File:  AE  - Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment

The Board accepts its ultimate responsibility for the academic accomplishments of district students.  Consistent with this responsibility and as required by law, the Board shall adopt and maintain an accountability program to measure the adequacy and efficiency of the educational program.

All district accountability committee meetings and school accountability committee meetings will be open to the public.  Meeting notices for district accountability committee meetings shall be posted in the same place and manner as notices of Board meetings.  Notices for school accountability committee meetings shall be posted in the school one week in advance.

District Accountability Committee

The Board shall appoint or create a process for the election of a district accountability committee and shall determine if members shall be appointed or elected to school accountability committees.  If elected, the Board shall create a process for the election of school accountability committees.  The district accountability and school accountability committees shall have those powers and duties prescribed my state law. The Board and the district accountability committee shall, at least annually, cooperatively determine the areas and issues, in addition to budget issues, that the district accountability committee shall study and the issues on which it may make recommendations to the Board.

The District Accountability Committee shall:

1.  review the goals/objectives and plans of individual schools and make annual recommendations to the Board regarding procedures for implementation of  the plans for inclusion in the district budget

2.  after consulting with school accountability committees, make recommendations to the Board relative to priorities for expenditures of district funds

3.  provide consultation to the Board on adoption, revision and implementation of a safe school plan

School accountability committees

The Board is committed to maintaining a strong accountability program in each school.  School accountability committees shall serve the purposes and functions stated in law for both the school advisory council and the school accountability committee.  School accountability committees shall meet at least quarterly to:

1.  adopt building goals/objectives for the improvement of education in the building

2.  adopt a plan to improve educational achievement, maximize graduation rates and increase the ratings for the school's accreditation category

3.  discuss the means for determining whether decisions affecting the educational process are advancing or impeding student achievement in the school

4.  discuss reporting educational performance of the school and providing data for appraising such performance to students, parents, Board members and educators

5.  prior to the Board's adoption of the annual budget, budget will be shared with both the district accountability committee and building accountability committee for additional input.

6.  make recommendations to the principal regarding expenditure of school grants

7.  discuss safety issues related to the school environment and develop, revise and implement a safe school plan for the school consistent with the district's safe school plan and policies

Adopted May 29, 1979

Revised October 10, 1988

Revised November 17, 1998

Revised October 15, 2001

Revised October 11, 2010

Revised March 11, 2013

Revised February 8, 2016

LEGAL REFS.:  C.R.S. 22-2-117 (waivers from State Board of Education)

C.R.S. 22-7-101 through 22-7-105 (Educational Accountability Act of 1971) (local accountability programs)

C.R.S. 22-7-205 (local goals & objectives)

C.R.S. 22-7-207 (building level committee recommendations)

C.R.S. 22-11-101 et seq. (Educational Accreditation Act of 1998)

C.R.S. 22-32-110 (3.5) (safe school reporting requirements)

1 CCR 301-1, Rules 2202-R-2.01 et seq. (applicable regulations)

CROSS REFS.:  AEA, Standards Based Education

AED, School District Accreditation

DBD, Determination of Budget Priorities

AEE*, Waiver of State Law and Regulation

NOTE:  The Board may consider applying to the State Board of Education for a waiver of certain provisions of law or state regulations which in the Board's discretion it believes necessary to accomplish the purposes of the accountability program.  For districts with a funded count of 3,000 or more pupils, such application requires the concurrence of a majority of the appropriate accountability committee and of the affected licensed teachers and administrators.  Such a waiver, if granted, shall continue indefinitely unless the Board requests revocation of the waiver or the State Board of Education revokes the waiver for good and just cause.  1 CCR 301-34, 2217-R-2.02.  See policy AEE* Waiver of State Law and Regulation.

NOTE:  The Colorado Department of Education has created a District Accountability Handbook that provides an overview of accountability requirements for districts and schools.