Desegregation Committee report

Part I taken to eliminate outdated requirements and those governed elsewhere under law. Such action would allow the district to take advantage of or experiment with new educational reforms. For example, the Incentive School Program was designed to promote and ensure academic excellence in schools that were difficult to desegregate. The program contained a multitude of obligations driven by an exhaustive list of programs and activities. Yet, current programming has not resulted in the accomplishment of the goals of the incentive schools
therefore, the district must now redesign the Incentive School Program and seek modification of the Desegregation Plan. In order to help close the achievement gap between students, it is crucial that intervention be in place as early as possible in a childs life. Therefore, we recommend that the highly successful four-year-old program be added wherever economically feasible. We also recommend that it be a priority that four-year-old programs be placed in schools where the 8Part I M n students are the most economically deprived. It is also important that programs such as Reading Recovery be considered for implementation so that very young students with reading problems can be targeted and a W larger, life-long problem which affects all aspects of a students n performance will be prevented. H M The districts plan must include accountability, evaluation and institution of a more efficient, ongoing monitoring system to ensure that the M goals are achieved. in III I III III M M 9n R n Part 11 - Specific Recommendations R student Achievement R Academic Suppon R Decisions for which Title I Programs are used should be school-based provided R schools follow established local, state and federal guidelines. H Review and revise academic support programs so they are integrated and current R with state, federal and desegregation plan guidelines. H Select measurement tools that will determine how well students have learned that R which is required of them. Standards and expectations should be equally high for all R smdents recognizing that achievement may occur at differing paces. R Provide ongoing quality inservice to all persons involved in the implementation of R programs. M Staff Development M Review and update the staff development components in accordance with the current needs of the district. R R 10Specific Recommendations Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the ongoing staff development activities and revise as needed. M Provide comprehensive training to all staff and patrons so that everyone is knowledgeable of the desegregation plan and the districts mission and goals. M Continue to investigate and research sources of strategies, models and activities that have proven to be successful in urban settings. M Student Safety and Discipline w Annually evaluate and update the districtwide and school-based safety and security M plans. Id Educate smdents and all staff on procedures and responsibilities. Id Id Provide training for all staff in awareness, prevention and intervention of school violence. Implement conflict resolution training programs for students and all staff members. M Id 11Specific Recommendations H Establish district policies and contract language that emphasize a safe school environment for all. PI PI Establish an effective comprehensive alternative education program (e.g. special schools, schools within a school, in-school suspension). PI Seek additional funding for special and extended services for all students by PI collaborating with local, state and federal agencies (city board of directors. United Way, Childrens Hospital, Children and Family Services, private and public grants PI sources) to maximize and utilize services for students. PI Special Schools Inceniivg Schools H m PI Maintain the current number of incentive schools, but change the designation to PI remove the negative connotation that the words incentive schools now carry PI (e.g., magnet schools of excellence, special magnet). III Offer a strong basic skills program that gives the students an opportunity to gain the Ill competencies essential to move successfully through each grade level. M PI 12Specific Recommendations n n (a) Promote and enhance leadership and staff understanding of the incentive school concept. w H (b) Ensure the availability of adequate resources to implement academic programs. M M Extend the school day by a minimum of 30 minutes daily in order to provide additional instructional time. W Review the effectiveness of the extended day/week (Saturday)/year programs. Id Look for other options that can accomplish the same objectives for students. Id Develop an evaluation component with a time line for measuring student and school Id improvement. (a) Use the instructional management system as designed. M (b) Provide quality support and training for staff using the hi management system. Ill Id M 13Specific Recommendations Review and revise as needed the effectiveness and usefulness of the support programs recommended in the incentive school program as outlined in the plan (pp. H 152-161). Using a needs-assessment instrument, reevaluate e effectiveness of the existing H incentive schools staffs. Staff should be allowed to transfer out of the incentive M school and/or be involuntarily transferred to other schools. M (a) Implement high quality, ongoing