School Council Policy Format

School Council Policy Format

London Elementary

School Based

Decision Making

Council Policies

2011-2012

Vision Statement

Learning Equals Success

Mission Statement

London Elementary Success equals staff, students, and parents working together as a team to help all students reach their

highest level of learning.

Student Guidelines for Success

Take responsibility.

Initiate kindness.

Give your best effort.

Expect to learn.

Respect yourself and others.

See yourself as a winner!

SBDM Policies Table of Contents

PolicyPage

Consultation3

Curriculum5

Staff Time Assignment7

Student Assignment9

School Schedule11

Use of Space12

Instructional Practices13

Discipline/Classroom Management16

Extracurricular Programs17

Alignment with State Standards18

Program Appraisal19

Primary Program20

Committee Participation22

Planning23

Assessment25

Technology26

Homework29

Wellness30

Writing31

Title I Program Parent and Community Involvement34

Enhancing Student Achievement36

Program Review38

School Council Policy

District: LaurelCounty School: London Elementary

COUNCIL POLICY TYPE (Check One) / POLICY NUMBER

By-Laws (Council Operational Policies)
X Function (School Operational Policies) / 07 01

POLICY TOPIC DESCRIPTION

Consultation Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Definitions: For the purpose of this policy, “vacancy” means a position that did not previously
exist but which can now be funded, a position previously held by an employee who
has now left the school, or a position held by an employee who has made a written statement that he or she will leave the school.
Ad Hoc Committee: The principal shall appoint the Ad Hoc Committee of no more than 5 people, including the principal, at least one parent, and at least one certified staff member. The Council may direct the Ad Hoc Committee to look for specific qualifications the Council thinks are needed in the position to be filled.
Work of the Ad Hoc Committee: The Ad Hoc Committee Shall:
Meet for the first time within 14 calendar days of its appointment.
Develop a list of questions to be asked to each applicant and a set of criteria for a strong candidate.
Interview applicants selected.
Determine which applicants possess any qualifications the Council has identified and meets the criteria set by the Committee itself for a strong candidate.
Notify all members of the Council when it is ready to report.

Work of the Principal: The Principal shall:
Review all applications, including references, received from the superintendent.
Request additional applications from the superintendent if deemed necessary.
Select applicants to interview.
Report in closed session to the Council on the merits of the applications received.
Council Consultation: The Council shall go into closed session to:
Hear the Ad Hoc Committee’s report on the merits of the applications received.
Allow each Council member to offer advice to the principal on the contributions different applicants could make.
Allow general discussion among Council members about the applicants.
Provide any additional input requested by the principal.
If the Council is not available for consultation, the principal shall consult with the staffing and hiring committee.
Selection by Principal: After meeting with the Council the principal shall select the person he or she believes will contribute most to the success of the school’s students and notify the superintendent of his or her choice. The superintendent shall complete the hiring process.

Date Adopted 01-08-01 Signature _____ Mary Bowling______

Last Review Date 09-28-10 Council Chairperson

School Council Policy

District:Laurel School: London Elementary

Council Policy Type (check one) / Policy Number
  • By-Laws (council operational policies)
  • Function (school operational policies)
/ 08.01
Policy Topic Description
Curriculum Policy
Policy Statement

Curriculum Adoption

Our school will implement the Laurel County School District Elementary Curriculum Framework and Maps developed by the District Curriculum Committees. We accept this curriculum based on our confidence that it:
  1. Defines what students should know and be able to do in all content areas, including essential knowledge, skills, and processes.
  2. Is based directly on Kentucky’s Goals, Expectations, Core Content, Depth of Knowledge, and Program of Studies.
  3. Reflects the connections among Kentucky’s Student Performance Descriptors.
  4. Is designed to address appropriate age and developmental levels.
  5. Addresses the learning needs of all students while maintaining high expectations.

Curriculum Development

School committees shall participate in on-going Curriculum Development to create a school-based aligned curriculum to include differentiation, assessments, and school resources.

Curriculum Articulation and Transition Points

Vertical and horizontal articulation will be achieved through on-going curriculum mapping to minimize curriculum gaps. Transition points will be targeted through curriculum mapping.

Curriculum Revision

Our Council and appropriate committees will consider revisions to our
Curriculum when one or more of the following events occur:
  1. State officials modify the Goals, Expectations, Core Content or Program of Studies.
  2. District leaders or working groups modify district curriculum documents.
  3. Our Comprehensive Planning process identifies a need for adjustments.
Other stakeholder input or data demonstrates a need for revisions.

