Los Angeles Unified School District

1. Los Angeles Unified School District Local District G Principals Meeting

2. Aligning Budgets for School Improvement

3. Background • District facing $400 million + budget cuts • Need to align each school’s resources to district and local district priorities • Need to maintain momentum for change – Closing the Achievement Gap • Elementary Literacy • Secondary Literacy

4. Background (Cont’d) • Mathematics (8th Grade Algebra) • No Child Left Behind and Title 1 • Need to pool resources for delivery of services • Schools with Local districts • Schools with other Schools

5. Background (Cont’d) • Need to co-plan all professional development – Strategies and Activities • Strategies • Professional Development • Reciprocal Teaching • Collection of Data • Use of Data to Inform Instruction • Demonstration Lessons from Cadre and Coaches

6. Background (Cont’d) • Activities • LUCI • Algebra • Common Buy Back Days • Grade Level/Department Meetings • EPQR

7. Background (Cont’d) • Research-based outcomes need to be supported and enhanced • Leadership and vision • Curriculum, instruction and assessment aligned to standards

8. Background (Cont’d) • Intervention and extended learning time that are focused, based on frequent assessments, and with multiple opportunities for success • School climates conducive to learning • Small learning communities • Need to ameliorate effects of school-based budget cuts

9. Zero-Based Budgeting

10. Zero-Based Budgeting • What • Identifying student, program, staff professional development and parent needs based on National, State and District instructional initiatives and goals • Basing financial expenditures and instructional practices on identified needs rather than on previous expenditures and past practices • Clarifying of school goals and needs based solely on budget distribution

11. Zero-Based Budgeting • Why • Close the achievement gap • Provide needed professional development • Reallocation and shared expenditures between school, local district, central district and National and State accountability expectations • Previous misalignment of funding sources to proven strategies, skills, and results and need to align expenditures to research-based practices and materials, including new standards-based materials

12. Zero-Based Budgeting • How • Analysis of student needs, based on data collection • Analysis of student work/goal setting • Results of previous expenditures • Budget priorities based on goals and student learning needs • Identification of “Buy-Back” opportunities • Collaboration with stakeholders

13. Organizing toward Large-Scale Improvement in Schools

14. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices • During 2002 – 2003, it is proposed that local school resources be redirected to meet core initiatives and to ameliorate school-based budget cuts • Professional development plans will be negotiated with directors

15. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Coaching support and expertise (e.g., literacy, math, English language development) will be deployed to classrooms as needed • Face to face, hands-on involvement will replace business-as-usual routines • Coordinators, coaches, and other certificated teacher non-classroom personnel will provide direct instruction daily (to ameliorate the impact of increased class size

16. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Coordinators, coaches and all certificated non-classroom personnel will be selected in collaboration with the local district • Strong site leadership is critical to a school’s success, so local districts will participate and approve the selection of leadership personnel (i.e., principal, assistant principals, deans, coordinators)

17. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Schools will be required to pool their resources to fund additional support (e.g.,) fiscal specialist, PSA, nurse, teacher coaches, ITAF)

18. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Frequent (daily/weekly) Learning Walks followed by reflection and next steps for professional development, alignment of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and resources • Standards-based school with focus on literacy and mathematics • Focused analysis and strategic use of assessment results

19. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Planned, focused, targeted standards- based intervention • Overt emphasis on high expectations for achievement and behavior • Only include those external activities that support the academic focus

20. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Oversee, design and direct resources to create smaller, functionallearning communities • Monitor for attitudes and actions which reflect high expectations for behavior and self-management of learning • Assure resources are directed to buy appropriate support personnel (e.g., nurses, PSA, fiscal specialists, teacher coaches)

21. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Assist in design and use of resources to develop content and schedules for grade level, department, and vertical team meetings • Local district will administer school budgets • Ten percent of categorical budget used for professional development

22. Changes in Resource Allocations and Practices (Cont’d) • Direct training of staff and participation in team meetings • Local district approval of all outside contracts • Assist in the development of procedures that result in routines, orderliness, and maximum use of instructional time

23. Recommended List of Next Steps for Principals • Meet with local school administrative team • Develop local school budget presentation – Possible resources • Superintendent’s Strategic Plan – March 2001 • Local District G – Improving Education 2001-2002 • Superintendent’s video – March 2002

24. Recommended List of Next Steps for Principals (Cont’d) • Student data • Most recent school plan • Results of any recent program reviews (WASC, EPQR, Audit, etc.) • Historic summary of school budget expenditures by object • Current budget information

25. Recommended List of Next Steps for Principals (Cont’d) • Presentation of new budgeting process to: • Parent councils • Certificated and classified • Conduct needs assessment – Define school priorities based on student needs • Develop proposed budget based on student need • Meet with Local District Superintendent or designee

26. Los Angeles Unified School District Local District G Principals Meeting