NORTHWEST IS ISD CURRICULUM AUDIT POLICY UPDATES NISD Board of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

NORTHWEST IS ISD CURRICULUM AUDIT POLICY UPDATES

NISD Board of Trustees Report September 23, 2019

BACKGROUND

• Conducted under the auspices of Texas Curriculum

Management Audit Center with Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)

• 10 auditors were present
• TCMAC-CMSi certified
• Conducted April 30 - May 3, 2018
• 493-page draft was provided to NISD in August 2018
• FALL 2018 - A recommendations committee was formed to

review the document

• JAN 2019 - Rebuttals from the Audit were submitted for final

review

• SPRING 2019 - Next steps/Action plan created

NIS ISD RECOMMENDATION COMMITTEE

• Outside facilitator - John Doughney
• Website: NISD Curriculum Audit Committee
• Members
• 65 Total Members
• 19 District Administrators
• 15 Coordinators
• 7 Campus Administrators
• 24 Teachers

AUDIT STANDARDS

• 1. The school district demonstrates its control of resources,

programs, and personnel.

• 2. The school district has established clear and valid objectives

for students.

• 3. The school district demonstrates internal consistency and

rational equity in its program development and implementation.

• 4. The school district uses the results from district-designed

and/or-adopted assessments to adjust, improve, or terminate ineffective practices or programs.

• 5. The school district has improved productivity.

AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS

• 1. Adopt new or revise existing board policies and administrative regulations to communicate,

clarify, and expand governance expectations. Improve system and curriculum management by increased control over human resources.

• 2. Extend and implement coordinated planning processes that produce congruent district and

campus plans that are reviewed regularly throughout the year with modifications made as

• needed. Link district and campus planning to system planning for curriculum management,

professional development, student assessment, program evaluation, and budget development.

• 3. Refine and implement a comprehensive curriculum management system that coordinates and

focuses all curriculum management functions. Redesign and direct curriculum revision to ensure curriculum documents and associated district- developed assessments are of the highest quality and deeply aligned in content, context, and cognitive rigor with the TEKS and high stakes assessments.

AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS

• 4. Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for student assessment and program evaluation that requires

the use of data at all levels to close the achievement gaps among subgroups and improve overall student

• performance. The written plan will provide feedback for decision making regarding curriculum management

and program evaluation, which includes adoption, implementation, continuation, expansion, modification,

• r strategic abandonment.
• 5. Develop and implement a plan of action to address issues of equity in the district, including: student

achievement disparities, access to the district curriculum, representation of subgroups in disciplinary actions and advanced courses, and funding distribution to areas of need. Ensure that all efforts to address issues of equity are regularly monitored and evaluated.

• 6. Develop a comprehensive professional development plan to incorporate systemic coordination, effective

classroom strategies for cognitive engagement of learners, and emphasis on growth in curriculum alignment and delivery. Include a process for review of implementation and subsequent evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of both district and building professional development.

AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS

• 7. Establish an instructional model that clarifies curriculum delivery, and refine procedures for

consistent monitoring of district instructional practices across all levels of the school district. Provide principals training in refinements to monitoring of instructional practices and the development of individual reflective practitioners.

• 8. Develop a comprehensive long-term facilities plan incorporating educational specifications in
• rder to assure equitable facilities support to the district instructional program in all schools,

fully functioning physical infrastructure, and safe and healthy building environments throughout the district.

• 9. Develop and implement a performance-based, data-driven budget development process that

emphasizes cost-benefit analysis, linkage to district goals, and prioritization as the driving practices.

• 10. Develop and implement a system for selecting, planning, implementing, monitoring, and

evaluating program interventions.

PURPOSE OF THIS IS REPORT: REVIEW BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS AS IT IT RELATES TO THE GOVERNANCE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Review Standard 1:

• The school district demonstrates its control of resources, programs, and

personnel. Review Recommendation 1:

• Adopt new or revise existing board policies and administrative regulations to

communicate, clarify, and expand governance expectations. Improve system and curriculum management by increased control over human resources.

STANDARD 1: : THE SCHOOL DIS ISTRICT DEMONSTRATES IT ITS CONTROL OF RESOURCES, PROGRAMS, , AND PERSONNEL

What the Auditors Expected to Find:

• A curriculum that is centrally defined and adopted by the Board of Trustees;
• A clear set of policies that establish an operational framework for management

that permits accountability;

• A clear set of policies that reflect state requirements and local program goals

and the necessity to use achievement data to improve school systems

• perations;
• A functional administrative structure that facilitates the design and delivery of

the district’s curriculum;

STANDARD 1: : THE SCHOOL DIS ISTRICT DEMONSTRATES IT ITS CONTROL OF RESOURCES, PROGRAMS, , AND PERSONNEL

What the Auditors Expected to Find:

• A direct, uninterrupted line of authority from school board/superintendent and
• ther central office officials to principals and classroom teachers;
• Organizational development efforts that are focused to improve systems

effectiveness;

• Documentation of school board and central office planning for the attainment
• f goals, objectives, and mission over time; and
• A clear mechanism to define and direct change and innovation within the

school system to permit maximization of its resource on priority goals,

• bjectives, and mission.

