(a) An opportunity school may be subject to any of the following intervention models, as determined by the OSD Superintendent:
(1) Direct management of the opportunity school by the OSD;
(2) Shared governance of the opportunity school by the OSD and the local board of education pursuant to a contract in which the local board of education operates the school and the OSD Superintendent has the authority to direct changes to be made at the school;
(3) Reconstitution of the school as an OSD charter school in which the OSD works in collaboration with the State Charter Schools Commission to build capacity of petitioning governing boards and charter school applications to establish a charter that will be approved by the State Charter Schools Commission; or
(4) Closure of an opportunity school which is not enrolled at full capacity and reassigning the students to a nonqualifying school within the local school system. School closure shall be the intervention of last resort.
(b) The OSD Superintendent shall establish and implement a process for gaining community feedback and input to inform his or her decision regarding the most appropriate intervention model for a particular school.
(c) (1) For opportunity schools under the intervention models in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section, the school principal or OSD charter school governing board shall be authorized to make decisions about school finance, human capital, and curriculum and instruction for the opportunity school; provided, however, that the OSD Superintendent may direct school principals to make certain decisions under the intervention model in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section. For such schools, the OSD Superintendent and staff shall provide appropriate training and support to develop effective leadership in such areas.
(2) For opportunity schools under the intervention model in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section, the OSD shall be authorized to have a direct role in making decisions about school finance, human capital, and curriculum and instruction for the opportunity school while developing the leadership capacity in such schools.
(3) For opportunity schools under the intervention models in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section, the existing local school councils may remain in place or may be reconstituted under the guidance of the opportunity school principal so long as they still meet the requirements in Code Section 20-2-86 regarding the composition of the council. The school council shall serve as an advisory board for the principal.
(4) For opportunity schools under the intervention model in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section, parents and advisory board members shall be eligible for consideration to fill specific roles on the governing board.
(d) All opportunity schools shall remain open to enrollment in the same manner with the same attendance zone as prior to becoming an opportunity school.
(e) An opportunity school may purchase services from the OSD, the local board of education, or an education service provider for routine student support and operational services for an opportunity school. The opportunity school shall solicit and preferentially consider qualified local contractors and service providers. The local board of education shall be required to cooperate fully with the opportunity school, whether under the control of the OSD or the State Charter Schools Commission, to make available at a reasonable cost all appropriate services requested. Such services may include, but are not limited to, transportation, cafeteria services, custodial services, alternative education, broadband, utilities, special education services, test administration services, and student information services. The local board of education shall be required to make immediately available to the opportunity school, at no cost, the student records for all students of that school.
(f) Opportunity schools shall develop and provide for positive behavioral interventions and supports, which means an evidence based data-driven framework to reduce the disciplinary incidents, increase a school's sense of safety, and support improved academic outcomes through a multitiered approach, using disciplinary data and principles of behavior analysis to develop school-wide, targeted, and individualized interventions and supports. Additionally, opportunity schools shall develop and provide for response to intervention, which means a framework of identifying and addressing the academic and behavioral needs of students through a tiered system.
(g) Opportunity schools shall develop and provide for integrated student supports that target academic and nonacademic barriers to achievement and, where appropriate, shall form partnerships to implement proven or innovative strategies.
(h) The OSD Superintendent or OSD charter school governing board shall select and hire the school principal for an opportunity school. Within the limits of the school budget, the school principal shall select staff members in accordance with guidance from the OSD or OSD charter school governing board. Before finalizing staffing recommendations, the principal, the OSD Superintendent, or the OSD charter school governing board shall interview all existing staff members at the qualifying school and review student growth and performance data for those staff members for whom it is available. The OSD or OSD charter school governing board shall have the authority to decide whether any leader, teacher, or staff member previously assigned to a qualifying school selected to become an opportunity school shall continue as an employee of the opportunity school. Any such employees retained shall become employees of the OSD or OSD charter school governing board, on the principal's recommendation, and be under their control. Any teacher subject to Code Section 20-2-942 who is not given the option to continue as an employee for the opportunity school shall remain an employee of the local board of education. The local board of education may determine whether or not to continue the employment of any teacher who is not given the option to continue as an employee for the opportunity school, subject to Code Section 20-2-942. Local boards of education may use the authority contained in Code Section 20-2-943 to reassign staff and in Code Section 20-2-948 to implement their reduction in force policy.
Section: Previous 20-14-100 20-14-101 20-14-102 20-14-103 20-14-104 20-14-105 20-14-106 20-14-107 20-14-108 20-14-109 20-14-110 20-14-111 20-14-112 20-14-113 NextLast modified: October 14, 2016