Planning For Independence

Successful program planning at the school and classroom levels requires clearly defined and supportive school board policies and practices. In order to ensure that school board policy is as supportive as possible of schools' efforts, school boards should ask themselves the following questions:

• Does the budget provide for school needs for transportation, staff, equipment, supplies, and buildings?
• Should services be purchased to provide for student needs?
• Have clear guidelines been designed and implemented to assist schools in providing services for students?
• Is there a procedure for regularly reviewing and evaluating school-board-level policies and procedures (e.g., regarding staffing, integration)?
• What is the role of the Special Services Department in the planning and implementation of programs to meet the curriculum needs of students?
• What is the impact of decisions made by the board's Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) on student placement and on programming?
• What provisions have been made for professional development and in-service training?