North Rock Creek Public Schools.

              Norrtth Rocck Crreek
Publliicc Scchoollss
Cougars
Office of Accountability
October 2011
Oklahoma
School Performance Review
Education Oversight Board / Office of Accountability
Susan Field, Chairman • Robert Buswell, Executive Director
655 Research Parkway, Suite 301 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 (405) 225-9470 Fax (405) 225-9474 www.SchoolReportCard.org
October 2011
Fellow Oklahomans:
The Education Oversight Board and the Office of Accountability are pleased to present this
school performance review for North Rock Creek Public Schools (NRCPS).
This review is intended to help NRCPS contain costs, improve management strategies and
operations, and increase student performance. To conduct this review the office contracted with
WCL ENTERPRISES.
North Rock Creek Public Schools has a number of commendable programs and enjoys support
from district residents; however, it is faced with several challenges. The review contains
recommendations to help NRCPS meet those challenges and improve the efficiency of their
operations. The review also highlights a number of “Commendable Practices” in programs,
operations, and services provided by the administration, teachers, and staff.
We are grateful for the cooperation of NRCPS Board of Education, administration, staff,
parents, and community members. They are to be commended for their dedication toward
improving educational opportunities for their community.
We are pleased to announce that this review is available in hardcopy through the Office of
Accountability and on the office’s web site at www.SchoolReportCard.org.
For the Education Oversight Board, For the Office of Accountability,
Susan Field Robert Buswell
Oklahoma School Performance Review
North Rock Creek Public Schools
October 2011
Education Oversight Board Office of Accountability
Susan Field, Chairman Robert Buswell, Executive Director
Patrick Gilmore, Vice-Chair Jeff Wallace, Assistant Director
Dr. Sherry Labyer Jerry (Yu-Chao) Hsieh, Database Design Analyst
Ami Shaffer Dr. Lonnie Melvin, School Improvement Coordinator
Edward A. Petersen
Reed Downey
Millard House II
Senator John Ford
Representative Ann Coody
WCL ENTERPRISES
Bill Lenhart, President and Project Director
Debbie Smothermon, Assistant Project Manager
Gary Gerber – Chapter 1, Management & Communications
Diana Leggett – Chapter 2, Instruct Programs/Services & Personnel Managemt
Chuck Yaple and Bill Lenhart – Chapter 3, Business Operations
Roy Sprague – Chapter 4, Facilities Assessment
Archie Hayes – Chapter 4, Maintenance and Custodial Operations
Mark Hopkins – Chapter 4, Safety & Security
Beth Wallace – Chapter 5, Child Nutrition
Skip Baskerville – Chapter 5, Technology
Stephen Loveless – Chapter 5, Transportation
This publication was prepared by the Office of Accountability as authorized by Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 3-118 and 1210.5331.
It was printed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Central Services Department, as authorized by the Education Oversight
Board. Forty-three paper copies and 3 CDs have been prepared at a cost of $1,785.36. Copies have been deposited with the Publications
Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, October 2011.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Table of Contents
i
Page
Executive Summary 1
Acknowledgements 1
North Rock Creek Public Schools 1
Commendations 3
Recommendations and Projected Costs and Savings 6
Chapter 1:
Management, Personnel, and Communications 1-1
A. Management and Planning 1-9
B. Personnel Management 1-11
C. Communications and Community Involvement 1-18
Chapter 2:
Instructional Delivery 2-1
A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance 2-3
B. Professional Development 2-23
C. Gifted and Talented Education 2-29
D. Special Education 2-32
E. Guidance and Counseling 2-38
F. Federal Programs 2-42
G. Textbooks 2-46
Chapter 3:
Business Operations 3-1
A. Planning and Budgeting 3-12
B. Asset and Risk Management 3-19
C. Auditing and Internal Controls 3-21
Chapter 4:
Facilities Use and Management 4-1
A. Facilities Planning and Construction 4-2
B. Maintenance and Custodial Operations 4-17
C. Energy Management 4-32
D. Community Use of School Facilities 4-42
E. Safety and Security 4-46
F. Crisis Management 4-59
Chapter 5:
Support Services 5-1
A. Food Service 5-1
B. Technology 5-14
C. Transportation 5-21
Table of Contents North Rock Creek Public Schools
ii
Appendices:
A. Professional Staff Survey Results A-1
B. Teacher Survey Results B-1
C. Support Staff Survey Results C-1
D. Student Survey Results D-1
E. Parent Survey Results E-1
F. Teacher and Community Focus Groups’ Comments F-1
G. Enrollment Projections G-1
H. Facilities Walk-through: Maintenance, Safety, and Security Needs H-1
I. Thermal Images of Facilities I-1
J. Sample Transportation Forms J-1
WCL ENTERPRISES 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Oklahoma School Performance Review (OSPR) Program was authorized by the Oklahoma
Legislature during the 2001 session and amended during the 2005 session. The responsibility to
conduct School Performance Reviews was assigned to the Office of Accountability, which is
under the direction of the Oklahoma Education Oversight Board. The purpose of a School
Performance Review is to develop findings, commendations, and recommendations regarding (1)
containing costs; (2) improving management strategies; and (3) promoting better education for
Oklahoma children.
The Office of Accountability began the School Performance Review of North Rock Creek Public
Schools (NRCPS) in January 2011. The Oklahoma Office of Accountability contracted with
WCL ENTERPRISES to assist with the School Performance Review.
The WCL ENTERPRISES consulting team conducted either individual or small group interviews
with district personnel and Board of Education members. The team also reviewed operations by
touring facilities, observing cafeteria operations, and riding school bus routes.
Parents, teachers, principals, support staff, and central office administrators also completed
written surveys that were customized to the district. The completed surveys were tabulated and
the results were used in the School Performance Review. Survey results are contained in
Appendices A-E.
Data were received and used from the Office of Accountability, State Department of Education,
State Regents for Higher Education, and State Auditor and Inspector. The Office of
Accountability selected peer districts for comparisons based on similarities in student enrollment
and demographics. The districts selected for comparison to Indiahoma were Fletcher, Laverne,
Liberty, Walters, and Wellston.
During the review, WCL ENTERPRISES developed 62 recommendations designed to improve
operations. In some cases, these recommendations should result in a net savings to the district, in
some cases a net cost, and in some cases should have no fiscal impact but should improve district
effectiveness. A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Office of Accountability and WCL ENTERPRISES wish to express their appreciation to the
Board of Education of North Rock Creek Public Schools, its superintendent at the time of the
review, Marc Moore, and the district employees, students, parents, and others who helped during
the School Performance Review.
NORTH ROCK CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
North Rock Creek Public Schools (NRCPS) is located in central Oklahoma just a mile north of
Shawnee along US Highway 40, just 30 miles East of Oklahoma City in Pottawatomie County.
NRCPS includes grades EC-8 in one elementary school with no high school and is therefore
Executive Summary North Rock Creek PS Performance Review
2 WCL ENTERPRISES
dependent on surrounding school districts to provide a high school education for its students.
After the eighth grade year students may select from many high school’s including Shawnee,
Tecumseh, Earlsboro, Dale, McCloud, Meeker, and Bethel. The district covers 38 square miles
with 14 students per square mile.
Exhibit 1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or
reduced price meals for NRCPS for 2008-09.
Exhibit 1
Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics
2008-09
Campus
Grade
Span
Average
Daily
Membership
Ethnic Groups Eligible
For Free
or
Reduced
Price
Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
North Rock Creek EC-8 532.4 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% 56%
Community
Group F2
697.1 54% 5% 1% 6% 34% 68%
State Average 6,462 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database
Based upon size, geography, and demographics, the Office of Accountability selected five
Oklahoma school districts to serve as peer districts for comparative purposes: Grove, Pioneer,
Pleasant Grove, South Rock Creek, and Whitebead. Throughout this report, these five districts
will be referred to as “peer districts.” For further comparison, a community group average is also
used throughout this chapter. NRCPS falls into Community Group F2 for the 2008-09 fiscal year
Community Group F2 includes districts with average daily memberships (ADM) of between 500
and 999 students. The “2” indicates that the percentage of NRCPS students eligible for free and
reduced price meals was at or above the state average.
NRCPS’S average property valuation per student of $69,886 is the second highest among all
peer districts and higher than the F2 Community Group and State Averages. NRCPS has the
second highest percentage of Native American students among peers and at 37 percent is almost
double the State Average and slightly higher than the Community Group Averages. NRCPS also
has the second highest percentage of students eligible for Free or Reduced price meals when
compared to peer districts, but its percentage is lower than the F2 Community Group and equals
the State Average. Exhibit 2 displays demographic information for NRCPS, the peer districts,
Community Group F2, and the State Average for 2008-09.
North Rock Creek PS Performance Review Executive Summary
WCL ENTERPRISES 3
Exhibit 2
Demographics of NRCPS, Peer Districts, and State
2008-09
Entity
Average
Daily
Membership
Ethnic Group Average
Assessed
Property
Valuation
Per
Student
Eligible for
Free or
Reduced
Price Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
North Rock Creek 532.4 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% $69,886 56.3%
Grove 357.3 69% 2% 4% 3% 22% $87,927 23.0%
Pioneer 331.9 86% 3% 0% 3% 8% $15,982 43.8%
Pleasant Grove 237.5 41% 4% 0% 2% 52% $13,410 70.5%
South Rock Creek 320.2 73% 4% 1% 0% 22% $21,167 31.5%
Whitebead 415.1 60% 2% 0% 25% 13% $21,147 58.0%
Community Group F2 697.8 54% 5% 1% 6% 34% 27,068 68.4%
State Average 1,194.3 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% $38,875 56.3%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database
NRCPS’S ADM decreased 3.7 percent during the period from 2007-08 through 2008-09. This
decrease was greater than three out of five of the peer districts, less than the F2 Community
Group, and higher than the State Average for this same period. However, from 2004-05, the
district increased a total of 40 students, which is a greater percentage of growth than that of any
peer district. Fluctuations in student population are noted from year to year with the overall trend
for NRCPS being an increase of 9.9 percent for the five comparison years (Exhibit 3).
Exhibit 3
NRCPS, Peer Districts, Community Group, and State Student ADM Trends
Average Daily Membership Percentage
Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Change
North Rock Creek 484.4 486.4 504.6 536.2 532.4 9.9%
Grove 391.0 412.3 410.8 413.2 357.3 (8.6%)
Pioneer 307.0 309.0 325.7 339.8 331.9 8.1%
Pleasant Grove 230.0 229.4 233.2 234.1 237.5 3.3%
South Rock Creek 346.0 324.1 337.1 316.5 320.2 (7.5%)
Whitebead 399.3 405.2 422.6 410.5 415.1 4.0%
Community Group F2 353.3 352.6 692.9 700.5 697.8 97.5%
State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5%
Source: Office of Accountability Profiles Database
COMMENDATIONS
WCL ENTERPRISES identified “exemplary” or “best practices” in North Rock Creek Public
Schools that led to 23 commendations. This report highlights the model programs, services, and
operations of the district. The Office of Accountability recommends that other school districts
throughout Oklahoma examine these exemplary programs and services to see if they could be
Executive Summary North Rock Creek PS Performance Review
4 WCL ENTERPRISES
adapted to meet local needs of other communities. The commendations are listed below and in
each chapter.
Chapter 1: MANAGEMENT, PERSONNEL, AND COMMUNICATIONS
The superintendent had a direct role in the success of the State Department of Education’s K-8
Council and on the subsequent development of the K-8 Activities Association.
The superintendent used a collaborative process to unite disparate groups and create a viable
capital improvement plan for NRCPS. These efforts resulted in community support and passage
of multiple bond issues.
The superintendent demonstrated a successful process for evaluating existing personnel,
identifying talented staff, and utilizing individual’s skills to better support the district. The result
of these efforts is recognized by district stakeholders as making a positive impact in NRCPS.
NRCPS provides a salary schedule for support personnel that is routinely reviewed to assure an
equitable compensation system based upon employee experience and skill.
NRCPS recognizes both certified and support personnel for contributions and activities that are
considered as noteworthy by colleagues.
The superintendent utilizes multiple means to communicate with employees and the result is an
informed staff with a strong sense of teamwork and ownership in the operations of the school
district.
