Community Relations Professional Standard Board members are actively involved in building community relations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Since the last progress report, the majority of advisory board members appear to have become more engaged in building relationships with parents and members of the com- munity. While not true of all members of the board, several members have addressed the issue of school safety and garnered the support of local ministers in the commu- nity. These recent actions seem to represent an appropriate level of involvement by the board, including developing mutually beneficial partnerships and raising policy concerns in an effort to encourage and welcome parents on school campuses. In addition, staff members have been working with the Fresno Police Department, the local parks and recreation department, local businesses and medical and dental provid- ers to develop relationships that can benefit the district. As part of the policy develop- ment process, a written strategy for developing and supporting partnerships should be created and adopted so that the district can establish specific expectations for board members and staff. 2. The staff, state administrator and advisory board members should continue to build relationships with the public and community agencies. To be as effective as possible, board members should agree on a coordinated strategy for outreach and for develop- ing stronger relationships with the community. As part of this endeavor, board mem- bers and the state administrator should develop a continuing education plan to provide board members with opportunities for additional professional development regarding their roles and responsibilities. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 2 April 2008 Self-Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: 14 Community Relations and Governance 3.8 Community Collaboratives, District Advisory Committees and School Site Councils Legal Standard The school site council develops a Single Plan for Student Achievement at each school applying for categorical programs through the consolidated application. (Education Code 64001) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. During the past year the school site councils at the elementary and middle schools were again involved in the review of each school’s Single Plan for Student Achieve- ment, and these plans were adopted by the state administrator. The school site councils are generally thought to have been more effective in the past year than in prior years. The principal has made support for these groups a high priority and their membership has been sustained. Additional training regarding roles, responsibilities, and protocols can help strengthen these groups, make them a greater asset to the district and increase the usefulness of the plans they develop. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 7 July 2005 Rating: 7 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 15 3.9 Community Collaboratives, District Advisory Committees and School Site Councils Legal Standard School plans are comprehensive and have sufficient content to meet the statutory requirements. (Education Code 64001) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The Single Plans for Student Achievement adopted for the elementary and middle schools contain all the elements required by law. The plans were based on the district’s Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP), which includes a needs assessment, analysis of student achievement data, strategies to support student achievement, and school goals for improving student achievement. As a Program Improvement district, the West Fresno Elementary School District will likely have to adapt its plans to ensure that student achievement improves. As the district implements its plan to review and revise the Single Plans for Student Achievement, it must use the input from the school site councils. These groups are viewed as being more effective this year than in prior years; the principal has made support for these groups a high priority, improving the ability of members to fulfill their roles. In the future, additional training regarding roles, responsibilities and protocols can help make the school site councils a greater asset to the district and help make the plans they develop more relevant and useful. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 16 Community Relations and Governance 4.1 Policy Professional Standard Policies are written, organized and readily available to all members of the staff and to the public. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. It has been nearly four years since the district last reviewed and adopted policies. A plan is in place to conduct a policy review; the district must follow through to ensure that its policy manual reflects changes in law and recommended practices. The district should engage the public, staff and members of the advisory board in this process. When policies are revised, the district should work to develop procedures and desk manuals for staff based on those policies. The district should also implement an ongo- ing process for developing new policies and updating existing policies. A timeline and schedule for routine policy adoption should also be created. These changes will help foster a district culture that places a high value on the direction set by policy. 2. The district should ensure that any updates or revisions to its policy manuals incor- porate the existing coding and indexing system so that specific policies can be found easily. A process should also be implemented to ensure that staff and the public have access to the latest versions of the district’s policy manual and to ensure that policies are enforced consistently. The district should consider posting its policies online and should develop a training plan to disseminate key changes in policies and procedures. 3. Mandated policies that the district must update or revise include the following: Uniform Complaint Procedure Williams Uniform Complaint Procedure and facilities inspection Use of facilities Transportation Bids Free and reduced price lunches Evaluation of employees Sexual harassment Student wellness Parent involvement Special education Technology Meetings School site councils Charter schools Discipline Community Relations and Governance 17 There are at least 39 mandated policies and 29 key recommended policies that should be a top priority for the district to amend, revise and adopt. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 4 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 18 Community Relations and Governance 4.3 Policy Professional Standard The board has adopted all policies mandated by state and federal law. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s policy manual should be updated to reflect current state and federal law. Specific mandated policies that the district must update or revise include the following Uniform Complaint Procedure Williams Uniform Complaint Procedure and facilities inspection Use of facilities Transportation Bids Free and reduced price lunches Evaluation of employees Sexual harassment Student wellness Parent involvement Special education Technology Meetings School site councils Charter schools Discipline There are at least 39 mandated policies that should be a top priority for the district to amend, revise and adopt as part of the policy review process. 2. The district has initiated a plan to conduct a policy development workshop with the California School Boards Association (CSBA). The district subscribes to the CSBA’s policy service, which provides a list of recommended updates and sample policies three times per year. The district should implement a policy process to routinely address these updates to state and federal law in a way that engages the public, staff and the advisory board. Community Relations and Governance 19 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 20 Community Relations and Governance 4.6 Policy Professional Standard The board supports and follows its own policies once they are adopted. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Working with the advisory board, the state administrator should endeavor to build a district culture that recognizes the importance of policies in setting the district’s direc- tion and framework for action. In a similar vein, the members of the advisory board should ensure that they are following the principles of the board governance handbook they have developed when addressing areas of policy. When implementing the plan to update and revise the district’s policy manual, the dis- trict must also ensure that the related administrative regulations are incorporated into desk manuals. The district should ensure that procedures are consistently understood and applied. Adopted policies should be readily accessible to both staff and the public. The district should investigate technology options for making this information more widely available, including posting the policy manual on the district’s Web site. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 21 5.2 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard Board members participate in orientation sessions, workshops, conventions and special meetings sponsored by board associations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. A majority of the district’s advisory board members have participated in the CSBA annual education conference and legislative advocacy conference. The board previ- ously engaged in a series of workshops with a consultant to develop a board handbook that addressed the governance recommendations contained in earlier progress reports. The district should consider the feasibility of repeating this type of workshop after the November 2008 election to ensure that all members of the board have an understand- ing of their roles and responsibilities. The board members should be prepared and accountable for effective governance and sound decision making when local gover- nance is restored. The board should work with the state administrator to develop a plan for workshops, continuing education and training so that all members have a common understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The district should provide each board president with opportunities for training regarding meeting facilitation, agenda development and parliamentary procedure. Three board seats are open in the November 2008 election. The board and the state administrator should develop a plan to provide orientation and other training to any newly elected board members at that time. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 22 Community Relations and Governance 5.3 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard Pertinent literature, statutes, legal counsel and recognized authorities are available to and utilized by the board to understand duties, functions, authority and responsibilities of board members. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district is a member of the CSBA and thus has access to professional governance standards as well as briefs and notifications of policy issues. The state administrator, working in consultation with the board, should update the board bylaws as part of the comprehensive policy review recommended in priority standard 4.1. The board bylaws should set expectations and the framework for the advisory board’s duties, function and responsibilities. The board has previously engaged in a series of workshops to develop a customized governance handbook. In conjunction with the state administrator, the board should develop a plan to address the need for training and skill development, using as a start- ing point the standards related to boardsmanship in the Comprehensive Assessment and Recovery Plan. The board members should use their professional development opportunities to reach a common understanding of their roles and responsibilities as part of the governance team. The district should provide the board president with opportunities for training in meeting facilitation, agenda development and parliamen- tary procedure. 2. In the past, the board has attended workshops on budgets and the Brown Act. The district also has access to pertinent literature about governance and education issues through its CSBA membership. Not all members of the board appear to make use of this information or to participate in networking or continuing education events. One member of the board has participated in the Masters in Governance program that teaches board members how to put the theory of effective governance into practice. Community Relations and Governance 23 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: 24 Community Relations and Governance 5.4 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard The board has identified the needs of the students, staff and educational community through a needs assessment process. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Since the last progress report, the district has made increasingly effective use of parent groups such as the school site councils, migrant advisory committee, and the Parent-Teacher Association. Using these groups, and asking for feedback from others in the community, including local ministers and parent volunteers, has provided the district with a means of identifying the needs of district stakeholders. However, the last comprehensive needs assessment was conducted in 2004, so the district should begin to plan and budget for an update to this process. Any update to the board bylaws should also establish the expectations and framework for the method and frequency of future needs assessments. 2. The state administrator should ensure that surveys and other opportunities for feed- back are provided so that the district can periodically review and refine its efforts to best meet the needs of its stakeholders. The board, state administrator, principal, district staff and site staff should all be involved in identifying needs and prioritizing solutions to address those needs. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 25 5.5 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard The board has established a district-wide vision/mission and uses that vision/mission as a frame- work for district action. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The state administrator has adopted vision and mission statements which appear on the student handbooks and are posted throughout the district office. District staff use these statements as a framework for action. Academic achievement and fiscal recovery are the two key goals on which the district has been most focused. In addi- tion to a focus on language arts and math and benchmark tests, the district has identi- fied addressing a variety of other issues as vital to improving student performance. Through the free and reduced price lunch program, the parent resource center’s emotional and physical health programs, and school safety initiatives, the district is attempting to positively influence factors and situations that can affect student learn- ing and achievement. While the district’s vision is focused, the actions being taken are broad and wide-ranging. As the board moves toward regaining governing authority, the vision and mission should be maintained. Ensuring that board meeting agenda items are aligned with the district’s goals could be a key way of ensuring that decision making is tied to the most important issues facing the district. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 26 Community Relations and Governance 5.9 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard Functional working relations are maintained between the board and administrative team. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The state administrator and the advisory board have continued to participate in monthly public meetings. Board meeting attendance has been generally consistent for a majority of the members of the advisory board. A majority of board members also appear to recognize and follow the communication processes established by the state administrator. Individual members of the board meet regularly with the state adminis- trator between board meetings. These meetings are generally considered productive, but not all board members share the same commitment to functioning in a constructive and collaborative manner. While a majority of the board demonstrates respect and professionalism in their interactions with the state administrator and staff, every board member should be committed to participating in a productive and meaningful way. 2. The advisory board has engaged in a series of workshops to address its role in gover- nance. In conjunction with the state administrator, the advisory board must develop a plan to address training and skill development needs, using as a starting point the standards related to boardsmanship in the Assessment and Improvement Plan. The members of the board should use their professional development opportunities to reach a common understanding of their roles and responsibilities as part of the gover- nance team. 3. The district should provide each board president with opportunities for training in meeting facilitation, agenda development and parliamentary procedure. 4. The board has had training regarding the Brown Act and budgets, but refresher courses on those topics and on human resources and facilities may be particularly beneficial as the district moves toward regaining local governance in some areas. In addition, a plan should be implemented to ensure that any new board members elected in November 2008 receive orientation. Community Relations and Governance 27 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 28 Community Relations and Governance 5.10 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard The board publicly demonstrates respect for and support for district and school site staff. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The board has continued to receive routine reports and presentations on various subjects, including district finances, budget, and curriculum and pupil achievement data. A majority of the board members act in a respectful and professional manner during board meetings; however, not every board member acts thusly. As the meeting chairperson, the board president should take a stronger stance to limit comments that are out of order or off topic. The district should provide each board president with opportunities to attend training regarding meeting facilitation, agenda development and parliamentary procedure. To maintain positive morale, it is crucial that the board ensure that staff feel supported and respected. In addition, all board members could benefit from training and a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities as members of a governance team. This common framework could place board members in a better position to formulate questions and advise the state administrator. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 29 5.11 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard The board demonstrates respect for public input at meetings and public hearings. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The state administrator and advisory board have continued to hold public meetings monthly. No special meetings of the board have been reported. Members of the com- munity have generally not attended board meetings except in response to a specific agenda item such as contract negotiations or student recognition. However, meeting agendas do typically include an item providing for public comment. As part of the comprehensive review of district policy, the board and state administrator should ensure that board bylaws include accurate guidelines regarding public comment. A majority of advisory board members demonstrate respect for staff, students, and members of the public who comment or present during meetings. However, not every board member consistently acts in a professional manner during meetings. As meet- ing chairperson, the board president should take a stronger stance to limit comments that are out of order or off topic. The district should provide each board president with opportunities for training regarding meeting facilitation, agenda development, and parliamentary procedure. This type of training can help to promote more positive meeting participation on the part of board members and the public. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 30 Community Relations and Governance 5.14 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard No individual board member attempts to exercise any administrative responsibility. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The state administrator reiterated that members of the advisory board have not attempted to exercise administrative responsibilities. The majority of board members appear to understand that their advisory role is to represent the community, ask ques- tions, provide feedback and offer suggestions. The board appears to respect the chain of command in the district and has not attempted to micromanage district activities. Some members of the board have initiated discussions about school safety and have begun to build a relationship with local ministers and churches. These actions seem to represent an appropriate level of involvement by the board: raising policy concerns and developing mutually beneficial partnerships, but overstepping their roles and responsibilities. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 31 5.16 Board Roles/Boardsmanship Professional Standard The board acts for the community and in the interests of all students in the district. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Individual board members have raised issues about school safety and have begun to build relationships with local ministers and churches. These actions seem to repre- sent an appropriate level of involvement by the board: raising policy concerns and developing mutually beneficial partnerships, but not overstepping their roles and responsibilities. Raising the issue of campus safety is one way the advisory board can make the district appear more welcoming to parents and encourage them to be more involved. Additional efforts by members of the board to engage the community should focus on a broad cross-section of parents, representing the cultural and ethnic diversity of the district. The state administrator, in consultation with the board, should update the board bylaws as part of the comprehensive policy review recommended in standard 4.1. The board bylaws should set the framework and expectations for the duties, function and responsibilities of the advisory board, including expectations for community outreach. As specific strategies are implemented to improve outreach, the board’s actions should be consistent and coordinated with the principal’s outreach and the outreach con- ducted through the parent resource center. The board’s plan for outreach to community groups should also be aligned with the work district staff members are carrying out with civic and community groups such as the Fresno police and parks and recreation departments. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 32 Community Relations and Governance 6.2 Board Meetings Legal Standard The board agenda is made available to the public in the manner and under the time lines pre- scribed by law. (Government Code 54954.1, 54954.2, 54956) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district appears to meet the letter of the law with regard to making the board agenda available in a timely manner. Notices for meetings continue to be posted on the marquee at the district office, and agendas for monthly meetings of the advisory board and state administrator are available at the district office. Meeting packets are distributed to members of the board on the Friday prior to the Tuesday board meet- ings. It is strongly recommended that the district post the agendas, supporting materials and meeting minutes to its Web site. This would allow the public to access current infor- mation more easily as well as provide a way for interested parties to retrieve historical information about meetings and past decisions. When given adequate time to review materials and formulate questions, members of the public can be better prepared to comment at board meetings. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 33 6.3 Board Meetings Professional Standard: Board members are prepared for board meetings by becoming familiar with the agenda and sup- port materials prior to the meeting. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan: 1. The district has a process for distributing agendas and background materials to board members in advance of each monthly meeting. Meeting packets are distributed to board members on the Friday prior to the Tuesday board meetings. The packets gener- ally include background information on agenda items, such as financial updates and benchmark test data. As the district moves toward regaining local governance, additional training regarding board roles and responsibilities could be beneficial. Board members should further develop their skills at reviewing program analysis data, understanding policies and anticipating the fiscal implications of decisions so that they are able to ask thoughtful questions and to provide relevant advice to the state administrator on each agenda item. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 34 Community Relations and Governance 6.5 Board Meetings Legal Standard Open and closed sessions are conducted according to the Ralph M. Brown Act. (Government Code 54950 et seq) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Proper notice of public meetings has been given in compliance with the Brown Act. Board members appear to understand expectations for closed sessions, and con- cern about the confidentiality of closed session discussion is no longer a pervasive problem. The state administrator continues to involve the advisory board members in closed session items on personnel matters, legal issues, negotiations and student discipline. A workshop on the Brown Act was held for board members in the past. The district should provide the opportunity for a refresher course so that all board members have a common understanding. The district should also plan to address this issue in orienta- tion for any new board members elected in November 2008. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 35 6.6 Board Meetings Professional Standard Meetings of the board proceed in a businesslike manner while allowing opportunity for full discussion. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The state administrator, in consultation with the board, should update the board bylaws as part of the comprehensive policy review recommended in standard 4.1. The board bylaws should set expectations and the framework for the board’s duties, func- tion and responsibilities. The board previously engaged in a series of workshops to develop a customized governance handbook. In conjunction with the state administra- tor, the board should develop a plan to address the need for training and skill devel- opment, using as a starting point the Assessment and Improvement Plan standards related to boardsmanship. Board members should use their professional development opportunities to reach a common understanding of their roles and responsibilities as part of the governance team. 2. Advisory board meetings continue to be chaired by the board president, with actions taken by the state administrator. The state administrator is generally open to input and willing to listen. A majority of board members operate in a professional and respectful manner, but some members do not adhere to the written agenda and at times make comments that are off topic. As the meeting chairperson, the board president should take a stronger stance to limit comments that are not directly related to agenda items. Training each board president in meeting facilitation, agenda development and parlia- mentary procedure could help ensure that board meetings run more efficiently and that positive participation is promoted. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 3 April 2008 Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: 36 Community Relations and Governance 6.8 Board Meetings Legal Standard Members of the public have an opportunity to address the board before or during the board’s consideration of each item of business to be discussed at regular or special meetings, and to bring before the board matters that are not on the agenda. (Education Code 35145.5) Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Board meeting agendas routinely include a section for public comment. The state administrator and the board seem to be willing to listen and invite input from the public, but attendance at board meetings by community members is infrequent unless there is a specific agenda item such as student recognition or contract negotiations. As part of the comprehensive review of board policy, the district should ensure that board bylaws regarding public comment during meetings are consistent with practice. Opportunities for open public comment are an important part of promoting positive participation by community members. Board meetings could be even more effective and efficient if the district had a plan in place to provide each board president with training in meeting facilitation and parliamentary procedure. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Community Relations and Governance 37 6.9 Board Meetings Professional Standard Board meetings focus on matters related to student achievement. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Board meeting agendas continue to include presentations on curriculum and instruc- tion, benchmark test scores and pupil achievement. While board meetings also fre- quently deal with issues of personnel, facilities and fiscal management, routine reports on pupil achievement are a regular part of the monthly board meetings. Setting the expectation that student achievement will be the key topic of discussion at board meetings has been an important and necessary change. The state administrator and the advisory board should continue to review and analyze statistics on student achievement and use benchmark data to inform policy discussions and decisions. The board should continue to work and seek training as needed to ensure that they are prepared to receive these types of presentations on program analysis. The district’s comprehensive review of board policy should include an update to board bylaws that sets the expectation that the board will receive reports, ask constructive questions about the information and offer advice about how the district should use the data to inform decisions. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 38 Community Relations and Governance Table of Community Relations and Governance Standards Progress Ratings Toward Implementation of the Improvement Plan 40 Community Relations and Governance Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has developed a comprehensive plan for internal 1.1 1 NR 1 1 4 6 and external communications, including media relations. Information is communicated to 1.2 the staff at all levels in an ef- 3 4 5 5 6 8 fective and timely manner. Staff input into school and dis- 1.3 2 2 trict operations is encouraged. The district effectively imple- ments strategies for communi- 1.4 5 NR 5 5 6 8 cating with parents, the commu- nity and the media. Media contacts and spokespersons who have the authority to speak 1.5 5 5 on behalf of the district have been identified. Individuals not authorized to speak on behalf of the district 1.6 refrain from public comments NA on board decisions and district programs Board spokespersons are skilled at public speaking and communica- 1.7 NA tion and are knowledgeable about district programs and issues. Annual parental notice of rights and responsibilities is provided at the beginning of the school year. This notice is provided in 2.1 1 7 7 5 6 8 English and in languages other than English when 15 percent or more speak other languages (EC 48980, 48985). A school accountability report 2.2 card is issued annually for each 0 2 4 5 7 9 school site (EC 35256). The district has developed and annually disseminates uniform 2.3 0 7 7 8 8 9 complaint procedures (Title 5, Section 4621, 4622) NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 41 NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Procedures are in place for ad- dressing parents’ and community 2.4 members’ complaints against 2 employees in a fair and timely manner. Board members refer informal public concerns to the appropriate 2.5 NA staff members for attention and response. Parents and community members are encouraged to be involved 2.6 5 in school activities and in their children’s education. Parent and public input into 2.7 school and district operations is 2 3 4 4 5 6 encouraged. Volunteers receive appropriate training and play a meaningful 2.8 0 role that contributes to the edu- cational program. The district has established proce- dures for visitor registration and 2.9 posts registration requirements at 1 each school entrance. (Penal Code 627.2, 627.6) Board members are actively 2.10 involved in building community 1 1 1 1 2 4 relations. The board and Superintendent support partnerships and collabo- 3.1 4 4 rations with community groups, local agencies and businesses. The board and the Superintendent establish broad-based committees 3.2 or councils to advise the district 4 on critical district issues and operations and appropriate. Community collaboratives and dis- trict and school advisory councils 3.3 all have identified specific out- 3 comes goals that are understood by all members. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. NR not reviewed 42 Community Relations and Governance NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The membership of community collaboratives and district and school advisory councils reflects 3.4 5 the full cultural, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic diversity of the student population. The district encourages and pro- vides the necessary training for collaborative and advisory council 3.5 members to understand the basic 5 administrative structure, program processes and goals of all district partners. Collaborative and advisory council processes are structured in such a way that there is a clear, mean- 3.6 ingful role for all participants, 4 with appropriate input from par- ents, members of the community and agency policy makers. Community collaboratives and district and school advisory coun- cils led by the district effectively 3.7 2 fulfill their responsibilities (e.g., researching issues, developing recommendations). The school site council devel- ops a Single Plan for Student Achievement at each school 3.8 2 3 7 7 7 8 applying for categorical pro- grams through the consolidated application (EC 64001). School plans are comprehensive and have sufficient content to 3.9 0 0 5 5 6 8 meet the statutory requirements (EC 64001). The school site council annually reviews the school plan and the 3.10 board annually approves or disap- 0 proves all site councils’ plans (EC 64001). NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 43 NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating School plans are a vital part of 3.11 school operations and school ac- 0 countability. Policies are written, organized and readily available to all 4.1 4 4 4 5 5 5 members of the staff and to the public. Policies and administrative regula- 4.2 tions are up to date and reflect 2 current law and local needs. The board has adopted all 4.3 policies mandated by state and 2 2 2 6 6 6 federal law. The board annually reviews its policies on intradistrict open 4.4 0 enrollment and extracurricular/co- curricular activities (EC 35160.5). The district has established a sys- tem of securing staff and citizen 4.5 1 input in policy development and review. The board supports and follows 4.6 2 2 2 3 4 5 district policies. Each board member meets the 5.1 eligibility requirements of being a NA board member (EC 35107). Board members participate in orientation sessions, workshops, 5.2 conventions and special meet- 3 3 4 4 4 6 ings sponsored by board asso- ciations. Pertinent literature, statutes, legal counsel and recognized authorities are available to 5.3 and utilized by the board to 1 1 1 1 3 4 understand duties, functions, authority and responsibilities of members. The board has identified the needs of the students, staff and 5.4 1 NR 2 2 3 5 educational community through a needs assessment process. