37-18-3 - School At-Risk designation for schools deficient in educating students; appropriation of adequate funds to provide assistance; evaluation team and report.
§ 37-18-3. School At-Risk designation for schools deficient in educating students; appropriation of adequate funds to provide assistance; evaluation team and report.
(1) Upon full implementation of the statewide testing programs developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to Chapter 16, Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972, not later than December 31, 2002, the board shall establish for those individual schools failing to meet accreditation standards established under this chapter for Schools At-Risk, a program of development to be complied with in order to receive state funds. The Legislature shall, subject to the availability of funds, annually appropriate adequate funds to implement the provisions of this chapter. The State Board of Education may, in its discretion, assess local school districts for the costs of implementing the provisions of this chapter.
(2) Following a thorough analysis of school data each year, the State Department of Education shall identify those schools that are deficient in educating students and are in need of improvement. This analysis shall measure the individual school performance by determining if a school met its assigned yearly growth expectation and by determining what percentage of the students in the school are proficient. A school shall be identified as a School At-Risk and in need of assistance if the school: (a) does not meet its growth expectation and has a percentage of students functioning below grade level, as designated by the State Board of Education; (b) is designated as a Level 1 school, or other future comparable performance designation by the State Board of Education; or (c) is designated as a Level 2 school, or other future comparable performance designation by the State Board of Education, for two (2) consecutive years.
(3) Within fifteen (15) days after a School At-Risk has been identified, written notice shall be sent by the State Board of Education by certified mail to both the school principal and the local board of education. Within fifteen (15) days after notification the State Board of Education shall assign an evaluation team to the school. The evaluation team shall consist of a minimum of seven (7) trained members appointed by the State Superintendent of Education and approved by the State Board of Education from the following categories: (a) school superintendents; (b) school principals; (c) curriculum coordinators; (d) at least two (2) teachers; (e) local school board members; (f) community leaders; (g) parents; and (h) institutions of higher learning personnel. Optional evaluation team members in specialized areas may be utilized by the State Department of Education if needed. These additional members may include individuals with expertise and knowledge in such areas as vocational-technical education, special education, federal programs and school technology. Evaluation team members shall be independent of the school being evaluated and shall not be employees of the State Department of Education. The team may include retired educators who have met certain standards and have completed all necessary training. All evaluation team members shall be trained, at a minimum, in the following: (a) school accreditation legal requirements; (b) data analysis; (c) curriculum alignment; (d) effective curriculum and instructional strategies; (e) the State Department of Education school improvement plan process; (f) personnel appraisal; (g) effective community involvement; (h) public relations; (i) safe and orderly school climate; (j) policy development and implementation; (k) effective school resource allocation; and (l) effective school management. A team leader shall be chosen by the department for each evaluation team to provide overall guidance to the team. The State Department of Education shall assist each evaluation team by providing administrative and clerical support.
(4) An approved evaluation team shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) The evaluation team may request any financial documentation that it deems necessary, and the School At-Risk, with the assistance and cooperation of the school district central office, shall submit such requested financial information to the evaluation team.
(b) The evaluation team shall analyze the School At-Risk data to determine probable areas of weakness before conducting an on-site audit. The evaluation team shall proceed to conduct an on-site audit and shall prepare an evaluation report. If necessary, the evaluation team may request additional individuals in specialty areas to participate as team members in preparing the evaluation. After completing the evaluation of the School At-Risk, the team shall prepare and adopt its school evaluation report, which shall be submitted to the State Superintendent of Public Education for approval within forty-five (45) calendar days. The school evaluation report shall identify any personnel who were found by the evaluation team to be in need of improvement and need to participate in a professional development plan. Evaluation instruments used to evaluate teachers, principals, superintendents or any other certified or classified personnel will be instruments which have been validated for such purposes.
(5) Following the approval of the evaluation report by the State Superintendent of Public Education, a representative from the State Superintendent of Education and the evaluation team leader shall present the evaluation report to the principal of the School At-Risk and to the superintendent and school board members of the local school district. Following this presentation, the evaluation report shall be presented to the community served by the School At-Risk at an advertised public meeting.
Sources: Laws, 2000, ch. 533, § 2; Laws, 2000, ch. 610, §§ 2, 7; Laws, 2008, ch. 462, § 2, eff from and after July 1, 2008.