The superintendent’s advisory council promotes involvement of all staff in resolving concerns
with school district daily operations.
The superintendent implemented a parent communication method that directly involves parents
as participants in their child’s education.
Chapter 2: INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY
NRCPS teachers develop and use benchmark assessments to monitor student learning and adjust
curriculum and instruction to increase students’ mastery of learning objectives.
The district provides extended learning opportunities to increase student achievement by offering
a variety of experiences, both during the day and after school, which will provide more learning
time and support to students.
NRCPS has adapted facilities and staffing configurations to support collaborative teaching to
improve student learning.
NRCPS’ participation in the Mentoring Professional Development Institute provides the district
with a cadre of mentor teachers trained to support teachers new to the district and to prepare
North Rock Creek PS Performance Review Executive Summary
WCL ENTERPRISES 5
other teachers for mentoring and coaching.
NRCPS uses an RTI model in which teachers provide and document the response to research
based interventions to identify elementary students with specific learning disabilities.
NRCPS provides eighth grade students and parents with a comprehensive advisement program,
which facilitates a smooth transition from eighth grade to the selected high school and increases
the opportunity for student success.
Chapter 3: BUSINESS OPERATIONS
By using independently created and maintained financial analyses, based upon information
contained on North Rock Creek Public Schools automated financial system, the superintendent
has been able to effectively manage finances and share this information with the School Board,
district staff, and the public when necessary.
Chapter 4: FACILITIES USE AND MANAGEMENT
NRCPS utilized the services of an architect and construction manager to develop a
comprehensive facility improvement list of needs with estimated budgets for the recent
successful bond election.
NRCPS Board of Education organized a formal committee consisting of several board members,
district patrons, business leaders, and district staff to help develop a long-range facilities master
plan.
By involving district staff, establishing a series of regular procedures, and enforcing district
policies, NRCPS provides a safe and secure environment for students and staff.
Chapter 5: SUPPORT SERVICES
The NRCPS Food Service Department hired an employee through Experience Works, which
provides experienced employees to the district at no cost. This is a best practice that should be
modeled by other food service operations.
NRCPS provides laptops for students during the school day for use on instructional activities.
This service allows students to complete activities with the assistance of teachers and allows
them to collaborate with other students to complete assignments.
NRCPS prepares its students for the 21st century by providing current and up-to-date PC and
Macintosh computers which are mirrored in professional work places in an emerging personal
computing hybrid field.
NRCPS has a secured dedicated location for parking their school buses and administration
vehicles. The building offers a secure space for repairs, part storage, and tools.
NRCPS uses cell phones to keep drivers in touch with administration. This provides
Executive Summary North Rock Creek PS Performance Review
6 WCL ENTERPRISES
communication between drivers and the administration in times of need.
ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATIONS
WCL ENTERPRISES’ recommendations would result in some savings that could be redirected
into the classroom. The savings opportunities identified in this report are conservative and should
be considered minimums.
Proposed investments of additional funds usually are related to increased efficiencies or savings,
or improved productivity and effectiveness. All estimable savings and costs are listed in Exhibit
4.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROJECTED TOTAL SAVINGS
A detailed list of recommendations with costs and savings by recommendation appears in
Exhibit 4 and in each chapter. Detailed implementation strategies and the estimates of fiscal
impact follow each recommendation in this report. The implementation section associated with
each recommendation highlights the actions necessary to achieve the proposed results. Many of
the recommendations have no costs or savings attached, but are designed to formalize, improve,
and streamline operations.
It must be understood that not all of the recommendations can be started at one time. The
consulting team did not want to place priorities by indicating which should be implemented
immediately and which ones implemented later. It will be up to the district to decide which ones
to implement and the timelines for beginning implementation.
WCL ENTERPRISES recommends that the NRCPS Board of Education ask district
administrators to review the recommendations, develop an implementation plan, and monitor its
progress. Office of Accountability staff is available to help implement proposals.
Exhibit 4
Summary of Costs and Savings by Recommendations
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
Chapter 1 Management, Personnel, and
Communications
1 NRCPS should develop written
personnel procedures for recruitment
and selection of certified and support
staff.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
2 Revise the extra duty salary schedule to
include various lead teacher positions for
their program coordination duties.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
North Rock Creek PS Performance Review Executive Summary
WCL ENTERPRISES 7
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
3 NRCPS should develop specific job
descriptions for all district positions.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
4 NRCPS should implement a mass
calling system for use in emergency
situations.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
5 Develop a plan that involves regular
two-way communication with
stakeholders that facilitates input from
the community.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
6 The superintendent should consider
implementing multiple strategies to
address the current need for more
parental and community involvement.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Subtotal $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Chapter 2 Instructional Delivery
1 Establish a clear vision of the
organizational structure needed to
address student learning needs in grades
six through eight that will guide the
transition planning, instructional
scheduling, and staffing decisions
necessary for the opening of the new
school.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
2 Develop curriculum scope and sequence
documents to guide and align instruction
in all content areas to provide
consistency in learning across grade
levels and increase student success.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
3 Implement vertical teaming by
structuring time for teachers to work
together across grades to align core
content curriculum to increase student
performance.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
4 NRCPS should evaluate the district
assessment program to ensure that the
testing schedule and the various types of
assessments support student
achievement.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
5 Evaluate the Accelerated Reader
program to determine its effectiveness in
supporting reading achievement and the
teaching of reading.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
6 NRCPS administrators should work
together to develop or identify a
leadership program that will provide
them with the skills and tools necessary
to lead school improvement initiatives
focused on increasing student
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Executive Summary North Rock Creek PS Performance Review
8 WCL ENTERPRISES
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
performance.
7 Develop a professional development
plan to support data analysis, curriculum
development, and instructional delivery.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
8 Develop a comprehensive Gifted and
Talented program for students that
includes a defined curriculum and an
established schedule of services to
ensure that the needs of gifted students
are addressed across grade levels.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
9 Provide a structured schedule and
protocol for NRCPS Special Education
teachers to work together as a team on a
regular basis to address implementing
and monitoring of the total program.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
10 Develop a Guidance and Counseling
plan that provides a sequential Guidance
program for grades PreK-8 to address
student needs across grades.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
11 As part of the planning process, the
district should routinely explore grants
and partnerships to supplement federal
program funds in order to increase the
resources available for student services
and school improvement programs.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
12 NRCPS should structure the textbook
selection procedures to ensure that
Special Education teachers have input
and access to the modified materials and
textbooks that align to those selected for
the general education classroom.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Subtotal $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Chapter 3 Business Operations
1 Develop a long-term strategic plan using
the recommendations in this report as
the basis for the plan.
($10,000) ($2,500) ($2,500) $0 $0 ($15,000)
2 NRCPS should establish a budgetary
process that is timely, easily understood,
allow input from the district staff,
community, and communicated to the
Board of Education.
($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($12,500)
3 NRCPS should seek assistance from
MAS providers for additional training to
include generating “canned” as well as
ad hoc reports from the system.
($2,500) ($250) ($250) ($250) ($250) ($3,500)
4 Develop an NRCPS policy and
implement a process and timeline for an
($500) ($50) ($50) ($50) ($50) ($700)
North Rock Creek PS Performance Review Executive Summary
WCL ENTERPRISES 9
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
inventory of fixed assets of the district.
5 Work with external auditors annually to
review control processes over fund
disbursements and the maintenance of
accounting records.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Subtotal ($15,500) ($5,300) ($5,300) ($2,800) ($2,800) ($31,700)
Chapter 4 Facilities Use and Management
1 NRCPS should develop a
comprehensive facilities’ database to
maintain accurate records on all of its
facilities.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
2 NRCPS should evaluate and consider
including the noted items from the site
visits into the scope of work for any
future bond program.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
3 NRCPS should consult with other
districts, as well as legal council, to
obtain modified versions of the standard
AIA design services and construction
contract documents and then change the
standard general conditions and
supplementary conditions to best meet
district needs.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
4 NRCPS should develop facility design
and construction standards, along with
educational specifications, so that equity
between facilities can be obtained.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
5 NRCPS should locate any facility related
documents that may exist and place
them in an environmentally conditioned
and fire-rated space within an existing
building.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
6 NRCPS should develop a spreadsheet to
track maintenance work orders,
equipment inventory, labor and material
costs, purchase orders, and preventive
maintenance requirements, or at a
minimum, modify their present work
order system to include this information.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
7 The NRCPS Maintenance Department
should develop a preventive maintenance
program and long-range facilities
maintenance plan.
($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($2,500) ($12,500)
8 NRCPS should provide in-house training
for its maintenance employee by
bringing training materials and possibly
trainers to the district or allowing him to
team up with neighboring districts to
($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($500) ($2,500)
Executive Summary North Rock Creek PS Performance Review
10 WCL ENTERPRISES
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
attend safety trainings.
9 NRCPS should contact the contractor
responsible for the construction of this
building to see what their options are as
far as warranty work on the roof.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
10 NRCPS should develop job descriptions
for each of their custodial and
maintenance employees as well as
provide each employee with an annual
evaluation of job performance.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
11 NRCPS should consider the installation
of a comprehensive energy management
control system to include the installation
of new DDC controlled programmable
thermostats, occupancy sensors, and
hardware on HVAC equipment to
provide zoned on/off control functions.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
12 NRCPS should consider purchasing one
of the available energy accounting
software programs.
($672) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($1,172) ($5,360)
13 NRCPS should develop a
comprehensive energy management
program to be adopted by its Board of
Education.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
14 NRCPS should evaluate its actual cost to
operate buildings and develop a rental
rate schedule and policy for facility use
by community and outside groups to
ensure that NRCPS will be reimbursed
for costs incurred in facility rental.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
15 NRCPS should develop formal rental
and agreement with legal counsel to
address the risks associated with the
leasing of district facilities to outside
groups and recommend revisions to
board policy for approval and adoption
by the Board of Education.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
16 The superintendent should develop a
plan to provide secure physical
separation of visitor areas from student
areas within the instructional facilities.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
17 Video surveillance warning signs should
be installed around the perimeter of all
district owned or operated facilities.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
18 The campus administrator should ensure
that Material Safety Data Sheets are
maintained for all chemicals used or
stored on campus and that all personnel
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
North Rock Creek PS Performance Review Executive Summary
WCL ENTERPRISES 11
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
have access to the Material Safety Data
Sheets at all times.
19 Campus administrators should ensure
that all hazardous material storage
spaces are kept secure at all times.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
20 Campus administrators should ensure
that emergency evacuation maps are
posted in all classrooms with the basic
elements included.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
21 The superintendent and campus
principal should develop strategies and
implement procedures that will mitigate
the unsafe conditions within NRCPS
facilities.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
22 Develop and implement an all-hazards
emergency operations plan.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
23 All district personnel should receive
emergency management training, and
the emergency response plan should be
routinely exercised beyond fire, tornado,
and lockdown drills.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
24 Students with special needs or
disabilities should be specifically
assisted during emergencies and
evacuations.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
25 The National Incident Management
System should be adopted and used by
North Rock Creek Public Schools to
manage all emergency incidents and
events.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Subtotal ($3,672) ($4,172) ($4,172) ($4,172) ($4,172) ($20,360)
Chapter 5 Support Services
1 NRCPS should only code food service
financial transactions from Special
Revenue Fund Code 22.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
2 NRCPS should implement “offer versus
serve” at all grade levels.
$12,951 $12,951 $12,951 $12,951 $12,951 $64,755
3 Discontinue serving seconds to the
students and faculty.
$2,625 $2,625 $2,625 $2,625 $2,625 $13,125
4 NRCPS should pre-cost all menus before
determining the amount to charge for
meals.
$14,276 $14,276 $14,276 $14,276 $14,276 $71,380
5 The Food Service Department should
follow the State Department of
Education School Food Service
Compliance Document recommendation
for meals per labor hour.
$9,908 $9,908 $9,908 $9,908 $9,908 $49,540
Executive Summary North Rock Creek PS Performance Review
12 WCL ENTERPRISES
Estimated (Cost)/Savings
Recommendation 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total 5
Year
(Costs)
or
Savings
6 All NRCPS employees with the
exception of the Food Service staff
should pay for their meals.
