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JOINT STATEMENT- November 28, 2006 Superintendents of Elkhorn, Gretna, Millard, Omaha, and Westside School Districts I:
INTENT
The following
represents a proposed alternative to the Learning Community Reorganization Act.
It is presented and supported by the Superintendents of ______________
. Implementation of the following permits the boundaries of current school districts
within the metro area -(Douglas and Sarpy County School Districts) remain
unchanged while at the same time assuring movement toward inclusive/innovative learning-opportunities
throughout the metro area. The target date of completion of the proposal is the 2007 legislative session. II: GUIDING PRINCIPLES·
Recognize that students throughout the metro
area are entitled to equitable educational opportunities. ·
Recognize that sharing of
resources to provide inclusive and innovative learning opportunities throughout the metro area can, if appropriately organized,
lead to improved student achievement ·
Recognize that we cannot fix what we do not
recognize, that an achievement gap exists for at-risk students, that cultures of
blame do not produce success, and that we
all have an interest in the achievement of all students. ·
Recognize that data and research on effective
programs and services that connect with the reality experienced by teachers,
principals and other practicing school-based educators
should guide us. ·
Recognize that individual school districts in
the metro area (Douglas and Sarpy County School
Districts) have an interest in distinctive yet cooperative identities, including
unique district boundaries. ·
Recognize a framework for student inclusion can
be achieved through a Voluntary Integration Plan (VIP) in which all school
districts in the metro area participate. III:
ACTION PLAN
A. LEARNING OUTCOMES1.
Statutorily require adoption of a
student-unit-record data system, with unique student identifiers that track
individual student progress through the state’s education system from
pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education, including but not limited to attendance, assessments, and graduation. 2.
Statutorily require the State Department of Education to track student
progress disaggregated by race/ethnicity and eligibility for free and reduced
lunch on all measures required for the State of the Schools Report and by the
school-based teacher-led assessment reporting system (STARS), including but not
limited to attendance, all assessments, and graduation. 3.
Implement in law a standard, four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate
that tracks students
earning a regular high school diploma, students earning modified diplomas
(special education), and defines graduation rate to include such students but
that does not include GED earners and students receiving a certificate
of completion or other alternative to a diploma. 4. Statutorily require
creation of a process to collect information regarding the programs
and the cost of programs provided to address the educational needs of students
who are in poverty or who have limited English proficiency. 5.
Statutorily require the Commissioner of Education to appoint a high-needs
education coordinator that has the appropriate background and training in
instructional methodology, and differentiated learning to address at-risk
student populations including students in poverty, limited English
proficient students, and highly mobile student populations. The duties of the
coordinator should include the evaluation of programs and services which assist
in closing the gap in student educational attainment between at-risk and
non-at-risk students and the costs of implementing such programs in order to
give all students an equal opportunity to
achieve educational outcomes. B: INCLUSION1.
Assure by law and by written agreement between
the eleven affected school districts that the boundaries of the eleven school
districts located in Douglas and Sarpy
Counties shall remain and exist as depicted on March 1, 2006, on the map kept
by the county clerk pursuant to section 79-490. 2.
Assure by law establishment of a student VIP
where the movement of students between districts in the metro area
(Douglas and Sarpy County school districts) would be under the jurisdiction of
an Inter-local Learning Community Committee, in which
all eleven school districts in the metro area, by law, participate. Priority in
the selection/placement of inter-district students who choose to attend a school
other than their home school would be given to students who contribute to the socio-economic diversity of the receiving
schools. 3
Establish in statute a standardized methodology
for annual calculation of building capacity for each school and each
(magnet/focus) program in the metro area. This calculation would
be used to determine a school's and/or a program's capacity for adding students
from other districts. Every school and specialized/magnet program goal will have
a standard annual proportion of capacity set
aside for inter-district student movement. 4
When, based upon Official Membership, a school
has more of its student population enrolled In the Free and Reduced Price Lunch
Program than the average number of students participating in that program in the
metro area, then statutorily student selection/placement priority would be given
to inter-district students who choose to
attend a school other than their home school and who do not participate in the
program. 5
When, based upon Official Membership, a school has less of its student
population enrolled in the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, student
selection/placement priority statutorily would be given to inter-district
students who choose to attend a school other than their home school and who do participate
in the program. 6
In any
inter-district movement of
students, transportation/transportation reimbursement would by
law be provided only to students who contribute to the socio-economic diversity of the receiving school as described above (see
items II.C. and II.D.) or who attend focus schools (see items II.G., II.H., and
II.I. below). 7
Each of the eleven school districts in the metro
area, by law, would actively market inter-district opportunities, recruit students, and provide
incentives to enhance socio-economic diversity in schools and programs.
Districts in the metro area would cooperatively design annual marketing and
recruitment plans to encourage student movement between districts to increase
school-level, socio-economic diversity, in
compliance with the overall strategy of integration/inclusion. 8
Each of the eleven school districts in the metro
area, by law, would jointly participate in
the creation and provision of high-quality Professional Development programs
for all metro-area staff, targeted specifically to strategies for creating
inclusive learning environments, successful differentiated teaching, and closing
the achievement gap while supporting a diverse student population. Funding for the Professional Development programs would be
provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis through state aid to school districts, and
these costs would be outside school district
spending and levy limitations. 9
The Inter-local Learning Community Committee
would be effective in the 2007-08 school
year, and the student VIP would begin in the 2008-09 school year. 10
The inter-local Learning Community Committee would by law be
required to develop focus schools based upon existing articulated pathways, and
establish new focus schools and new articulated pathways that provide for
student movement from elementary through middle school to high school grades
through multiple districts. The Inter-local Learning Community Committee would
determine Selection/placement of students into focus schools. Focus school
enrollment would be required to reflect the socio-economic demographics of the metro
area to the greatest extent possible. 11
The Inter-local Learning Community Committee would be
required to educate the public about focus schools and the opportunities for
improved and/or expanded student achievement they provide.
Thereafter, the law would call for the Inter-local
Learning Community Committee to develop programs and themes for focus schools
based upon achievement needs and information from surveys and interviews of students, parents, staff and community members. This
information would be obtained by an independent research agency which would
design and conduct the surveys. 12
The Inter-local Learning Community Committee
would have the responsibility for creating
inter-district programs to support and increase adult learning and community
participation in schools. Resources to support adult learning and collaboration
throughout the metro area school districts would be outside school district
spending and levy limitations. 13
Each
of the eleven school districts within the metro area would by law continue to be able to design
internal plans for the assignment of students to schools. Intra-district plans
for student assignment would not be under the jurisdiction of the
inter-local Learning Community Committee. 14
The Inter-Local Community Committee would make
decisions as a joint entity, established as a political subdivision pursuant to
the Inter-local Cooperation Act, with such agreements/policy decisions approved
as needed by each involved Board of
Education. 15
In
the inter-district movement of students, funding for the transportation of
eligible students would be
provided through state aid to school districts, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
These costs would be outside school district spending and levy limitations. 16
State
aid would be provided through the school funding formula to fund the Inter-Local
Learning Community Committee activities and to fund magnet/focus programs that address a reduction in socio-economic isolation. IV:
FINANCE The Superintendents recognize that in addition to the action plan set forth above, changes to the state funding system in order to assure that we can implement appropriate educational programs and services that really work to meet the needs of all students is a critical part of a strong educational system in the metro area. We intend to continue to work together with the Governor and the Legislature to develop an action plan to address school finance issues within the next three to six months. Click
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12/4/2006 |
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