staff development H activities for incentive schools by analyzing staff development needs for all staff. w m (b) Establish a viable program for staff recruitment. Id Utilize the master-teacher concept in order to provide additional support for Id teachers and support staff through mentoring. Id Establish an effective recruitment plan for attracting and maintaining master M teachers and strong instructional leaders. Id Id 14H Specific Recommendations n H Develop a quality staff development program so that individual school needs will be H addressed. M Use parents/community/city/volunteers to remove environmental obstacles (i.e., H abandoned cars and condemned building) in neighborhoods immediately H surrounding the schools. M Alternative Schools M Develop and implement a comprehensive alternative education program that provides both prevention as well as intervention. H (a) Alternative programs should provide extra counselors, M psychologists, and other staff to help the students to M return to their schools. Id (b) In no way should these schools be used to merely detain students. M The alternative schools must function as temporary places to M assure that students receive maximum benefits from educational 11 programs offered while they are enrolled. Id Id 15Pi M Specific Recommendations H n (c) A task force should be appointed to develop the program that will H use local, state and federal funding as support. M Area Schools H The school district should continue to fund this area and the assistant M superintendent should be certain that principals take advantage of the allocated resources. M M The school district must develop job descriptions and provide adequate training to aides in all schools. M M Parental Involvement M Identify promising practices and what works ideas and models
promote them M as success prototypes and devise a system to disseminate them throughout the district and community. M M Equip parent recruiters by promoting their teammanship, developing comprehensive job descriptions, targeting their marketing, and connecting them more closely to the schools, in order to ensure their success. m M 16n Specific Recommendations Work tn expand ways which enable and enoure parental involvement in the childrens education both at home and at school. Devise and implement comprehensive staff development to train all staff in methods 4 of supporting parent involvement. 14 Promote widespread awareness of school events (such as open houses) throughout the school district and community. 14 Publicize the academic achievements and other outstanding accomplishments of students, staff and schools. Id Public Relations w w m K M M M M The district offers many excellent school programs, but many of its successes are not known by the public. M W Develop a districtwide system for public relations that interface with parent involvement, community organizations and tri-district collaboration for such involvement. M fed 17HI HI Specific Recommendations HI HI Recognize the important roles that the school board and administration play in fostering positive public relations and promoting public confidence. HI HI Establish a system for consistently disseminating successful ideas and approaches used by schools in the district. HI HI Recognize that public relations goes on throughout the entire year and exists in M every interaction between school personnel and citizens. All district employees and students should relate positively to the community with their every action. M M Cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect and equal treatment throughout the district. HI 111 III Id Id HI Id 18HI Addendum School Finance The committee is aware of the financial challenges the District has faced throughout the last several years. Although no formal presentation of the Districts HI fiscal condition has been made before the committee, an appreciable amount of time has been spent reviewing the financial condition of the LRSD. Each of our Hi recommendations was considered within these restraints. The Little Rock School District is not a resource-poor district. Earlier in the year, the District faced what appeared to be an insurmountable budget deficit. Growth in local assessments, improved tax collections, a modest gain in state funds under the new school funding formula, and effective short-term management decisions were key factors in moving toward a balanced budget for next year. Continued improvement in Id the management of the districts human and financial resources will be extremely important to the districts ability to meet its desegregation obligations while providing Id quality, equal educational opportunities for all students. Id n M w H M H M M hl I In consideration of the Districts financial condition, this committee encourages the LRSD to take advantage of its stable resource base and also to pursue budget strategies that will yield recurring benefits. Accordingly, this committee recommends M that the district develop and implement plans to bring long-term financial soundness to Id 19M School Finance M the District s operations. The committee believes this is a critical first step for the District in order to meet its desegregation obligations, to assure the safety and security of its students and staff, and to restore public confidence in the Little Rock Public Schools. H M M H M M M M UN UN UN nN 20 mH 14 I