The Evergreen Report (2007)

Diagnostic Phase I Review in the
Los Angeles Unified School District
FINAL REPORT
April 6, 2007
Diagnostic Phase I Review
in the
Los Angeles Unified School District
FINAL REPORT
Submitted by:
Evergreen Solutions, LLC

2852 Remington Green Circle, Suite 101
Tallahassee, Florida 32308
April 6, 2007
Table of Contents LAUSD Diagnostic Phase I Review
PAGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... i
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 1-1
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN PREVIOUS REPORTS ........ 2-1
2.1 Organization/Governance/Accountability .................................................................... 2-1

2.2 Instruction ..................................................................................................................... 2-9
2.3 Business Services........................................................................................................ 2-24
2.4 Human Resources ....................................................................................................... 2-34
2.5 Facilities/Safety and Security ..................................................................................... 2-40
2.6 Transportation ............................................................................................................. 2-51
2.7 Technology ................................................................................................................. 2-58
CHAPTER 3: AREAS REQUIRING NEW OR DEEPER ANALYSIS ............................ 3-1
3.1 Governance/Organization/Accountability .................................................................... 3-1

3.2 Instruction ..................................................................................................................... 3-4
3.3 Business Services........................................................................................................ 3-12
3.4 Human Resources ....................................................................................................... 3-15
3.5 Facilities/Safety and Security ..................................................................................... 3-18
3.6 Transportation ............................................................................................................. 3-23
3.7 Technology ................................................................................................................. 3-25

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On February 14, 2007, Evergreen Solutions was authorized, through a Limited Notice to
Proceed, to initiate a Phase I study with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Phase I included a food services review, documents review, stakeholder interviews,

implementation review of previous recommendations, and resourcing and prioritizing work
going forward. A critical deliverable for Phase I was the identification of operational areas
requiring new or deeper evaluation.
During this one-month Diagnostic Phase I Review, nine Evergreen consultants:
• reviewed over 300 existing reports and documents;
• interviewed over 100 LAUSD employees;
• conducted in person and phone interviews and focus groups with over 30 external
stakeholders;
• determined the status of recommendations implemented to date;
• made recommendations for resourcing and prioritizing work going forward; and
• recommended areas requiring a new or deeper review in Phase II.
Previous report recommendations were analyzed in the following areas:
• Governance and Organization

• Accountability
• Instruction
• Business Services
• Human Resources
• Facilities/Safety and Security
• Transportation
• Technology
The Phase I diagnostic review is included in this document. The food service review, also
assessed as part of Phase I, is included under separate cover.
Overview
Numerous reports have been written about the organization and management of the Los Angeles
Unified School District. Among the most significant reports written in the 21st Century, which
focus on a transforming and restructuring the organizational structure, are the following four
studies:
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Executive Summary LAUSD Diagnostic Phase I Review
• Multidistrict Plan for Transforming the Los Angeles Unified School District, also referred
to as the Cortines Plan (March 2000);
• Review of the Organizational Structure and Operations of the Los Angeles Unified
School District (The Council of Great City Schools, January 2006);
• President’s Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance (July 2006); and
• California State Audit Report (September 2006).
The above studies and other major evaluations of LAUSD conducted in the past five to ten years
have not specifically addressed instruction nor have they addressed aspects of instruction with
respect to organizational changes that need to be made to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the school district.
The majority of the above reform efforts were either discarded, not embraced by senior
managers, or placed temporarily on hold with the transition in leadership. For example, the
Instructional Guidance Plan, which was to be developed by the three education divisions
(elementary, secondary, and educational services), was only drafted by the elementary division.
Moreover, a Chief Academic Officer (CAO) has yet to be hired to begin the challenge of
breaking down the silo mentality of the three educational divisions and begin to build an
integrated pre-K through adult system for instructional continuity.
Also adversely affecting any restructuring effort is the fact that the Accountability Office has had
no authority to enforce deliverables and deadlines (such as the February 23, 2007 development
of the three instructional guidance plans), and the effectiveness of the Accountability Office has
been offset by pockets of resistance and the lack of a clear definition of the new Superintendent’s
goals. (Note: The Office of Accountability was recently incorporated into the Chief of Staff’s
Office.)
In reviewing the major reform reports completed in the last six years, many common themes
emerge, including:
• LAUSD is not organized to ensure both vertical and horizontal collaboration and
cooperation, or a matrix design, in a cohesive management structure.
• The centralized structure of the organization is not conducive to the effective

implementation of the local district concept. Although this decentralized concept has
been questioned by some, the new Superintendent appears to support this type of
organizational structure. Yet, local district superintendents have not been given the
authority, responsibility, or human/fiscal resources to accomplish their mission. The
duties of the central office staff and the local district staff must be clearly articulated.
• Board-adopted policies either do not exist, are outdated, or, in many cases, administrators
are not aware of the adoption of a Board policy; the Board’s Policy Manual has not been
updated in decades.
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• The roles of the Board of Education as the policymaking governing body, and the
Superintendent/CEO as the implementor of Board policy and manager of staff, are not
defined. Consequently, the governing body and individual Board members are heavily
involved in management operations and issues, and not focused on policy.
• There is no linkage between planning and budgeting. Consequently, there is little

evidence that fiscal resources are being directed to support district goals. A measurement
of the impact of past organizational changes on staffing and costs has not occurred.
Further, performance metrics with goals and qualificable benchmarks do not exist.
• Fiduciary issues are widespread, including the lack of internal controls, accurate cost
allocations, and high costs for benefits that the district may no longer be able to afford.
• The lack of accountability is pervasive throughout the organization at all levels.
• The current culture in LAUSD is one typified by not responding to priorities and
deadlines, and there is no sense of urgency among managers.
To date, some reform activities have been initiated by senior managers, including:
• several job descriptions with quantifiable performance measures have been drafted for
senior staff;
• employee accountability standards have been added to some contracts for senior
managers⎯these selected contracts are being recreated as performance contracts⎯
however, they have not been adopted by the Board; and
• a new organizational structure, built around accountability and appropriate checks and
balances, has been drafted but not circulated.
A core group of senior staff continue to address these concerns and initiate efforts to implement
recommendations. Now is the time for the Superintendent and his Cabinet to carefully assess
such initiatives and to embrace a cultural and organizational transformation and performance
improvements based on core measurable goals and objectives.
In the remainder of this Executive Summary, we highlight critical concerns by area.
Instruction
Major issues are prevalent in the area of Instruction. These must be addressed for transformation
to take place. Among the most significant are the following:
• Accountability. The most apparent and inhibiting deficit standing in the way of
instructional coherence in LAUSD today is a lack of accountability. In order for the
district to move forward to achieve its academic goals for students, all offices, but
especially the instructional offices, must be realigned with relationships between the
central office and local districts clearly delineated, and accountability systems integrated.
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Currently, directives are given but few, if any, consequences are enforced for non-
compliance.
• Lack of Collaboration/Ineffective Structure for Instruction and Organization. The

instructional organizational structure is fractured with individual units determining their
own priorities and actions, and not acting in concert towards a focused set of goals. As a
consequence, although it is apparent that individuals within the instructional departments
want to collaborate, not all do, causing gaps in focus and instructional continuity.
• Instructional Technology. Instructional technology must be a thoughtfully integrated

and transparent nucleus of instruction. LAUSD expends far too many dollars each year
on instructional technology for a carefully crafted plan not to guide those expenditures
with its foundation being the impact on student learning. Since the district will be
receiving between $60 and 100 million from the recent Microsoft settlement, it is even
more critical for there to be a comprehensive, instructionally-based, coherent plan. Plan
development by itself is not sufficient. Once a plan is developed, its effective
implementation must be closely monitored to ensure that instruction and technology are
effectively integrated at all grade levels and in all content areas.
• Program Evaluation. LAUSD’s reliance on individual departments to determine and

fund evaluative needs for programs does not ensure that evaluation is as integral a part of
programmatic and funding decisions as it should be in a best practice environment.
LAUSD offices must continuously and systematically capitalize on evaluation efforts to
determine the appropriateness of proposed programs for LAUSD students. As initiatives
are undertaken, an evaluation component that provides both formative and summative
findings and recommendations, should be an integral part of the initial program design to
inform interim adjustments as well as to make final programmatic decisions.
• Charter Schools. The Board lacks a clear policy on Charter Schools and the internal
management and coordination of these schools remains questionable. Charter Schools
operate without the hindrances of many regulatory provisions and stand in a good
position to be creative in many ways in contrast to traditional schooling. However, the
individual effectiveness of each Charter must be assessed. Ongoing analysis of student
performance is fundamental to decisions about instruction, curriculum, professional
development, individual and group enrichment, and remediation instruction. Charter
Schools are not currently required to present their periodic assessment data the same way
or to use the district tests. Charter Schools are supposed to be part of the district’s
student information system, which would facilitate downloading and analysis of some
student data; however, to date, few have complied.
Finance
Evergreen’s review of Finance in LAUSD noted several concerns, including fiduciary issues,
such as:
• Purchasing. The districtwide purchasing operation is not conducive to a smooth flow of

