TSPR Report Now Available Online
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The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is in the process of conducting a Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) of the Austin Independent School District.  The Comptroller's Office has requested a list of materials and information to be delivered for the purposes of the review and will be conducting onsite work at Austin ISD.  For more information about the Texas Performance Review and the Texas State Comptroller's Office, visit their web site.

• Click here to read the latest Superintendent's Update on the TSPR Process [PDF]
• Click here to view the Preliminary Data Request for Austin ISD's TSPR
• Click here for information about TSPR Public Forums

TIMELINE: THE TEXAS SCHOOL PERFORMANCE REVIEW (TSPR) ONSITE AUDIT

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Texas School Performance Review Preliminary Austin ISD Data Request

I.  District Organization and Management

• List of board members (giving number of years served, term expiration date, and profession.) If there is an upcoming election please say who is up for election and give the names of all candidates.
• District and Departmental Organization Chart(s)
• District telephone book listing employees by name and by department
• Copy of strategic plan and/or other strategic planning efforts (a copy of the District Improvement Plan is requested under Educational Service Delivery)
• Information concerning site-based decision-making (SBDM) efforts in the district such as configuration of committees, policies or procedures pertaining to SBDM, SBDM Plan, etc.
• Copies of all external reviews or reports submitted by outside consultants with the past three to five years.

II.  Educational Service Delivery

• List of campuses with names, addresses, telephone number and principal name
• Campus Accreditation Reports from TEA
• Campus Improvement Plans
• Map of Attendance Zone Boundaries and/or information on any recent attendance zone changes (If under court ordered desegregation, please note.)
• Any published reports on student performance, dropout rates, etc.
• Copy of District Improvement Plan and as many campus improvement plans as logistically possible
• Recent follow-up studies or surveys of graduates
• Published information about the district's Special Education, Career and Technology, Alternative Education, or other special programs

III.  Personnel Management

• Staffing report by employee category
• Copy of key job descriptions
• Appraisal policies, and copies of sample appraisal instruments for various job classifications
• Copies of any employee handbooks, etc. that convey district policy to employees
• Salary structures for the district and/or any salary surveys done in the last few years
• Statistical reports about recruitment efforts of the district for the last few years
• Catalogs or other information on the district's staff development activities

IV.  Community Involvement/Public Input

• A list of key community, civic and business leaders, minority leaders (including minister groups, LULAC, NAACP, Chamber of Commerce representatives, local political leaders, higher education representatives, teacher associations, PTA/PTO representatives, media contacts, former board members, etc.
• List of volunteer efforts and parental and business involvement efforts going on in the district
• Copies of standard publications issued from the district to communicate internally or externally
• Summary of the structure and organization of volunteer efforts going on in the district

V.  Financial Information

• Current Year and Prior year budgets
• Audited Financial Statements for the last 3 years
• External Audit Report Last 3 years including management letters
• Any other published reports that may give a feel for the financial condition of the district
• Internal audit mission, goals or audit plan (if applicable)

VI.  Facilities and Maintenance

• Districtwide facility list showing age and square footage, building usage reports, facility master plans, construction standards, or any other published reports that are available on the subject  (i.e., SASD Construction Management Book)
• Information on recent bond proposals
• Custodial and maintenance staffing by campus, job category or any other breakdown
• A list of new schools or major renovation projects completed in the last five years
• Description of energy use and management programs

VII.  Transportation

• Summary listing of routes and daily schedules for regular education and special education
• Extra-curricular busing reports showing costs, miles driven, or any other information available on the subject
• Staffing by category and location
• Fleet inventory list showing date of purchase, serial number, mileage, etc.
• Vehicle accident, theft, or vandalism reports
• Other published reports or documents that summarize district transportation efforts
• Copies of contracts, if services are privatized

VIII.  Food Service

• Financial records or any published reports showing the operations costs and revenues of food service for last few years, including the condition of the fund balance and the current federal reimbursement rates per meal and annually for the last few years.
• Staffing patterns by campus and/ or kitchen
• Student and staff meal costs
• Monthly food service reports for last two years
• Copies of any contracts for services that are privatized (if applicable)
• Participation rates by campus

IX.  Purchasing/Warehousing

• Policies or procedures for the bidding and contracting process
• Staffing patterns and organizational structure of the purchasing and warehousing operations
• Statistical information on number and type of purchase orders issued and requisitions filled, invoices paid or any other information that is readily available about workloads
• Copies of warehouse or inventory control procedures
• Location of warehouse facilities in the district
• Copies of any contracts for services that are privatized (if applicable)

X.  Safety and Security

• Copy of Code of Conduct
• Copy of Student Handbook
• Copy of discipline policies or plans
• Information about security staffing patterns for security guards, districtwide police force or combinations thereof
• Alternative education placements by "home" school for last year
• Incident rates by campus for last three years
• Description of any safety programs administered by the district

XI.  MIS

• Organizational structure of the MIS operation.  For example, who handles instructional technology, who handles administrative technology, etc.
• Copy of technology plan for the district
• Inventory of computers (other hardware) by campus and location
• Description of the system architecture of the district (platforms, etc.)
• Inventory of specialized administrative software being used in the district, and highlights of instructional programs being used by the district.

