SITE-BASED DECISION MAKING DEFINITION

Site-based decision making is a process for decentralizing decisions to improve the educational
outcomes at every school campus through a collaborative effort by which principals, teachers, campus
staff, district staff, parents, and community representatives assess educational outcomes of all students,
determine goals and strategies, and ensure that strategies are implemented and adjusted to improve
student achievement.

TEXAS EDUCATION LAW AND SITE-BASED DECISION MAKING

(a) The board of trustees of each independent school district shall ensure that a district improvement
plan and improvement plans for each campus are developed, reviewed, and revised annually for the
purpose of improving the performance of all students.

(a) The board shall annually approve district and campus performance objectives and shall ensure that
the district and campus plans:

• Are mutually supportive to accomplish the identified objectives; and

• at a minimum, support the state goals and objectives under TEC Chapter 4.

(b): • The Board shall adopt a policy to establish a district and campus-level planning and decision
making process that will involve the professional staff, parents, and community members in establishing
and reviewing the district’s and campuses’ educational plans, goals, performance objective, and major
classroom instructional programs.

• The board shall establish a procedure under which meetings are held regularly by district- and
campus-level planning and decision-making committees that include representative professional
staff, parents of students enrolled in the district, and community members

• The committees shall include business representatives, without regard to whether a business
representative resides in the district or whether the business the person represents is located in
the district

• The board, or the board’s designee, shall periodically meet with the district-level committee to
review the district-level committee’s deliberations

(c): For purposes of establishing the composition of committees under this section:

(1) a person who stands in parental relation to a student is considered a parent;

(2) a person who is an employee of the school district is not considered a parent representative
on the committee;

(3) a parent is not considered a representative of community members on the committee; and
(4) community members must reside in the district and must be at least 18 years of age. The
following diagram illustrates the basic membership of the district- and campus-level
committees. District- and Campus-Level Committee Compositions parents 2/3 classroom
teachers and Representative of the + community members community diversity and 1/3 other
campus-level professional staff business representatives and district-level professional staff
Elected Professional Staff Selected Based on Local Policy
(d): The board shall also ensure that an administrative procedure is provided to clearly define the
respective roles and responsibilities of the superintendent, central office staff, principals, teachers,
district-level committee members, and campus-level committee members in the areas of: Planning
Budgeting Curriculum Staffing Patterns School Organization Staff Development

(e): Board policy must provide procedures for the selection of parents to the district-level and campus-
level committees; and 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.

(f): The district policy must provide that all pertinent federal planning requirements are addressed
through the district and campus-level planning process.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF SBDM

• Improved student performance

• Improved community involvement

• Clearly established accountability parameters

• Raised staff productivity and satisfaction

• Commitment to implementation of planning

• Increased flexibility at the campus level in the allocation and use of resources

• Coordination of regular and special programs

SKILLS NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE SBDM PARTICIPATION

• Communication skills

• Goal setting system

• Collaborative abilities

• Prioritizing techniques

• Consensus building methods

Roles and Responsibilities

Welcome to Site-Based Decision Making for NEW SBDM Members Complete the K-W-L Chart while
you wait. Grab a water, coffee and munchie. Choose your seat.

 Collaborative Efforts to Improve Student Achievement Guidelines for developing integrated

planning and decision making processes
 K-W-L CHART

 Planning and Decision-Making Process

 The board shall adopt a policy to establish a district and campus level planning and decision
making process that will involve the professional staff of the district, parents, and community
members in establishing and reviewing the district’s and campuses’ educational plans, goals,
performance objectives, and major classroom instructional programs(b) of the Texas
Education Code

 District-Level Planning and Decision-Making Team

 District policies and procedures must be established to ensure that systematic

communication measures are in place to periodically obtain broad-based community, parent,
and staff input to district and campus level committee.(e) and (g)) of the Texas Education
Code

 The district level committee is responsible for providing assistance to the district
superintendent in the development, evaluation, and annual revision of a district improvement
plan.

 Assists in determining the district’s performance objectives (based on data analysis).and of

the Texas Education Code District-Level Planning and Decision-Making Team

 Jigsaw Activity

 Provides input with respect to the six areas to improve student achievement –Planning –
Budgeting –Curriculum –Staffing Patterns –Staff Development –School Organization of the
Texas Education Code District-Level Planning and Decision-Making Team

 CHART ACTIVITY

 of the Texas Education Code

 Advises the committee in regards to the adoption of the student code of conduct for the
district.

 Must meet periodically with the board, or the board’s designee, to share their deliberations.

 Shall hold at least one public meeting a year, after receipt of the annual district performance
report to discuss performance objectives. District-Level Planning and Decision-Making
Team and (b)(2) of the Texas Education Code

 The district level committee must address all pertinent federal planning requirements.

 Must provide comments on district level waivers that are submitted to the board of trustees
for approval prior to consideration by the commissioner. District-Level Planning and
Decision-Making Team

 Board of Trustees

 The board must ensure that the district- level and decision-making committee is actively
involved in establishing the administrative procedure that defines the respective roles and
 responsibilities pertaining to planning and decision making at the district and campus levels.
of the Texas Education Code

 Is responsible for overall operation of the district, but delegates the administration of the
district to the superintendent and staff

 Has responsibility for setting the educational policy for the district

 All board members have the responsibility of attending a training course to review state
requirements and local district policies in accordance with provisions by the State Board of
Education. Board of Trustees of the Texas Education Code

 Has responsibility for setting the educational goals for the district

 Is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of the district

 Monitors and holds administration accountable for implementation of policies Board of

Trustees, cont.

