APPENDICES

Appendix A: List of Documents Examined

Appendix B: Levels of Achievement

Appendix C: Formula for Computing Teacher Absence Index (TAI)

Appendix D: School Accountability Program

Appendix E: 1997-98 NAT Scores for Sarasota County Schools

Previous Section: Commendations and Recommendations Return to Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXAMINED

  1. SchoolMatch databases
  2. SchoolMatch Sarasota County School District "Report Card"
  3. SchoolMatch "School/Community Data" for Sarasota County School District
  4. Spotlight on Sarasota County Schools
  5. P.A.L.S.
  6. Sarasota County School District Campaign for Excellence, Strategic Planning I
  7. Sarasota County School District Campaign for Excellence, Strategic Planning II
  8. Steps Toward Excellence (DRAFT) Annual Report of Sarasota County, Florida, 1997-1998
  9. Principals of Staff Development, Winter, 1997
  10. Inservice, Etc.
  11. Tech Training, Spring, 1998
  12. Article: "National magazine ranks county schools best in state."
  13. Memorandum, May 5, 1998: 1998 Results of the National Achievement Test (NAT)
  14. Memorandum, May 5, 1998: Florida Writes Results, 1993-1998
  15. Sarasota County School District Annual Report, 1995-1996
  16. 1998-99 School District Calendar
  17. Publication: The Measure of a Superior School System, Sarasota County School District, Sarasota, Florida
  18. Map of Sarasota County Public Schools
  19. School Board Rules: The policy manual of the Board of Education of Sarasota County
  20. Sarasota County Schools supplement to the Venice Gondolier, the Pelican Press and the Weekly
  21. Summary of test score data: FCAT, HSCT, NAT, Florida Writes
  22. School Improvement Plan 1998-2003: Middle School, High School Centers, Adult/Vocational, Alternative Programs, Charters
  23. Organizational Chart - Sarasota County School District - May 7, 1996 - June 19, 1995 - August 31, 1994 - October 8, 1993 - Effective: 1997-1998 fiscal year
  24. Statistical Brief: Staff in Florida's Public Schools, Fall, 1997
  25. Employees (Full-Time Only) by Job Category, The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida
  26. Florida Department of Education, Salary by EEO Line/Employee, Survey 2, 1997-98
  27. The School Board of Sarasota County, "All 67 Florida School Districts, Percentage of Administrators to Staff", Fall 1997
  28. Florida Department of Education Job Code Assignments, Effective 7/95
  29. Excerpts from "Finance and Taxation; Schools" State of Florida Code 236.685, Educational funding accountability, F.S. 1997
  30. The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, "Finances: A Historical Summary 1987-88 through 1996-97," prepared February, 1998
  31. Evaluation of the Sarasota Council School District Parent Liaison: Final Report
  32. Executive Summary: Recommendations from the Program Review of Pine View School, February 27, 1998
  33. Memorandum, August 18, 1997: Work Habits and Employability Skills "Best Practices"
  34. 1998 Community Schools Partnership for the Arts
  35. Instructional Contract
  36. Classified Contract
  37. School Improvement Plan, Cluster III, Presentation to the School Board, May 18, 1998
  38. On the Knowledge Base for School Programs for the Academically Gifted Student, developed by George R. Fichter, Senior Consultant, Gifted Education Services, May, 1998.
  39. The Landings Personnel Directory - By Department
  40. The Argus Foundation Special Report, "A Tale of Two Cities"
  41. Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts, The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida Principal's Information Packet
  42. Oak Park Review Team, Report, April 30-May 2, 1996
  43. School Improvement Plan Presentations: 1998, May 19, 1998 5:30 - 7:30 pm
  44. Monthly Enrollment Report, 04-03-98, The School Board of Sarasota County
  45. Historical Comparison of Second Mon. Enrollments, Sarasota County Public School District
  46. Projected Capital Outlay FTE Enrollments - Regular Term Only, Florida State Department of Education
  47. Sarasota County Population Projections (1990-2010), supplied by the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research and Sarasota County Planning Department, April, 1998.
  48. Sarasota - Human Resources Information Series, Affirmative Action Report, prepared 5-19-98
  49. Student enrollment by gender in advanced mathematics courses, May 19, 1998, Sarasota County Public School District
  50. Instructional Technology Plan, 1997-1998, Board adopted: October, 1996, Revised: October 20, 1997.
  51. Survey material file related to computers in the home.
  52. Technology Grade K-5 (8/97), Vision and mission statement of the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida
  53. The Measure of a Superior School System,Ó Sarasota County School District
  54. Introducing the Law/Public Service Academy, Booker High School
  55. Booker High School, Sarasota Visual and Performing Arts Center: Celebrating Excellence/Creating Pride
  56. The School Board of Sarasota County: A Pocket Guide to the 1997-98 Budget
  57. The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, 1998-99: All Schools Executive Budget Summary Elementary School Executive Budget Summary Middle and High School Executive Budget Summary Other Schools Executive Budget Summary
  58. The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida: 1998-99 Preliminary Budget, Debt Services Fund, April 29, 1998
  59. 1997-98 Florida Education Finance Program, Statistical Report: Florida Department of Education
  60. The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, Finances: A Historical Summary 1987-88 through 1996-97 (Prepared February, 1998)
  61. Booker High School Technology/Student Computer Survey, May 15, 1998
  62. Attendance Report --End of Year: School Board of Sarasota County
  63. Comparison of Summer School for 1997, 1998, 1999: School Board of Sarasota County
  64. Criteria for Determining Below-Level Performance: School Board of Sarasota County
  65. Records of In-Service Programs for Staff: School Board of Sarasota County, Fiscal Years 1997 and 1998

