Committee
Approved Recommendations
December
14, 1999
State Board of Trustees for the
Hartford Public Schools
Recommendations
- Each member of the State Board of Trustees for the
Hartford Public Schools should begin receiving a copy of the
monthly status reports distributed to the audit steering
committee. The board should hold at least semi-annual
informational meetings devoted to providing the board and
general public with a full progress report on the
implementation status efforts of the operational audit required
by Special Act 97-4.
- The board of trustees, through the superintendent, and
the state education department should determine which of
original 48 recommendations contained in the Hartford
Improvement Plan have been satisfactorily implemented, which
recommendations are still relevant, and then prioritize those
recommendations for implementation purposes. Specific
indicators, such as timeframes for implementation, should be
established for the recommendations as part of the
prioritization process. Consideration should be given to the
costs associated with implementation and how the
recommendations align with the district’s overall
academic and operational goals and strategy.
- Beginning in March 2000, and quarterly thereafter, the
State Board of Trustees should be provided with the
implementation status of the recommendations contained in the
Hartford Improvement Plan. The update should include, but not
be limited to, a listing of recommendations and whether they
have been fully or partially implemented or whether no progress
has been made.
- The board of trustees should ensure a comprehensive
written strategy, including an action plan, is developed for
the accreditation of all the district’s elementary and
middle schools in accordance with Special Act 97-4. The
strategy and action plan should be developed in conjunction
with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the
state Department of Education, and any other resources
identified by the board. Included in the comprehensive strategy
should be a timetable for the accreditation of all schools,
financial and staff resources projected to complete the
accreditation process, and a plan for professional development
and technical assistance for schools.
- The board of trustees should ensure coordination of the
various parental, community, and school involvement approaches
being implemented throughout the school district. Through its
oversight role, the board also needs to ensure the
district’s performance regarding parental involvement is
measured against the parental involvement standards adopted by
the board in its original policy.
- The advisory council, created by Special Act 97-4,
should reestablish its role and the various representatives on
the council need to develop and coordinate a clear agenda of
major issue areas. Direction should come from the
superintendent and trustees during this process, although the
parent, teacher, and principal representatives should meet
separately on occasion to develop its collective strategy on
improving the council’s role/process and developing its
agenda.
- An Advisory Council chairperson should be appointed by
the chairman of the board of trustees. The council, through its
chairperson, should incorporate more organization into its
regular meetings. This should at least include developing a
working agenda for every meeting, taking minutes of meetings,
making written requests for specific information to the
superintendent, and ensuring responses from the administration
to such requests are made at the council’s following
meeting.
- The state monitors should begin developing an annual
report as part of its regular fourth quarter reports. The
annual report should detail the board’s cumulative
progress in meeting its stated goals and objectives and
implementation of its specified policies and procedures over
the course of the previous year. The distribution of the annual
reports shall be the same as its other quarterly
reports.
- The board of trustees should ensure all financial
management processes and procedures are formally documented in
a written manual(s) for use by school and central office
personnel.
- The board of trustees should ensure the school district
develops the internal capacity to take ownership of the
automated financial management project upon its full
implementation. At minimum, this should include: assigning a
project manager/team to oversee the system; providing necessary
resources for continued project development and support; and
providing staff training as needed.
- The board of trustees should devise short- and long-term
implementation strategies in conjunction with city to implement
the 10-year facilities plan upon its completion. Using the
facilities plan, the board should also analyze whether
redistricting for the city’s public schools is necessary
and develop a plan to ensure students attend properly sized
facilities.
- The board of trustees should require formal periodic
reports on the development and implementation of the personnel
performance evaluation instrument.
- Periodic updates should be given to the board of
trustees regarding the status of the board’s technology
plan, including how the district’s current initiatives
are linked with the plan. The board of trustees should also
determine whether revisions to the current technology plan are
necessary, and update/revise the plan before the plan’s
expiration in 2001.
- The board of trustees should develop a standardized
reporting mechanism for oversight purposes. At minimum, the
board should enhance its oversight role by establishing a
quarterly calendar of specific reports submitted by the
superintendent regarding implementation progress of the
board’s various policies and the district’s
academic programs. The board should also develop a cumulative
annual report for the school district outlining the
district’s yearly progress and successes.
Return to Year 1999 Studies