Running header: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT: MANDATORY REPORTING

Signature Assignment: Mandatory Reporting

Alicia Clynick

EDL622

Northern Arizona University

Summer 2018
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Part I: Development Processes of District and School’s Vision

The overall purpose of a vision statement is to provide the collective aspirations and

goals of the site. It should reflect the values of the school and maintain efforts to exemplify and

protect the values held by all stakeholders within the district. The mission statement must then

provide the steps and efforts that will be utilized when pursuing the school or district’s vision.

For this assessment, the Roosevelt School District (RSD) was analyzed regarding the

vision, mission, and values, and how they aim to achieve safety among their schools. When

researching their individual sites, they generally do not seem to possess their own individual

mission statements due to their efforts to maintain equal goals across the district. Roosevelt

describes online that it values the legacy of its diverse community, dedicated staff, and talented

students. It then continues by providing a very simplistic vision statement: “A top-rated school

district of excellence”. Its mission to reach this vision is to inspire, motivate, and educate each

student as a future leader in society.

To begin with, it is notable how vague RSD’s vision statement is by itself. The only goal

that it describes is achieving “excellence”, a word that can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

Some stakeholders may believe excellence includes growth and high achieving test scores on

district or state tests. Others may see it as showing a strong climate and culture on campus. Some

may even see it as excellence in community outreach and projects completed on campus.

However, this word does not in any way specifically address the topic of school safety. While the

mission statement is slightly more specific in stating that the district and schools aim to inspire,

motivate, and education, this still does not touch upon the topic of providing students with a safe

school environment.
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Part II: Vision Articulation Plan

At this point, it would be ideal for RSD to rewrite its vision statement to include school

safety and more specific goals for the campus. The creation of the new vision should follow

several steps to plan and reflect on the newly outlined goals to ensure all stakeholders are

included in the process.

Step 1: Identify a vision and mission committee. This committee should consist of

stakeholders from each major component of the district. It is suggested that a district’s

committee contains a mix of parents, administrators, community members, and teachers. Each of

these individuals should be from different school sites around the district to ensure a broad and

inclusive voice is obtained from all parties.

Step 2: Committee reviews the previous vision statement. Because the current vision

describes a pursuit of excellence, the committee could begin by determining what excellence

means to them when discussing the goals they have for their sites and the district.

Step 3: Determine goals for the district. At this point, the committee should write out the goals

it has for the school. Since the mission statement previously mentioned future leaders, one goal

for RSD could be educating and preparing students for success beyond high school. The vision

should also be inclusive of school safety, as pursuant to A.R.S. 13-3620. Providing a safe

campus for students and teachers is crucial to the lives and learning of all individuals. Other

goals the district may consider including are an emphasis on school culture, community outreach

and involvement, or achievement scores.

Step 4: Analyze demographics and areas of improvement. When determining the vision and

mission statements, the committee must assess the needs of the district. This includes analysis of
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the demographics on campus, common languages spoken, the number of ELLs, promotion rates,

attendance data, and test scores. The goals of the school should emphasize the areas that the

district is consistently striving towards.

Step 5: Identifying components of the mission. Once the vision and goals are clearly

identified, the mission must then be constructed by the committee as the steps and action plan

that will be followed to achieve the previously stated goals. Some practices that could possibly

be included are college and career readiness, teacher collaboration, personalized student support,

integration of initiatives, or up-to-date instructional methods. The mission should be general

enough for the school sites to have some sort of mobility with the activities and instruction they

have on campus to create their own unique culture, but specific enough to ensure all schools are

working together to obtain the same ultimate goals.

Step 6: Create a Feedback Plan: To include the remainder of stakeholders within the district,

the committee should initiate a plan for feedback and improvement suggestions from staff and

teachers. This can be conducted through PLCs or a survey shared with all faculty.

Part III: Informing and Involving District Stakeholders

With informing and involving the district stakeholders of changes as well as laws that are

being addressed by the district, there are several major steps to initiate action. To begin with, a

letter should be sent to all parents registered within the school district that details the changes.

This letter begins by describing the recent developments a committee has made in changing the

vision and mission statements for the school. The letter should explain that while the previous

statements were acceptable, the committee decided to make changes that more clearly outline the

goals of the district and each of its schools. The letter should also give a brief explanation of
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each part of the vision and mission statements, including the implementation of school safety as

a required goal for the district. The letter will address A.R.S. 13-3620, which explains the duty to

report abuse, injury, neglect or denial or deprivation of medical or surgical care, or the

malnourishment of minors. It will also provide an explanation of A.R.S. 15-514 and the school’s

requirement to report immoral or unprofessional conduct. The letter must be written with a

positive outlook on the changes, and clarify that the change in goals and implementation of

stronger safety precautions is to place an emphasis on the wellbeing of anyone that enters the

campus. At the end of the letter, it will mention that there will be a public forum held at the

district office at a set date to answer any questions and to gain more detail on changes being

made.