Summary 4 114 4 114 14 4 The Little Rock School District is a reflection of the community it serves. The quality of any community is inextricably interwoven with the quality of its schools and visa versa. The community is both critic of and provider for its schools. Community involvement and the generation of community ideas for desegregation are essential to help build broad-based community support. The Little Rock School District Board of Directors needs to strongly reaffirm and communicate to the public its commitment to providing quality desegregated education for all of its students. H Furthermore, the district needs to convince the community unequivocally of its M M ability to educate all its students in a safe and orderly environment. The board and administration must focus their attention on making the Desegregation Plan workable, fiscally responsible, and a win-win situation for all children in the district. P4 14 14 The Board Of Directors needs to insist that its policies and procedures current and consistent with the goals and mission of the district so that future are hri leadership will have a clear understanding of the Boards and communitys expectations for leading our schools to excellence. 14 I I 14 The recommendations in this report are this committees vote of confidence in the Little Rock School District. We are of the strong and unwavering belief that if they are acted upon, then our community will marshal the necessary support to produce a 14 21M w Summary n H fully desegregated district with the results that after more than a decade of struggle can have a unitary system which offers quality education for all its students. , we M n M m 14 14 4 4 4 4 4 4 22IK SIGNED: IK II Cora McHenry, Co-Chair / J \3TdlL' Estelle Matthis n Bill Bowen, Co-Chair Rev. C. E. McAdoo H H Alf] Dodie Am o Dr. Patricia McGraw H Hl Kris Baber Bedy-Mitchell II Ann Brown II M Irma Hunter Brown Thelma Phillips Win Rockefeller II / /' M Eleanor Coleman Alice Rowe HI Dr. Danny Dillard Frank Smith Hl III Teresa Youn Pl Frank Martin *Court Concern for Appropriateness m Report RECEIVED JUN 1 8 1996 Office of Desocregalion Monitoring 0 n IS 0 Desegregation Committee Little Rock School District 10 n June 14, 1996 I 1PI / O jt / p Little Rock School District p p RECEIVS53 13 1996 June 18, 1996 p Cf Dasegregation p p Ann Brown, Federal Monitor ODM - 201 E. Markham, Suite 510 Little Rock, AR 72201 p Dear Ms. Brown: p p On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to takp thi you for your contribution to the Little Rnck n PPortuni the personal sacrifice that w was required in order to complete ->'*1 vfcxx Ill UiUCi LU review of the Districts desegregation documents in a opportunity to thank I realize a very thorough very short period of time. p meeting on Thursday, June 20,1996, ---- at a special commitment to the students of the Little Rock School recognized for your service and District. Sirucerely, llA i I p p 810 West Markham Street Linda Pondexter, President Board of Directors Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501)324-2000R R R Ms. Linda Pondexter, President Board of Directors Little Rock School District 810 West Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 June 17, 199< Di/,', JUN / 8 }99dl R Dear Ms. Pondexter: Office of Desegregarion Monjicr.'ng R R The special Citizen Desegregation Committee approved by the Board at its February 22, 1996 meeting has completed its task. We are hopeful that the result of our work provides some guidance to the Board as it struggles to bring closure to a long, expensive and decisive dilemma. pq R Members of the committee, collectively, have spent more than 40 hours reviewing documents, listening to presentations from the administration and other parties to the plan, interviewing selected school staff and deliberating issues the committee deemed central to fulfilling its charge. n n R This report does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of the technical aspects of the Desegregation Plan or a conclusive opinion on the degree to which the district has, or has not met its obligations under the plan. Rather, it seeks to look toward a stable future for the LRSD and means for the District to build capacity to deliver a high quality educational program for all students in a desegregated setting. A number of the observations and recommendations in the report have undoubtedly been referenced in other communications to the District. The committee chose to repeat these issues as a plea for the district to move immediately and aggressively toward addressing these concerns. R On behalf of the entire committee, we thank the administration for its able and prompt responsiveness to the committees requests for information and for providing access to staff when requested. The staffs assistance played an important role in helping us to clarify issues, test perceptions, and reach consensus on items included in the report. We also thank you for the confidence you expressed in us by designating us to chair the committee and for naming such an outstanding, committed group of individuals with whom to work. Each one on the committee has spent hours in private study to absorb the detailed information necessary to complete the committees task and helped each of us to see our blind spots and recognize our common bond. Finally, if after reviewing this report the Board