transactions. Consistent documentation of the benefits from the district’s purchasing
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power was not evident, and current comprehensive policies and procedures were not
available to ascertain the level to which these concerns are valid.
• Cost Allocations. Planning and budgeting, from the standpoint of projections,

allocations, and budgeting methodologies, are recommended for further review because
of the lack of understanding at the central office and the potential for negative financial
impact if errors or irregularities are found.
• Financial Integration. LAUSD is implementing a new financial accounting system with

the capacity to alleviate concerns identified in prior studies. The implementation of a
new system, however, creates additional concerns over documentation of the system,
training for employees on the system, and the availability of unique reports.
• Internal Controls. A lack of accountability over district assets was a recurring theme
throughout Evergreen’s review. Comprehensive procedures are not consistently
documented. Without documented internal control procedures and evidence of
monitoring, it is impossible to determine if an adequate accountability system exists.
• Employee Health Benefits. The district provides health, vision and dental insurance to
all full-time employees and retirees, and their eligible dependents. Health and welfare
costs have increased substantially and are projected to continue to rise. Further study is
recommended of the district’s benefit plan design and the district’s ability to pay.
Human Resources
The Human Resources Division and the Personnel Commission share responsibility for
personnel and administrative services in LAUSD for certificated and classified workers,
respectively. These two entities were recommended to be consolidated in previous studies. Yet,
recent improvements were made by both entities to streamline functions and enhance
collaboration and cooperation. These improvements need to be studied to assess whether they
have been sufficient in themselves to make the issue of consolidation no longer valid. In
addition, the district continues to be plagued by delays in the hiring of classified staff, and strong
union ties make the issues of accountability and performance-based evaluation difficult to
implement.
Facilities/Safety and Security
In facilities, we found major organizational and staffing issues, including a need for further study
of:
• overstaffing or understaffing situations;
• organizational problems that create conflicts, duplication of effort, lack of control or

oversight, and other dysfunctions;
• the extent of the current local district control over facilities functions and decisions, as
opposed to the central district office; and
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• the appropriateness of the establishment of separate facilities-specific support functions

(such as human resources, financial and legal services) with the Facilities Division.
By its own calculations, LAUSD estimates the cost of deferred maintenance to be over $6
billion. This huge burden has resulted in a nearly total emphasis on a daily response by
maintenance to emergency calls, and in the use of a portion of modernization and repair funding
to address the huge deferred maintenance backlog. Preventive maintenance does not appear to be
evident as a major program component. In addition, the current warehousing function should be
assessed in light of contemporary on-time delivery practices. The re-use or sale of LAUSD
warehouses should be studied.
In safety and security, options for the reorganization of the LAUSD Police Department should be
carefully evaluated, selected, and implemented, and police staffing needs determined for LAUSD
facilities. Since Evergreen consultants were denied access to previous Police Department reports
completed by the Inspector General’s Office, our review in this area was limited.
Information Technology
LAUSD managers do not have any formally structured mechanism by which to respond to the
development, execution and evaluation of overall Information Technology (IT) policies,
procedures and processes that impact the entire district. The Information Technology Department
(ITD) is too isolated from its clientele.
Furthermore, LAUSD lacks an accountability program for information technology. ITD has
never prepared a long-range strategic plan for information technology as either a separate
document tied to district strategic goals and objectives, or as a visible subcomponent of the
district’s strategic plan. Phase I interviews documented that both the Business Tools for Schools
(BTS) and the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) implementations have encountered
difficulties not unexpected in the realm of information technology projects. Once implementation
began, ITD could only concentrate its resources on initial implementation of the products. It is an
open question as to what extent identified changes in the work place, recognized as necessary to
realize the full effects of the products, have been implemented in business and school offices. A
post-implementation review of systems effectiveness must be undertaken.
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CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION

1.0 INTRODUCTION
On February 14, 2007, Evergreen Solutions was authorized, through a Limited Notice to
Proceed, to initiate a Phase I study with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Phase I included a food services review, documents review, stakeholder interviews,

implementation review of previous recommendations, and resourcing and prioritizing work
going forward. A critical deliverable for Phase I was the identification of operational areas
requiring new or deeper evaluation.
During the one-month Diagnostic Phase I Review, nine Evergreen consultants:
• reviewed over 300 existing reports and documents;
• interviewed over 100 LAUSD employees;
• conducted in person and phone interviews and focus groups with over 30 external
stakeholders;
• determined the status of recommendations implemented to date;
• made recommendations for resourcing and prioritizing work going forward; and
• recommended areas requiring a new or deeper review in Phase II.
Previous report recommendations were analyzed in the following areas:
• Governance and Organization

• Accountability
• Instruction
• Business Services
• Human Resources
• Facilities/Safety and Security
• Transportation
• Technology
The Phase I diagnostic review is included in this document. The food service review, also
assessed as part of Phase I, is included under separate cover.
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CHAPTER 2:
REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS
IN PREVIOUS REPORTS

2.0 REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN
PREVIOUS REPORTS
In this section of our report, Evergreen consultants provide an analysis of recommendations

made in previous reports and their implementation status. We also identify which
recommendations need to be prioritized, resourced, and moved forward.
The major subsections include:
2.1 Organization/Governance/Accountability
2.2 Instruction
2.3 Business Services
2.4 Human Resources
2.5 Facilities/Safety and Security
2.6 Transportation
2.7 Technology
2.1 Organization/Accountability/Governance
Numerous reports have been written about the organization and management of the Los Angeles
Unified School District. Among the most significant reports written in the 21st Century, which
focus on a transforming and restructuring the organizational structure, are the following four
studies:
• Multidistrict Plan for Transforming the Los Angeles Unified School District, also referred
to as the Cortines Plan (March 2000);
• Review of the Organizational Structure and Operations of the Los Angeles Unified
School District (The Council of Great City Schools, January 2006);
• President’s Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance (July 2006); and
• California State Audit Report (September 2006).
Each of the above reports acknowledged that the overall purpose of any restructuring effort is to
improve accountability and teaching/learning in support of the LAUSD Board of Education’s
vision statement:
The Los Angeles Unified School District will be known as one of the best urban
school districts in this country. We will offer a stellar education to every student
within a safe and caring environment. We will be among the first major urban
districts to eliminate the achievement gap among all subgroups of our student
population. We will dynamically engage parents and the community in the lives of
our schools. The district's schools will be the first and best choice ,for families in
the Los Angeles area.

Review of Recommendations in Previous Reports LAUSD Diagnostic Phase I Review
Surprisingly, though, none of the major reports focused reform recommendations on instruction.
In fact, the Council of Great City Schools Comprehensive Report (January 2006) analyzed most
district programs and operations except for instruction.
During the past year, LAUSD has initiated a few new study initiatives on instruction, such as the
Education Resources Strategies’ Report – Phase I completed in November 2006 (with Phase II
being conducting concurrent with the Evergreen’s study), and the TechGnosis Review also being
completed simultaneously with the current study. Nonetheless, at the time of the Evergreen
review, no major comprehensive review of curriculum and instruction had been undertaken.
Despite the lack of instructional analyses, in a September 28, 2006 memo to the Board of
Education, former Superintendent Romer called on the Division of Instruction to lead the cultural
and organizational transformation of LAUSD through the following initiatives:
• clarification of strategy, goals, and objectives;

• specific job descriptions and performance objectives;
• rigorous management processes and follow up;
• understandable lines of responsibility and authority;
• personnel and program evaluation;
• appropriate financial delegation; and
• alignment of all other divisions to support instructional objectives and operations.
The Superintendent called for the above initiatives to be in place by February 23, 2007 with the
following first steps:
• The fundamental restructuring, consolidation, and integration of the Division of

Instruction. This includes specific performance goals for key managers (such as
Elementary and Secondary Instruction, Educational Services, Small Learning
Communities, and School Redesign).
• The development of an Instructional Guidance Plan to communicate the District's

approach to Pre-K through Adult curriculum and instruction.
• The definition of roles and priorities of all key instructional staff in the central office,
local districts, and schools (principals).
While admirable, the majority of the above reform efforts were either discarded, not embraced
by senior managers, or placed temporarily on hold with the transition in leadership. For
example, the Instructional Guidance Plan, which was to be developed by the three education
divisions (elementary, secondary, and educational services), was only drafted by the elementary
division. Moreover, a new Chief Academic Officer (CAO) has yet to be hired to begin the
challenge of breaking down the silo mentality of the three educational divisions and begin to
build an integrated pre K through adult system for instructional continuity.
Also adversely affecting any restructuring effort is the fact that the Accountability Office has had
no authority to enforce deliverables and deadlines (such as the February 23, 2007 development
of the three instructional guidance plans), and to date the effectiveness of the Accountability

