El Reno Public Schools Office of Accountability August 2010
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Oklahoma School Performance Review EEElll RRReeennnooo IIInnndddiiiaaannnsss El Reno Public Schools Office of Accountability August 2010 Education Oversight Board / Office of Accountability Susan Field, Chairman • Robert Buswell, Executive Director August 2010 Fellow Oklahomans: The Education Oversight Board and the Office of Accountability are pleased to present this school performance review for El Reno Public Schools (ERPS). This review is intended to help ERPS contain costs, improve management strategies and operations, and increase student performance. To conduct this review the office contracted with WCL ENTERPRISES. El Reno Public Schools has a number of commendable programs and enjoys support from district residents; however, it is faced with several challenges. The review contains recommendations to help ERPS meet those challenges and improve the efficiency of their operations. The review also highlights a number of “Commendable Practices” in programs, operations, and services provided by the administration, teachers, and staff. We are grateful for the cooperation of ERPS Board of Education, administration, staff, parents, and community members. They are to be commended for their dedication toward improving educational opportunities for their community. We are pleased to announce that this review is available in hardcopy through the Office of Accountability and on the office’s web site at www.SchoolReportCard.org. For the Education Oversight Board, For the Office of Accountability, Susan Field Robert Buswell 655 Research Parkway, Suite 301 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 (405) 225-9470 Fax (405) 225-9474 www.SchoolReportCard.org Oklahoma School Performance Review El Reno Public Schools August 2010 Education Oversight Board Office of Accountability Susan Field, Chairman Robert Buswell, Executive Director Patrick Gilmore, Vice-Chair Jeff Wallace, Assistant Director Dr. Sherry Labyer Jerry (Yu-Chao) Hsieh, Database Design Analyst Ami Shaffer Dr. Lonnie Melvin, School Improvement Coordinator Edward A. Petersen Daniel Craig, School Improvement Coordinator Reed Downey Millard House II Senator John Ford Representative Ann Coody WCL ENTERPRISES Bill Lenhart, President and Project Director Debbie Smothermon, Project Manager Marvin Crawford – Chapter 1, Management & Communications Diana Leggett – Chapter 1 and 2, Personnel Mgt & Instruc Delivery Tracy Hoke – Chapter 3, Business Operations Chuck Yaple – Chapter 3, Business Operations Roy Sprague – Chapter 4, Facilities Use & Management Mark Hopkins – Chapter 4, Safety & Security Skip Baskerville – Chapter 5, Computers & Technology Stephen Loveless – Chapter 5, Transportation Kevin Ponce – Chapter 5, Child Nutrition Beth Wallace – Chapter 5, Child Nutrition This publication was prepared by the Office of Accountability as authorized by Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 3-118 and 1210.5331. It was printed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Central Services Department, as authorized by the Education Oversight Board. Fifty copies have been prepared at a cost of $3,398.00. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. August 2010. El Reno Public Schools Table of Contents Page Executive Summary 1 Acknowledgements 1 El Reno Public Schools 1 Commendations 4 Recommendations and Projected Costs and Savings 7 Chapter 1: Management, Personnel, and Communications 1-1 A. Management and Planning 1-10 B. Personnel Management 1-15 C. Communications and Community Involvement 1-22 Chapter 2: Instructional Delivery 2-1 A. Instructional Delivery and Student Performance 2-3 B. Professional Development 2-24 C. Gifted and Talented Education 2-34 D. Special Education 2-39 E. Career and Technology Education 2-43 F. Guidance and Counseling 2-47 G. Federal Programs 2-52 H. Textbooks 2-56 Chapter 3: Business Operations 3-1 A. Financial Management 3-12 B. Purchasing 3-17 C. Payroll and Benefits 3-19 Chapter 4: Facilities Use and Management 4-1 A. Facilities Planning and Construction 4-2 B. Maintenance and Custodial Operations 4-11 C. Energy Management 4-25 D. Safety and Security 4-36 E. Crisis Management 4-50 F. Community Use of School Facilities 4-54 Chapter 5: Support Services 5-1 A. Child Nutrition 5-1 B. Computers and Technology 5-16 i Table of Contents El Reno Public Schools C. Transportation 5-26 Appendices: A. Professional Staff Survey Results A-1 B. Teacher Survey Results B-1 C. Support Staff Survey Results C-1 D. Student Survey Results D-1 E. Parent Survey Results E-1 F. Focus Group and Public Forum Comments F-1 G. Enrollment Projections G-1 H. Facilities Walk-through: Maintenance, Safety, and Security Needs H-1 ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oklahoma School Performance Review (OSPR) Program was authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature during the 2001 session and amended during the 2005 session. The responsibility to conduct school performance reviews was assigned to the Office of Accountability, which is under