Tuesday, January 30, 2007

As an alternative to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's planned takeover of the District's school system, the D.C. Board of Education proposed seven steps yesterday designed to improve student achievement and management of the D.C. public schools over an 18-month period. Below are excerpts from each step and the seven outcomes. For more information, go to http://www.k12.dc.us/Dcps/boe/boehome.html .

Seven Steps

Spend $10 million on increased special education services in D.C. schools.

Give the school superintendent the authority to more closely align pay with performance; streamline the grievance and arbitration process; maintain objective of pay parity with surrounding districts.

Give the D.C. Council greater oversight of the school budget: The council could recommend a student funding formula but would not have line-item authority over the school budget.

Align fiscal year with school year.

Establish a State Department of Education, which would take over most functions of the current State Education Office; the department would establish readiness guidelines and assessments for preschoolers, authorize charter schools, distribute federal funds, provide transportation for special education students and administer child nutrition programs.

Give the school system independent procurement authority over contracts of more than $1 million.

Establish a special review process within the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to accelerate school construction.

Seven Outcomes

10 percent more students will test "proficient" or "advanced."

D.C. public schools will outperform large cities nationally in tests.

135 emotionally disturbed students placed in new programs and 562 new special education slots in neighborhood schools.

Begin construction on eight schools by September.

Replace administration and staff in five chronically failing schools that will be announced May 31.

Establish a parent ombudsman and track how the administration responds to requests from the community.

Source: D.C. Board of Education