Office has been offset by pockets of resistance and the lack of a clear definition of the new
Superintendent’s goals. It should be noted that the Office of Accountability was recently
integrated with the Chief of Staff’s Office.
In reviewing the major reform reports completed in the last six years, several common themes
emerge, including:
• LAUSD is not organized to ensure both vertical and horizontal collaboration and
cooperation, or a matrix design, in a cohesive management structure.
• The centralized structure of the organization is not conducive to the effective

implementation of the local district concept. Local District Superintendents have not
been given the authority, responsibility, nor human/fiscal resources to accomplish their
mission. The duties of the central office staff and the local district staff must be clearly
articulated.
• Board-adopted policies either do not exist in many areas, are outdated, or, in many cases,
administrators are not aware of the adoption of Board policy for a particular operation.
The Board Policy Manual has not been updated in decades.
• The roles of the Board of Education as the policymaking governing body, and the
Superintendent/CEO as the implementor of Board policy and manager of staff, are not
defined. Consequently, the governing body and individual Board members are heavily
involved in management operations and issues.
• There has been no linkage between planning and budgeting. Thus, a measurement of the
impact of past organizational changes on staffing and costs has not occurred. Further,
performance metrics with goals and qualificable benchmarks do not exist.
• The lack of accountability is pervasive throughout the organization at all levels.
To date, some reform activities have been initiated by senior managers, including:
• several job descriptions with quantifiable performance measures have been drafted for
senior staff;
• employee accountability standards have been added to some contracts for senior
managers⎯these selected contracts are being recreated as performance contracts⎯
however, they have not been adopted by the Board; and
• a new organizational structure, built around accountability and appropriate checks and
balances, has been drafted, but not circulated.
A core group of senior staff continue to address these concerns and initiate efforts to implement
recommendations. Now is the time for the Superintendent and his Cabinet to carefully assess
such initiatives and to embrace a cultural and organizational transformation and performance
improvements based on core measurable goals and objectives.


LAUSD Performance Review - Phase I
REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN PREVIOUS REPORTS
Operational Area: Organization/Governance
Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
Document Implementation Status Recommendations
Reference # What Was Implemented, (Resourcing/
# Recommendation or Name/Date What Was Not, and Why Not Prioritizing)
1 Revise the district’s overall organizational structure by placing immediately 5- CGCS Accomplished with exception of Chief Human Resources Officer (see #3 below). High Priority
under the superintendent’s direct supervision managers with the following six 1/2006 However, two critical positions (CAO and CIO) have not been filled leaving
key functions: Chief Academic Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief operational units less than effective with other staff performing interim roles.
Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Information Officer, Positions are currently being advertised. Superintendent’s Cabinet/Executive
and Local District Superintendents. Redefine the cabinet around these Leadership Team structure is being conceptualized, as are the local district
positions and ensure that instructional and noninstructional staff members are superintendents’ organizational structure and responsibilities in the eight local
integrated into all meetings with local superintendents. districts. Critical positions must be filled for roles to be clearly defined.
2 Charge the Chief of Staff with the responsibility for providing direct support 5- CGCS New Chief of Staff assumed responsibility for providing direct support to Ongoing
to the Superintendent for overseeing, coordinating, and managing the 1/2006 Superintendent in November 2006 and is implementing this recommendation for
decision-making process among these line positions. overseeing, coordinating, and managing decision-making processes among line
positions.
3 Consolidate the Human Resources and personnel functions over which the 5- CGCS State was not petitioned for consolidation (see Human Resources Section 2.4 of this Continue
district has direct control (i.e., staff relations, early childhood, vocational and 1/2006 report). The Personnel Commission and Human Resource Division each developed collaboration and
adult education, and Beyond the Bell) into a single department—and petition five-year strategic plans to guide practices and decision making, and to make both implementation of
the state to allow the district to consolidate the Personnel Commission into operations function in a seamless manner. value-added
that department. services.
Continue to study
consolidation.
4 Consider—as an alternative or addition to the above structure—creating a new 5- CGCS Not implemented – new organizational structure currently being studied. High Priority
division reporting to the superintendent that would house research, testing, 1/2006 Develop and
evaluation, and all reporting, compliance, desegregation, and accountability implement Brewer’s
functions and head it with a Chief Accountability Officer. organizational
structure.
5 Retain the current eight regional Local Districts, but substantially boost their 5- CGCS As part of the planning for a new organizational structure, the role of the local High Priority
capacity to serve schools by redeploying both instructional and 1/2006 districts is being reassessed.
noninstructional staff from the Central Office location to the Local Districts.

Operational Area: Organization/Governance (Continued)

Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
6 Redefine the duties and responsibilities of central office staff around setting 5- CGCS Work underway on redefining the duties and responsibilities of central office staff High Priority
districtwide policy, direction, definition, development, monitoring, and 1/2006 and local district staff. This separation of responsibilities will be an integral part of
evaluation; and redefine the Local District staff around delivery, program the performance contracts used to improve and monitor accountability (see
implementation, technical assistance, and support. The responsibilities of a Accountability Section which follows).
smaller Central Office would then be more strategic and less transactional in
nature.
7 Retain oversight of high schools at the regional office level rather than pulling 5- CGCS High schools continue to operate in local districts, but the Secondary Division in Needs to be studied
them out of the regional structure and creating their own centralized division. 1/2006 the central office is very involved in decision making.
8 Build more cross-functional teaming and integration into more of the district 5- CGCS In progress – the development of a matrix organization is a goal of the new High Priority
staff’s work to improve coordination and integration across functions. 1/2006 Superintendent, but very few examples currently exist. The matrix organization
concept needs more conceptual development and training to show how vertical and
horizontal alignment can be facilitated at the central office and local district levels.
9 The central office structure will be reconstituted to provide tactical support, 2- Eleven districts were formed; later reduced to eight districts. Priority as per #6
services and compliance monitoring functions for the eleven Local Districts Multidistrict above
However, to date, the roles of the central office/local district offices have not been
being formed in this plan. Plan for
clearly defined and communicated.
Transforming
LAUSD
3/2000
10 Eleven largely autonomous Local Districts will be created and staffed. Led by 2- Eight local districts superintendents never given the “largely” autonomous control Should be
a Local District Superintendent, each of the eleven Local Districts will have Multidistrict over resources and decision making as envisioned in the 2000 Cortines Plan. implemented as part
substantial control over resources and the autonomy to make most decisions Plan for Furthermore, no accountability structure has been put in place. of CGCS Report
about the instruction of children. Moreover, each Local District Transforming implementation.
Superintendent will be held accountable for improving student achievement. LAUSD
3/2000
11 The eleven Local Districts will be united by a common mission and focus on 2- Focus on reading through ‘Open Court’ was implemented. This initiative provides High Priority
reading at this time. Multidistrict an example of a matrix organization. Not defined nor implemented in other content Implementation in
Plan for areas. other content areas.
Transforming
LAUSD
3/2000

Operational Area: Organization/Governance (Continued)

Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
12 Decentralize the District: The Commission strongly believes that it is 7- Decentralization in progress through implementation of the GCS Report. Similar High Priority
important to decentralize certain functions of the LAUSD to improve Commission theme as Great City Schools Report (7) and Multidistrict Plan for Transforming Decentralize the
accountability, equity, community engagement, and student achievement. on LAUSD LAUSD (2). district and
Governance implement common
7/2006 recommendations in
several reports.
13 Organize Schools into Clusters: The Commission recommends that all 7- Not implemented. Some senior managers recognize this alternative structure for Allow the local
schools in the District be organized into clusters. Commission subunits, but it has not been actively pursued nor studied. district structure to
on LAUSD fully function as
Governance designed.
7/2006
14 Change the Role of the Central Office: The Commission recommends that 7- Central office currently being conceptualized in support of decentralization model. High Priority
the role of the Central District Office be restructured from a command and Commission Once again, this was a common theme in several major reports on LAUSD
control system to one that supports decentralization and improves efficiency on LAUSD reorganization. Model to include accountability requirements for Local District
and achievement, maintaining many of its current functions while developing Governance Superintendents, Directors of School Services (DSS), and principals.
new capacities to evaluate schools and hold them accountable for 7/2006
performance.
15 Focus the Role of the School Board: The School Board should remain the 7- Not implemented. The Board must be held accountable for its fiduciary Should be studied in
primary governing body for the District, accountable and responsible to all Commission responsibilities. Phase II
stakeholders. However, the functions of the School Board should be on LAUSD
streamlined in order to transform the Board into a governing body more Governance
narrowly focused on policy. 7/2006


