2002_Annual_Hartford_Board_of_Trustees

State Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools (1999)

Recognizing the Hartford public school system faced an educational crisis, the state legislature passed Special Act 97-4 creating a state board of trustees to replace the local school board and oversee the management and administration of the school system. As a way to gauge the board's progress, the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee authorized a study of the State Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools in March 1999. The study focused on the improvements and progress to date made by the trustees in fulfilling their statutory requirements.

As the study progressed, several areas needing increased attention became clear regarding the board's management of the school system's operations. As such, the committee focused its findings and recommendations in three main areas: requirements of Special Act 97-4; administrative operations; and system oversight.

The table below summarizes the recommendations made by the committee, the status as to how well the recommendations were complied with (i.e., full, partial, none) during 2002 (the last year of compliance by the committee), and key points from the agency response.


Summary of Compliance with Committee Recommendations
Recommendation	Status	Agency Response
Board members should receive monthly status reports distributed to audit steering committee; hold at least semi-annual meetings devoted to providing full progress report on implementation status efforts of operational audit required by Special Act 97-4.	Full	Full Board now receives same monthly status reports distributed to Audit Steering Committee. Oral progress reports given at various board meetings.
Board should determine implementation status of original 48 recommendations contained in Hartford Improvement Plan; prioritize any outstanding recommendations for implementation using specific indicators.	Full	Implementation status determined in conjunction with education department. Initial timeframes and prioritization established. Costs being assessed and aligned with budget. Ongoing updates to Board.
Provide full implementation status to Board of recommendations contained in Hartford Improvement Plan beginning March 2000, and then quarterly.	Full	Semi-annual reports are developed/ distributed to board detailing implementation status of Hartford Improvement Plan.
Board should ensure a comprehensive written strategy, with action plan, developed for accreditation of district's elementary and middle schools in accordance with Special Act 97-4.	Full	Plan developed in coordination with accrediting body for New England; includes a timeline, budget, and resources.
Board should ensure coordination of various parental, community, and school involvement approaches implemented throughout district. Also ensure district's performance regarding parental involvement is measured against parental involvement standards adopted by board in its original policy.	Full	District reports multiple school-based and central office parent/community programs in place. Central office programs serve coordination function. Superintendent is agent for ensuring compliance with Board's parental, community, and school involvement policies
Advisory council should reestablish its role and develop/coordinate clear agenda of major issue areas. Direction should come from superintendent and trustees. Parent, teacher, and principal representatives should meet separately on occasion to develop collective strategy on improving council's role/process and developing agenda.	Full	New council members were appointed in April 2001. The new group and one trustee met to develop agenda and identify priority projects. Priority project reports are completed and will be presented to Superintendent for review to determine if policies need to be presented to trustees or implemented by administration. Connecticut Special Act (01-7) states the council will terminate on December 31, 2003.
An Advisory Council chairperson should be appointed by Board chairman. Council should incorporate more organization into its regular meetings.	Full	Although a chairperson has not been formally selected, the spirit of the recommendation has been fulfilled. A senior staff person facilitates the meetings with the council. When the council meets with the board, the board's vice-chair typically chaired the meetings. Council meetings are more organized and formal meeting minutes are taken and reviewed.
State monitors begin developing annual report as part of regular fourth quarter reports; detail Board's cumulative progress in meeting stated goals and objectives and implementation of specified policies and procedures from previous year.	Full	The state monitors' March 2001 progress report contained a review of the district's 2000 annual report and cumulative summaries/recommenda- tions of progress re: Special Act 97-4, Program Review Committee recommendations, and other actions taken by the school district. Future reports will include similar cumulative summaries.
Board should ensure all financial management processes and procedures are formally documented in a written manual(s) for use by school and central office personnel.	Full	A written manual for financial procedures has been developed and presented to board's Audit Steering Committee Processes. Procedures related to Human Resources/Payroll processes under the SmartStream system are to be developed as module becomes operational.
Board should ensure school district develops internal capacity to take ownership of automated financial management project upon full implementation, including assigning project manager/team to oversee system; providing necessary resources for continued project development and support; and providing staff training as needed.	Partial	A SmartStream Steering Committee was developed in early 2001 to examine implementation issues with the system, and conducts bi-weekly meetings to review progress. A "City/School Knowledge Transfer Team" was also created to work on the project on a priority basis. Due to a resource drain on both the city and school district, steering committee made a recommendation in January 2002 to senior management to establish joint SmartStream system. A SmartStream Systems Administrator was created and filled and the district has an internal applications information systems position open. The district/municipal information systems team uses one full-time and one part-time outside consultants for system implementation.
Board to devise short- and long-term implementation strategies in conjunction with city to implement 10-year facilities plan upon completion; analyze whether redistricting for city's public schools is necessary; develop plan to ensure students attend properly sized facilities.	Full	Board formally adopted consultant's long-range facilities plan dated 5/00 for additions and renovations to 25 schools. Plan is based on a Pre K-8 and 9-12 model. A new Hartford School Building Committee was formed by S.A. 01-7 in July 2001, and charged with oversight of all school construction projects. Committee has adopted bylaws and solicited proposals for program manager for oversight and long-range project implementation. Minor redistricting has occurred over last two years and will continue until completion of addition and renovation projects at eight schools to increase capacity. Architects for first four projects are required to look at feeder patterns for various schools throughout district (subject to be revisited by district on regular basis to ensure proper student fit.)
Board should require formal periodic reports on development and implementation of personnel performance evaluation instrument.	Full	Periodic reports on development and implementation status provided to board.
Periodic status updates should be given to Board on district's technology plan. Board should determine whether revisions to plan are necessary and update/revise plan before its 2001 expiration.	Full	Periodic reports provided to board. Board informed plan being updated; Board approval sought upon completion
Board should develop standardized reporting mechanism for oversight purposes. At minimum, establish quarterly calendar of specific reports submitted by superintendent regarding implementation progress of the board's various policies and the district's academic programs. Develop cumulative annual report for the school district outlining the district's yearly progress/successes.	Full	The board adopted an "Annual Reporting Schedule" for the 2001-2002 school year. The schedule outlines the specific reports the board should receive from the district and when the reports are due.