$30,344 $30,344 $30,344 $30,344 $30,344 $151,720
7 NRCPS needs to better protect network
servers and devices by securing them in
locked units that offer environmental
protection.
($500) ($500) $0 $0 $0 ($1,000)
8 NRCPS should develop and test a
comprehensive disaster recovery plan
that outlines the steps to take to insure
timely recovery of district critical data.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
9 NRCPS should install and use some type
of technology work order software such
as Spiceworks to manage its technology
work orders.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
10 NRCPS should develop a
comprehensive professional
development plan for technology that
coordinates the training opportunities for
all teachers to have the necessary skills
for integrating technology into
classroom instruction.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
11 Remove items no longer needed from
the bus barn.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
12 Identify bus rules for students riding the
school bus.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
13 Establish and implement a written
guideline for specific maintenance at
regular intervals for all school buses and
support vehicles.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
14 Create a form to document repairs made
to fleet vehicles.
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Subtotal $69,604 $69,604 $70,104 $70,104 $70,104 $349,520
Total recurring savings $70,104 $70,104 $70,104 $70,104 $70,104 $350,520
Total recurring costs ($19,672) ($9,472) ($9,472) ($6,972) ($6,972) ($52,060)
Total net savings and costs $50,932 $60,632 $60,632 $63,132 $63,132 $298,460
Chapter 1:
Management, Personnel, and
Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-1
Chapter 1
Management, Personnel, and Communications
This chapter addresses the management, personnel, and communications of the North Rock
Creek Public Schools (NRCPS) in the following sections:
A. Management and Planning
B. Personnel Management
C. Communications and Community Involvement
The organization and management of a school district involves cooperation between elected
members of the Board of Education and staff of the district. The School Board’s role is to set
goals and objectives for the district in both instructional and operational areas, determine the
policies by which the district will be governed, approve the plans to implement those policies,
provide the funding sources necessary to carry out the plans, and evaluate the results of the plans.
Once the School Board adopts goals and objectives for the district, it is the responsibility of the
superintendent and staff to establish policies and procedures to achieve these end results. That
achievement involves the hiring and retention of employees as well as ongoing communication
with the community to ensure an understanding of those goals and the district’s efforts to
accomplish them.
Background
North Rock Creek Public Schools (NRCPS) is located in central Oklahoma just a mile north of
Shawnee along US Highway 40, just 30 miles East of Oklahoma City in Pottawatomie County.
NRCPS includes grades EC-8 in one elementary school with no high school and is therefore
dependent on surrounding school districts to provide a high school education for its students.
After the eighth grade year students may select from many high school’s including Shawnee,
Tecumseh, Earlsboro, Dale, McCloud, Meeker, and Bethel. The district covers 38 square miles
with 14 students per square mile.
According to the NRCPS Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP) for 2007 through 2013,
a committee of educators and parents serving on the CLEP Committee developed the mission
statement, goals, and plans for NRCPS. The district’s CLEP included the following sections:
• Mission Statement
• Demographics, district profile, and overview – student achievement
• Extended learning opportunities
• Goals, objectives, strategies, and resources
• Action plan for parental involvement
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-2 WCL ENTERPRISES
• CLEP Timeline
• Reading sufficiency
• Remediation plan
• Professional development plan and professional learning activities for the past two years
• Alternative education
• Deregulation
• Assurance statement
• Quality time analysis
��� Title I site plans for all grades
The district’s mission statement is:
We are preparing students for success by educating the whole child.
The district’s core values are stated as:
We teach with a high quality staff.
We develop the whole child socially, emotionally, academically, and physically, as well
as developing good character traits for lifelong success.
We have high expectations for students.
We encourage parents and the community to become involved with our children’s
education.
We provide appropriate resources and facilities to meet educational needs.
Demographics
Exhibit 1-1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or
reduced price meals for NRCPS for 2008-09.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-3
Exhibit 1-1
Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics
2008-09
Campus
Grade
Span
Average
Daily
Membership
Ethnic Groups Eligible
For Free
or
Reduced
Price
Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
North Rock Creek EC-8 532.4 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% 56%
Community
Group F2 697.1 54% 5% 1% 6% 34% 68%
State Averages 6,462 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database
Based upon size, geography, and demographics, the Office of Accountability selected five
Oklahoma school districts to serve as peer districts for comparative purposes: Grove, Pioneer,
Pleasant Grove, South Rock Creek, and Whitebead. Throughout the remainder of this report,
these five districts will be referred to as “peer districts.” For further comparison, a community
group average is also used throughout this chapter. NRCPS falls into Community Group F2 for
the 2008-09 fiscal year Community Group F2 includes districts with average daily memberships
(ADM) of between 500 and 999 students. The “2” indicates that the percentage of NRCPS
students eligible for free and reduced price meals was at or above the state average.
NRCPS’ average property valuation per student of $69,886 is the second highest among all peer
districts and higher than the F2 Community Group and state averages. NRCPS has the second
highest percentage of Native American students among peers and at 37 percent is almost double
the state average and slightly higher than the community group averages. NRCPS also has the
second highest percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price meals when compared to
peer districts, but its percentage is lower than the F2 Community Group and equals the state
average. Exhibit 1-2 displays demographic information for NRCPS, the peer districts,
Community Group F2, and the state average for 2008-09.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-4 WCL ENTERPRISES
Exhibit 1-2
Demographics of NRCPS, Peer Districts, and State
2008-09
Entity
Average
Daily
Membership
Ethnic Group Average
Assessed
Property
Valuation
Per
Student
Eligible
for
Free or
Reduced
Price
Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
North Rock
Creek 532.4 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% $69,886 56.3%
Grove 357.3 69% 2% 4% 3% 22% $87,927 23.0%
Pioneer 331.9 86% 3% 0% 3% 8% $15,982 43.8%
Pleasant Grove 237.5 41% 4% 0% 2% 52% $13,410 70.5%
South Rock
Creek 320.2 73% 4% 1% 0% 22% $21,167 31.5%
Whitebead 415.1 60% 2% 0% 25% 13% $21,147 58.0%
Community
Group F2 697.8 54% 5% 1% 6% 34% 27,068 68.4%
State Average 1,194.3 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% $38,875 56.3%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database
NRCPS’S ADM decreased 3.7 percent during the period from 2007-08 through 2008-09. This
decrease was greater than three out of five of the peer districts, less than the F2 Community
Group, and higher than the state average for this same period. However from 2004-05, the
district increased a total of 40 students, which is a greater percentage of growth than that of any
peer district. Fluctuations in student population are noted from year to year with the overall trend
for NRCPS being an increase of 9.9 percent for the five comparison years (Exhibit 1-3).
Exhibit 1-3
NRCPS, Peer Districts, Community Group, and State Student ADM Trends
Average Daily Membership Percentage
Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Change
North Rock Creek 484.4 486.4 504.6 536.2 532.4 9.9%
Grove 391.0 412.3 410.8 413.2 357.3 (8.6%)
Pioneer 307.0 309.0 325.7 339.8 331.9 8.1%
Pleasant Grove 230.0 229.4 233.2 234.1 237.5 3.3%
South Rock Creek 346.0 324.1 337.1 316.5 320.2 (7.5%)
Whitebead 399.3 405.2 422.6 410.5 415.1 4.0%
Community Group F2 353.3 352.6 692.9 700.5 697.8 97.5%
State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5%
Source: Office of Accountability Profiles Database
Among ethnic groups, NRCPS experienced a decline of 2 percent in the Caucasian category,
remained the same in Native American, and increased in Hispanic, Asian, and Black categories
of approximately 1 percent for the period from 2004-05 through 2008-09 (Exhibit 1-4). During
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-5
this same period, average assessed property valuation per student decreased by less than 1
percent and students eligible for free or reduced meals decreased by less than 1 percent.
Exhibit 1-4
Change in Demographics of NRCPS
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database
School Board Governance
Oklahoma state education laws, as codified in the Oklahoma School Law Book (OSLB) and
district policies, establish the powers and responsibilities of the district Board of Education and
the superintendent. The OSLB contains 12 chapters subdivided by applicable topic into articles
that are further subdivided by sections (Exhibit 1-5). Each section provides legal guidance for
school district governance and operations.
Exhibit 1-5
Oklahoma School Law Book Chapters, Articles, and Sections
Chapter No. – Title Articles Sections
1 - Oklahoma School Code I-XXIV 1-517
2 – Administration I-VII 518-521
3 – Bonds I-II 522-619
4 - Funds And Finance I-V 620-707
5 - Elections And Ethics I-II 708-727
6 – Personnel I-V 728-802
7 – Students I-III 803-841
8 – Instruction I-IX 842-919
9 - Facilities And Equipment I-VII 920-1005
10 - Career And Technology Education I 1006-1016
11 – Transportation I-III 1017-1027
12 - Safety And Security I-VII 1028-1062
Appendix A Appropriation Bills
Relating to Education
Appendix B Senate Bill No. 1114
Appendix C Amendments, Repeals,
and New Sections
Appendix D Table of Statutes
Index
Source: Oklahoma School Law Book, Oklahoma State Department of Education
School
Year
Average
Daily
Membership
Ethnic Group Average
Assessed
Property
Valuation Per
Student
Eligible for
Free or
Reduced
Price
Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
2008-09 532.4 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% $69,886 56.3%
2007-08 536.2 57% 1% 1% 4% 37% $68,331 55.4%
2006-07 504.6 57% 2% 1% 3% 38% $70,818 57.7%
2005-06 486.4 56% 2% 1% 2% 39% $70,529 53.7%
2004-05 484.4 59% 1% 0% 3% 37% $70,062 56.8%
Percent
Change
9.9% (2%) 1% 1% 1% 0 (0.3%) (0.9%)
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-6 WCL ENTERPRISES
OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 54 states, “Every school district shall be a body corporate and shall
possess the usual powers of a corporation…” OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 55 states, “The
governing Board of Education of each school district in Oklahoma is hereby designated and shall
hereafter be known as the Board of Education of such district.”
Powers and duties of the Board of Education are contained in OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 68.
These powers and duties cover all activities related to operating public school districts. Key
powers and duties prescribed in OSLB include election of officers, establishing School Board
policies, building and operating schools and related facilities, and contracting for an annual audit
of all district funds and school activity funds.
OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Section 56 addresses the size and election of School Boards in Oklahoma,
and Section 77 provides a description of the required officers for School Boards in Oklahoma.
The NRCPS School Board consists of three members elected by the citizens of NRCPS all
serving three-year terms (Exhibit 1-6).
Exhibit 1-6
NRCPS School Board Members
March 2011
School Board
Member
School Board
Position
Term
Expires
Occupation
Rick Gowin President 2013 Real Estate
Adam Hester Vice President 2012 Catering and Concessions
Sherri Stacy Newly elected 2014 ONG Accountant
Source: NRCPS superintendent, January 2011
Elections are held each year in February on a date set by the state. At the first regular, special, or
emergency meeting after the annual School Board election and certification of election of new
members, the NRCPS board organizes itself by electing officers. OSLB Ch. 1, Art. V, Sections
78, 79, and 80 list the duties of each officer of the Board of Education. The Board of Education
must also elect a clerk, who may or may not be a member of the School Board.
OSLB Ch. 1, Art. I, Sections 57 and 58 outline the training requirements for Oklahoma School
Board members. New School Board members are required to complete 12 hours of instruction on
education issues, including school finance; Oklahoma education laws and ethics; and duties and
responsibilities of district Board of Education members within 15 months following election.
Every member of a school district Board of Education elected to a full term of office of five
years or more shall also be required to attend a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education.
Authorized training may be taken in State Department of Education’s New School Board
Member Workshops State Board of Education approved workshops and seminars, or higher
education institution workshops/seminars/classes. The NRCPS School Board members track
their own hours of training with assistance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education;
however, the superintendent provides a reminder to School Board members twice per year. The
superintendent occasionally schedules training for the School Board at NRCPS.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-7
Board of Education Meetings
The NRCPS School Board meets on the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the
conference room in the main school building. The meeting place and time may be changed by
agreement of the majority of the School Board. Special meetings are held as needed, and School
Board members receive agendas and any supporting information in advance of the meeting. The
superintendent’s finance secretary handles board clerk duties and prepares the board minutes for
final approval by the School Board.