Operational Area: Accountability*
Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
Reference # Implementation Status Recommendations
or What Was Implemented, (Resourcing/
# Recommendation Name/Date What Was Not, and Why Not Prioritizing)
1 Establish goals and objectives for the Central Support System and related 5- CGCS A process for the development of a districtwide LAUSD Strategic Plan is being High Priority for
offices that are linked to the goals and priorities articulated by the Board of 1/2006 initiated with an anticipated completion date of June 2007. Superintendent has development of
Education’s Statement of Mission, Vision, and Goals and the district’s developed 18 metrics which are being added to his contract to serve as his Strategic Plan; must
strategic plan and other operational plans. Goals on the noninstructional side accountability measures. include broad-based
should be linked to improvements on the instructional side. stakeholder
involvement.
2 Develop and implement an overall framework for evaluating performance 5- CGCS As reported in the follow-up to the State Auditor’s Report, the intent of LAUSD is to Implement in
and cost effectiveness of all major educational and operational programs. 1/2006 implement the cost-effectiveness component of this recommendation once BTS/ERP Summer 2007
implementation is complete in Spring 2007. Performance evaluation is addressed in
#7.
3 Place senior staff members in the central office on performance contracts 5- CGCS Intent of senior managers is to implement this system. Since June 2006, all senior Ongoing
tied explicitly to the attainment of districtwide goals specified in the 1/2006 management contracts have “Employee Accountability Standards”. Components are Development
strategic plans or revamp the evaluation process to ensure that staff to include: division performance objectives and individual performance objectives.
High Priority
members are evaluated explicitly on these goals. Job descriptions with performance goals and aligned measurable objectives are in
development. These job descriptions will provide a basis for evaluation, and a
supporting tool to develop capacity. Concurrently, an effective evaluation system
must be developed and implemented, and administrators must be trained to effectively
implement meaningful evaluation processes and procedures.
4 Place local district superintendents on performance contracts tied explicitly 5- CGCS Directly linked to #3 above – currently being developed. Ongoing
to their attainment of regional goals and benchmarks. All Local District 1/2006 Development
Superintendents should be evaluated on their regions’ movement toward High Priority
their goals.
5 Revisit all regional and school plans to ensure that they align with 5- CGCS Needs to follow development of the 2007 Strategic Plan. Prioritize after
districtwide goals, and that all goals are measurable, explicit, and have 1/2006 Strategic Plan
timelines for progress. development
*Although the State Audit Report, the Commission on LAUSD Governance, and the Multidistrict Plan for Transforming LAUSD each addressed accountability, the most comprehensive and well-
defined analysis was included in the Council of Great City Schools Report (January 2006). Reference to this report is provided in the first six recommendations in this section.

Operational Area: Accountability (Continued)

Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
6 Evaluate school principals explicitly on their progress toward attainment of 5- CGCS Following development of performance objectives and accountability measures for High Priority
their achievement goals, but grant them additional latitude to hire and fire 1/2006 the central office and local district staff. Same accountability standards need to be
school-based personnel. developed and clearly communicated to principals, and union buy-in needs to be
achieved.
7 When LAUSD makes major changes in its organizational structure with the 3– High Priority
intent of improving its operations, it should do the following to measure the California
effectiveness of these changes: State Audit
• Consider ways to track the impact of these organizational changes on

9/2006 • Senior Managers have stated, in their response to the State Audit Report, that
the intent is to track the input of organizational changes on staffing and costs
such factors as staffing and cost.
once BTS/ERP is implemented.
• Develop performance metrics with goals and quantifiable benchmarks to
• Metrics with goals and quantifiable benchmarks should be developed as part
evaluate itself on its progress in achieving the planned improvements.
of the districtwide Strategic Plan, so that LAUSD can evaluate itself on its
progress in achieving the planned improvements.
8 To measure the effectiveness of key administrators directly involved in 3– Selected senior manager job descriptions have been drafted, but not adopted by the High Priority for:
affecting student performance, LAUSD should: California Board. Revised job descriptions include specific, measurable, and reasonable goals
State Audit for administrators. These goals must be linked to districtwide goals included in the • finalization of
• Establish specific, measurable, and reasonable goals for these 9/2006 2007 LAUSD Strategic Plan. An evaluation system, which will hold administrators job descriptions
administrators that are aligned with districtwide goals related to student accountable for their performance, must be developed as the next step to
performance. achievement results. Performance evaluations must be developed based on • development of
quantifiable measures in job descriptions. To achieve this goal, the AALA districtwide
• Evaluate these administrators in writing based on their ability to meet litigation must be settled. Strategic Plan
their goals and hold them accountable for their performance.
• development
• Ensure that it retains written evaluations of administrators for a and
reasonable time period. implementation
of effective
evaluation
system for
administrators
9 To measure the effectiveness of key administrators who oversee operating 3– See #8 above – same recommendation except that #8 is for instructional High Priority
units, LAUSD should establish specific, measurable, and reasonable goals for California administrators and #9 is for administrators who oversee operating units.
these administrators and evaluate them in writing on their ability to meet such State Audit
goals. In addition, it should retain the evaluations for a reasonable time period. 9/2006

2.2 Instruction
As stated in Section 2.1 of Chapter 2, the major evaluations of LAUSD conducted in the past
five to 10 years have not specifically addressed instruction nor have they addressed aspects of
instruction with respect to organizational changes that need to be made to improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of the organization. Consequently, the conclusions drawn regarding
instruction in Evergreen’s assessment have been reached through interviews, examination of
reports (such as the Independent Monitor’s Reports of the Consent and Modified Consent Decree
and Special Education A. I. R. Reports), some program plans (i.e. Reading First, Secondary
Literacy, Targeted Strategy Plans), internal documents provided by staff, and internal evaluations
conducted by the Program Evaluation and Research Branch (PERB) of the district itself.
Additionally, interviews and a review of documents provided by external organizations who
have had long-term working relationships with LAUSD (such as TechGnosis, ERS, and the
Institute For Learning) have provided insight into instructional needs as well as strengths that
LAUSD has to build on.
Below we provide an overview of areas we reviewed in instruction:
• Accountability. The most apparent and inhibiting deficit standing in the way of
instructional coherence in LAUSD today is a lack of accountability. In order for the
district to move forward to achieve its academic goals for students, the instructional
offices must be realigned, with relationships between the central office and local districts
clearly delineated, and accountability systems integrated. Currently, directives are given
but few, if any, consequences are enforced for non-compliance.
Little will change regarding teaching and learning without clarity of roles and
accountability being infused into every level of the district’s instructional operations and
structure. That clarity can best be realized through discussions between leaders at the
central office and local district levels. Heretofore, the district has spent millions of dollars
on professional development, curriculum development and revision, leadership training,
and staffing offices. Document upon document and evaluation upon evaluation, as well as
staff testimony, reiterate that there are no systems to hold people accountable at any level.
Accountability is difficult without clearly defined roles. Consequently, essentially the
majority of those funds have been expended with few results. The maxim “What gets
measured gets done” is as true for district instructional operations as it is for student
performance. Without systems in place to ensure that the district’s intended outcomes are
supported and monitored, there will be no measurement of progress, no assurance of
achievement of those goals, and little likelihood that they will be realized. The
instructional structure needs to be clarified under a Chief Academic Officer who has the
authority to direct and coordinate instructional activities, set priorities, monitor results,
and hold staff at all levels accountable for meeting expectations.
When asked about district priorities, many interviewees stated they were waiting for the
new Superintendent to declare them. Work must still continue regardless of set goals. All
district personnel should expect and be expected to assume those responsibilities
regardless. Monitoring and consequences of continuity of activities should be ongoing to
ensure that student educational needs are being addressed.

• Lack of Collaboration/Ineffective Structure for Instruction and Organization. Many

historical evaluative reports as well as interviews indicate that the instructional
organizational structure is fractured with individual units determining their own priorities
and actions, and not acting in concert towards a focused set of goals. As a consequence,
although it is apparent that individuals within the instructional departments want to
collaborate, not all do, causing gaps in focus and instructional continuity.
For example, interviewees expressed a concern regarding the achievement levels of

LAUSD students on Algebra I. However, the elementary and secondary departments
have not yet developed a cohesive approach to identify elementary curricular,
instructional, or professional development needs that will create a sound foundation for
student success in Algebra I. The Planning, Assessment, and Research (PAR) Division
publishes disaggregated data on student achievement that should be thoughtfully
considered in collaboratively planning across the district’s departments to address this
issue.
Many departments have related responsibilities, but are not required to work together
toward a cohesive districtwide approach. One example is parental engagement, as noted
in the special education modified consent decree, addressed in Early Childhood and
“Beyond the Bell” Programs, and required of Title I schools. Another example is the
programs for students who are not fluent in English being served in the Elementary
Division’s Language Acquisition Office and Closing the Achievement Branch/AEMP
(Academic English Mastery Program) housed in Secondary Office. Staff in content areas
do not routinely collaborate across grade configurations to create a cohesive
PreKindergarten through Grade 12 curriculum nor the professional development to
support one. In fact, only recently was the Early Childhood Education Division placed in
the same unit as Elementary Education.
When decisions, made by a group of local district representatives are not implemented as
agreed upon districtwide, the consistency of curriculum and instruction within the entire
district is undermined. High schools are in local districts, but the Secondary Division in
the central office is very involved in management decisions, and this division does not
routinely communicate nor consult with either local district instructional leaders or even
principals before initiating actions, programs, or setting priorities. With current
ambiguous lines of authority for programs and schools between the central office and
local districts, and chasms in communications, especially at the secondary level, LAUSD
has no effective mechanism in place for focusing resources or designating accountability.
By examining current areas of ambiguity and inconsistent adherence to district initiatives,

a Committee representative of local and central leaders could be established to set the
parameters that will contribute to increased efficiency and effectiveness of instructional
practices. With limited fiscal and human resources, it is critical that LAUSD take the time
to investigate areas of duplication, organizationally and programmatically, and identify
potential cost savings or re-deployment of staff into a more coordinated, service-oriented
instructional support entity. When instructional administrators agree upon issues that are
central to the attainment of the Board’s student achievement goals, and the issues are

