1 of 34

2024-2025

School Site Council (SSC)

&

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Training

2 of 34

This presentation provides:

School Site Council (SSC) requirements
Roles and responsibilities of the SSC
Guidelines for writing, monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)
Guidelines for conducting SSC meetings

2

Objectives

3 of 34

SSC Composition

3

Objective #1

4 of 34

4

Elementary SSC Composition

Minimum 10 members

*Parents may vote to give up one or more of their seats to community members. 5797.1 for more information

Teachers constitute the majority of school staff represented on the SSC

1 Principal

3 Teachers

1 “Other”

5 Parents

Note: If you are presenting only to an elementary audience, you may want to concentrate only on the elementary composition (Slide 4). Middle and high school audiences will find Slide 5 more relevant. Mixed audiences will need both.

Say:

“For elementary schools, there must be a minimum of 10 members on the SSC. Half of the Council is made up of parents and the other half is made up of school staff, including one seat for the principal and one for non-teaching staff. The majority of the staff side must be made up of teachers. There must be parity between the staff side and the parent side (SEE HANDOUT ON EC 52852).

The other staff seat can be comprised of any staff member at the school that is not a full-time teacher or the principal. This would include cafeteria, custodial, counseling, and classified staff, coordinators, and assistant principals.

In some cases, parents may vote to give up one or more seats on the Council to community members. The community member(s) must show proof that he or she resides or works within the attendance boundary of the school.”

[Click]

5 of 34

5

Secondary SSC Composition

Minimum 12 members

*Parents may vote to give up one or more of their seats to community members. See BUL 5797.1 for more information

Teachers constitute the majority of school staff represented on the SSC

**Middle schools must include students, unless indicated in their bylaws

1 Principal

4 Teachers

1 “Other”

3 Parents*

3 Students**

Note: If you are presenting only to an elementary audience, you may want to concentrate only on the elementary composition (Slide 4). Middle and high school audiences will find Slide 5 more relevant. Mixed audiences will need both.

Say:

“For secondary schools, there must be a minimum of 12 members on SSC. Half of the Council is made up of parents and/or students and the other half is made up of school staff, including one seat for the principal and one for non-teaching staff. The majority of the staff side must be made up of teachers. There must be parity between the staff side and the parent/student side (SEE HANDOUT ON EC 52852).

The other staff seat can be comprised of any staff member at the school that is not a full-time teacher or the principal. This would include cafeteria, custodial, counseling, and classified staff, coordinators, and assistant principals.

Middle school composition can be a little tricky. Unless otherwise stated in the school’s bylaws, middle schools must include students on the Council.

In some cases, parents may vote to give up one or more seats on the Council to community members. The community member(s) must show proof that he or she resides or works within the attendance boundary of the school.”

[Click]

6 of 34

Classroom teachers elect teacher representatives
“Other” personnel elect “Other” school personnel
Parents/Guardians elect Parents/Guardians representatives
Students elect Student representatives
The Principal must be an active member, but cannot veto a motion passed by the council

6

Election Process

7 of 34

Peer group members must elect peers to fill the vacancy

Encourage Alternates

7

Filling SSC Vacancies

8 of 34

Review and Update Annually

8

By-Laws

9 of 34

Jointly developed by the principal & SSC Chair
Greene and Brown Act:

Post 72 hours prior to SSC Meeting
Must list ALL topics to be discussed
Must have public comment
Must allow public to address any item on the agenda
Must have a quorum for action

9

Agendas

10 of 34

Roles and Responsibilities of the School Site Council (SSC)

10

Objective #2

11 of 34

11

SSC Officer Roles

Chairperson

Organizes, convenes, and leads meetings of the Council; collaborates to develop agendas

Vice-Chairperson

Presides in the absence of the Chairperson; possible successor to Chair if stated in bylaws

Secretary

Records events and actions taken at Council meetings; brings documents to meetings; signs/ dates minutes

Parliamentarian

Resolves questions of procedure, often with the help of “Robert’s Rules of Order;” supports Greene Act/bylaws

Say:

“There are four officer roles on the Council.

[Click]

The Chairperson is responsible to lead the SSC meetings. We will go into more detail about the Chair’s role later in the presentation.

[Click]

The Vice-Chairperson serves in absence of the Chair, so he or she needs to know the job of the Chairperson very well. The SSC bylaws should state the order of succession for the Chair, indicating whether the Vice-Chair automatically takes the place of the Chair when he resigns or is unable to serve or whether new elections are held for the Chair’s position in these cases.

