What is School Based Planning and what is its purpose?
In March, 1992, Regulations of the Commissioner of Education weredeveloped establishing procedures for school-based planning and shareddecision making. The intent of the regulation was to foster a processof school-based planning and shared decision making, involving parents,teachers, and administrators, to improve the educational performance ofall students. The regulation requires every board of education toensure that an annual plan is developed in compliance with theregulation.
Components of the School Based Plan
Purpose: Improve student educational performance
- Analyze student performance data
- Set objectives consistent with needs
- Plan activities to accomplish objectives
- Monitor and adjust the plan
- Report plan and progress to school community
Who is on the school-based planning team for each school and what are their responsibilities?
- Principal and his/her designee
- Teachers (single largest constituency, per commissioner's regulation)
- Students (at the high school level)
- Other constituencies as determined by the team
Responsibilities of Team Membership:
- Represents constituency to the team
- Represents team/plan to his/her constituency
- Participates in the development of the plan
- Supports the implementation and monitoring of the plan
- Practices group processing skills
- Suspends individual agendas
How are members selected?
West Irondequoit Central School District established guidelines for eachteam's selection process. These guidelines support each team inimplementing their selection processes. These guidelines weredeveloped in accordance with recommended selection procedures outlinedin the commissioner's regulations. After members are selected, eachschool planning team is responsible for communicating the names of theirmembership to their school community.
Parent Selection Guidelines
- Parent members will be selected by the parent constituency at the building level and a procedure will be established to ensure a democratic process.
- The parent constituency will develop the selection process.
- The process should be public, democratic and take place in the spring.
- There should be a procedure for advertising and recruiting, with a timeline established that will be determined at the building level.
- Individual school teams will determine the number of parent representatives and a two-year term is advisable, but not required. There are no term limits for parent representatives and alternate parent representatives.
- A public announcement of all team members will be made annually at the beginning of the school year.
- If a building plan allows for alternates, alternates will be selected at the same time using the same method. Alternates may attend all meetings and be trained, but vote only when substituting for an absent team member.
Teacher/Paraprofessional Selection Guidelines
- Each school committee determines the number of teachers and paraprofessionals required.
- Teachers and paraprofessionals are elected by West Irondequoit Teacher's Association members in the school.
- Teachers must comprise the largest single constituency on the school-based planning team.
- Two year term is advisable, but not required. There are no term limits for WITA unit members.
- West Irondequoit Teachers' Association (WITA)
Leadership Staff Selection
- The principal is a permanent member of the School Based Planning Team. Additional administrative members are advisable and selected by the leadership staff in the school.
How frequently do the school based planning teams meet? How might I learn when the meetings are scheduled?
The school planning teams meet on a monthly basis at a time determinedby each school. Most meetings are held on a regularly scheduled dayand meeting time and the schedule is included in the school's newsletteror on their Web site. You may also call the school office to inquirewhen the school based planning meetings are held in a school.
School planning teams may meet more often than on a monthly basis when there are specific needs established by the team.
How are individual school's plans coordinated across the district?
The West Irondequoit Central School District Board of Education directsthe Superintendent to implement the School Based Planning Process on adistrict-wide basis.The Superintendent of Schools delegates this coordinating responsibilityto a district committee. This committee entitled the "DistrictCoordinating Council," meets twice per year, minimally, to reviewschool-based plans, and to provide feedback and support to each schoolteam.
District Coordinating Council Composition:
- Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services
- President of the West Irondequoit Teacher's Association
- Faculty Representative
- President of the West Irondequoit Central Parent Teacher Student Association (WICPTSA)
- Director of Personnel
Responsibilities of the District Coordinating Council:
- Act as a resource to school planning teams
- Review School Based Plans and provide feedback to each team
- Provide for coordination between and amongst planning teams
- Develop the report of the Commissioner's mandated biennial review and present findings to the Superintendent and the West Irondequoit School Board
- Coordinate members of each school planning team to meet and share school plans with one another. Twice per year, each school team designates a "liaison" team member to attend a district-wide meeting where other team liaisons are present. The purpose of these meetings is to share school-based planning information across schools.
Links to School Based Plans:
Glossary of Terms - Many acronyms are used and may be referenced in your school's plan. A list of terms is provided to assist you.