Oklahoma statutes and NRCPS School Board policy require all School Board meetings to be
held in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act (OOMA). The OOMA is included in
Title 25 of Oklahoma Statutes Sections 301 through 314 (Exhibit 1-7). According to section 302
of OOMA, it is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma to encourage and facilitate an
informed citizenry���s understanding of governmental processes and problems.
Exhibit 1-7
Oklahoma Open Meeting Act Sections
Section Section Subject
301 Citation.
302 Public policy.
303 Times and places — Advance notice.
304 Definitions.
305 Recording of votes
306 Circumvention of act — Teleconferences accepted.
307 Executive sessions.
307.1 Teleconference Exceptions.
308 Meeting between Governor and majority of members of public body.
309 Legislature.
310 Legislative committee members attending executive sessions.
311 Public bodies — Notice.
312 Minutes of meetings — Recording of Proceedings.
313 Actions taken in willful violation of act.
314 Violations — Misdemeanor — Penalty.
Source: Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, Forty-Ninth Oklahoma Legislature,
First Regular Session, 2003
All Oklahoma public Boards of Education are required to adhere to the OOMA. Section 307 of
OOMA provides for requirements regarding executive sessions of School Boards and violations
of which could lead to members facing criminal prosecution. Accordingly, executive sessions of
the NRCPS School Board are convened only for specific purposes (Exhibit 1-8).
An executive session for the purpose of discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property is
limited to NRCPS School Board members, the district's attorney, and immediate staff. No
landowner, real estate sales person, broker, developer, or any other person who may profit
directly or indirectly from a proposed transaction concerning real property under consideration
may be present or participate in the executive session.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-8 WCL ENTERPRISES
Executive sessions are noted on the NRCPS agenda, which contain sufficient information for the
public to ascertain that an executive session will be held identifying the items of business and
purposes of the executive session.
All executive sessions are required to be authorized by a majority vote of a quorum of the
members present, and the vote is recorded. Except for matters considered in executive session,
which are required by state or federal law to be confidential, any vote or action on any item of
business considered in an executive session is taken in the public portion of the School Board
meeting with the vote of each member publicly cast and recorded.
Exhibit 1-8
Specific Purposes of School Board Executive
Sessions In Accordance with Section 307 of
The Oklahoma Open Meeting Act
Item Description
1 Discussing the employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or
resignation of any individual salaried public officer or employee;
2 Discussing negotiations concerning employees and representatives of employee groups;
3 Discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property;
4 Confidential communications between a public body and its attorney concerning a pending
investigation, claim, or action if the public body, with the advice of its attorney, determines
that disclosure will seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the claim or
conduct a pending investigation, litigation, or proceeding in the public interest;
5 Permitting district Boards of Education to hear evidence and discuss the expulsion or
suspension of a student when requested by the student involved or the student’s parent,
attorney, or legal guardian;
6 Discussing matters involving a specific handicapped child;
7 Discussing any matter where disclosure of information would violate confidentiality
requirements of state or federal law;
8 Engaging in deliberations or rendering a final or intermediate decision in an individual
proceeding pursuant to Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act; or
9 Discussing the following:
a. the investigation of a plan or scheme to commit an act of terrorism,
b. assessments of the vulnerability of government facilities or public improvements to an
act of terrorism,
c. plans for deterrence or prevention of or protection from an act of terrorism,
d. plans for response or remediation after an act of terrorism,
e. information technology of the public body but only if the discussion specifically
identifies:
(1) design or functional schematics that demonstrate the relationship or connections
between devices or systems,
(2) system configuration information,
(3) security monitoring and response equipment placement and configuration,
(4) specific location or placement of systems, components, or devices,
(5) system identification numbers, names, or connecting circuits,
(6) business continuity and disaster planning, or response plans, or
(7) investigation information directly related to security penetrations or denial of services
f. the investigation of an act of terrorism that has already been committed.
Source: Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes, as amended, Forty-Ninth Oklahoma Legislature, First Regular Session, 2003
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-9
A. MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
An effective central office organization structure is essential to the efficient and effective
delivery of services throughout a school district. Efficient central office structures have the
appropriate spans of control for district leadership with clearly defined lines of authority that are
reflected in the district’s organization charts. Effective central office structures encourage
communication at all levels.
The superintendent of a school district serves as the chief executive officer and is the
administrative leader responsible for policy implementation and the day-to-day operation of the
school district. The current 2010-11 NRCPS superintendent is Marc Moore. Although he has
served for nine years, he will be moving to the larger independent school district of Shawnee in
July 2011.
Due to the district’s size with approximately 532 students, the superintendent, the elementary
school principal, and a dean of students at middle school constitute the NRCPS district
administration. The superintendent and elementary school principal direct the district’s staff
members on a daily basis, including 43 certified personnel and 21 support personnel.
In Oklahoma, school district planning requirements are included in OSLB. Ch. 1, Art. III,
Section 31 and requires that each school district Board of Education prepare and adopt a six-year
Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP). At a minimum, the plan must contain:
• A school improvement plan
• An alternative education plan (submitted annually)
• A reading sufficiency plan (submitted annually)
• A quality time analysis (submitted annually)
Instead of submitting the CLEP and any updates to the state, the state’s regional accreditation
officers (RAO) check with districts during the annual accreditation process to ensure that the
plans and updates are being done properly. The NCRPS plan has been developed properly and in
a timely fashion.
FINDINGS 1-1
The superintendent serves in a leadership role on the State Department of Education’s K-8
Council. As a representative of K-8 schools, the superintendent also played a key role in
developing a K-8 Activities Association, promoting competitive activities between K-8 schools.
The State Department of Education, in an effort to improve K-8 schools, launched a council to
discuss potential initiatives for K-8 schools. The NRCPS superintendent was asked to participate
in the council.
Through his involvement with this project, he became concerned that the state did not have
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-10 WCL ENTERPRISES
adequate athletic programs or other competitive activities for K-8 school districts. The
superintendent of NRCPS and several other interested superintendents formed the K-8 Activities
Association which consists of one hundred participating schools. He continues to serve on the
Board of Directors responsible for managing the K-8 Activities Association and on the State
Department of Education’s K-8 Council.
According to Board of Education interviews and parent focus group comments, the athletic
program carried out by the K-8 Activity Association is extremely successful and has helped
bring a sense of community to NRCPS. All district events are heavily attended by the
community. The superintendent stated that he continues to be involved in both groups, despite
the heavy time commitment because of the positive impact these associations have on students at
North Rock Creek.
COMMENDATION
The superintendent had a direct role in the success of the State Department of Education’s
K-8 Council and on the subsequent development of the K-8 Activities Association. He
continues to provide leadership to the association, and supports continued success of
activities for students in NRCPS and other districts involved in the association.
FINDINGS 1-2
The superintendent utilized an exemplary, collaborative process with the school community to
profile important capital needs and to solicit community assistance in the campaign for the
passage of school bonds. These efforts to involve the community resulted in the passage of two
bond issues.
The superintendent utilized a fifteen member committee made up of School Board members,
teachers, parents, and administrators to develop a bond program for the district. This group met
with architects, construction managers, and bond consultants to review and discuss all facility
needs for NRCPS. The committee visited other school districts and gathered input and ideas. The
committee solicited public input through surveys, public hearings, and meetings. The committee
also participated in the bond campaign by going into the community and explaining the bond
program to groups and individuals. The most current bond issue passed with an 80% approval
margin.
During the performance review, both the Board of Education and the parent focus group
expressed great confidence in the leadership of the superintendent. The groups are in agreement
with the capital improvement goals being met in the last two bond issues and feel that the current
superintendent is the person to lead the next phase to build a new high school for NRCPS.
COMMENDATION
The superintendent used a collaborative process to unite disparate groups and create a
viable capital improvement plan for NRCPS. These efforts resulted in community support
and passage of multiple bond issues.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-11
FINDINGS 1-3
Through an evaluative process defined below, the superintendent redesigned identified personnel
positions resulting in better utilization of existing staff and a cost savings to the district. He
demonstrated good decision making skills with an excellent grasp of school management and
finance.
To accomplish this change the superintendent followed these steps:
• He studied the skill sets and leadership abilities of identified staff members.
• He redesigned several positions changing procedures and profiling job duties.
• The superintendent then placed these individuals into new leadership positions and worked to
support each in achieving success.
• He mentored each person closely and provided ongoing support and encouragement while
each individual learned the roles and responsibilities of the respective job.
The current positions of finance secretary, elementary principal, and dean of students at middle
school are positions created and developed through the evaluative approach in matching existing
staff to jobs to create positive changes.
The results of this process became clear in interviews with district staff, School Board members,
and parent focus groups. These interviews suggest that the superintendent made necessary
changes in personnel and job duties that resulted in better budget controls. Over the nine years of
the superintendent’s leadership, NRCPS increased its General Fund balance from $140,000 to
over $600,000. He has managed these personnel changes while reducing staff and increasing the
district fund balance.
Each group interviewed during the performance review expressed support for the superintendent
and noted that greater budget controls were implemented while also focusing on improvements
in instruction for students. Parents in particular noted that the administration, teachers, and
parents now work together as a team towards the common goal of what is best for students.
COMMENDATION
The superintendent demonstrated a successful process for evaluating existing personnel,
identifying talented staff, and utilizing individual’s skills to better support the district. The
result of these efforts is recognized by district stakeholders as making a positive impact in
NRCPS.
B. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
The human resources function of a school district substantially impacts its educational services
as the cost of payroll and benefits usually comprises the largest expenditure of a school district’s
budget. The human resource functions include the recruitment and retention of quality staff,
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-12 WCL ENTERPRISES
development of compensation and benefit plans, creation of job descriptions and job evaluations,
and the compliance to personnel policies and procedures at the local, state, and federal level. In
order to ensure the mission of a school district, it is important that the human resources function
be efficient and effective.
Like most employers, public school districts must comply with federal laws governing human
resources management. These laws include the Fair Labor Standards Act that governs wages and
hourly payments as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to
provide reasonable accommodations to any employee or job applicant who has a disability.
These laws also include the Equal Employment Opportunity Act that prevents employers from
making hiring and firing decisions based upon age, race, religion, gender, or other factors not
related to performance. In addition, state laws govern school district human resource
administration in areas such as grievances, due process, termination, and contract renewal.
Personnel management in NRCPS is the responsibility of the encumbrance clerk who is under
the direct supervision of the superintendent. The encumbrance clerk manages the personnel files,
employment logistics, sick leave, insurance benefits, and payroll.
FINDING 1-4
NRCPS has a salary schedule for support personnel that is routinely reviewed and updated. With
a set salary schedule, support employees are assured equitable compensation and opportunity for
advancement based upon experience and skill, which results in increased employee morale and
productivity.
In interviews, the superintendent and the finance clerk shared that in addition to a teacher salary
schedule, which is required by state law, NRCPS has a salary schedule for support personnel.
According to the superintendent, there is an established procedure for determining the starting
salary of newly employed staff, which provides the basis for administering an equitable
compensation plan. A salary schedule provides a method to determine salary increases and
provide uniform compensation for longevity and increased competencies. In interviews, the
superintendent stated that the salary schedule is used when pay raises are given to support
personnel, and that its use allows staff to better understand the process for making salary
decisions. This has resulted in improved staff morale and increased trust in the process for
making salary decisions.
The superintendent shared that the support staff salary schedule included years of experience and
skill requirements for noted positions. In developing the schedule, the superintendent conducted
a salary survey of comparable districts to determine the salaries being paid for each support
position and used this information to structure a comparable scale for NRCPS’ various positions.
The salary schedule is reviewed periodically to ensure that equitable compensation for support
personnel is maintained in NRCPS.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-13
COMMENDATION
NRCPS provides a salary schedule for support personnel that is routinely reviewed to
assure an equitable compensation system based upon employee experience and skill.
FINDING 1-5
NRCPS has a process for staff recognition that includes both certified and support personnel. As
a result, staff members are recognized for contributions and activities that are considered as
being noteworthy by colleagues.
In interviews, the superintendent stated that each month staff members are recognized at faculty
meetings for notable contributions to the district. Certified staff meetings are scheduled at
different times twice a month to accommodate teachers’ schedules; support staff meets bi-monthly
at a scheduled time. According to the superintendent, a certified or support staff
member receives the “Make a Difference” award at the beginning of each meeting. This award
program is unique in that recognition comes from a colleague. The staff member who receives
the award one month presents it to a colleague the next month whose observed actions have
positively impacted the school or learning environment.