[Click]

The Parliamentarian is the expert on the SSC bylaws, the Greene Act, and “Robert’s Rules of Order” or other similar reference book on proper meeting procedures. He supports the Chair, clarifying procedure when there is uncertainty.

[Click]

The Secretary has the responsibility of recording the events and actions of the meeting. He/She needs to submit completed minutes to the school principal/coordinator as soon as possible, sign and date the minutes, bring copies of the sign-in sheets and other pertinent documents to the meeting.” SEE HANDOUT ON MINUTES.

[Click]

12 of 34

Data analysis, program development, monitoring of student progress & budget
Must train SSC on responsibilities annually
Input from ELAC required prior to SSC approval
Modifications can be made throughout the year
Title I schools must have Site Parent Involvement Policy & School Compact and annually review both Site & District Parent Involvement Policies*

12

Planning & Annual Requirements

* Include on the agenda and capture discussion in the minutes

13 of 34

13

Responsibilities of the SSC

become knowledgeable of state and local issues related to assessment, curriculum, and instruction

Annually

review meeting operating procedures

review bylaws

develop an annual meeting calendar

Ongoing basis

may appoint committees to perform tasks to assist in developing, monitoring, and evaluating the SPSA

communicate regularly with representative stakeholder groups

Review current SPSA & Student data

Review current budgets & regulations

Say:

“Annually [Click], Councils must [Click] review agreed-upon operating procedures, [Click] review their bylaws, [Click], and develop an annual meeting calendar.

[Click] On an ongoing basis, Councils should be informed of District, state, and when applicable, federal mandates and changes to those mandates. [Click] Additionally, representative stakeholders should be regularly informed of the Council’s business. For example, staff should share with other staff about decisions of the Council, and parents on the Council should inform other parents of Council decisions. Also, the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) recommendations should be considered at each SSC meeting and on each agenda for review.

[Click] Finally, on an ongoing basis SSC may appoint committees to do specific tasks as they relate to the Single Plan for Student Achievement.”

[Click]

14 of 34

A small part of monitoring the SPSA includes addressing how school funds should best be spent to meet students’ academic needs.

But, the primary function of the SSC is to monitor the effectiveness of the SPSA and suggest changes to the plan as necessary.

14

Primary Function of SSC

15 of 34

School Plan for Student Achievement

SSC responsibilities include:

developing the School Plan for Student Achievement (Ed. Code 52853, 64001)
approving the Plan
recommending it to the local governing board for approval
monitoring its implementation
evaluating the effectiveness of the planned activities at least annually

15

Primary Responsibility of SSC

16 of 34

The _______ & _______ jointly develop the agendas.
Post agendas ____ hours prior to your SSC meeting.
Is Data analysis required? T or F
Sites must _______ their SSC annually.
Which parent input meeting is held first, SSC or ELAC?
Modifications cannot happen once the SPSA is approved? T or F
The PRIMARY FUNCTION of the SSC is to _______ the ______ of the SPSA.
Thinking back, can a principal veto actions passed by the SSC? Y or N

16

Checking For Understanding

17 of 34

School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

17

Objective #3

18 of 34

The intent of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is to create a cycle of continuous improvement of student performance, and to ensure that all students succeed in reaching state academic standards.

18

19 of 34

19

Continuous Improvement Cycle

Analyze student data.

Measure effectiveness of current STRATEGIES to determine causes of student underachievement.

Identify achievement GOALS.

Create ACTION/TASK timelines, including persons responsible, & expenses for implementation.

Recommend SPSA to local governing board.

Receive local governing board approval.

Implement SPSA.

Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of the implementation throughout the year.

Say:

“Unless you are a new school, the Continuous Improvement Cycle doesn’t really have a beginning because you are always monitoring and evaluating the Single Plan for its effectiveness. For the purpose of introducing the Cycle, we’ll start with…

[Click] Analyze student data. Throughout the year, we can be checking in on how students are doing by analyzing formal and informal data.”

Ask:

What kinds of data can the SSC look at? [Elicit responses from participants.]

[Click]

“The second step is to use the student data analysis to measure the effectiveness of strategies. Again, the ultimate purpose of the Single Plan is to promote student proficiency. The data may identify causes of student underachievement. For example: Students may not be making sufficient progress on the Quarter 2 assessment because they have not attended the tutoring support sessions associated with that assessment.”

[Click]

“The third step is to identify achievement goals. The more specific, the better.”

[Click]

“Next, decide upon actions and tasks that will make progress toward the goal. Ask ‘Who is responsible?’, ‘By what time must the task be completed?’ This is also the step where the Council reviews how money will be spent to achieve proficiency for all.”

