School Based Planning

In March, 1992, Regulations of the Commissioner of Education were developed establishing procedures for school-based planning and shared decision making. The intent of the regulation was to foster a process of school-based planning and shared decision making, involving parents, teachers, and administrators, to improve the educational performance of all students. The regulation requires every board of education to ensure that an annual plan is developed in compliance with the regulation.

Team Composition:

Principal and his/her designee
Teachers (single largest constituency, per commissioner's regulation)
Parents
Students (at the high school level)
Other constituencies as determined by the team

Responsibilities of Team Membership:

Represents constituency to the team
Represents team/plan to his/her constituency
Participates in the development of the plan
Supports the implementation and monitoring of the plan
Practices group processing skills
Suspends individual agendas

How are members selected?

West Irondequoit Central School District established guidelines for each team's selection process. These guidelines support each team in implementing their selection processes. These guidelines were developed in accordance with recommended selection procedures outlined in the commissioner's regulations. After members are selected, each school planning team is responsible for communicating the names of their membership to their school community.

Parent Selection Guidelines

Parent members will be selected by the parent constituency at the building level and a procedure will be established to ensure a democratic process.
The parent constituency will develop the selection process.
The process should be public, democratic and take place in the spring.
There should be a procedure for advertising and recruiting, with a timeline established that will be determined at the building level.
Individual school teams will determine the number of parent representatives and a two-year term is advisable, but not required. There are no term limits for parent representatives and alternate parent representatives.
A public announcement of all team members will be made annually at the beginning of the school year.
If a building plan allows for alternates, alternates will be selected at the same time using the same method. Alternates may attend all meetings and be trained, but vote only when substituting for an absent team member.

Teacher/Paraprofessional Selection Guidelines

Each school committee determines the number of teachers and paraprofessionals required.
Teachers and paraprofessionals are elected by West Irondequoit Teacher's Association members in the school.
Teachers must comprise the largest single constituency on the school-based planning team.
Two year term is advisable, but not required. There are no term limits for WITA unit members.
West Irondequoit Teachers' Association (WITA)

Leadership Staff Selection

The principal is a permanent member of the School Based Planning Team. Additional administrative members are advisable and selected by the leadership staff in the school.

How frequently do the school based planning teams meet? How might I learn when the meetings are scheduled?

The school planning teams meet on a monthly basis at a time determined by each school. Most meetings are held on a regularly scheduled day and meeting time and the schedule is included in the school's newsletter or on their Web site. You may also call the school office to inquire when the school based planning meetings are held in a school.

School planning teams may meet more often than on a monthly basis when there are specific needs established by the team.

How are individual school's plans coordinated across the district?

The West Irondequoit Central School District Board of Education directs the Superintendent to implement the School Based Planning Process on a district-wide basis. The Superintendent of Schools delegates this coordinating responsibility to a district committee. This committee entitled the "District Coordinating Council," meets twice per year, minimally, to review school-based plans, and to provide feedback and support to each school team.

District Coordinating Council Composition

K-6 & 7-12 Directors of Instruction
President of the West Irondequoit Teacher's Association
Faculty Representative
President of the West Irondequoit Central Parent Teacher Student Association (WICPTSA)

Responsibilities of the District Coordinating Council:

Act as a resource to school planning teams
Review School Based Plans and provide feedback to each team
Provide for coordination between and among planning teams
Develop the report of the Commissioner's mandated biennial review and present findings to the Superintendent and the West Irondequoit School Board
Coordinate members of each school planning team to meet and share school plans with one another. Twice per year, each school team designates a "liaison" team member to attend a district-wide meeting where other team liaisons are present. The purpose of these meetings is to share school-based planning information across schools.