BQA(LEGAL) - PLANNING AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: DISTRICT-LEVEL

Committee

A district's policy and procedures shall establish a district level planning and decision-making committee as provided by Education Code 11.251(b)–(e).

The committee shall include representative professional staff, parents of students enrolled in the district, business representatives, and community members. Education Code 11.251(b)

Professional Staff

A board shall adopt a procedure, consistent with Education Code 21.407(a) [see DGA], for the professional staff to nominate and elect the professional staff representatives who shall serve on the district-level committee. If practicable, the committee shall include at least one professional staff representative with the primary responsibility for educating students with disabilities.

At least two-thirds of the elected professional staff representatives must be classroom teachers. The remaining staff representatives shall include both campus- and district-level professional staff members.

Education Code 11.251(e)

Parents

Board policy shall provide procedures for the selection of parents to the district-level committee.

For purposes of establishing the composition of the committee:

  1. A person who stands in parental relation to a student is considered a parent.
  2. A parent who is an employee of a district is not considered a parent representative on the committee.
  3. A parent is not considered a representative of community members on the committee.

Education Code 11.251(c), (e)

Business Representatives and Community Members

Board policy must provide procedures for the selection of community members and business representatives to serve on the district-level committee in a manner that provides for appropriate representation of the community's diversity.

The committee shall include a business representative without regard to whether the representative resides in the district or whether the business the person represents is located in the district.

Community members must reside in the district and must be at least 18 years of age.

Education Code 11.251(b), (c), (e)

Meetings

A board shall establish a procedure under which the district-level committee holds regular meetings. The board or designee shall periodically meet with the district-level committee to review the committee's deliberations. Education Code 11.251(b)

Public Meetings

The district-level committee shall hold at least one public meeting per year. The required meeting shall be held after receipt of the annual district performance report from TEA for the purpose of discussing the performance of a district and the district performance objectives. Education Code 11.252(e)

Communications

District policy and procedures must be established to ensure that systematic communications measures are in place to periodically obtain broad-based community, parent, and staff input and to provide information to those persons regarding the recommendations of the district-level committee. Education Code 11.252(e)

Consultation

A superintendent shall regularly consult the district-level committee in the planning, operation, supervision, and evaluation of the district educational program. Education Code 11.252(f)

Responsibilities

District Plan

The district-level committee shall assist the superintendent with the annual development, evaluation, and revision of the district improvement plan. Education Code 11.252(a) [See District Improvement Plan at BQ(LEGAL)]

Each school district and campus shall use the results from the teaching and learning conditions survey required by Education Code 7.065(a) to review and revise, as appropriate, the district-level or campus-level improvement plan, and for other purposes, as appropriate to enhance the district and campus learning environments. Education Code 7.065(e)

Dropout Prevention Review

A district-level committee of a district with a junior high, middle, or high school campus shall analyze information related to dropout prevention, including:

  1. The results of the audit of dropout records;
  2. Campus information related to graduation rates, dropout rates, high school equivalency certificate rates, and the percentage of students who remain in high school more than four years after entering grade 9;
  3. The number of students who enter a high school equivalency certificate program and:
    1. Do not complete the program,
    2. Complete the program but do not take the high school equivalency examination, or
    3. Complete the program and take the high school equivalency examination but do not obtain a high school equivalency certificate;
  4. For students enrolled in grades 9 and 10, information related to academic credit hours earned, retention rates, and placements in disciplinary alternative education programs and expulsions under Chapter 37; and
  5. The results of an evaluation of each school-based dropout prevention program in a district.

Each district-level committee shall use the information in developing the district improvement plan.

Education Code 11.255

Staff Development

For staff development under Education Code 21.451(a), a district may use district-wide staff development developed and approved through the district-level decision process. Education Code 21.451(c) [See DMA]

Note: See BF for information on the committee's role in requesting waivers.

Hawley ISD

BQA(LEGAL)-A

UPDATE 115

DATE ISSUED: 7/1/2020