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. NR not reviewed 44 Community Relations and Governance NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The board has established a districtwide vision/mission and 5.5 0 NR 3 3 4 5 uses that vision/mission as a framework for district action. The board makes decisions based on the study of all available data, 5.6 0 including the recommendations of the Superintendent. Functional working relations are 5.7 maintained among board mem- 0 bers. Individual board members respect the decisions of the board major- 5.8 NA ity and do not undermine the board’s actions in public. Functional working relations are 5.9 maintained between the board 0 0 1 2 4 5 and administrative team. The board publicly demonstrates 5.10 respect for and support for dis- 1 1 2 2 3 4 trict and school site staff. The board demonstrates respect 5.11 for public input at meetings and 1 1 1 1 4 6 public hearings. Board members respect confi- 5.12 dentiality of information by the NA administration. The board does not involve itself in operational issues that are the 5.13 0 responsibility of the Superinten- dent and staff. No individual board member 5.14 attempts to exercise any admin- 1 1 2 3 4 6 istrative responsibility. The board evaluates the perfor- mance of the Superintendent 5.15 0 regularly on criteria that will encourage student achievement. NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 45 NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Members of the board act for the community and in the 5.16 1 1 1 1 3 5 interests of all students in the district. The board receives and reviews 5.17 reports from the Superintendent 4 regarding district performance. An adopted calendar of regular meetings exists and is published 6.1 1 specifying the time, place and date of each meeting (EC 35140). The board agenda is made avail- able to the public in the man- ner and under the time lines 6.2 1 2 2 2 4 7 prescribed by law (Government Code 54954.1, 54954.2, 54956). Board members are prepared for board meetings by becoming 6.3 familiar with the agenda and 1 1 1 1 3 5 support materials prior to the meeting. Board meetings are conducted 6.4 according to a set of bylaws ad- 1 1 opted by the board. Open and closed sessions are conducted according to the 6.5 1 1 1 1 3 6 Ralph M. Brown Act (GC 54950 et seq.). Meetings of the board proceed in a businesslike manner while 6.6 1 NR 2 2 3 4 allowing opportunity for full discussion. The board has adopted bylaws for the placement of items on the 6.7 6 board agenda by members of the public (Education Code 35145.5). The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. NR not reviewed 46 Community Relations and Governance NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance July January July July April April Standard to be addressed 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Members of the public have an opportunity to address the board before or during the board’s consideration of each 6.8 item of business to be discussed 1 1 1 1 3 6 at regular or special meetings and to bring before the board matters that are not on the agenda (EC 35145.5). Board meetings focus on mat- 6.9 ters related to student achieve- 1 1 1 1 4 6 ment. NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 47 NA not applicable Community Relations and Governance Personnel Management Personnel Management The district continues to be administered by a State Administrator and the personnel responsi- bilities are monitored by the District Service Technician/Human Resources staff member who reports equally to the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for business functions and the State Administrator for Human Resources. The district also continues to utilize the services of an assistant to the state administrator from the county office of education for two days a week. This individual continues to provide direction for instructional program improvement for the district. Staffing The district started the 2007-08 school year with both an elementary and a middle school princi- pal. During the school year, the elementary principal also assumed responsibility for the middle school programs. A Learning Director is assigned to each site to provide support for the principal who currently supervises both sites. It was reported that the district’s enrollment increased by 100 students during the 2007-08 school year and is projected to increase by an additional 50 students during 2008-09. Because of enroll- ment increases and teacher attrition, eighteen new certificated staff members were hired for the 2007-08 school year; three new managers were also hired. The special education program increased to four full time equivalent (FTE) positions for the 2007-08 school year. In addition, the district added the services of a one day per week math and literary resource teacher provided by the county office. The family center program that had one social worker last year was expanded to two social workers and five interns from Fresno State College. The program serves the feeder schools to Washington Union High School as well as West Fresno Elementary SD. The district has also added a full time office receptionist and six temporary yard duty supervision aides for the second semester to release regular instructional aides from this duty so that they can spend more time supporting classroom instructional activities. Operations The district continues to maintain board policies and administrative regulations developed through the California School Boards Association (CSBA) as they relate to human resources, e.g., policies for certificated and classified recruitment and selection. A district policy and pro- cedures manual, including human resources procedures, has been developed and is updated as needed. A desk manual for human resources is still needed. Standard operating procedures are in place for new position requests, the vacancy process and the interview and selection process. The district has developed two certificated new employee applicant forms, a certificated applica- tion and a temporary application, that meet professional and legal standards. The district’s three employment applications all provide questions and information necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. The district has developed employee job descriptions and maintains them in a master file that is online and available to employees. The district job descriptions also address ADA requirements by indicating the physi- cal characteristics for each job. The district continues to maintain salary schedules for all clas- sifications and groups. Salary information is entered into each employee’s data file and is used when the district needs to run reports for the budget and for contract negotiations. Personnel Management 1 The district is piloting a position control system in cooperation with the Fresno COE and two other districts. Continued and full implementation of a position control system is recommended. The district has also established a 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. professional work day for certificated teachers. The district has adopted a single telephone contact reference report form for reference checking. Human resources staff is responsible for calling references, but in practice a number of district administrators perform this task. Completion of this report form is required before an employee candidate is hired. The district should continue to emphasize requiring reference checking on all candidates for employment. The district continues to maintain well organized personnel files in lockable, fire-proof files. Employee data is maintained on the Fresno County Office of Education (county office) data system and provides the district with a valuable single data system for personnel. The county office continues to maintain original credential information for all district employees and it is included on the data system. Two staff members are trained to work with credential information. The district is encouraged to continue developing a written Personnel Operational Procedures Manual with a table of contents. This should become part of a desk manual for human resources staff and should include any forms associated with the included procedures. Training The district has implemented online training for new employees and provided a fall training workshop for the leadership team. The district continues to provide each new employee a packet of information that includes information on child abuse reporting, bloodborne pathogens, sexual harassment and numerous other pertinent state and federal laws. New employees must also complete online training modules in several of these areas. The district has also started to provide more ongoing training of current employees in these areas and should provide continued training for human resources staff. The district’s management and supervisory staff have participated in a workshop on the topic of evaluation – progressive discipline. The state administrator reportedly encourages and supports professional development activities for staff members. Evaluation The evaluation of certificated and classified employees is governed by board policy, administra- tive regulations and standard operating procedures. The district has the necessary monitoring system in place to track evaluations of all employees. A newly negotiated teacher evaluation process and forms have been put into effect for the 2007-08 school year. Significant effort and improvement have been made in the monitoring and completion of employee evaluations during the past year. The district has completed annual employee evaluations. Continued emphasis in this area is recommended. 2 Personnel Management 1.1 Organization and Planning Professional Standard The district has clearly defined and clarified policies and procedures relative to recruitment, hiring, evaluation and dismissal of employees. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to use the complete set of board policies and administrative regulations based on the California School Boards Association (CSBA) model. The board policies and administrative regulations continue to be posted on the district’s shared network and are available to employees online. 2. The district scheduled a meeting with a representative from CSBA to review and refine board policies and administrative regulations so they more accurately reflect current district practices. 3. The district continues to use a district office Policy and Procedures Manual that contains a section for Human Resources. This manual refers to each individual policy or procedure as a “Standard Operating Procedure” (SOP) and is continually being expanded to include new material. A table of contents and indexing system must still be developed, as well as a plan to keep it updated. 4. The Policy and Procedures Manual is posted on the district’s shared network so employees have access to the contents. The Policy and Procedures Manual contains the following SOPs: a. HR # 1025, filling certificated and classified personnel vacancies. b. HR # 1050, the interview and selection process for all employees. c. HR # 2070, the evaluation process for classified employees. d. HR # 2071, the evaluation process for certificated employees. 5. The district must still develop SOPs that address discipline and dismissal procedures for all employees. 6. The district has not yet developed a desk manual for human resources. This manual should be established so that it can be used to train and cross train staff members regarding personnel matters. The SOPs in the district manual could be used as a framework for this desk manual. Other materials, such as personnel forms and miscel- laneous documents, could also be added to the manual. Personnel Management 3 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 4 Personnel Management 3.1 Certificated Recruitment and Selection Professional Standard Certificated employment procedures and practices are conducted in a manner that ensures equal employment opportunities. Written hiring procedures are provided. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Board policies for Recruitment and Selection of Certificated Staff (BP 4111a) and Recruiting Incentives for Teachers (BP 4111b) are still in effect since their adoption on June 2, 2004. 2. The district’s Policy and Procedures Manual includes revised copies of the following employment procedures: • HR # 2090, Request for New Personnel. Attached to this document is a copy of the district Request for Personnel (RFP) form dated 2/5/07. • HR # 1020, New Position Requests. This document provides procedures for requesting, advertising and filling a position. • HR # 1025, Vacancy Process. This document, dated 2/5/07, provides guidelines for posting certificated and classified vacancies. • HR # 1050, Interview and Selection Process. This document provides procedural guidelines for the interview and selection process. 3. These operating procedures documents were last revised on February 5, 2007. Because the district has reorganized since that time, language identifying position titles of personnel involved in the process will need to be replaced. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 5 3.2 Certificated Recruitment and Selection Professional Standard The job application form requests information that is legal, useful, pertinent, and easily under- stood. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to use the following recently established (2/06) application forms for certificated personnel: Certificated application Temporary application 2. These two applications meet the professional standard requirements for being legal, useful, and pertinent with easily understood information. 3. The district’s temporary application can be used to employ substitute teachers, coach- ing staff, and other after school program certificated staff. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 10 April 2008 New Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: 6 Personnel Management 3.4 Certificated Recruitment and Selection Professional Standard The district systematically initiates and follows up on reference checking on all certificated appli- cants being considered for employment. An appropriate reference checking form is completed and filed in the district office. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Recently revised (2/5/07) HR #1050, Interview and Selection Process Procedures, states that human resources personnel will call references on the final candidate for a position. In practice, staff reported that any number of the district’s administrative team members have performed reference checking on candidates. 2. The study team was provided with a single copy of an established telephone contact reference report form. This is a significant positive change since the last progress report. This form meets appropriate professional standards for reference checking. The district provided documentation regarding how this form has been used when contact- ing former employers to check certificated personnel candidates 3. The district needs to continue to ensure that all candidates recommended for employ- ment have their references checked. 4. The district’s telephone contact reference report form is used for checking on both certificated and classified candidates. Additional information such as position sought, certificated or classified classification, and position of person called, would make this form more useful. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 7 4.1 Classified Recruitment and Selection Professional Standard Classified employment procedures and practices are conducted in a manner that ensures equal employment opportunities. Written hiring procedures are provided. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has a written board policy in place for the Appointment and Conditions of Employment for Classified Employees (BP 4211). This policy has been in effect since June 2, 2004. 2. The district has developed a Policy and Procedures Manual, which includes HR # 1025. These operating procedures apply to both classified and certificated personnel and have been revised as of February 5, 2007 under the title, Vacancy Process. 3. The application form for classified personnel designates the district as an equal oppor- tunity employer. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 8 Personnel Management 4.3 Classified Recruitment and Selection Professional Standard The district systematically initiates and follows up on reference checking on all classified appli- cants being considered for employment. An appropriate reference checking form is completed and filed in the district office. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Recently revised HR # 1050 (2/5/7), Interview and Selection Process Procedures, states that human resources personnel will call references on the final candidate for a position. In practice, staff indicated that district administrators often perform reference checking on candidates. 2. The study team was provided with a single copy of an established telephone contact reference report form. This is a significant positive change from the previous progress report. This form meets appropriate professional standards for reference checking. 3. The district needs to ensure that all candidates recommended for employment have their references checked. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 9 6.1 Operational Procedures Professional Standard Personnel files are completed, well organized and up to date. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s personnel files continue to be well organized and are stored in lockable, fireproof file cabinets in the back of the human resources office at the district. 2. The district continues to maintain employee medical information in separate blue- colored folders, separate from the individual personnel files. 3. The district continues to use the Fresno County Office of Education data system to record and retrieve district personnel information. Updated information is input by the District Services Technician/Human Resources. 4. The district continues to use the data system to create unique reports using the Flex Reports module. Reports can be generated by the district to monitor areas such as seniority lists, evaluation dates for all employees, tuberculosis information and cre- dential information. During the current review, several requests were made for spe- cialized reports and the District Services Technician/Human Resources created them without any delay or problems. 5. The district is able to record and track college credits earned by district employees. This information is very useful when compiling reports for No Child Left Behind (NCLB), staff development and salary placement. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 6 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 7 July 2005 Rating: 7 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 10 Personnel Management 6.4 Operational Procedures Professional Standard The Personnel Office has a process in place to systematically review and update job descriptions. These job descriptions shall be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to maintain a comprehensive database of job descriptions for all district positions. There is no indexing system for this database, however, so one should be established. 2. When new positions are created, the district obtains similar job descriptions from other districts and uses them to create a new job description to be reviewed and approved by the State Administrator before being added to the job description data- base. 3. The job descriptions continue to be included in the information posted on the district’s shared network and are available to employees. 4. Upon initial employment, each new employee is required to sign and date a copy of his or her job description. This signed copy is placed in the employee’s personnel file. 5. The adopted format of the district’s job descriptions appropriately contains a section titled, Physical Characteristics, that enumerates the requirements of the job that could be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. 6. The job descriptions do not contain dates of adoption. A system should be established to provide this information, especially when the district’s governing board becomes active and is able to vote on them as they are established. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 4 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 11 6.7 Operational Procedures Professional Standard Wage and salary determination and ongoing implementation are handled without delays and conflicts (substitute, temporary employees, stipends, shift differential, etc.). Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to prepare salary schedules for all classifications and groups of employees. These schedules are included in the information posted on the district’s shared network and are available to employees. 2. The district data system provides modules that allow both the District Services Tech- nician/Human Resources and District Services Technician in the business office to load salary information into the system. This procedure guarantees that the employee salary for each individual in the data system is correct. 3. The district is able to use the data system to produce salary reports that can be used for both budgeting and personnel. These reports are valuable during negotiations with the employee organizations. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 4 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 7 July 2005 Rating: 7 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 12 Personnel Management 7.4 State and Federal Compliance Professional Standard A clear, implemented policy exists on the prohibition of discrimination. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to maintain a board policy (BP 4030) and an administrative regulation (AR 4030) addressing nondiscrimination in employment. Both documents were adopted on June 2, 2004. 2. The district continues to use separate employment application forms for certificated, classified and temporary employees. Each application form contains this statement regarding nondiscrimination: The West Fresno School District does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, perceived or actual sexual orientation, marital status, handicap, national origin, creed, arrest or conviction record, or any other reason prohibited by state or federal law. Employees of this County are required to comply with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title VII, and Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, and the ADA Act of 1990. 3. In the past, it was noted that the packet of information given to all new employees contained a copy of the district’s nondiscrimination policy. The current packet of information does not appear to include this policy. The district should include this policy in the packet for all new employees. 4. In the district office staff work room, the district maintains a bulletin board with posters and other notices of district policies and state and federal laws pertaining to employee rights and responsibilities, including nondiscrimination. The posters are complete with individual names and phone numbers for employees to contact. The bulletin board information is current and attractively presented and provides all employees of the district office with adequate notice of the legal information. Personnel Management 13 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 8 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 14 Personnel Management 7.5 State and Federal Compliance Professional Standard The district has established policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all certificated employees hold valid certification to teach each position in the district. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to assign the District Services Technician/Human Resources to oversee the area of teacher credential information. 2. The District Services Technician/Human Resources continues to work closely with the Fresno County Office of Education (county office) to monitor and maintain the credential information. 3. The District Services Technician/Human Resources continues to attend an annual local teacher credential workshop presented by the county office. The workshop includes a representative from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). In future years the District Services Technician/Human Resources should also attend at least one workshop provided by the CCTC in Sacramento. 4. District employees continue to register their credentials with the county office. The county office provides a notice on an employee’s paycheck when his or her creden- tial will be expiring. The district continues to send a written notice to employees to remind them to renew their credentials. The county office continues to update the data system with all credential changes and renewals. 5. The district continues to be able to hire fully credentialed teachers, with the exception of two professional interns and four university interns. There are no teachers on waiv- ers currently employed by the district. 6. The county office completed the Williams Audit for 2006-07; however, a copy of the report was not available for review. It was reported that the audit found two employ- ees without appropriate English Language (EL) authorization. 7. The county office had previously indicated that it would perform a full credentials audit of the district during the 2006-07 year as part of its four year audit cycle. How- ever, the district indicated that the county office decided not to perform the audit that year. 8. The Administrative Assistant to the State Administrator has been trained in the area of teacher credentialing and can provide assistance or backup to the District Services Technician/Human Resources, if necessary. However, the Administrative Assistant has not received updated training in this area. The Administrative Assistant should be included in the county office training in the future. Personnel Management 15 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 16 Personnel Management 7.6 State and Federal Compliance Professional Standard The district has established a process by which all required notices and in-service training have been performed and documented, such as those for child abuse reporting, blood-borne pathogens, sexual harassment and nondiscrimination. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1, The district continues to provide new employees with an informational packet with the following orientation documents: e. Child abuse reporting requirements f. Drug abuse violations: penalties g. Drug free workplace h. Tobacco-free policy i. Sexual harassment j. Professional code of ethics k. Exposure to bloodborne pathogens l. Facts about workers’ compensation 2. The district continues to require all new employees to complete online training mod- ules on the following topics: a. Sexual harassment b. Child abuse reporting c. Hazard communication (chemical safety) d. Bloodborne pathogens e. Fire extinguishers and fire prevention 3. The district continues to have every new employee sign a statement acknowledging receipt and review of all documents and training modules. This statement is placed in the employee’s personnel file. 4. The district continues to expand the training it provides to current employees. During the 2007-08 school year, all employees received training in hazard communications, bloodborne pathogens and fire extinguisher and fire prevention. 5. The district is exploring the logistics of providing all current employees with ongoing training in other pertinent topics using online training modules. Personnel Management 17 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 18 Personnel Management 7.10 State and Federal Compliance Professional Standard The district is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in application procedures, hiring, advancement or discharge, compensation, job training and other terms, condi- tions, and privileges or employment. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to use separate employment applications for certificated, classi- fied and temporary employees. Each of the applications includes appropriate questions and information regarding the ADA guidelines. 2. The district’s job descriptions continue to appropriately address the ADA guidelines by including a section regarding physical characteristics. 3. The district continues to maintain administrative regulation (AR) 4032, Reasonable Accommodation for Employees at the Work Site, which was adopted in June 2004. This regulation was developed as part of the California School Boards Association (CSBA) board policy and administrative regulations adoption. The regulation is comprehensive and provides the district and employees with information required by the ADA guidelines. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 19 8.1 Use of Technology Professional Standard A systematic position control system is utilized and integrated with payroll/financial systems. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to use the Standardized Account Code System (SACS) through the Fresno County Office of Education which provides a database of employee infor- mation. 2. In 2007, the county office data system did not include a position control module. At the time of the team’s recent site visit, the county office had found a position control module and needed districts to pilot this module. The West Fresno Elementary School District is now one of three school districts in Fresno County that is piloting this posi- tion control module. 3. The West Fresno Elementary School District is reported to be the most advanced district in its use of the position control module. District staff were very optimistic that this position control module will work and will be integrated into the county office data system in the future. 4. The district continues to use the county office system as its exclusive data system for employee information. 5. Currently, the district runs reports through the Flex Report system to monitor positions and to check the data against the new position control module. 6. Until the position control module is fully adopted by the county office and integrated into the data system, the district must continue to run other reports to verify positions in the budget and assure the State Administrator that only valid positions are included in the budget. 20 Personnel Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 21 8.5 Use of Technology Professional Standard The Personnel Office has computerized its employee database system including, but not limited to: credentials, seniority lists, evaluations, personnel by funding source, program, location and workers’ compensation benefits. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to use a standard operating procedure (SOP), HR # 2090, that outlines the process for requesting new personnel. The SOP also contains a Request for Personnel (RFP) form that site and program administrators submit to the business office. The procedure and form ensure that there is funding for each requested person- nel action. This procedure was revised by the district on February 5, 2007. 2. The District Services Technician/Human Resources is responsible for entering and monitoring employee position and salary information in the district’s data system. This system has fields for all personnel information, including credentials, hiring dates for seniority, evaluation dates, funding sources for positions, and employee assign- ments. 3. The business office continues to use the data system to run numerous reports to moni- tor budget and staffing. 4. The district is one of three school districts in Fresno COE that are piloting the position control module for the county office. This module is reported to be working well and the district is optimistic the county office will adopt the module as part of the data system. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 4 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 22 Personnel Management 9.1 Staff Training Professional Standard The Personnel Office participates in the training of all management and supervisory staff respon- sible for employee evaluations and due process. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s legal counsel provided training regarding progressive discipline and evaluation at the district’s leadership retreat in August 2007 before the start of the school year. 2. The District Services Technician/Human Resources attended a credentials workshop at the county office. 3. The District Services Technician/Human Resources also attended a California Asso- ciation of School Business Officials (CASBO) workshop on employee leaves of absence. 4. The Director of Maintenance, Operations, Transportation and Child Nutrition (MOTC) recently completed a certificated program for chief business officials through the University of Southern California. The MOTC Director also holds leadership posi- tions in regional and state organizations in the area of school nutrition. 5. One of the site Learning Directors attended a workshop on cognitive coaching at the Madera County Office of Education. 6. Members of the leadership team expressed appreciation for the administrative support and resources made available to them for professional growth activities. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 5 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 23 10.1 Evaluation/Due Process Assistance Professional Standard Clear policies and practices exist for the written evaluation and assessment of certificated employees. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s Board Policy 4115 addresses evaluation and supervision of certificated personnel. Administrative regulation (AR) 4115 has been developed for certificated personnel evaluation and supervision. 2. The district’s standard operating procedure HR # 2071 was revised last year to include the practice of all permanent teachers being evaluated annually. This change is pres- ently under discussion at the request of the teachers’ association, which has as its position that permanent teachers ought to be evaluated every other year. 3. The district has a newly negotiated teacher evaluation packet which includes the fol- lowing: a. End of the Year Teacher Evaluation Report Form b. Classroom Observation Report Form c. Progress Review Conference #1 Form d. Progress Review Conference #2 Form 4. The district continues to use the Fresno County Office of Education’s database to track certificated evaluations. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: Not Reviewed July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 24 Personnel Management 10.2 Evaluation/Due Process Assistance Professional Standard Clear policies and practices exist for the written evaluation and assessment of classified employ- ees. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The study team received copies of the district’s Board Policies 4215 and 4216, which address the evaluation and supervision of probationary and permanent classified personnel. 2. The study team also received standard operating procedure HR # 2070, which addresses the evaluation process for classified employees and which was last revised on February 5, 2007. 3. The district evaluates classified employees annually using the established Performance Report Form. 4. The district continues to use the Fresno County Office of Education database to track classified evaluations. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 25 10.3 Evaluation/Due Process Assistance Professional Standard The Personnel Office provides a process for the monitoring of employee evaluations and the accountability reporting of their completion. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district uses the Standardized Account Code System (SACS) provided through the Fresno County Office of Education data system. This system can download informa- tion on both certificated and classified employees. 2. Both certificated and classified employee evaluations are entered into the SACS program. Available information includes the employee’s name, social security number, status (temporary, probationary, permanent, or on leave), hire date, last completed date, last evaluator and due date. 3. Evaluation status reports are provided upon request and are sent to supervising site and program managers to remind them of their responsibility to conduct timely evalu- ations. The State Administrator also receives copies of evaluation status reports. 4. In the past, completion of evaluations was not seen as a priority activity. All informa- tion provided during the team’s most recent site visit indicates that this perception has changed considerably. Reports provided show exceptional improvement in addressing this important activity. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 26 Personnel Management 12.1 Employee/Employer Relations Professional Standard The district has collected data that compare the salaries and benefits of its employees with dis- tricts of similar size, geographic location and other comparable measures. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to collect salary and benefit data from the five school districts that are feeder districts of the Washington Union High School District. 2. The State Administrator continually monitors salary and benefit information from similar school districts throughout the state. 3. The district continues to work with the California Department o Education (CDE) to review salary and benefit information to ensure that the district maintains a balanced budget. 4. The State Administrator continues to meet with the advisory board of education in closed session to share information regarding salary and benefits to assist the board members in understanding what is required of the board of education during employee negotiations. 5. For the first time, a representative of the California Teachers Association (CTA) asked to meet with the district’s insurance provider to review employee benefit plans. The district business office reported that the district has an open door policy and welcomes employee organizations to review all financial and benefit information. 6. The district reached agreement with employee bargaining units for 2007-08. Changes were made in the salary schedule structure, and the cap on employee benefits was increased from $6,000 to $9,000 per year. The district’s cap on benefits is reported to be lower than that of many other county school districts. Personnel Management 27 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 28 Personnel Management 12.4 Employee/Employer Relations Professional Standard The district has a process that provides management and the Governing Board with informa- tion on the impact of bargaining proposals (e.g., fiscal, staffing, management flexibility, student outcomes). Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s business office continues to prepare detailed information for the State Administrator and the advisory board of education regarding the costs associated with collective bargaining matters. 2. The State Administrator continues to be responsible for all negotiations with cer- tificated and classified employee groups. Prior to any final agreements, the State Administrator must consult with and receive approval from the Fresno County Office of Education and the California Department of Education (CDE). 3. The district’s agreement with employee bargaining units for 2007-08 included a salary increase spread across a revised salary schedule and an increase in the cap on employee benefits from $6,000 to $9,000 per year. 4. The district business office continues to use standard county and state budget forms to project ongoing costs as a result of contract negotiations. The business office also continues to prepare five-year cost projections that are used by the State Administrator and CDE staff. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 9 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Personnel Management 29 Table of Personnel Management Standards Progress Ratings Toward Implementation of the Improvement Plan 32 Personnel Management Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has clearly de- fined and clarified policies 1.1 and procedures relative to re- 2 3 3 5 6 6 cruitment, hiring, evaluation and dismissal of employees. The Personnel Division has es- tablished goals and objectives 1.2 directly related to the district’s 1 goals that are reviewed and updated annually. The Personnel Division has a monthly activities calendar and accompanying lists of ongo- 1.3 3 ing personnel activities to be reviewed by staff at planning meetings. The Personnel Division utilizes the latest technological equip- 2.1 9 ment for incoming and outgo- ing communications. The Personnel Division staff is 2.2 cross-trained to respond to cli- 3 ent need without delay. Certificated employment procedures and practices are conducted in a manner that 3.1 5 6 6 6 6 8 ensures equal employment opportunities. Written hiring procedures are provided. The job application form requests information that is 3.2 5 NR 6 6 7 9 legal, useful, pertinent, and easily understood. The district has developed materials that promote the 3.3 district and community, and 0 are attractive, informative and easily available. NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print 33 NA not applicable Personnel Management Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district systematically initiates and follows up on reference checking on all certificated applicants being 3.4 considered for employment. 1 NR 2 2 3 5 An appropriate reference checking form is completed and filed in the district of- fice. Classified employment pro- cedures and practices are conducted in a manner that 4.1 3 NR 3 5 6 8 ensures equal employment opportunities. Written hiring procedures are provided. The job applicant form requests information that is legal, 4.2 6 useful, pertinent, and easily understood. The district systematically initiates and follows up on reference checking on all classified applicants being 4.3 considered for employment. 1 NR 1 2 3 5 An appropriate reference checking form is completed and filed in the district of- fice. Appropriateness of required 4.4 tests for a specific position is 1 evident. The district has implemented procedures to comply with the 4.5 recent state legislation govern- 0 ing short-term employees (EC 45103). Initial orientation is provided 5.1 4 for all new staff. