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Governance & Decision Making

GOVERNANCE AND DECISION MAKING

The Delta Program is a part of the State College Area School District, and must comply with the school code as do other schools in the district.  Under the present form of governance, the Director has the final responsibility for making all decisions not covered by Board policy or the school code.  On the surface, this appears to be the conventional means of operating an educational program.  An integral part of the Delta Program philosophy, however, is the belief that the program is a cooperative effort among students, parent(s)/guardian, and staff.  This philosophy is the heart of the Delta Program.  Since its inception, the Delta Program has included students and parent(s)/guardian as well as staff in the decision making process.  This has been done for several reasons:

  • a conviction that individuals should have a voice in all the important areas of their lives.
  • a recognition that participation in the making of important decisions--realizing that very real consequences to themselves and to others follow from these decisions--can be an invaluable learning experience to students
  • a belief that students and parent(s)/guardian can make important contributions which generally result in better decisions, ones which are more genuinely reflective of the sense of the Delta community.
  • a knowledge that participation in decision making leads to better understanding and to increased loyalty and support.

 Opportunity for active involvement in the growth and maintenance of the Delta Program is built into the structure of the program.  All members are encouraged to take active roles in the following components of the Delta Program:

Advisory Council

 Advisory Council is comprised of representative members of the Delta community:  13 students, 5 parent(s)/guardian, 3 teachers, and the Director, who is a non-voting member.  The council meets monthly and completes tasks including:

  • advising the Director on concerns and procedures
  • assessing the needs of the program
  • making recommendations on scheduling, budgets, curriculum, school environment, etc.

All School Meeting (ASM)

All School Meetings are regular large group forums where students and staff discuss current issues and concerns.  Parent(s)/guardian are welcome to participate.  Any Delta community member may bring an issue to the meeting for discussion. All members attending have a voice on recommendations to Advisory Council or other decisions within the jurisdiction of ASM.
 

Clump Meetings

A “clump” is a group of students who share a staff advisor. Each student in the Delta Program is a member of a clump of up to 15 students.  All full-time staff and some part-time staff members serve as advisors and clump leaders. Clumps meet each cycle to discuss issues and concerns, to hear announcements, and to plan shared activities.  Each clump has a representative on Advisory Council. Frequently issues that arise at staff meeting, ASM, or Advisory Council, will be continued in discussion at clump and vice-versa. Attending and participating in clump is a requirement for all program students. Parent(s)/guardian are welcome.
 

Advising Team Meetings (ATM)

At the heart of each student’s program is the Advising Team, composed of the student, one or both parent(s)/guardian, and the staff advisor.  Teams could also include a learning specialist, or others chosen by the student who can contribute to the planning or support of the student’s learning program.  The general purpose of the Advising Team is to attend to the growth and learning of the student.  While the focus of the Advising Team may be the student’s academic program, team meetings provide an opportunity for the family to discuss the student’s general goals, motivations, feelings about his/her experiences, view of the world, etc. Students, parent(s)/guardian, and staff often find that Advising Team Meetings are one of the most stimulating and enjoyable aspects of the Delta Program.

Advising Teams meet before each semester and at the end of the year.  A special Advising Team Meeting may convene at the request of any team member or may be required to meet as a problem solving group if the student is experiencing difficulty.  Specific responsibilities of the team include:

  • the formulation of learning goals
  • developing an appropriate learning program
  • evaluation of progress
  • planning of community service
  • determining daily and weekly schedule
  • choosing from evaluation options
  • providing support for the student and his/her learning program.

Staff Selection

Students, staff, and parent(s)/guardian have the opportunity to be actively involved in the selection of the professional staff.  Hiring recommendations are made by a committee made up of community members: staff, students, and parent(s)/guardian.

Staff Meetings

Staff members meet on a regular basis to conduct school business.  This meeting is open to all Delta community members and is a forum to which any member may bring concerns.  Most decisions are reached through a consensus process.  Staff members also meet regularly to discuss the progress of individual students.  These meetings are confidential and are usually open only to the professional staff.  At times parent(s)/guardian or students may be invited to attend to discuss that particular student.

The Appeal Process

The professional staff at times makes decisions which affect individual students and/or which affect the Delta community.  There are several means of appeal, depending on the issue.  In most cases, the student’s advisor is the first resource when a student or family member has questions or concerns about a decision involving an individual student.  In some cases, appeals are made to the Delta Program Director and then to the Assistant Superintendent or Superintendent of Schools.