In the publication Power of Positive Employee Recognition, Susan Heathfield points out that
recognition of staff ensures a positive, productive, and innovative organizational climate
(http://about.com). By providing employee recognition, an organization encourages more
positive actions that will lead to successful organizations. The NRCPS “Make a Difference”
recognition award communicates peer appreciation for an individual’s ability to contribute
significantly to the district.
COMMENDATION
NRCPS recognizes both certified and support personnel for contributions and activities
that are considered as noteworthy by colleagues.
FINDING 1-6
NRCPS does not have written personnel procedures for the recruitment and selection of certified
and support staff. The lack of written procedures can cause inconsistencies that result in unfair
employment practices or leave the district without necessary documentation to address
employment concerns.
NRCPS does not have written employment procedures in place for staffing all personnel
positions. The procedures for recruiting and selecting staff, as described by the superintendent
and finance clerk, are sound practices, but these procedures are not in written form (Exhibit 1-9).
According to the superintendent, there is no structure in place to ensure the procedures are
consistently followed for all applicants since a number of staff members are involved in the
hiring process. The lack of written procedures and inconsistent hiring practices could result in
unfair employment actions and lack of documentation to address employment issues. The
superintendent cited hiring procedures as an area for review in the district.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-14 WCL ENTERPRISES
From interviews with the superintendent and finance clerk, hiring procedures for the district are
summarized in Exhibit 1-9. While these practices are generally used in employing staff, the
superintendent stressed a need to formalize them to ensure consistency.
Exhibit 1-9
Described Employment Procedures
2010-11
Stage of Process Procedure Person Responsible
Recruitment Open positions are posted for 10 days on the bulletin board
in the office, the SDE web site, teacher.com, and in the
local newspaper.
Finance clerk
Application Individuals may apply by completing an application
obtained from the school office. Resumes will be accepted
but applications are required for interviews. Application
files are maintained in the school office.
School secretary
Screening of
Applications
After the required posting period, the principal and dean of
students review applications and screen for interviews.
Principal with dean
of students
Interview Administrative team will do a screening interview with
selected applicants asking the same set of questions.
Teachers are sometimes included in interviews for grade
level vacancies, but they are more often involved in teacher
assistant interviews.
Admin. Team =
Superintendent,
principal and dean of
students
Reference Check From the screen interviewing the two or three applicants are
selected for further consideration. References are contacted
by the superintendent.
Superintendent
Interview Based on reference check the administrative team
interviews the top candidates a second time and makes their
selection.
Administrative Team
Recommendation After a background check is completed, the superintendent
takes a recommendation to hire to the School Board for
approval.
Superintendent
Source: Interviews with superintendent, finance clerk, and school secretary, January 2011
RECOMMENDATION
NRCPS should develop written personnel procedures for recruitment and selection of
certified and support staff.
The superintendent should meet with administrative team, finance clerk, and school secretary to
review existing employment practices and determine a process for developing proposed rules and
regulations. The proposed rules and regulations should include ways to document and monitor
consistent implementation. A draft should be written by the team and presented to the district’s
legal counsel for feedback and revisions if needed.
Once the written rules and regulations are finalized, the superintendent should forward them to
the Board of Education as per School Board policy. Personnel policy, DN, specifies that the
superintendent shall develop rules and regulations governing employment practices. Such rules
and regulations must be approved by the Board of Education and shall become a part of district
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-15
policy.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
FINDING 1-7
NRCPS does not have an extra duty salary schedule that includes lead teacher positions. As a
result, teachers with program coordination responsibilities are not provided an opportunity for
extra duty pay.
The finance clerk provided a copy of three salary schedules: certified personnel, support
personnel, and extra duty for certified staff. This extra duty schedule includes sponsors for:
yearbook, cheerleading, academic teams, honor society, and eighth grade, athletic coaches,
music/band teacher, after school tutoring coordinator, and athletic director. The schedule does
not include lead teacher type positions.
In interviews, the superintendent stated there is currently a lead teacher for Special Education
and lead teacher positions in other program areas, such as Gifted and Talented, are being
considered. The lead teacher in Special Education assists the superintendent in coordinating the
program and teaches the learning lab seven periods each day. Overall program coordination
includes maintaining files, working with related service contractors, completing manifestation
paper work, placing students in programs, 504 plans, and submitting required State Department
of Education (SDE) paperwork. This lead teacher, however, is not included on the extra duty
salary schedule but performs extra duties well beyond regular teaching responsibilities and the
contract day.
RECOMMENDATION
Revise the extra duty salary schedule to include various lead teacher positions for their
program coordination duties.
The superintendent should work with the finance clerk, principal, and supervisors to review the
existing extra duty salary schedule. In determining salary amounts, consideration should be given
to the job, time requirements for both teaching and performing extra duties, and comparability to
other extra duty salaries.
A job analysis study should be conducted on each position or category of positions to determine
the actual responsibilities of the extra duty assignments. This would involve an interview or
survey of each of the employees currently on the schedule to determine specific tasks performed
and to analyze and summarize the tasks of those with similar or related extra duty assignments.
The analysis should be followed by a job evaluation that establishes the relationship of the extra
duty assignments to each other based upon a number of factors. These factors include level of
responsibility, effort and time required, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-16 WCL ENTERPRISES
The job evaluation procedure should be used to establish a hierarchy of extra duty assignments
within the district. This can then be reviewed to determine if the existing extra duty salaries
establish an equitable salary structure. Salaries should be adjusted if a misalignment exists. With
the job evaluation and the hierarchy of existing extra duty assignments, the lead teacher positions
can then be added to the schedule with an equitable salary.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation will require additional funds to be determined by the job evaluation
hierarchy. Based on the range of extra duty salaries, the lead teacher position for special
education should range from $600 to $2000 depending on the comparison of responsibilities. If a
similar lead teacher position is created to coordinate the Gifted and Talented program, it should
also be placed at the appropriate level on the schedule.
FINDING 1-8
NRCPS does not have job descriptions for certified and support personnel positions. By not
having job descriptions results in misunderstanding of job expectations, duplication of effort,
assumptions that tasks are being completed by others, and lack of accountability for
performance.
In interviews, the finance clerk stated that there are no job descriptions available to NRCPS
personnel. According to the superintendent, in many instances, multiple staff members share
responsibility for a given function. Such situations include: the superintendent, principal, dean of
students, and three clerical staff members who each play a role in personnel and/or
administrative responsibilities.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a job description
summarizes the most important features of a job, including a description that details the required
tasks, knowledge, and skills; abilities and responsibilities; and reporting structure
(http://www.shrm.org). Job descriptions provide a clear statement of employee duties and
responsibilities that:
• Ensure the employee performs satisfactorily by establishing clear expectations.
• Sets the parameters for evaluating performance.
• Describes essential functions that assist in making accommodations.
• Help identify possible training needs.
• Provide a tool for designing salary schedules.
In addition, job descriptions allow districts to reassign responsibilities and adapt positions to
meet district needs. Also, if the employee receives and signs a copy of the job description, the
district has documentation that the employee has been informed of job expectations and
understands the duties, responsibilities, and chain of command for the position.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-17
A consistent format for writing a job description is important to ensure that all the necessary
components are included. According to SHRM, a well written job description is clear and
concise and contains: title and summary of objectives; essential tasks, duties and responsibilities;
non-essential functions; required skills, knowledge and abilities; minimum qualifications; and
the relationship of the job to other jobs.
RECOMMENDATION
NRCPS should develop specific job descriptions for all district positions to clarify job
expectations, prevent duplication of effort, avoid assumptions that tasks are being
completed by others, establish a chain of command and provide for performance
accountability.
The superintendent should meet with the principal to develop the procedures and timeline for
writing specific job descriptions. A uniform format for writing descriptions should be
determined. The essential functions of the job should be clearly defined so that modifications and
accommodations can be made as needed to meet the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Society for Human Resource Management (http://www.shrm.org),
National School Board Association (http://www.nsba.org), and Oklahoma School Board
Association (http://www.ossba.org/legal-information1) are possible resources for job description
formats. A schedule should be established for writing the job descriptions based upon a job
analysis.
A job analysis study should be conducted on each position or category of positions to determine
the actual responsibilities of the job. Since it is sometimes difficult to determine what an
employee actually does in the job, the following steps should be considered in completing a job
analysis:
• Interview or survey the employee currently in the position to obtain information regarding
specific tasks performed.
• Collect task information from all those in the same or related positions and from the
supervisor.
• Analyze and summarize the tasks using an analysis matrix if there are multiple job holders.
• Organize task information into essential and non-essential functions.
The superintendent and principal should work with the finance clerk to conduct a job analysis for
positions and write an appropriate job description for each using the agreed upon format. As job
descriptions are developed, the superintendent should submit them to the School Board for
approval. Approved job descriptions should be filed with contracts and a copy should be
distributed to current employees for review and signature. A job description should be provided
to each to new employee and signed receipt obtained at the time of employment.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-18 WCL ENTERPRISES
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
C. COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
School districts are a vital part of communities and are often associated with their identity, sense
of pride, quality, and growth. In order to maintain this role, school districts develop methods to
communicate their policies and programs, and to involve parents and residents in the activities of
the district and the individual schools.
Robert Marzano’s book, “What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action,” ranks
parental and community involvement as the third most critical factor affecting student
achievement. It further states that “one of the defining features” of effective involvement is good
communications.
The primary role of communications in a school district is to convey a message and image
consistent with the policies put forth by the Board of Education and implemented through
procedures established by the superintendent and district staff. Critical components of
communications include strategies for externally communicating with the community and
internally communicating within the school district.
Two-way communications are vital to the success of a district. Effective communications will
lead to an informed staff and community, support for programs and bond issue elections, and an
atmosphere of openness in the district. They also contribute to effective leadership with the
School Board and superintendent serving as a leadership team. Ineffective communications result
in confusion, lack of support, conflicting messages and decision making, and a sense of
detachment in the district.
Effective community involvement programs should address the unique characteristics of the
school district and the community. These programs can significantly affect citizen perceptions of
the school system. Effective programs will garner public support and involvement in the form of
parent and community volunteers, public participation in decision making processes affecting the
schools (e.g. bond issue and School Board elections), and productive business and community
alliances.
Exhibit 1-10 provides survey results from NRCPS teachers and professional staff regarding
communications.
Exhibit 1-10
NRCPS Teacher and Professional Staff Survey Results
Source: WCL ENTERPRISES Survey 2011
Survey Group Statement Agree No Opinion Disagree
Teacher My school regularly communicates with parents. 100% 0% 0%
Professional
Staff
The district regularly communicates with
parents. 100% 0% 0%
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-19
A school district’s website is often an avenue for communicating valuable information to the
community that it serves. The site can also serve as a recruiting tool for prospective employees,
homeowners, and businesses who are considering investing in the area. In this day and age, this
tool may be the most efficient and economical method of conveying a district’s message to a
broad audience.
School district websites should include the following:
• District information such as address, contact numbers, and locations.
• Dates of School Board meetings, and an archive of board meetings and minutes.
• District characteristics such as demographics, finances, and student performance.
• List of all the teachers and aides with email addresses for each.
• Breakfast and lunch menus for each day of the current month.
• Departmental staff and telephone listings.
• Links to campus, team, band, and club web pages.
• Policies, procedures, and other critical internal information.
• A listing of current employment opportunities.
The current NRCPS website contains comparable information to that of its peer districts and is in
the process of being updated (Exhibit 1-11).