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print NR not reviewed 34 Personnel Management NA not applicable Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The Personnel Office has devel- oped an employment checklist to be used for all new employ- ees that includes district forms 5.2 10 10 and state and federal mandated information. The checklist is signed by the employee and kept on file. Personnel files are complete, 6.1 well-organized and up to 6 6 7 7 7 8 date. Personnel Office nonmanage- ment staff members have individual desk manuals for all 6.2 0 of the personnel functions for which they are held respon- sible. The Personnel Office has an operation procedures manual 6.3 for internal office use in order 2 to establish consistent applica- tion of personnel actions. The Personnel Office has a process in place to system- atically review and update job descriptions. These job 6.4 4 4 4 6 6 6 descriptions shall be in com- pliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The Personnel Office provides an office environment with ap- 6.5 6 propriate furniture, equipment, and materials. NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print 35 NA not applicable Personnel Management Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The Personnel Office has pro- cedures in place that allow for both personnel and payroll staff to meet regularly to solve 6.6 10 problems that develop in the processing of new employees, classification changes and em- ployee promotions. Wage and salary determina- tion and ongoing implemen- tation are handled without 6.7 delays and conflicts (substi- 4 6 7 7 7 8 tutes, temporary employees, stipends, shift differential, etc.). Established staffing formulas dictate the assignment of per- 6.8 6 sonnel to the various sites and programs. Policies and regulations exist regarding the implementation 7.1 6 of fingerprinting requirements for all employees. The Governing Board requires every employee to present evi- 7.2 6 dence of freedom from tubercu- losis, as required by state law. The district has established policies, procedures and prac- 7.3 tices to ensure that the testing 1 of teacher aides complies with state and federal laws. A clear implemented policy 7.4 exists on the prohibition of 1 1 1 5 6 7 discrimination. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print NR not reviewed 36 Personnel Management NA not applicable Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has established policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all 7.5 5 6 6 6 6 7 certificated employees hold valid certification to teach each position in the district. The district has established a process by which all required notices and in-service train- ing have been performed 7.6 and documented, such as 2 2 2 3 4 5 those for child abuse report- ing, blood-borne pathogens, sexual harassment and non- discrimination. The district is in compliance with Title IX policies on dis- 7.7 crimination and state law post- 0 ing requirements concerning harassment or discrimination. The district is in compliance with the Consolidated Omnibus 7.8 5 5 Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA). The district is in compliance with the Family Medical Leave 7.9 1 Act (FMLA) including posting the proper notifications. The district is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in ap- plication procedures, hiring, 7.10 advancement or discharge, 0 2 3 5 6 7 compensation, job training and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employ- ment. NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print 37 NA not applicable Personnel Management Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating A systematic position control system is utilized and inte- 8.1 3 4 5 5 5 6 grated with payroll/financial systems. The Personnel Office provides 8.2 an effective substitute calling 5 system. The Personnel Office has a systematic and effective ap- 8.3 5 plicant tracking system for all applicants. The Personnel Office has pro- gram funds and time for staff 8.4 0 training and skills development in the use of computers. The Personnel Office has com- puterized its employee da- tabase system including, but not limited to: credentials, 8.5 4 4 5 6 7 7 seniority lists, evaluations, personnel by funding source, program, location and work- ers' compensation benefits. The Personnel Office partici- pates in the training of all management and supervisory 9.1 0 5 5 5 6 8 staff responsible for em- ployee evaluations and due process. Clear policies and practices exist for the written evalu- 10.1 5 NR 5 6 7 7 ation and assessment of certificated employees. Clear policies and practices exist for the written evalua- 10.2 1 3 3 6 6 7 tion and assessment of clas- sified employees. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print NR not reviewed 38 Personnel Management NA not applicable Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The Personnel Office provides a process for the monitoring 10.3 of employee evaluations and 1 1 1 5 5 7 the accountability reporting of their completion. The Personnel Division has developed a process for provid- ing assistance to certificated 10.4 employees performing at a 1 less-than-satisfactory level such as Peer Assistance and Review (PAR). The Personnel Division has de- veloped a process for providing 10.5 assistance to classified employ- 1 ees performing at a less-than- satisfactory level. The Personnel Division has de- 11.1 veloped recognition programs 6 for all employee groups. The Personnel Division has available to its employees vari- 11.2 4 6 ous referral agencies to assist employees in need. Employee benefits are well un- derstood by employees through periodic printed communica- 11.3 0 tions. Timely notification of annual open enrollment period is sent to all employees. The district has a systematic 11.4 and effective workers' compen- 6 sation program. NR not reviewed The identified subset of standards appears in bold print 39 NA not applicable Personnel Management Personnel Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has collected data that compare the sala- ries and benefits of its em- 12.1 ployees with districts of 0 1 3 5 6 7 similar size, geographic loca- tion and other comparable measures. The district involves site-level administrators in the bargain- 12.2 1 ing and labor relations deci- sion-making process. The district provides a clearly defined process for bargaining 12.3 1 with its employee groups (e.g., traditional, interest-based). The district has a process that provides management and the Governing Board with information on the impact of 12.4 0 2 3 4 5 7 bargaining proposals (e.g., fiscal, staffing, management flexibility, student out- comes). The Personnel Office provides clearly defined forms and 12.5 procedures in the handling of 1 1 grievances for its managers and supervisors. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print NR not reviewed 40 Personnel Management NA not applicable Pupil Achievement Pupil Achievement In the 2007-08 school year the district has stabilized its vision, programming and strategies for achieving its pupil achievement goals. The State Administrator’s efforts to restructure the dis- trict’s resources and increase focus on assessment have gained greater acceptance among staff. Although the district still needs to fill some key positions, formalize some of its efforts, and transform its efforts into improved test scores, critical steps have been taken toward advancing pupil achievement. Leadership The district’s organizational structure lacks staff in some key leadership positions. As planned, the district hired two principals prior to the 2007-08 school year. However, with the departure of the middle school principal early in the fall, the elementary school principal assumed leader- ship for both school sites. A Learning Director is assigned to each site to provide support to the principal. However, a principal for each site remains the desired organizational arrangement. The district also experienced the departure of its English Language (EL) Resource coach and the middle school Literacy Intervention coach early in the school year. These positions remain vacant. The district has delegated EL and literacy duties to administrators and learning directors, and relies on assistance from the Fresno County Office of Education (county office). In addition, the district has yet to hire a mathematics coach. The lack of resources in these positions is being felt by students and teachers throughout the district, most notably at the middle school. The district employs a number of qualified and devoted administrators, teachers and staff who have helped establish and promote a unified district vision. The district has also begun to prepare staff to assume lead roles in the district, which has promoted decentralization of decision-making authority. Instruction The district has made little change to its curriculum and teaching strategies since the team’s visit a year ago. As a result, teachers have increased their familiarity with the content and improved their ability to pace lessons and align the curriculum with supplemental materials and assess- ments. To bolster instruction, the district adopted additional programs focused on language arts and mathematics intervention. The schools have retained the scheduling changes made last year, which included longer school days for kindergarten and grades 4-8. However, to meet the increased demand for student intervention, the extra class time has been converted from enrichment activities to language arts instruction. The most important advancement in instruction and assessment has been the increased accep- tance of the instructional program by the teaching staff. In prior progress reports, teachers appeared wary of the increased emphasis on teaching strategies, benchmarks and student assess- ment. The new programs represented change and were often seen as time-consuming, restrictive and lacking in instant impact. However, now that the changes have been in place for nearly two years, teachers have become more comfortable with these strategies and find them to be useful tools for setting guidelines and performance expectations. Teachers report they have become more proficient in using assessment programs to track student achievement, identify strengths and weaknesses, and create simple reports to share with students and parents. Teachers are also now beginning to see improvement in student performance. Pupil Achievement 1 The district’s social worker model has been successful at extending the school’s presence in the community. The district has created an on-site Family Resource Center, at which it holds English as a second language (ESL) and parenting classes for parents. By taking a holistic approach to student education, the social worker model has improved the discipline, attendance and perfor- mance of some students. A second social worker position has recently been added. Although the district has made some advances in areas identified in the previous progress report as needing improvement, more work remains to be done. The district’s Student Attendance Review Board (SARB), which has been re-established since last year, has been unable to locate a judge to preside over its hearings. The school site councils (SSCs) have members in place but have yet to meet in 2007-08. The lack of coaches in EL, literacy, and mathematics, as mentioned earlier, has aggravated the English language development (ELD) and mathematics efforts at the district. Pupil Progress Districtwide, students continue to underperform on state exams. The standardized test scores for 2006-07 changed little at the elementary school and decreased at the middle school. Con- sequently, the district’s Academic Performance Index (API) scores continue to rank among the lowest in the state. Both schools remain designated for Program Improvement (PI) and district administrators expect to retain the PI designation for two more years. Mid-year benchmark assessments have the district hopeful that student performance will improve considerably this year. These district-administered benchmark assessments show students at every grade level increasing their proficiency in Language Arts. Unfortunately, the assessments also show decreasing student proficiency in mathematics. 2 Pupil Achievement 1.1 Planning Processes—Common Vision Professional Standard A common vision of what all students should know and be able to do exists and is put into practice. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Districtwide plans continue to promote a common vision for student academic achievement. The schools’ Single Plans for Student Achievement (Single Plans) were updated for 2006-07 and are in the process of being aligned with the standards for Distinguished School status. The district’s Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan is slated for revision upon its expiration at the end of this school year. The district’s Curriculum Management Plan has been completed since the last 2007 progress report and has served as the district’s guiding resource for school policies, procedures, and grade-specific pupil achievement goals and strategies. a. Literacy continues to be the district’s strategic focus. The district continues to enroll a high percentage of non-native EL speaking students. The native EL speaking students also perform poorly in state testing. As a result, all students in grades K-5 now participate in ELD intervention. Specifically, in grades K-3 the first three hours of the day are devoted to the Reading First program and Avenues, a recently adopted standards-based reading and language arts program. Grades 4-8 use the High Point curriculum for language arts and the recently adopted Reach curriculum for EL students who are at least two grades below grade level. Teachers and coaches estimate that 75% of all instructional time is devoted to language arts. b. The district continues to receive a grant for Reading First, a program designed to improve teacher instruction of the Open Court curriculum in K-3. This is the program’s first full year of implementation. Despite initial concerns voiced by teachers in 2006-07, the program has been widely accepted and appreci- ated. c. The district continues to use the Action Learning Systems, Inc. (ALS) benchmark blueprint, which provides grade-specific benchmarks based on state requirements for student achievement in language arts and mathemat- ics. Teachers have embraced the district’s emphasis on assessment and have become more familiar with the ALS benchmarks and the Data Director software used to track student performance. Teachers reported using these programs regularly to communicate with students and parents and to identify areas of progress and areas in need of improvement. d. Class schedules remain the same this year. Although the hour added to the middle school schedule last year originally focused on enrichment activities, the school has recently converted it to instruction. Although poor pupil per- formance suggests a need for additional instructional time, the school should Pupil Achievement 3 remain cognizant of the value of providing students with access to enrichment activities. e. The district is on track to update its LEA Plan and Single Plans to show recent changes in district goals, policies, and expectations for staff and students. As part of the Single Plans update, the district will survey administrators and teachers to identify perceptions of the district’s strengths and weaknesses. The Single Plans will also tie district goals to the elements that define a Distinguished School. When the draft Single Plans are completed this spring, the schools will share them with the leadership team and school site councils (SSCs) for feedback. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 4 Pupil Achievement 1.3 Planning Processes—Long Term Goals Professional Standard The district has long-term goals and plans to support student achievement improvements. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has made significant advances in establishing long term goals in support of student achievement. Although the districtwide goals have not changed substan- tially from the 2006-07 school year, they have been advanced through the develop- ment of detailed strategies and improved communication of the goals to district staff and parents. 2. The district’s Curriculum Management Plan was completed and implemented during the past year and serves as the district’s primary guide for improving pupil achieve- ment. The long term district goals in the Curriculum Management Plan reflect those in the Single Plans. Although the district did not meet most of its ambitious annual goals, it has been able to use 2006-07 data as a baseline from which to measure future progress. The district’s goals include the following: • Increase by 10 percentage points (schoolwide, all subgroups, all grade levels, and all classrooms) from the 2007 performance on the California Standards Test (CST) at the May 2008 assessment. • Every student will make growth every year on the CSTs to move at least one level above his or her current status (for example, far below basic, below basic, basic, or proficient). • Every EL student will make growth each year to move at least one level above his or her current level and to proficiency on the California English Language Devel- opment Test (CELDT). • Increase student attendance rate to 95% (from 92.7%). • Increase positive attitudes and feelings of safety at school for students. • Get 100% of parents involved in at least two school events during the 2007-08 school year, at least one of which is a parent conference. 3. The district’s Curriculum Management Plan and Single Plans provide detailed strate- gies for achieving these goals. The Curriculum Management Plan also provides teaching staff with grade- and subject-specific content standards and blueprints. These guides include the ALS benchmark blueprints, which provide teachers with a method for tracking student performance against state benchmarks throughout the year. 4. Perhaps the most significant advance in the district’s long term planning has been the increased support teachers and staff have shown for the district’s plans. Past progress reports revealed hesitation and frustration among teachers who were asked to increase their focus on new instructional strategies, programs, and assessments. In contrast, Pupil Achievement 5 meetings with administrators and teachers in 2007-08 showed a more unified vision of the steps needed to improve pupil achievement. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: 6 Pupil Achievement 1.4 Planning Processes—Resource Allocation Professional Standard The district directs its resources fairly and consistently to accomplish its objectives. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has improved its allocation of financial resources by having program needs drive the budgeting process. In 2007-08, the district principal worked in coor- dination with the assistant superintendent of business services to develop a budget that was tracked by program area and funding source. Staff members in charge of programs were involved in the budget development process to ensure that categorical funds were allocated efficiently. According to district administrators, this budgeting method improved their ability to make districtwide financial decisions and track where resources were allocated and how they were spent. This method will be a valuable tool for the district as it faces impending state budget cuts and is a marked improvement over prior years, when there was little communication between the programs and the budget office. 2. The district should continue to collaboratively develop the new budget. However, the success of the budgeting process will ultimately depend on involving program staff in the process and educating them regarding the budgeting process. 3. Neither of the School Site Councils (SSCs) has convened this school year. According to the district principal, there are plans to hold multiple SSC meetings before the end of the year to review the new Single Plans and the proposed budget for 2008-09. To improve the feedback it receives from SSCs, the district should provide SSCs with some basic training in the budget process. In prior years, the SSCs were presented with the budget but provided little or no feedback to the budget office. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 7 1.6 Planning Processes—Student Performance Professional Standard The district’s planning process focuses on supporting increased student performance. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s planning process has been improved to better support student achieve- ment. The district has enhanced its internal communication through the creation of district and teacher leadership teams that meet biweekly to discuss improvements to the instructional program. In addition, the district principal meets regularly with the instructional coaches and the Teacher Leadership Team to review student progress and address schoolwide concerns. 2. The district continues to use the Online Assessment Reporting System (OARS) and Data Director to assess and track student performance. In grades 2-8, student progress is tracked against the grade-specific ALS benchmark blueprint, which is aligned with state requirements for student achievement in language arts and mathematics. Accord- ing to staff, these programs provide them with accurate estimates of how students will perform on state exams. These assessments are also used by teachers to create lesson plans and pacing schedules. Recent score trends suggest that students are showing improvement this year. 3. Each trimester, teachers hold parent-teacher conferences to review student assess- ment performance. Internally, teachers and administrators also hold biannual student performance meetings (formerly called “teacher chats”) to review individual student performance, identify areas that need improvement and set goals for the remainder of the year. Although preparation for these meetings is time intensive, teachers, parents and administrators find them valuable. 4. The district continues to offer students programs outside of normal school hours. The after-school program for the middle school operates from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and includes enrichment activities such as athletics and student government. In grades 1-3, the after-school program targets only students who need intervention. There appears to be some demand among elementary school teachers to increase student access to the after-school program. The summer school program spans three weeks and operates during the same hours each day as the normal school year schedule. The summer school program targets more than 350 students, nearly one third of the student body, who are performing in the far below basic level. In addition, the district’s migrant students are eligible to par- ticipate in a program conducted by the California State University at Fresno (CSUF). 8 Pupil Achievement According to staff, there has been some dissension among parents of underperforming nonmigrant students who are ineligible to participate in the CSUF program. The middle school recently revived its Saturday school program, which is mandatory for students who need additional academic support. This program was also imple- mented at this time last year to prepare students for the state examinations. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 9 2.1 Curriculum—Management Professional Standard The district, through its adopted policy, provides a clear operational framework for management of the curriculum. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s Curriculum Management Plan provides a clear operational framework for the management of its curriculum. The Curriculum Management Plan has been distributed to teachers and contains distinct state benchmarks for each grade level. The plan also contains an up-to-date curriculum and textbook adoption schedule. District teachers coordinate with other schools in the Washington Union High School District when selecting a new curriculum. This year, the district is in the process of selecting a new mathematics textbook. 2. Teachers within each grade level work together to develop a pacing schedule to ensure that all benchmarks are taught by the end of the year and that students learn similar concepts at the same time. The district continues to start school late on Wednesday mornings to provide teachers with two hours to discuss student performance and modify their lesson plans accordingly. 3. The district continues to supplement its textbook curriculum with Standards Plus, a program that teaches test-taking strategies based on state standards. Since last year, some grades have been able to align Standards Plus with their regular curriculum. However, some teachers still claim that the program while helpful is frustrating because there is little continuity between it and the regular curriculum. 4. The resource coaching model continues to provide teachers and students with access to specialized support. According to teachers, the resource coaches have been very helpful. However, the district’s EL resource, middle school literacy, and mathematics coaching positions have been vacant for the entire 2007-08 school year. Although the district has received limited assistance from county office consultants, teachers have not received the support they need in these areas. The district should make additional efforts to ensure the positions are filled in the future. 5. Teachers are required to post their weekly lesson plans on Moodle, a newly acquired course management system which provides a central electronic depository that is accessible to administrators. However, the learning directors indicate that they seldom review teacher lesson plans for content. It is recommended that teacher lesson plans be reviewed on a rotating basis to ensure that teachers are following their pacing schedules and are organizing their instructional time appropriately. 10 Pupil Achievement Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 11 2.2 Curriculum—Management Professional Standard Policies regarding curriculum and instruction are reviewed and approved by the School Board. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s governing board continues to serve in an advisory capacity and does not have decision making authority over the district’s curriculum and instruction deci- sions. Instead, these decisions are overseen by the State Administrator and reported to the board during board meetings. Despite the board’s limited role, the district has established curriculum and instruction as a standard meeting agenda item. 2. The State Administrator, acting as the governing board, approves the policies regard- ing the curriculum and instructional programs. Presentations on the district’s instruc- tional programs and/or student performances are made at board meetings to familiar- ize board members with the district programs. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 2 April 2008 Self Rating: 3 April 2008 New Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: 12 Pupil Achievement 2.3 Curriculum—Objectives Professional Standard The district has clear and valid objectives for students, including the core curriculum content. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has established clear and valid objectives for its students and outlined the objectives in the Curriculum Management Plan. All of the district’s curricula are state approved and updated. The teachers are provided with state benchmarks and the ALS benchmark blueprints to guide their instruction. Assessment tools allow teachers and students to track student progress toward the benchmark objectives. To ensure that the necessary content is covered, teachers create pacing guides and are required to submit their lesson plans weekly. 2. The teaching staff have begun to embrace the district’s emphasis on benchmarks and assessment. At the time of previous progress reports, teachers were wary of new teaching strategies and student objectives because they were time consuming, restrictive, and lacked immediate impact. However, now that many of these changes have been in place for two years, teachers are more comfortable with these strategies and find them to be useful tools for setting guidelines and performance expectations. Teachers report they are well versed in student benchmarks and more proficient at using assessment programs to track student achievement. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 13 3.2 Instructional Strategies—Learning Goals Professional Standard Challenging learning goals and instructional plans and programs for all students are evident. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s learning goals and instructional plans are driven by state-approved benchmarks and curricula. In grades 2-8, the ALS benchmark blueprint, which tracks the state benchmarks, is also used as a guide. In grades K-1, OARS is used to create similar benchmarks. To meet the needs of all its students, the district places a heavy emphasis on EL development and continues to adhere to a response to intervention (RTI) model, which keeps struggling students in the normal classroom setting by providing them with additional assistance and modified benchmarks. 2. Teachers are required to upload their weekly lesson plans to Moodle, a newly acquired course management system that is accessible to administrators. Despite having more access to lesson plans, the learning directors report that they seldom review the plans for content. Teacher lesson plans should be reviewed periodically to ensure that teachers adhere to their pacing schedules and organize their instructional time appro- priately. 3. The Teacher Leadership Team consists of grade level teacher leaders that serve as liaisons between the grades and the administration. According to team members, teachers have been more involved in the district decision making process this year and their concerns have been addressed by the new district principal. 4. The district’s homework policy is communicated to students and parents via the student handbook and parent-teacher conferences. The district should include more detail concerning the minutes of daily homework expected per grade to help parents understand the schools’ expectations. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self Rating: 8 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 14 Pupil Achievement 3.7 Instructional Strategies—Site Council Professional Standard Each school has a school site council or leadership team, comprised of teachers, parents, princi- pal, and students, that is actively engaged in school planning. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has made an attempt to revive the School Site Councils from their dimin- ished role in 2006-07. Although SSCs are in place at both schools, neither has yet held a meeting during the 2007-08 school year. According to the State Administrator and principal, the SSCs plan to meet multiple times before the end of the year to discuss the revised Single Plans and the proposed school budget. In the future, the SSCs should meet regularly throughout the year. 2. The district continues to increase parental involvement in school activities through parent-teacher conferences, the social worker programs, the Migrant Parent Advisory Committee, and the English Learner Advisory Committee. The schools should target participating parents for increased roles in school planning with the school board or SSCs. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 15 3.10 Instructional Strategies—Learning Time Professional Standard Clearly defined discipline practices have been established and communicated among the stu- dents, staff, board, and community. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Student disciplinary policies are outlined in the student handbook and shared with par- ents via newsletters and parent-teacher conferences. The discipline policy references the district’s use of a school attendance review board (SARB) for disciplining truant students. Although a SARB has been established since last year, the district has been unable to locate a judge to preside over the hearings. Consequently, there have been no SARB hearings during the 2007-08 school year. Outside of SARB, the district has undertaken efforts to strictly enforce attendance requirements and work with parents. 2. The district continues to use AERIES, a student information system that tracks student attendance. The district recently added features to the AERIES program that allow teachers to report and track disciplinary and intervention actions. This will provide teachers with increased access to student records. According to school administrators, attendance records are less reliable at the middle school than at the elementary school because teachers are required to take attendance for each class. 3. According to staff, the campus has begun to feel like a school again for the first time in recent memory. This is due in part to increased security and stricter enforcement of disciplinary policies. According to the district principal, the number of student referrals has been exceedingly high this year; however, this trend reflects an increased effort to hold students accountable, not worse student behavior. 4. The district has also increased its number of disciplinary actions against teachers and has suspended and terminated staff members who did not meet school standards. According to administrators, this has been part of a concerted effort to increase the professionalism of district staff. By establishing uniform expectations among its staff, the district indicates it has created a more stable and professional learning environ- ment for students. 5. The social worker model adopted by the district continues to be effective. This year the district added a second social worker to its staff and has expanded its program- ming to include a student-run bully prevention program. The social workers have increased parent and community involvement in the schools. As planned, the district established a family resource center at which it holds parent- ing and ESL classes for parents. To be more accessible to the community, the district has also held some programs off campus. According to the social workers, attendance at these events has increased and parental involvement has led to improved achieve- ment among the children of participants. 16 Pupil Achievement Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 17 3.14 Instructional Strategies—English Learners Professional Standard The identification and placement of English Learners into appropriate courses are conducted in a timely and effective manner. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s EL efforts were set back when the EL resource coach and middle school literacy coach both resigned prior to the 2007-08 school year. According to adminis- trators, these positions have remained vacant because they have been unable to find adequate replacements. To meet student EL needs while the positions remain vacant, the district has spread the EL responsibilities among the principal, learning directors and director of student services. The district has also increased its reliance on the county office, which provides the schools with consultants to assist teachers on an as-needed basis. The district should continue efforts to fill the positions with full time staff to ensure that teachers and students are receiving the level of support they need. 2. Students in grades K-5 are placed into courses based on language arts assessments conducted at the start of the year. This year, the district used a new program, Avenues, to perform this assessment and took an extra week before placing students to ensure it was done accurately. In grades 6-8, an alternative assessment is used to determine stu- dent placement. Student performance on mid-year examinations suggest that student proficiency in language arts is improving. 3. Despite plans to update the EL Master Plan for 2007-08, the plan remains unchanged since 2005. Once a new EL Resource Coach is hired, the EL Master Plan should be reviewed and revised to reflect current practices and plans. 4. Last year, upon recommendation by the state, the district improved its tracking of the EL status of students with individualized education programs (IEPs). However, concern remains that a high percentage of IEPs at the elementary school level are filed for EL students. The district should review their IEP cases in greater detail to make certain EL students are placed correctly and provided with the resources needed to succeed. 5. In grades K-5, all students receive daily English language development (ELD) instruc- tion. In grades 6-8, CELDT and Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) scores are used to determine the level of language arts instruction needed for each student. According to teachers, specially designed academic instruction in English (SDAIE) teaching strategies are also used to improve the delivery of EL instruction. 6. According to district administrators, the 2006-07 CELDT scores meet the Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO). The district had failed to meet these objectives the previous four years. 18 Pupil Achievement Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 19 3.15 Instructional Strategies—English Learners Professional Standard Curriculum and instruction for EL prepares EL students to transition to regular class settings and achieve at a high level in all subject matters. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. All students in grades K-5 receive ELD instruction daily. While not all students are nonnative EL speakers, all students are struggling with language arts. In grades 6-8, teachers provide language arts intervention with the High Point curriculum and the newly adopted Reach curriculum, which specifically targets students who are reading at more than two grade levels below standard. 2. The district reported that all district teachers are Cross-cultural Language and Aca- demic Development (CLAD) certified and many have taken SDAIE classes. However, the lack of an EL Resource Coach in 2007-08 has led to a decrease in teacher support and individualized training. 3. Individual student progress continues to be tracked via an ELD progress profile folder that outlines reading and writing proficiency benchmarks and provides teachers with a location to collect student work samples. 4. The district still plans to undergo the Categorical Program Monitoring (CPM) process for their EL program in 2008-09. To prepare for this process, the district has begun to perform a self-assessment based on the forms and standards used by the state during the CPM. It is still too early in the process for the district to know the results of their self-assessment. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 20 Pupil Achievement 3.16 Instructional Strategies—Special Education Professional Standard The identification and placement of special education students into appropriate courses is con- ducted in a timely and effective manner. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The school social workers have revived the student study teams (SSTs), which had not been fully functional since 2005. The SSTs consist of the student, parents, teachers, coaches, learning directors, nurse, psychologists and social workers. 