Burris Laboratory School

Committee Structure


SERVICE AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Engaging stakeholders as part of the process of decision making is a valued asset to the Burris administration. The role of a committee is to work collaboratively with the administration to provide needed input on a variety of school improvement initiatives, issues and concerns that need to be addressed, and the development of policies and procedures. Some committes will be reguarly (monthly) other might meet quarterly, and some Ad Hoc when needed.

 

GENERAL OPERATION OF COMMITTEES

Unless required otherwise by university, college, or school policies, all committees are expected to:

  • Keep minutes of each meeting. Each committee member will receive copies of these minutes digitally. Other faculty may request minutes at any time.
  • Prepare an annual report of the committee's activities each spring and file this report with the secretary to the principal.
  • Conduct all meetings, with a goal of reaching consensus, where possible following accepted parliamentary practice procedures.
  • Report committee progress at monthly  faculty meetings.
  • Request agenda items for monthly committee meetings. The chair(s) must receive agenda items at least two working days in advance.
  • All members of the school faculty should attend and participate in faculty meetings, subcommittee meetings and special committee meetings to which they were elected, appointed, or volunteered for.

 

STANDING COMMITTEES

Principal's Advisory Council – elected committee – minimum of 3 years of Burris experience - meet once a month

Election Procedure: Member will serve a two-year term. Elections will be held as follows:

  • Odd numbered years: Primary and Middle School representatives
  • Even numbered years: Intermediate, High School and Specials representatives

Composition:

  • 1 - Representative K-1 
    • 1 - Representative 2-3
    • 1 - Prepresentative 4-5
    • 1 - Specials (art, music, pe)
    • 3 - Represenatives 6, 7, 8
    • 4 - Representatives 9-12
    • 1 - Special Education Director 

    Functions/Roles:

    • Advise the principal on faculty matters
    • Provide Burris faculty with a mechanism for communicating concerns to the administration
    • Communicate administrative concerns to faculty

    Faculty Welfare Committee – elected committee – minimum of 3 Burris years of experience  - meet as needed

    Election Procedure: Member will serve a two-year term. Elections will be held as follows:

    • Odd number years: Primary and Middle School representatives
    • Even numbered years: Intermediate, High School and Special representatives

    Composition:

    • 1 teacher from each area (K-5, 6-8, 9-12)
    • 1 - at large 
    • 1 - Specials (art, music, pe) 

    Functions/Roles: Serve as representative for individual and/or collective grievances

    Procedures:

    INDIVIDUAL - Impact Individual Only

        Step 1 - Address individual concern to administration
        Step 2 - Go to representative at your grade level for assistnace on unresolved concerns
        Step 3 - Convent all representative to address concern with principal
        Step 4 - Dean of Teachers College

    COLLECTIVE CONCERNS - Impact all faculty

        Go to Step 3 - Meet collectively with principal for resolve


    Curriculum Committee

    Composition:

    • Co-chaired - Dawn Miller and teacher
    • Representatives from each level – elementary, middle school, high school
    • Representatives from fine and practical arts and special services
    • Designee from the principal's office
    • Representatives from Teachers College
    • Parent Representative
    • Student Representative

    Functions/Roles

    The Curriculum Committee operates as a liaison between faculty and administration.

    • Meet quarterly or as needed
    • Review policy and procedure for creating new classes to be offered
      • Policy: Course revisions and new courses may be proposed when there are changes in teacher licensure, state standards, graduation requirements, or student interest as contemporary issues warrant.
      • Procedure: New courses for the following school year must be proposed by the end of Fall Semester of the current school year. A form will be created to guide the instructor through the following steps:
        • Instructor consults with the department (high school / middle school content area) in which the course would be offered.
        • Upon receiving support, the instructor approaches the principal who verifies financial feasibility of offering the course as well as instructor qualifications.
        • Upon approval, the instructor brings the course proposal to the Curriculum Committee for recommendation for approval. The course proposal will include the following:
          • New Course From – Middle and High School (found on Burris website)
          • State approved course description
          • Syllabus
          • Supplemental Materials, Text, etc.
          • The Committee recognizes that sometimes student needs create emergency situations in which courses are needed to fill student schedules. In such event, the administration and counseling office would work with the Curriculum Committee to resolve the situation.
          • If a course has not been taught in five years, it would need to go through the course approval steps outlined above to verify the course meets current standards.
          • Review concerns raised by faculty members and make recommendations to administration. In the case of curricular changes that cannot be resolved at department and/or grade levels, instructors should seek the advice of (or be recommended to) the Curriculum Committee to mediate or evaluate as necessary. It is the role of the Curriculum Committee to examine the school wide implications of all curricular decisions at the elementary, middle, and high school levels
          • Curriculum Committee will maintain scope and sequence curriculum maps for all courses to ensure that state guidelines and requirements for courses are being met.

