El Dorado County Grand Jury • 2001-2002

Education Committee Golden Ridge School, Juvenile Hall Reason for the Report The Education Committee was concerned

Published: August 01, 2001 11 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 31 findings

F1
The Grand Jury agrees with the 2000/2001 Grand Jury’s Recommendation that the Principal and County Superintendent of Schools be consulted when the County reviews plans for the new Juvenile Hall in Placerville.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Education staff should be consulted as plans are developed for the new Hall in Placerville.
F2
There are two rooms being utilized for education.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
Those rooms are crowded with students, furniture, equipment, computers, files and bookcases filled with books.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
More space should be provided for education programs in the present Hall.
F4
Each student has an individually assigned workstation.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
Computers are available. Thirty percent of a class can be assigned to a computer at any one time.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
Both boys and girls are detained at the Hall. Typically, classes consist of 10 boys and 3 girls.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
Many of the students have the following traits in common: · Have attended many schools; · Are deficient in basic academic skills; · Do not know how to learn; · Have low maturity levels and cannot sit still in class for long periods of time; · Have substance abuse problems; · Come from dysfunctional families; · Have been in the Hall more than once; and · Their time in the Hall varies from several days to several months.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
The educational program consists of the following: · Individualized assessments when the wards are first assigned to the program; · Individualized plans based on personal needs and school resources; · Classes emphasizing both academic and social skills; · Tokens for rewards granted for correct behavior; · Consistent discipline; · No ‘social promotions’; and · Compulsory attendance.
No recommendations for this finding
F9
The teachers are motivated and innovative. Because of their seniority, they could be assigned to any teaching positions in the El Dorado County Office of Education. They choose to remain at the Hall.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
The teachers find ways to “make do” with the resources available.
No recommendations for this finding
F11
There is a high level of cooperation between the probation and education staffs.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
Policy 4111 does not require the publication or advertisement of vacant ROP positions for certificated personnel, nor does it mention the most common current venues for recruitment efforts, the ROP and EDCOE websites on the Internet, among others.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
Participating school districts should establish written policies requiring the publication of vacant positions and advertising for applicants for ROP instructor positions.
F13
Policy 4116, Personnel - Certificated, Probation, states: "According to the provisions of Education Code, Section 44910, all teachers employed by the ROP shall be termed designated subject certificated staff and shall not require permanent status."
No recommendations for this finding
F14
EDUHSD policy on advertising vacancies is not in writing, but EDUHSD’s practice is to advertise all ROP vacancies in addition to posting vacant positions within the school district. District teachers do not usually qualify for ROP instructor positions, however, because they do not have recent work experience in the applicable profession, skill or trade.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
Participating school districts should establish written policies requiring the publication of vacant positions and advertising for applicants for ROP instructor positions.
F15
Purchase order records at EDUHSD were examined to identify newspaper advertisements of vacant ROP positions. Paid purchase orders for advertisements in a local Placerville newspaper for approximately 10 ROP instructor positions were identified for the period between September 22, 2000, and January 30, 2001. According to paid purchase order records, no advertisements for vacant ROP positions for an entire fiscal year were placed in a more widely circulated Sacramento newspaper between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2001.
No recommendations for this finding
F16
EDUHSD does not keep a file of actual newspaper clippings of advertisements for vacant ROP positions (or for regular curriculum positions) to match the printed job descriptions attached to purchase orders, even though past practice indicates that they have been advertised. Without such clippings, EDUHSD has no proof that the advertisement was published.
Related Recommendations (1)
R10
Participating school districts should keep files of clippings with corresponding purchase orders for printed advertisements and print-outs of web site postings in conjunction with advertised job openings, including positions for contract employees like ROP instructors.
F17
Recruitment of ROP instructors for vacant positions often takes place by informal networking among ROP administrators at regional meetings and competitions.
No recommendations for this finding
F18
The ROP JPA and EDUHSD do not keep formal contact lists of eligible and qualified ROP instructors who have indicated their interest in applying for vacant ROP teaching positions in specific schools or school districts. It is the practice of EDUHSD not to accept applications for ROP positions unless they have been posted or advertised. The complainant mistakenly believed that a position that was vacant and had been filled by EDUHSD without advertisement was an ROP instructor's position for an ROP class. In fact, that class was not an ROP class for that semester, although it had been an ROP class in previous years. At the time of the vacancy, the class was being offered as an elective in the regular secondary school curriculum.
No recommendations for this finding
F19
The ROP JPA and EDUHSD do not have a review or appeal process, formal or informal, for applicants who are not selected for vacant ROP teaching positions and who believe they are as qualified or more qualified than the person(s) selected.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The ROP JPA and participating school districts should consider establishing a formal review process for applicants who have not been offered contracts as ROP instructors and who wish to be reconsidered for ROP instructor positions.
F20
Some full time teachers who have both General Education credentials and ROP certifications are assigned to teaching positions in ROP classes because school districts have not been able to fill their teaching schedules with regular curriculum classes. Most ROP instructors, however, are given part-time contract assignments for one or two classes because they work at other full time occupations.
No recommendations for this finding
F21