2. The number of student referrals to SSTs in 2007-08 has increased to more than 100. According to school staff, this increase is in part because a simpler request form was implemented that requires less information and reasoning from teachers. As a result, teachers have increased their requests instead of handling situations through parent- teacher conferences. There is a concern that teachers misperceive the SST process as a way to remove students from their classroom. However, under the district’s response to intervention (RTI) model, most students are retained in the classroom but given assistance. In response to the high number of unnecessary SST requests, the district plans to return to the old SST request process. The SST process and its goals should also be reiterated to teachers before the 2008-09 school year. 3. The district continues to use the RTI model to maintain students in the regular class- room. Special education services are used as a last resort. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 21 3.17 Instructional Strategies—Special Education Professional Standard The IEPs are reviewed and updated on time. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s special education teachers continue to serve as IEP case managers. In 2007-08, the district added a special day class (SDC) at the elementary school level, giving it two resource specialist program (RSP) teachers, two SDC teachers and a speech therapist. The increase in staff has made the number of IEP cases per teacher more manageable. 2. The district holds weekly special education meetings to allow staff to collaborate, plan for upcoming IEP meetings and discuss student concerns. 3. Despite increased teacher availability, IEP meetings continue to face delays because of scheduling conflicts with parents. To help reduce scheduling conflicts, the district has created an IEP master calendar that reserves dates as long as one year in advance. To improve communication with parents, staff members have begun to use a newly acquired service called Teleparent, which permits teachers to create automated tele- phone messages that are delivered to parents in the evening. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 22 Pupil Achievement 3.18 Instructional Strategies—Special Education Professional Standard Curriculum and instruction for special education students is rigorous and appropriate to meet special education students’ learning needs. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to lack a special education plan that outlines the district’s special education goals and the strategies to achieve them. In prior years, the district began taking steps to develop a plan, but no plan materialized. While the absence of a plan does not reflect a lack of special education services, it does raise concerns regard- ing planning, consistency and staff succession. The plan should establish a common vision, specify policies and procedures for staff and students, and define future goals. Currently, changes made to the special education program are based on recommenda- tions received from the California Department of Education (CDE) nearly two years ago. 2. Under the district’s RTI model, RSP students are incorporated into mainstream class- rooms and receive support from the RSP teachers and aides. When possible, SDC students are also included in mainstream classrooms, but receive more intensive assis- tance and a modified curriculum. The RTI model allows students to benefit socially and emotionally from inclusion in the general education classroom. 3. The California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) and California Modified Assessment (CMA) are used in place of the California STAR exam for students with the most severe cognitive disabilities. Six students are expected to take the CAPA this year. 4. The district provides special education students with mainstream report cards. To supplement the report cards, teachers also meet with parents to discuss their student’s performance in greater detail. If parents are unable to meet with teachers, the district should develop alternative means of providing them with this supplemental informa- tion. 5. Special education staff members meet weekly to discuss the needs of their students. A representative from the district’s charter school also attends this meeting to ensure that the charter school’s special education needs are met. According to special education staff, these meetings have frequently been overshadowed by other pressing district events. Pupil Achievement 23 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 24 Pupil Achievement 4.2 Assessment and Accountability—Measurement Tools Professional Standard Student achievement is measured and assessed through a variety of measurement tools (for example, standardized tests, portfolios, projects, oral reports, etc.). Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has made advances in summarizing and analyzing assessment scores for each student. The AERIES program is used at both schools to maintain attendance records, textbook assessment scores, and disciplinary and intervention information. The district continues to use Data Director to track student achievement on the state- aligned ALS benchmark blueprint. Grades K-2, which lack ALS benchmarks, use the online assessment reporting system (OARS) to provide benchmarks and assessments aligned with the Open Court reading program. The Reading First program uses dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS) in grades K-3. The results of these assessments are shared with students and parents. 2. All elementary school students are provided with ELD instruction and their perfor- mance is tracked using an individualized ELD progress profile. Teachers maintain student work samples in folders to provide evidence of work quality. However, the majority of student achievement measurement is based on state testing standards and assessment scores. Although a focus on testing is important, the district should also incorporate alternative methods of expression, evaluation, and instruction. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 25 4.4 Assessment and Accountability—Assessment Analysis Professional Standard The administration and staff utilize assessment information to improve learning opportunities for all students. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Following each trimester, the district holds student performance meetings, during which teachers meet with administrators and coaches to review individual student assessment performance and to plan an approach for the following trimester. These meetings serve two purposes: they provide administrators with a districtwide view of student performance, and they require teachers to periodically evaluate individual student needs. 2. The district provides teachers with a two hour meeting period each Wednesday morn- ing. During this time, teachers meet within their grade level to discuss student and instructional issues. Once a month, all grade levels meet with administrators to discuss districtwide issues. In past years, administrators took a larger role in the teacher meetings. This year, the meetings are run by the teacher leaders and, while the agenda items are standardized, the topics discussed are determined by grade level. According to teachers, these meetings provide them with an important opportunity to collaborate with each other. Further, the meetings have been more consistently held this year and are interrupted less frequently by administrative needs. 3. The district leadership team, which consists of administrators and the teacher leader- ship team, a teacher from each grade level, meets separately and together monthly. This has allowed for improved communication between teachers and administrators and the creation of a uniform vision. Teachers indicated that their perspective has been taken into account more this year than in the past. 4. Perhaps the most important advance in the district’s instructional program and assess- ment has been the greater acceptance exhibited by the teaching staff. In prior progress reports, teachers appeared wary of the increased emphasis on teaching strategies, benchmarks and student assessment. The new programs represented change and were often perceived as time-consuming, restrictive, and lacking in immediate impact. However, now that the changes have been in place for nearly two years, teachers have become more comfortable with the strategies and find them to be useful tools for setting guidelines and performance expectations. Teachers indicated they have become more proficient in using assessment programs to track student achievement, identify strengths and weaknesses, and create simple reports to share with students and parents. At the same time, teachers are beginning to see improvements in student performance. 26 Pupil Achievement Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Self Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 27 5.1 Professional Development and Training—General Professional Standard Staff development demonstrates a clear understanding of purpose, written goals, and appropriate evaluations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s Curriculum Management Plan outlines a professional development plan that is reasonably specific, complete, and well integrated. All district teachers received Assembly Bill (AB) 472 training in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics over the summer. In addition, teachers have received training on curriculum and instructional programs from coaches, vendors and the county office. The district’s learning directors participate in the AB 430 Administrator’s Training Program. Profes- sional development for new teachers has been further developed as detailed in Stan- dard 5.9. 2. The district has established evaluation as part of the professional development activities. Teachers are given the opportunity to provide constructive feedback to trainers, including resource coaches. Coaches have also begun to provide teachers with reviews that require teachers to show what they have gleaned from the training. The district uses this feedback to update internally run staff development. 3. Although coaches continue to offer in-service training to teachers in subjects such as Reading First and technology, the level of training and support provided has decreased because of the reduction in coaching staff. The district has had to rely on coaching assistance from the county office for EL, language arts and mathematics and, according to staff, these resources are limited to less than one day per week. Although impending budget cuts will make it difficult, the district should continue efforts to fill the vacant coaching positions before the start of the 2008-09 school year. 4. The turnover rate among teachers, especially at the middle school, has made it diffi- cult to build a community of teachers and establish consistency among staff from year to year. According to staff estimates, nearly 75% of the middle school teachers are new this year. Further, the significant number of low-performing students has made it difficult for many new teachers to feel successful. To attract quality teachers, the district has increased its recruiting efforts at area job fairs and by word of mouth. 28 Pupil Achievement Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 29 5.2 Professional Development and Training—General Professional Standard Staff development provides staff (for example, principals, teachers, and instructional aides) with the knowledge and skills to improve instruction and curriculum. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Staff development efforts are focused on providing staff with the tools to improve instruction and assessment. Teachers and learning directors take classes offered through AB 472 and AB 430 during the summer. Teachers also report having attended workshops offered by Washington Union High School District and the county office. In addition, teachers have received training from curriculum vendors and resources regarding how best to improve instruction and make maximum use of assessment tools. In 2007-08, these training requirements were outlined in detail in the district’s professional development plan. 2. The principal and learning directors are trained in conducting classroom walk-through assessments. Throughout the year, teachers are evaluated on their instruction methods and provided with constructive feedback. The district should continue to evaluate teacher performance to improve instruction. 3. The district reported it has met the Program Improvement requirement that at least 10% of its Title I funds be used for professional development. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Self Rating: 8 April 2008 New Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 30 Pupil Achievement 5.8 Professional Development and Training—Support Professional Standard New teachers and principals are provided with training and support opportunities. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s Curriculum Management Plan was updated to include a new teacher support plan. All new teachers are required to complete the Beginning Teacher Sup- port and Assessment (BTSA) program through the county office. The plan also lists the required credentials, including those for special education teachers. On an infor- mal level, new teachers indicated that they receive support from experienced teachers on site and the principal. 2. The district principal has taken a lead role in mentoring the learning directors to take on more administrative responsibility and prepare to become principals in the future. Over the course of the school year the learning directors have increased their decision making role at their school site. In addition, the district principal is being mentored by the state administrator. Decentralizing decision making responsibility is building leadership capacity in the district, which will be beneficial as the district returns to local control. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Self Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Pupil Achievement 31 32 Pupil Achievement Table of Pupil Achievement Standards Progress Ratings Toward Implementation of the Improvement Plan Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating A common vision of what all students should know and be 1.1 3 4 5 5 6 7 able to do exists and is put into practice. The administrative structure of 1.2 the district promotes student 5 achievement. The district has long-term goals and plans to support 1.3 3 4 6 6 6 7 student achievement im- provements. The district directs its re- sources fairly and consistent- 1.4 2 2 3 3 4 6 ly to accomplish its objec- tives. Categorical and compensatory program funds supplement and 1.5 do not supplant services and 2 materials to be provided by the district. The district’s planning pro- cess focuses on supporting 1.6 3 4 4 5 6 7 increased student perfor- mance. The district through its ad- opted policy provides a clear 2.1 operational framework for 1 3 3 3 5 6 management of the curricu- lum. Policies regarding curriculum and instruction are reviewed 2.2 0 2 2 2 2 4 and approved by the school board. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 35 NA not applicable Pupil Achievement NR not reviewed Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has clear and valid objectives for students, 2.3 1 2 5 5 5 7 including the core curriculum content. Sufficient instructional materials 2.4 5 are available for students to learn. In subject areas for which the state has adopted standards, 2.5 instructional materials are 4 available to students that are aligned with state standards. The district has adopted a plan for integrating technology into 2.6 0 curriculum and instruction at all grade levels. The district optimizes state 2.7 and federal funding to install 3 technology into schools. AIDS prevention instruc- tion occurs at least once in junior high or middle school 2.8 and once in high school, and 0 is consistent with the CDE's 1994 Health Framework (EC 51201.5). The district provides equal ac- cess to educational opportuni- ties to all students regardless 3.1 3 of race, gender, socioeconomic standing, and other factors (EC 51007). Challenging learning goals and instructional plans and 3.2 2 3 5 6 7 8 programs for all students are evident. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 36 Pupil Achievement NA not applicable NR not reviewed Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Expectations and practices exist to improve the prepara- 3.3 tion of students and to build 1 a school structure with the capacity to serve all students. Every elementary school has embraced the most recent 3.4 0 California School Recognition Program Standards. Students are engaged in learn- ing, and they are able to 3.5 2 demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skills. The district and school sites actively encourage parental 3.6 3 involvement in their children's education. Each school has a school site council or leadership team, comprised of teachers, par- 3.7 2 4 6 6 6 6 ents, principal and students, that is actively engaged in school planning. Principals make formal and informal visits to the class- room. Based on these visits, 3.8 6 principals provide constructive feedback and assistance to teachers. Class time is protected for stu- 3.9 3 dent learning (EC 32212). Clearly defined discipline practices have been estab- 3.10 lished and communicated 0 2 2 3 4 5 among the students, staff, board, and community. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 37 NA not applicable Pupil Achievement NR not reviewed Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating School class size and teacher 3.11 assignments support effective 1 student learning. Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies and 3.12 2 resources that address their students' diverse needs. Teachers modify and adjust 3.13 instructional plans according to 2 student needs and success. The identification and place- ment of English Learners into 3.14 appropriate courses is con- 2 2 2 3 4 4 ducted in a timely and effec- tive manner. Curriculum and instruction for English Learners prepares EL students to transition to 3.15 1 2 2 3 4 5 regular class settings and achieve at a high level in all subject matters. The identification and place- ment of special education 3.16 students into appropriate 1 2 2 3 4 5 courses is conducted in a timely and effective manner. Individual education plans 3.17 (IEPs) are reviewed and up- 3 3 4 5 6 6 dated on time. Curriculum and instruction for special education stu- 3.18 dents is rigorous and appro- 1 2 3 4 5 5 priate to meet special educa- tion students' learning needs. The criteria for Gifted and Tal- ented Education (GATE) iden- 3.19 0 tification are documented and understood by school site staff. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 38 Pupil Achievement NA not applicable NR not reviewed Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Students are regularly assessed 3.20 or reassessed for GATE partici- 0 pation. All incoming kindergarten students will be admitted fol- 3.21 lowing board-approved policies 10 and administrative regulations. (EC 48000-48002) The general instructional program adheres to all require- 3.27 5 ments put forth in Education Code 51000-52950. The district has developed content and learning standards 4.1 for all subject areas and grades 6 that are understood and fol- lowed by school site staff. Student achievement is mea- sured and assessed through a variety of measurement tools 4.2 3 3 4 4 5 6 (e.g., standardized tests, portfolios, projects, oral reports). The assessment tools are clear measures of what is being 4.3 3 taught and provide direction for improvement. The administration and staff utilize assessment informa- 4.4 1 3 4 5 6 7 tion to improve learning op- portunities for all students. The district has adopted mul- tiple assessment tools, includ- 4.5 ing diagnostic assessments, to 2 evaluate, improve, or adjust programs and resources. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 39 NA not applicable Pupil Achievement NR not reviewed Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district shall be account- able for student results by using evaluative information regarding the various levels 4.6 1 of proficiency and allocating educational resources to ensure the maximum educational op- portunities for all students. The district informs parents of the test scores of their children 4.7 4 and provides general explana- tion of these scores. Staff development demon- strates a clear understanding 5.1 1 4 6 6 7 7 of purpose, written goals, and appropriate evaluations. Staff development provides the staff (e.g., principals, teachers, and instructional 5.2 2 3 5 6 7 8 aides) with the knowledge and the skills to improve in- struction and curriculum. The standards developed by the California Standards for the 5.3 2 Teaching Profession are present and supported. Teachers are provided time and 5.4 are encouraged to meet with 6 other teachers. Collaboration exists among higher education, district, pro- 5.5 fessional associations, and the 1 community in providing profes- sional development. The district has formed part- nerships with state colleges 5.6 and universities to provide ap- 0 propriate courses accessible to all teachers. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 40 Pupil Achievement NA not applicable NR not reviewed Pupil Achievement July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Administrative support and 5.7 coaching is provided to all 2 teachers. New teachers and principals 5.8 are provided with training 0 1 2 2 3 5 and support opportunities. Professional development is 5.9 0 linked to personnel evaluation. Evaluations provide construc- 5.10 tive feedback for improving job 4 performance. Human resources practices 5.11 support the delivery of sound 3 educational programs. A requirement is in place for passing of a basic skills pro- 5.12 ficiency examination by in- 1 structional aides (EC 45344.5, 545361.5). The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 41 NA not applicable Pupil Achievement NR not reviewed Financial Management Financial Management The West Fresno Elementary School District continues to make progress toward fiscal recovery. Business personnel continue to strongly support the current administration and work well as a team. The most significant change to policy and procedure is in the area of attendance accounting. The attendance accounting function was previously centralized in the district office but is now decentralized, with additional roles and responsibilities assigned to the school site level. As with any new change, continued training and support for site staff by the district office is necessary. The district’s funding is based on student attendance, and the compilation and reporting of average daily attendance (ADA) to the California Department of Education (CDE) is vital to maintaining district revenues. Ratings for many finance standards have increased at this reporting period as the district has implemented oft-repeated recommendations. The district will be challenged to maintain the operational functions it has implemented, during a fiscal year in which the state is addressing a budget crisis. The district needs to provide staff with training regarding the board policies adopted in 2004 and current practices so that all staff are aware of existing policies and procedures. Operations The district does not prepare a cash flow statement except at the state-mandated reporting periods. Determining the cash position of the organization is as important as projecting an ending fund balance. The district should provide a cash flow report to the state administrator at least monthly. This will provide information that can help the district plan for shortfalls in cash before there is an urgent need to borrow funds in the event that current obligations cannot be covered by the district’s cash balances in all funds. The district continues to lack established policies and procedures to ensure a secure method for individuals to report suspected instances of fraud or inappropriate behavior. The district has taken steps to update and provide additional information to parents and the community regarding the upgraded Web site. Although the Web site is not completely finished, it is organized in such a way that community members can easily access information. The district increased internal controls over purchases and improved efficiency with the implementation of a hard code warning in the financial system’s purchasing module. The system does not allow purchases to be made unless funds are available. The district has not implemented a position control system for budgeting and accounting but is one of three districts currently piloting a position control module in the Fresno County Office of Education’s (county office) financial system. The district should continue to develop operating procedural manuals for business office staff to help ensure that transactions are processed appropriately and to provide a comprehensive resource for reference and training. Training The district continues to provide ongoing training for all staff members; however, the district should establish a training plan to ensure that all business office staff maintain and increase their technical skills in order to perform their functions effectively. Training is one of the key Financial Management 1 components needed for success and for building staff capacity. Training should include new district policies and procedures as they are developed. Charter Schools The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the charter school is being revised to expand the information required by the district so that it can provide appropriate oversight to the charter school. The charter school’s reports should include a cash flow statement, an income statement (i.e., an operating statement) and the annual report. Submission of reports should be required monthly or quarterly. The district has strengthened its oversight of the financial aspects of the charter school during the 2007-08 fiscal year; however, receiving financial information monthly or quarterly will ensure that the district is meeting its responsibility as an oversight agency. In addition, the district should ensure that all material revisions to the charter school petition or MOU are submitted to the district for action by the district’s advisory board. 2 Financial Management 2.2 Inter- and Intra-Departmental Communications—Identification and Response to Governing Board and Community Audiences Professional Standard The financial departments should communicate regularly with the Governing Board and community on the status of district finances and the financial impact of proposed expenditure decisions. The communications should be written whenever possible, particularly when it affects many community members, is an issue of high importance to the district and Board, or reflects a change in policies. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to provide routine budget reports on the status of the general fund to the advisory board and monitors and makes periodic updates on issues that will affect the district’s finances. The continuing effort by the district to communicate the financial data includes preparation and presentation of the adopted budget, first and second interim reports and unaudited actuals at public board meetings before the reports are submitted to the county office or the CDE. The assistant superintendent for business services provides board members with some degree of financial information at each board meeting. Financial information is provided to the state administrator, as often as daily, either verbally or via e-mail, using financial reports generated from the county office financial system. The district has developed financial presentations that provide increasingly detailed information to the board regarding budgets and actual financial transactions, thus showing the impact on the district’s ending fund balance. The board continues to receive written assumptions in a format that is easy to follow (such as a matrix by funding source, including the multiyear projection). This information provides a complete picture of the district’s financial position and engages the board in asking the necessary questions about actions that may have long-term effects on the district’s financial solvency. 2. The assistant superintendent for business services has been monitoring state and federal categorical funds for more than a year. The district’s new principal has become involved in managing categorical programs to align the instructional goals set by the board with the resources available. This collaboration is ongoing as this new procedure is refined and the instructional outcomes monitored. 3. The district has not updated the board policies developed and adopted in 2004. The updates needed for periodic reports to the board regarding recent legislative and local changes are not occurring regularly. These are required to ensure organizational efficiency and compliance with state statutes. Standard procedures have not been developed to identify how periodic information should be presented to the board, how frequently it should be presented, or how information regarding the program and fiscal aspects of categorical programs is to be presented. Financial Management 3 4. The district reports budget and financial information to the state administrator and the advisory board monthly, but the district has not developed written operating procedures that reflect this current practice. The lack of formal written procedures regarding the nature, format and extent of financial reporting might reduce the level of budget oversight, monitoring and control, particularly if there is turnover in personnel. However, the assistant superintendent has assigned each business office staff member the task of memorializing procedures specific to their duties, including budgeting, cash receipts, accounts payable and others. In addition, the assistant superintendent is participating in developing these procedures and identifying a location on the server where the information will be stored. The district is working to complete this task by the end of the current fiscal year. 5. The district currently provides periodic information regarding cash flow on state reports. However, monthly cash flow statements are not prepared. Determining the cash position of an organization is as important as projecting the ending fund balance. The district should provide the state administrator with a cash flow report for all funds at least monthly. This will help the district plan for shortfalls in cash before there is an urgent need to borrow funds in the event that current obligations cannot be covered by the district’s cash balances in all funds. 6. The district prepares a publication for parents that provides a calendar of events. However, the district has not communicated financial issues to the community and staff using vehicles such as a Fingertip Facts pocket document, a user-friendly version of the district’s budget, various district and site newsletters, the local newspaper or the district Web site. The district is currently developing a new Web site but it was not completed at the time of the site visit. 7. The district has not established a finance/audit advisory committee composed of members of various communities within the district. The district acknowledges that this is important but is unable to attract community members who have the necessary expertise. 4 Financial Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating 5 April 2008 Self-Rating 7 April 2008 New Rating 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 5 2.5 Inter- and Intra-Departmental Communications—Communication of Illegal Acts Professional Standards The district should have formal policies and procedures that provide a mechanism for individuals to report illegal acts, establish to whom illegal acts should be reported, and provide a formal investigative process. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Board Policy 3400(b), adopted in 2004, addresses fraud prevention and investigation. This policy establishes the expectation that all employees, board members, consultants, vendors, and other parties who maintain a relationship with the district will act with integrity and due diligence. The policy also establishes that the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee shall be responsible for developing internal controls to help detect and prevent fraud or financial impropriety and asks all employees to be alert to any indication of fraud. Instances are to be reported immediately to the supervisor, superintendent, or other designee. The district also adopted Administrative Regulation (AR) 3400 (a) and (b), which identifies various types of fraud and impropriety and requires the superintendent to investigate all instances while maintaining the appropriate level of confidentiality. The district should continue its efforts to expand and refine the policies and procedures regarding inappropriate behavior and fraud. 2. The district has not established a secure method for individuals to report suspected instances of fraud or inappropriate behavior. However, the district intends to establish a method that will encourage the timely reporting of incidents. The district’s Board Policy 1312 identifies the need for a process that allows the community to make complaints about employees. The district is considering either a hotline or post office box that can be accessed only by the state administrator or designee as a secure and confidential way for employees and community members to report suspected instances of fraud or improper behavior. Having a mechanism such as this in place might encourage staff and community members to come forward with information that will assist in identifying, preventing and stopping fraud or other inappropriate behavior by district employees. 3. The district has developed a whistleblower’s information pamphlet; however, there is no procedure to ensure that employees or community members know of this option or how to report fraud under its protection. The district also maintains a complaint form on a drive on the server that all employees can access; however, there is no communication about the existence of this form or how to go about reporting such activity. 6 Financial Management 4. The district has complied with the Williams settlement requirement through its Notice to Parents, Guardians, Pupils, and Teachers in July 2007. This form is provided in three languages: English, Spanish, and Hmong. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 0 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating 4 April 2008 Self-Rating 5 April 2008 New Rating 5 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 7 5.5 Budget Development Process (Policy)—Strategic Process to Analyze All Resources and Allocations Professional Standards The district should have a clear process to analyze resources and allocations to ensure that they are aligned with strategic planning objectives and that the budget reflects the priorities of the district. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has adopted Board Policy 3000, which identifies the board’s and district’s responsibility to establish a budget with spending priorities that reflect the district’s vision and goals. Board Policy 3100(a) identifies the board’s responsibility to adopt a budget that is aligned with the district’s vision, goals and priorities. The district’s multiyear financial recovery plan states that the district’s priority is to improve academic achievement, sustain a balanced budget and return the district to local governance. The priority changed for the 2007-08 fiscal year with the elimination of the learning coaches and the hiring of two learning directors. One of the learning directors is responsible for the elementary school site and the other for the middle school site. There is one principal, who is responsible for both school sites. The directors work closely with the principal to ensure that student needs are identified and resources are used in the most efficient manner based on those identified needs. The budget continues to show funding for a district social worker rather than a counselor. The district’s spending plan document thus supports the changes in personnel to achieve the identified educational priorities. The district has established a process to link its educational priorities to the budget. The next step is to ensure that the budget is clearly presented to the board in a manner that shows the link between the budget and the educational priorities. The budget document should identify prior year goals and objectives and their status. These should then become the basis for the current year budget and spending plan, linking expenditures to the implementation of educational priorities. It is important that updates be provided throughout the year showing the progress in each of the educational priorities. This will identify early in the year if there is a need to redirect the budget to meet the educational priorities. 2. The district has not established a citizens’ fiscal review or budget advisory committee to provide a financial review of the district’s operation. However, the district has adopted Board Policy 3100(a), which establishes that the Superintendent shall appoint a community budget advisory committee. The district should implement the original recommendation to establish a citizens’ fiscal review or budget advisory committee to review the district’s financial operation and management. As mentioned under standard 2.2, the district acknowledges the importance of this function but is unable to attract community members with the necessary expertise. 8 Financial Management 3. The district has adopted board policies requiring that the budget be monitored and aligned with goals and priorities. The district has also informally implemented procedures to monitor restricted and unrestricted expenditures. The district has established a significant number of operating procedures; however, none of the procedures establish a process to review and monitor the relationship between the district’s educational priorities and the budget spending plan. The district has developed an Excel spreadsheet that provides all funding sources available and the expenditures associated with each funding source. However, there is no formal document of the educational goals with the funding plan to measure outcomes. The district has established financial monitoring and reporting procedures, including the timing, persons responsible and specific responsibilities. Written documentation that identifies the process for measuring and reporting the link between the educational goals and the budgeted expenditures will provide the board of trustees with a complete cycle of board goals and outcomes. 4. The state administrator, the district’s chief business official (CBO), the CDE, and county office staff meet periodically as a group. However, no other staff members are included to obtain feedback. The district’s finance and curriculum divisions could be included to provide collaboration regarding goals, planning and changes needed to meet current goals. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating 6 April 2008 New Rating 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 9 5.8 Budget Development Process (Policy)—Projection of the Net Ending Balance Professional Standards The district must have an ability to accurately reflect its net ending balance throughout the budget monitoring process. The first and second interim reports should provide valid updates of the district’s net ending balance. The district should have tools and processes that ensure that there is an early warning of any discrepancies between the budget projections and actual revenues or expenditures. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to monitor revenues and expenditures monthly and to formally review the projected net ending balance at the interim reporting periods. The district also informally monitors the projected year end balance in its monthly reporting to the state administrator using the county office financial system’s reports, which include the net ending balance. 2. The district informally requires that all budget transfers and budget revisions be presented to the state administrator and governing board at least monthly. The district has adopted operating procedures regarding verifying budgets and requesting budget revisions. These procedures require that budget transfers between accounts within the budget be approved by the site administrator or department manager and the assistant superintendent for business services. Budget augmentations must be approved by the superintendent or state administrator. However, the policies and procedures for these approval processes have not yet been formalized in written documents. The district should formalize the policies and procedures to require that all budget transfers be presented to the state Administrator and governing board monthly. Budget transfers may be presented for information; budget revisions should be presented for approval. 3. The district should be commended for the information presented at board meetings and shared in state-level meetings. The district began by including the site administrators to participate and provide feedback on the 2007-08 budget at the beginning of the school year. The district should include site administrators during the budget development process before the budget is approved in June. This will help strengthen capacity building within the organization. The assistant superintendent for business services meets with the principal monthly to discuss the budget. The business office is collaborative in its efforts to meet deadlines and pay employees and vendors. 10 Financial Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating 6 April 2008 New Rating 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 11 6.2 Budget Development Process (Technical)—Budget Calendar Professional Standards An adopted budget calendar exists that meets legal and management requirements. At a minimum the calendar should identify statutory due dates and major budget development activities. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. At the time of this review, the district had not yet begun the budget development cycle for the 2008-09 fiscal year. The district continues to refer to the CDE’s financial reporting calendar and the county office’s general budget calendar, which contain the majority of recommended items, including the following: • Release of the Governor’s budget and analysis of its impact on the district. • Projection of enrollment and ADA. • Dates for budget advisory committee meetings at the county office of education. • Revisions to the preliminary budget for information contained in the Governor’s May budget revisions. • Dates for public hearings 2. The district met the timeline for adoption of the 2007-08 budget. The district has retained qualified staff in the area of school finance and continues to build on the knowledge and experience of those staff members. One staff member is enrolled in the University of Southern California’s CBO certification program and will complete the program by the end of the 2007-08 fiscal year. The district has not created a budget development calendar that identifies specific timelines for the district. In addition, the district anticipates involving more staff outside of the business office in the upcoming 2008-09 budget development process. The district will develop a comprehensive plan that will tie the educational goals to the budgets to ensure that maximum resources are used to meet student needs. Although board policies have been developed, the district has not established written procedures for the budget development process. These procedures would contain information such as dates for worksheet distribution, the projected timeline for completing budget development, and who is responsible for the supporting computations. 3. In the past, the budget has been developed in the business office; there was little interaction with site administrators. The district began involving the principal through monthly meetings with the assistant superintendent for business services, using this as a training process for the new principal. The district plans to include the principal, the learning directors and other business office staff in the budget development 12 Financial Management process for the 2008-09 budget. This will allow for collaboration that includes site administrators in the process. 4. The budget development process for categorical funding and expenditures remains a concern. The district receives a significant amount of categorical funding; accurate budgeting and appropriate expenditure of these funds must be a priority and should emphasize the connection between the educational goals and the resources available. Educational goals should be determined and tied to resources and expenditures, and benchmarks regarding expected results and outcomes should be included in the documentation. The district would like to place more emphasis on this area; however, this may not be feasible in the current year because the 2007-08 fiscal year is a training year to bring new staff up to pace on policies and procedures. In addition, written procedures are continuing to be developed. 5. The district has not established a budget advisory committee to provide input on budget development. 6. The district is preparing for the 2008-09 budget development cycle. The district should ensure that the following items are completed and in place for all future budgets: • Create a budget development calendar that corresponds with actual budget development activities and includes both the county office budget development calendar and the state deadlines for budget adoption. Use the calendar to manage and monitor the budget development process. • Ensure that the calendar identifies specific individuals responsible for various budget-related activities. • Create budget development guidelines that identify the following: • Assumptions to be used. • Sources of information to be used for assumptions not provided. • Worksheets to be used by principals and directors/managers when developing their site or department budgets prior to entering budgets into the financial system budget module. • The goal is to help directors and managers accurately compile and develop their budget information. The district has developed a worksheet that lists all resources currently received and the budget items by object code. The next step will be to include the expected results and the benchmarks used to determine outcomes. In addition, in case the expected results do not occur, include a definitive alternative plan to meet the expected results • Obtain joint training for all staff involved in budget development, including principals, site administrators and business office staff. Topics should include Financial Management 13 issues such as state and federal budget information, program management and compliance, and accounting and coding issues (such as SACS). The goal should be to ensure accurate budgeting of categorical revenues and expenditures as well as appropriate use of the funds. • Establish a budget advisory committee to provide input regarding budget development priorities and to act as a link to the community. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating 6 April 2008 New Rating 5 Implementation Scale: 14 Financial Management 7.3 Budget Adoption, Reporting, and Audits—AB 1200 Quality Assurance Processes Professional Standards The district should have procedures that provide for the development and submission of a district budget and interim reports that adhere to criteria and standards and are approved by the County Office of Education. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district submitted its 2007-08 budget and first interim report on time, meeting the legal requirements. The district has a further requirement for additional review and approval by the CDE before the budget and interim reports are sent to the county office. This is true for all periodic reports submitted to the county office. As of the adopted budget for 2007-08, the district is meeting or exceeding the reserve requirement of 4% or $53,000, whichever is greater. The district is meeting its reserve requirement in the general fund alone to meet the statutory requirement. This does not include the balance in Fund 17, Special Reserve Fund. The district submitted its first interim report in December 2007, meeting the statutory deadline. At the time of field work, the county office had commented positively on the report, indicating that it concurred with the positive certification and other aspects of the report, including the assumptions used for the current and two subsequent years. The district had not begun preparing the 2008-09 fiscal year budget at the time of this review, so this item was not evaluated. In general, the district is meeting the statutory deadlines for submitting the required budget and interim reports to the county office. 2. The assistant superintendent for business services prepares the district’s interim reports. The district has adopted board policies and operating procedures in several areas; however, there are no documented policies and procedures identifying who is responsible for preparing interim reports or the process to be used to develop them. In addition, many of the adopted board policies are not aligned with the district’s practices. Staff members continue to update board policies as they are identified to bring them in line with current practices. 3. The assistant superintendent for business services continues to train other business office and school site staff to increase their knowledge and experience so that they can prepare the reports. The district is working to sustain many of the new practices that have been put in place over the past two years. It remains important for the district to update policies and procedures to reflect current practices. Financial Management 15 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 16 Financial Management 7.9 Budget Adoption, Reporting, and Audits—Audit Administration and Resolution: Audit Resolution Legal Standard The district should include in its audit report, but not later than March 15, a corrective action for all findings disclosed as required by Education Code Section 41020. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district responded to the individual findings included in the 2005-06 audit report. For many of the findings, the district’s response included significant information. The final 2006-07 audit report had not been issued by the state controller’s office at the time of this review; therefore, the district has not been able to produce the required corrective action plan by the statutory deadlines for this standard. When the district receives the final audit report, it should draft a corrective action plan that identifies the specific actions to be taken and/or changes to be made, with a timeline for implementing those items. The district should file this plan with the county office for review. In future years, the district should file any supplemental corrective action plan with the county office and the CDE by the March 15 statutory deadline. The 2005-06 audit report’s summary of prior-year audit findings indicated that 19 of the 35 audit findings from the previous year had been fully corrected. Because numerous items identified in the audit findings were also identified in the assessment and improvement plan, a detailed corrective action plan could also be used to address the items identified in the comprehensive assessment. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 200 8 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 17 18 Financial Management 8.1 Budget Monitoring—Encumbrance of Overexpenditures Professional Standard All purchase orders are properly encumbered against the budget until payment. The district should have a control system in place to ensure that adequate funds are available prior to incurring financial obligations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district continues to track financial transactions using the county office online financial system, which allows users to enter purchase requisitions online. Although the system allows purchase requisitions to be prepared, authorized, and routed online, the district’s purchases are initiated by site-level staff, who do not have access to the online system. Site administrators receive a manual three-part purchase requisition from teaching staff, and school office staff enter information into the system and present the hard copy and appropriate backup to the site administrator for approval. The site administrator signs the hard copy and submits it to the business office. One account technician in the business office reviews the requisition and verifies that the budget has sufficient funds. A purchase order is then produced from the system and forwarded to the state administrator or assistant superintendent for business services for approval and signature. The system allows online budget transfers; however, to maintain oversight, the district still requires site administrators and directors/managers to submit manual budget transfers and revision requests. The requests are reviewed by the assistant superintendent for business services and/or the state administrator. The state administrator must give final approval for any budget augmentation. The district should continue implementing the capabilities of the budget and financial system to increase the accountability of site and department administrators, increase the efficiency and control of financial transactions and improve the accuracy of budget and financial information. To improve efficiency, the district should work with the county office to implement online access for site level staff. 2. The county office financial system’s purchasing module will identify when there are insufficient funds in an account for a purchase requisition or order. The district recently requested that the financial system parameters be set so that no purchase requisition or expenditure can go through the system unless there are funds available. This capability, known as a hard code warning, does not allow for expenditures to be processed without available funds. This function helps improve efficiency and provides maximum internal control over purchases. The hard code warning procedure was implemented in January 2008 and a review of current financial reports from the county financial system shows budgeted line items that have been overspent in several areas. The district should review and adjust the budgets or journal expenditures as appropriate to eliminate the overspent line items. Financial Management 19 3. The district has not implemented a position control system for budgeting and accounting; however, district personnel are currently piloting a new position control system and the district anticipates full implementation in 2008-09. The district has acted on the recommendation to implement position control using the county system. This will allow the district to more easily budget, track, and project positions, salary and benefit costs, and step and column costs. These features can improve the accuracy of the district’s budgets and strengthen the district’s control over personnel costs. Once position control is implemented, it will be important to maintain the position control file. To that end, the district should identify an employee who is responsible for maintaining and updating position control regularly. 4. The district is attempting to review and evaluate an application that will help monitor salaries and benefits in the budgeting module and become part of the budget process. 5. The district has continued with a manual process to call substitutes when they are needed. Notwithstanding the district’s small size, the district should continue to work with the county office to determine the availability, timing and estimated cost of an automated substitute calling system. If automated substitute calling is not available through the county office, the district should investigate third party providers. 6. The district continues to follow informal procedures that require the receiving party to verify the receipt of purchased items and forward a signed and dated copy of the purchase order/receiving report to the business staff. One copy is retained by the ordering party and one copy remains at the district office, where the signed copy of the packing slip is matched to the purchase order. When the invoice is received, the accounts payable clerk pulls the purchase order and signed receiving document and matches them to support payment. This procedure indicates that the district has attempted to improve segregation of duties. No official policy or procedure exists regarding receiving, and there is no assurance that the informal procedure is being followed consistently. The district should establish a formal policy requiring that different staff members prepare purchase orders, perform the receiving function and pay the invoices. The district should consider implementing a formal receiving document and including the procedures in a written document. The district currently requires that employees who receive goods document receipt by verifying the number and condition of the goods received and signing and dating the receiving slip. The district is continuing to update all policies with no determined timeline for completion. 7. The assistant superintendent for business services and/or the state administrator review all payments and verify the supporting documentation. A preliminary list of payments goes to the board for ratification. 20 Financial Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 21 8.2 Budget Monitoring—Monitoring of Department and Site Budgets Professional Standard There should be budget monitoring controls, such as periodic reports, to alert department and site managers of the potential for overexpenditure of budgeted amounts. Revenue and expenditures should be forecast and verified monthly. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district provides site principals, department directors and program managers with online access to their budget information. The district is currently moving toward a site-based budgeting process that will require site administrators to be involved in the budget development process and be responsible throughout the fiscal year for their respective budgets. However, the district is in a transition year with new staff being trained during 2007-08, so full implementation has not occurred. The district expects the responsibility of site administrators to increase in the upcoming budget development process. The district should continue to make site and department managers responsible for helping to develop their budgets and for managing and monitoring their budgets. To achieve this, the budget development process and calendar should include the site and department administrators in the first phase of budget development. Further, these administrators should be evaluated on how well they manage their budgets and achieve congruence with the district’s goals. This would foster fiscal accountability among the managers and increase budget monitoring. 2. The district has established online requisitioning and budget monitoring. For reasons of oversight, the district has decided not to allow site administrators and department and program managers to make online budget transfers. In January 2008 the district implemented a hard code warning for purchases which would cause expenditures to exceed budget. The hard code warning will require the sites and departments to continually monitor their budgets online and to ensure that spending is appropriate. Administrators and managers would then be required to initiate a budget transfer before the expenditure occurred rather than after, providing better control of the budget. Because the district has recently implemented this procedure, it should be monitored closely through frequent review of financial reports. 22 Financial Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 23 8.5 Budget Monitoring—Position Control Professional Standard The district uses an effective position control system, which tracks personnel allocations and expenditures. The position control system effectively establishes checks and balances between personnel decisions and budgeted appropriations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has implemented the county office financial management system, including the personnel module. 2. Although the county has not implemented a fully integrated position control module within the current financial system, the district is currently piloting the position control module in cooperation with the county office and two other districts. The full implementation of this module will provide stronger internal controls for payroll, human resources and budget data in an integrated system that will show the same number of employees and FTEs, the step and column on the salary schedule for those employees, and accurate salary and benefit information. Further, an integrated position control system will provide a stronger foundation for budgeting and financial projections. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 0 July 2005 Rating: 0 April 2007 Rating: 0 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: 24 Financial Management 11.1 Attendance Accounting—Accuracy of Attendance Accounting System Professional Standard An accurate record of enrollment & attendance is maintained/reconciled at the sites monthly. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has adopted board policies and administrative regulations regarding daily attendance procedures and is creating a desk manual for attendance accounting and monthly attendance reconciliation. 2. The district has partially developed written attendance accounting procedures and has documented the roles and responsibilities of site secretaries, teachers, site administrators, the database administrator and other staff members. The district has trained staff and provided written instructions to site staff. Teachers receive new employee orientation when they are hired. The attendance accounting staff member has provided training for new teachers. The district provides an annual review of changes in policies, procedures or legislation for all teachers, including new teachers, at the beginning of each school year. The district is continuing to develop training for teachers and other site-level staff. School office staff continue to be retrained in all attendance procedures, from the beginning of enrollment through auditing controls. The attendance accounting technician continues to work with site staff to increase the accuracy and timeliness of attendance information provided by all teachers. This reduces the number of corrections and last minute amendments to the state attendance reports, as well as revisions made at a later date. The district is developing a formal attendance procedures desk manual that follows adopted board policies and administrative regulations and can be used as a reference and training resource. A timeline for completion has not been determined. 3. The attendance system allows the district to verify the accuracy of information and identify errors or inconsistencies. The attendance accounting technician reviews error reports generated by the system and provides this information to the assistant superintendent. Both of these staff members discuss the monthly error reports and review them together. The assistant superintendent provides direction for following up with site staff to make corrections. The district is working on accountability at the site level. Noted errors and omissions are forwarded to the state administrator, who then reviews the matter with the site principal to ensure follow-up and correction. The district is working to retrain site staff on the attendance software to decrease errors in attendance reporting. 4. The district decentralized daily attendance accounting procedures. Each week, the business office staff reviews the data that is compiled and entered into the system at the sites based on reports generated from the student system. As with any new process, the district is providing the sites with more support than what would be Financial Management 25 expected in the future. The number of errors that need correcting and the timeliness of the information are less than acceptable at this point. The district has statutory responsibilities regarding student absences and follow-up on those absences when they are unexcused. It is vital that the district maintain internal controls in this area to ensure that students are in school as required. When students are not in school, they are not learning. There have been many challenges in decentralizing attendance accounting. Supporting documentation indicates that a large number of errors occur regularly. The state controller’s office is conducting the 2006-07 annual audit and has experienced problems locating supporting documentation to complete the audit for this area. This indicates the need for training and identifying roles and responsibilities under this new format. Attendance provides the basis for the district’s largest funding source. It is imperative that policies and procedures be formalized and communicated regularly. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 26 Financial Management 11.2 Attendance Accounting—Policies and Fiscal Impact of Independent Study, Inter-/Intra-District Agreements Professional Standards Policies and regulations exist for Independent Study, Home Study, inter-/intra-district agreements and districts of choice, and should address fiscal impact. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not adopted written board policies and administrative regulations for independent study procedures that meet the requirements of Education Code Section 51747 and make the district eligible for state apportionment for this program. The district should establish a board policy regarding independent study and home study. 2. The district has inter- and intra-district policies in place. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 4 April 2008 New Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 27 11.7 Attendance Accounting—Systems Training of Site Personnel Professional Standards School site personnel should receive periodic and timely training on the district’s attendance procedures, system procedures and changes in laws and regulations. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not adopted board policies related to employee training, nor has it developed and adopted board policies or a plan regarding new employee and substitute employee orientation and training. The district has policies that recognize the need for staff development, but the policies do not identify the need for the district to provide staff in core areas with annual updates or refresher training related to their job duties. The district should adopt and implement formal board policies regarding employee training and an annual training plan. The training should be mandatory for all applicable personnel and should include training materials. A training schedule should be developed and followed. With regard to attendance accounting, the district should establish a plan to include new hires and returning employees to ensure that accurate, efficient information is received from site staff. This is needed to complete the attendance form for the first and second interim reports and annual reporting. Because the district’s funding is based on these reports, they should be as accurate as possible. The district should establish a board policy and procedures that reflect the decentralized attendance accounting processes recently implemented 2. The district continues to regularly update training materials with the changes in the attendance system. In addition, every teacher and office staff member received a manual for the attendance accounting system, which should help ensure that the system is being used fully. A pamphlet provides information and assistance to substitute teachers. The district has attempted to reinforce the importance of attendance accounting for teachers, substitutes and site administrative staff by identifying attendance accounting as a responsibility in the job duty statements and identifying individual responsibilities for attendance accounting by position. The materials that are being distributed should reflect the current processes. If the materials do not reflect recent changes, the district should make it a priority to update the materials and provide the information to sites in a timely manner. The district has made a conscious effort in the past to retrain substitute teachers, who take manual attendance in the classroom using a hard copy list provided by the school site secretary. At the end of the day, the substitute gives the hard copy to the school site secretary to enter into the system. For middle school substitutes, the school secretary sends a runner to the classroom after each period to collect the hard copy roster. Long term substitutes are issued a temporary password to take attendance on the system. The district should complete retraining of the substitutes regarding these procedures and how they interact with the change to decentralized attendance. 28 Financial Management The district should continue to update its manual and training materials annually to reflect changes in the attendance system and in attendance accounting laws and regulations. At this time, it is imperative that all staff be aware of the changes in responsibilities for those involved in attendance accounting. 3. The attendance accounting technician provides training to site staff before the start of the school year and is a resource throughout the year. The district should continue to have the accounting technician provide this training at the beginning of each school year to refresh teachers and administrative staff in appropriate attendance procedures, how to use the attendance system, and changes in the attendance system, laws, regulations and local procedures. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 29 12.2 Accounting, Purchasing, and Warehousing—Accounting procedures: Timely and Accurate Recording of Transactions Professional Standard The district should timely and accurately record all information regarding financial activity for all programs (unrestricted and restricted). Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) require that in order for financial reporting to serve the needs of the users, it must be reliable and timely. Therefore, the timely and accurate recording of the underlying transactions (revenue and expenditures) is an essential function of the district’s financial management. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The draft audit of the district for fiscal year 2006-07 has not been issued and was unavailable at the time of this review. It is important that the district review the audit findings to ensure that there is a plan to address all issues. Since the 2005-06 fiscal year, the number of findings has continued to decrease by approximately 50% over the prior-year’s findings. The district has made a conscientious effort to correct the lack of segregation of duties among staff members. This is often difficult with a small staff; however, the district has responded to the recommendations and strengthened internal controls through the segregation of duties. 2. The district has adopted board policies covering many areas of financial and business management and has developed operating procedures in several areas. However, the procedures are not yet comprehensive enough to qualify as desk manuals, which are designed to ensure that transactions are properly recorded. 3. The audit report for fiscal year 2005-06, issued in May 2007, included audit adjustments regarding payables. The 2006-07 audit report was not issued at the time of this review. The district is unable to address some of the issues raised by the audit in a timely manner because of the delayed issuance of the audit report. However, the district should not wait for the audit report to address the issue of properly accounting for transactions; this should be done monthly. To achieve more accurate and timely recording and reporting of financial transactions, the district should do the following: • Continue to develop and adopt comprehensive policies and procedures to ensure that employees are aware of the responsibilities and processes. • Develop desk manuals for all business office functions to provide a reference for staff that provides information on accounting cycles, timelines, procedures and required steps. This should improve the accuracy and correct processing of transactions. The district provides staff with training regarding adopted policies and procedures to familiarize them with the district’s requirements. The use of desk manuals will 30 Financial Management continue to increase employees’ technical knowledge and ability. The county office, the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) and other organizations provide training, including specific training on the financial and human resources system. However, training can be provided in-house on topics such as the standardized account code system (SACS), the California School Accounting Manual, categorical programs and program improvement. 4. The district has segregated duties among office staff to provide strong internal controls for recording, reporting and creating a warrant. The district should continue to segregate duties, provide adequate supervision of employees, and provide for the review, verification and authorization of work and transactions to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 31 12.3 Accounting, Purchasing, and Warehousing—Accounting Procedures: Cash Professional Standard The district should forecast its revenue and expenditures and verify those projections on a monthly basis in order to adequately manage its cash. In addition, the district should reconcile its cash to bank statements and reports from the County Treasurer on a monthly basis. Standard accounting practice dictates that, in order to ensure that all cash receipts are deposited timely and recorded properly, cash be reconciled to bank statements on a monthly basis. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district requires the secretary/receptionist to open, date stamp and log all checks and cash received. The district has implemented procedures to have all checks immediately logged and endorsed “for deposit only” to the district’s account. At the end of the month, a copy of the receipt log should be provided to the assistant superintendent for business services. Although few checks or cash amounts are received through the mail, this process should be used to safeguard against loss or misappropriation. The district uses a cash receipt journal and segregates the cash receipts function from the journal function. The county office performs the monthly reconciliation, but the district does not get a copy of the reconciliation. The district’s cash balance always agrees with the county treasurer; items are never shown as in transit. The district should request copies of the reconciliations from the county office. 2. The district currently relies on reports from the financial system to estimate available cash based on the deposits and warrants at a given point in time. The district should adopt policies and procedures that require the assistant superintendent for business services or a designee to perform a cash/bank reconciliation monthly using the cash receipts log, cash receipts journal, general ledger cash account, deposit slips, remittance advices and bank statements. The district currently completes this reconciliation for student body and revolving funds monthly. However, the cash in the county treasury is reconciled by the county office. It is the district’s responsibility to request copies of the cash reconciliation from the county office. The district needs to practice due diligence to avoid surprises regarding its cash status. 3. The district is not completing a monthly cash flow spreadsheet. This should be completed monthly. 4. The district has separated the cash receipt functions. The receptionist opens mail and logs receipts, one of the account technicians records the cash, another account technician prepares the deposit, and a third account technician makes the deposit. The business manager reconciles the cash/bank accounts at the end of the month. 32 Financial Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 4 April 2008 New Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 33 12.4 Accounting, Purchasing, and Warehousing—Accounting Procedures: Payroll Professional Standard The district’s payroll procedures should be in compliance with the requirements established by the County Office of Education. Standard accounting practice dictates that the district implement procedures to ensure the timely and accurate processing of payroll. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district’s account technician manually tracks absences and enters them into the financial system so that payroll checks include the current balances. The district has not implemented the county office system for tracking leave balances. The district should review the tracking capabilities of the county office system. The district could further improve controls by ensuring that employees sign for their paychecks when picking them up and maintaining the signature sheet with the monthly payroll documentation. 2. The district has established board policies covering all aspects of employee leave from the perspective of the requesting employee, but the policies do not address the responsibilities of personnel office staff. The district has also established standard operating procedures 2010 and 2020, which are being revised to include an outline of employee responsibilities for requesting and reporting all types of leave and to identify the forms that must be processed. In addition, the procedures require personnel office staff to perform a monthly audit to ensure the accuracy of submitted information. The district should establish formal written policies regarding the responsibilities of personnel office staff and the procedures for reconciling absence requests and the absence log. Substitute time sheets should be expanded to include additional detail and clarification. 