 Superintendent

 Is responsible for the planning operation, supervision, and evaluation of the education
programs, services, and facilities of the district and for the annual performance appraisal of
the district’s staff.

 Provides leadership for the attainment of student performance in the district and of the Texas
Education Code Superintendent, cont.

 The superintendent must regularly consult the district level committee in the planning,
operation, supervision, and evaluation of the district educational program.

 Ensures that an evaluation of the effectiveness of the district’s decision-making and planning
policies, procedures, and staff development activities are effectively structured to positively
impact student performance occurs at least every two years. of the Texas Education Code of
the Texas Education Code Superintendent, cont.

 Assumes administrative authority and responsibility for the assignment and evaluation of all
personnel of the district (except the superintendent).

 Makes recommendations for the selection of personnel and initiates the termination or
suspension of an employee or the non- renewal of an employee’s contract. of the Texas
Education Code

 Develops or causes to be developed appropriate administrative regulations to implement

policies established by the board of trustees.

 Manages the day-to-day operations of the district as its administrative manager.

 The district’s annual performance report must be a primary consideration in the

superintendent’s evaluation by the board. Superintendent, cont. Prepares and submits a
proposed budget to the board.

 Manages the day-to-day operations of the district as its administrative manager.

 Prepares recommendations for policies to be adopted by the board of trustees and oversees
the implementation of adopted policies. of the Texas Education Code Superintendent,
cont. Serves on campus committees

 Defines what is to be learned  Establishes broad goals for schools to accomplish

 Establishes educational objectives for each grade level Central Office Staff

 Monitors compliance with district/state/ federal policies, regulations, and laws

 Provides instructional support upon request

 Facilitates the planning process Central Office Staff Site-Based Decision Making is … A
process for decentralizing decisions to improve educational outcomes at every school
campus Through a collaborative effort To improve student achievement Composition of
District and Campus Committees 2/3 Classroom Teachers 1/3 Other Campus and District
Level Staff Elected Professional Staff Parents (2) Community Members (2) Business
Representatives (2) Selected Based on Local Policy BQB (Local & Legal) A person who
stands in parental relation to a student.

 Employees of the district are NOT considered parent representatives on the team.

 Parents are NOT considered representatives of community members on the team. Parent(c)
of the Texas Education Code Community members must reside in the district.

 Must be at least 18 years of age.

 Parents are not considered a representative of community members on the committee.

Community Representatives (c) of the Texas Education Code A person who is an owner of a
business enterprise. –Does not have to reside in the district –Business does not have to be
located in the district

 At least two business representative must serve on the committee. Business Representative
(b) of the Texas Education Code Expected Outcomes… Improved student performance
Improved community involvement Clearly established accountability parameters Raised staff
productivity and satisfaction Commitment to implementation of planning Increased flexibility
at the campus level in the allocation and use of resources Coordination of regular and
special programs Skills Needed for Effective SBDM Participation Communication skills Goal
setting system Collaborative abilities Prioritizing techniques Consensus building
methods Peers elect teachers, who must compose two thirds of the committee.

 The principal may appoint parents, business representatives, and community members.

 Roles must be carefully reviewed and discussed prior to and after election of the SBDM
Team. (b,d,e) of the Texas Education Code Campus Principal With the assistance of the
campus planning and decision making committee, must annually develop, review, and revise
the campus improvement plan Is accountable for the operation of the school Retains
authority and responsibility for campus decisions Must regularly consult the campus-level
committee in the planning, operation, supervision and evaluation of the campus educational
program Ensure that each year, after receipt of the annual campus rating from the Agency,
the campus level committee holds at least one public meeting. Communicates to staff the
plan for electing team members and the process for counting ballots and verifying the results
Defines and delineates tasks Makes a commitment to two-way communication Remains
within budget parameters and demonstrates fiscal responsibility Obtains resources from
district Identifies problem areas for attention of SBDM Team Is accountable for student
outcomes Campus Staff Member Campus SBDM Member Parent, Community, and Business
SBDM Member Provides input to SBDM Team Assists in the development, monitoring, and
evaluations on the Campus Improvement Plan Serve as liaison with community Makes a
commitment to two-way communication Provides input with respect to the six areas to
improve student performance Represent school/district positively to community Supports
decisions once made Support decisions once made Is responsible for student learning
outcomes Approves campus staff development Make a commitment to two-way
communication Is accountable for student achievement Take active role in explaining school
mission/vision to community Model campus values and beliefs Campus Staff Member
Campus SBDM Member Parent, Community, and Business SBDM Member Provides input to
SBDM Team Assists in the development, monitoring, and evaluations on the Campus
Improvement Plan Serve as liaison with community Makes a commitment to two-way
communication Provides input with respect to the six areas to improve student performance
Represent school/district positively to community Supports decisions once made Support
decisions once made Is responsible for student learning outcomes Approves campus staff
development Make a commitment to two-way communication Is accountable for student
achievement Take active role in explaining school mission/vision to community Model
campus values and beliefs Campus Staff Member Campus SBDM Member Parent,
Community, and Business SBDM Member Provides input to SBDM Team Assists in the
development, monitoring, and evaluations on the Campus Improvement Plan Serve as
liaison with community Makes a commitment to two-way communication Provides input with
respect to the six areas to improve student performance Represent school/district positively
to community Supports decisions once made Support decisions once made Is responsible
for student learning outcomes Approves campus staff development Make a commitment to
two-way communication Is accountable for student achievement Take active role in
explaining school mission/vision to community Model campus values and beliefs