[Click]

“The fifth step is to recommend the Plan to the local governing board, our Board of Education. Once the plan has all of the required signatures, it is turned in for review…”

[Click]

“…and once it is approved, the school can implement the Plan. ESC Title I Coordinators work with school staff to ensure that the plan has all addressed all legal mandates.”

[Click]

“The last step is the one your school will probably spend the most time on, that is, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the plan.”

Take a minute to think about which step your school is on the Continuous Improvement Cycle right now.”

[Click]

20 of 34

Analyze Student Achievement Data

Sources of data Schoolwide & by Student Groups:

State (e.g. CAASPP, ELPAC)
District (e.g. MAP Growth, Benchmarks, End-of-Course Exams, D/F lists, Honors/AP enrollment, Reclassification Rates, etc.)
School generated (e.g. teacher-

created, department-created)

20

Step 1

21 of 34

Measure Effectiveness of Current Improvement Strategies

Determine critical causes of student underachievement, as reflected in the data, with the input of all stakeholders, including advisory committees.

Remember to consider attendance, suspensions, chronic absenteeism concerns, etc.

Meeting minutes should reflect that stakeholders were included in the process of reviewing the SPSA.

21

Step 2

22 of 34

Identify Achievement Goals and Key Improvement Strategies

Analyze the current reality of student performance and discuss the desired reality.

Work is aligned to the District Organizational Goals and LCAP goals.

Focus selected goals on the following:

Derived from the conclusions of the needs assessment
Prioritized by students’ needs
Realistic and attainable
Specific to the needs of students
Measurable by frequent formative assessments

22

Step 3

23 of 34

23

The SPSA consists of goals, strategies, action steps, and tasks that, ultimately, stem from and relate to PUSD’s goal of high academic achievement for all students.

Goals, Strategies, Actions & Tasks

SPSA

Strategic Plan/ LEA/LCAP Goal

School Goal

Strategy

Action Step/Task

Strategy

Action Step/Task

School Goal

Strategy

Action Step/Task

Strategic Plan/ LEA/LCAP Goal

School Goal

Strategy

Action Step/Task

Strategic Plan/ LEA/LCAP Goal

School Goal

Strategy

Action Step/Task

Strategy

Action Step/Task

School Goal

Strategy

Action Step/Task

Strategy

Action Step/Task

School Goal

Strategy

Action Step/Task

24 of 34

Define Timelines, Personnel Responsible, Proposed Expenditures, and Funding Sources to Implement the Plan

For each Goal, defined Strategies and Action Steps/Tasks must be set as progress markers.
Be specific about the person(s) responsible and completion deadlines.
Provide supplemental services only—do not allocate funds to pay for what could, or should, be provided with general funds.

24

Step 4

25 of 34

Recommend the SPSA to the Local Governing Board

The governing board wants

assurance that the SSC has

addressed its legal

responsibilities through:

proper constitution
evidence that input has been sought from stakeholders
a tailored SPSA based on student need
a formally approved plan

25

Step 5

26 of 34

Monitor Implementation

Clear timelines with tasks, and persons responsible make monitoring much easier.

A plan that is too general runs the risk of diminishing student achievement results.

As the implementation of the plan unfolds, the SSC should evaluate the progress of each major strategy for identified students and share this information with stakeholders.

26

Step 6

27 of 34

Conducting

SSC Meetings

27

Objective #4

28 of 34

28

SSC Chairperson

The SSC Chairperson…

provides leadership on behalf of the Council and the community it serves

calls the meeting to order and closes meeting at the appointed time

enforces policies relating to the conduct of meetings and helps ensure compliance with the bylaws

follows the order of posted agenda, clearly announcing transitions and items

recognizes people who desire to speak, and protects from disturbance or interference

explains what the effect of a motion would be if it is not clear to every member

redirects discussion to the question when a motion is before the Council

Should be a parent!

Say:

“We will start with who conducts the meeting: the Chairperson. [Click]

The Chair provides leadership. This means that he or she presides over the meetings and clearly communicates the purpose and work of the SSC.

[Click]

The Chair also calls the meeting to order on time and helps to keep all members on track in order to close on time.

[Click]

It is also the responsibility of the Chair to know and enforce any SSC bylaws. And…

[Click]

to follow the posted agenda. By clearly announcing each item on the agenda and each motion’s result, the Chair assures that each member, and any visiting public, can track the meeting’s progress.

[Click]

The next responsibility of the Chairperson is to recognize people who would like to speak, while also protecting the meeting from interference. The Chair does not take sides. He or she “passes the gavel”, meaning excuses his or herself from the responsibilities of Chair when taking a position or speaking on a matter.

