Nathaniel Q. Henderson Shared Decision Making Committee

 

 

 The Houston Independent School District ( HISD) Board of Education established and approved the campus-level planning and decision-making process in 1992.  This process includes the creation and maintenance of a Shared Decision-Making Committee (SDMC) at each school to review the district’s educational goals, objectives, and major district wide classroom instructional programs.  Each committee shall be designed to involve professional and non-professional staff, parents, community members, and business representatives in establishing academic and other performance objectives of the school for each academic excellence indicator adopted in the Texas Education Code (TEC). 

 

 

Responsibilities

The SDMC must be involved in decisions related to areas specified by the TEC.  See References (e) and (f).  The areas that require involvement of the SDMC are:

·         Implementing all pertinent campus-level planning processes;

·         Developing recommendations for the school budget;

·         Submitting recommendations for the school curriculum;

·         Recommending changes in the school’s staffing patterns;

·         Developing and approving the campus staff development plans;

·         Developing, reviewing, and revising the School Improvement Plan (SIP) for the purpose of improving student performance for all student populations.  After the principal approves the SIP, the SDMC will present the plan to the school-based professional staff for a vote of approval. See Reference (d);

·         Reviewing and making recommendations regarding the school’s organizational structure; and

·         Establishing procedures to periodically obtain broad-based community, parent, and staff input. 

 

The operating procedures for the committee are as follows: 

 

a. Meetings In addition to regularly scheduled meetings (approximately once a month), the committee must hold at least one public meeting each year after receipt of the annual campus rating from the Texas Education Agency to discuss the performance of the school and the school’s objectives. 

b. Agenda The committee shall establish procedures for school personnel, parents, and business and community representatives to submit agenda items for meetings. 

c. Minutes A record of all decisions and significant discussion items shall be maintained by the committee.  Copies of the SDMC minutes shall be distributed to members of the committee, school-based personnel, and the appropriate district superintendent, and shall be available to the general public upon request. 

d. Decisions - The committee is an advisory group to the school principal except for campus staff development.  The committee must outline procedures for addressing the areas of involvement listed in paragraph 8 and for decision making.  The principal shall consult the SDMC in matters relating to the school educational program, but the principal has the final authority in fiduciary and financial decisions.

 

 

 

Erika Kimble, Principal