articulated, processes should be developed to remediate the factors that are undermining
efficient operations, and more effectively focus resources on increasing student
achievement.
The collaborative, consultative practices that are taking place in some units at the central
office should be required as a districtwide support mechanism. All managers should be
held accountable for expected collaborative decision making. This change would bring
the perspectives and experiences of more managers into decisions, heighten the
commitment to decisions and consequently more effective implementation, and focus
efforts on key educational plans and programs.
With reorganization and redeployment of staff, LAUSD should move towards providing
consistent support teams across all content areas. Such teams should ensure that all
schools receive adequate responsiveness in key instructional and curricular areas, and
provide central office staff who are not only conversant with their content area, but also
have a broader range of expertise to lead and integrate specialized knowledge into
content areas. Such planned growth in curricular and instructional support would also
enable central office staff to better articulate across subject areas, grade levels, and
student groups, and plan and deliver training that meets the developmental needs of
teachers and builds their capacity and expertise.
In considering how to unify actions towards an agreed upon set of goals, LAUSD should
consider integration of responsibilities rather than the current configuration of separate
disparate programs. Until then, personnel from early childhood, special education,
programs for students with English language needs, “Beyond The Bell,” and other units
representing populations of students should be included in all curriculum discussions,
decisions, and initiatives.
Consistent action plans would clarify strategies, timelines, and accountability for goal
achievement within the district. The objectives and goals in documents examined were
not associated with responsibilities and accountability of central office, local district, or
school staff to measure progress. Nor did they reflect a target gain for growth at any
level or for specific groups of students. If this is representative of instructional goals set
by the district, its design undermines the ability of staff to attain the goals and objectives.
Documents beg the questions, “Then what?”, “How?,” and “How do you know when the
objective is met?” These documents do not specify anticipated outcomes that benefit
students. District staff reported further that school-level plans do not provide the
additional detail needed to assess completion and impact on students.
• Job Descriptions. Newly developed, draft job descriptions for central and local
instructional positions define expectations for the development of instructional and non-
instructional leadership capacity. Additional instructional job descriptions should
incorporate input from teachers, principals, and local district instructional personnel, as
well as those in the central office’s Instructional Department. Sample job descriptions
from other school districts might serve as models to ensure inclusiveness of qualities and
knowledge that will move instruction in LAUSD forward and create coherence among

school levels, content areas, and the district’s many offices that impact teaching and
learning.
LAUSD must provide training, coaching, and support for the expectations it has for
leadership development and the development of learning communities in the central
office, local districts and schools. The district must also define what it means by terms
such as “increased capacity” expected in job descriptions so that they are specific,
measurable, objective, and achievable. Specific improvements, such as for the
Elementary Chief Instructional Officer, within two years to “demonstrate improvements
in reading/language arts instruction grades 2 and 3” should be set in terms of specific
growth goals compared to baseline data at the inception of the two years. Annual
evaluations should reflect progress towards meeting districtwide goals and expectations.
• Instructional Programs. Once accountability systems are established, LAUSD can

more effectively set its instructional direction and move its academic agenda. Currently,
although direction has been given for units of the Instructional Department to create
instructional guides, no comprehensive, prekindergarten through adult education
instructional plan exists. Open Court, a comprehensive, research-based reading program,
is considered the elementary reading curriculum. Two programs are used at the
secondary level, but no evidence of an instructional plan was provided. Instructional
plans must be integrated appropriately into a comprehensive, cross-grade PreK-12
articulation plan as is acknowledged in the district’s plan to develop instructional
guidance plans. A textbook series, Open Court, should be expanded as part of a
comprehensive, cohesive curricular map that will guide all content areas. All leaders at
the central office should be equally committed to developing a cohesive approach to
instruction districtwide and should be held accountable for that unity. Involving staff
from the central office as well as local districts in the process of creating core
instructional plans, and efforts to integrate all students more seamlessly into regular
classes, will create greater coherence and, therefore, a stronger commitment to the
instructional plans that are developed.
The use of multiple, often duplicative, and sometimes conflicting programs, such as those
for students who are not fluent in English, fragments instruction and confuses students
who are not conversant in English in the first place, by teaching them skills in different
ways with different programs. The district should continue to examine the ways that it
currently addresses instruction for students with special learning needs separately from
other students. It should use core curricula with scaffolding to meet the needs of students
with special needs within regular classes.
The core curricula should be buttressed with professional development that enables
teachers and administrators to teach the core enriched by the knowledge, resources, and
skills to accommodate the learning of individual children, regardless of their identified
needs. This action would leverage the expertise of persons in offices, such as AEMP and
special education, and foster greater inclusion of all students, thus enhancing core
curricula without stigmatizing students by identifying them as “different,” regardless of
their learning needs. This action would unify the district’s approach to literacy to one

central curriculum instead of several most of which are related to student language
acquisition needs such as, but not inclusive: Vantage, High Point, Lectura, Foro Abierto,
Language! Read 180. Focusing on one core program with scaffolding to address the
needs, for instance, of African-American learners, would result in genuine inclusion of
the majority of students into regular education classes, and enable all students to benefit
from the various cultures represented in the LAUSD student body. This change would
transform the differentiation of instruction as a discrete pedagogical methodology for
some students to a way of teaching all students. The district has made tremendous strides
in integrating special education students into core classes through collaborative and co-
teaching models over the past several years. These strategies should be replicated for
integration of other groups of students more concertedly into regular classes and core
curricular areas.
Myriads of research, both current and decades old, find that holding all students to the
same high expectations and structuring educational programs for the success of all
renders high achievement among all students. The foundation of the federal
government’s push for inclusion of students with disabilities into regular education
classes is recognition of the benefits of educational inclusion as opposed to separation for
all students.
PERB evaluations of the district’s discrete programs that duplicate its core reading focus,
such as Language!, also document that they are not effective, and support the notion that
instruction, and consequently student learning, improves with a focus on one effective
system for teaching reading. While such programs may be well-developed and research-
based, they present challenges to a cohesive approach to teaching and learning.
• Instructional Planning. Instead of mandating with a sweeping stroke, programs such as

Small Learning Communities should be based on school/student/staff needs and
implemented accordingly. This recommendation does not negate the need for the central
office to lead districtwide initiatives, craft parameters for coherence, and provide
accountability measures to ensure uniformity towards the achievement of goals. It is
meant to caution the district to take into account the readiness levels of schools for new
initiatives, and the unique characteristics of each school, its students, and staff as it leads.
Documents provided to Evergreen consultants, during the diagnostic visit, reflect a
growing awareness of the necessity of examining the need for an initiative before
adopting it to meet specific purposes, but are currently not widely used.
Little collaboration between the elementary and secondary divisions occurs for
instructional planning or a comprehensive, districtwide instructional approach in any
content area. The singular “elementary instructional guide” the district currently has in
hand is a beginning point. However, it is not a coherent PreKindergarten through Grade
12 plan, but a list of grade by grade subjects, time allocations, curricular programs, and
reported pedagogies used in teaching the content.
Instructional guides should serve as roadmaps to articulate the curriculum and assessment
across grade and school levels with a purposeful focus on standards and cross-
disciplinary integration, inclusion of what is taught when, and its reinforcement through

the year/grades for mastery. These guides should also include strategies for enriching
and/or remediating learning for students progressing at different paces than others.
Strategies for accommodating students with specific learning needs, such as special
education or language acquisition, should also be integrated into the maps so that the
curriculum is effective in driving and unifying the instruction of all students in the
district.
When LAUSD has a singular instructional focus, it can be used as the filter for making
decisions on:
− aligning and scheduling professional development for instructional, administrative,

and non-instructional staff;
− selecting and planning instructional programs;
− developing and revising curriculum and assessments;
− staffing instructional departments/initiatives;
− aligning the work of units within the central office;
− deciding which grants or other funding sources to accept when aligned with the
instructional plan;
− identifying program evaluations to be conducted; and
− defusing political agendas that do not support core, instructional priorities agreed
upon as most important in benefiting all students.
• Professional Development. Professional development is the means by which any school

system engenders the capacity for its educators and leaders to realize its students’
potential. Although awareness of concerns expressed in several documents regarding the
amount of time school and district employees are pulled for central meetings and
trainings was apparent during the diagnostic visit, many individuals reported that there is
little focus to the district’s approach. Examples of effective use of coaches and targeted
training exist that should systematically be replicated and expanded across the district.
Some professional development offered within the district exhibits research-based,
effective practices that should be integrated into all training efforts. In some cases, input
from local educators is systematically sought, and feedback, coaching and collaborative
discussions are used as the basis for changing teacher practice. In fact, in elementary
math, an evaluator is even a part of the process, providing trainers formative feedback on
elements that were effective for ongoing improvement.

