SSC

School Site Council

One of the many important ways parents help us do our best for students is by working directly with  AADUSD team members to discuss important district matters.

A School Site Council (SSC) is group of teachers, parents, administrators, and interested community members who work together to develop and monitor a school's improvement plan. It is a legally required decision-making body for any school receiving federal funds. A limited number of parents serve on the council itself, but all parents are welcome and encouraged to attend SSC meetings.

The California Legislature believes that the individuals who are most affected by the operation of the school should have a major role in the decisions regarding how a school functions. Education should be a joint effort of parents, teachers, administrators, and other school staff. The actions of the School Site Council are the first step in a formal process for developing improvement strategies and for allocating resources to support these efforts. School site council members don't just represent their own interests. They have an obligation to make decisions that will best serve the whole school community.

Examples of questions explored by School Site Councils:

• What are the goals and priorities of our school?

• What data do we have that shows how well we are achieving those goals?

• Are we progressing toward our goals?

• Are there particular groups of students who are not doing as well as others?

• What supports could we put in place to help struggling students?

• How will we fund those supports?

• Do we have programs that are ineffective or unrelated to our goals?

• Is it possible to eliminate those programs?

• How will we know if our new programs are effective?

If you are interested in school policy or budgets, you might enjoy serving on your school's site council. To find out more about what your school site council does, attend a meeting or talk to the school principal. If you would like to participate on the council, call the school office to find out how the selection process works at your school.