APPENDIX B: LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT

There are different levels of achievement - from minimum to absolute. Depending on where a school/school district begins, it ought to work to achieve higher levels, unless it already is at the absolute level. In most human activities, there are four levels of achievement:

  • Basic or minimum achievement
  • Normative achievement
  • Effective achievement
  • Absolute achievement

Basic or Minimum Achievement

Basic levels are the minimum levels which will be accepted. If one is below the minimum, adverse action will occur. For instance, a new principal will be assigned to the school. The minimum level is the cut-off line below which performance is not acceptable.

Minimum levels for schools are usually established

  • by the state,
  • by the state board of education,
  • by the department of education, or
  • by the local school board.

In some areas, minimum levels may be established by accreditation agencies. Often basic levels deal with books, certification, adequate space and personnel, curriculum guides, philosophy, etc.

To meet basic levels of achievement only is to be minimally effective.

Normative Achievement:

Normative achievement levels are those levels achieved by the average of a group. This level of achievement places a school at the center of a group of mean-matched schools.

Being average is not generally considered an excellent position.

Effective Achievement:

Effective achievement levels (or "Effectiveness Levels") are those levels achieved by schools which are one standard deviation above normative levels. They are usually achieved by 20-25 percent of the group. Being one standard deviation above the mean of a population is considered to be effective. If at this level, a school is doing extremely well - a level reached by 20-25 percent of schools in a mean-matched group of schools.

Absolute Achievement:

Absolute achievement levels mean being the best in any category. Only one or a few schools attain absolute achievement levels. Absolute levels are extremely difficult to achieve, but there are always a few who do. Having 100 percent average daily attendance, for example, is achievement of an absolute level.

APPENDIX C: FORMULA FOR COMPUTING TEACHER ABSENCE INDEX (TAI)

The formula for computing the Teacher Absence Index (TAI) of teachers is as follows:

A - [B + C]
___________
D

where:

A = the total days of absence of all teachers during the entire school year.

B = the total days of absence of all teachers during the year which were composed of periods of five or more days of consecutive absence.

C = the number of days of absence which were school-related and approved for all teachers during the entire year.

D = the total number of teachers.

APPENDIX D: SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM

Accountability Program for Monitoring Specific School Improvement Objectives

School ____________________________________________________________

Principal _________________________________________________________

Policy base: Policy requiring superintendent of schools to establish accountability for achieving school improvement objectives. School improvement objectives are to be established against effectiveness levels and the school's database.

School Improvement Objectives: (samples)

  • Increase attendance from ____ percent ADA to ____ percent ADA.
  • Improve the achievement levels in mathematics at grade twelve from 49 percent to 65 percent passing.

Central Office Supervisor ___________________________________________

Critical Dates: Activity Accomplished: 

	[date]	Report reviewed by School Board
	[date]	School improvement plan developed
	[date]	Review of progress
	[date]	Review of progress
	[date]	Evaluation of school improvement
	[date]	Report to School Board

Products required: School improvement objectives related to effectiveness levels over a 3-year period. Analysis of pre-post student attendance data. Final report to the school board and the community.

Dissemination required: School improvement objectives to appropriate persons/groups. Data analysis to appropriate persons/groups. School board report to appropriate persons/groups.

Compliance validation: 


_____________________________ ________________________
  Superintendent of Schools	Principal
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