Exhibit 1-11
Comparison of NRCPS and Peer District Web Page Content
Source: NRCPS and peer district Internet websites, March 2011
District
District
Announcements
and Other
Information
Board
Meeting
Dates
Staff
Email
Directory
Breakfast
and
Lunch
Menus
Department
and Staff
Telephone
Listings
School
Web
Pages
Policy
and
Procedures
Employment
Opportunities
North
Rock
Creek
X
X
-
X
-
-
-
-
Grove X - - X - - - -
Pioneer - - - - - - - -
Pleasant
Grove
-
- - - - - - -
South
Rock
Creek
X
X
X
X
X
-
-
-
Whitebead X X - X - - - X
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-20 WCL ENTERPRISES
Some school districts use additional technology tools to increase communication with staff,
students, parents, and the community. Of the most popular with school districts are Facebook,
Twitter, and parent portals. Facebook is a global social networking website intended to connect
friends, family, and business associates and is used to allow for collaboration between
participants. Many school districts use this advanced tool to post information regarding district
initiatives, programs, calendars, student recognitions and accomplishments, and similar topics for
staff, parents, and community to receive feedback and comments. Twitter is a social networking
and blogging service that enables users to post short messages or status updates that can be read
by people who follow events and happenings in districts. As a means to increase parent
involvement and ultimately increase student achievement, some districts use parent portals. This
secure website design provides targeted, customized information for each student. Portals allow
parents to view attendance, grades, daily assignments, progress reports, and in many cases to
email teachers directly from the website.
FINDING 1-9
The superintendent implements multiple strategies, including meetings, phone, email, and mass
texting, to provide ongoing communication with employees and School Board members. As a
result of these internal communication methods, the superintendent conveys important
information, discusses district happenings, and updates all employees.
The superintendent focuses efforts to ensure that all staff and School Board members are
informed and considered a part of the NRCPS team. A district-wide email system was
implemented that includes all level of staff. The superintendent communicated expectations that
email should be checked daily and that responses be provided in a timely manner. To maintain a
personal touch, he frequently communicates via telephone especially with members of the Board
of Education. The development of a website and the use of mass texting has also been initiated
by the superintendent and the principal.
To ensure that staff are informed and provided opportunities for input, the superintendent
personally chairs staff meetings every two weeks with all teachers and administrative personnel.
He also chairs an advisory group twice a month to discuss operational concerns in the district and
to develop solutions to identified problems. The superintendent speaks at every meeting about
the importance of making a difference for kids. He emphasizes this by using quotes and famous
sayings to encourage and motivate staff. A weekly commendation is given to a support staff
member in acknowledgement of quality work. In addition, the middle school staff has been
involved since the initial stages in the design of the new middle school.
The communication efforts of the superintendent are recognized by staff. In a survey conducted
by WCL ENTERPRISES, 82 percent of teachers felt that the central office is efficient and 97
percent said that education is the main priority in the school district. Survey questions relating to
safety, efficiency, and cleanliness were all answered by teachers with 80 percent and above
agreement. Administrative staff and teaching staff indicated that regular communication with
parents is accomplished 100 percent of the time. Parents have noted the sense of teamwork they
feel with the teachers and administrators that can only be achieved through good communication.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-21
COMMENDATION
The superintendent utilizes multiple means to communicate with employees and the result
is an informed staff with a strong sense of teamwork and ownership in the operations of the
school district.
FINDINGS 1-10
The superintendent established an advisory council that promotes the involvement of all district
stakeholders in resolving concerns about daily operations. Chaired by the superintendent, the
advisory council enhances internal communications and improves operating efficiency within the
district. The design of the council brings together a cross section of people to discuss and
brainstorm solutions to everyday operational problems. The advisory council involves teachers
by having a representative teacher from every hallway in the school building on the council.
Additionally, the committee includes support staff, parent teacher organization members, and the
principal. This advisory council meets on the second and fourth week of each month on
Tuesdays.
These efforts improve the superintendent’s understanding of employee concerns, address school
operational issues, and provide a venue for discussing instructional initiatives. The result has
been increased opportunity for two-way communications within the district and a strengthening
of relationships between staff members.
COMMENDATION
The superintendent’s advisory council promotes involvement of all staff in resolving
concerns with school district daily operations. The advisory council not only promotes
solution focused discussions but enhances two-way communication and strengthens the
collaborative atmosphere required in successful schools.
FINDING 1-11
The superintendent implemented the PowerSchool parent portal which allows parents access to
school classroom information. As a result, parents have greater opportunities to be informed of
student progress and to be more involved their children’s education.
The PowerSchool parent portal allows for protected access to student assignment data,
attendance, grades, future lesson plans and topics, activity schedules, and events. The portal
allows parents to stay abreast of upcoming tests, written assignments, and projects. A parent may
check on current grades and how assignments and tests are impacting their child’s grade. If a
parent has a question or comment about the student performance or record, those can be shared
with the teacher without leaving the portal. Interviews with School Board members indicated that
they are pleased with this initiative and the possibilities for enhanced communication with
parents.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-22 WCL ENTERPRISES
COMMENDATION
The superintendent implemented a parent communication method which directly involves
parents as participants in their child’s education.
FINDING 1-12
NRCPS does not have a mass calling system for parental notification of important school
information. As a result, the district is not able to efficiently contact all parents regarding
emergencies, school activities and programs, or district news and events.
Many school districts utilize mass calling systems for the emergency notifications to inform
parents of changes due to weather conditions, communicate important information about
district/school events and activities, and provide ongoing communications between the home and
school. Some schools also use these software systems to send messages to verify student
absences and attendance requirements.
The software systems currently available also have customizing features that allow district-wide
contacting, individual school only contacts, and individual classroom only contacts. The systems
can be programmed to call the home phone number, cell phone number, send a text message or
email, or all four types of communications. The number of times a contact is attempted can be
customized and which communication device is primary, and therefore receives the first contact
can be designated. Parents may also designate an alternative person such as a close friend or
relative as a secondary contact if all efforts fail in contacting the parent.
The NRCPS superintendent can contact school districts currently utilizing systems such as El
Reno, Fletcher, and Broken Arrow to learn more about how systems are utilized. For example,
El Reno used the mass calling system to send out flu advisory information. Broken Arrow
utilized the system to send out information on an upcoming bond election and utilized the system
extensively during the flu outbreak. Using the mass calling systems for emergency situations
seems to be the most effective use of the systems.
RECOMMENDATION
NRCPS should implement a mass calling system for use in emergency situations.
The superintendent should research potential systems and evaluate each to meet district goals
regarding mass communication. Systems to review might include:
School Cast (http://www.highgroundsolutions.com/).
First Family Alert (http://www.familyfirstalerts.com/).
School Messenger (http://www.schoolmessenger.com/).
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-23
These systems configure services based on the calling solution that the host district selects as
best suited for its size and organization. All of the systems require contacting sales and support
in order to acquire actual pricing. However, savings in the following areas can offset cost:
• Attendance calls can increase student attendance and that can translate into additional
funding.
• Alerting parents to low and negative fund balances in a student’s child nutrition account can
increase collections.
• Reduction in printing and mailing costs can be a result of implementation.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost associated to implement a district mass calling system will be dependent on the system
selected and the options purchased.
FINDING 1-13
NRCPS has no formal method of routinely soliciting input from parents or the community on
critical district issues. As a result, the district does not receive necessary feedback from
stakeholders for use in making district decisions.
In interviews with district staff and School Board members, the consulting team noted that the
district does not routinely seek input from parents or community members. The district does not
utilize social networking tools such as Twitter or Facebook to communicate information, seek
input, or allow stakeholders to ask questions. The district webpage does not have a feedback loop
that allows for patrons to ask questions and receive replies. The webpage is currently maintained
by a teacher which, due to time pressures, could be a limiting factor to developing the district
webpage to its full utility. Staff shared that there is no regular plan for surveying parents or the
community for feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of current programs and practices, or to
seek input on future initiatives by the district. The School Board and staff also believe that a
significant percentage of parents do not utilize computers regularly to stay involved with their
students and the district.
RECOMMENDATION
Develop a plan that involves regular two-way communication with stakeholders that
facilitates input from the community.
The superintendent should consider implementing the following strategies:
• Utilize both technology and paper based methods to communicate with parents about district
initiatives and timelines.
• Utilizing Twitter and Facebook at the district level are cost effective methods of networking.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-24 WCL ENTERPRISES
• Provide a feedback loop on the district’s website which permits emailing the superintendent
from the district website and gives the superintendent a chance to track comments and
provide answers. An example of a feedback loop can be found on the Pioneer-Pleasant Vale
district webpage (http://www.ppv.k12.ok.us/).
• Implement a periodic survey of community and parent attitudes about issues facing the
school district. An easy to use online tool called Survey Monkey (www.SurveyMonkey.com)
is a cost efficient method of surveying parents, the community, and teachers. However,
having a pick up location or sending a survey home with students may be an alternative to
online surveys.
• Utilize a computer software specialist to supplement the teacher who is currently managing
the webpage. The goal for the specialist should be to develop the feedback loop on the
webpage and assist with the other technology related steps mentioned above. An independent
contractor rather than hiring staff would be most cost effective.
FISCAL IMPACT
Costs will depend on the sophistication of the desired surveys and the level of technician
expertise needed to achieve the enhancements in technology. Costs for online surveying range
from $199.00 to $799.00 annually. The computer software specialist can cost from $75 to $200
per hour.
FINDING 1-14
NRCPS does not have ongoing strategies to ensure continued parent involvement in school
activities. As a result, parents and district staff are not able to partner to support student success
and maximize resources for the district.
Interviews with the superintendent, staff, and School Board members indicated a need for
increased involvement of parents in the total school program. No formal processes are
established to solicit school volunteers, mentors, or resources. Teacher survey responses
indicated that only 43.6 percent agreed to the statement, “My school has sufficient volunteers to
help student and school programs.” Conversely, 47.7 percent disagreed with this statement.
Interviews indicated that the elementary school had a Parent Teacher Organization but that
efforts to create an organization at the middle school were not successful. When compared to
peer districts, NRCPS has the third highest hours, 2.9 per student, contributed by volunteers and
is above the community group but below the state average.
Exhibit 1-12 shows a comparison of NRCPS, peer districts, Community Group F2, and the state
attendance at parent-teacher conferences. NRCPS has a comparable attendance rate for parent
conferences when compared to most peer districts.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Management, Personnel, and Communications
WCL ENTERPRISES 1-25
Exhibit 1-12
NRCPS, Peer Districts, Community Group, and State
Attendance at Parent-Teacher Conferences
District
Parents Attending
at Least One
Parent-Teacher
Conference
North Rock Creek 91.0%
Grove 95.0%
Pioneer 78.0%
Pleasant Grove. 93.0%
S Rock Creek 90.0%
Whitebead 92.0%
Community Group F2 65.6%
State Average 72.1%
Source: Office of Accountability 2009 Profiles
According to the superintendent, the community is involved in special events and programs to
some degree, but is not as involved in the school programs. The superintendent and the
elementary principal have attempted to involve the community in the schools by posting
information on the marquee in front of the schools, sending flyers and newsletters home with
students, posting events and activities to the webpage, making announcements at athletic events,
and doing community service projects. Since there is no local newspaper, articles about the
district appear infrequently in the newspapers of surrounding communities. On average, articles
about NRCPS seem to appear less than once per month in the Shawnee News Star. These facts
make parent involvement difficult, but also make it critical for the district to develop innovative
ways to reach out to parents and involve them in their children’s education. Joyce Epstein at
Johns-Hopkins University and others have documented research showing the positive effect that
parental involvement has on schools and student achievement:
• Fifty to eighty-five percent of the variance in achievement scores, IQ, or verbal ability can be
attributed to parent, family, and home environment variables.
• Parent education programs, especially those that train low-income parents how to work with
their children improve how well students use language skills, perform on tests, and behave in
school.
• Many studies have found that when parents become involved in school activities, not only do
their attitudes improve, but also those of their children. Student achievement rises as well.
RECOMMENDATION
The superintendent should consider implementing multiple strategies to address the
current need for more parental and community involvement.
Management, Personnel, and Communications North Rock Creek Public Schools
1-26 WCL ENTERPRISES
The following should be considered:
• Create a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for the middle school – The leadership of the
current elementary PTO may prove helpful as children move from elementary school to the
middle school level.
• Increase parent volunteerism at the middle school 6th through 8th grade level. Create
additional opportunities for parents to connect with school activities and district initiatives.
Building parent and school partnerships is one method of approaching this issue and a great
resource can be found at the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
(http://www.ncpie.org/).
NRCPS should develop a volunteer program that promotes parent and community involvement.
The superintendent should form a committee that includes administrators, teachers, parents, and
community members to develop this program. The program should seek consistency in policies
and practices throughout the district and should also be formally approved by the School Board.