XII. Asset and Risk Management

• List of Bank Accounts
• Copy of current depository contract
• List of insurance policies carried by district
• Statement of bonded indebtedness and any information available on bond retirements
• Annual reports on Workersí Compensation claims by employee category over the last five years
• Copy of policies concerning fixed assets and any summary information on last fixed asset inventories, etc.
• Copy of district investment policies

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Introduction

One of several methods used by the Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) to capture public comments on school district operations is the public forum.  In a public forum, TSPR invites parents and community members to come to a central location and share their perceptions of the school district -- both positive and negative. We ask them to tell us what, in their opinion, is going right and what is going wrong in the district.  The sessions are designed for participants to come and go and are held toward the end of the work day so that people can walk in on their way home from work or when they are picking their children up from school.  People typically spend a few minutes writing down their comments and leave.

There are no microphones or public debates in these meetings, and no one from TSPR will give a presentation of any kind. TSPR staff asks participants to share their opinions by writing comments on flip-chart paper using a felt tipped marker.  These sheets are arranged by subject and include the twelve functional areas of the review: district organization and management, educational service delivery, personnel management, community involvement, financial management, asset and risk management, purchasing practices, facilities, food services, transportation, computers and technology, and safety and security.

If a participant agrees with something that has been written on the paper by an earlier participant, they are asked to put a check mark by the comment.  If they disagree with a previous comment they are asked to write a statement refuting the comment.  By the end of the session, there are usually certain topics that emerge with many check marks, often for and against the same subject or issue.  At this point in the review process we do not know whether their assertions are true or false, but rather we use these "hot topics" to help us better understand the priorities of the community.

Individuals reluctant to write comments on the flip charts also can submit written comments, or TSPR staff can conduct one-on-one interviews with them.  Bilingual assistance is provided.

Everyone attending a forum has equal access to the charts.  In the absence of microphones, individuals who are reluctant to speak out in other meeting settings are more likely to have their voices heard.  Those who might seek to dominate an open meeting have the ability to give input but have no advantage over someone less vocal.

The media may show up for these forums, and they will be expecting a regular meeting with microphones and large crowds.  They are usually a little disappointed to find it is a come and go affair.  We ask the media to refrain from photographing individuals who are writing comments without their permission.  We don't want anyone to be intimidated or to fear retaliation if they make a comment.

We also ask administrators to refrain from standing in and around the public forum locations.  Some individuals may be reluctant to share their opinion if they feel someone is "taking names".  This does not mean that teachers and administrators are not welcomed to give comment  -- we just don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable.

The comments collected at the forums form one part of the public input for the review and help guide the research and analysis conducted by the review team.   In addition, school personnel such as teachers, central office and campus administrators, as well as parents and students, will be given the opportunity to complete written surveys.  Focus group sessions will be held with groups of individuals from the community and the district.  Individuals within the district will be interviewed, as will influential community leaders.  TSPR also receives toll-free calls at 1-800-232-8927 throughout the review, or folks can submit written comments directly to:  Texas School Performance Review, Post Office Box 13528, Austin, Texas 78711-3528.

Needs of the TSPR team

To hold a successful public forum, TSPR needs the cooperation of the school district to select sites for the forums (usually a central location so that parents and community members feel comfortable and the travel time is minimal), advertising the forums, and providing a suitable location at the site for the forums.  In the past, TSPR has used school cafeterias for this purpose.  Usually, cafeteria tables can be arranged to allow the flip chart paper to be arranged in a manner convenient for public access.   While a few chairs may be necessary for one-on-one interviews, the room should not be set up meeting style  -- we want people up and walking around.

TSPR provides all of the consumables (paper, markers, pens, tape, writing pads), but the district can help by providing temporary directional signs if the location of the cafeteria or other location is not obvious to the public.  In addition, if the district chooses, it can use inexpensive means to advertise the public forums.  For instance, some schools have advertised the public forums on school marquees.