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School Accountability Committees

Each school is responsible for establishing a School Accountability Committee (SAC) and should consist of at least the following seven members:

  • The principal of the school or the principal’s designee
  • At least one teacher who provides instruction in the school
  • At least three parents of students enrolled in the school
  • At least one adult member of an organization of parents, teachers, and students recognized by the school (Your PTA!)
  • At least one person from the community.

SACs must select one of their parent representatives to serve as chair or co-chair of the committee.

Generally, a parent who is an employee of the school or who is a spouse, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother or father of a person who is an employee of the school is not eligible to serve on a SAC. However, if, after making good-faith efforts, a principal or organization of parents, teachers and students is unable to find a sufficient number of persons who are willing to serve on the SAC, the principal, with advice from the organization of parents, teachers and students, may establish an alternative membership plan for the SAC that reflects the membership specified above as much as possible.

  • Making recommendations to the principal on the school priorities for spending school moneys, including federal funds, where applicable
  • Making recommendations to the principal of the school and the superintendent concerning preparation of a school Performance or Improvement plan, if either type of plan is required
  • Publicizing and holding a SAC meeting to discuss strategies to include in a school Priority
  • Improvement or Turnaround plan, if either type of plan is required, and using this input to make recommendations to the local school board concerning preparation of the school Priority Improvement or Turnaround plan prior to the plan being written
  • Publicizing the district’s public hearing to review a written school Priority Improvement or Turnaround plan
  • Meeting at least quarterly to discuss whether school leadership, personnel, and infrastructure are advancing or impeding implementation of the school’s Performance, Improvement, Priority Improvement, or Turnaround plan, whichever is applicable, and other progress pertinent to the school’s accreditation contract
  • Providing input and recommendations to the DAC and district administration, on an advisory basis, concerning principal development plans and principal evaluations. (Note that this should not in any way interfere with a district’s compliance with the statutory requirements of the Teacher Employment, Compensation and Dismissal Act.)
  • Publicizing opportunities to serve and soliciting parents to serve on the SAC
  • Assisting the district in implementing at the school level the district’s family engagement policy
  • Assisting school personnel to increase families’ engagement with teachers, including families’ engagement in creating students’ READ plans, Individual Career and Academic Plans, and plans to address habitual truancy.

Are charter schools required to have School Accountability Committees?

Yes, the requirements of the Education Accountability Act of 2009 apply to all Colorado public schools, including charter schools. For more information about the requirements of the School Accountability Committees, please see the State Board of Education’s Rules for the Administration of Statewide Accountability Measures, available on the web page for the Education Accountability Act.

What is the relationship between a charter school’s governing board and its School Accountability Committee?

Charter schools are administered and governed by a governing body in a manner agreed to and set forth in the charter contract. Colorado law allows the State Board to waive for charter schools many of the state requirements and rules promulgated by the State Board, which includes statutory and regulatory requirements of the Education Accountability Act of 2009. Charter Schools authorized by the Charter School Institute may not waive any statute or rule relating to the creation of and membership requirements for School Accountability Committees (see section 22-30.5-507(7), C.R.S.), but they can seek waivers from section 22-11-402, C.R.S., concerning the duties of the School Accountability
Committee.

Charter schools may choose to have one or two members of their governing body serve on the School Accountability Committee in order to complete any of the required duties of the School Accountability Committee. In the alternative, governing boards may establish both a School Accountability Committee and Finance Committee that report to the governing board on all tasks that are delegated to them, including making recommendations for the school’s improvement plan and making recommendations on school spending priorities.

In the past, school advisory councils were not required in any school that had in place, prior to 2000, a committee or council that performed the same duties as were outlined in law. Does that grandfather clause still apply?

No, the grandfather clause was removed from legislation with the passage of the Education Accountability Act of 2009. The duties for School Accountability Committees are outlined in section 12.0 of the State Board of Education’s Rules for the Administration of Statewide Accountability Measures (1 CCR 301-1).

How are members of the School Accountability Committee selected?

The Education Accountability Act of 2009 indicates that local school boards and the Institute must determine the actual number of persons on School Accountability Committees and the method for selecting the members of the committees. (See section 22-11-401, C.R.S.) For charter schools, local school boards or the Institute may delegate these responsibilities to the charter school governing board, or negotiate an arrangement in the charter contract. Ultimately, it is the charter school’s authorizer that determines how a school implements its School Accountability Committee.