It should be flexible in thinking of opportunities for parents to be involved in the school outside
of the traditional concept of classroom volunteering.
The National Parent Teacher Association’s Seven Steps to a Successful Volunteer Program
(http://pta.org/family_school_partnerships.asp) provides useful information for creating and
maintaining an active school volunteer program. NRCPS should use these seven steps as a guide
in developing their own program:
• Assessing volunteer needs of each school.
• Working with and training principals, teachers, and school staff on effectively using and
supervising volunteers.
• Setting goals and objectives for volunteer assignments.
• Recruiting volunteers.
• Training and orienting volunteers.
• Training and recognizing volunteers.
• Evaluating volunteer performance and program success.
• Utilize technology to link with parents by creating a parent page on the district website.
Examples may be found at (http://www.ba.k12.ok.us/) and
(http://www.tps.k12.mi.us/web/index.html), (http://www.tecumseh.k12.ok.us/#).
FISCAL IMPACT
This can be accomplished within current district resources.
Chapter 2:
Instructional Delivery
WCL ENTERPRISES 2-1
Chapter 2
Instructional Delivery
This chapter examines the instructional delivery of North Rock Creek Public Schools (NRCPS)
in the following sections:
A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance
B. Professional Development
C. Gifted and Talented Education
D. Special Education
E. Guidance and Counseling
F. Federal Programs
G. Textbooks
The primary purpose of any school system is educating children. Effective instructional delivery
is based upon the district’s mission for educating students and requires policies and procedures to
direct the instructional process, well designed programs to meet the needs of all students, and
resources to support program implementation. The monitoring and evaluation of program
effectiveness based on student performance data is also essential.
School districts offer educational services to students through a variety of programs including
regular education programs and special programs. Special programs are designed to provide
quality services for certain student populations, such as those in Gifted and Talented Education,
Special Education, and Career and Technology Education.
Background
Exhibit 2-1 provides fall enrollment, ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for
NRCPS for 2008-09 and comparative data for Community Group F2 and the state totals.
Exhibit 2-1
Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics
2008-09
Campus
Grade
Span
Fall
Enrollment
Ethnic Groups Eligible
For Free
or
Reduced
Price
Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
North Rock Creek EC-8 2,575 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% 56.3%
Community
Group F2 54% 5% 1%
6% 34% 68.4%
State Totals 6,462 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56.3%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles Database
Exhibit 2-2 provides ethnicity and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for NRCPS, each of
Instructional Delivery North Rock Creek Public Schools
2-2 WCL ENTERPRISES
the peer districts, comparison Community Group F2, and the state totals. NRCPS has a lower
percentage of students eligible for free and reduced meals that that of Community Group F2 but
equals that of the state. Among peer districts, NRCPS has the third highest percentage of
students eligible for free or reduced price meals.
Exhibit 2-2
Demographic Data
2008-09
Entity
Ethnic Groups Eligible for
Free or
Reduced Price
Meals
Caucasian
Black
Asian
Hispanic
Native
American
North Rock Creek 57% 2% 1% 4% 37% 56.3%
Grove 69% 2% 4% 3% 22% 23.0%
Pioneer 86% 3% 0% 3% 8% 43.8%
Pleasant Grove 41% 4% 0% 2% 52% 70.5%
South Rock Creek 73% 4% 1% 0% 22% 31.5%
Whitebead 60% 2% 0% 25% 13% 58.0%
Community Group F2 54% 5% 1% 6% 34% 68.4%
State Average 57% 11% 2% 11% 19% 56.3%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
From 2004-05 through 2008-09, NRCPS’ average daily membership (ADM) increased,
beginning and ending with a 9.9 percentage difference over the five year period. Compared to
peer groups, three districts experienced an increase in student population while two had
decreases. The Community Group F2 noted a significant increase in ADM while the state
experienced only a slight increase (Exhibit 2-3).
Exhibit 2-3
Student ADM Trends
2004-05 to 2008-09
Entity
Average Daily Membership
Percentage
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Change
North Rock Creek 484.4 486.4 504.6 536.2 532.4 9.9%
Grove 391.0 412.3 410.8 413.2 357.3 (8.6)%
Pioneer 307.0 309.0 325.7 339.8 331.9 8.1%
Pleasant Grove 230.0 229.4 233.2 234.1 237.5 3.3%
South Rock Creek 346.0 324.1 337.1 316.5 320.2 (7.5)%
Whitebead 399.3 405.2 422.6 410.5 415.1 4.0%
Community Group F2 353.3 352.6 692.9 705.5 697.8 97.5%
State Average 1,153.5 1,162.2 1,172.2 1,176.7 1,194.3 3.5%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
North Rock Creek Public Schools Instructional Delivery
WCL ENTERPRISES 2-3
A. INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Managing the instructional process to ensure academic success for all students is the
responsibility of the school district. A district’s instructional program, along with its allocation of
resources, determines the extent to which the district meets the educational needs of all students.
A well designed and managed process for developing curriculum and directing instruction,
collecting assessment data to evaluate and monitor programs, and providing the resources needed
to support educational efforts is essential if a district is to meet the needs of its students.
Curriculum development and instructional delivery are critical components of student learning.
The presentation of materials, concepts, skills, and new ideas greatly affect the acquisition of
knowledge. Curriculum content and instructional strategies must be properly aligned and
regularly evaluated in order to promote improvement of student performance.
Local School Boards and superintendents must provide principals and teachers with the tools
necessary to consistently deliver the state adopted curriculum, Priority Academic Student Skills
(PASS), and to prepare students to be successful on state mandated assessments. Districts must
provide curriculum documents that clearly define standards and learning objectives for each
subject and each grade so that teachers know content expectations and instructional timelines for
student mastery of objectives.
Starting in 1998, Tim Waters, Ed.D. Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D., and Brian McNulty, Ph.D. from
Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) began synthesizing the body of
research on the effects of leadership practices on student achievement. In Balanced Leadership:
What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement, McREL
identified 21 leadership responsibilities that are significantly associated with student
achievement. They have translated the results of this research into a balanced leadership
framework that describes the knowledge, skills, strategies, and tools leaders need to positively
impact student achievement. The framework moves beyond abstraction to concrete
responsibilities, practices, knowledge, strategies, tools, and resources that principals and others
need to be effective leaders.
McREL’s leadership framework is based upon the idea that effective leadership means more than
simply knowing what to do. Effective leadership means knowing when, how, and why to take
action. A combination of knowledge and skills is the essence of balanced leadership
(www.mcrel.org /balanced_leadership).
Oklahoma School Testing Program
Student assessment is an integral part of measuring student performance. The Oklahoma State
Testing Program (OSTP) details the various standards-based tests that students must take during
the school year. The Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT) consists of criterion-referenced
tests designed to measure student attainment of skills established in core classes. These skills are
guided by PASS. OCCT helps monitor student and school performance relative to state-mandated
curriculum standards. The OSTP used a phase in process to increase the number of
tested grades and subjects.
Instructional Delivery North Rock Creek Public Schools
2-4 WCL ENTERPRISES
In 2008-09, Criterion Referenced Tests (CRT) were administered in mathematics and reading in
grades three through eight, writing in grades five and eight, science, and social studies/U.S.
history in grades five and eight, and geography in grade seven. End-of-Instruction (EOI) tests are
administered in high school following completion of instruction for specified subject-area
competencies: U.S. History, Geometry, English II and III, Algebra I and II, and Biology I.
On the 2008-09 CRTs, NRCPS grade three students performed below Community Group F2 and
state averages in reading and above the averages in math. In reading, NRCPS student
performance was the second lowest among the peer districts and the second highest in math
(Exhibit 2-4).
Exhibit 2-4
Percentage of NRCPS and Peer District Grade 3 Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Reading Math
North Rock Creek 63% 72%
Grove 65% 58%
Pioneer 71% 58%
Pleasant Grove 100% 100%
South Rock Creek 52% 58%
Whitebead 76% 62%
Community Group F2 65% 64%
State Average 71% 70%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
Exhibit 2-5 shows 2008-09 test results of fourth grade students in NRCPS. Performance was
lower than the average for Community Group F2 reading and higher in math. Student
performance was lower than the state performance in both reading and math. Compared to peer
districts, NRCPS reading scores were the lowest while math was the second lowest.
Exhibit 2-5
Percentage of NRCPS and Peer District Grade 4 Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Reading Math
North Rock Creek 60% 70%
Grove 71% 69%
Pioneer 76% 76%
Pleasant Grove 100% 100%
South Rock Creek 80% 76%
Whitebead 78% 83%
Community Group F2 61% 65%
State Average 68% 71%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
North Rock Creek Public Schools Instructional Delivery
WCL ENTERPRISES 2-5
The 2008-09 OCCT grade five tests included five content areas: reading, math, social studies,
science, and writing. Exhibit 2-6 shows the results for grade five students in NRCPS. Student
performance was above Community Group F2 in all tested subjects except writing. NRCPS
student scores were above the state in three of the tested content areas. Performance was lower
that the state in reading and writing. Compared to its peer districts, NRCPS student performance
was the second lowest in reading and third lowest in social studies. Overall performance was the
third highest in math, science, and writing among peer districts.
Exhibit 2-6
Percentage NRCPS and Peer District Grade 5 Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Reading Math
Social
Studies Science Writing
North Rock Creek 65% 72% 81% 95% 88%
Grove 74% 67% 87% 91% 91%
Pioneer 75% 75% 93% 96% 96%
Pleasant Grove 63% 63% 69% 88% 67%
South Rock Creek 70% 57% 73% 90% 86%
Whitebead 88% 82% 88% 97% 84%
Community Group F2 62% 60% 73% 86% 89%
State Average 70% 68% 75% 87% 89%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
Exhibit 2-7 shows 2008-09 test results for sixth grade students in NRCPS. Performance was
higher than Community Group F2 in both reading and math, but lower than the scores for the
state in both content areas. Compared to peer districts, NRCPS’s performance for sixth grade
was the second lowest in both reading and math.
Exhibit 2-7
Percentage NRCPS and Peer District Grade 6 Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Reading Math
North Rock Creek 67% 65%
Grove 82% 95%
Pioneer 74% 74%
Pleasant Grove 44% 63%
South Rock Creek 71% 81%
Whitebead 74% 67%
Community Group F2 61% 60%
State Average 69% 68%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
Performance for students in grade seven is shown in Exhibit 2-8. The results show that NRCPS
students scored above Community Group F2 and the state average in reading and math and
slightly below both groups in geography. Comparison to the peer districts shows NRCPS
Instructional Delivery North Rock Creek Public Schools
2-6 WCL ENTERPRISES
performance was the third highest in reading and the fourth highest in math. Performance was
the lowest among peer districts in geography.
Exhibit 2-8
Percentage NRCPS and Peer District Grade 7 Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Reading Math Geography
North Rock Creek 79% 72% 86%
Grove 91% 97% 97%
Pioneer 66% 81% 90%
Pleasant Grove 27% 64% 91%
South Rock Creek 80% 87% 100%
Whitebead 73% 55% 94%
Community Group F2 69% 59% 87%
State Average 74% 67% 88%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
The 2008-09 grade eight tests included five content areas: reading, math,
history/constitution/government, science, and writing. Exhibit 2-9 shows the results for grade
eight students in NRCPS. Student performance was above the Community Group F2 averages in
all content areas except history/constitution/government. Student performance was below state
averages in reading, math, and history/constitution/government and above in science and writing.
NRCPS scored the second lowest in reading and science and the lowest in math and
history/constitution/government when compared to peer districts. Performance equaled that of
two peer districts in writing with a score of 100 percent.
Exhibit 2-9
Percentage NRCPS and Peer District Grade 8 Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Reading Math
History/
Constitution/
Government Science Writing
North Rock Creek 71% 59% 67% 91% 100%
Grove 87% 100% 86% 97% 97%
Pioneer 81% 76% 86% 100% 100%
Pleasant Grove 50% 83% 73% 83% 90%
South Rock Creek 74% 67% 70% 96% 96%
Whitebead 88% 69% 88% 96% 100%
Community Group F2 68% 57% 71% 89% 95%
State Average 72% 65% 76% 90% 95%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
The End of Instruction (EOI) tests are administered to students taking the related high school
level coursework. Eighth grade students taking related courses are included in the results of the
North Rock Creek Public Schools Instructional Delivery
WCL ENTERPRISES 2-7
testing program. NRCPS and comparison peer districts administered EOI tests in Algebra I, but
courses for high school credit were not offered to students in the remaining tested content areas.