Curriculum Implementation

The school curriculum will be reviewed regularly and curriculum issues discussed at faculty meetings and grade level planning meetings.
The school curriculum will be described in a binder that is available to parents in the office and the school library.
Date Adopted03-21-05 Signature___ Mary Bowling______
Revised Policy Adopted 10-03-06 Council Chairperson
Last Review Date 06-28-10

School Council Policy

District:Laurel School: London Elementary

Council Policy Type (check one) / Policy Number
  • By-Laws (council operational policies)
  • Function (school operational policies)
/ 09.01
Policy Topic Description

Staff Time Assignment Policy

Policy Statement
The principal (or principal’s designee) shall assign staff members’ time in a manner that includes but is not limited to the following criteria:
  1. Specialized training a staff member has completed that is related to the assignment.
  2. Request of the staff member for a change in assignment
  3. Teaching experience related to the assignment
  4. Seniority within the school or school district
  5. Individual teacher evaluations
  6. Enrollment of the school or a particular grade
After making assignments, the principal (or principal’s designee) may alter them:
  1. When necessary to respond to unanticipated enrollment or staffing changes.
  2. When the principal (or principal’s designee) and affected teachers agree that a change is needed.
  3. When the Council changes other policies or the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan and recognizes in the minutes that those changes may require staff time assignment changes that cannot be put off until the next school year.
To complete assignments, the principal (or principal’s designee) shall:
During the last month of school:
  1. Invite all returning staff members to indicate their preference for continuing or changing assignments the next year, including classroom assignments, extra-duty assignments, and other responsibilities.
  2. Meet with any individual staff members whose requests may be difficult to grant to discuss reasons for the staff member’s interest, factors making it difficult to grant the requests, and possible solutions.
In July:
  1. Assign staff members based on the criteria above.
  2. Notify the Council of how each returning staff member has been assigned.


Date Adopted04-19-04 Signature__ Mary Bowling_____
Last Review Date 09-28-10 Council Chairperson

School Council Policy

District : Laurel School : London Elementary

COUNCIL POLICY TYPE (Check One) / POLICY NUMBER

By-Laws (Council Operational Policies)
Function (School Operational Policies) / 10 01

POLICY TOPIC DESCRIPTION

Student Assignment Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Definition of Student Assignment:
“Student assignment” means the placement of students in homerooms/classrooms.
Procedures for Determining Student Assignments: The faculty, in collaboration with the student assignment committee, shall determine how individual students shall be placed within the regular classroom. The following procedures shall be followed:
  1. Classroom teachers will rank their students at the end of the year according to academic performance and student behavior. Teachers will follow Procedures for Building Classes.
  2. The principal, student assignment committee, and teachers from each grade level will determine class rosters by randomly drawing from subgroups.
  3. The following criteria shall be used to determine placement and to ensure equitable classroom groups: academic performance, gender, Instructional needs of the students (ie: 504, Special Education (both resource and collaboration), Gifted & Talented students, speech only, RTI tier level, and P5 (for the next school year.), student behavior, and class size.
Implementation:
The principal, regular classroom teachers, and student assignment committee will determine class rosters. Adjustments will be made to the rosters using the following steps:
  1. In the rare occasion that a class will need to be split between two grade levels, the principal will determine the appropriate criteria to assign students based on each individual basis.
  2. Parents who wish to change the class assignment of their child must complete the following steps:
  3. Complete and submit the Non-Request Form to the Student Assignment Committee. The form MUST state an educational reason for the request.
  4. Submit the request during the Non-Request Form window for the following year, unless the child is newly enrolled over the summer.
  5. Parents will be notified about the Non-Request Form window through One Call Now announcements, the London Elementary School website, and newsletters.
  6. The student assignment committee will consist of at least: A teacher from every grade level and an itinerate teacher. This committee will review the Non-Request forms that are submitted by the parent during the last two weeks of school. After careful consideration, the committee will vote to approve or deny the request. Any students that are moved from a class list must be replaced with a student of equal academic performance, gender, and behavior.
  7. If the parent disagrees with the decision rendered by the Student Assignment Committee, they can make a final appeal, in writing, to the Student Assignment Committee.
  8. After the designated date set by the Student Assignment Committee, no changes to class lists can be made.
Monitoring of Student Assignment:
The Student Assignment Committee and the Site Based Decision Making Council will review the student assignment policy annually.
Communication:
All Site Based Decision Making Council policies are available to the public via the school website and in the school library.

Date Adopted 05-19-03 Signature Mary Bowling______Revised Policy Adopted06-11-10; 11-23-10 Council Chairperson

Last Review Date 09-28-10

School Council Policy

District : Laurel School : London Elementary

COUNCIL POLICY TYPE (Check One) / POLICY NUMBER

By-Laws (Council Operational Policies)
Function (School Operational Policies) / 11 01

POLICY TOPIC DESCRIPTION

School Schedule Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

The principal shall develop a school schedule to meet the needs of the student population of London Elementary as well as comply with beginning and ending times of the school day and the school calendar year as established by the board of education. This schedule will be implemented considering factors such as class size; school schedule for a daily and yearly basis; provisions for weekly planning time; teacher collaboration and common planning time; supervised P.E.; lunch; interdisciplinary activities; and other concerns to maximize student instructional time.
If needed, an ad hoc scheduling committee will convene and suggest changes after receiving any recommendations.

