Brockton school district : executive order 393 : Education [sic] Management Accountability Board report

142 Pages·1998·4.5 MB·English

by  Massachusetts. Educational Management Accountability Board

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MassachusettsDepartmentofRevenue DivisionofLocalServices
MitchellAdams,Commissioner JosephJ.Chessey,Jr.,DeputyCommissioner
03W98
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Brockton School District
Executive Order 393
Education Management Accountability Board Report
January 1998
EDUCATION MANAGEMENTACCOUNTABILITY BOARD
Michael Sentance, Chairperson
William Dandridge
Andres Lopez
PeterNessen
Ted Owens
Mark Roosevelt
Hugh Scott
AlisonTaunton-Rigby
SamuelTyler
BrookeWhite-Sandford
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Administration & Finance
Charles Baker, Secretary
Kristen Keel, ChiefofStaff
Massachusetts Departmentof Revenue
MitchellAdams, Commissioner
Joseph J. Chessey, Jr., DeputyCommissioner
James R. Johnson, DirectorofAccounts
Table of Contents
Introduction
I.
II. ExecutiveSummary
Findings
Background
Scope ofReview
GeneralConditionsandFindings
III.
1. BrocktonOverview
2. SchoolFinances
3. SchoolCommitteeBudgetTrend
4. TotalSchoolDistrictExpenditures
5. NetSchoolSpendingRequirements
6. SchoolCommitteeProgramBudget
7. FoundationBudget
8. Staffing-FTETrends
9. Payroll-Salarylevels,unioncontracts,newstaffcosts
10. ProfessionalDevelopmentProgram
11. SchoolImprovementPlans
12. TimeandLearning
13. TechnologyandComputers
14. SuppliesandTextbooks
15. TestScores
16. HiringandEvaluationofTeachersandPrincipals
SignificantEducationMilestonesandIssues
17. ReviewofExpenditures
18. TransiencyIssue
19. SpecialEducation(SPED) andBilingual
20. CoursesandClassSizes
FindingsofCertainFinancialDeficiencies
21a. AccountsPayableInternalControlWeakness
21b. FixedAssets
iv. EmployeeSurvey
v. Superintendent'sStatement- EducationReform
vi. Appendix
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Brockton SchoolDistrictReview
Introduction
I.
TheEducationReformActof1993hastwomajorgoals:toachieveadequatefundingforalllocal
andregionalschooldistrictsoveraseven-yearperiod;andtobringequitytolocaltaxationeffort
basedonacommunity'sabilitytopay.InFebruary1997,GovernorWeldissuedExecutiveOrder
393toevaluatetheeducationreformprogramthatwasnearingtheendofitsfourthyear.
BeginninginFY98,Chapter70stateaidforeducationwillreach$2,288billion.Withan
investmentofthismagnitudeintheCommonwealth'sschoolsitiscriticalto "review,investigate
andreportontheexpendituresoffundsbyschooldistricts,includingregionalschooldistricts,
consistentwiththegoalsofimprovingstudentachievement." Tothatend,ExecutiveOrder393
establishedanEducationalManagementAccountabilityBoard (EMAB).
TheSecretaryofAdministrationandFinance,servingaschiefofstafftotheEMAB,puttogethera
teamofauditorsfromtheDepartmentofRevenue'sDivisionofLocalServicestoconductthe
schooldistrictreviews.DOR'sDirectorofAccountsisthechiefinvestigatorwithauthorityto
examinedepartmentaccountsandtransactions(M.G.L.Ch.44,Sees.45and46A). Thereviews
arebeingconductedinconsultationwiththeStateAuditorandtheCommissionerofEducation.
BrocktonisthesecondschooldistricttobereviewedunderExecutiveOrder393. Brockton
municipalandschoolofficialscooperated fullywiththereviewteam. ThreeDORauditors
conductedthefieldreviewoftheBrocktonSchoolDistrict(BSD) inAugustandSeptember 1997.
Includedinthisreviewwasaconfidentialsurveysenttoemployeesoftheschooldistrict.
Executive Summary
II.
Findings
ThefollowingparagraphsincludesomeofthemoresignificantfindingsoftheBrocktonSchool
Districtreview. Whenpossible,thereviewteamhasidentified andpresentedbestpracticesso
thattheycanbeadoptedbyotherschooldistricts. Financialorreportingdeficiencieswerenoted.
The"GeneralFindingsandConditions"sectionasreferencedcontainsamoredetailedanalysisof
the resultsanddeficienciesdiscussedinthissection.
TheBrocktonPublicSchoolshaveutilizedincreasededucationreformfundingtoaddressissues
ofclasssizeandincreasedstudentenrollment;reinstituteprograms;enhanceinstruction;expand
professionaldevelopmentopportunities;updatetextbooks,libraryandinstructionalmaterials;
andtoprovidethenecessarylearningenvironmentbyimprovingfacilitiestotheextentpossible.
Thefindingsaregroupedintoseveralbroadcategorieswhichareaddressed intheEducation
ReformAct:TheFoundationBudget,StudentAchievement,GovernanceandManagement
Powers,Teacher/StudentStaffing,TeacherCompensation,ProfessionalDevelopment,andTime
and Learning.
ExecutiveOrder393-EducationManagementAccountabilityBoard
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Digitized by the Internet Archive
2014
in
https://archive.org/details/brocktonschooldiOOmass
Brockton SchoolDistrictReview
THE FOUNDATION BUDGET
• BrocktonismeetingitsbasicoverallfinancialobligationsestablishedbytheDOE. Infact,
