DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 133.794 EA 099 003 \s'

AUTHOR Bowser, Robert A., Ed. ,

TITLE Implementation-Outline for Community Involvement. ThePennsylvania Executive ACademy Activity #4.

INSTITUTION Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg,PUB DATE Apr 76NOTE 22p.; For a related document,. see EA.009 004

EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 MC-V.6713ns Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Adaption (Ideas); .*Community Involvement;

Educational Planning; Educational Policy; ElementarySecondary Education; Organization

ABSTRACT '

This outline provides a guide for the school districtadministrati e team to use in studying, analyzing, developing, andimplementing new structural designs,.organizational changes, andpolicy changes needed to successfully involve the community iAeducational decisions. Ihe outline headings are "PreliminaryPlanning," "Barriers," "Requirements and Models," "SpecificConcerns, and "Managing." (Author/IRT)

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sy,

PennsylvaniaThe

Executive Academy

ACTIVITY #4

j IMPLEMENTATION OUTLINE

. FOR

CO-worry INVOLVEMENT

. APRIL 1976-

SCHOOL DISTRICT

PREPARED BY

2

us DEPARTmeNT OF HEAt:THEDUCATION WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

EDUCATION

THIS DOCHMf NT HAS NEEN PtT- Pk0-DUCE() EXAC TL v AS PECEIVED T, ROMTo-4C. PEUSON OP ORGANIZATION ORIGIN-ATING IT POINTS Of vIEW OP OPINIONSSTATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY PEPRE-SENT OFF CIAL NATIONAL_ INSTITUTE OFEDUCATIONPOSLTIONOPPOLICV

The Pennsylvania DeRartment of EducationJohn C. Pittenger, Secretary

Frank S. ManchesterCommi-ssioner for Basic Ediorc'a-tion

Marry K. GerlachDepuiy Commissioner for Basic Education

George a. SauersDirector, Executive Academy

Robert A. BowserCoordinator for Program Analysis and Development

J. Ernest JohnsonCoordinator and Administrator for Operations

Harry J.,CalleyAdmihistrative Officer

Compiled and Edited,

by

Robert A. po'WserCoordinafor for Program AqaPysis and Development'

)

3

S.

CONTENTS

Section,

Preface

41r-Preliminary Planning

II

III Requirements and Models 6

e.

Page

Barriers 4

IV Spfcific Concerns 8

V Managing

Bibliography

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PREFACE

It is becoming moiee- evident that organized and accepted communityinvolvement is extremely important in the decisions that must be made intoday's school districts. Apparently, the present organizational structuresin most schools (board of education/administrative staff),does not provide r-

an adequate avenue of formal and continuing communication among the laymenof the community, the school staff and the board'of educatiop.

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In numerous situations, community-involvement is a product-of rertafirstate or federal regulations or funding source requirements. Specifically,one mandate for community involvement in,Pennsylvania is school districtLong-Rainge Planning.,

Most communities have indivierals dnd groups who are interested inand have the potential for becoming actiyely involved tn decision making.Therefore, it is recommended..that schbol districts provide the climate andorganizational structure tO allow the community to become involved informing policies, making decisions and governing their schools.

hi-s outline"attempts td provide guide for the school districtteam to study, analYze, developkuLimplement new structural designs,organizational chi-riges and policy7Fanges needed to successfully involvethe community.in,pducational decisions.

The.,staff of the Executive Academy welcomes your comments andsuggestions to improve this outline.

I. PRELIMINARY PLANNING

There are a number of basic assumptions that must be made, along witha certain amount of preliminary plannin9 an0 information gathering, that -

are critical to establishing a viable community involvement procedure in a

school district.

e. Some basic assumptions must be made and analyzed prior to theactUal development of p .community involvement policy and procedure.Your team should disCass and list as many PROS and CONS as you can

think. of. These eventUally help you to develop a policy and

to sell the idea e board, the teachers and the community.

PROS CONS

1. More people informed 1. Time consuming

2. 2.

NOTE: Asterisk (*) those PROS and CONS that apply to your district and canbe used later in your policy guide or in your advertising.

I Preliminary Pldnning. (Con'd)

B. Discuss and list the positive aspects (along with the obvious legalrequirement) for acquiring board approval of the community involve-ment policy.

C. List those individuals, group's and agencies that will be involvedin both the preliminary plannipg and development of a policy andas participants when the procddure is instituted.

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I. PreliMinaryylanning. (Con'd)

D. List all types of financial support that is anticipated in order tosuccessfully initiate a community involvement procedure. (This

data will be useful to the board of education.) Try to be.specific.

E. List the staff support that will be needed to implement and carryout your community involvement plan. Please consider all staff.

II. BARRIERS

Djscuss and list the barriers that are operating that may be ahindrance to the development and implementation of a comMunity involvementplan. Try to be specific so that strategies may be planned to overcomeeach barrier.