Date Adopted 04-19-04 Signature ___ Mary Bowling______

Council Chairperson
Last Review Date 10-26-10

School Council Policy

District : Laurel School : London Elementary

COUNCIL POLICY TYPE (Check One) / POLICY NUMBER

By-Laws (Council Operational Policies)
Function (School Operational Policies) / 12 01

POLICY TOPIC DESCRIPTION

Use of Space Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Assignment of school space shall be made by the principal based on such criteria as class size, program space needs, accessibility for disabilities, supervision and movement of all students, safety, and overall effective school management. When the principal believes that it may be necessary to change room assignments, he or she shall discuss the concerns with the faculty member and allow at least one week for alternative proposals to be made before a final decision is made.

Date Adopted 01-08-01 Signature ___ Mary Bowling______

Council Chairperson
Last Review Date 10-26-10

School Council Policy

District:Laurel School: London Elementary

Council Policy Type (check one) / Policy Number
  • By-Laws (council operational policies)
  • Function (school operational policies)
/ 13.01

Policy Topic Description

Instructional Practices Policy

Policy Statement
School Vision: Learning Equals Success
School Mission: London Elementary success equals staff, students, and parents working together as a team to help all students reach their highest level of learning.
Guidelines for Success:
Take responsibility
Initiate kindness
Give your best effort
Expect to learn
Respect yourself and others
See yourself as a winner

Classroom Instruction

On a regular basis in each class, each teacher will:
  1. Use instructional strategies and learning activities which are aligned with district, school, and state learning goals.
  2. Use varied student-centered instructional strategies.
  3. Address various learning styles and the multiple intelligences.
  4. Apply research-based strategies.
  5. Use activities where all students use higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills.
  6. Make active use of interdisciplinary connections.
  7. Assign tasks similar to those used for state and local assessments.
  8. Provide opportunities for students to connect their learning to real-life
Experiences.
  1. Adjust instruction and use instructional resources to respond to the diversity of students in that class.
  2. Use instructional resources that are developmentally appropriate to the students in the class.
  3. Use a variety of electronic and printed instructional resources.
Lesson plans will reflect implementation of varied research-based instructional strategies.

Collaboration on Classroom Instruction

At least one day per week, grade level teams will collaborate to:
  1. Analyze student work and progress. Teachers will use analysis results to modify instructional practices.
  2. Plan units of instruction and develop assessments.
  3. Review the activities they have each used.
  4. Discuss student progress, successes, and challenges.
  5. Share possible solutions to challenges.
  6. Identify areas needing further work or support.
Participants will complete the PLC Journal form for weekly meetings and email to the principal.

Protection of Instructional Time

The instructional schedule will provide for 6 hours of instruction time or more per day. Students will be actively involved in learning throughout these instructional hours. To ensure this:
  1. Broadcast interruptions from the school office will be limited to the
beginning and ending of the school day or emergencies.
  1. Daily instruction will begin promptly when the first bell rings.
  2. Activities that reward or punish student behavior will not be conducted during instructional time unless those activities are strongly supported by the curriculum and instructional policies established by the Council
  3. Videotapes and television broadcasts will be used only when they efficiently convey knowledge and skills called for in the curriculum and are integrated into other activities that require the students to process and apply the information the video provides.
  4. The Positive Behavioral Interventions and SupportsPlan and discipline and classroom management policy will also contribute to ensuring that behavioral problems do not distract from learning time.
Principal Roles
The principal (or principal’s designee) will:
  1. Check for success in implementing this policy as part of regular instructional walk throughs, classroom observations, and evaluations of each teacher.
  2. Provide constructive feedback and recommendations for individual teachers’ professional growth.

Review of Policy

The implementation and impact of this policy will be reviewed through our Comprehensive Planning I and I Check process.
The Instructional Practices Policy is embedded throughout our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.
Effective instructional practices will be revisited regularly during faculty meetings for implementation and monitoring.
Date Adopted03-21-05 Signature___ Mary Bowling______
Revised Policy Adopted 11-25-08 Council Chairperson
Last Review Date 01-25-11

School Council Policy

District : Laurel School : London Elementary

COUNCIL POLICY TYPE (Check One) / POLICY NUMBER

By-Laws (Council Operational Policies)
Function (School Operational Policies) / 14 01

POLICY TOPIC DESCRIPTION

Discipline/Classroom Management Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

London Elementary staff shall implement the Laurel County Public Schools Student Code of Acceptable Conduct and Discipline. Teachers and students will follow the London Elementary School Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports procedures, rewards, and consequences to ensure minimal disruptions to classroom instruction.
Teachers will create a positive learning climate through the implementation of classroom management strategies including CHAMPS and Harry Wong procedures.
Information about discipline / classroom management including the District Student Code of Acceptable Conduct and Disciplineshall be distributed to all staff prior to the beginning of each school year and to all parents upon enrollment of their child each year.
The school council shall automatically adopt any subsequent amendments to the District Student Code of Acceptable Conduct and Discipline by the local board of education.

Date Adopted 01-08-01 Signature __ Mary Bowling______

Revised Policy Adopted 10-03-06; 11-25-08 Council Chairperson
Last Review Date 01-31-12

School Council Policy

District : Laurel School : London Elementary

COUNCIL POLICY TYPE (Check One) / POLICY NUMBER

By-Laws (Council Operational Policies)
Function (School Operational Policies) / 15 01

POLICY TOPIC DESCRIPTION

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