          Research & Development Committee

          Composition:

          • co-chairs - Assistant Principal and teacher
          • membership of 4-5 people, K-12
          • meet as needed

          Functions/Roles:

          • Encourage research and development of curriculum and teaching materials
          • To aid, when asked, in refining research proposals and research activities of Burris faculty
          • To assess research proposals submitted from outside Burris

          Social Committee – volunteer committee  

          Composition:

          • membership of faculty & staff
          • meet as needed

          Functions/Roles:

          • Plan social activities for the department
          • Carry out appropriate actions in the cases of illness or bereavement

          Technology Committee – volunteer committee

          Composition:

          • Co-chairs - Technology coordinator and teacher 
          • Representatives from each level – elementary, middle school, high school
          • Representatives from fine and practical arts and special services
          • Media Coordinator
          • Designee from the principal's office
          • Meet as needed

          Functions/Roles:

          • Review current usage of Technology at Burris
          • Develop a three to five year plan for the school wide use of technology that allows Burris to model the use of technology as a teaching and learning tool
          • Help plan and coordinate on-going professional development to support the increased use of technology
          • Assist in determining the most beneficial use of funds for the purchase of technology
          • Develop a plan for the continued support of technology equipment and software

          School Improvement Committee – volunteer committee – follows PL221 and NCA guidelines

          Composition:

          • Co-chairs - Susan Albrecht and teacher
          • Principal
          • Assistant Principal or Administrative Assistant
          • One or two faculty from each level – elementary, middle school, high school
          • One representative from fine and practical arts
          • One representative from special education
          • One representative from counseling
          • One or two parents
          • One or two representatives from Teachers College

          Functions/Roles:

          This is the major school oversight committee and sets a direction for the school and assures compliance with federal and state law, national accreditation agencies, and the requirements of Ball State University.

          • Assure compliance with No Child Left Behind
          • Act as oversight committee for NCA
          • Review and revise Burris PL221 plan
          • Set overall direction for school improvement
          • Other duties as determined by school needs
          • Act as the NCA "assessments" committee

          Student Services Committee – volunteer committee

          Composition:

          • Co-chaired - Julie Maugherman and teacher
          • K-12

          Functions/Roles:

          • be in charge of working with the administration on the student handbook
          • monitor fund raisers
          • update and accept social event planning forms
          • oversee student clubs and organizations
          • meet quarterly

          ADDITIONAL COMMITTEES

          Scholarship Committee - The Burris Scholarship Nomination Committee meets on an as-needed basis, generally at least once a month and more frequently as scholarship nomination needs dictate. The committee consists of five members including the Director of Guidance and Counseling, who also serves as committee chair, and representative instructors from each of the four core course areas in the high school: Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies. The Principal is also a part of the committee when a scholarship specifies the need for principal input or selection, or when a tie-breaking vote is needed. In selecting scholarship or award recipients, the committee matches eligible students with the scholarship or award criteria, and then selects a nominee or nominees from the pool of eligible students. The committee draws upon observations of the students in and out of class and personal knowledge of the students, as well as transcripts, college plans and Senior Profiles to match students to scholarship criteria and make recipient selections. Senior Profiles are a form of a resume that seniors submit to the Counseling Center to assist in writing letters of recommendation and selecting scholarship nominees.

          The committee selects nominees for scholarships and awards, as well as programs, conferences, and camps for which a committee nomination is required.

          Emergency Management Committee – This committee is headed by the School Safety Director. It is comprised of appointed members of the faculty/staff from each level. The committee will activate and coordinate school initiatives for any situation that could affect the safety of anyone on the Burris school grounds.

          Broad Based GT Committee - The Broad Based Planning Committee for High Ability Students follows guidelines under Indiana Code (IC20-10.1-5.1) and Administrative Rules related to high ability education, specifically Indiana Rule 511 from the Indiana Board of Education. Committee members are selected by the principal and are representative of educators, parents, students, community members and other stakeholders. The committee is "to design and monitor the continuous development and implementation of the levels of services program for high ability students."

          May Term Committee – May Term is facilitated by the May Term Committee. A quorum is one member over 50 percent.

          Composition:

          • Co-Chaired
          • Volunteer high school faculty members