Ensuring Success For Each Student FLEXIBILITY &
ACCOUNTABILITY Legislative Requirements and Options for Georgia
School Systems
Slide 2
Ensuring Success For Each Student Legislative Requirement
O.C.G.A. 20-2-84.3: No later than JUNE 30, 2015, each local school
system shall either notify the department of its intention to
request increased flexibility pursuant to this article OR shall
comply with subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-80.
Slide 3
Ensuring Success For Each Student Legislative Requirement
O.C.G.A. 20-2-8o: (b) A local school system may elect NOT to
request increased flexibility in exchange for increased
accountability and defined consequences and opt to remain under ALL
current laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Status
Quo = No SBOE Waivers
Slide 4
Ensuring Success For Each Student Flexibility Options Status
Quo IE2 Contract: (Investing in Educational Excellence) Charter
Contract (Charter System or System of Charters)
Slide 5
Ensuring Success For Each Student Current Status of GA School
Systems IE2 - ApprovedCharter System - Approved Forsyth Gwinnett
Rabun Banks Barrow Calhoun Carrollton Cartersville Coffee Commerce
Dawson Decatur City Dublin Floyd Fulton Glascock Gainesville Gilmer
Gordon Haralson Lumpkin Madison Marietta Morgan Putnam Union Warren
White
Slide 6
Ensuring Success For Each Student Length & Parties to
Contract Status QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters NO Contract
Five-Year Contract Local Board SBOE GOSA Five-Year Contract Local
Board SBOE Five-Year Contract Individual School Local Board
SBOE
Slide 7
Ensuring Success For Each Student Scope of Flexibility Status
QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters NO flexibility waivers
Negotiated / specified flexibility Proportionate to accountability
goals Maximum flexibility allowed by law Maximum flexibility
allowed by law There can be no waiver of federal laws and
regulations, and no waiver of state laws and regulations pertaining
to health, safety, and accountability requirements.
Slide 8
Ensuring Success For Each Student IE2 Flexibility Forsyth
County Schools Academic Program FlexibilityHR / Financial
Flexibility EIP / LEP / Gifted - delivery models Graduation Req. -
seat time Instructional Extension - use of resources Middle School
Program - instructional time Promotion & Retention - response
to initial assessment results Scheduling Instruction - move on when
ready School Day / Year - for students and staff Class Size - for
all grades/programs Categorical Allotment - flexible allotment
Expenditure Control - flexible application QBE Financing - maintain
earnings
Slide 9
Ensuring Success For Each Student Charter Flexibility Typical
use of Broad Flexibility Academic Program FlexibilityHR / Financial
Flexibility Alternative Programs Attendance Protocols EIP / ELL /
Gifted / REP Graduation Requirement Health/PE Requirement
Instructional Extension Middle School Program Promotion/Retention
Scheduling Instruction School Day / Year Seat Time Statewide
Passing Score At-Will Contracts Certification Class Size Required
Personnel Categorical Allotment Expenditure Controls Salary
Schedule QBE Financing
Slide 10
Ensuring Success For Each Student Accountability Status
QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters NO contractual
accountability measures Contractual accountability measures for
each school Contractual accountability measures for the district
Contractual accountability measures for each school
Slide 11
Ensuring Success For Each Student Forsyth IE2 Accountability
Performance Goal: Close gaps for all students and subgroups in
reading, ELA, math, and writing between the schools performance and
the state average Schools are expected to meet targets for 3 years
of the 5-year contract. Goal Met If: School did not miss more than
one subgroup target in a given subject AND Same subgroup did not
miss a target in more than one subject area OR Schools CCRPI is 85
or higher and is in 85 th percentile of CCRPI scores across state
If a school does not meet targets in 3 years but meets goals by the
5 th year, the school will be deemed as meeting contract goals
Slide 12
Ensuring Success For Each Student Forsyth IE2 Accountability ES
Measures % exceeds grades 3-5 Reading/ELA % exceeds grades 3-5 Math
% meets/exceeds grade 5 Writing MS Measures % exceeds grades 6-8
Reading/ELA % exceeds grades 6-8 Math % meets/exceeds grade 8
Writing HS Measures % exceeds grade 9 Literature % exceeds Math II
% exceeds GA HS Writing Mean scale score on SAT-Writing
Slide 13
Ensuring Success For Each Student Fulton Charter Accountability
Academic Goals Goal 1: Continuous Improvement meet/exceed state
performance targets exceed state avg. on all CRCTs/EOCTs reduce
number of schools not meeting SPT by 10% / year Goal 2: Students
College/Career Ready meet/exceed SPT for graduation rate reduce %
not graduating by 10% / year Increase grads w/ college credit 5% /
year Goal 3: All Students High Performing decrease % not meeting
SPT 2% / year increase % exceeds CRCT/EOCT 2% / year Goal 4:
Improve on National Assessments increase % rank on ITBS by 7 points
total increase district SAT by 6 points total increase district ACT
by 0.1 points total Increase % taking ACT or SAT by 1% / year
Slide 14
Ensuring Success For Each Student Fulton Charter Accountability
Operational Goals Goal 1: Positive School Environment decrease %
students absent 15 days by 1% increase student satisfaction by 7%
maintain parent volunteer rate of 85% Goal 2: Economically
Sustainable financially sound per external audit effective
allocation of budget resources maintains adequate cash reserves
Goal 3: Foster School-Level Governance by year-3, all schools will
use a School Governance Council by year-4, all schools will hold at
least one earned request for flexibility all School Governance
Councils will have annual governance training
Slide 15
Ensuring Success For Each Student Consequences Status
QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters NO contractual penalties
tied to performance Intervention or loss of governance for
individual schools not meeting performance goals Intervention or
loss of charter for district not meeting performance goals
Intervention or loss of charter for individual schools not meeting
performance goals
Slide 16
Ensuring Success For Each Student Fiscal Impact Status
QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters Regular QBE funding NO cost
savings through waivers Regular QBE funding Potential cost savings
through waivers Regular QBE funding Potential cost savings through
waivers Additional Allotment - $100/FTE - $4 million cap - $3.8
million for HCS Regular QBE funding Potential cost savings through
waivers Eligible to apply for federal grants (if funded)
Slide 17
Ensuring Success For Each Student Governance Status
QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters No change in current
governance structure Increased school-level governance required
Increased school-level governance required
Slide 18
Ensuring Success For Each Student Expectations for Charter
Governance The States intent is to maximize school level decision
making for Personnel Budget / Resource Allocation Curriculum and
Instruction School Operations and Improvement District Level School
Level GDOE wants charter schools to be as close to this end as
possible Decision-Making
Slide 19
Ensuring Success For Each Student As Stated in the Charter
Contract Local BoardSchool Governance Team The Local Board shall
ultimately be responsible for all duties to be performed by the
Charter System and the schools within the Charter System under this
Charter. The Governing Councils at each System Charter School shall
be subject to the control and management of the Local Board. Each
System Charter School shall utilize a Governing Council as its
governing body, which shall operate with the intent and purpose of
maximizing school-level decision making.
Slide 20
Ensuring Success For Each Student Guiding Principles District
Level Decision MakingSchool Level Decision Making is necessary to
Preserve equity and consistency Minimize legal risk Maximize
economies of scale Reduce the burden upon schools Produce systemic
results is necessary to Carry out the district/school mission and
vision Meet the unique needs of students, staff, and school
community Manage allocated resources for greatest effect on student
achievement
Slide 21
Ensuring Success For Each Student Practical Application
Personnel Budget / Resource Allocation Curriculum and Instruction
School Operations and Improvement SGC refers principal candidates
Principal refers staff candidates Principal manages and evaluates
staff XO evaluates principal w/ SGT input CO provides HR support
BOE approves employment, placement, termination SGC provides input,
approves and monitors school budget and staffing plan Principal and
staff develop and manage school budget and staffing plan CO
allocates resources BOE approves and monitors district budget SGC
provides input for instructional innovations Principal and staff
manage and evaluate instructional program and innovations CO
directs systemic instructional initiatives and provides support
services BOE approves systemic instructional initiatives SGC
approves fund-raising, field trip, use of facility requests; school
addendum to dress code; CSIP; monitors charter accountability
Principal and staff manage daily operations CO provides support
services to schools BOE adopts policies for effective operation of
school system
Slide 22
Ensuring Success For Each Student Fultons Plan for School
Governance TransitionStructureResponsibilitiesAccountability All
schools have SGC by year-3 Year-1 planning - communication,
elections, and training 3 parents 2 teachers 2 school staff 2
community 2 students (HS) / (non-voting) Principal (non-voting)
Two-year terms Approve school improv. plan Approve budget and
allocations Approve Request for Flexibility Participate in
selection of principal Serve as Title I Committee Standard set of
SGC Bylaws and Code of Conduct Certification of SGC SGC training
and monitoring by district Use of BoardDocs for transparency And
Cluster Advisory Councils to support cluster-wide coordination
Slide 23
Ensuring Success For Each Student Flexibility Contract Approval
Process Status QuoIE2Charter SystemSystem of Charters Conduct one
public hearing Sign GDOE statement Conduct one public hearing HCBOE
approval Submit to GDOE Negotiate contract SBOE approval Signed
contract Conduct two public hearings Send notice to all staff and
parents HCBOE resolution approving petition Submit to GDOE SBOE
approval Signed contract Each school develops charter petition
Staff/parents vote to submit petition HCBOE approval Submit to GDOE
SBOE approval Signed contracts
Slide 24
Ensuring Success For Each Student Considerations Will upcoming
elections result in changes to this legislative requirement? How
will the SBOE handle the matter of class size waivers for FY16?
Stakeholder input will be required for IE2 or charter system we
must build this into our timeline. Our next SACS accreditation
review will be Spring 2016 we must remain aware as we consider IE2
or charter system implementation plans and timelines.
Slide 25
Ensuring Success For Each Student Proposed Next Steps March -
April 2014 Determine if we can rule out status quo as an option If
so May - June July 2014 Obtain / present principal feedback
Superintendent and board identify preferred flexibility option
Resume development of application and plan for use of flexibility
July - August - September 2014 Initiate communication plan Obtain
stakeholder input Conduct public hearing(s) October 2014 HCBOE
action on final draft of plan If approved, submit application to
GDOE November 2014 August 2015 Prepare for implementation
Slide 26
Ensuring Success For Each Student Questions for Discussion
Which option is the best fit for our school system? Why? Which
option is the best fit for our community? Why? What questions
and/or concerns do you have? What suggestions do you have?