BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501

                                                                                                                              2280P

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

LATE ARRIVAL/EARLY RELEASE OF STUDENTS FOR SITE-BASED PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT PLANNING

Late Arrival and Early Release Days are intended to provide time for instructional staff to work together to improve student learning and monitor and report student progress. The Site Council at each school is expected to create a strategic plan based on Policy 2004 that identifies specific student learning improvement goals. The work on Late Arrival/Early Release Days should be guided by the goals included in school and/or district strategic plans.  

The Site council is responsible for the annual review of the strategic plan and development of the plan for the use of Late Arrival/Early Release Days. The plan should identify the topics, issues or activities to address the professional development needs of the instructional staff. The activities should be collaborative, rather than individual, and maintain teacher planning time on Early Release/Late Arrival Days, as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  

Late Arrival/Early Release activities should be based on the strategic plan:

• Identified staff needs for professional development, including new curriculum (Policy 2120, Curriculum Development and Adoption).
• Identified student needs for monitoring and supporting progress. (Policy 2421, Progress and Promotion).  
• Previous years' plans, activities, and evaluations.

The Deputy Superintendent will develop a schedule of eight (8) days for site-based planning and implementation. Elementary and middle schools will have two (2) additional early release days provided and may choose to use one more of the eight days (a total of three days) for meeting with parents of students not at standard and developing student learning contracts.  

Schools with large numbers of students not at standard may request an additional two (2) days for conferences. Dates will be identified by the Deputy Superintendent working with other schools in the feeder pattern to reduce the impact of multiple schedules on families. The process for consideration of such requests includes:

1. The school
   • identifies the number of students performing below standards and for whom conferences need to be scheduled.
   • provides information about available resources to address the needs for conferences. Resources could include district-provided early release time or building-provided roving substitutes.
   • describes the unmet needs and how the additional time requested would address the needs.
   • submits a proposal to the Deputy Superintendent by October 15.
2.  The Deputy Superintendent reviews the request and submits it to the Superintendent for approval.
3. The Superintendent provides information about any schools using extended time for conferences to the Board of Directors.

Due to the demands on the transportation system, it will be necessary for elementary and middle schools to have the same designated days in each month. High school Late Arrival Days may, but do not have to, fall on the same day.

Proposals for Late Arrival/ Early Release Days shall be created by the Deputy Superintendent by the end of May. After review, the Superintendent will request approval by the Board of Directors at a regular meeting in June.  

Approved:

Dale E. Kinsley                                                                             June 26, 2003

Superintendent of Schools

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