School Accountability Committee (SAC)

Colorado State Statute 22-11-402 and BVSD policies AE and AE-R established SAC powers and duties.  SAC responsibilities include the following:

• Recommending to the principal of the school priorities for spending school moneys, including federal funds, where applicable;
• Making recommendations to the principal of the school and the superintendent concerning preparation of a school Performance or Improvement plan, if either type of plan is required;
• Meeting a least quarterly to discuss whether school leadership, personnel, and infrastructure are advancing or impeding implementation of the public school's Performance, Improvement, Priority Improvement, or Turnaround plan, whichever is applicable, and other progress pertinent to the public school’s accreditation contract;
• Providing input and recommendations to the DAC and district administration, on an advisory basis, concerning principal development plans and evaluations;
• Publicizing opportunities to serve and soliciting parents to serve on the SAC
• Assisting the district in implementing at the school level the district's family engagement policy; and
• Assisting school personnel to increase family engagement with teachers, including family engagement in creating READ plans, Individual Career and Academic Plans, and plans to address habitual truancy.

- Excerpt taken from the Colorado Department of Education - District Accountability Handbook, (Fall 2018)

Each school is responsible for establishing a School Accountability Committee (SAC).  Colorado State Statute 22-11-401 and BVSD policy (AE-R) determine membership requirements. Each SAC should consist of at least the following seven members:

• The principal of the school or the principal’s designee;
• At least one teacher who provides instruction in the school;
• At least three parents of students enrolled in the school
• At least one adult member of an organization of parents, teachers, and students recognized by the school; and
• At least one person from the community

A person may not be appointed or elected to fill more than one of these required member positions in a single term.  The number of parents must exceed the number of representatives from the group with the next highest representation.  Finally, SACs must select one of their parent representatives to serve as chair or co-chair of the committee. 

Note: To the extent practicable, parents serving on accountability committees should reflect the student populations that are significantly represented within the school. Such student populations may include, but not be limited to, students who are members of non-Caucasian races, those who are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch, those who are Emerging Bilingual students, migrant children, students who are identified as having a disability and students who are identified as gifted.

​Note: Generally, a parent who is an employee of the school or who is a spouse, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother or father of a person who is an employee of the school is not eligible to serve on a SAC. However, if, after making good-faith efforts, a principal or organization of parents, teachers and students is unable to find a sufficient number of persons who are willing to serve on the SAC, the principal, with advice from the organization of parents, teachers and students, may establish an alternative membership plan for the SAC that reflects the membership specified above as much as possible. 

- Excerpt taken from the Colorado Department of Education - District Accountability Handbook, (Fall 2018)

The District Accountability Committee (DAC) is a state mandated committee in which the district community engages in meaningful consultation in performance and improvement planning. The DAC advises the Board of Education on budgetary priorities, unified improvement plans, student growth and achievement, district policies, family engagement, board policies relevant to the work of the DAC, and jointly determined topics of study.

The DAC promotes effective accountability by gathering and disseminating information and perspectives from various constituencies, ensuring transparency, the timely evaluation of district performance, and the free flow of information across school, district, and community levels. The DAC maintains autonomy to independently engage parents, school leadership and staff, district leadership and staff, and the Board of Education to make recommendations on district priorities within its scope as defined in this policy.  

Specifically, the DAC shall fulfill the roles and duties outlined in BVSD policy AE-R and in Colorado Revised Statutes 22-11-301 and 22-11-302.

For additional information, visit the BVSD District Accountability Committee website.