Exhibit 2-10 show student performance for NRCPS students, Community Group F2, and the
state in Algebra I. Performance was higher than the average for Community Group F2 and the
state but the second lowest among peer districts.
Exhibit 2-10
Percentage of NRCPS and Peer District Secondary Regular Education,
Non-High Mobility Students Scoring Satisfactory or Above
2008-09
Entity Algebra I
North Rock Creek 92
Grove 100
Pioneer DNA
Pleasant Grove 83
South Rock Creek 95
Whitebead 100
Community Group F2 79
State Average 83
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
*DNA: Data Not Available; Grade Configuration of PreK through Grade 8
Under the accountability provisions in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the federal
government evaluates all public schools sites, school districts, and states for Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP). The NCLB annual report card for NRCPS in 2008-09 shows that the district
met the AYP standard.
Educational Planning and Assessment System
The Educational and Planning Assessment System (EPAS) was created by the state of Oklahoma
and ACT, Inc. The system uses an integrated series of assessments and reporting services to
support educators as they help students set and reach goals for life after high school. The
components of EPAS are the EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT assessments. EPAS assessments
provide information about academic progress at crucial points in a student’s educational career.
Information provided by EPAS assessments is linked longitudinally to provide an academic
information management system. These linked reports can be used to monitor student progress
over time, detect trends, and evaluate instructional outcomes in support of school improvement
efforts. The program is funded by the OSRHE, and content guides are available online to assist
districts in curriculum alignment and improvement efforts (http://okhighered.org/epas/).
EXPLORE, the eighth grade assessment, is the entry point to EPAS. The EXPLORE test
includes objective assessments in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Activities are
included so that students begin the process of career and educational exploration. EXPLORE
provides baseline data for monitoring student progress through the high school years.
Exhibit 2-11 shows NRCPS performance on the EXPLORE test as compared to their peers
Instructional Delivery North Rock Creek Public Schools
2-8 WCL ENTERPRISES
nationally. NRCPS scores were higher than that of peers across the nation in reading and science
and lower in math. Performance equaled that of peers in English and in overall composite score.
Exhibit 2-11
NRCPS 8th Grade EXPLORE Scores
Compared to the Nation
2009-10
Subject NRCPS Score National Score
English 14.2 14.2
Mathematics 14.4 15.1
Reading 14.2 13.8
Science 16.1 15.9
Composite 14.9 14.9
Source: EXPLORE, Profile Summary Report
Classroom Teachers
The ratio of students per classroom teacher in NRCPS decreased over a three year period
(Exhibit 2-12). The district’s ratio in the first two years was above community group and below
in 2006-06. The average student teacher ratio in NRCPS was below the state averages in all
years. Compared to its peer districts, the ratio was the third or fourth lowest in all years. All peer
districts were below the state required average of 20 students per teacher. Data for the ratio of
students per regular classroom teacher is not available beyond the 2006-07 school year.
Exhibit 2-12
NRCPS and Peer District Students per Regular Classroom Teacher
Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07
Percentage
Change
North Rock Creek 14.8 15.1 14.7 (0.7%)
Grove 13.4 13.4 14.7 9.7%
Pioneer 15.4 14.7 14.6 (5.2%)
Pleasant Grove 14.1 15.0 15.4 9.2%
South Rock Creek 15.8 15.1 16.1 1.9%
Whitebead 14.8 15.6 15.4 4.1%
Community Group* *(G2 ) 14.5 *(G1) 13.8 *(F2) 15.2 4.8%
State Average 17.2 16.8 16.7 (2.9%)
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
Data not available beyond 2006-07
*Community groupings changed yearly
The average experience of NRCPS teachers decreased 10.6 percent from 2004-05 through 2008-
09. The Community Group F2 average increased 5.6 percent, and the state average decreased 0.8
percent (Exhibit 2-13). NCPS teachers averaged more years of experience than their community
group and state experience in all comparison years. As a whole NRCPS teachers rank the highest
in years of experience among their peer districts in 2004-05 and 2005-06 but began to decline
each year from 2006-07 through 2008-09 being the only district to note a percentage of decrease
over the five year time.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Instructional Delivery
WCL ENTERPRISES 2-9
Exhibit 2-13
NRCPS and Peer District Average Years of Experience of Regular Classroom Teachers
Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
Percentage
Change
North Rock Creek 16.1 16.4 14.6 14.0 14.4 (-10.6%)
Grove 13.9 15.0 14.4 15.6 16.6 19.4%
Pioneer 11.5 12.0 11.6 11.6 12.4 7.8%
Pleasant Grove 11.6 12.0 12.9 12.5 13.4 15.5%
South Rock Creek 15.6 16.4 17.2 16.6 17.6 12.8%
Whitebead 13.4 12.9 14.3 13.5 14.8 10.5%
Community Group F2 12.5 14.2 13.4 13.6 13.2 5.6%
State Average 12.8 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.7 (0.8%)
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
The percentage of teachers in NRCPS with advanced degrees was above the Community Group
F2 and state average in 2004-05 through 2008-09 (Exhibit 2-14). Compared to peer districts, the
percentage was higher than all peers except in 2008-2009 when the percentage was slightly
below one of the peer districts.
Exhibit 2-14
Percentage of NRCPS and Peer District Regular Classroom Teachers
with Advanced Degrees
Entity 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
North Rock Creek 44.6% 48.4% 44.2% 36.5% 33.3%
Grove 39.2% 42.1% 36.4% 30.9% 31.3%
Pioneer 8.0% 12.4% 13.4% 4.4% 8.5%
Pleasant Grove 32.3% 34.4% 34.6% 25.6% 24.2%
South Rock Creek 26.8% 27.9% 26.2% 28.9% 34.9%
Whitebead 22.2% 19.2% 18.2% 24.3% 21.3%
Community Group F2 23.8% 26.0% 26.2% 23.9% 24.6%
State Average 27.8% 27.0% 26.7% 26.5% 25.7%
Source: Office of Accountability, Profiles District Report
FINDING 2-1
NRCPS teachers in grades PreK-8 develop and use grade level benchmark assessments to
monitor student learning, align instruction, and plan instruction and interventions. The analysis
of benchmark data allows teachers to adjust curriculum and instruction to increase students’
mastery of learning objectives.
The district uses the Scantron Prosper assessment system to support teachers in implementing
formative benchmark assessments for all grades. NRCPS teachers have worked in grade level
teams to develop benchmark assessments using state test specifications. Teachers selected test
items from a variety of sources, such as textbooks, Buckle Down materials, state OCCT practice
tests, and the Prosper assessment system. These assessments are administered by teachers every
Instructional Delivery North Rock Creek Public Schools
2-10 WCL ENTERPRISES
nine weeks and counselors conduct make-up testing. In interviews, the principal and counselors
explained that the benchmarks align to state assessments with respect to format and are
administered in a similar testing manner. The principal supports teachers by scoring tests and
entering student answers for first and second grade.
Elementary teachers meet each nine weeks by grade level to discuss assessment results, revise
instruction, and plan to re-teach needed skills. Middle level content teachers analyze benchmark
data as individuals. With the Prosper system, the formative assessment results can be quickly
used to guide or refocus class instruction. Teachers use the assessment reports to target the
performance and proficiency of individual students, subgroups, and the entire class. Through the
design of the assessments and benchmark data analysis, teachers are actively involved in
discussing curriculum, modifying instruction, and realigning curriculum or assessments as
needed.
At the elementary level, the benchmark assessments are also used as part of the Response To
Intervention (RTI) program to identify students with learning disabilities. According to the
special education lead teacher, the OSU professor that worked with the district to implement RTI
approved the use of the benchmark assessments as a “universal test,” which has allowed the
teachers to embed RTI into the formative assessment process. Planning interventions has become
a part of the grade level teams’ ongoing work to use data in modifying and differentiating
instruction for all students.
COMMENDATION
NRCPS teachers develop and use benchmark assessments to monitor student learning and
adjust curriculum and instruction to increase students’ mastery of learning objectives.
FINDING 2-2
NRCPS provides extended learning opportunities to increase student achievement. By
recognizing that students learn at different rates and in different ways, the district increases
student success with a variety of extended learning opportunities offered both during the school
day and after school.
The NRCPS Comprehensive Local Education Plan (CLEP) addresses the importance of offering
extended learning opportunities, which provide students with additional time and instructional
support in meeting learning goals. In interviews, the superintendent and dean of students
described a variety of extended learning opportunities available to students. These include:
• Students Needing Academic Practice (SNAP) uses Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE)
funds to support eighth grade students who did not perform satisfactorily on the seventh
grade OCCT reading or math assessment. Students are provided two, thirty minutes sessions
each week during the Accelerated Reading period.
• Zeroes Aren’t Permitted (ZAP) provides additional time for students in grades 6-8 to
complete assignments and improve grades by eliminating zeroes on class assignments.
North Rock Creek Public Schools Instructional Delivery
WCL ENTERPRISES 2-11
• After School Tutoring Academy uses REAP federal funds to provide a team of teachers to
tutor all students, grades 3-8, after school for two weeks before the state tests.
• Tutoring program for Indian Education uses Title VII to provide after school tutoring for
eligible students in grades 3-8 for four days a week during the months of September-April.
• Four week summer school program for first, second, and third graders provides extended
learning time in reading and math.
By providing additional learning time and academic support for students, the district is
increasing students’ opportunities for success. Research from the National Center for Time and
Learning illustrates that time is a critical factor in learning, and additional time and
individualized instruction increases students’ ability to attain mastery
(www.timeandlearning.org).
COMMENDATION
The district provides extended learning opportunities to increase student achievement by
offering a variety of experiences, both during the day and after school, which will provide
more learning time and support to students.
FINDING 2-3
The district adapts facilities and staffing configurations to support teachers in collaborative
teaching to improve student learning. As a result, teachers at several grade levels team teach and
differentiate instruction through the use of flexible learning groups, small group instruction, and
multiple learning centers.
NRCPS teachers in Pre-Kindergarten and first grade developed proposals to create collaborative
teaching environments aimed at meeting the diverse needs of students. Renovations to existing
facilities were necessary and were supported by the district. In interviews the principal stated that
the superintendent and School Board were willing to consider the initial proposal submitted by
PreK teachers, approved the staffing configuration, and renovated classrooms into one large open
space to support the team teaching approach. According the superintendent, the positive
outcomes of the PreK team teaching program led to a similar proposal from two of the three first
grade teachers. The first grade teachers’ proposal was approved, and two additional classrooms
were renovated to provide an open classroom space.
By supporting teachers in the collaborative approach to instruction, the superintendent and
School Board recognized the importance of allowing teachers to collaborate in creating
alternative learning environments to accommodate student needs. In interviews, the principal
stated that while the diverse needs of students can be met in a single teacher classroom, team
teaching offers several unique advantages. It allows teachers to divide their time between taking
the lead in instruction and providing small group or individual instruction. In a single teacher
classroom is it sometimes difficult to ensure each student receives the individual attention
needed.
Instructional Delivery North Rock Creek Public Schools
2-12 WCL ENTERPRISES
Teachers involved in the team teaching classrooms stated that team teaching allows more
flexibility in addressing individual student needs by providing small group instruction, individual
attention, and multiple learning centers. Teachers are also able to share expertise in lesson
planning. In The Benefits of Team Teaching in Primary Schools, Stephanie Williams noted that
teams offer students an opportunity to observe teachers working together and are given real
world examples of collaborative work (www.ehow.com). The superintendent stated that an
unexpected outcome of the team configuration was the instructional continuity provided in these
classrooms if a substitute should be needed for one of the teachers.
COMMENDATION
NRCPS has adapted facilities and staffing configurations to support collaborative teaching
to improve student learning.
FINDING 2-4
NRCPS does not have a clear vision of the organizational structure needed to address student
learning needs in grades six through eight. A clear vision is critical as the district prepares to
open a new facility in 2013 and develops transition plans, instructional schedules, staffin