has any questions, we as co- chairs would welcome the opportunity to appear before the Board at its convenience. Sincerely, jm r^nro Pi K/fpT-Ttf^ni-t/ Din Cora D. McHenry Bill Bowen Co-Chairperson Co-Chairperson ww H w w M w Committee Members Cora D. McHenry, Co-Chair Bill Bowen, Co-Chair Kris Baber Ann Brown Irma Hunter Brown Eleanor Coleman Dr. Danny Dillard Pankey Fells Frank Martin Estelle Matthis Rev. C. E. McAdoo Dr. Patricia McGraw Betty Mitchell Thelma Phillips Win Rockefeller Frank Smith H Alice Rowe Teresa Young M W J I A A 2I Overview w w The Little Rock School District today is uniquely positioned to meet n the goals of its desegregation plan. Though the District continues to cope m with problems that are common to urban school districts such as safety and n security, urban flight, racial issues, financial issues and aging buildings. H the impediments to the districts ability to gain unified status and to N maintain a quality and equitable academic program for ail students can be overcome. A broad segment of the Little Rock community is showing a w renewed interest in and support for a desegregated school system. There w is now a solid base to provide the necessary support to reach the districts w desegregation goals
however, the LRSD cannot do this job alone. The w w time is ripe to reach out to the larger community via businesses, churches and civic organizations to ensure that this district remains the flagship district of the state. The central question is: ARE WE, AS A III COMMUNITY, COMMITTED ENOUGH TO DESEGREGATION AND M UNITED ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A DESEGREGATED SCHOOL JI SYSTEM? M ff 3Overview H W The Little Rock School District has submitted a motion to the district H court setting forth its assessment of the degree to which it has met the n obligations of the plans. The committee did not address the issues n contained therein. n Recognizing that within the committees time limit and other n restraints it is not possible to fashion a viable set of alternatives to the w myriad aspects of the desegregation plan which has commanded the fH attention of so many for so long, and has been the subject of numerous m reports and hours of work by school personnel, the committee limited its R focus to the goals and charges given it by the Board. R Our mission has been to examine the Little Rock School Districts M Desegregation Plan, Interdistrict Plan and the Settlement Agreement in M order to
JI 1. Determine the extent to which the Board has been able to M meet the goals of the current desegregation plan. n 4H W Overview n 2. Identify barriers impeding the Boards ability to implement the current plan. n 3. Make recommendations for possible alternative actions that M will make it feasible for the board to meet its desegregation n obligations. n n The committee presents its findings and recommendations for your consideration. n n The report is in two parts. Part I describes the major issues w (overriding concerns) that were found throughout our examination and w deliberation of each aspect of the desegregation plan, and previous efforts IH at its implementation. Part II contains specific recommendations in four areas: Id 1. special Schools (Incentive, Alternative and Area) 2. Student Achievement 11 3. Parental Involvement M 4. Public Relations 5HM I Part I n n A lack of stability in the district over the last decade from the n administrative level through school staffing patterns and student assignment, appears to be a major impediment. This lack of stability has M created a leadership void resulting in a disjointed effort to implement the n plan and an erosion of public confidence in the schools. n H An uneven allocation of resources to schools, unstable student placement and uneven implementation of the plans provisions have n resulted in inequitable opportunities for students. The student assignment plan, as currently written, has not been used to address demographic w changes. The plan should be flexible enough to allow the greatest number of children to take advantage of programs regardless of rigid student III assignment ratios. nd bl The absence of a strong, coordinated staff development program causes several problems. There is evidence that a number of persons M n 6 R Part I R R (employees and patrons) are unfamiliar with the requirements of the plans, R missions and goals of the district as they relate to desegregation. The academic program is unevenly delivered in some instances because of a R lack of skills, resources and administrative support to achieve the desired R outcome. Additionally, parental involvement should be an essential R component of any staff development program. The current staff n development activities produce pockets of excellence in some schools and M evidence of neglect in others. M Desegregation is a workable and manageable change process if the R staff is well prepared for it. R R Parental involvement is critical to student success. Broadening the R III interpretation of parent involvement, reaching out to all parents and enhancing community-based parent organizations will do much to create a cohesive adult support system for all students. Many state and federal requirements now govern areas where there in were few regulations when the plan was drawn. Immediate steps should be M 7
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