Administrative Response

1
Administrative Response

• Report to the Governing Council
• NYOS Charter School
• from
• Sara Hardner Leon
• Powell Leon, LLP
• April 3, 2008

2
Part One Review of Safety at NYOS
3
Summary of Recommendations

• 34 General Recommendations
• 8 - Continue what we are doing (C)
• 12 - Add a new safety feature (A)
• 3 - Think about this (T)
• 11 - Do what we are doing better (D)
• Suggestions to Improve Administrative and
  Parental Relations

4
Focus on Academic Achievement

• Recommendations
• Continue to foster and develop an academic
  program to meet the needs of all of its students.
  (C)
• Keep focus on schools purpose - education
• Continue to focus on student academic achievement
  and NYOS commitment to individualized student
  instruction. (C)
• Teacher commitment to excellence

5
Involve Families in Meaningful Ways

• Lingering feelings of distrust of the NYOS
  administration due to the takeover of the
  McCullough School of Excellence charter last
  year
• Enrolled in organizational trust-building class
  in June
• Perception of insensitivity to African American
  parents and students
• Contracted survey and assistance in crafting our
  multicultural strategy with Dr. Alicia Moore of
  Southwestern University
• Evidence of feelings of mutual mistrust between
  parents of the old campus and the new campus
• Introduce LifeSkills from ITI to parents
  Character Education Begins at Home, by Susan
  Kovalik
• NO indication that such feelings are reflected in
  student attitudes or in teacher attitudes about
  children
• Best news listed in report!

6
Involve Families in Meaningful Ways

• Recommendations
• Continue to invite parental participation in the
  school through a variety of volunteer
  opportunities. (C)
• Explore parental roles in the classroom and
  throughout the organization
• Consider adding safety responsibilities to
  available volunteering options. (A)
• WatchDOGS Program purchase and orientation
• Consider whether additional types of outreach
  efforts may be effective in meeting the needs of
  an ethnically diverse student body. Such efforts
  might include parent education programs, regular
  meetings with school administrators and bilingual
  communications to parents. These outreach
  efforts may also increase opportunities for
  parents to build personal relationships. (A)
• Multicultural and safety survey in April
• Increase number of opportunities for parental
  relationship building
• Make certain the school is sensitive to the
  diverse cultural population it serves through
  continuing cultural sensitivity training for all
  staff. (D)
• Continue staff development in multicultural
  education and diversity
• Governing Council training in multicultural
  education and diversity
• (May 2008)

7
Develop Links to the Community

• Recommendation
• Actively explore opportunities to establish and
  foster relationships with community organizations
  that can complement existing school programs and
  provide additional services for families and
  students. (C D A)
• Ongoing work with Austin/Travis County MHMR
  personnel for staff and students (Reassessment
  4-07-08)
• Reassign staff trained in social work to Magnolia
  as needed
• Draw upon resource of Dr. Jonathan Hoyle, LSSP of
  the Austin Area Special Education Cooperative
• Austin Police Department Stranger Danger
• Build alliance with Central Texas School Safety
  Consortium ( Jo Moss, Director)

8
Emphasize Positive Relationships Among Students
and Staff Help Children Feel Safe Expressing
Their Feelings

• Recommendations
• Because bullying can create an unsafe school
  atmosphere, the school should continue to look
  for ways to proactively adopt and implement
  programs that deal with conflict resolution,
  anger management, anti-bullying and developing
  student self-esteem. (D)
• Adopt a research-based program to combat bullying
  and negative student behaviors. (A)
• All staff should receive continuing training on
  identification of bullying and other destructive
  behaviors and adopt a consistent campus response
  for reported problems. (A)
• Working to bring in Barbara Colorosos, author of
  The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander for
  staff workshop and parent meeting
• LifeSkills imbedded into curriculum for student
  training
• TRIBES Training scheduled for July 2008

9
Treat Students with Equal Respect

• Recommendation
• Continue to provide training in the area of
  cultural sensitivity for all staff. (C)
• NYOS received 50,000 Capital Investment Grant to
  expand the educational program, including
  multicultural training
• Continue to incorporate inclusive messages in
  student communications and in modeling positive
  conduct. (C)
• All stakeholders will see a strong emphasis on
  the LifeSkills throughout the NYOS organization

10
Offer Extended Day Programs for Children

• Recommendations
• None

11
Promote Good Citizenship and Character

• Recommendation
• Continue to use the life skills or similar
  program to promote and reinforce good citizenship
  and personal character development. (C)
• Parent/Family component available in LifeSkills
  offered by ITI
• All stakeholders will see a strong emphasis on
  the LifeSkills throughout the NYOS organization