Academy 20 – 1040 – COLORADO SPRINGS Adams 12 Five Star Schools – 0020 – THORNTON
Adams County 14 – 0030 – COMMERCE CITY Adams-Arapahoe 28J – 0180 – AURORA
Agate 300 – 0960 – AGATE Aguilar Reorganized 6 – 1620 – AGUILAR
Akron R-1 – 3030 – AKRON Alamosa RE-11J – 0100 – ALAMOSA
Archuleta County 50 JT – 0220 -PAGOSA SPRINGS Arickaree R-2 – 3040 – ANTON
Arriba-Flagler C-20 – 1450 – FLAGLER Aspen 1 – 2640 – ASPEN
Ault-Highland RE-9 – 3145 – AULT Bayfield 10 JT-R – 1530 – BAYFIELD
Bennett 29J – 0050 – BENNETT Bethune R-5 – 1490 – BETHUNE
Big Sandy 100J – 0940 – SIMLA Boulder Valley RE 2 – 0480 – BOULDER
Branson Reorganized 82 – 1750 – BRANSON Briggsdale RE-10 – 3146 – BRIGGSDALE
Brush RE-2(J) – 2395 – BRUSH Buena Vista R-31 – 0490 – BUENA VISTA
Buffalo RE-4 – 1860 – MERINO Burlington RE-6J – 1500 – BURLINGTON
Byers 32J – 0190 – BYERS Calhan RJ-1 – 0970 – CALHAN
Campo RE-6 – 0270 – CAMPO Canon City RE-1 – 1140 – CANON CITY
Centennial R-1 – 0640 – SAN LUIS Center 26 JT – 2810 – CENTER
Cheraw 31 – 2560 – CHERAW Cherry Creek 5 – 0130 – GREENWOOD VILLAGE
Cheyenne County RE-5 -0520-CHEYENNE WELLS Cheyenne Mountain 12 – 1020 – COLORADO SPRINGS
Clear Creek RE-1 – 0540 – IDAHO SPRINGS Colorado Springs 11 – 1010 – COLORADO SPRINGS
Cotopaxi RE-3 – 1160 – COTOPAXI Creede School District – 2010 – CREEDE
Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1 – 3010-CRIPPLE CREEK Crowley County RE-1-J – 0770 – ORDWAY
Custer County School District C-1-0860-WESTCLIFFE De Beque 49JT – 1980 – DE BEQUE
Deer Trail 26J – 0170 – DEER TRAIL Del Norte C-7 – 2730 – DEL NORTE
Delta County 50(J) – 0870 – DELTA Denver County 1 – 0880 – DENVER
Dolores County RE No.2 – 0890 – DOVE CREEK Dolores RE-4a  – 2055 – DOLORES
Douglas County RE 1 – 0900 – CASTLE ROCK Durango 9-R – 1520 – DURANGO
Eads RE-1 – 1430 – EADS Eagle County RE 50 – 0910 – EAGLE
East Grand 2 – 1350 – GRANBY East Otero R-1 – 2520 – LA JUNTA
Eaton RE-2 – 3085 – EATON Edison 54 JT – 1120 – YODER
Elbert 200 – 0950 – ELBERT Elizabeth C-1 – 0920 – ELIZABETH
Ellicott 22 – 1050 – ELLICOTT Englewood 1 – 0120 – ENGLEWOOD
Falcon 49 – 1110 – FALCON Fort Morgan RE-3 – 2405 – FORT MORGAN
Fountain 8 – 1000 – FOUNTAIN Fowler R-4J – 2540 – FOWLER
Fremont RE-2 – 1150 – FLORENCE Frenchman RE-3 – 1850 – FLEMING
Garfield 16 – 1220 – PARACHUTE Garfield RE-2 – 1195 – RIFLE
Genoa-Hugo C113 – 1780 – HUGO Gilpin County RE-1 – 1330 – BLACK HAWK
Granada RE-1 – 2650 – GRANADA Greeley 6 – 3120 – GREELEY
Gunnison Watershed RE1J – 1360 – GUNNISON Hanover 28 – 1070 – COLORADO SPRINGS
Harrison 2 – 0980 – COLORADO SPRINGS Haxtun RE-2J – 2630 – HAXTUN
Hayden RE-1 – 2760 – HAYDEN Hinsdale County RE 1 – 1380 – LAKE CITY
Hi-Plains R-23 – 1460 – VONA Hoehne Reorganized 3 – 1600 – HOEHNE
Holly RE-3 – 2670 – HOLLY Holyoke RE-1J – 2620 – HOLYOKE
Huerfano RE-1 – 1390 – WALSENBURG Idalia RJ-3 – 3220 – IDALIA
Ignacio 11 JT – 1540 – IGNACIO Jefferson County R-1 – 1420 – GOLDEN
Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J – 3110 – MILLIKEN Julesburg RE-1 – 2862 – JULESBURG
Karval RE-23 – 1810 – KARVAL Kim Reorganized 88 – 1760 – KIM
Kiowa C-2 – 0930 – KIOWA Kit Carson R-1 – 0510 – KIT CARSON
La Veta RE-2 – 1400 – LA VETA Lake County R-1 – 1510 – LEADVILLE
Lamar RE-2 – 2660 – LAMAR Las Animas RE-1 – 0290 – LAS ANIMAS
Lewis-Palmer 38 – 1080 – MONUMENT Liberty J-4 – 3230 – JOES
Limon RE-4J – 1790 – LIMON Littleton 6 – 0140 – LITTLETON
Lone Star 101 – 3060 – OTIS Mancos RE-6 – 2070 – MANCOS
Manitou Springs 14 – 1030 – MANITOU SPRINGS Manzanola 3J – 2535 – MANZANOLA
Mapleton 1 – 0010 – DENVER Mc Clave RE-2 – 0310 – MC CLAVE
Meeker RE1 – 2710 – MEEKER Mesa County Valley 51 – 2000 – GRAND JUNCTION
Miami/Yoder 60 JT – 1130 – RUSH Moffat 2 – 2800 – MOFFAT
Moffat County RE:No 1 – 2020 – CRAIG Monte Vista C-8 – 2740 – MONTE VISTA
Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 – 2035 – CORTEZ Montrose County RE-1J – 2180 – MONTROSE
Mountain Valley RE 1 – 2790 – SAGUACHE North Conejos RE-1J – 0550 – LA JARA
North Park R-1 – 1410 – WALDEN Norwood R-2J – 2840 – NORWOOD
Otis R-3 – 3050 – OTIS Ouray R-1 – 2580 – OURAY
Park (Estes Park) R-3 – 1570 – ESTES PARK Park County RE-2 – 2610 – FAIRPLAY
Pawnee RE-12 – 3148 – GROVER Peyton 23 JT – 1060 – PEYTON
Plainview RE-2 – 1440 – SHERIDAN LAKE Plateau RE-5 – 1870 – PEETZ
Plateau Valley 50 – 1990 – COLLBRAN Platte Canyon 1 – 2600 – BAILEY
Platte Valley RE-7 – 3130 – KERSEY Poudre R-1 – 1550 – FORT COLLINS
Prairie RE-11 – 3147 – NEW RAYMER Primero Reorganized 2 – 1590 – WESTON
Pritchett RE-3 – 0240 – PRITCHETT Pueblo City 60 – 2690 – PUEBLO
Pueblo County 70 – 2700 – PUEBLO Rangely RE-4 – 2720 – RANGELY
Revere School District – 2865 – OVID Ridgway R-2 – 2590 – RIDGWAY
Roaring Fork RE-1 – 1180 – GLENWOOD SPRINGS Rocky Ford R-2 – 2530 – ROCKY FORD
Salida R-32 – 0500 – SALIDA Sanford 6J – 0560 – SANFORD
Sangre De Cristo RE-22J – 0110 – MOSCA Sargent RE-33J – 2750 – MONTE VISTA
School District 27J – 0040 – BRIGHTON Sheridan 2 – 0123 – SHERIDAN
Sierra Grande R-30 – 0740 – BLANCA Silverton 1 – 2820 – SILVERTON
South Conejos RE-10 – 0580 – ANTONITO South Routt RE 3 – 2780 – OAK CREEK
Springfield RE-4 – 0250 – SPRINGFIELD St Vrain Valley RE 1J – 0470 – LONGMONT
Steamboat Springs RE-2 – 2770 -STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Strasburg 31J – 0060 – STRASBURG
Stratton R-4 – 1480 – STRATTON Summit RE-1 – 3000 – FRISCO
Swink 33 – 2570 – SWINK Telluride R-1 – 2830 – TELLURIDE
Thompson R-2J – 1560 – LOVELAND Trinidad 1 – 1580 – TRINIDAD
Valley RE-1 – 1828 – STERLING Vilas RE-5 – 0260 – VILAS
Walsh RE-1 – 0230 – WALSH Weld County RE-1 – 3080 – GILCREST
Weld County S/D RE-8 – 3140 – FORT LUPTON Weld County School District RE-3J-3090-KEENESBURG
Weldon Valley RE-20(J) – 2505 – WELDONA West End RE-2 – 2190 – NATURITA
West Grand 1-JT. – 1340 – KREMMLING Westminster 50 – 0070 – WESTMINSTER
Widefield 3 – 0990 – COLORADO SPRINGS Wiggins RE-50(J) – 2515 – WIGGINS
Wiley RE-13 JT – 2680 – WILEY Windsor RE-4 – 3100 – WINDSOR
Woodland Park RE-2 – 3020 – WOODLAND PARK Woodlin R-104 – 3070 – WOODROW
Wray RD-2 – 3210 – WRAY Yuma 1 – 3200 – YUMA

Unified Improvement Planning

Unified Improvement Planning was introduced to streamline the improvement planning components of state and federal accountability requirements. The common Unified Improvement Planning (UIP) template and planning processes used represent a shift from planning as an “event” to planning as a critical component of “continuous improvement.” This process reduces the total number of separate plans schools and districts are required to complete with the intent of creating a single plan that has true meaning for it stakeholders. Because schools and districts are required to publicly post their improvement plans through the state department of education website (www.schoolview.org), Unified Improvement Planning also provides a mechanism for external stakeholders to learn about schools’ and districts’ improvement efforts.

Based on the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (SB212-08), the primary purpose of improvement planning is to align efforts to: Ensure all students exit the K-12 education system ready for postsecondary education, and/or to be successful in the workforce, earning a living wage immediately upon graduation. In addition, the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that improvement planning be focused on ensuring that all students in the state reach proficiency in English language arts/reading and mathematics.

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