3. The district has abandoned its previous attempt to evaluate the costs and benefits of an automated substitute calling system that interfaces with the payroll/human resources system. The district inquired whether the county office had an automated substitute calling system that would integrate with the personnel module, but it does not. Although this may not be the time to purchase a substitute calling system, the district should inquire regarding a third party substitute calling system that could interface with the county office system. This capability would further strengthen internal controls in this area. If a third-party system is available and cost effective, it could help increase efficiency and reduce errors. A properly interfaced system could automate substitute pay, update permanent employee leave balances and dock pay as needed. In addition, the district would be able to reconcile substitute time and pay with the central office system to ensure that only authorized transactions are processed. The district would also be able to reconcile the employee’s leave time with the substitute pay event. 34 Financial Management Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 35 12.8 Accounting, Purchasing, and Warehousing—Accounting Procedures: Purchasing and Warehousing Professional Standard The district should comply with the bidding requirements of Public Contract Code Section 20111. Standard accounting practice dictates that the district have adequate purchasing and warehousing procedures to ensure that only properly authorized purchases are made, that authorized purchases are made consistent with district policies and management direction, that inventories are safeguarded, and that purchases and inventories are timely and accurately recorded. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has in place formal policies that identify and require compliance with Public Contract Code provisions. The district established the following Board policies related to purchasing: • Board Policy 3311 requires the superintendent or a designee to establish effective purchasing procedures to obtain the best value and comply with all applicable laws. It also requires that all purchases be made by contract or purchase order and supported by a receipt. • Board Policy 3311(a) requires purchases of equipment, supplies and services when required by law and in accordance with statutory bidding requirements and procedures. In addition, the policy establishes that the board may require competitive bids even if not required by law, and authorizes the use of piggyback bids and prequalification. • Administrative Regulation (AR) 3311(a) through (f) requires the district to competitively bid all contracts for public works projects of $15,000 or more and all nonpublic works contracts exceeding the bid threshold established annually by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) pursuant to Public Contract Code section 20111. In general, AR 3311 requires compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. • Board policies 3212(a) through 3212.2(b) require that all contracts be approved by the board. The policies also define the various types of circumstances giving rise to contracts and how each should be handled. In addition, the district has established procedures related to bidding, purchasing and vendor ethics; instructions to bidders; bid thresholds; purchases with bids; and purchases over the bid threshold. The district has also segregated responsibilities. Site administrators and department managers initiate and approve purchase requisitions; one designated account technician converts the requisition to a purchase order; and all purchase orders must 36 Financial Management be reviewed and approved by the assistant superintendent for business services and/or the state administrator. Goods are brought to the district office and then delivered to the site by a designated custodial staff member. The appropriate site staff member verifies the quantity and quality and signs the packing slip. The delivering custodial staff member returns the packing/receiving slip to the business office, where it is filed with the purchase order. When the invoice is received by the account technician responsible for accounts payable (a different technician from the one that establishes the purchase order), the technician matches it to the purchase order and receiving document and prepares payment. Payment is reviewed and approved by the assistant superintendent for business services and/or the state administrator. The district should develop formal desk manuals and train all affected employees in the implementation and use of the procedures and desk manuals. Each employee in the business office is establishing a desk manual for his or her respective area but the district currently does not have a time certain for completion of the desk manuals. 2. The district does not have a warehouse or secure area to receive and store goods, and still does not use a formal receiving document. However, it appears that the packing slips used as receiving documents more consistently identify the receiving date, verification of quantity/condition/quality, and the signature or initials of the person receiving the goods at the district office or site. If a packing list is not available, a copy of the invoice is used as a packing slip. To prevent loss or misappropriation, the district should attempt to establish a secure area or room where goods can be delivered and received. The district should also continue to consider using a formal receiving process and document to create a record of the receipt of the goods, the person receiving, date, quantity, condition, and delivery or pick-up by the staff member who originally placed the purchase order. 3. As of January 2008, the district has implemented a hard code reject of purchase requisitions when sufficient funds are not available in the identified account. Thus a purchase order cannot be created and sent without sufficient funds in the account. 4. The district does not appear to have board policies related to fixed assets. The district has recently completed a fixed asset inventory for the 2006-07 fiscal year and is maintaining and updating the inventory of fixed assets. The district maintains and updates fixed assets on the county office financial system, which has a depreciation function. The district has a board policy and some procedures in this area, including operating procedures related to preparing the fixed asset acquisition and fixed asset disposal worksheets. The district has completed the tagging and inventory of all fixed assets through June 30, 2007. However, there are no formal policies or procedures for performing an annual physical inventory. Financial Management 37 The district needs to establish comprehensive policies and procedures to address all aspects of asset management, including maintaining comprehensive asset records that are updated when items are purchased or retired and performing an annual physical inventory. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 38 Financial Management 12.9 Accounting, Purchasing, and Warehousing—Accounting Procedures: Construction-Related Activities and Expenditures Professional Standard The district has documented procedures for the receipt, expenditure, and monitoring of all construction-related activities. Included in the procedures are specific requirements for the approval and payment of all construction-related expenditures. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not updated policies to reflect the latest changes to the education code that relate to the state building program. The district has adopted board policies 7000 through 7310 for facilities, which include items related to various financing mechanisms; however, the policies do not address the state facilities programs. 2. The district has not developed regulations and procedures to be followed by all staff and consultants regarding construction-related activities and expenditures. The district should establish a set of guidelines to be followed for proper accounting of all construction-related activities. The district should also provide training for all business and facilities staff who will be involved in any facilities project. 3. The district has not prepared a procedural guide for fiscal monitoring and accounting for construction projects and construction-related activities. The district should establish a set of basic guidelines to be followed for proper accounting of all construction-related activities. Once the guidelines are developed, in-service training should be provided to all district staff responsible for any aspect of construction- related activities. The procedures should also be provided to consultants and contractors so that they have a full understanding of what is required of them when they submit documentation to the district. 4. The district currently maintains a separate spreadsheet database by project, but uses it only for closing out projects and accounts. Financial Management 39 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 40 Financial Management 12.10 Accounting, Purchasing, and Warehousing—System Controls to Prevent and Detect Errors and Irregularities Professional Standard The accounting system should have an appropriate level of controls to prevent and detect errors and irregularities. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not completed the development of comprehensive policies and procedures for each transaction cycle and activity performed by the business office. Fully developed policies and procedures would provide resources and training material for staff to ensure the timely and accurate processing of financial information. The district has adopted board policies covering many areas of business operations, and it has implemented some operating procedures. However, the procedures implemented to date do not comprehensively address all facets of the duties and processes associated with various transaction cycles. The district should continue its efforts to develop comprehensive policies and procedures for all major transaction cycles and activities performed by the business office. The district should work with the county office, the CDE, its auditors, and, if necessary, outside consultants in developing these procedures to ensure that they are sufficiently comprehensive and include essential internal controls. 2. District staff have received training; however, a training plan has not been established to ensure that all business office staff have sufficient technical knowledge to perform their job functions effectively and efficiently. Training should cover new district policies and procedures as they are developed. The training has been maintained and will continue so that the district can maintain staff capacity in the future. The district is supportive of staff training and development, and some staff members have attended a few training classes; however, no comprehensive effort has been made to implement formal training requirements or a systematic training plan. The district is assessing staff technical skills and knowledge and developing a comprehensive training plan that provides extensive and ongoing training for business office staff. Training needs are being coordinated with individual job descriptions and duties, which have been updated. Based on these job functions, the district should establish required training, recommended training, and optional training. Training should be structured to accomplish the following: • Ensure and sustain minimum competency. • Promote the acquisition of higher levels of technical knowledge and proficiency. • Prepare employees for career advancement. Financial Management 41 The district should continue to work with the county office regarding the use of the financial system to ensure that the district is using it to the fullest extent practicable to increase efficiency and improve internal control. Of particular importance is position control, which will help the district manage FTEs and funding sources, as well as facilitate the budget development process. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating: 5 April 2008New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 42 Financial Management 14.2 Multiyear Financial Projections—Projection of Revenues, Expenditures and Fund Balances Legal Standard The district annually provides a multiyear revenue and expenditure projection for all funds of the district. Projected fund balance reserves should be disclosed. The assumptions for revenues and expenditures should be reasonable and supportable. [EC 42131] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district prepares multiyear projections only as required for interim reporting, using the Budget Explorer (BE) application. The projections have the ability to go beyond the current and two subsequent fiscal years, and the district uses this capability in BE. The district is currently providing additional information regarding changes in budget assumptions and changes at the periodic reporting periods. The district prepares multiyear financial projections (MYFPs) only for the general fund. However, the district has also provided its multiyear recovery plan, which covers more than two subsequent years and includes other funds and some information regarding the underlying assumptions and rationale. The district should also include MYFPs for other funds because these funds could be affected if shortages occur. The district should continue to make at least the required two year financial projection for the periodic reporting period. The district provided more than the required number of subsequent years in the first interim report, which provides comprehensive information about the long term sustainability of current financial decisions. These projections can be used in planning the operations and required budget allocations for various district programs. The projections should also be used to identify potential fiscal issues and to craft appropriate responses to long term planning. The district is providing more detail in the reports, but may want to include additional detail providing data in an easy to understand table that includes past, present and future projections. This will allow a longitudinal view of progress. When developing its budget and making financial projections, the district should perform a more detailed analysis of revenues and expenditures by program and resource and object and sub-object. As more information about program (resource) revenues and expenditures becomes available, the budget and multiyear projections should be revised, and changes in assumptions should be identified and explained. This is particularly important as the district begins to incorporate documentation regarding the educational goals and the resources applied to those goals. The expanded data will present a picture that communicates the board’s goals and the results based on the resources applied to those goals. In addition, the district should comprehensively document assumptions and rationale so that the underlying premises are clear. The documentation should include assumptions and rationale for both revenues and expenditures and identify information such as the following: Financial Management 43 • Enrollment growth or decline • The average daily attendance (ADA) to enrollment ratio • Projected ADA • Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for revenue limit and state and federal categorical funding • Deficit factors for revenue limit and state categorical COLAs • Changes in categorical program participation, changes in local revenues (interest, lease/rental income, donations) • Projection of step and column costs • Salary adjustments • Basic staffing ratios • Changes in staffing • Number of retirements • Cost factors related to the various expenditure objects. As the district works to align resources with educational goals, there will be a need for more information. The district should also maintain worksheets and other supporting documents used to develop the multiyear projections. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Self-Rating 7 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 44 Financial Management 15.3 Long-Term Debt Obligations—Debt Service Cash Flow Projections and Plans Professional Standards 1. For long-term liabilities/debt service, the district should prepare debt service schedules and identify the dedicated funding sources to make those debt service payments. 2. The district should project cash receipts from the dedicated revenue sources to ensure that it will have sufficient funds to make periodic debt payments. 3. The cash flow projections should be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that any variances from projected cash flows are identified as early as possible, in order to allow the district sufficient time to take appropriate measures or identify alternative funding sources. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has long term debt schedules for each of its debt obligations. However, it would be beneficial to incorporate all of the long term debt schedules into a summarized schedule to use in the multiyear projections. In addition, the schedules did not provide information regarding funding sources and anticipated cash flows. The district should continue to prepare and update the long term debt schedule and identify the funding source for each long term item. This information should be provided to the state administrator and funds should be budgeted accordingly. 2. The district did not prepare cash flow statements related to the long-term debt that would identify the source of funds and be updated monthly. The district should prepare monthly cash flow statements for long-term debt that identify receipts, disbursements, and the source of the funds. The district has access to cash flow statements from the FCOE financial system beginning in the 2007-08 fiscal year. However, the district has noted there is a need to develop a local cash flow statement to meet its needs. 3. The district does not review cash flow monthly. The district receives copies of the reconciliations completed at the county office and should review them monthly. In addition, the local cash flow statement should reflect the most recent bank reconciliation from the county office and what has been posted in the financial system. The district should also be aware of the cash situation in the general fund and other funds so that it can make good management decisions. Financial Management 45 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 0 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 2 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 46 Financial Management 16.2 Impact of Collective Bargaining Agreements—Measurement and Evaluation of Bargaining Agreement Implementation Costs and Assurance of Notice to the Public Professional Standard The State Administrator/Governing Board must ensure that any guideline the district develops for collective bargaining is fiscally aligned with the instructional and fiscal goals on a multiyear basis. The State Administrator/Governing Board must ensure that the district has a formal process where collective bargaining multiyear costs are identified and those expenditure changes are identified and implemented as necessary prior to any imposition of new collective bargaining obligations. The State Administrator/Governing Board must ensure that there is a validation of the costs and the projected district revenues and expenditures on a multiyear basis so that the fiscal resources are not strained further due to bargaining settlements. The public should be informed about budget reductions that will be required for a bargaining agreement prior to any contract acceptance by the Governing Board. The public should be given advance notice of the provisions of the final proposed bargaining settlement and be given an opportunity to comment. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district does not have established policies and procedures regarding negotiations or the district’s representation in negotiations. In addition, there are no policies or procedures that require potential bargaining positions be identified prior to the start of negotiations. However, the district is required to provide all settlement items to the budget/accounting office for analysis, including identification of current and ongoing costs and the effect on the district’s financial position. Under AB 2756, the details of any tentative settlement agreement must be reviewed and submitted to the county office for approval to ensure that the agreement is fiscally sound. The district is required to meet its financial obligations for the current and two subsequent years under any tentative agreement. The district should establish policies and procedures that comprehensively address negotiations, including the responsibilities and participation of staff and the need to ensure the financial feasibility of proposed bargaining positions and settlements. 2. The state administrator and the assistant superintendent for business services are involved in the negotiation process to ensure that fiscal issues are clearly delineated for the negotiator or state administrator. In addition, the state administrator and the assistant superintendent for business services communicate with the CDE regarding the fiscal impact of any settlement prior to submission to the county office. 3. The assistant superintendent for business services analyzes any proposed settlements to ensure that the district can fund the obligations for the current year and on an ongoing basis. However, there is no formal policy or procedure requiring this review and analysis. This item should be addressed in the policies and procedures recommended in item 1 above. Financial Management 47 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 48 Financial Management 18.8 Maintenance and Operations Fiscal Controls—Fixed Asset Inventory Professional Standard Capital equipment and furniture should be tagged as district-owned property and inventoried at least annually. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has completed a fixed asset inventory, including all district assets as of June 30, 2007. In addition, the district should establish formal procedures related to inventory, including procedures for the purchase and disposal of equipment. 2. The district anticipates that it will be able to meet the GASB 34 guidelines in the financial statements for 2007-08. 3. The district still needs to adopt policies that require an annual physical inventory and procedures regarding the annual inventory’s timing and processes. There are no board policies related to fixed asset inventory and capitalization procedures. The inventory policy that addresses Education Code section 35168 should be updated to include the additional requirements and periodic inventory procedures. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Self-Rating: 7 April 2008 New Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 49 20.1 Charter Schools—Financial Management and Oversight Professional Standard In the process of reviewing and approving charter schools, the district should identify/establish minimal financial management and reporting standards that the charter school will follow. These standards/procedures will provide some level of assurance that finances will be managed appropriately, and allow the district to monitor the charter. The district should monitor the financial management and performance of the charter schools on an ongoing basis, in order to ensure that the resources are appropriately managed. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has adopted policies regarding the review, approval and oversight of its charter schools. The board policies and administrative regulations include the following fiscal provisions: • Board Policy 420.4(a)—General: Requires the Board to ensure that the charter contains adequate processes and measures for holding the charter school accountable for fulfilling the charter terms, including fiscal accountability. • Administrative Regulation 420.4—Petition: Requires petitions to include the following: • Identification of how annual independent financial audits shall be conducted and how deficiencies will be corrected. • Financial statement that includes the proposed first year operational budget, startup costs, cash flow and a three year financial projection. • Administrative Regulation 420.4—Revocation: Allows a charter to be revoked if the school fails to follow generally accepted accounting principles or engages in fiscal mismanagement. • Administrative Regulation 420.4—Operating Requirements: Requires charter schools to prepare and submit financial reports to the district or board annually, consistent with the reporting cycle for California school districts. This reporting includes the preparation and submission of a budget, first and second interim reports, unaudited actuals and an annual financial audit. The district continues to make efforts to obtain financial information from the charter school. The district reviews each of the required reports received at the periodic reporting periods, then issues a letter with comments and questions regarding the financial information submitted by the charter. The district should implement board policies regarding the review, approval and oversight of its charter schools. 2. The district is currently revising its charter agreements. It is imperative that a clause be included that requires the charter schools to regularly submit reports to the district office for monitoring by the district. The reports should include a cash flow statement, 50 Financial Management an income statement (i.e., operating statement) and the annual audit report. These reports should be submitted to the district on time either monthly or quarterly. The district should revise its charter agreements in the form of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that clearly requires financial information to be submitted by the charters so that the district can fulfill its oversight obligations. 3. The district has established policies and procedures regarding oversight of the charter school. Until 2007-08, the district was providing minimal level of oversight of its charter school. However, in 2007-08, the district has strengthened its oversight through the review of financial information provided by the charter school. The district has also assigned staff to carry out oversight duties. The MOU is currently under review by the CDE. 4. The charter school recently took an item to the charter school board that related to a material revision to the charter petition. The charter provided a copy of the resolution to the district as the oversight agency but the district had not taken action on the material revision at the time of the team’s visit. The material revision relates to state teachers retirement system (STRS) coverage for eligible certificated charter school staff members. Prior to 2007-08, certificated staff at the charter school were not covered under STRS. The charter school is required to submit any material revision to the district board as an action item. The district board must take action regarding the material revision of the charter petition by the charter school, and expects to do so at its April 2008 board meeting. This particular item increases the costs of the charter school and thus should be reviewed carefully by the district to ensure the charter school’s fiscal solvency. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 0 July 2004 Rating: 0 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 2 April 2008 Self-Rating: 6 April 2008 New Rating: 4 Implementation Scale: Financial Management 51 Table of Financial Management Standards Progress Ratings Toward Implementation of the Improvement Plan Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Integrity and ethical behavior are the product of the dis- trict’s ethical and behavioral standards, how they are com- municated, and how they are reinforced in practice. All 1.1 management-level personnel 2 should exhibit high integrity and ethical values in carrying out their responsibilities and directing the work of others. [State Audit Standard [SAS] 55, SAS-78) The district should have an audit committee to: (1) help prevent internal controls from being overridden by manage- ment; (2) help ensure ongoing state and federal compliance; 1.2 0 (3) provide assurance to man- agement that the internal control system is sound; and, (4) help identify and correct inefficient processes. (SAS-55, SAS-78) The attitude of the Governing Board and key administrators has a significant effect on an organization’s internal control. An appropriate attitude should 1.3 2 balance the programmatic and staff needs with fiscal realities in a manner that is neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic. (SAS-55, SAS-78) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 55 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The organizational structure should clearly identify key areas of authority and respon- 1.4 sibility. Reporting lines should 0 be clearly identified and logi- cal within each area. (SAS-55, SAS-78) Management should have the ability to evaluate job require- 1.5 ments and match employees to 2 the requirements of the posi- tion. (SAS-55, SAS-78) The district should have pro- cedures for recruiting capable 1.6 financial management and staff 0 and hiring competent people. (SAS-55, SAS-78) The responsibility for reliable financial reporting resides first and foremost at the district level. Top management sets the 1.7 tone and establishes the envi- 0 ronment. Therefore, appropriate measures must be implemented to discourage and detect fraud. (SAS 82; Treadway Commission) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 56 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The business and operational departments should commu- nicate regularly with internal staff and all user departments on their responsibilities for accounting procedures and internal controls. The com- munications should be written whenever possible, particularly when it (1) affects many staff or user groups, (2) is an is- 2.1 sue of high importance, or 0 (3) when the communication reflects a change in procedures. Procedures manuals are neces- sary to the communication of responsibilities. The depart- ments also should be respon- sive to user department needs, thus encouraging a free ex- change of information between the two (excluding items of a confidential nature). The financial departments should communicate regular- ly with the Governing Board and community on the status of district finances and the financial impact of proposed expenditure decisions. The 2.2 0 2 2 3 5 6 communications should be written whenever possible, particularly when it affects many community members, is an issue of high importance to the district and board, or reflects a change in policies. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 57 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The Governing Board, finance committees, staff and com- munity should have presented to them documents that can be easily understood. Those who 2.3 0 receive documents developed by the fiscal division should not have to wade through complex, lengthy computer printouts. The Governing Board should be engaged in understanding globally the fiscal status of the district, both current and as 2.4 0 projected. The Governing Board should prioritize district fiscal issues among the top discus- sion items. The district should have for- mal policies and procedures that provide a mechanism for individuals to report illegal 2.5 0 0 0 3 4 5 acts, establish to whom il- legal acts should be reported, and provide a formal investi- gative process. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 58 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Develop and use a profes- sional development plan, e.g., training business staff. The development of the plan should include the input of the busi- ness manager and staff. The staff development plan should, 3.1 0 at a minimum, identify appro- priate programs office-wide. At best, each individual staff and management employee should have a plan designed to meet their individual professional development needs. Develop and use a professional development plan for the in- service training of school site/ department staff by business staff on relevant business pro- 3.2 cedures and internal controls. 0 The development of the plan should include the input of the business office and the school sites/departments and be up- dated annually. The California Association of School Business Officials has initiated a certification pro- gram to provide a vehicle for identification of competence in the field of school business 3.3 management. This program is 0 currently voluntary. It is rec- ognized as an indicator of the background and experience that validates the abilities of current and potential school business managers. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 59 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The Governing Board should adopt policies establishing an internal audit function that 4.1 0 reports directly to the State Administrator and the audit committee or Governing Board. Internal audit functions should be designed into the organiza- tional structure of the district. These functions should include 4.2 periodic internal audits of areas 0 at high risk for non-compliance with laws and regulations and/ or at high risk for monetary loss. Qualified staff should be as- signed to conduct internal 4.3 audits and be supervised by an 0 independent body, such as an audit committee. Internal audit findings should be reported on a timely basis to the audit committee, Gov- erning Board and administra- 4.4 0 tion, as appropriate. Manage- ment should then take timely action to follow up and resolve audit findings. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 60 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The budget development pro- cess requires a policy-oriented focus by the Governing Board to develop an expenditure plan that fulfills the district’s goals and objectives. The Governing Board should focus on expen- diture standards and formulas 5.1 0 that meet the district goals. The Governing Board should avoid specific line-item fo- cus, but should direct staff to design an overall expenditure plan focusing on student and district needs consistent with the goals and objectives. The budget development pro- cess should include input from 5.2 0 staff, administrators, the board and community. Policies and regulations exist 5.3 regarding budget development 0 and monitoring. The district should have Gov- erning Board policies on the budget process. The district should have formulas for al- locating funds to school sites 5.4 and departments. This can 0 include staffing ratios, supply allocations, etc. These formu- las should be in line with the board's goals and direction, and should not be overridden. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 61 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district should have a clear process to analyze resources and allocations to ensure that they are aligned 5.5 2 3 4 4 5 6 with strategic planning ob- jectives and that the budget reflects the priorities of the district. The district should have a Governing Board budget devel- 5.6 opment process (policy) as it 2 relates to the development of expenditure policies. Categorical funds are an inte- gral part of the budget process and should be integrated into the entire budget development. The revenues and expenditures for categorical programs must be reviewed and evaluated in the same manner as unre- stricted general fund revenues and expenditures. Categorical program development should be integrated with the district's goals and should be used to 5.7 3 respond to district student needs that cannot be met by unrestricted expenditures. The State Administrator and busi- ness office should establish procedures to ensure that cat- egorical funds are expended ef- fectively to meet district goals. Carryover and unearned income of categorical programs should be monitored and evaluated in the same manner as general fund unrestricted expenditures. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 62 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district must have the ability to accurately re- flect its net ending balance throughout the budget moni- toring process. The first and second interim reports should provide valid updates of the 5.8 district's net ending balance. 2 3 4 4 5 6 The district should have tools and processes that ensure that there is an early warning of any discrepancies between the budget projections and actual revenues or expendi- tures. The budget office should have a technical process to build the preliminary budget that includes: the forecast of rev- enues, the verification and projection of expenditures, the identification of known carryovers and accruals, and 6.1 the inclusion of concluded 0 expenditure plans. The process should clearly identify one- time sources and uses of funds. Reasonable ADA and COLA estimates should be used when planning and budgeting. This process should be applied to all funds. An adopted budget calendar exists that meets legal and management requirements. 6.2 At a minimum the calendar 0 1 1 2 4 5 should identify statutory due dates and major budget development activities. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 63 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Standardized budget work- sheets should be used in order 6.3 to communicate budget re- 0 quests, budget allocations, for- mulas applied, and guidelines. The district should adopt its annual budget within the statutory time lines established by Education Code Section 42103, which requires that on or before July 1, the Govern- ing Board shall hold a public hearing on the budget to be 7.1 1 adopted for the subsequent fiscal year. Not later than five days after that adoption or by July 1, whichever occurs first, the Governing Board shall file that budget with the county Superintendent of Schools. [EC 42127(a)] Revisions to expenditures based on the state budget should be considered and ad- opted by the Governing Board. Not later than 45 days after the Governor signs the annual Budget Act, the district shall 7.2 0 make available for public re- view any revisions in revenues and expenditures that it has made to its budget to reflect funding available by that Budget Act. [EC 42127(2) and 42127(i)(4)] The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 64 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district should have procedures that provide for the development and submis- sion of a district budget and 7.3 2 2 2 3 5 6 interim reports that adhere to criteria and standards and are approved by the County Office of Education. The district should complete and file its interim budget reports within the statutory 7.4 2 deadlines established by Educa- tion Code Section 42130, et. seq. The district must comply with Governmental Accounting Stan- dard No. 34 (GASB 34) for the period ending June 30, 2003. GASB 34 requires the district 7.5 to develop policies and proce- 0 dures and report in the annual financial reports on the modi- fied accrual basis of accounting and the accrual basis of ac- counting. The first and second interim re- ports should show an accurate projection of the ending fund 7.6 balance. Material differences 4 should be presented to the Governing Board with detailed explanations. The district should arrange for an annual audit (single audit) 7.7 within the deadlines estab- 5 lished by Education Code Sec- tion 41020. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 65 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Standard management practice 7.8 dictates the use of an Audit 0 Committee. The district should include in its audit report, but not later than March 15, a corrective 7.9 0 0 2 3 5 6 action for all findings dis- closed as required by Educa- tion Code Section 41020. The district must file certain documents/reports with the state as follows: • J-200 series (Education Code Section 42100) 7.10 0 • J-380 series - CDE proce- dures • Attendance reports (Edu- cation Code 41601 and CDE procedures) Education Code Section 41020(c)(d)(e)(g) establishes procedures for local agency au- dit obligations and standards. Pursuant to Education Code Section 41020(h), the district should submit to the county 7.11 Superintendent of Schools, in 0 the county that the district resides, State Department of Education, and the State Con- troller's Office an audit report for the preceding fiscal year. This report must be submitted "no later than December 15." The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 66 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating All purchase orders are prop- erly encumbered against the budget until payment. The district should have a con- 8.1 1 3 4 5 5 6 trol system in place to en- sure that adequate funds are available prior to incurring financial obligations. There should be budget monitoring controls, such as periodic reports, to alert department and site man- 8.2 agers of the potential for 0 2 3 3 4 6 overexpenditure of budgeted amounts. Revenue and ex- penditures should be forecast and verified monthly. The routine restricted main- tenance account should be analyzed routinely to ensure that income has been properly claimed and that expendi- tures are within the guidelines 8.3 0 provided by the State Depart- ment of Education. The district budget should include specific budget information to reflect the expenditures against the routine maintenance account. Budget revisions are made on a regular basis, occur per estab- 8.4 3 lished procedures, and are ap- proved by the Governing Board. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 67 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district uses an effec- tive position control system, which tracks personnel al- locations and expenditures. 8.5 The position control system 0 0 0 0 0 4 effectively establishes checks and balances between per- sonnel decisions and bud- geted appropriations. The district should monitor both the revenue limit calcula- tion and the special education calculation at least quarterly 8.6 to adjust for any differences 0 between the financial assump- tions used in the initial calcu- lations and the final actuals as they are known. The district should be monitor- 8.7 ing the site reports of revenues 0 and expenditures provided. The district budget should be a clear manifestation of district policies and should be present- 9.1 1 ed in a manner that facilitates communication of those poli- cies. Clearly identify one-time source 9.2 1 and use of funds. The Governing Board must review and approve, at a public 10.1 meeting and on a quarterly 0 basis, the district’s investment policy. [GC 53646] An accurate record of daily enrollment and attendance is 11.1 2 3 3 4 5 5 maintained at the sites and reconciled monthly. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 68 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Policies and regulations exist for independent study, home study, inter/intradistrict 11.2 2 2 2 4 4 4 agreements and districts of choice, and should address fiscal impact. Students should be enrolled by staff and entered into the 11.3 attendance system in an ef- 4 ficient, accurate and timely manner. At least annually, the school district should verify that each school bell schedule meets 11.4 9 instructional time requirements for minimum day, year and an- nual minute requirements. Procedures should be in place to ensure that attendance ac- counting and reporting require- 11.5 3 ments are met for alternative programs such as ROC/P and adult education. The district should have standardized and mandatory programs to improve the at- 11.6 3 tendance rate of pupils. Ab- sences should be aggressively reviewed by district staff. School site personnel should receive periodic and timely training on the district’s at- 11.7 0 2 2 4 5 5 tendance procedures, system procedures and changes in laws and regulations. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 69 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Attendance records shall not be destroyed until after the third 11.8 July 1 succeeding the comple- 3 tion of the audit. (Title V, CCR, Section 16026) The district should make appro- priate use of short-term inde- pendent study and Saturday 11.9 4 school programs as alternative methods for pupils to keep cur- rent on classroom course work. The district should adhere to the California School Account- ing Manual (CSAM) and Gener- ally Accepted Accounting Prin- ciples (GAAP) as required by 12.1 Education Code Section 41010. 0 Furthermore, adherence to CSAM and GAAP helps to ensure that transactions are accurately recorded and financial state- ments are fairly presented. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 70 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district should timely and accurately record all information regarding finan- cial activity (unrestricted and restricted) for all programs. Generally Accepted Account- ing Principles (GAAP) require that in order for financial re- 12.2 porting to serve the needs of 1 1 2 3 5 6 the users, it must be reliable and timely. Therefore, the timely and accurate recording of the underlying transac- tions (revenue and expendi- tures) is an essential func- tion of the district’s financial management. The district should forecast its revenue and expenditures and verify those projections on a monthly basis in order to adequately manage its cash. In addition, the district should reconcile its cash to bank statements and reports 12.3 from the county treasurer on 0 1 1 3 4 4 a monthly basis. Standard accounting practice dictates that, in order to ensure that all cash receipts are depos- ited timely and recorded properly, cash be reconciled to bank statements on a monthly basis. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 71 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district’s payroll proce- dures should be in compli- ance with the requirements established by the County Office of Education. Standard 12.4 2 3 3 4 4 5 accounting practice dictates that the district implement procedures to ensure the timely and accurate process- ing of payroll. Standard accounting practice dictates that the accounting work should be properly super- vised and the work reviewed in 12.5 order to ensure that transac- 0 tions are recorded timely and accurately and to allow the preparation of periodic finan- cial statements. Federal and state categori- cal programs, either through specific program requirements or through general cost prin- ciples such as OMB Circular 12.6 1 A-87, require that entities receiving such funds must have an adequate system to account for those revenues and related expenditures. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 72 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Generally accepted accounting practices dictate that, in order to ensure accurate recording of transactions, the district should have standard proce- dures for closing its books at 12.7 0 fiscal year-end. The district’s year-end closing procedures should comply with the proce- dures and requirements estab- lished by the County Office of Education. The district should comply with the bidding require- ments of Public Contract Code Section 20111. Stan- dard accounting practice dictates that the district have adequate purchasing and warehousing procedures to ensure that only properly au- 12.8 1 1 1 3 5 6 thorized purchases are made, that authorized purchases are made consistent with district policies and management direction, that inventories are safeguarded, and that purchases and inventories are timely and accurately recorded. The district has documented procedures for the receipt, expenditure and monitoring of all construction-related 12.9 activities. Included in the 3 3 3 4 4 5 procedures are specific re- quirements for the approval and payment of all construc- tion-related expenditures. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 73 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The accounting system should have an appropriate level of 12.10 0 2 3 4 5 5 controls to prevent and de- tect errors and irregularities. The district must convert to the new Standardized Account Code Structure. SACS will bring the district into compliance 12.11 0 with federal guidelines, which will ensure no loss of federal funds (e.g., Title I, federal class size reduction). The Governing Board adopts policies and procedures to en- sure compliance regarding how 13.1 student body organizations 0 deposit, invest, spend, raise and audit student body funds. [EC 48930-48938] Proper supervision of all stu- dent body funds shall be pro- vided by the board. [EC 48937] This supervision includes establishing responsibilities for managing and oversee- 13.2 4 ing the activities and funds of student organizations, includ- ing providing procedures for the proper handling, recording and reporting of revenues and expenditures. It is the district's responsibility to provide training and guid- ance to site personnel on the 13.3 0 policies and procedures gov- erning the associated student body account. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 74 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating In order to provide for over- sight and control, the Califor- nia Department of Education 13.4 recommends that periodic 0 financial reports be prepared by sites, and then summarized by the district office. In order to provide adequate oversight of student funds and to ensure proper handling and reporting, the California De- partment of Education recom- 13.5 0 mends that internal audits be performed. Such audits should review the operation of student body funds at both district and site levels. A reliable computer program 14.1 that provides reliable multiyear 2 financial projections is used. The district annually pro- vides a multiyear revenue and expenditure projection for all funds of the district. Projected fund balance re- 14.2 2 2 3 4 5 6 serves should be disclosed. The assumptions for revenues and expenditures should be reasonable and supportable. [EC 42131] Multiyear financial projections should be prepared for use in the decision-making process, 14.3 especially whenever a sig- 1 nificant multiyear expenditure commitment is contemplated. [EC 42142] The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 75 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Assumptions used in develop- ing multiyear projections are 14.4 2 based on the most accurate information available. The district should comply with public disclosure laws of fiscal obligations related to health and welfare benefits for 15.1 0 retirees, self-insured workers compensation, and collective bargaining agreements. [GC 3540.2, 3547.5, EC 42142] When authorized, the district should only use non-voter- approved, long-term financ- ing such as certificates of participation, revenue bonds, and lease-purchase agreements (capital leases) to address 15.2 2 capital needs, and not opera- tions. Further, the general fund should be used to finance cur- rent school operations, and in general should not be used to pay for these types of long- term commitments. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 76 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating 1. For long-term liabilities/ debt service, the district should prepare debt service schedules and identify the dedicated funding sources to make those debt service pay- ments. 2. The district should project cash receipts from the dedicated revenue sourc- es to ensure that it will have sufficient funds to make pe- 15.3 0 0 0 2 2 5 riodic debt payments. 3. The cash flow projections should be monitored on an ongo- ing basis to ensure that any variances from projected cash flows are identified as early as possible, in order to allow the district sufficient time to take appropriate measures or identify alternative funding sources. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 77 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district should develop parameters and guidelines for collective bargaining that ensure that the collective bargaining agreement is not an impediment to the efficiency of district operations. At least annually, the collective bar- gaining agreement should be analyzed by management to identify those characteristics that are impediments to ef- fective delivery of district 16.1 operations. The district should 0 identify those issues for con- sideration by the State Admin- istrator/Governing Board. The State Administrator/Governing Board, in the development of their guidelines for collective bargaining, should consider the impact on district operations of current collective bargaining language and propose amend- ments to district language as appropriate to ensure effective and efficient district delivery. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 78 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The State Administrator/ Governing Board must ensure that any guideline the dis- trict develops for collective bargaining is fiscally aligned with the instructional and fiscal goals on a multiyear basis. The State Administra- tor/Governing Board must ensure that the district has a formal process where col- lective bargaining multiyear costs are identified and those expenditures changes are identified and implemented as necessary prior to any imposition of new collective bargaining obligations. The State Administrator/Govern- 16.2 0 0 2 2 4 5 ing Board must ensure that there is a validation of the costs and the projected dis- trict revenues and expendi- tures on a multiyear basis so that the fiscal resources are not strained further due to bargaining settlements. The public should be informed about budget reductions that will be required for a bargain- ing agreement prior to any contract acceptance by the Governing Board. The pub- lic should be given advance notice of the provisions of the final proposed bargaining settlement and be given an opportunity to comment. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 79 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating There should be a process in place for fiscal input and plan- ning of the district technology plan. The goals and objectives of the technology plan should be clearly defined. The plan 17.1 4 should include both the admin- istrative and instructional tech- nology systems. There should be a summary of the costs of each objective, and a financing plan should be in place. Management information sys- tems must support users with information that is relevant, timely, and accurate. Needs assessments must be performed to ensure that users are in- volved in the definition of needs, development of system specifications, and selection of appropriate systems. Ad- 17.2 ditionally, district standards NA must be imposed to ensure the maintainability, compatibility, and supportability of the vari- ous systems. The district must also ensure that all systems are compliant with the new Stan- dardized Account Code Struc- ture (SACS), and are compat- ible with county systems with which they must interface. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 80 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Automated systems should be used to improve accuracy, timeliness, and efficiency of fi- nancial and reporting systems. Needs assessments should be performed to determine what systems are candidates for automation, whether standard hardware and software systems are available to meet the need, and whether or not the district would benefit. Automated fi- nancial systems should provide 17.3 3 accurate, timely, relevant infor- mation and should conform to all accounting standards. The systems should also be de- signed to serve all of the vari- ous users inside and outside the district. Employees should receive appropriate training and supervision in the opera- tion of the systems. Appropri- ate internal controls should be instituted and reviewed peri- odically. Cost/benefit analyses provide an important basis upon which to determine which systems should be automated, which systems best meet defined 17.4 needs, and whether internally NA generated savings can pro- vide funding for the proposed system. Cost/benefit analyses should be complete, accurate, and include all relevant factors. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 81 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Selection of information systems technology should conform to legal procedures specified in the Public Contract Code. Additionally, there should be a process to ensure that needs analyses, cost/benefit analyses, and financing plans 17.5 4 are in place prior to commit- ment of resources. The process should facilitate involvement by users, as well as information services staff, to ensure that training and support needs and costs are considered in the acquisition process. Major technology systems should be supported by imple- mentation and training plans. The cost of implementation 17.6 and training should be included 0 with other support costs in the cost/benefit analyses and financing plans supporting the acquisition. The district has a comprehen- sive risk-management program. The district should have a pro- gram that monitors the various aspects of risk management 18.1 6 including workers compensa- tion, property and liability insurance, and maintains the financial well being of the district. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 82 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district should have a work order system that tracks all maintenance requests, 18.2 7 the worker assigned, dates of completion, labor time spent and the cost of materials. The district should control the use of facilities and charge fees 18.3 1 for usage in accordance with district policy. The Maintenance Department should follow standard district purchasing protocols. Open 18.4 purchase orders may be used if 6 controlled by limiting the em- ployees authorized to make the purchase and the amount. Materials and equipment/tools inventory should be safeguard- 18.5 ed from loss through appropri- 9 ate physical and accounting controls. District-owned vehicles should be used only for district pur- 18.6 7 poses. Fuel should be invento- ried and controlled as to use. Vending machine operations are subject to policies and reg- ulations set by the State Board of Education. All contracts 18.7 specifying these should reflect 6 these policies and regulations. An adequate system of inven- tory control should also exist. [EC 48931] The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 83 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Capital equipment and fur- niture should be tagged as 18.8 0 1 1 2 4 6 district-owned property and inventoried at least annually. The district should adhere to bid and force account require- ments found in the Public Contract Code (Sections 20111 and 20114). These require- ments include formal bids 18.9 for materials, equipment and 5 maintenance projects that exceed $59,600; capital proj- ects of $15,000 or more; and labor when the job exceeds 750 hours or the materials exceed $21,000. The district should adhere to bid and force account require- ments found in the Public Contract Code (Sections 20111 and 20114). These require- ments include formal bids 18.10 for materials, equipment and 5 maintenance projects that exceed $59,600; capital proj- ects of $15,000 or more; and labor when the job exceeds 750 hours or the materials exceed $21,000. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 84 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating In order to accurately record transactions and to ensure the accuracy of financial state- ments for the cafeteria fund in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the district should have ad- equate purchasing and ware- housing procedures to ensure that: 1. Only properly autho- 19.1 8 rized purchases are made con- sistent with district policies, federal guidelines, and man- agement direction. 2. Adequate physical security measures are in place to prevent the loss/ theft of food inventories. 3. Revenues, expenditures, inven- tories, and cash are recorded timely and accurately. The district should operate the food service programs in accor- 19.2 8 dance with applicable laws and regulations. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 85 NA not applicable Financial Management Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating In the process of review- ing and approving charter schools, the district should identify/establish minimal financial management and reporting standards that the charter school will follow. These standards/procedures will provide some level of as- 20.1 surance that finances will be 0 0 0 2 2 4 managed appropriately, and allow the district to moni- tor the charter. The district should monitor the financial management and perfor- mance of the charter schools on an ongoing basis, in order to ensure that the resources are appropriately managed. The district should have pro- cedures that provide for the appropriate oversight and management of mandated cost claim reimbursement filing. Appropriate procedures would cover: the identification of changes to existing mandates; 21.1 training staff regarding the ap- 4 propriate collection and sub- mission of data to support the filing of mandated costs claims; forms, formats, and time lines for reporting mandated cost information; and review of data and preparation of the actual claims. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 86 Financial Management NA not applicable Financial Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district should actively take measures to contain the cost of special education 22.1 services while still providing 5 an appropriate level of quality instructional and pupil services to special education pupils. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 87 NA not applicable Financial Management Facilities Management Facilities Management The West Fresno Elementary School District has made significant progress in addressing the previous recommendations regarding facilities management. The district continues to maintain its core facilities, such as classrooms and restrooms. While the district has not adopted board policies for facilities and maintenance, the facilities master plan has been developed and is await- ing approval by the California Department of Education (CDE). The district has shown signifi- cant progress by developing and implementing a comprehensive emergency and safety plan, and distributing disaster management kits throughout the sites. Since FCMAT’s last site visit, the district has increased restroom accessibility at the middle school, and the restrooms were unlocked during the school day for student use. The district has still not adopted a board policy regarding capital/construction projects, nor has it provided training on policies that have been adopted. In addition, the district has not made any significant progress in developing procedures or plans to implement adopted board policies. In the last year, the district has developed the following operational plans: • Comprehensive School Safety Plan • Comprehensive Disaster Planning Guide • Facilities Master Plan (in draft form) In addition, the district has made considerable improvements to the staff training programs. Safety and job-related training for new employees and current staff has been increased. The majority of the staff have been provided with training regarding the comprehensive school safety plan, the comprehensive disaster planning guide and the newly implemented disaster manage- ment plan. The district is not currently engaged in any construction projects as it awaits approval of the facilities master plan. The district has selected an architectural firm to act as the district architect for modernization and deferred maintenance projects and is still developing procedures and controls for all aspects of the facilities program before beginning new projects. The district should continue to address the facilities recommendations to ensure that it adequately maintains the buildings and grounds and appropriately uses, records, and reports state facilities funds received. Facilities Management 1 2 Facilities Management 1.1 School Safety—CDE Civil Defense and Disaster Planning Guide Legal Standard All school administrators should be thoroughly familiar with the California Department of Education, Civil Defense and Disaster Planning Guide for School Officials, 1972. [EC 32000-32004, 32040, 35295-35297, 38132, 46390-46392, 49505, GC 3100, 8607, CCR Title 5 §550, 560, Title 19 §2400] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Although the CDE no longer publishes this guide, the district has made progress in implementing the recommendation to establish a disaster plan. As of the July 2005 progress report, the district had developed board policies regarding the following: • Environmental safety • Hazardous substances • Campus security • Crime reporting • School disruptions • Sex offender notification • Emergencies and disaster preparedness • Crime data reporting • Fire drills and fires • Bomb threats • Earthquake procedures • Emergency procedures The district continues to develop a comprehensive evacuation plan based on mutual aid agreements with other agencies in the county. Each classroom has a laminated, color-coded evacuation route posted at the exit door and attached to the disaster management kits. The district is still working with the county transportation agency to arrange an emergency plan under which the transportation agency would help evacuate all employees and students. The district stated that there continues to be an informal agreement to transport employees and students in the event evacuation is necessary. The district provided evidence that a telephone notification system is in place and is used for communications to teachers, notifications of late start days due to fog, and student absence notifications for parents. At the time of the team’s most recent site visit in February 2008, the district had not yet needed to use the telephone notifica- tion system for school site emergencies, but the system is in place if such a situation occurs. The comprehensive disaster planning guide has been created and most of the staff have received training on the use of the guide. In addition, parents were presented Facilities Management 3 with an overview of the disaster planning guide and disaster management kits during back-to-school night. 2. At the time of the team’s site visit, the first-aid kits were no longer in the classrooms and other established locations as reported in the previous review. The district reported that the disaster management kits have replaced the first-aid kits. If the disaster management kits have replaced the first-aid kits, the district should ensure that the kits contain standard first aid supplies and are monitored regularly for sufficiency of medical supplies. 3. The district has maintained appropriate signage at both school sites, including signs stating, “No Trespassing or Loitering.” The signs include references to relevant local law enforcement codes. During the site visit, the inspector was able to walk both campuses without being challenged by any school staff; however, the inspector was with a district employee during the visits and was wearing a name badge provided by both the elementary and middle school offices. 4. At the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, the district provided comprehensive training for staff and administrators regarding the disaster management kits that are installed in the classrooms. In addition, parents were informed of the disaster man- agement kits and the district’s safety plans during the 2007-08 back-to-school night. District staff reported that training regarding the disaster management kits still needs to be provided for the classified staff. It is also important to hold additional training sessions for staff who were unable to attend the initial training meeting, and to provide updated information. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 4 Facilities Management 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] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has developed and implemented a comprehensive safety and security plan. The district continues to maintain board policies regarding the following: • Campus security • Crime reporting • School disruptions • Sex offender notification • Emergencies and disaster preparedness • Crime data reporting • Fire drills and fires • Bomb threats • Earthquake procedures • Emergency procedures These policies provided the basis for the safety plan. 2. The district trains staff regarding fire drills and conducts scheduled and random fire drills at both the elementary and middle school sites. Since the last site visit, the district has created and implemented a comprehensive safety and security plan, and has provided training for staff regarding the plan. District staff indicated that train- ing still needs to be provided for the classified staff. It is important to hold additional training sessions for staff members who were unable to attend the initial training, and to provide updated information. 3. The district continues to require all campus visitors to sign in at the school offices before proceeding to their destinations. This was verified by site inspections made in February 2008 when the reviewer observed both the log and badges. Both schools asked the inspector to sign in and provided the inspector with a visitor’s pass. The schools require the visitor’s name, date and time of visit to be recorded on the pass before it is issued and the visitor leaves the office. The inspector was not questioned when entering the school because the inspector was accompanied by a district staff member, but the presence of the site security guard was noted. At the district office, the staff recognized and understood the procedure for visitor sign-in, but a review of the log showed that no visitors had signed in for two weeks prior to the site visit. Facilities Management 5 The district office and school sites should continue to require all visitors to sign in and wear a district-provided name badge that has the visitor’s name, and the date and time of the visit clearly labeled. 4. The district maintains “no trespassing” signs at all points of entry to the school sites. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 4 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 6 Facilities Management 1.15 School Safety—Injury/Illness Prevention Program Inspections are Done Legal Standard The Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) requires periodic inspections of facilities to identify conditions. [CCR Title 8 §3203] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has updated its board polices to include a policy related to an injury and illness prevention program (IIPP). 2. The district has adopted administrative regulations and procedures regarding IIPP and developed an IIPP handbook to effectively implement the program. 3. In the last year since the team’s 2007 site visit, the district has implemented the IIPP by developing a handbook that documents procedures. Documents indicated that the majority of staff, including maintenance and custodial staff, has been provided with training regarding the IIPP, hazardous condition communications, integrated pest management program, and bloodborne pathogens. The IIPP and other related informa- tion was provided to staff at staff training meetings. The district should continue to hold regular training meetings to ensure that all staff members have participated in the trainings and to provide updated information. The district has not established a labor/management safety and health committee that meets at least quarterly, and should do so. The district reported that periodic facility inspections are conducted with the district’s risk management provider, Self Insured Schools of California (SISC). A report of the February 2008 inspection by SISC indicated that no indoor air quality concerns were detected in the classrooms. Two areas of concern were highlighted in the review. The first item is earthquake prepared- ness relating to some unsecured heavy objects, such as overhead storage objects, unattached shelving, televisions and aquariums. The second item is playground con- cerns relating to protruding bolts and inadequate surfacing in critical fall areas such as hanging equipment and swings. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 1 April 2007 Rating: 2 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 7 1.18 School Safety—Plan for Prevention of Campus Crime and Violence Legal Standard A comprehensive school safety plan exists for the prevention of campus crime and violence. [EC 35294-35294.9] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district adopted a comprehensive Board Policy 450 and Administrative Regula- tion 450(a)-(f) to require districtwide and site-specific safety plans. The policy and regulation detail the requirements for the safety plans. In addition, the district adopted Administrative Regulation 3515, which specifically addresses campus security and crime reporting. 2. The district developed and implemented a comprehensive safety plan consistent with the board policy and administrative regulation The district purchased and installed disaster management kits in classrooms. The district has not conducted regular emer- gency lockdown drills to ensure staff and student safety on campus. A campus lock- down occurred in November 2007 in response to police activity in the area. According to district staff, all students were accounted for. The district has implemented a com- prehensive school safety action plan and emergency response guide, which identifies and addresses the responsibilities of the emergency response team. 3. Since the district developed its school safety plan, it has provided staff with training regarding the plan and employees’ related responsibilities. In addition, the district held safety plan committee meetings to address the emergency response team members’ responsibilities. The district should continue to hold regular training meetings to ensure that all staff members have participated in the trainings and to provide updated information. 4. The district has hired two full-time security guards to monitor the elementary and middle school campuses from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the time of the site visit, the inspector saw both security guards on the school sites. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 8 Facilities Management 1.19 School Safety—An Emergency Action Plan Exists Legal Standard Each public agency is required to have on file written plans describing procedures to be employed in case of emergency. [EC 32000-32004, 32040, 35295-35297, 38132, 46390-46392, 49505, GC 3100, 8607] [CCR Title 8, §3220] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has adopted board policies regarding emergency and disaster planning. Board Policy 3516, which requires both districtwide and site-specific plans, is supple- mented by Administrative Regulation 3516 (a)-(c), which identifies various types of disasters/emergencies, requirements of the emergency plan, coordination with local authorities, training for staff, the release of students, and the roles and responsibilities of various staff members, including principals, teachers, custodians, school secretar- ies, school nurses, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. 2. The district developed a comprehensive emergency plan that identifies an emergency response team. The district should continue to update the emergency plan as needed. The district also installed disaster management kits in each classroom and cafeteria to be used in conjunction with the emergency plan. 3. Since the district developed its school safety plan, it has provided staff training regard- ing the plan and employees’ related responsibilities. In addition to the staff training for the safety action plan, the district held safety plan committee meetings to address the responsibilities of the members of the emergency response team. The district should continue to hold regular training meetings to ensure that all staff members have participated in the trainings and to provide updated information. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 3 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 9 1.25 School Safety—Maintenance of a Comprehensive Employee Safety Program Professional Standard The District maintains a comprehensive employee safety program. Employees should be aware of the District safety program and the District provides in-service training to employees on the requirements of the safety program. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has formalized its Illness and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP) and has provided safety training to staff. 2. The district has improved its training program regarding employee safety. Information provided by the district indicates that staff received training regarding the IIPP, haz- ardous condition communications, integrated pest management program, bloodborne pathogens, and other online training modules provided through the district’s risk management provider (SISC). Previously, the online training modules were only com- pleted by new employees, but the district is working to ensure that current employees also complete the online training modules. The district should continue to hold regular training meetings to ensure that all staff members have participated in the trainings and to provide updated information. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 7 July 2005 Rating: 7 April 2007 Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: 10 Facilities Management 2.14 Facility Planning—Collection of Statutory Developer Fees Legal Standard The District should collect statutory school fees. [EC 17620, GC 65995, 66000] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has updated board policies related to developer fees. Board policies 7210 and 7211 address facilities financing, including developer fees, and authorize the implementation and collection of those fees. Administrative Regulation 7211 addresses the process for establishing the fee schedule, including identification of Level 1 through Level 3 funding. 2. The district conducted a developer fee study in 2006 to ensure that it continues to impose the maximum allowable fee. 3. The district continues to have Washington Union High School District collect the developer fees on its behalf. 