By providing a public forum to the community, staff, students, and parents, the

committee and district allow all stakeholders to be aware of the changes and understand why

they are occurring. The meeting will begin with the committee presenting the newly proposed

vision and mission statements, and the goals that they have outlined for the school. After

explaining the laws and policies that have led to this decision, the public can ask questions in an

orderly fashion, allowing all voices and contributions to be heard.

Upon the start of the school year, staff at all district sites will have the opportunity to

review the changes in the vision and mission statement and provide any feedback that they may

have. At the same meeting, staff will participate in a professional development session and

discussion regarding the mandatory reporting laws. While some staff may already be aware of

the laws, the principal should remind them that for returning teachers it is meant to be a refresher

and reminder for the expectations throughout the school year. The importance of safety should
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be stressed to all staff members. Once the vision and mission statements have been formally

adopted by the governing board and district office, they should be posted throughout school

campuses. Students, staff, and community members should be able to walk into a school and

know the expectations that are placed upon the campus. The goals for safety, culture, and

academic success should be well-known and exhibited on school grounds, both inside and

outside of the classroom.

Part IV: ADE Rules Regarding Child Abuse, Neglect, and Required Reporting

All school personnel within a district are required to report any allegations of child abuse

or neglect pursuant to two laws: A.R.S. 13-3620 and A.R.S. 15-514. Under A.R.S. 13-3620,

employees in Arizona schools are required to report any signs or allegations of possible abuse or

neglect to both the authorities and child services. It is noted that all staff within the school are

required to report, including teachers, psychologists, administrators, nurses, social workers, and

any other school personnel on campus. Any type of possible physical or sexual abuse should be

reported immediately in two forms of reporting: immediate contact with law enforcement and

child protective services, and a written report submitted with all details within 72 hours of the

allegations. It is crucial for employees to understand that any sort of “reasonable suspicion” is

grounds to make a report, meaning that if there is any evidence or signs whatsoever of possible

abuse of any kind, the employee must report it.

Under A.R.S. 15-514, it is required that all school personnel and governing board

members must report to the Arizona Department of Education if there is reasonable suspicion

that a person certificated by the Department of Education has engaged in any sort of physical or

sexual abuse of minors. The written report must be made within three days of the staff or
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governing board member first suspects or hears an allegation of the abuse. In regards to charter

schools, it is required that any superintendent or chief administrator that suspects or receives an

allegation of abuse by an employee must report it, either by phone or email. However, there are

no time frames for charter schools to report.

Part V: School Board Policies to Guide Behavior, Decisions, and Actions of Educators

The school board policy manual clearly outlines expectations for district faculty to follow

regarding their behavior, decisions, and general actions on campus. One set of rules and policies

that are outlined for educators determines specific actions between staff conduct with students.

The values of the district are present in stating educators are expected to exercise general

supervision of students not only in the classroom, but also before and after school to ensure

safety and wellbeing of the students as long as they are on school grounds. The policy explains

teachers and staff members at all times “will accord students the dignity and respect that they

deserve, and avoid embarrassing a student unnecessarily”. Within the same section, it is clearly

stated regarding A.R.S. 15-514 that any relationships between staff members and students,

including “dating”, “courtship”, or “romantic involvement” are prohibited, and are deemed

unacceptable according to governing board policy. However, while the governing board states

that the above actions will be taken seriously and “may” result in consequential action, it does

not specifically address the need for staff to report any evidence, incidents, or allegations

regarding the behaviors.

The governing board does also clearly state their policies regarding the importance of

reporting child abuse and child protection. The board references A.R.S. 13- 3620 in this policy,

stating that if there is any suspicion of abuse or neglect of a minor, the employee is mandated to
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report the allegations of evidence that led to their initial suspicions. The school must also keep a

documentation of health history, including injuries that happen at school and injuries that are

reported without any clear cause (occurs outside of school grounds). The district also expects all

personnel that report an allegation of abuse must complete and turn in a written report to the

school principal no later than the next workday following the oral report given to child protective

services and law enforcement. RSD’s values seem to uphold the requirements and law, and

attempts to ensure safety for all students, both on and off campus.

