Revise, Review, or Rescind

Presented by:Denotris Jackson

MSBA Assistant Executive Director

Policy Training Overview

DEFINITION OF POLICY?

IMPORTANCE OF POLICY

2014 LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & REVISION TIPS

ONLINE POLICY PRESENTATION

Part 1

Part 2

PART 5

Part 3

Part 4

MDE AUDIT POLICY FINDINGS

• Policy is a clear statement that sets forth the purpose and prescribes, in general terms, the organization and programs of the school district.

• The school board policies shall be considered a framework within which the Superintendent and the school staff are expected to discharge their assigned duties through course of Recommended Action.

Definition of Policy

The act of transforming the needs, desires, beliefs, and values of the community into policies and goals that direct the district.

Definition of Policy

School Boards Govern! Superintendents Manage!

• Provides consistency, stability, and continuity to Board work

As a board, ALWAYS remember the important questions:

• Is it Board work or administrative work?

• Do we have a policy on this matter?

Importance of Policy

Everything is NOT required to be in Policy!

Policies are:

• A guideline adopted by the Board to chart a course of Recommended Action

• Broad enough to allow administrative discretion/ specific enough to give clear guidance

• Detailed direction

• Restatements or paraphrases of State or Federal law

• Forms, job descriptions, etc.

Policy is NOT:

• Provides direction for the Superintendent, staff, and students

• Informs the public• Establishes a legal record as well as a legal basis

for board Recommended Actions• Aids orientation of new board members and staff• Provides a sound basis for appraisal and

accountability• May be required by State or Federal law

Importance of Policy

Federal Law:

• Federal Law, Federal Agency Rules, Regulations

State Law:

• Mississippi Code of 1972

• Mississippi State Board of Education

Policy Legal Foundations

Other guidance:

• Attorney General Opinions

• Mississippi Ethics Commission Opinions

• Mississippi Auditor’s Office Technicalities

Policy Legal Foundations

• Is it legal ?• Does it reflect current practice?• Is it working? If not, what needs to be changed?

• Do we need it? Don’t be afraid of rescinding policies that are no longer relevant.

(Sometimes “less is more”!)

Ask These Questions When Reviewing Policy

• No statutory requirement for first or second reading

Purpose: Notice and opportunity for review and to give input

• Policies are required to be Board adopted

Policy Adoption

Policy Manual Structure

• A – School District Organization

• B - Board Operations

• C – General School Administration

• D - Fiscal Management

• E – Business Management

• F – Facilities

• G – Personnel

• H – Negotiations (Not in Mississippi)

• I – Instructional Program• J – Students• K/L – General Public

Relations• L- Organizational

Relations• M – Education Agency

Relations

Inconsistent usage

Philosophy, beliefs

Lack of clarity

Individual names

Legal references

Common Policy Errors

Specific amounts of money

Times

Combining policy, procedures

MDE Audit Policy Findings

Finding: TheboardmustmaintaincurrentwrittenpolicieswhichareconsistentwithboardRecommendedActionandadministrativedecisions.Theschoolboardhasfailedtoadopt,maintain,andimplementpoliciesthatarecurrentandclearlydefineandensurethatthenecessaryplans,procedures,programs,andsystemsareinplace.

Finding

•Therearetwosetsofpoliciesonline.

RecommendedAction

RecommendedAction:RemovetheOldPolicyManualwhenthenewonehasbeenadopted.

Finding

•Althoughapublishedcopywasavailableforreviewatthedistrictoffice;apublishedcopyshouldalsobeavailableateachschoolinthedistricttoallowforeasyaccessforthoseparentswhomaynothaveaccesstotheinternet.

RecommendedAction

RecommendedAction:Acompletepolicymanualmaybeprintedfromtheonlinepolicysystem.MSBAcanassistwiththisprocess.

Finding

• Themajorityofthepolicieshavethesameadoptiondate,anall‐inclusiveadoptionofthepoliciesstillrequirestheboardtoreviewpoliciesforappropriateness

RecommendedActionRecommendedAction:Thisgenerallyhappenswhentheboardhasrescindedtheiroldpolicymanualandadoptedthenewmanual.

• Theboard’sminutesmustreflectmonthlyorperiodicreviewofpolicies/policysectionspriortorescindingtheoldandadoptingthenewmanual.

• Thedistrictmustbeginareviewofallboardpoliciestoensurethatallpoliciesareproperlyindexedwiththedatesofschoolboardadoption,andthosedatesareconsistentwithboardRecommendedActionasrecordedintheofficialboardminutes.

Finding

• Policiesmustbereviewedindividuallytoensuretheyaresuitedfortheschooldistrict.

•Recommended Action

RecommendedAction:AlthoughsamplepoliciesareprovidedbyMSBA,itistheresponsibilityofthedistricttocustomizethepolicytomeettheneedsofthedistrict. Establishaprocedureformonitoringnewlyimplementedand/orrevisedpoliciestoinsureallappropriatestaffhavetheopportunitytoprovidefeedback.

Finding

• Theschoolboarddoesnotensurethatthelocalschoolboardpoliciesarereviewedandrevisedannually.