CURRENT POLIC ICIES (E (EXHIB IBIT 1.1 .1.2 OF NIS ISD AUDIT IT)

During the course of the Audit:

• Auditors reviewed 219 policies, exhibits, and administrative

regulations

• 121 (55%) were legal policies provided by TASB and another 72

(30%) were local policies developed in-district, 26 (12%) were administrative regulations

• Of the 193 legal, local policies in which the auditors reviewed, 102

(53%) have been reviewed and adopted by the district in the past two years

SUGGESTIONS

• 31 Legal policies were listed for possible updates (Legal policies compile

federal law, state law, and court decisions and involve NO discretionary decision-making authority by the local Board of Trustees)

• 18 Local policies were listed for possible updates in 24 areas (Local policies

reflect decisions made by the board of trustees to meet local needs)

Sections Identified:

• Basic District Foundations
• Local Governance
• Business and Support Services
• Personnel
• Instruction
• Students

LOCAL POLICIES ID IDENTIFIED FOR REVIEW

(C (COPIES OF F EACH POLICY ATTACHED IN IN BOARD PACKET)

• AE Local - Educational Philosophy
• BBD Exhibit - Board Member Training
• BJA Local - Supt. Qualifications and Duties
• BQ Local - Planning and Decision Making Process
• BQA Local and Regulation - Planning and Decision

Making District Level

• BQB Local - Planning and Decision Making

Campus Level

• CE Local - Annual Operating Budget
• DC Local and Regulation - Employment Practices
• DN Local - Performance Appraisal
• DNB Local and Regulation - Performance Appraisal
• f Campus Administrators
• EFA Local - Instructional Resources/Materials
• EHAA - Basic Instructional Programs- Required

Instruction

• EH Local - Curriculum Design
• EHB Local and Regulation - Curriculum Design;

Special Programs

• EHBB Local - Special Programs- Gifted/Talented
• EHBD Local -Special Programs- Title I
• EHDC Local - Alternative Methods for Earning

Credit

• FB Local - Equal Educational Opportunities

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

AE - Educational Philosophy 5/21/2008 Adopted new policy 6/21/2018 (Strategic Plan)

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

BBD - Board Members - Training and Orientation 5/9/2011 - Local 2/5/2013 - Exhibit Work with Board and Legal Council to determine if an updated local policy is necessary; Audit suggests a series

• f board study sessions

around the policies that address the criteria of sound curriculum management

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

BJA - Superintendent - Qualifications and Duties 11/7/2006 Work with Board and Legal Council to determine if an updated local policy is necessary; Create local policy that calls for the all administrative regulations be up to date

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

BQ - Planning and Decision Making Process 7/27/2016 Work with Board and Legal Council to determine if an updated local policy is necessary BQA - Planning and Decision Making - District Level 4/22/2002 Update local board policy to provide

• verall directions for a full scope of

long range planning.* BQA - Planning and Decision Making - Campus Level 8/28/2006 Cont. *The audit recommended that each department have its own planning document, which was implemented by Superintendent in the 2018-2019 school year.

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

CE - Annual Operating Budget 11/3/2008 Work with Board and Legal Council to determine if an updated local policy is necessary; The audit recommended an alignment of resources and results.

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

DC - Employment Practices 2/15/2017 Work with Board and Legal Council to determine if an updated local policy is necessary

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

DN - Performance Appraisal 5/1/2007 Appraisal update and review is currently underway for District level administrators; DNB - Performance Appraisal of Campus Administrators 9/12/2016 Audit recommends a comprehensive review of the relationship between job descriptions and the respective annual performance appraisal criteria.

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

EFA - Instructional Resources- Instructional Materials No current local policy Review EFA Legal adopted 11/7/2017 to determine need to draft and adopt a local policy

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

EH - Curriculum Design 1/16/2006 Review Curriculum Management Plan (updated May 2019) and seek Board approval (document attached in Board packet)

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

EHAA - Basic Instructional Program - Required Instruction (All levels) No current local policy Review EFA Legal adopted 11/7/2017 to determine need to draft and adopt a local policy

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

EHB - Curriculum Design - Special Programs No current local policy Review EFA Legal adopted 11/7/2017 to determine need to draft and adopt a local policy EHBB - Special Programs - Gifted and Talented Students 1/11/12 Prepare policy revision to address the issue of equity and prioritize it district-wide EHBD - Special Programs - Federal Title 1 7/27/2016 Cont.

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

EHDC - Alternative Methods for Earning Credit - Credit by Examination without Prior Instructions 7/7/2014 Revised as part of District of Innovation Plan 7/9/2019

Policy Date Adopted Next Step

FB - Equal Educational Opportunities 3/16/2016 (Local) 9/6/2017 (exhibit) Exhibit updated on 9/9/2019

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations from the audit include policy updates in the following areas:

• Expectations for following curriculum management plan,

following defined district instructional model, and professional development;

• Monitoring curriculum effectiveness as well as teacher

delivery;

• Appraisals and job descriptions;
• Monitoring interventions and programs for equity;
• Expectations for following district assessment plan.

NEXT STEPS:

• The NISD Curriculum Audit suggests a 12 to 24 month

process to bring all policies up to date, including

• regulations. (p.412)
• Final review of document was January 2019 and, as noted,

action steps have begun in several areas.

• Administration requests a January 2020 date for a Board

update on policy revisions and additions.