Part VI: Recommendations to Mobilize Community Resources

When ensuring the school’s vision and legal duties are followed and understood by all

stakeholders. The following outside parties should play a role in a variety of ways:

Law Enforcement: Police officers should receive training regarding child abuse and reporting to

schools when necessary. It is their duty to conduct a thorough investigation and determine the

outcome of events when an allegation of child neglect or abuse is made. A possible program that

has been a helpful role within schools, notably at middle school and high school levels, is a

School Resource Officer (SRO). Many parties seem to be under the false impression that SROs

are put in schools with “difficult” students, or where gangs are a larger problem. However, SROs

are actually a part of many different school districts and can be funded through state programs to

take the cost away from the school. The SRO can assist by providing support to students when

they need it, including if they feel that they or someone else are in danger. They are also readily

available for the school and its faculty if reporting needs to take place, or other legal or

dangerous problems arise.

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Arizona Department of Child Safety: Child protective services contact information should be

easily accessible to not only all stay on campus, but also any families or community members

that may also need to report allegations (1-888-SOS-CHILD). Staff should be given training at

the beginning of the school year on exactly how to report information to child protective services

as well as what to include in their written report. Because RSD has a policy in place to provide a

written report to the principal within 24 hours of contacting child protective services and law

enforcement agents, the principal at the school should provide the proper documentation and

reporting information for that as well. Parents and community members should receive the

information at the beginning of the school year, and have a brochure or pamphlet available at the

school if needed.

Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO): The PTO on campus is an excellent opportunity to

provide resources and information to the parents in a safe, protected environment. In RSD, the

district office has a room specifically designated for parents to organize and meet. Many

campuses within the district also have rooms for their own PTOs to meet. In parent or PTO

rooms, brochures can be available for resources such as Child Protective Services, local food

banks, or child care services.

Parent Education: RSD, along with many other districts in the Phoenix area, have a parent

educator that is employed by the district. To ensure all stakeholders are aware of changes in the

vision and mission for the district and knowledgeable on the current laws and policies, the parent

educator can hold meetings or classes to discuss the information with parents in a learning

environment. If they met once a quarter (every nine weeks), they could discuss a variety of
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different policies that impact their school’s safety and cover the rights they have as parents in the

school district.

Part VII: Assessment and Recommendations to Align District/ School Vision and the

District’s Actions to Comply with the Law

One immediate action that needs to take place within the RSD school district is revisiting

their district vision and mission statements to ensure all goals are mentioned, including safety.

The vision should be created by a combination of representatives from all stakeholder groups

(community members, teachers, parents, and administrators). This vision should encompass the

goals of the district and its strive to maintain a positive, safe climate for all students on campus.

One goal that should be outlined within their values is the safety of their students both on and off

campus. In determining this as a critical value, action steps to inform the public and the faculty

of what it means to be safe can be put into effect. Once the vision and mission are clearly

identified and approved by the district and its staff, it should be shared with the community

through letters, announcements at the next public governing board meeting, or a public forum at

the district office to answer any questions regarding the purpose behind the changes.

On the positive side, RSD already has policies in place that are aligned with the state

laws that require mandatory reporting by all staff members when evidence or allegations

regarding any type of child abuse or neglect. The policy itself explains in detail each type of

behavior or allegation that should be reported, including but not limited to physical abuse, sexual

abuse, denial of necessary medical care, or child neglect. It also adds a component of reporting to

the legal requirements by stating explicitly that staff must also report to their principal by the

next workday once they have reported an allegation to law enforcement and/or child services.
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Since the policies are in place, the next step the district must take is recognizing the goal

of safety in the school and properly training all stakeholders within the district in what the laws

and policies state. Trainings at the beginning of the school year with staff should outline the

mandatory reporting laws and cover exactly how and when to report if an occurrence or

allegation arises. They should also be given a pamphlet or card with the necessary phone

numbers and steps to call when reporting. A combination of PTO and parent educator meetings

and classes can allow parents and community members to grow in their knowledge of the laws

that protect that students. Pamphlets or brochures for stakeholders should always be available in

a convenient location on all school campuses and at the district office. By keeping stakeholders

informed and the staff properly trained on reporting, the school district is able to take an

enormous step towards ensuring their vision of providing safe campuses is met.
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References

Alexander, K. & Alexander, M.D. (2009). American public school Law (7th Ed.). Belmont, CA:

Cengage Learning

Arizona Department of Education. (2012). State of Arizona reporting procedures. Retrieved

From: http://www.azed.gov/state-board-education/files/2012/10/state-of-arizona-child-

abuse-reporting-procedures.pdf

A.R.S.-13-3620. Retrieved from: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03620.htm

A.R.S. 15-514. Retrieved from: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/15/00514.htm

Berkley University. Developing Mission and Vision Statements in a Multiple Pathways School.

Retrieved from: https://casn.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/resource_files/School-

Wide_Mission_Process.pdf

Roosevelt School District. (2018). Retrieved from:

https://az01901084.schoolwires.net/domain/93