Many instructional leaders demonstrated a desire to focus professional development and

reduce the time away from responsibilities for local staff. Central instructional offices
are currently placing their planned training on a central calendar to examine the necessity
and duplication of plans in all areas. Local district and school-based personnel should
also be a part of this discussion. For professional development to be effective in building
capacity towards achievement of student performance goals, it must be tied to a clearly
articulated instructional plan that has not yet been set. After plan development,
agreement needs to be reached and action taken on implementation. Until this is done,
training will not be part of a focused, coherent approach to improving teaching and
learning in specific, data-driven ways.
Developing a tiered approach to professional development will reflect the varying skills
and experiences that individual teachers bring to their classrooms at particular times in
their careers and/or relative to current district initiatives (e.g. new teachers are more
technologically literate, but may need professional development on classroom
management; teachers who have taught regular education moving into special education
or having special education students integrated into their classes may need training on
accommodations or collaborative teaching).
• Instructional Technology. With technology ubiquitous in today’s world, it must be a

thoughtfully integrated and a transparent nucleus of instruction. LAUSD expends far too
many dollars each year on instructional technology for a carefully crafted plan not to
guide those expenditures with its foundation being the impact on student learning with a
clear correlation to instruction. Since LAUSD will be receiving between $60 and 100
million from the recent Microsoft settlement, it is even more critical for there to be a
comprehensive, instructionally-based, coherent instructional technology plan. Current
efforts in instructional technology are not correlated to instruction; the proposed plan
must be integrated with instruction.
As this plan is being developed, the use of technology in instruction to achieve student
performance goals should be integral to its creation. Today’s global society is infused
with technology. The marketplace relies on technology in every arena. Technology
serves as a wealth of information for student application and enrichment in all content
areas. Students must, therefore, be conversant with its use and resources.
The National Center for Educational Statistics released the National Education
Technology Plan in January 2005. This plan outlines seven action steps that school
districts should take to prepare today’s students for the technology challenges of
tomorrow. These action steps are:
− Strengthen Leadership
− Consider Innovative Budgeting
− Improve Teacher Training
− Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools
− Encourage Broadband Access
− Move Toward Digital Content
− Integrate Data Systems

Each of these steps is generally supported by a district technology plan that is long-range,
realistic, and strategic in nature. In districts operating at a best practices level, the
district’s technology plan is integrally tied to its overall strategic plan.
An annual update of the technology plan will communicate the importance of the
planning process. LAUSD should also tie its technology plan with its overall
improvement plan and its budgeting process in a transparent way. A well-established link
between the plan and the budgeting process is essential for sound financial management,
as well as for the ultimate achievement of all plan goals.
Pilot plan projects could initially be created by setting aside a technology fund that would
be allocated in a competitive process similar to the national Technology Challenge Grant
Program (although not as well-funded). The fund should be sufficiently large to
positively influence each school’s ability to change teaching and learning. Schools could
apply for a portion of the fund based on their proposed application of technology
resources to address specific student learning needs. The proposals should be judged by
external representatives familiar with technology and education.
Currently, LAUSD has one ITAF assigned to each local district. This represents
insufficient staffing to effect any level of substantive integration of technology into
classroom instruction. With a comprehensive plan in place, there will be an assurance of
equity of access for all students. Planned, uniform training for teachers and administrators
will enable them to model its use, employ it instructionally, and make management more
effective and efficient.
• Parent Engagement. Most current parental engagement activities in LAUSD relate to

governance rather than engagement of parents from all walks of life in their children’s
education. A number of LAUSD offices with responsibilities in one respect or another
for parental engagement should systematically work together, and, in many cases, do.
However, reported gaps occur. As the district moves towards a proposed matrix
organizational structure, it should consider merging parental engagement outreach efforts
among those district offices and schools. Schools have parent centers that are reported to
be varied in use by parents, staffing levels, and effective methods of outreach. Several
layers of parent advisement inform decisions at the school and district levels, but are
primarily active at the governance level.
Parents can be a school district’s greatest allies and emissaries to the community when
welcomed into partnership. Proactive strategies to recruit parents have been proven to
have a direct impact on student achievement, but schools must re-define what they expect
from parent involvement in order to bring parents from all backgrounds into that
partnership.
Decades of research demonstrate the positive link between parental engagement and
student achievement. Since the early 1970s, high levels of parental involvement have
been identified as one of a few common characteristics of high performing schools
regardless of student socioeconomic level, educational level, personal school experiences,
or ethnicity. Joyce Epstein, at Johns Hopkins University, has done extensive research

documenting the relationship, and has devised a tiered framework for reaching parents of
all backgrounds. This research identifies parental abilities, needs, and barriers to
engagement in six levels of readiness and enables schools to devise strategies for parent
outreach, involvement and respect at each. When used as a basis for a comprehensive
approach to enlisting all parents as partners in their children’s education, it is associated
with rises in student achievement. Two LAUSD local districts have moved in this
direction. These local districts should serve as models to expand parental engagement
beyond the involvement of a few active parents to outreach, inclusion, and partnership
with a broader group of parents from those whose children are most educationally needy
to those who are active in governance. In order to effectively achieve this expansion, a
program coordinator may be needed.
The Secondary Division has identified risk factors for students likely to dropout of school
and developed a secondary plan of action. However, as with other district initiatives,
achievement of an increased graduation rate as expected to meet Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind and a decreased dropout rate must be a
comprehensive, prekindergarten through adult education endeavor. Developing profiles
of LAUSD students who currently dropout, or are delayed in their graduation schedule
from their peers, will enable the district to formulate strategies at all grade levels with
attendant support systems internally and externally. Along with a comprehensive parental
engagement plan, strategies will help students to understand the relationship of their
learning to post-graduation careers, provide family support at an earlier point in students’
lives, and help them to become connected to school. Examination of data will also help
to identify factors that are within the control of schools to intervene on an individual as
well as a group basis.


Operational Area: Instruction
Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
1 Manage toward a long-range plan that allocates resources toward the 9 No one study reported nor was evidence provided in any report that budgeting or High Priority
organization’s most important priorities in ways most likely to staffing are based on instruction, which should be the central focus and driving
Create an
improve student performance. force of district decisions and resource allocations. Furthermore, the same is true of
organizational
any universal methods of accountability at any level for student learning.
structure for
2 Re-constitute the central office structure to provide tactical support, 2, 5 Many studies state that the current role of the central office is perceived to be curriculum and
services and compliance monitoring functions for the local districts. largely compliance, and not necessarily providing support to local districts. This instruction that
perception varies among the offices at the central level, however. Some offices clearly delineates
3 Build more cross-functional teaming and integration into more of the 15 routinely involve local district personnel in decisions and proposed initiatives. central office and
district staff’s work to improve coordination and integration across Some send cross-functional teams to schools with local district administrators to district
functions. provide direct support for a variety of needs. Others circumvent local district responsibilities,
leaders in communicating directly with schools and without consultation, but in a accountability, and
4 Develop clear lines of authority and an effective communications Instructional directive fashion. monitoring. Integral
system within the Division of Instruction, local districts and schools. Strategic Intent to the structure
10/10/06 Evaluative and strategic documents examined for this study displayed performance
should be certain
measures for instructional program goals and objectives, but did not demonstrate
consequences that are
5 Map processes so key participants clearly understand roles and Superintendent’s assignment of accountability for completion of the goals. Nor did they indicate a
enforced when
responsibilities; decentralize instructional processes. job description baseline from which progress would be measured or a target that demonstrated
expectations are not
goal/objective achievement.
met, once they are
6 Clearly articulate functions the district wants to have centrally 5 Interviewees reported that, although some instructional/curricular decisions are agreed upon.
controlled and the powers, functions and resources for local districts collaboratively made between Directors of School Services (DSS) from the eight
and schools. Create action plans to
local districts and central office instructional staff, they are not uniformly
achieve district goals
implemented in all districts. Thus, although the DSSs attend meetings representing
7 When measures are set for evaluation of local superintendents, 5 with specific,
the local districts, their decisions and agreements do not carry the force of local
inconsistent authority and accountability for student achievement measurable
district decisions, making their representation nominal, instead of genuine and
should be addressed. outcomes, strategies,
authorized.
baselines and
Local District Superintendents developed a decision matrix differentiating benchmarks,
8 Boost the capacity of local districts to serve schools by redeploying 5
instructional responsibilities to be held by central and local district offices in 2001. timelines for
central office staff and retain oversight of high schools at the local
Since then, collaboration for decisions at the elementary level is pervasive. monitoring and
district level.
However, at the secondary level, Local District Superintendents and even Directors revision, and specific
of School Services are often by-passed both in information dissemination and in assignment of
9 LAUSD should establish specific measurable, and reasonable goals 1 accountability for
consultation on decisions that affect their secondary schools. This situation
for key administrators directly involved in affecting student completion.
contributes to a lack of focus at the secondary level and diffuses priorities.
performance that are aligned with districtwide student performance
goals.

