Agenda Item
Meeting Date:
9/23/2022 - 7:00 PM  
Category:
Policies and Regulations  
Type:
Info  
Subject:
Policy Revisions  
ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 1: Systemic Alignment
ACPS will build a culture of continuous improvement and design equitable systems for school and instructional improvement.
 
Policy:
BF - Policy Manual  
Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable):
 
File Attachment:
220923_Board_Brief_Policy_Revisions_v1.pdf
 
Agenda Item Summary:
Staff are proposing an updated approach to policy revisions based on four priorities:
1. Equity Audit of School Board Policies
2. Updating policies with code revisions and VSBA model policy changes
3. Updating policies with requested Board and staff modifications
4. Ensuring all policies are reviewed every 5 years
 
Background:
ACPS has 423 policies and regulations. These documents need to be systematically reviewed and revised according to ACPS requirements and code changes. To ensure that all four priorities are met, the Board will need to adopt at least 100 policies each year.

The proposed process is similar to the process used during the 2021-22 school year. The key change is a standing School Board Policy Subcommittee rather than rotating assignments for policy bundles. This change better aligns with the current Board practice of assigning responsibilities for a year as well as the efficiencies created through having a consistent team.

The first step of the process has identified over 200 policies and regulations for revision based on the four priorities. These have a wide range of urgency from high priority code changes (27 policies) and critical policy revisions such as grading (12 focus areas with approximately 50 policies and regulations), to low priority updates such as minor updates to references in the VSBA model policies (37 policies) or the need to affirm the existing policy (15 policies). The balance of the 200 are due for the 5-year revision and are being audited for the nature of the changes, if any.

The high priority items will be spread throughout the school year with the low priority items filling in gaps with the goal of presenting a regular flow of policy revisions to the Board for consideration.
 
Recommendation
The Interim Superintendent recommends that the School Board review the proposed process.  
Approvals:
Recommended By:
Signed By:
Susan Neilson - Clerk
Signed By:  
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt - Interim Superintendent