The student screening process for ROP classes is not rigorous. Some students are allowed to take ROP classes because of scheduling problems or as "elective classes" with the understanding that they will be "introduced" to the subject matter as a "survey course" to determine whether or not they are interested in that vocation, profession, skill or trade. This practice contradicts the intent of the original state legislation, which established ROP programs to provide advanced vocational training to serious students who are seeking career training.
Related Recommendations (3)
R7
The ROP JPA should require participating school districts to clarify the distinctions between admissions requirements for ROP classes and admissions requirements for regular elective classes. Students should be screened accordingly.
R8
The ROP JPA should monitor more strictly school district screening of students who enroll in ROP classes to ensure that all ROP students meet the criteria for ROP vocational instruction.
R11
Participating school districts should review student enrollment in ROP classes such as computer training to ascertain that all enrollees meet the criteria for ROP vocational instruction,
F22
It is important for the ROP JPA and participating school districts to maintain ROP enrollments and to increase ROP revenues. For example, by offering ROP classes in computer training to adults of all ages, including retired persons without job prospects or career plans, school districts circumvent the intent of state ROP legislation to augment the work force with well-trained, job-oriented, and career-minded graduates.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11
Participating school districts should review student enrollment in ROP classes such as computer training to ascertain that all enrollees meet the criteria for ROP vocational instruction,
F23
ROP JPA Board members select the Board’s officers every year in March. JPA Board representation depends on the three participating school district boards, who select assignments from their own board memberships. The JPA Board meets once each quarter, and its members serve as liaisons with the school district boards they represent.
No recommendations for this finding
F24
Almost no criteria are established for the selection of the three ROP JPA Board members, all of whom represent the participating school districts. The only criteria for those board members are that they (i) be registered to vote, (ii) reside in the school district they represent, (iii) be elected or appointed to one of the participating school boards, and (iv) be selected by their participating school district boards to sit on the ROP JPA Board. There are no attendance requirements.
No recommendations for this finding
F25
JPA Board members are almost entirely dependent on the information, research and guidance provided by EDCOE administrative and management personnel, as well as the Executive Committee composed of the EDCOE Superintendent and the Superintendents of the participating school districts.
No recommendations for this finding
F26
Understanding ROP JPA policies, agreements, financial reports, and complex financing issues involving asset transfers, program delivery costs, and enrollment caps are difficult at best. Making decisions based on independent research and investigation is impossible without extensive study and personal experience. Few ROP JPA board members are willing or equipped to do this. There is no JPA staff separate from EDCOE and school district administrative personnel.
No recommendations for this finding
F27
It is extremely difficult for the ROP JPA Board to make independent decisions on ROP governance issues because of the lack of frequent interaction among the board members and because of the structure of the ROP JPA. Attendance at board meetings is inconsistent. Seven ROP JPA Board meetings were held between September 13, 2000, and March 7, 2002. The same three appointed board members were present at only two of the seven meetings. An alternate board member for one participating school district was present at another meeting. Only two board members, the bare minimum necessary to establish a quorum, were present at four of the seven meetings.
Related Recommendations (2)
R4
The ROP JPA Board should address the issue of absenteeism by board members. Teleconferencing and/or video conferencing should be used to conduct business when a board member is unable to attend regular meetings in person because of weather, work, travel, or other reasons.
R5
The ROP JPA Board should schedule regular board meetings more than four times a year.
F28
One of the objectives of the ROP JPA Board and administration is to preserve the base enrollment and maintain the revenues for the ROP program, currently in excess of $1.8M, in order to supplement other revenues for general education purposes. The additional ROP allowance is $3,100 per student over and above the standard average daily attendance (ADA) per pupil allowance. This $3,100 allowance is a significant inducement to maintain and increase ROP enrollment, even though ROP enrollment is capped or limited by the amount of student eligibility established by funding formulas when the Central Sierra ROP was established.
No recommendations for this finding
F29
The EDUHSD is serving more adults in ROP classes than in previous years by coordinating with the CalWORKs program to provide vocational training classes for welfare recipients. BOMUSD and LTUSD are just beginning to serve adults in ROP classes.
No recommendations for this finding
F30
Enrollments in ROP classes generate more revenue for school districts than enrollments in Adult Education classes. Adult Education classes are also capped, but unlike ROP classes, they receive substantially less than $3,100 per ADA. Accordingly, school district administrators and the ROP JPA Board have a dilemma. They can choose to provide instruction to enhance personal skills or hobbies, such as “Computer Applications for Adults Age 55 and Over,” in Adult Education classes where it properly belongs, or they can attempt to generate greater revenue by designating the same course as an ROP class. The latter choice results in students taking ROP classes when they have no job-related purposes. This creates a credibility problem for ROP, which is regarded as a serious vocational training effort by some and a "cash cow" for school districts and a waste of taxpayer-generated state funding by others.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
The ROP JPA Board should initiate policy discussions with participating school districts to clarify the appropriateness of using ROP when the identical class can be provided either in ROP or in Adult Education programs.
F31
In-service training for school district teachers and support personnel also can be conducted under the auspices of ROP. This opportunity creates a potential conflict between the desire of school boards to generate revenue through ROP and their responsibility to protect the interests of taxpayers by spending tax-generated dollars only for bona fide vocational students.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
The ROP JPA Board should initiate policy discussions with participating school districts to clarify the appropriateness of using ROP when the identical class can be provided either in ROP or in Adult Education programs.

Commendations 22

No Responses Found 4

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

Black Oak Mine Unified School District School District
El Dorado County Office of Education Agency
El Dorado Union High School District School District
Lake Tahoe Unified School District School District