12
Identify Problems and Assess Progress Toward
Solutions

• Recommendations
• Consider developing a campus safety committee to
  periodically meet and critically assess campus
  safety issues and recommend possible
  improvements. (A)
• Committee formed Feb. 19, held first meeting over
  break, next meeting April 17th at 600 p.m. Lamar
  library
• Everyone is welcome to attend Safety Committee
  meetings
• Conduct an ongoing dialogue about school safety
  concerns, i.e., student pick-up and drop-off
  procedures involve parents in this dialogue.
  (D)
• Parent reminders in Principal Newsletter
• Working to add Safety Blog on website for parents
  to submit feedback about safety concerns
• Include students in an ongoing dialogue about
  school safety. Reinforce through assemblies and
  safety discussions that students are important
  participants in a safe school environment. (D)
• Looking to acquire Kelsos Choices curriculum
  for classroom guidance
• Written federal grant to obtain funds for more
  elementary counselors

13
Identify Problems and Assess Progress Toward
Solutions

• Recommendations
• Invite the Austin Police Department, Austin Fire
  Department, Safe Place and other community
  resources to make periodic safety presentations
  at school. (C)
• We will invite the APD and AFD to visit our
  campus with the addition of a When to get
  Help message for students
• The student buddy system should not be
  considered a substitute for adequate adult
  supervision. (D)
• Removed double doors to boys bathroom in gym so
  that students can be heard
• Added magnetic bathroom pass tracking system in
  gymnasium

14
Part TwoEmergency Preparedness
15
Emergency Procedures Manual

• Recommendations
• Consider participating in the Central Texas
  School Safety Consortium. (A)
• Contact has been made with Jo Moss, Director of
  CTSSC
• In connection with such membership, work
  collaboratively with other area schools to design
  and implement an updated Emergency Procedures
  Manual that conforms to best practices and
  community standards. (D)
• We have begun this process in the Safety
  Committee
• Become familiar with Texas Center for Safe
  Communities and Schools programs and services.
  (A)
• The Safety Committee will establish contact with
  the center
• Provide periodic emergency response training to
  all staff. (D)
• Embed in annual staff development calendar

16
Student Health Emergencies

• Recommendations
• Make available periodic (no less than annual)
  CPR/AED training for staff and volunteers. (D)
• Twenty percent of staff members trained presently
• Seeking staff member/parent to become trainer in
  order to provide training school wide with staff,
  volunteers, and high school students
• Make available periodic First Aid training for
  staff and volunteers. (A)
• Looking for trainer for staff/parent training
• Provide periodic training to staff on emergency
  and non-emergency student health procedures. (D)
• Will incorporate into staff development at
  beginning of school year and intermittently
  throughout the year
• Evaluate whether current student health services
  are sufficient to meet the schools student
  health needs. (T)
• To be evaluated by administration and make
  recommendation to the Governing Council

17
Emergency Preparedness Training

• Recommendations
• Consider obtaining emergency response training
  for staff. (T)
• Identify other areas of training in addition to
  CPR/First Aide/AED for staff
• Consider adding additional safety elements into
  the school curriculum. Examples of no-cost and
  low-cost resources for such programs are the
  Austin Police Department (Stranger Danger
  program) and the Texas State Fire Marshall
  (online age-appropriate fire safety curriculum
  guides). (D)
• Examples listed above in place at NYOS, explore
  new possibilities

18
Part ThreeStaffing and the Physical Plant
19
Facilities

• Recommendation
• The school has made substantial improvements to
  the leased facilities at the McCullough campus.
  In connection with ongoing maintenance and
  improvements made by the landlord or tenant,
  continued attention to improving student safety
  should be considered
• Replace gymnasium doors with doors that can be
  locked from the outside. (A)
• Have identified source for materials and
  contractor/parent volunteer for installation
  soliciting donations to purchase doors/hardware
• Seek church permission to change doors
• Incorporate playscape improvement plans into
  future facilities planning. (A)
• New playscape design underway
• Goal of dedicating to Tevin Park-Flowers upon
  completion
• Evaluate physical changes (such as remodeling)
  and/or procedures to enhance supervision of
  gymnasium restroom areas. (T)
• The Safety Committee will consider this
  recommendation and work with the church to
  address safety concerns

20
Staffing

• Recommendations
• Continue to conduct background checks on all
  employees and volunteers. (C)
• Capability to conduct criminal checks added to
  personnel at Magnolia for immediacy
• Provide training to appropriate staff members on
  confidentiality requirements for DPS records. (A)
• HR staff and campus receptionist received
  training
• Conduct periodic, random re-checks on staff and
  volunteers throughout the school year. (D)
• Random process identified and conducted monthly