LCAP 101: What is it and how you can participate?

The Lake Tahoe Unified School District will be holding a public hearing Tuesday on how to spend an estimated $2,159,294 in LCAP funding. They want parents to participate in the decision making and have invited everyone to the June 9 School Board meeting to encourage participation.

But, what is a LCAP? LCAP stands for Local Control and Accountability Plan. It describes the school district’s overall vision for students with annual goals and action steps they’ll take to achieve those goals. All California school districts are required to develop, adopt and annually update this plan and the Lake Tahoe Unified School District is at the stage to adopt the steps for the next school year.

Contained in the LCAP is the requirement that each school district must engage parents, educators, employees and the community to establish these plans. This process has been ongoing at both school sites and recent board meetings, and continues during the June 9 meeting which starts at 6:00 p.m.

The LCAPs must focus on eight areas identified as state priorities. The plans will also demonstrate how the district’s budget will help achieve the goals, and assess each year how well the strategies in the plan were able to improve outcomes.

What are the eight state priority areas that must be addressed in the plans?

(1) Providing all students access to fully credentialed teachers, instructional materials that align with state standards, and safe facilities.
(2) Implementation of California’s academic standards, including the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and math, Next Generation Science Standards, English language development, history social science, visual and performing arts, health education and physical education standards.
(3) Parent involvement and participation, so the local community is engaged in the decision-making process and the educational programs of students.
(4) Improving student achievement and outcomes along multiple measures, including test scores, English proficiency and college and career preparedness.
(5) Supporting student engagement, including whether students attend school or are chronically absent.
(6) Highlighting school climate and connectedness through a variety of factors, such as suspension and expulsion rates and other locally identified means.
(7) Ensuring all students have access to classes that prepare them for college and careers, regardless of what school they attend or where they live.
(8) Measuring other important student outcomes related to required areas of study, including physical education and the arts.

In addition to these eight areas, a district may also identify and incorporate in its plan goals related to its own local priorities.

Lake Tahoe Unified District (LTUSD) has the following four goals for the 2015-16 school year. Inside each one shows the state’s eight areas that the specific goal addresses:

Goal One: Increase Academic Performance for All Students - aligned with State Priorities 1) Basic Services; 2) Implementation of CCSS; 4) Student Achievement; 5) Student Engagement; 6) School Climate; 7) Course Access; and 8) Other Student Outcomes.

Goal Two: Enhance Communication & Collaboration with Stakeholders - aligned with State Priorities 3) Parent Involvement; 4) Student Achievement; and 6) School Climate.

Goal Three: Continue Maintenance, Technology, and Operations to Improve and Support the Instructional Program - aligned with State Priority 1) Basic Services.

Goal Four: All Foster Youth (FY) will have Access to Quality Education that Ensures College and Career Readiness in the 21st Century - aligned with State Priorities 4) Student Achievement; 5) Student Engagement; 7) Course Access; and 8) Other Student Outcomes.

The budget is distributed through each school based on the needs of the school in the eight areas defined in LCAP. For example (according to LCAPWatch.org), 62% of students in South Lake Tahoe are in low-income families, learning English or in foster care; 39% of third grade English students are at grade level; 57% of 9th grade English students are at grade level; and 90% of seniors are graduating.

Bijou Community School will be spending $176,317 on an early intervention teacher, a bi-lingual instructional aide, a Spanish reading intervention teacher/coach and instructional materials.

The Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School will be spending their $70,000 on a K-5 intervention teacher and certified tutors.

Sierra House Elementary has $123,098 to spend on early intervention teachers, a bi-lingual parent liason and intervention summer school.

Tahoe Valley Elementary will be spending their $158,575 on an early reading intervention teacher, intervention coach/teacher in the areas of Math, Science and CCSS, an intervention instructional aide, and a school nurse.

The $177,000 being assigned to South Tahoe Middle School will be spent on a teacher for Spanish for Native Speakers teacher, wrap-around services, intervention counselor, bi-lingual registrar and $50,000 to be assigned once new Principal is in place.

South Tahoe High has $199,000 that they'll spend on wrap-around services, a school nurse, an intervention counselor and English language teacher support in core academics.

LTUSD will spend the remaining $1,067,152 on services for the whole district: half-time outreach coordinator, K-3 class size reduction, PE/Dance teacher, early childhood learning center, CTE program coordinator, EL program coordinator and program liaison, $50 per student at each school for professional development at each school and CCSS instructional media.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the LCAP. A review of the items on line is recommended: The Budget and where it will be spent as well as an overview of the LTUSD LCAP plan.