State
Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools
Introduction
State Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools
Introduction
On June 1,
1997, the state formally took control of the Hartford Public School system.
The Hartford Board of Education was dissolved and replaced with a
seven-member board of trustees appointed by the state.
The board of trustees was established by Special Act 97-4, and is
responsible for overseeing the district’s administrative and managerial
operations.
The
board’s primary function pursuant to Special Act 97-4 is to enhance the
quality, adequacy, and equality of educational opportunities, increase student
achievement, and allocate and manage resources efficiently and effectively.
The board is also required by statute to continue implementing an
educational improvement plan developed by the state Department of Education and
adopted by the Hartford School Board in 1996, as well as recommendations
resulting from a 1997 independent audit of the school system’s administrative
operations.
The State Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools is responsible for managing the school system from June 1, 1997, through June 30, 2000. The board is responsible for the overall management, administration, and governance of Hartford’s 32 public schools, plus eight alternative education programs, serving 24,000 students making Hartford the largest school district in the state. The district's 1999-00 general operating costs are approximately $192 million, not including an additional $50 million in special funds (federal, foundations, etc.) and $35 million from the city to account for indirect/fringe benefit costs. Special Act 97-4 also requires the board of trustees to continue implementing an educational improvement plan developed by the state Department of Education and adopted by the previous Hartford School Board in 1996, as well as recommendations resulting from the 1997 operational audit.
The
Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee authorized this study of
the State Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools in March 1999.
The study focuses on the progress made by the board of trustees, state
Department of Education, and the State Board of Education in implementing their
statutory charges to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the school
system’s administrative and managerial operations. The board’s progress in
developing and implementing sustainable operating systems was also examined.
The study scope primarily calls for reviewing:
·
the board’s compliance with requirements outlined in Special Act
97-4 regarding planning, reporting, and communications;
· the development and implementation of efficient and effective administrative operating systems;
·
progress in addressing and implementing recommendations made in
the independent operations audit of the school system required by Special Act
97-4; and
·
implementation of the improvement plan developed between the state
Department of Education and the Hartford Board of Education in 1996, including
efforts to develop programs, procedures, and benchmarks to improve student
performance and measure achievement.
An evaluation of education
system outcomes since the takeover by the board of trustees, namely whether or
not the board has increased student achievement, is not included in this
study.
Methods
In
preparing this report, the policies and procedures developed by the board and
administration were analyzed, the board’s progress in implementing its
policies was examined, and interviews with numerous people and groups involved
in the Hartford school system were conducted, including each trustee, central
office administrators and staff, school personnel, union officials, the state
monitors, fiscal and operations consultants, parent and community groups, the
state education commissioner, and the state education board chairman.
Minutes
from each board meeting were reviewed, as were the quarterly progress reports
submitted to the board by state monitors established by Special Act 97-4 to
oversee the board’s progress. The
monitors provided the committee with pertinent information, and committee staff
accompanied them on visits to 16 schools within the district, summer programs,
and a special education facility. Formal
visits by staff were also made to a random sample of 10 elementary, middle, and
high schools as part of a facilities review.
Committee
staff attended numerous meetings held by the board, education commissioner and
superintendent, advisory council, operational audit steering committee, joint
board/city building and facilities committee, and State Board of Education.
Training sessions for academic programs held by the district were
attended, and testimony from two public hearings held by the program review
committee on this topic was also examined.
Report
Organization
The report
is divided into four chapters. Chapter I provides an overview of the State Board
of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools.
The board’s membership, administrative structure, term, and duties,
responsibilities, and activities are described in this chapter. Chapter II
summarizes the major policies enacted by the board of trustees to increase
student achievement, and the major academic programs developed by the school
district since the state takeover. Chapter
III discusses in detail the board’s specific responsibilities relating to
Special Act 97-4 and includes findings and recommendations.
Chapter IV provides analysis, findings, and recommendations of the
board’s progress in developing efficient and effective administrative
operations. Finally, Chapter V
summarizes several ways to sustain the positive changes made by the State Board
of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools.
Extension.
It should be noted that Special Act 97-4 provided the board of trustees
with an opportunity to request a two-year extension to its term.
The legislation specified the request could be made if the board
determined more time was necessary to fulfill its statutory requirements.
The request, if made, was due to the State Board of Education by January
1, 2000. The State Board of
Education serves as the formal decision-making body if a request is made.
Deciding
more time was necessary to complete its work, the trustees formally requested a
term extension this past September. On
October 6, 1999, the extension was unanimously approved by the State Board of
Education. The extension allows the
board of trustees to continue its governance of the Hartford school district
until June 30, 2002.
Appendices.
The report includes the following appendices:
A) State Board of Trustees for the Hartford Public Schools: Membership
B) Advisory Council Membership
C) Board Term Extension Memo; State Board of Education Resolution
D) Operational Audit Recommendations and Status
E) Hartford Improvement Plan
F) 1999-00 Actions Document
G) New England Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Standards
H) Hartford School District Budget Information
I) BOT/CABE Comments Regarding Charter Revision in Hartford
J) Agency Response