Operational Area: Instruction (Continued)

Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
Newly developed draft job descriptions for central and local instructional (i.e. individual
positions define expectations for development of instructional and non- central office
instructional leadership capacity, and set forth timelines for specific expectations. staff/offices,
They have not yet reached the point of clearly defining expectations in terms that administrators,
will be measurable, objective, and achievable. Once clear descriptions of employee
expectations such as “increased capacity” and the establishment of benchmarks groups/positions, or
and target goals for each individual are set, annual evaluations must reflect local administrators),
progress toward meeting districtwide goals and expectations. for achievement of
instructional goals
Secondary authority
must be transferred to
local districts with
clear decision making
authority given them
and communications
at all levels.
10 Specific goals have been set by the Modified Consent Decree (MCD) to 30.36, 30.39, Although improvements were made between 2004-05 and 2005-06, the Accountability must
ensure that initial evaluations for students with disabilities are completed 30.43, 30.44 independent monitor was concerned about the quality of the data and be designated and
timely. documentation. He also noted that there was no clear accountability for schools, enforced.
local districts or central office when 60 day timelines were not met.
11 Develop an instructional guidance plan (grade by grade content and 8- The 2002 Strategic Plan was very focused on improving achievement in reading High Priority
pedagogy with linked expectations and content through the grades, explicit Instructional and math. Toward that end, the district committed to a single, research-based
Assemble cross-
appropriate interventions and defined language). Strategic Intent literacy programs at the elementary level, Open Court. Deployment of 475
sections of school,
10/10/06 language arts literacy coaches K-5 helped to embed effective practices in
district, and central
teacher’s repertoires. The intent of the secondary literacy plan was to increase
staff to develop a
12 Create program coherence within and across the Division of Instruction. 8 student literacy and teacher capacity by teaching literacy across content areas.
prioritized, coherent,
Along with use of a narrow range of state-adopted textbooks, 285 math coaches
Pre-K to adult
13 Local districts will be united by a common mission and focus on reading. 15 were assigned to embed professional development in classes. These strategies
education plan for
resulted in significant increases in elementary student achievement in those areas.
content-specific
14 Focus the local district’s instructional and professional development 5 These efforts have not been systematically extended to other content areas or to instruction.
priorities on reading at all levels. consistent efforts to articulate curriculum adoption or planning, implementation
15 All students will achieve grade level standards for literacy to enable them to 5 or professional development across school levels at the central office.
be globally competitive in the 21st Century. Coordinated, purposeful articulation across all grades does not routinely occur at
the central office. There is evidence, however, of efforts to infuse it into the
district’s way of work and it does characterize the work of some offices.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
16 English Learners and Standard English Language Learners will acquire 15 More than one office was reported to adopt programs or address learning needs
the language skills they need to be successful in demonstrating mastery that are duplicative. The elementary division has Language Acquisition
of grade level content standards. responsibilities, K-12 for English learners and languages other than Spanish, but
the secondary division houses the Closing the Achievement Gap/Academic
17 All students, including students with disabilities (according to IEP goals) 15 English Mastery Program for African American students who are not speaking
meet and exceed District/State content performance standards. standard English.
Despite Open Court’s success in LAUSD, the response to the Modified Consent
18 Eliminate the achievement gap by 2015. 15 - Board of Decree recently added Voyager to supplement the core curriculum⎯another
Education effective program for reading for special education students. Other students were
Restructuring reported at different points in their education first to be taught using a program
Memo for English Learners and, once they learn the language, taught with another
program for struggling readers. Evaluations of the use of such programs, for
19 Instruction will be characterized by clear expectations and academic 15 example, Language!, have not been used as basis for program change or
rigor focused on grade level standards. elimination when found to be ineffective.
20 Prioritize programs and reallocate resources to align with instructional Superintendent’s Some programs, such as Small Learning Communities, are mandated for all
priorities. job description schools of a specific type with a particular deadline, despite the school’s
10/2006 readiness level or need. Programs will be more successfully implemented, and
contribute to reduction of the achievement gap, when they are matched to school
21 Increase the numbers and performance of Students with Disabilities 30.36, 30.39, needs and readiness. This will enable the district to allocate resources, both fiscal
(SWD) on California Standards Tests (CST) [per Modified Consent 30.43, 30.44 and human, where they are most likely to garner anticipated outcomes.
Decree {MCD} and Monitoring Report part III outcomes 1 and 2
(11/21/06)].
22 Professional development will ensure that all classroom instruction 15 The foundation of building professional and school capacity is a comprehensive, High Priority
reflects our beliefs that effort counts and that all students can learn. effective professional development program. There is an apparent awareness
among central staff that professional development needs to be re-addressed in
23 Build professional and school capacity. 9 terms of focus and the time that central offerings pull people from schools and
local districts. Efforts are currently underway to coalesce and prioritize training
24 Fundamentally improve the interaction between the teacher and the Strategic Plan offered by the central office. Coaches are effectively employed in math and
student to create critical thinkers prepared to participate in a divers and 10/2006 language arts, but are not used more universally to transfer training to teacher
complex society. practice. Some offices and independent contractors were noted to provide
exceptional professional development that embeds learning into teacher and
25 Begin to create a capacity building system for all members of the Instructional administrator practice.
community. Strategic Intent However, the district has not yet examined and broadly adopted effective
10/2006 methods as the model to use in all training. Currently, it appears that there is little
differentiation and integration of professional development for teachers and
administrators with varied experiences, and knowledge or job-related needs,
either. Professional development must be inclusive.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
26 Increase the capacity of direct reports to be instructional leaders. Superintendent’s Local districts were reported to offer and examples were provided of Revise the district’s
job description leadership training experiences for school leaders and aspiring leaders. The approach to
Institute for Learning, as well as central office reading specialists, have worked professional
with local districts to develop leader capacity to serve as strong, development to tie it
knowledgeable instructional leaders. directly to
instructional
priorities with input
from local district
staff. It should be
focused on delivery
of training for
teachers and
administrators that
supports, reinforces,
and embeds desired
goals into teacher
practice. It should
also reflect an
acknowledgement of
the various learning
needs of the LAUSD
instructional staff and
of findings related to
professional
development in
PERB evaluations
(e.g. Secondary
Literacy Plan).
27 All teachers will be proficient in utilizing technology in the classroom to 15 Reports of teacher use of technology as an instructional tool vary widely. High Priority
support and enhance instruction and develop student skills to enable them LAUSD does not have an Instructional Technology Plan despite the fact that it
Assemble a cross-
to be globally competitive in the information age. spends approximately $60 million per year for IT. Furthermore, it is about to
section of school,
receive between $60-100 million from a Microsoft settlement, so the district
local district, and
must have a comprehensive, instructionally-based, coherent plan, which must
central staff to
be implemented.
develop a long-range
plan for instructional
technology that ties
to and supports the
instructional plan.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
28 District-provided early childhood education will result in attendees with the A 2006 PERB Report found that students who attend the district’s Early Ongoing
pre-literacy and math skills to be successful in achieving grade level Childhood Early Literacy Program are better prepared socially and cognitively
Continue program
standards in kindergarten. than their peers who do not. They also had educationally meaningful gains
and periodic
between pre-and post-tests in the areas of Vocabulary and Memory; performed
evaluation. Expand
higher than cohorts who did not attend preschool or attended other programs
evaluation to
on Memory and Language, and performed higher than non-preschool attenders
mathematical
on Auditory skills. No evidence of a math evaluation was examined.
understanding.
29 All parents will be full partners in the education of their children 1, 3b-c Parent ombudspersons have been hired in each district to serve as links High priority
between schools and community/parent groups. Districts also have varying
Develop a
numbers of Parent Community Facilitators who are in charge of various parent
comprehensive, long-
meetings at that level (English Learner Advisory Committee, Parent Advisory
range parent
Committees and the site council meetings). Two local districts have developed
engagement plan that
extensive parent engagement initiatives using long-standing national research
30 LAUSD should develop more specific guidelines on what it hopes for 3c addresses parent
and received national acclaim for their programs. To date, however, parental
councils to accomplish, define LDs role and develop a mechanism for needs at all levels of
involvement generally is limited more to governance issues than true parental
monitoring and oversight. readiness for
engagement of a broad segment of the parent population.
participation in their
31 Ensure parents are appropriately empowered and accountable. Superintendent’s The district exceeded the target percent of parents attending IEP meetings, but children’s education.
job description did not document at least three attempts to convince parents to attend. The plan should
involve
32 Increase parent and community involvement 15 representatives of all
offices with parental
33 The district will increase the rate of parent participation in IEP meetings in 30.36, 30.43, responsibilities, as
the area of attendance to 75%. 30.44 well as those
representing specific
student groups as
well as local district
representatives to
ensure that all parent
group needs are
represented.
34 All students K-12 will participate in a comprehensive, integrated standards- 8, 30.22 The district has a comprehensive 10-year, standards-based arts plan in all four Ongoing
based arts education instructional program in dance, music, theatre, and arts forms.
Continue to support
visual arts.
arts education; must
be evaluated.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
35 Increase the high school graduation rate by 2015. 8 A School Board Resolution in April 2005 identified the need for a Expand collaboration
comprehensive district plan for prevention, intervention, and recovery. The and plans to address
36 The district shall increase the number of grade 12 students with disabilities 30.36, 30.43, Secondary Division has developed a “Diploma Project” that delineates the graduation rate to
(SWD) who receive diplomas, receive a certificate of completion or age out 30.44 characteristics and causes of students at risk of dropping out. It notes that early include staff at the
vs. dropping out. intervention (grades 4-8) is the most cost efficient and effective in dropout elementary level so
prevention strategy and details numbers of LAUSD students in secondary that students at risk
schools at risk. The plan calls for middle and high school Diploma Project can be identified
Advisors to identify early students who are at risk. Reality is that students at before they reach
risk of dropping out can be identified in elementary school; the plan should be secondary school
districtwide elementary through secondary and adult education. Documents do with strategies to
not reflect inclusion of any elementary personnel as target audiences for support them can be
“Potential” Dropout Student Intervention and Prevention Professional provided to bolster
Development, however. their success and
attachment to school.
37 The outcomes in a Modified Consent Decree begun with action in 1995 for Consent Decree Only 6 of 18 outcomes on the Modified Consent Decree for special education Ongoing
improvement of practices and student outcomes in special education still 1995 had been met in the 2005-06 school year.
Integrate strategies
have not been fully met.
Outcome not met. The Office of Special Education is providing breakdowns of where possible into
student data to all schools and districts on a monthly basis for use in analysis other district
38 Ninety-three (93) percent of the services identified on IEPs of SWD in all 30.36, 30.39,
and development of strategies on an ongoing basis throughout the year to activities and assign
categories will show evidence of service provision. 30.43, 30.44
address the specific needs of their students. The greatest specific concern that specific
the Independent Monitor expressed was in the inability of the district to hire accountability for the
sufficient speech and language staff to provide the needed level of services. timely completion of
each.
Work with
universities and
private sector
organizations to
increase the number
of speech and
language staff
available to serve
LAUSD students
identified for service.


