Running head: Schoolwide Budgetary Needs 1

Clinical Field Experience B: Schoolwide Budgetary Needs

Sandy Nunez

Grand Canyon University: EAD 510

April 18, 2020

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During my field experience hours I collaborated through Zoom with my school’s

principle on the Title 1 budget. We began by focusing on the Title 1 budget and comparing the

budget changes from the prior year to this current year funds. The timeframe for Title 1 funds are

a yearly process. The stakeholders involved in this process are the schools interest groups,

leadership team, parents, and our students. My principle explained to me that the budget is

constantly changing due to amendments and revisions done throughout the year. The budgets

needs were identified through are schools needs assessment, action steps and mission and vision.

This process aligns with Standard 1 “Strategically develop, implement, and evaluate actions to

achieve the vision for the school” (Professional Standards for Educational Leaders).

We then discussed our schools needs assessment process and my needs assessment I

created. Before a needs assessment is created and sent out to our staff to complete, a process of

action steps is done before. The first step is to complete a “fishbone”, this fishbone is an outline

where a primary need is discussed, the root cause is identified and a desired outcome becomes

the solution. For example, a primary need for our school was effective leadership and sustaining

a culture of high expectations for learning and growth for all students within a respectful,

professional learning community for all staff. The desired outcome is the school leadership team

will research and observe model PLC schools in order to bring back systems to implement and

sustain a PLC at Work process to close the achievement gap (Fishbone Model,2019). After the

fishbone outline is complete by the leadership team, the principal, vice principal and academic

coach creates the needs assessment. The staff is then given the assessment where collaboration

and honest dialog is needed to achieve our schools mission and vision. The collaboration needed

for this step relates to Standard 7 “Establish and sustain a professional culture of engagement and
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commitment to shared vision, goals, and objectives pertaining to the education of the whole

child; high expectations for professional work; ethical and equitable practice; trust and open

communication; collaboration, collective efficacy, and continuous individual and organizational

learning and improvement (Professional Standards for Educational Leaders).

Based on the review of last years budget compared to this years current budget revenue

was significantly higher last year. I then asked my principal as to why this was. She explained

how of the factors that could impact a Title 1 budget. For example our schools enrollment was

higher compared to this years enrollment. Due to all the new charter schools opening up around

the area families were given other options for their children educational needs thus causing our

enrollment to decrease over 200 students. Our budget was also affected by a District decision to

create two more interest groups for each school as a requirement.

Based on the information gathered about my school budget my preliminary suggestions

are focused towards the next year’s school budget. Starting the new academic year my school

will be under new leadership due to a new principal. Based on my conversation with my

principal I learned that the new principal would be implementing new changes that will reflect

our CIP and budget. In my opinion the new changes do not support our mission and vision and

progress we created into becoming a STEAM school. If I was put in the principal role I would

continue to support our STEAM initiative and our partnership with Grand Canyon University.
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References

FishBone Model. (2019).

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author