Starting Points
Most of Kentucky’s schools align their council terms with the beginning of each academic year. With the 2023-2024 academic year right around the corner, school-based decision making council members should have been elected for each school and the first meeting scheduled. At those initial meetings, there are some important documents to review to ensure the council runs efficiently.
Every school council member should have copies of these basic documents governing the school’s work. These can be placed in a binder with room to add others as needed, or on a thumb drive or cloud drive. The following items are a place to start:
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School council policies: Policies are the written guidelines and procedures for the school to follow. These policies are developed and adopted by the school council. Include a checklist of the required policy areas and the date in which they were last reviewed and/or revised. Policies need to be reviewed annually.
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School council bylaws: Bylaws are the operating procedures of the school council. These bylaws will help effectively and efficiently conduct meetings. Include the last date of review and/or revision with the bylaws, which need to be reviewed annually.
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Comprehensive School Improvement Plan: Comprehensive School Improvement Plans define the school’s goals for the future. The plan includes a needs assessment that points out the priority needs of the school. It also lays out the strategies and activities that are being implemented to address these priority needs, including the staff’s professional learning requirements.
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Monthly Agenda Item Topics: To assist in planning the monthly meeting agendas, there is a Monthly Agenda Item Topics suggestion guidance document. The topics and reminders listed below are suggestions for consideration when planning agendas for monthly SBDM meetings. Please be mindful that some topics are associated with specific due dates and should be planned for accordingly.
We also recommend that councils use their first meeting to:
- Determine regular meeting dates, times and locations, and share the meeting schedule with the public.
- Collect dates of completed/anticipated council member trainings.
- Approve final master schedule.
- Allow new council members the opportunity to review the previous year’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.
- Begin revisions of the SBDM curriculum and consultation policies.
- Review/revise the school’s Safety and Emergency Plan
As always, please remind council members that the goal of their work is to increase student achievement and that this should be at the forefront of every discussion, policy and decision.
Required Annual Document
Pursuant to KRS 158.186, SBDM council members should receive copies of the two statutes linked below:
The attorney general's office requires that the below documents be distributed to council members within 60 days of the beginning of the council's term.
- “The Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings Acts” explains the provisions of the Acts.
- “Managing Government Records” provides guidance on how to manage public records and how to keep them organized and accessible.
- “Proof of Receipt” (on the last page of the “The Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings Acts” document) must be signed by all council members to verify that they have received copies of “The Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings Acts” and “Managing Government Records.” This signed form is kept on file at the school office.
Superintendents verify distribution of the resources by completing the Certificate of Distribution form (also on the last page of the “The Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings” document).
These documents also can be found on KDE’s SBDM Technical Documents webpage. Please ensure SBDM council members receive these documents, as well as sign the Proof of Receipt signature page. Pursuant to KRS 160.395, the distribution may be by an electronic means.
Save the Date for the 2023 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit
The Kentucky Department of Education and Cognia™ will host the annual Continuous Improvement Summit, scheduled for Sept. 25-26 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. Please join us for an opportunity to explore a variety of topics and engage in conversations that will enrich your understanding of continuous improvement.
Mike Rutherford, 2023 Continuous Improvement Summit keynote, will engage participants with conversation on high-performance teaching and learning, leadership development, creating and leading team-based organizations, and results-based organizational improvement.
During this two-day event, attendees will enhance their professional learning, make new connections, build upon existing relationships with peers across Kentucky, hear up-to-date information from KDE leaders and learn how Cognia can help address the unique challenges in their journey of continuous improvement.
Don’t miss your opportunity to join the hundreds of Kentucky educators who attend this event annually! Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit also will be provided to participants.
To register, please visit the 2023 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit event webpage and select Register Now.
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