Running head: Clinical Field Experience B: School Wide Budgetary Needs 1

Clinical Field Experience B: School Wide Budgetary Needs

Mae Hughes

Grand Canyon University: EAD-510

May 26, 2020

Clinical Field Experience B: School Wide Budgetary Needs 2

Clinical Field Experience B: School Wide Budgetary Needs

Part 1: Collaborate

For this part of my clinical field experience I was able to collaborate with Phil Mears,

principal of Grace Community School about the school’s current budget was developed. The

developmental timeframe that they use for the budgeting has a brief initial start in October when

the School Committee meets and approves the Budget Guidelines and then picks up again in

June every school year. The stakeholders that are involved are Mr. Mears, the school board,

teachers, parents, students, and community members. The needs are identified by input from the

school board, teachers, Principals, and Administrators. They also consider budget guidelines,

Federal and State mandates and the schools long range plan, school boards goals, as well as latest

estimates in enrollment, utility and other education costs. After these steps the defense and

modifications happen when the new plan is taken to the committee meeting where the committee

deliberates on the recommended budget and develops a final budget. The technological

requirements for Grace are to implement, and sustain an adequate, secure network to ensure

sufficient, reliable high-speed connectivity for learners, educators, and leaders; and

Provide access to relevant and rigorous professional development to educators and leaders for

proficient integration of learning technologies. This effects the budget because the committee has

to make sure there is proper funding for these thigs to happen. The budget for this coming year

so far looks like their will have to be cuts made due to covid19 because enrollment will be lower

than was anticipated in October and January.

Part 2: Budgetary Needs Assessment Survey

In your opinion, what needs to be improved to increase student achievement across

the school? More one on one with students that are struggling or have IEP.
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As you think about student achievement, what long term planning or ideas do you have for

supporting higher student achievement? More rigorous curriculum

What needs improved to increase student achievement? More communication among

teachers

What resource do you feel would make student achievement a success? More technological

interaction

Is there enough in the budget to cover visiting teachers if needed? No

Are there sufficient supplies available to meet student needs and outcomes? yes

In your opinion what needs to be improved to increase student achievement? Teacher

communication

What new school wide planning or research based strategies do you want to implement?

Weekly Teacher workshop

What professional development strategies will promote better results? Weekly Teacher

Workshops and collaboration

Are there funds for proper trainings? Yes

Part 3: School wide Budgetary Needs Assessment Summary and Reflection

Grace Community School is located in Delaware Ohio, in an urban area, the student

population is multi-cultural and is made up of children ranging from pre k through eighth grade.

There are approximately 200,464 people residing in this county. The major programs that this

school offers are the Dance Team and a Praise choir.

After reviewing the schools budget for both this year and the previous year thought the school

was able to stay true to their mission and vision of the school I was able to see a difference in

different ways. The current budgetary expenditure that Grace Community has are supplies for
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grade pre-k through eighth grade, music, art, and computer, curriculum, testing, technology

supplies, computer software, books, utilities, maintenance, media services, and payroll. The

current revenue comes from government grants that are offered by the state for families who can

not afford tuition price, ACR funding, book fees, and registration fees. When comparing the

budget years from this year and last the budget was a lot higher this year than last year. The

reason for this is that there were more students that were enrolled this year than the previous year

and there were a lot more factors on the budget that had to do with curriculum and assessment

because grade three through five had gotten a new curriculum (PSEL Standard 4). There was

also more budgeted for media and advertising and community outreach this year than previous

years (PSEL Standard 5). This year’s budget went along well with the school CIP plan because

the schools budgetary planning committee were able to work off of the previous year’s budget

and focus on the schools CIP plan while forming the budget for the new school year.

After performing my assessment survey with Mr. Mears the school principal, the

president of the school board, the administrator for the preschool, three teachers the first grade

teacher, fifth grade teacher, and seventh grade teacher, and office staff I was able to identify that

the number one complaint to reach student achievement and success were that the teachers

needed to communicate and bring their ideas together more (PSEL Standard 6).

Some suggestions that I would share with the school to achieve student learning as well

as follow the schools CIP plan would be to have more weekly gathering where the teachers can

just share stories of what is happening in their classroom and then they can bounce ideas off one

another to help whatever is happening in the classrooms as well as get opinions on what can or

should be changed. The next suggestion that I would have would be to make sure that there are

funds available in the chance that there will be a visiting teacher needed, teachers get sick
Clinical Field Experience B: School Wide Budgetary Needs 5

especially while working with children or they may have children of their own that they need to

take care of having to stress if their classroom will be covered if they get sick should not be a

stress that the teacher should have. Another suggestion that I would have for this school is to do

different team building exercises with the staff to make them comfortable with one another to

feel that they are able to share and speak what is on their mind if something is not working the

way they want it to and would like help remedying it or need help in other aspect rather it is

curriculum based, student behavior, or conflict among one another. I would encourage an

atmosphere where the staff and students are able to speak freely and share their thoughts and

opinions on different matters as they arise (PSEL Standard 3). My last suggestion would be that

they principal be more involved in the classrooms. I would encourage this for the sake tha thte

principal knows what is going on in the classroom, how students are behaving, how teachers are

behaving and teaching. Another great benefit of the principal being involved in the classroom is

that it build more of a respectful relationship between the students and the principal by seeing

that he or she is caring enough to come in and check on their classroom makes them see that

he/she is involved in their education and not just the teachers also by being more interactive with

the students will give them the sense of welcoming that they need and will encourage thme to

approach the principal if they feel they need to talk about something rather than being

intimidated because of their role of being in charge.[ CITATION PSE152 \l 1033 ]

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References
PSEL Standards for Educators. (2015). National Policy Board for Educational Administration.

Retrieved from http://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-

Standards-for-Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf