Contempt for Policy - Annual 2090 Edition
There is a school board policy, 2090, titled "Program Evaluation & Assessment". It is, of course, about program evaluation. I encourage you to read it - it's only one page long and written in fairly simple language.
The policy requires an annual report. Here is the actual policy language:
Each year the staff puts together their report, as required by the policy, and each year it utterly fails to even address the instructional programs. Instead, the annual report is all about assessments. Here is this year's annual report to be presented at tonight's board meeting. The policy does not require an annual report on assessments; it requires an annual report on programs. You would think that the Board - or at least one Board member - would ask for the report required in the policy but, shock, not one of them ever does.
This is yet another example of how everyone in the District Leadership conspires to ignore policy.
The policy requires an annual report. Here is the actual policy language:
"The Superintendent shall prepare an annual report which reflects the degree to which district goals and objectives related to the instructional program have been accomplished."Pretty straightforward - evaluate the instructional programs to determine if they are accomplishing their goals. Instructional programs include each school's general education program, each option school, language immersion programs, International Education programs, Special Education programs, Spectrum, APP, A.L.O.s, the Skills Center, bilingual education, Biligual Orientation Centers, and anything else that you could identify as an instructional program.
Each year the staff puts together their report, as required by the policy, and each year it utterly fails to even address the instructional programs. Instead, the annual report is all about assessments. Here is this year's annual report to be presented at tonight's board meeting. The policy does not require an annual report on assessments; it requires an annual report on programs. You would think that the Board - or at least one Board member - would ask for the report required in the policy but, shock, not one of them ever does.
This is yet another example of how everyone in the District Leadership conspires to ignore policy.
Comments
I am baffled why the Board doesn't - for once - say "this isn't good enough."
But when you let people get away with this kind of stuff, over and over, what do you expect?
And, I'd add, how they conspire to ignore accountability. It's harder to hold people accountable for programs if there are no data to show programs aren't working.
HIMSmom
Not one. No explanation. No questions from Board.
I'm sure it'll pass...
-flibber
That's not true, Charlie. And when you paint everyone with the same negative brush, you potentially undermine the efforts of those who are trying to do the right thing.
Melissa, yes the Board did ask questions. I also requested a Work Session for this report.
flibber - the help would be welcome!
"Are there any published district goals for each of these programs?"
No. The policy requires the Board to set the goals and objectives for each instructional program, but the Board has failed in that duty. I suspect that the Board doesn't demand the required report from the superintendent because it would expose the fact that the Board has not done their duty under the policy. So the Board keeps quiet about the superintendent's failure to keep their own failure out of the spotlight.
Well, here's the 2014 report and there are still no evaluations of the advanced learning programs. I have to wonder how Ms Heath evaluates the performance of the program manager without having an evaluation of the program.
Can you please clarify what you hope to accomplish via the work session on program evaluation and assessment? Hasn't the Board already accepted the non-report posing as report?
Thank you, though, for at least being interested in the issue. I'm sure there are a number of other parents/community members who would be happy to talk with you further about this, and you may find it helpful to get their insights prior to the requested work session. It might bolster your case to be able to say you met with a group of parents deeply concerned about this... Maybe you could post an invite here for a community meeting, if you're interested? Strength in numbers...
HIMSmom
Do it! I had the same thought, but too many skeletons to make it viable. :)
Skelly
Hmm. I don't know if I have skeletons or not.
Suep - I will muse on it for a while.
-flibbertigibbet