2022 Delaware Code
Title 14 - Education
Chapter 8. SCHOOL SHARED DECISION-MAKING
§ 804. Shared decision-making at the school level.

(a) Any school in a school district which has adopted a district transition plan as specified in § 803(d) of this title shall establish a school-level shared decision-making advisory committee (“School Advisory Committee”). Such school may also submit a written request to the Department of Education, via its local board of education, in order to receive funds to conduct structured conversations and activities among the school community to decide whether or not to apply to the Department of Education for a school-level shared decision-making transition grant as specified in § 807(d) of this title and as provided for in the annual appropriations act.

(b) The principal shall facilitate the selection of representatives on the School Advisory Committee through an inclusive process as established in the District Transition Plan that has the goal of ensuring a fair selection process for the representatives of constituencies within the school community such as parents, community members, teachers, administrators, other employees and students (where appropriate) which reflects the diversity within the school community. Such process shall ensure that the members of the various constituencies select their respective representatives.

(c) The structured conversations and activities, as defined in this title, shall result in a decision, accompanied by an explanatory report and recommendation, by the School Advisory Committee, through a process it developed to produce as much agreement as practicable, that:

(d) If the School Advisory Committee decides to proceed with shared decision-making, the structured conversations and activities shall result in the development of a process to establish a school transition plan, to determine the composition of the “School Transition Team” and to develop the roles and responsibilities delegated to the School Transition Team. The School Transition Team representatives shall be selected through the same process established by subsection (b) of this section for their respective constituency groups. The decision as to these issues shall be reflected in the Report and Recommendation pursuant to subsection (c) of this section or in a supplemental Report and Recommendation, signed in accordance with subsection (e) of this section.

(e) Each representative of a stakeholder group who participates in the structured conversation and activities of the School Advisory Committee pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall sign the Report and Recommendation pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and any supplemental Report and Recommendation pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. Each such representative shall also indicate that the representative has made a good faith effort to communicate with the representative's stakeholder group so as to ensure that the views of the membership of the representative's stakeholder group were reflected in the Report and Recommendation.

(f) The Department of Education and the relevant local district administration shall provide schools with assistance, guidance and strategies to initiate and plan the implementation of these structured conversations and activities.