Rhode Island Laws 16-2-9, “General powers and duties of school committees” charges School Committees with the responsibility of developing policies that support the educational needs of the community. The policies developed by the School Committee are meant to interpret, in terms of state laws, regulations of the State, the Board of Regents and other applicable state and federal laws. The National School Board Association (NSBA) provides a guide for policy development with suggested sample policies and policy manual organization. In addition, school districts within Rhode Island and across the county share their policies as templates for other districts to use and adopt. The Middletown School Committee has used a variety of these resources to formulate their policies.
Series 0000 Philosophy
The policies and regulations in the Series are to provide a clear understanding of the district's philosophy and objectives..
Series 1000 Community Relations
The series deals with the school system's external relations with mass media of communication, with citizens' committees, with complaints concerning school personnel, with community use of school building, with other governmental and private groups concerned with education. This series also includes the arrangements for meeting procedures, duties off officers, quorum, terms of office of members, and the like. Policies here are statements of Board purpose and provisions for matters like induction of Board members, inservice development of Board members, code of ethics for the Board as a group and individually and the Board's attitude toward policy development.
Series 2000 Administration
This series deals with the Board's action in activating all administrative and supervisory jobs. Job descriptions approved by the School Committee will be maintained in a separate binder. In addition, an organizational chart, statement of the line of responsibility and evidence of problem-solving and communications devices like councils, cabinets, and committees for executives shall be listed.
Series 3000 Business and Non-Instructional Operations
Here you will find policies and regulations for the problems of money: getting it (taxation), planning for spending (budget), spending (purchasing), and keeping records (accounting). In addition, the non-instructional operations of operations and maintenance, fixed charges like insurance, transportation and food services appear in the latter part of this index.
Series 4000 Personnel
Find here all the familiar topics of personnel administration: recruitment and selection, contracts, tenure, assignment and transfer, and so on until the time of separation from the school system through retirement, resignation, promotion, death, or other cause. The first part of the Index (4100 Series) deals with the certificated personnel; the second part (4200 Series) deals with the classified personnel.
Policy Book Series 4610 Job Description Catalog
Series 6000 Teaching & Learning
Here are the provisions for teaching and learning. The goals of the school, curricular matters, instructional arrangements to assist teachers to teach and students to learn, provisions for individual differences and exceptional children.
Series 7000 Students
Focus here is on the student, not the educational process.
Series 8000 High School Graduation Requirements
Policies here are statements of Board purpose and provisions for matters like induction of Board members, in-service development of Board members, code of ethics for the Board as a group and individually and the Board's attitude toward policy development.