A. School district goals or objectives:

B. School board or administrative polici

C, Social, racial, ethnic or demographic concerns:

D. Present practices of the school or community:

1.

a

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II. Barriers. (Con'd)

E. Decision making procedures:

1.

F. All obvious or as'sumed concerns of citizens:

G. All obvious or assumed concernt of teachers:

H. List any barriers that are a direct result of the presentorganizational structure:

/ 1.

III. RLQUIREMENTS AND MODELS

Most school districts, as d result of state.or federal mandates,have some form of community involvement.. It may be token involvement orit may be an active positive force in the school district. If the districthas an active parent advisory group for a certain program, it is possibleto build from the information dnd successes gotten from these experiences.

A. List the_state &Id federal programs that mandate communityinvoloVement.

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B. List arid discuss wh egments of the community have been identifiedlo meet the requireriiTrts of involvement. (Refer to Section I.,.item C.)

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Ill. Requirents and Models. (Con'd)

C. List the school districts or other agencies Ahat have or mayprovide community 1nvo1yement models for you to examine.

D. List and discuss possible assistance that can be enlisted fromindustry or business (models, procedures, expertise).

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IV. SPECIFIC CONCERNS

"*". ,Before the team begins to Write the policy, there ar .some

considerations to be made. The policy must be broad ugh to ncompassall contipgencies. t the same time, it must be sliecific enough toreflect all concerns and bring clarity to.a complex endeaor. WPi.n this

exercise is completed you Will-have enoUgh basic ilTormation to beifi towrite a community tnvolvement policy'that As unique tb(You may.want to refer beck to Section I for ideas.) PleaSe Oséuss

'complete each of the following items:

A. Philosophy of comTunity involvement:

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.4

17, 4

a

'IV. SpecifilF.Concerns. (Con'd)

B. Specific stat ment Of purpose. (This may be used in place of A.above.)

C. Spelific objectives of-community,involvement in your schooldistrict.

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..)

IV. Specific Concerns. (Con'd)

D. ,pevelop 4 overall-operational plan. The plan may use a PERT orGANTT chart technique and should-include an organizational chartand tiffibtable of events_and/or work schedule.

J-01., rganizatibnal'chart:

2. 'Timetable:

1°.

N

1510

rPERI4chirt or Flow Chart

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*to

Specific Concerns. (Coed)

e. Composition of comMunity.groups or committees.2

,

s

F. Responsibility assignMents (administrative, teacher, community).

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IV. Specific Concerns': (ton'd)

G. State generaj -.inction(s)si.prach.operational group (commi,tee),.

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(

H. Discuss and list the ways and means that'communicatton and feedbackwill'occur at all phases of the plan.

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13

et

V. 'MANAaING

,

i4Managing community.groups and ma twining a high degree of nvolve-ment is the most important, and perhap the most difficult,'aspect of

'working with community persons from all socio4cotiomic and educationallevels. This section should bb used to list, discuss and decide some

.managerial procedures designed to make the plan successful.

+.4,

A. Size and co4osition of'specific committees. (Refer to SectionIII., ite

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E. to decide if any dhanges.need to be made.) 4

al*

B. Meetings (length, topics, agenda, pertinency).,

*

I.

I

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1,0

V. Managing. (Con1d)

C. Communication of results of meetings.

'V*

D. Provision for'ideas from individuals.

Authority, purpose, range of comMittee or gr.4up operation.

F. Recognition of groups or individuals,

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4naging. (Co-7r%)

G. Attendance at meetings.

4

. Termination of group or individual.

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Bibliography

'Community Involvement and Community Resqjees, ExecutiveAcademy, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Harrisburg,Pennsylvania.,

Alexander, William M. "Citizen Advisory Committees on CurricUlum,",Curriculum Trends, (April, 1975).

Bowser, Robert A. Community Inv lvement, Pr'esentatioh Given at the wPednsylvania Department jf Education Executive Academy, Rebruary,

., 1976. \.

,--.

,,.

,

/Goble, Nicholas. Planning Community Inxolvement in Schbol D9Fision-Makinp.\

Mechanicsburg AreaiSchebl District. lanizational Plan for CommunicatiOn,Planning and Development, (Noye er; 1974), 1:-19.

,Mrinzey Jack, -"Community Education: An 'Amalgam of Many Vfews,.",Phi

Kappan, (NOveMber, 1972), 150.-j53: ,

Penielvania Department of Education, Bureau of Planning and Evaluation.tong-Range Planning - Guideloines add Instructions: Part I.HarfTsburg: Commonwealth of PendiTyania, 1974.

Pennsylvania Department ofEducation, Bureau of Planning and Evaluation.Vocational-Technical Program Approval: Evaluative Criteria SectionA: Administration Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1974.

Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Planning )and Evaluation.Citizen Advisory Committees.. Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsyl-van4, 1975.

,

U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Title I ESEA: How ItWorks. U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1173.

Ir

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