the direction of the Oklahoma Education Oversight Board. The purpose of a performance review is to develop findings, commendations, and recommendations regarding (1) containing costs; (2) improving management strategies; and (3) promoting better education for Oklahoma children. OSPR began the performance review of El Reno Public Schools (ERPS) in November 2009. The Office of Accountability contracted with WCL ENTERPRISES to assist with the review. The WCL ENTERPRISES project team conducted either individual or small group interviews with district personnel, board of education members, parents, and business and community leaders. The team conducted focus group sessions with business leaders, community leaders, teachers, principals, and district support personnel. The team also reviewed operations by touring facilities, observing cafeteria operations, and riding school bus routes. Parents, teachers, principals, support staff, and central office administrators also completed written surveys that were customized to the district. The completed surveys were tabulated and the results were used in this review. Survey results are contained in Appendices A-E. Data were received and used from the Office of Accountability, State Department of Education, State Regents for Higher Education, and State Auditor and Inspector. OSPR selected peer districts for comparisons based on similarities in student enrollment and demographics. The districts selected for comparison to El Reno were Ada, Chickasha, Guymon, Miami, and Wagoner. During this review, WCL ENTERPRISES developed 63 recommendations designed to improve operations. In some cases, these recommendations should result in a net savings to the district, in some cases a net cost, and in some cases should have no fiscal impact but should improve district effectiveness. A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Office of Accountability and WCL ENTERPRISES wish to express their appreciation to the Board of Education of El Reno Public Schools, its Superintendent Ranet Tippens, and the many district employees, students, parents, business leaders, and community residents who helped during this review. EL RENO PUBLIC SCHOOLS El Reno Public Schools (ERPS) is located in central Oklahoma just 25 miles west of Oklahoma City along I-40 at the intersection of the ever popular Route 66 and the historical Chisholm Trail (Highway 81). ERPS covers 45 square miles and serves the City of El Reno, the county seat of WCL ENTERPRISES 1 Executive Summary El Reno Public Schools Canadian County, and the surrounding rural area. El Reno's proximity to Oklahoma City provides its residents the accessibility of a major metropolitan area while retaining the benefits of small town living. El Reno is not only located in the county seat but includes within its school district boundaries a federal research station, a federal prison and their associated family population, as well as a Cheyenne/Arapaho tribal population and complex. ERPS has a long and rich history dating to 1890. According to First 100 Years of El Reno Public Schools, by Carolyn Barker written in 1994, the east part of the City of El Reno was established shortly after the 1889 Oklahoma Territory land run. Grand Street was on the edge of the 98th meridian and was the west boundary of this land run. Three years later in 1892, more people came to El Reno as part of the land run. The first school in El Reno was a subscription school taught by Stuart N. Hopkins in 1890; however, the new citizens of El Reno felt the need for a public school and on December 31, 1890, the first public school board was selected for ERPS. The first public school in El Reno began on January 19, 1891 and was held in the opera house known as Farnham Hall, located at the corner of Rock Island and Woodson Streets. This building consisted of board sides with a canvas roof and was designed to be used for almost any kind of gathering from dancing to church services. Most of the seats were empty beer kegs (El Reno was not a “dry town”) with planks laid across them to form benches. By October 1891, the school had 128 students and included an additional school room in the brick Baptist Church building at 313 South Rock Island. By the end of November 1891, there were 166 students enrolled. ERPS now has over 2,460 in average daily student membership in grades EC through 12 being educated in 4 elementary (center) schools, a middle school, a junior high school, and a high school. Exhibit 1 provides average daily membership (ADM), ethnicity, and eligibility for free or reduced price meals for ERPS and each of its schools for 2009. 2 WCL ENTERPRISES El Reno Public Schools Executive Summary Exhibit 1 Student Enrollment and Socioeconomic Characteristics 2009 Campus Grade Average Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native Eligible Span Daily American For Membership Free or Reduced Price Meals Hillcrest Elementary PreK-K 342 61% 6% 1% 18% 13% 77.5% Lincoln Elementary 3-4 316 57% 8% 0% 18% 17% 83.0% Webster Elementary 5 161 61% 9% 1% 17% 11% 71.0% Rose Witcher 1-2 347 58% 9% 1% 17% 16% 81.8% Elementary Leslie F.