4. Previous recommendations were implemented as of the July 2005 progress report, and the district continues to assess and receive developer fees. In 2006, the district increased the developer fee rates based on a justification study completed in July 2006. The district should consider increasing the developer fee rates again if appropri- ate. 5. In June 2007, the district’s governing board approved the developer fees accounting resolution for the 2005-06 fiscal year. At the time of the site visit, the next developer fees accounting resolution for the 2006-07 fiscal year was scheduled to be presented to the board in March 2008. The district should work to make sure the resolutions are presented to the board in a timely manner. Standard Implemented: Fully – Sustained July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 7 July 2004 Rating: 8 July 2005 Rating: 9 April 2007 Rating: 10 April 2008 Rating: 10 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 11 3.12 Facilities Improvement and Modernization—Deferred Maintenance Projects are Actively Managed Professional Standard The District actively manages the deferred maintenance projects. The District should review the five-year deferred maintenance plan annually to remove any completed projects and include any newly eligible projects. The District should also verify that the projects performed during the year were included in the State-approved, five-year deferred maintenance plan. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has adopted board policies requiring a facilities master plan. At the time of the site visit, the district had completed a draft of a comprehensive facilities master plan that evaluates the conditions and needs of its facilities and identifies projects to be performed. The district contracted with a consultant to prepare a facilities master plan that identifies its facilities needs and supports deferred maintenance, modern- ization and new construction. The facilities master plan has been submitted to the California Department of Education (CDE), but had not received approval at the time of the site visit. District staff were scheduled to meet with the CDE in March 2008 to discuss the facilities master plan and to address any issues. 2. The district has not updated the five-year deferred maintenance plan for the 2007-08 school year. The most recent update was submitted to the state in June 2007 and was approved on August 22, 2007, for the 2006-07 fiscal year. To ensure that the five-year deferred maintenance plan is updated annually and submitted to the state in a timely manner, the district should establish procedures for documenting the facilities and deferred maintenance plans and the data and assumptions supporting any revisions to the plans. The deferred maintenance plan for 2007-08 should be updated and submit- ted as soon as possible. 3. The district has not adjusted the five-year deferred maintenance plan for 2007-08 or estimated costs to show the changes in projects and project costs. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 12 Facilities Management 4.2 Construction of Projects—Change Orders are Processed and Receive Prior Approval Professional Standard Change orders are processed and receive prior approval from required parties before being implemented within respective construction projects. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not established board policies regarding the management of construc- tion projects, including the processing of change orders. The district should adopt board policies regarding the management of construction projects. 2. The district has not developed procedures for managing construction projects and related funds. Thus there are no formal procedures regarding the review and approval of change orders. Although the proper procedures for all change orders are under- stood, including the need for approval from the architect, inspector of record, and state administrator, no written procedures have been developed. Written procedures should be developed and approved prior to commencing any new construction projects. At the time of the team’s February 2007 site visit the district had recently finished construction of boys’ and girls’ locker rooms and shower facilities. The project had one change order. It appears that proper procedures were followed, although the approved change order had no signature from the inspector of record. Since that date, no additional construction projects have occurred. 3. Using the professional consulting bid process, the district contracted a new architec- tural firm to act as the district architect. The architectural firm will assist the district in the next phase of facilities and deferred maintenance projects. At the time of the team‘s 2008 site visit, the architectural firm was helping the district procure a leased temporary portable classroom. The district has not developed procedures for manag- ing construction projects, including procedures for processing change orders, and should do so before starting any new construction projects. The procedures should clearly identify the architectural firm’s role in the construction process. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 3 July 2005 Rating: 3 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 13 4.4 Construction of Projects—Inspector of Record Assignments are Properly Approved Professional Standard Each Inspector of Record (IOR) assignment is properly approved. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not updated its board policies regarding construction projects and the assignment of an inspector of record for each project. These policies should compre- hensively address the management of construction projects. 2. The district has not established procedures for securing a certified Division of the State Architect (DSA) inspector. These procedures should address the hiring of prop- erly certified inspectors for all construction projects. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 5 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 14 Facilities Management 5.1 Compliance with Public Contracting Laws and Procedures–-Compliance with Formal Bidding Procedures Legal Standard The District complies with formal bidding procedures. [GC 54202, 54204, PCC 20111] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has updated its board policies regarding bidding procedures. The district adopted Board Policy 3311 and Administrative Regulation 3311 (a)-(f), which address the requirement to use competitive bidding in accordance with all applicable legal requirements of the Education Code, Government Code, and Public Contract Code. The administrative regulation outlines the code requirements and provides guidance for applying the provisions to various situations. 2. The district continues to follow its board policies regarding bidding procedures, which include outlining the bid process, identifying instructions for bidders and establishing ethics for individuals involved in district purchases. The district has also documented the revised bid threshold and information regarding the use of piggyback bids, par- ticularly as they relate to portable/relocatable facilities. In addition, with regard to construction services, the district plans to coordinate the bid process with the architect so that the architect distributes and collects the bid packages, which are opened at the designated time and witnessed by at least one district representative. The district has contracted with a new architectural firm to act as the district architect for the next phase of facilities and deferred maintenance projects. The district should create proce- dures to ensure that the correct bid process is followed and that it is coordinated with the new architect. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 5 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 7 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 15 5.2 Compliance with Public Contracting Laws and Procedures—Procedures for Requests for Quote/Proposals Legal Standard The District has a procedure for requests for quotes/proposals. [GC 54202, 54204, PCC 20111] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has updated its board policies regarding bidding procedures. The district adopted Board Policy 3311 and Administrative Regulation 3311 (a)-(f), which address the requirement to use competitive bidding in accordance with all applicable legal requirements under the Education Code, Government Code, and Public Contract Code. The administrative regulation outlines the code requirements and provides guidance for applying the provisions to various situations. In addition, the regulations address situations when bids are not required. 2. The district has implemented some procedures regarding purchasing and bidding requirements, but the procedures do not appear to indicate who is authorized to request quotes/proposals, how many quotes/proposals are required, who can approve the quote/proposal, and who can authorize payment. The district should continue to develop and establish procedures to ensure that it comprehensively addresses all pertinent aspects of the procurement and bidding process. The district has restructured positions in the business department and included more personnel in the purchasing process, and so needs to develop complete procedures. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 2 July 2004 Rating: 2 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: 16 Facilities Management 8.1 Facilities Maintenance and Custodial—Implementation of an Energy Conservation Program Professional Standard An Energy Conservation Policy should be approved by the Governing Board and implemented throughout the District. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has updated its board policies to include energy conservation. Board Policy 3511 and Administrative Regulation 3511(a)-(b) establish the board’s com- mitment to energy conservation and require the superintendent to establish an energy efficiency program. The administrative regulation identifies the items to be included in the energy efficiency plan. However, the district has not yet developed an energy effi- ciency plan to implement the board policy and administrative regulation. The district should develop an energy efficiency plan to implement the board policy and ensure that it addresses energy efficiency and conservation for existing facilities, moderniza- tion projects and new construction. 2. The district has continued its efforts to become more energy efficient, including contracting with a consulting group to provide an energy management study. The study report was completed in November 2006 and identified opportunities to increase energy efficiency. The district plans to use the report as a reference to ensure that energy efficiency is considered during modernization and deferred maintenance projects. At the time of the team’s February 2008 site visit, four projects had been completed to reduce energy costs: installation of reflective window film on the south side of the elementary school cafeteria; installation of a Vending Miser on cold bever- age vending machines throughout the district; installation of motion sensors on lights in the band room; and rewiring of the band room. The district’s facilities master plan acknowledges that the district should pursue energy efficient alternatives; however, the district has not created formal plans to focus current and future energy efficiency and conservation efforts. As indicated above, the district should develop a formal energy efficiency and conservation plan. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 4 January 2004 Rating: 5 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 17 8.10 & 9.4 Instructional Program Issues—Bathroom Facilities are Clean and Operable Legal Standards Toilet facilities are adequate and maintained. All buildings and grounds are maintained. (CCR Title 5 § 631) 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] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has continued to do a reasonable job of maintaining restrooms and has a well established maintenance system in place. The custodians are scheduled to check the toilet facilities for graffiti and cleaning needs. Toilet facilities are adequate, but the district has an ongoing challenge of maintaining the facilities because of student vandalism. Nevertheless, inspection showed that the restrooms were generally clean and well-stocked with supplies, and the fixtures were operable. 2. The boys’ and girls’ restrooms were unlocked during the site visit at the middle school. Previously, these restrooms were locked during school hours. The district should continue to keep all restrooms unlocked and available to students during the school day. 3. Williams Uniform Complaint notifications were not posted in all classrooms in Eng- lish, Hmong, and Spanish as required. Most classrooms had posted the English notifi- cation, but were lacking the Hmong and Spanish notifications. A few classrooms were missing all notifications. The district should ensure that the Williams notifications are posted in every classroom in all three required languages. The district provided evi- dence of quarterly reporting on the Williams Uniform Complaints. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 6 January 2004 Rating: 8 July 2004 Rating: 8 July 2005 Rating: 8 April 2007 Rating: 8 April 2008 Rating: 9 Implementation Scale: 18 Facilities Management 9.1 Instructional Program Issues—Plan for Attractive Landscaped Facilities Professional Standards The District has developed a plan for attractively landscaped facilities. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not prepared an updated landscaping plan annually or included it in the annual budget. The district has a long-range plan that was developed six years ago to keep the landscaping attractive; however, the district should update its landscaping plan to address changes that have developed over the last six years. In addition, the plan should attempt to identify landscaping alternatives, such as low maintenance and drought-resistant plants and grasses, which would help the district maintain its land- scaping despite financial and operational constraints. The district should also include financing sources and options in its landscaping plan. The district expects that the facilities master plan currently under development will address the need for a landscaping plan; however, the master plan does not currently include a landscaping plan. The district reported that all landscaping improvement plans are on hold because of potential school facility expansion and construction, and because of the possible reduction in funding resulting from the state budget crisis. A visual inspection of the sites also confirms that no progress has been made on land- scaping improvements. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 4 January 2004 Rating: 6 July 2004 Rating: 5 July 2005 Rating: 5 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 5 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 19 9.2 Instructional Program Issues—Districtwide Technology Plan to Benefit All Sites Professional Standard The goals and objectives of the technology plan should be clearly defined to include both the administrative and instructional technology systems. There should be a summary of the costs of each objective and a financing plan should be in place. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The E-Rate funding issues detailed in the previous progress report have been closed out and the funding was approved. 2. The district has a five-year technology plan that was developed in 2003. An addendum was added to the technology plan to include E-Rate eligibility. The district created a new draft technology plan that will cover 2008-11. When the new technology plan is approved, the district should use the plan and update it annually. The plan should continue to address both educational and administrative technology. The district com- pleted a needs assessment survey prior to writing the draft technology plan and has established a technology committee that meets to address the issues in the draft plan. 3. The district rebuilt the middle school’s technology/library media center in summer 2006. The district also established a resource center for teachers, parents and students, and purchased and installed digital projectors, screens, and printers in classrooms. Teachers continue to use laptop computers connected to the projectors for classroom presentations and teacher collaboration. 4. The district has established a technology laboratory at the elementary school that is used by staff to support the curriculum, especially in the area of mathematics. The laboratory appeared to be fully functional at the time of the team’s site visit. 5. The district has applied for and received funds for technology from the Microsoft settlement and the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant. Standard Implemented: Fully – Substantially July 2003 Rating: 3 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 7 April 2008 Rating: 8 Implementation Scale: 20 Facilities Management 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] Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district has not aggressively pursued funding to modernize the primary cafeteria building. The district’s draft facilities master plan addresses the modernization of the primary cafeteria building, but not in detail. 2. The district has not replaced the lighting in the cafeteria; however, at the time of the team’s site visit the curtains in the elementary cafeteria were removed from the win- dows, which increased the natural lighting in the building. The district should continue to identify funding sources for the cafeteria upgrade, including deferred maintenance funds, modernization funds, routine restricted maintenance funds, and even cafeteria funds. 3. The district has not replaced the primary cafeteria flooring. The floor still consists of old and worn tile that is difficult to keep clean and often does not appear clean even when it is. Since the April 2007 progress report, the district purchased auto scrubbers for the cafeteria floors and provided training to custodial staff on the proper cleaning techniques. It appears that the custodial staff have increased their efforts to clean the floor, and it was noticeably cleaner than during last year’s 2007 site visit, but still in need of replacement. The district should continue to include upgrades for the cafeteria in the facilities master plan and pursue alternative funding sources for these projects. 4. The elementary cafeteria was recently repainted. 5. The district has a completed draft facilities master plan that was prepared by a consul- tant in 2007 but has not yet been approved by the state. 6. The district should continue to provide staff training during the summer on safe work habits. This training should be repeated and updated annually. Facilities Management 21 Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 4 July 2005 Rating: 4 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 22 Facilities Management 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. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Board Policy 1330 and Administrative Regulation 1330 (a)-(b) address community use of facilities. The board policy authorizes the use of district facilities by community groups as long as this use does not conflict with school activities. Further, the policy authorizes the use of district facilities by nonprofit organizations, clubs, or associa- tions to promote youth and school activities, without charge. Groups that request the use of facilities pursuant to provisions of the Civic Center Act are to be charged at least direct costs. Other groups that use the facilities and generate receipts that are not expended for the district’s students or other charitable purposes are to be charged fair rental value. The administrative regulation specifies appropriate uses, restrictions, the required certifications to be obtained from the users, the form to be used, and provisions related to damage and liability. However, neither the board policy nor the administrative regulation clearly defines the application and approval process. There- fore, the district should either expand the policy and regulation or establish procedures regarding the application and approval process for community use of facilities. 2. The district last updated its facilities use application in 2005. The application has been translated in Spanish and Hmong and is now available in these languages. To promote community use and accessibility, the district has refrained from increasing use fees. The district should consider increasing the facility use fee to cover the cost of operat- ing the facility, including custodial staff costs. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 2 January 2004 Rating: 3 July 2004 Rating: 6 July 2005 Rating: 6 April 2007 Rating: 6 April 2008 Rating: 7 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 23 10.2 Community Use of Facilities—Compliance with Civic Center Act for Community Use Legal Standard Education Code Section 38130 establishes terms and conditions of school facility use by commu- nity organizations, in the process requiring establishment of both “direct cost” and “fair market” rental rates, specifying what groups have which priorities and fee schedules. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. The district maintains its updated board policies regarding community use of school facilities, the fee schedule for facilities use, and an approval process. The district last updated its facilities use application in 2005. To promote community use and acces- sibility, the district has refrained from increasing use fees. The district should consider increasing the facility use fee to cover the cost of operating the facility, including custodial staff costs. The application has been translated into Spanish and Hmong, and is now available in these languages. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 1 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 5 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: 24 Facilities Management 10.3 Community Use of Facilities—Maintenance of Records and Support for Reasonable Charges Professional Standard Districts should maintain comprehensive records and controls on civic center implementation and cash management. Progress on Recommendations and Improvement Plan 1. Board Policy 1330 and Administrative Regulation 1330 (a)-(b) address community use of facilities. The Board Policy authorizes the use of district facilities by com- munity groups as long as the use does not conflict with school activities. The policy also authorizes the use of district facilities at no charge by nonprofit organizations, clubs, or associations to promote youth and school activities. Groups that request the use of facilities pursuant to provisions of the Civic Center Act are to be charged at least direct costs. Other groups that use the facilities and generate receipts that are not expended for the district’s students or other charitable purposes are to be charged fair rental value. The administrative regulation specifies appropriate uses, restrictions, required certifications to be obtained from the users, the form to be used, and provi- sions related to damage and liability. 2. The district has established procedures that ensure appropriate documentation and control over facilities use and fees collected. The district should review facilities use and fees collected annually to determine future use rates. To promote community use and accessibility, the district has refrained from increasing use fees. The district should consider increasing the facility use fee in order to cover the cost of running the facility, including custodial staff costs. The facilities use application has been trans- lated into Spanish and Hmong and is now available in these languages. Standard Implemented: Partially July 2003 Rating: 0 January 2004 Rating: 1 July 2004 Rating: 1 July 2005 Rating: 2 April 2007 Rating: 4 April 2008 Rating: 6 Implementation Scale: Facilities Management 25 26 Facilities Management Table of Facilities Management Standards Progress Ratings Toward Implementation of the Improvement Plan Facilities Management 27 28 Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating All school administrators should be thoroughly familiar with the California Depart- ment of Education, Civil De- fense and Disaster Planning Guide for School Officials, 1.1 1 2 3 4 5 6 1972. (EC 32000-32004, 32040, 35295-35297, 38132, 46390-46392, 49505, GC 3100, 8607, CCR Title 5 §550, 560, Title 19 §2400) The district includes the appro- priate security devices in the design of new buildings as well 1.2 5 as in modernized buildings. (EC 32020, 32211, 35294-35294.9, 39670-39675) The district should be able to demonstrate that a plan of security has been devel- oped that includes adequate 1.3 3 4 4 3 5 6 measures of safety and protection of people and property. [EC 32020, 32211, 35294-35294.9] The district should ensure that the custodial and maintenance staff are regularly informed of restrictions pertaining to the storage and disposal of 1.4 4 flammable or toxic materials. [EC 49341, 49401.5, 49411, F&AC 12981, H&SC 25163, 25500-25520, LC 6360-6363, CCR Title 8 §5194] The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 29 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has a documented process for issuing of mas- ter and sub-master keys. A 1.5 districtwide standardized pro- 5 cess for the issuance of keys to employees must be followed by all district administrators. Bus loading and unloading ar- eas, delivery areas, and parking and parent loading/unloading areas are monitored on a regu- 1.6 lar basis to ensure the safety of 7 the students, staff and commu- nity. Students, employees and the public should feel safe at all times on school premises. Outside lighting is properly placed and monitored on a regular basis to ensure the operability/adequacy of such lighting and to ensure safety while activities are in progress in the evening hours. Outside lighting should provide suf- 1.7 6 ficient illumination to allow for the safe passage of stu- dents and the public during after-hours activities. Lighting should also provide security personnel with sufficient illu- mination to observe any illegal activities on campus. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 30 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has a graffiti and vandalism abatement plan. The district should have a written graffiti and abatement plan that is followed by all district 1.8 7 employees. The district pro- vides district employees with sufficient resources to meet the requirements of the abatement plan. Each public agency is required to have on file written plans describing procedures to be employed in case of emer- 1.9 0 gency. (EC 32000-32004, 32040, 35295-35297, 38132, 46390-46392, 49505, GC 3100, 8607) (CCR Title 8, §3220) Each elementary and interme- diate school at least once a month, and in each second- 1.10 ary school not less than twice 2 every school year, shall conduct a fire drill. (EC 32000-32004, 32040, CCR Title 5 §550) Maintenance/custodial person- nel have knowledge of chemi- cal compounds used in school programs that include the 1.11 potential hazards and shelf life. 5 (EC 49341, 49401.5, 49411, F&AC 12981, H&SC 25163, 25500-25520, LC 6360-6363, CCR Title 8 §5194) Building examinations are per- formed, and required actions 1.12 are taken by the Governing 4 Board upon report of unsafe conditions. (EC 17367) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 31 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Each school that is entirely enclosed by a fence or partial buildings must have a gate of sufficient size to permit 1.13 the entrance of ambulances, 8 police, and fire fighting equip- ment. Locking devices shall be designed to permit ready entrance. (EC 32020) Sanitary, neat and clean condi- tions of the school premises exist and the premises are free 1.14 9 from conditions that would create a fire hazard. (CCR Title 5 §633) The Injury and Illness Preven- tion Program (IIPP) requires 1.15 periodic inspections of facili- 0 1 1 1 2 5 ties to identify conditions. (CCR Title 8 §3203) Appropriate fire extinguish- ers exist in each building and 1.16 current inspection informa- 7 tion is available. (CCR Title 8 §1922(a)) All exits are free of obstruc- 1.17 9 tions. (CCR Title 8 §3219) A comprehensive school safe- ty plan exists for the preven- 1.18 1 2 2 3 3 6 tion of campus crime and vio- lence. (EC 35294-35294.9) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 32 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Each public agency is re- quired to have on file writ- ten plans describing pro- cedures to be employed in case of emergency. (EC 1.19 0 2 2 3 3 5 32000-32004, 32040, 35295-35297, 38132, 46390-46392, 49505, GC 3100, 8607) (CCR Title 8, §3220) Requirements are followed per- taining to underground storage 1.20 NA tanks. (H&SC 25292, CCR Title 26 §477, Title 23 § 2610) All asbestos inspection and asbestos work completed in the U.S. is performed by Asbestos 1.21 Hazard Emergency Response 4 Act (AHERA) accredited indi- viduals. (EC 49410.5, 40 CFR Part 763) All playground equipment meets safety code regulations and is inspected in a timely fashion as to ensure the safety 1.22 8 of the students. (EC 44807, GC 810-996.6, H&SC 24450 Chap- ter 4.5, 115725-115750, PRC 5411, CCR Title 5 §5552) Safe work practices exist with 1.23 regard to boiler and fired pres- NA sure vessels. (CCR Title 8 §782) The district maintains Materi- als Safety Data Sheets. (EC 1.24 49341, 49401.5, 49411, F&AC 4 12981, LC 6360-6363, CCR Title 8 §5194) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 33 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district maintains a comprehensive employee safety program. Employees should be aware of the dis- 1.25 trict safety program and the 5 6 7 7 8 9 district should provide in- service training to employees on the requirements of the safety program. The district conducts periodic safety training for employ- ees. District employees should 1.26 2 receive periodic training on the safety procedures of the district. The district should conduct periodic first-aid training for 1.27 3 employees assigned to school sites. The district should possess a California State Department of 2.2 Education Facilities Planning 10 and Construction Guide (dated 1991). The district should seek state 2.3 10 and local funds. The district should have stan- dards for real property acquisi- 2.7 0 tion and disposal. (EC 39006, 17230-17233) The district seeks and obtains waivers from the State Alloca- 2.8 tion Board for continued use 10 of its nonconforming facilities. (EC 17284, 17285) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 34 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has established and utilizes a selection process for 2.9 the selection of licensed archi- 3 tectural/engineering services. (GC 17302) The district should assess its 2.10 local bonding capacity. (EC 6 15100) The district should develop 2.11 a process to determine debt 8 capacity. The district should be aware of and monitor the assessed 2.12 10 valuation of taxable property within its boundaries. The district should monitor 2.13 its legal bonding limits. (EC 10 15100, 15330) The district should collect 2.14 statutory school fees. (EC 5 7 8 9 10 10 17620, GC 65995, 66000) The district has pursued state funding for joint-use projects through the filing of applica- 2.16 6 tions through the Office of Public School Construction and the State Allocation Board. The district has established and utilizes an organized methodol- 2.17 10 ogy of prioritizing and schedul- ing projects. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 35 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district has a restricted deferred maintenance fund and those funds are expended for maintenance purposes only. The deferred maintenance fund 3.1 7 should be a stand-alone fund reflecting the revenues and expenses for the major main- tenance projects accomplished during the year. The district has pursued state funding for deferred main- tenance - critical hardship needs by filing an application 3.2 through the Office of Public 4 School Construction and the State Allocation Board. (State Allocation Board Regulation §1866) The district applies to the State Allocation Board for facili- 3.3 7 ties funding for all applicable projects. The district consistently re- views and monitors its eligibil- 3.4 ity for state funding so as to 6 capitalize upon maximal fund- ing opportunities. The district establishes and implements interim housing plans for use during the con- 3.5 10 struction phase of moderniza- tion projects and/or additions to existing facilities. Furniture and equipment items are routinely included within 3.7 6 the scope of modernization projects. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 36 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district obtains approval of plans and specifications from the Division of the State Ar- chitect and the Office of Public 3.8 School Construction (when 6 required) prior to the award of a contract to the lowest responsible bidder. (EC 17263, 17267) All relocatables in use through- 3.9 out the district meet statutory 10 requirements. (EC 17292) The district maintains a plan for the maintenance and mod- 3.10 8 ernization of its facilities. [EC 17366] The annual deferred mainte- nance contribution is made correctly. The district should 3.11 annually transfer the maximum 6 amount that the district would be eligible for in matching funds from the state. The district actively manages the deferred maintenance projects. The district should review the five-year deferred maintenance plan annually to remove any completed proj- 3.12 ects and include any newly 5 6 6 6 7 8 eligible projects. The district should also verify that the expenses performed during the year were included in the state approved five-year deferred maintenance plan. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 37 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district maintains an ap- propriate structure for the 4.1 7 effective management of its construction projects. Change orders are processed and receive prior approval from required parties before 4.2 3 3 3 3 4 5 being implemented within respective construction proj- ects. The district maintains appropri- 4.3 ate project records and draw- 8 ings. Each Inspector of Record 4.4 (IOR) assignment is properly 5 5 5 5 5 5 approved. The district complies with formal bidding procedures. 5.1 5 6 6 7 7 8 (GC 54202, 54204, PCC 20111) The district has a procedure for requests for quotes/pro- 5.2 2 2 2 4 4 5 posals. (GC 54202, 54204, PCC 20111) The district maintains files of conflict-of-interest statements and complies with legal re- 5.3 0 quirements. Conflict of interest statements should be collected annually and kept on file. The district ensures that bid- dable plans and specifications are developed through its 5.4 10 licensed architects/engineers for respective construction projects. The district ensures that re- 5.5 quests for progress payments 1 are carefully evaluated. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 38 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The district maintains contract 5.6 award/appeal processes. (GC 6 54202, 54204, PCC 20111) The district complies with Cali- fornia Department of Education 6.1 (CDE) requirements relative to 5 the provision of Special Educa- tion facilities. The district provides facilities for its special education pro- grams that ensure equity with other educational programs 6.2 7 within the district and provide appropriate learning environ- ments in relation to education- al program needs. The district provides facilities for its special education pro- grams that provide appropri- 6.3 5 ate learning environments in relation to educational program needs. An energy conservation policy should be approved 8.1 by the Governing Board and 4 5 5 5 6 7 implemented throughout the district. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 39 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Adequate maintenance records and reports are kept, includ- ing a complete inventory of supplies, materials, tools and equipment. All employees re- quired to perform maintenance on school sites should be pro- 8.5 vided with adequate supplies, 8 equipment and training to perform maintenance tasks in a timely and professional man- ner. Included in the training is how to inventory supplies and equipment and when to order or replenish them. Procedures are in place for evaluating the work quality of maintenance and operations staff. The quality of the work performed by the maintenance 8.6 and operations staff should be 2 evaluated on a regular basis using a board-adopted proce- dure that delineates the areas of evaluation and the types of work to be evaluated. Major areas of custodial and maintenance responsibilities and specific jobs to be per- formed have been identified. Custodial and maintenance 8.7 personnel should have written 2 job descriptions that delineate the major areas of responsibili- ties that they will be expected to perform and will be evalu- ated on. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 40 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Necessary staff, supplies, tools and equipment for the proper care and cleaning of the school(s) are available. In order to meet expectations, 8.8 schools must be adequately 6 staffed and staff must be pro- vided with the necessary sup- plies, tools and equipment as well as the training associated with the proper use of such. Toilet facilities are adequate and maintained. All buildings 8.10 6 8 8 8 8 9 and grounds are maintained. (CCR Title 5 § 631) The district has developed 9.1 a plan for attractively land- 4 6 5 5 5 5 scaped facilities. The goals and objectives of the technology plan should be clearly defined. The plan should include both the ad- ministrative and instructional 9.2 3 3 6 6 7 8 technology systems. There should be a summary of the costs of each objective and a financing plan should be in place. The Governing Board shall provide a warm, healthful place in which children who 9.3 bring their own lunches to 2 3 4 4 4 6 school may eat their lunch. (EC 17573, CCR Title 5 §14030) The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 41 NA not applicable Facilities Management Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating The Governing Board of every school district shall provide 9.4 clean and operable flush toi- 6 8 8 8 8 9 lets for the use of pupils. (EC 17576, CCR Title 5 §14030) The district has plans for the provision of extended day 9.5 0 programs within its respective school sites. (EC 17264) All schools shall have adequate 9.7 8 heating and ventilation. All schools shall have adequate 9.8 6 lighting and electrical service. Classrooms are free of noise 9.9 and other barriers to instruc- 8 tion. (EC 32212) The learning environments provided within respective 9.10 school sites within the district 6 are conducive to high quality teaching and learning. Facilities within the district reflect the standards and ex- 9.11 7 pectations established by the community. The district should have a 10.1 plan to promote community 2 3 6 6 6 7 involvement in schools. Education Code Section 38130 establishes terms and conditions of school facil- ity use by community or- ganizations, in the process 10.2 1 1 1 2 5 6 requiring establishment of both “direct cost” and “fair market” rental rates, specify- ing what groups have which priorities and fee schedules. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 42 Facilities Management NA not applicable Facilities Management July January July July April April 2003 2004 2004 2005 2007 2008 Standard to be addressed Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Districts should maintain comprehensive records and 10.3 controls on civic center 0 1 1 2 4 6 implementation and cash management. The identified subset of standards appears in bold print. 43 NA not applicable Facilities Management