Site Councils
The California Education Code requires the school site council to develop a Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) for Consolidated Application programs operated at the school or in which the school participates. In addition, Pupil Retention and School and Library Improvement Block Grant programs operated at the school must be included in the SPSA.
The school site council must approve the SPSA, recommend it to the local governing board for approval, monitor implementation of the plan, and evaluate the results. At least annually, the school site council must revise the plan, including proposed expenditures of funds allocated to the school through the Consolidated Application and recommend it to the local governing board for approval.
Secondary schools using the "Focus on Learning" process for accreditation are required by WASC to use information and data from the SPSA in developing the WASC Action Plan. The dual purpose of WASC accreditation is “to provide high quality learning opportunities, with the added requirement of
continual self-improvement.” Both WASC and SPSA share the goal of improving instructional programs.
The school site council may appoint committees or individuals to perform tasks to assist the council in developing, monitoring, or evaluating the SPSA. Appointed individuals and committees serve at the pleasure of the school site council and are advisory to it. Such appointed groups may:
- Gather and analyze information.
- Propose strategies for improving instruction.
- Examine materials, staffing, or funding possibilities.
- Draft portions of the SPSA for school site council consideration.
For example, the school site council may ask that a group of teachers
prepare a staff development proposal as part of a strategy to raise the
academic performance of a group of underperforming students. Or the
school site council may appoint a committee to examine and report on a
successful program operating at another school. In addition, the school site
council may consider and accept unsolicited proposals from any individual or group.
The school site council shall be composed of the principal and representatives of: teachers selected by teachers at the school; other school personnel selected by other school personnel at the school; parents of students attending the school selected by such parents; and, in secondary schools, students selected by students attending the school.
At the secondary level, the school site council shall be constituted to ensure parity between (a) the principal, classroom teachers, and other school personnel, and (b) equal numbers of parents or other community members selected by parents, and students.
The means of selecting school site council members are not specified in law, except that members must be chosen by peers. No additional membership qualifications may be required. Beyond the composition requirements stated above, no seat on the school site council may be reserved for any group or
individual. Membership in most school site councils is determined by ballot, but could be decided in an open meeting by voice vote.
To ensure broad support for the selection process, and to avoid controversy over the selection of school site council members, board policy or school site council bylaws may specify:
- The means of selecting members and officers.
- Terms of office for members and officers.
- The notice of elections for each peer group.
- The responsibilities of the school site council and time commitment
involved.
- A policy of nondiscrimination, as may occur by limiting membership to a
select group.