BQ Planning and Decision-Making Process

PLANNING AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

The Superintendent shall establish a schoolwide planning and decision-making process that will involve the professional staff of the School, parents of students enrolled in the School, business representatives, and community members in establishing and reviewing the School’s educational plans, goals, performance objectives, and major classroom instructional programs. Education Code 11.251(b)

The planning and decision-making requirements do not:

1. Prohibit the Board from conducting meetings with teachers or groups of teachers other than the schoolwide committee meetings;
2. Prohibit the Board from establishing policies providing avenues for input from others, including students or paraprofessional staff, in schoolwide planning and decision-making;
3. Limit or affect the power of the Board to govern the school; and
4. Create a new cause of action or require collective bargaining.

Education Code 11.251(g), 253(f)

Evaluation

At least every two years, the Superintendent shall evaluate the effectiveness of the School’s decision-making and planning policies, procedures, and staff development activities related to School-level decision-making and planning to ensure that they are effectively structured to positively impact student performance. Education Code 11.252(d)

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

The Superintendent shall develop a TSBVI site-based decision-making procedure to clearly define the respective roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent, central office staff, principals, teachers, schoolwide committee members in the areas of planning, budgeting, curriculum, staffing patterns, staff development, and school organization.

The Board shall ensure that the schoolwide planning and decision-making committee will be actively involved in establishing the administrative procedure that defines the respective roles and responsibilities pertaining to planning and decision-making.

Education Code 11.251(d)

FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Superintendent shall ensure that all pertinent federal planning requirements are addressed through the school-wide planning process. Education Code 11.251(f)

SINGLE-CAMPUS SCHOOL

TSBVI has only one campus, so the district and campus-level committees may be one committee, and the district and campus plans may be one plan. Education Code 11.252(c)

Pursuant to this authority, the Board directs the Superintendent to establish a single schoolwide committee.

REQUIRED PLANS

The Superintendent shall ensure that a Schoolwide Improvement Plan is developed, reviewed, and revised annually for the purpose of improving the performance of all students. The Board shall annually approve schoolwide performance objectives and shall ensure that the schoolwide plan:

1. Supports the accomplishment of the identified objectives; and
2. At a minimum, it supports the state goals and objectives under Education Code Chapter 4.

Education Code 11.251(a)

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

TSBVI shall have a School improvement plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in accordance with this policy, by the Superintendent, with the assistance of the schoolwide committee. The purpose of the School improvement plan is to guide the School staff in the improvement of student performance for all student groups in order to attain state standards in respect to the indicators of quality of learning similar to the intent of Education Code 11.252(a) but reflecting the School’s MOU with the Texas Education Agency. Education Code 11.252(a); Education Code 30.005; 19 TAC 97.1012 [See Policy AIA and BQA]

Availability to TEA

The School’s plan for the improvement of student performance is not filed with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), but the School must make the plan available to TEA on request. Education Code 11.252(b)

Required Provisions

The School improvement plan must include provisions for:

1. A comprehensive needs assessment addressing performance on the achievement indicators, and other appropriate measures of performance based on the assessment of the academic achievement of each student.
2. Measurable School performance objectives for all students enrolled and other appropriate objectives for special needs populations, and other measures of student performance that may be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment, including the quality indicators developed in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) jointly developed by TSBVI and TEA. (19 TAC 97.1012)
3. Strategies for improvement of student performance that include the following and any others developed in accordance with the MOU:
   1. Instructional methods for addressing the needs of each student.
   2. Methods for addressing the needs of students for special programs, including:
      1. Suicide prevention programs in accordance with Education Code Chapter 38, Subchapter G, which include a parental or guardian notification procedure [See Policy FFB and FFEB];
      2. Conflict resolution programs;
      3. Violence prevention programs; and
      4. Dyslexia treatment programs.
   3. Dropout reduction.
   4. Integration of technology in instructional and administrative programs.
   5. Positive behavior interventions and support, including interventions and support that integrate best practices on grief-informed and trauma-informed care.
   6. Staff development for the professional staff of the School.
   7. Career education to assist students in developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a broad range of career opportunities.
   8. Accelerated instruction.
   9. Implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program under Education Code 33.005. [See Policy FFEA]
4. Strategies for providing to elementary school, middle school, junior high school, and high school students, those students’ teachers and counselors, and those students’ parents’ information about:
   1. Higher education admissions and financial aid opportunities, including state financial aid opportunities such as the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for Texas grant program.
   2. The need for students to make informed curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school.
   3. Sources of information on higher education admissions and financial aid.
5. Resources needed to implement identified strategies.
6. Staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment of each strategy.
7. Timelines for ongoing monitoring of the implementation of each improvement strategy.
8. Formative evaluation criteria for determining periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended improvement of student performance.
9. The policy under Education Code 38.0041 addressing sexual abuse and other maltreatment of children. [See Policy FFG]
10. The trauma-informed care policy required under Education Code 38.036. [See Policy FFBA]
11. A program to encourage parental involvement.

Education Code 11.252(a)

Law Enforcement Duties

The law enforcement duties of peace officers, school resources officers, and security personnel must be included in the school improvement plan. Education Code 37.081(d)(1) [See Policy CKE]

Discipline Management

TSBVI shall adopt and implement a discipline management program to be included in the school improvement plan. Education Code 37.083(a) [See Policy FNC]

Education Code 11.252(a)

Dating Violence

TSBVI shall adopt and implement a dating violence policy to be included in the school improvement plan. Education Code 37.0831 [See Policy FFH]

Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Suicide

The practices and procedures developed under Education Code 38.351(i) (mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention, and suicide prevention) must be included in the school improvement plan. Education Code 38.351(k)(2) [See Policy FFEB]

Coordinated Health Program

TSBVI shall set goals and objectives for the coordinated health program based on:

1. Student fitness assessment data, including any data from research-based assessments such as the school health index assessment and planning tool created by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
2. Student academic performance data;
3. Student attendance rates;
4. The percentage of students who are educationally disadvantaged;
5. The use and success of any method to ensure that students participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity; and
6. Any other indicator recommended by the School Health Advisory Council.

Education Code 11.253(d)

Adopted:         1/25/91

Amended:       1/26/96, 11/14/97, 1/26/99, 1/24/02, 11/19/04, 1/25/19, 1/31/20, 2/18/22

Reviewed: