Updating your district’s LCAP: Top 3 Reminders for Boards
Published: March 9, 2016
As districts across the state embark on updating their Local Control and Accountability Plans in year three of LCFF implementation, we’ve compiled a Top 3 List of important reminders for all boards. CSBA staff will also be visiting several regions across the state this month to answer questions about LCFF-LCAP, accountability, school funding and more, as part of the CSBA Roadshow.
1. Look at and understand your district’s data. Ask district staff to provide the data reports that will be most useful for understanding student outcomes, including achievement gaps, the district’s financial situation, and current use of resources. This information should help your board understand where progress is being made, how students with high needs are being served, and what is being learned about the strategies currently underway to achieve district goals. This will also help prepare your board to share information with the community about the district’s investments and progress.
2.
Educate your community about your programs and challenges – and solicit their input. A hallmark of the LCFF is that it requires engagement with parents and stakeholders. Districts should utilize multiple approaches to reach out to parents, students, staff and community members. A great way to facilitate feedback is by providing your community with information about district programs currently in operation, as well as local challenges – sharing data in a way that is clear and understandable. Remember, too, that engagement is more than a one-time activity such as holding a meeting or sending out a survey – it’s about creating an ongoing dialogue and a culture of collaboration.
3. Set goals and strategies for improvement for each of your student populations. The LCAP is a plan for using resources in ways that will improve outcomes and close achievement gaps. To accomplish this, annual goals must be set for all students and for each of the following subgroups in each of the 8 priorities:
• Ethnic subgroups
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged students
• English learners
• Students with disabilities
• Foster youth
• Homeless youth (New this year)
• Children of active military (Coming soon as a result of the new ESSA)
It’s essential for board members to understand district students and to know about related gaps and outcomes. Board members should also be clear on the district’s adopted LCAP goals and if their district is making progress on each and why.
The LCAP template itself is a work-in-progress and is expected to be revised and improved by the State Board of Education. CSBA has communicated to state leaders the significant concerns of board members that the current LCAP template is unwieldy in ways and too “compliance-oriented.” At the same time, we recognize the powerful potential of the LCAP, with ongoing improvements, to help close achievement gaps and put greater decision-making authority into the hands of local communities who know their students best.
Share your input: The California Department of Education is looking for input on how to make the LCAP more useful, to help guide the redesign of the next generation LCAP template, which the State Board of Education anticipates adopting.
This survey is open until March 25th.
Learn more about the latest developments with LCFF and the LCAP, as well as the state’s new accountability system, funding adequacy, the state budget and legal issues, and more at the
CSBA Roadshow, going on in regions around the state this month. The roadshow provides CSBA members an opportunity for in-person updates and interaction with CSBA experts in communities statewide.