[Click]

It is the Chair’s responsibility to explain the effect of each motion, clarifying ambiguity. Before voting, the Chair restates the motion so everyone is clear about what is being voted on.

[Click]

Finally, it is the Chair’s responsibility to redirect discussion back to the question when a motion is before the Council. He or she may have to ask colleagues to refrain from sidebar, or otherwise off-topic, discussion.”

29 of 34

29

Essentials

Post the agenda 72 hours in advance (or 24 hours in advance in the case of an emergency meeting), specifying the date, time, location, and each item of business, especially if an action (vote) will be taken
Agenda must be posted inside and outside of the building where the meeting will take place in view of the public
Create sign-in sheets showing identification of stakeholders and officers
Have all materials translated and interpretation service requested (Ed Code 48985)
Have enough copies of the meeting materials available for the public upon request
Read/be familiar with SSC bylaws

Say:

“Most Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCPs), which are formal, documented complaints, are filed on these issues. For this reason, these are essential actions to master.

[Click] [Click]

It is the school’s responsibility to post the agenda, clearly in view of the public, 72 or 24 hours in advance of a meeting. This gives members of the community the opportunity to attend if they wish to. SSC meetings are considered “open” meetings to the public, because the SSC is governed by the Greene Act.

[Click]

Creating sign-ins with all stakeholder groups (teachers, parents, students, etc.) identified, [Click] providing translation, and [Click] having enough copies of the agenda and handouts to contribute to a welcoming environment. These essentials should not be overlooked.

[Click] Also, be familiar with the bylaws. Middle schools, for example, may be surprised to know that their bylaws can exempt students from membership on the SSC, which is not the case with the standard district bylaws for secondary schools. Often, people file complaints when members of the Council violate bylaws.”

30 of 34

Follow the posted agenda, being sure to identify which items need action (a vote)

Exception: If an action is needed and was not known at the time the agenda was posted, the SSC may, by unanimous vote, add the item on the agenda for action

Follow agreed-upon operating procedures, clarifying with the Parliamentarian when necessary (e.g. Robert’s Rules of Order, Leadership Team Norms)
Do not alter minutes after the Council has approved them, making them an official record of the meeting
Allow the public to address the Council on any matter within the jurisdiction of the Council during the Public Comments section of the agenda

30

Essentials

31 of 34

Call to Order

The meeting is first called to order. Second, members are welcomed. Next, roll call is taken. Finally, quorum is/is not established.

Quorum is the number of members that must be legally present in order to conduct business, 50% of the membership total + 1 member

31

Conducting the Meeting

If quorum cannot be obtained, the Chair calls the meeting to order, announces the absence of a quorum, and entertains a motion to adjourn, recess, or have an informational meeting.

If a quorum is not present, the Chair waits until there is quorum, or until after a reasonable time, there appears to be no prospect that a quorum will assemble.

32 of 34

Motions

Matters/Issues must be considered in order.
Two types of motions: main and subsidiary. Both motions need a “second.”

After a motion’s first reading, the Chairperson should inquire, “Is there any discussion?”
The maker of a motion has the first right to speak and to amend it.

32

Conducting the Meeting

Main motion: brings business before the assembly. Main motions can only be made when no other motion is pending and must be directly related to the issue under consideration.

Subsidiary motion: assist in considering or rejecting a main motion (e.g. motions to postpone, refer to committee, table). Subsidiary motions must directly relate to the main motion.

33 of 34

Voting

Agenda needs to indicate when an action/vote will occur, prior to posting of the agenda
Chair should clearly announce the �results of the voting
Minutes should reflect number of votes in favor, against, and abstentions
A tie vote is a “lost” vote because no majority was obtained

33

Conducting the Meeting

34 of 34

Publish and distribute signed and dated minutes within a week
Maintain all records for 5 years
Furnish copies of meeting minutes or any other Council document to members or the public upon request (Greene Act)
Determine next meeting’s agenda items
Members take collective responsibility for their performance

34

After the Meeting

Say:

“After the meeting, there are a few essential housekeeping items that must be addressed.

Within a week of the meeting, publish and distribute the minutes. It is essential that you maintain official records of the meeting, including minutes, sign-ins, agendas, and any handouts or flyers distributed. These documents are thoroughly examined during the FPM visits and are used as evidence when complaints are filed.

If members of the public wish to see meeting minutes or any other Council document, furnish these in a reasonable timeframe.

Finally, officers should meet to determine the agenda items for subsequent meetings.

Remember that the membership takes collective responsibility for the decisions made in SSC. This means that members are expected to support all motions which pass, regardless of whether they voted for or against.”

[Click]