School Improvement Teams

The School Committee believes that the school is the key unit for educational improvement and change and that successful school improvement is best accomplished through a school-based decision-making process. By involving those directly affected by any action or decision of the school improvement process it helps to strengthen the commitment to those decisions by those most affected by its implementation.

Under this policy, the Principal shall have primary responsibility for the management of the school. Decisions that are made at the school level must be aligned with the budget, policies, curriculum, and long-range and short-range goals adopted by the School Committee. In addition, decisions must comply with any state and federal laws and regulations and with any negotiated agreements of the school district.

A School Improvement team shall be established in each school to develop a school improvement plan aligned with the District’s strategic plan, monitor the implementation of that plan, and evaluate its effects on the instructional experience of students. The school improvement plan may be implemented only after review and approval by the Superintendent.

In addition to guiding the school improvement process, the School Improvement Team shall meet regularly (no less than quarterly) with the Principal of the school and shall assist in:

1. Recommendations of changes to school procedures and handbooks that are consistent with state and local policies and standards.

2. Review of school data and identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school.

3. The formulation of an annual School Improvement Plan.

4. Review of the school building budget.

5. Consultation to the Principal regarding the hiring process.

6. Recommendations to the Principal for the development, implementation, and assessment of a curriculum accommodation plan.

Composition of School Improvement Teams

The composition of School Improvement Teams shall be consistent with the Rhode Island Education Accountability Act and shall be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students, parents, and other business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school, provided that vocational-technical center and high school school-improvement teams shall include students, and middle and junior high school school-improvement teams may include students.

Members representing teachers, education support employees, students, and parents shall be selected by their peer groups at the school in a fair and equitable manner. At the middle and high school levels, where there are designated department heads, those department heads will also be included on the school improvement team. At a minimum, the school improvement teams at the middle and high school levels shall include at least one department head from a humanities subject area and at least one department head from one of the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics subject areas.

The School Committee shall review the membership composition of each school improvement team.

Procedures for Selection

Every September, the Principal shall seek volunteers from teachers, parents, students (high school), education support staff, and the community at large.

1. If the number of volunteers exceeds 4 teachers, 2 education support staff, 4 parents, or 4 students, then an election process shall ensue among the peer group.

2. At least one parent representative of ELL students from each of the language groups with more than twenty (20) students in the school shall be included on the team.

3. The Principal shall select other business and community members drawn from such groups or entities as municipal government, business and labor organizations, institutions of higher education, human services agencies, community groups, or other interested groups, who are representative of the ethnic, racial and economic community served by the school.

The Superintendent/School Committee shall review the membership composition of each school improvement team. Should the Superintendent/School Committee determine that the membership elected by the school is not representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school, the Superintendent/School Committee shall appoint additional members to achieve proper representation.

LEGAL REFERENCE: R. I. Gen. Law 16-53.1-1 et sequ.; R. I. Gen. Law 16-2-11.1

ADAPTED FROM MASC

ADOPTED: October 1, 2018

REVISED: March 2, 2020