RecommendedAction• Thedistrictmustbeginareviewofallboardpoliciestoensurethatallpoliciesareproperlyindexedwiththedatesofschoolboardadoption,andthosedatesareconsistentwithboardRecommendedActionasrecordedintheofficialboardminutes.

• Chooseapolicyrevisioncommitteepossiblyconsistingofadministrators‐ principals,businessofficer,curriculumdirector,superintendent,etc.

• Haveeachmembertoreviewthepolicysectionsand/orhandbooksthatpertaintotheirdepartmentandmarkupforpossiblerecommendedrevisions.Example:Principalsreviewstudentpolicies,BusinessOfficerreviewfiscalpolicies,curriculumdirector– instructionalpolicies,etc.

• Scheduleapolicymeetingpossiblytodiscussrecommendations.• Superintendentwillplacepoliciesontheagendaonaregularbasisfortheboard’sreview/revision.

•Finding

• All policies are not current and inconsistencies remain in the documents when compared to other district documents. 

•Recommended Action

Recommended Action: Make sure all newly adopted or recently revised policies are revised online, in the printed policy manuals, and have handbooks and other documents updated  

Finding

•Apolicywasrevisedwithoutboardapprovalorinformingindividualschoolsoftherevisions.

• Onlytheboardmayadopt/revisepolicies.• Thesuperintendent:

•Makestherecommendationtotheboardforrevisionsandnewpolicies.

• Ensuresthatthepoliciesareupdatedandimplemented

• Theboard:•Willhavetherecommendationsplacedontheagenda• Reviewtherecommendations,suggestanyrevisions.• Followtheirpolicyforreviewingandadoptingpolicies.Example:Reviewmonth1,reviewmonth2andadopt.

•Willhavepoliciesthatincludethesuperintendent’sjobdescriptionandmustclearlydefinerolesandexpectationsforthesuperintendent,boardpresident,andboardmembers.

RecommendedAction

Finding

• Irregularitiesandinconsistenciesexistbetweentheschoolboardpolicies,thepersonnelmanual,thestudenthandbookandotherdistrictdocuments.SomepoliciesandprocedurespublishedintheschoolhandbooksarenotconsistentwithstaterequirementsandSBEpolicies,includingpoliciespertainingtoattendance,gradingandgraduationrequirements.Itisthedistrictsresponsibilitytoreviewpoliciesforaccuracyandconsistencywithotherdocuments.

•Recommended Action

• Recommended Action: • Student handbooks and other district documentation must contain information that is consistent with local board policies and practices and must comply with current state and federal laws and SBE policies.

• Policies must be reviewed and corrected• The district must establish a procedure for including and referencing necessary board adopted policies in required school publications (student/staff handbooks etc.)

• The district must implement a procedure to maintain documentation of when board adopted policies have been published and distributed to appropriate staff.

• Check MDE requirements, state law, or contact MSBA for assistance

• Make sure all newly adopted or recently revised policies are revised online, in the printed policy manuals, and have handbooks and other documents updated  

•Finding

• On the right track: 

• The district has utilized the services of MSBA to update its board policy manual. The majority of the policies are up to date, but the new Promotion Policy for Third Grade Students and the Religious Freedom Policy were not located.

RecommendedAction

RecommendedAction:ReviewtheannualrevisionsfromMSBAthatincludeLegislativeandotherchanges.

Finding

• Severalpolicieshaveareview/revisiondatethatisearlierthantheadoptiondate.

RecommendedAction

Makesurethepolicyrevision/adoptiondatesareaccurateaccordingtoboardminutes.ContactMSBAtoassistwithchangestothesystem. Onceschoolboardpoliciesaredevelopedandapproved,thedistrictshoulddevelopandimplementasystematicprocesstoreviewallboardpolicies,atleastannually,andmakenecessaryrevisionsasneeded.

Finding

• A policy still includes the statement from MSBASample Policy Disclaimer: This policy is provided solely as a sample. Any board of education adopting such a policy should use this sample as a framework or starting point and, after carefully reviewing the applicable laws, regulations and state rules, modify the policy as appropriate to meet the needs of the local school system. Any policy should be carefully reviewed by the board of education's legal counsel.

RecommendedAction

• RecommendedAction:•WhenreviewingrevisionsfromMSBA,customizethepolicytomeetyourdistrictneeds,choosetheoptionsinthepolicyandremovesamplepolicydisclaimer.•Allpoliciesmustbeclearlyidentifiedaspoliciesofthedistrictandappropriatelysuitedforthedistrict.

• #1: Policy is a living document.

• #2: Policy is the work of the Board.

• #3: The Board focuses on policy. The staff focuses on procedures to implement policy.

• #4: Look for the policy connection in all you do.

• #5: Focus attention on policy making designed to improve student learning.

Policy Reminders :

• #6: Give clear direction to administration through policy.

• #7: Keep policies current.

• #8: Keep the community and staff informed of Board policy.

• #9: Review policies on a regular basis.

• #10: Monitor policies for compliance and progress.

• Policy Revision Services• Online Policy ServicesManual Maintenance / Online Web Hosting

• Policies on DiscAll PoliciesAnnual Policy Revision Updates

MSBA Policy Services Overview

www.msbaonline.orgToll: 1-888-367-6722Office: 601-924-2001Fax: 601-924-2003

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