Brocktonhasexceededitsrequirednetschoolspendingrequirementsbyasmall
percentageforFY94throughFY97.Theincreasehasbeenfunded throughadditional
stateaid.SinceFY93thedistricthasreceived$210.7million,inincreasingincrementsof
$41 millionto$65.9million,asaresultofthestate'sinvestmentineducationreform.The
city'sshareoftotalnetschoolspendinghasbeendecliningsince 1994. Takinginflation
intoaccount,theBSDhasseenrealbudgetincreasesbetweenFY89andFY97. [See
sections3and5]
• Thefoundationbudgetdidnotmandatespendinginanyspecificcategoryasitsoughtto
providelocalcommunitiesthelatitudetoaddresslocalneeds. However,inorderto
encourage appropriatelevelsofspending,M.G.L.Ch. 70Sec.9requiresthataschool
districtreporttotheCommissionerofEducationwhenithasfailed tospendtheamounts
incorporatedinthefoundationbudgetforfourcategories:professionaldevelopment,
textbooks,afterschoolactivities("extendedprogramming") andextraordinary
maintenance. InFY96,Brockton spentonly31%ofthetargetforprofessional
development, 108%fortextbooks,and0%forboth afterschoolprogramsand
extraordinarymaintenance. [Seesection7andAppendixB]. ForFY94-FY96thedistrict
hasnotfiledanyreportwiththeCommissioner'soffice,nordidtheCommissioner's
officeinformthedistrictofsucharequirementorrequestsuchareport. Finallyalthough
Brockton'sschoolexpenditureshaveincreasedsinceimplementationofEducation
Reform,manyfoundationbudgetcategoriesarebelowprescribedfoundationlevels.
• Brockton'sincreasedfundinghasalsobeenused tofundsubstantialincreasesinspecial
education. [Seesections7,Chart22 andAppendixB] ThefactthatBSDhastheabilityto
provideprogramsforSPEDstudentswithinitsownsystemhaskeptcostsfromgoingup
evenmoresubstantially.Thesignificantincreaseinspecialeducationcostsandits
concomitantimpactonotherschoolprogramshasbeennoted inreportsbythe
MassachusettsTaxpayersFoundation,theFoundationBudgetReviewCommission,the
MassachusettsAssociationofSchoolSuperintendentsand therecentlegislative
CommissiononSpecialEducation.AlthoughBrocktonhasallocatedanincreasing
proportionofitsbudgettospecialeducation,itisstillbelowfoundationbudgetinSpecial
NeedsTuition
• TheschooldepartmentandthecityofBrocktonhavenoaccountingsysteminplaceto
accountfor,orcontrol,fixedassets. Otherthantheexpenditures,thereisnoaccounting
forthefixedassets. [Seesection21B]
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Brockton SchoolDistrictReview
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
• AnobjectiveanalysisoftheMassachusettsEducationalAssessmentProgram(MEAP),
thestate'seducationaltestingprogramfrom 1988-96,showsthatBrockton'sscoresare
mixedforgradesfour,eight,andten. Thescaledscoresforfourthgradereadinghave
remainedstableshowingnoimprovementacrossthefiveadministrationsofthetest; the
scaledscoreperformanceforeighthgradershasdecreasedinallsubjectareasoverthis
sameperiodandthescaledscoresfortenthgradersaremixed. [Seesection15and
AppendixD].
GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT POWERS
• EachoftheprincipalsinBrocktonwasgivenaraisebaseduponaratiooftheteacher
salaryscale,indicatingthatperformancemaynotbeheavilyconsideredincompensation
decisions. [Seesection16] TheEducationReformActremovedprincipalsfrom
collectivebargainingunitsinordertogivesuperintendentsmoreleverageinmotivating
theperformanceofprincipals. Thisnewmanagementtoolwhichwasgivento
superintendentstofacilitateschool-basedimprovementdoesnotappeartohavebeen
utilizedinBrockton.
TEACHER/STUDENT STAFFING
• Brocktonhasusedtheincreased investmenttobringstaffbacktolevelssimilartothose
ofthelate 1980's. Thenewfundingresultedinadeclineinthestudent-teacherratio
whichisapositivetrend foreducationalachievementandanappropriateuseofthe
educationreformfunds. [Seesection9]
TEACHER COMPENSATION
• FromFY93toFY96,theexpenditureforteachersalariesrose29.8%reflecting newstaff
aswellasraisesintheteachers'contract. Theaverageteacher'ssalaryroseslightlymore
than11%intheperiodfromFY94toFY96, fasterthantheinflationrateof7.5%. Bythe
endofthisperiod,theexpenditureforteachersalarieshadincreasedfrom42.6%ofthe
schoolbudgetto58.5%. Whiletheseexpenditurelevelsarenotextraordinaryor
unusual,therateofincreaseofthesesalariesisfasterthantherateofincreaseinthetotal
schoolbudget,puttingpressureonotheraccountsintheschoolbudget. [Seesection9]
PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT
• TheBrocktonSchoolDistricthasaprofessionaldevelopmentprogramthatwas
furnishedtotheDOEin1995. ForthecurrentschoolyeartheBSDhasredefined the
positionofAdministrativeAssistantforCurriculumandStaffDevelopment. The
Assistant hasdevelopedintricatesignoffproceduresforprofessionaldevelopment
reimbursement. Asnotedinthesurvey,32%oftherespondentsfeltthattherewere
deficienciesintheprofessionaldevelopmentprogram. [Seesection10]
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