The diagnostic review of business services was performed for the business, finance, and risk
management functions of LAUSD. The diagnostic review included interviews with key
employees and a review of internally and externally prepared district documents. Several
LAUSD employees provided a wealth of information and knowledge about their respective areas
within the organization. Lack of accountability, the recurring theme of previous study
recommendations, aligns with Evergreen’s review of current operations. Evergreen’s
diagnostic review of the business services areas found pockets of excellence struggling to
function within a fractured organizational structure.
One of LAUSD’s greatest assets within the financial services area is a number of key individuals
critical to the potential success of the district’s business and financial services areas. These
highly competent individuals are challenging the culture of underachievement and disregard for
accountability, and are creating pockets of excellence for their respective areas. Unfortunately,
staffing of such highly competent individuals is not consistent throughout the division. Certain
areas lack the organizational capacity to fulfill the district’s responsibility of fiscal control and
accountability over resources intended for the education of LAUSD students.
One of the greatest challenges for LAUSD business operations is the lack of a systemic approach
to accountability. Evergreen’s review concurs with prior study findings regarding
accountability. The district lacks a clearly defined focus on accountability. The
Superintendent’s Annual Budget won the GFOA, Government Finance Officers Association,
Award for excellence in governmental budgeting. The district’s budget, however, does not set
forth accountability as a priority within the strategic plan and does not tie goals for the business
areas to expected outcomes. Goals relative to the business and financial areas are found in the
“other goals” section and state that the district should provide:
• supportive business services that enable schools to function:
• general management to schools and offices;
• data processing services to support all schools and offices;
• fiscal stability so that schools are minimally disrupted by unexpected events and
fluctuations in the larger economy; and
• other business functions to support all schools and offices.
The district’s mission, vision, guiding principles and goals do not mention accountability. Such
an omission is evident in the culture of the organization. Certain individuals within the division
have developed goals and objectives for their areas of responsibility, but interviews with
employees in those areas indicate a lack of understanding, or in some cases, even an awareness
of such goals. A governmental organization, such as LAUSD with a finite amount of public
resources, must clearly establish an effective system of accountability. Accountability for
district resources must be inculcated from the Board of Education throughout the entire district to
support the efforts of the Business Services Division.

In addition to the lack of accountability, several other concerns identified in prior reports still
exist. Major categories include organizational structure, financial reporting, internal controls,
and asset management. The district has taken steps to resolve several of these concerns with its
new financial accounting system, currently under implementation, but more progress needs to be
made.
In addition to Evergreen’s comments already directed towards the area of organizational

structure regarding a lack of organizational capacity, the overall staffing of the business and
financial areas should be evaluated considering the efficiencies of the new financial accounting
system. The substantial amount of duplicative transactions performed manually increases the
number of hours necessary to perform a particular function. The implementation of the new
system has the potential to change the number of employees, and the skills and competencies
necessary to effectively perform the tasks.
Financial reporting is identified repeatedly in prior study recommendations. Financial reporting

has been cited as a finding as it relates to general accounting, food services accounting, payroll,
and grants management (especially for instructional expenditures). Evergreen’s review found
financial reporting issues still exist. The new financial accounting system has enhanced
reporting capabilities and should provide the mechanism to improve this area of concern.
Reliable, timely financial reports are critical for effective management decisions.
Internal controls and asset management are also cited repeatedly in prior study
recommendations. Internal controls for purchasing and asset management, cash collection and
management, payroll, direct and indirect cost authorizations and allocations, and federal grant
administration are the subject of recommendations in prior studies and are still areas of concern.
An effective system of internal control must include a comprehensive procedures manual,
properly communicated, and used as the basis for employee training.
The results of Evergreen’s diagnostic review of business services areas found that many
employees are working toward improving the division, but much still needs to be accomplished.
Prior study recommendations of the various reviewers have been substantially consistent and, for
the areas highlighted in this overview, continue to be repeated. An increased focus on
accountability from the Board of Education and Superintendent throughout the entire district is
necessary for the prudent, fiscally responsibility management of scarce resources critical for the
education of LAUSD students.


Operational Area: Business Services
Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
1 Develop an integrated and comprehensive strategic plan for the Business 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Annual plans are linked to performance measures. The next High Priority
Services Division, which in linked to the Superintendent’s goals. 1/2006 step is to develop the five-year strategic plan with inclusion of support for
(p. 123) instructional priorities.
2 Move to resolve and clarify organizational reporting relationships among the 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. A cross section of business, operations, and instructional staff Continue to
schools, Local Districts, and central units to achieve clearly defined and 1/2006 has been working on roles and responsibilities of respective areas with the goal of Implement
well-coordinated operational units. This process should clarify the role of (p. 123) streamlining processes and operational burden on the schools. Development is in
the principals and use this definition as the basis for future restructuring. progress.
3 Update, streamline, and communicate the district’s standard operating 5 – CGCS Partially Implemented. Process mapping of current processes has been performed. Implement
procedures, and upgrade antiquated internal controls to reduce the need for 1/2006 Work flow is not consistently efficient and comprehensive procedures are established immediately for
system “work around” that have been employed by Local District (p. 123) or documented. internal control
superintendents and school principals. concerns and upon
organizational
restructuring for the
operating
procedures.
4 Create the position of Campus Business manger with the appropriate skills 5 – CGCS Has not been implemented. Needs assessment has not been established. Consider with
and responsibilities to relieve the principal of certain administrative burdens, 1/2006 organizational
allowing him or her to focus on instructional leadership. (p. 124) restructuring
5 Create a one stop help desk to handle all noninstructional issues faced by the 5 – CGCS Implemented in Business Services. Business services maintain a record of questions, Completed
schools. 1/2006 concerns, issues and the response and time for resolution.
(p. 124)
6 Make greater use of cross functional teams to resolve problems and develop 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Evidence of cross functional communication exists at certain Continue to
operational plans for improved efficiencies. 1/2006 levels. Cross functional teams are used as needed for specific initiatives. More work implement
(p. 124) is needed.
7 Charge the leaders of the Business Services Division with developing a plan 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Surveys are used to assess customer satisfaction. Work is still Continue to
for improving customer relations and hold them accountable for 1/2006 planned to determine the correlation between services provided and services implement
implementing it. Units need to be certain that the service that they are (p. 124) needed/wanted.
delivering effectively is the service that their customers actually want.

Operational Area: Business Services (Continued)

Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
Or What Was Implemented, (Resourcing/
8 Institute a mechanism for recognizing and rewarding individual, group, and 5 – CGCS Not implemented. Consensus is a good idea, but it has not gained adequate Implement through
unit performance, creativity, and efficiency within the division. 1/2006 comprehensive support. assessment and
(p. 124) accountability⎯
Culture of district
must recognize the
importance of
accountability.
9 Reduce organizational redundancies and flatten the organizational structure 5 – CGCS Not implemented. Concern is not fully understood. Duplication of effort does exist Implement
of the division by eliminating one-to-one reporting relationships. 1/2006 in certain areas. considering the new
(p. 124) financial accounting
system and related
efficiencies.
10 Strengthen procedures to update free and reduced price lunch program 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Application scanning process implemented which reduced Important to ensure
student counts so that current information is available for use by Title 1 and 1/2006 school workload and created an automated database for eligibility. Process seems reliability of free and
other programs. (p. 124) cumbersome. reduced lunch data
regardless of Title 1
use.
11 Increase internal controls over purchasing by using employees who are 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. District uses piggybacks and is reviewing the appropriateness Has potential to save
independent of the purchasing dept to review purchase prices periodically, 1/2006 of such practice. Leadership has focused on creating coordinated purchasing district funds
considering competitive bids by other agencies in making purchasing (p. 124) functions to streamline processes between users and purchasing. Procurement has
decisions, rotating the areas of responsibility of contract or purchasing formalized inclusion of performance evaluations and material management has similar
officers on a regular basis, maintaining a record of suppliers who have not requirements for suppliers to warehouse.
met quality or other performance standards, documenting and publishing the
selection criteria and processes for awarding personal service or
construction contracts.
12 Establish controls to ensure that good are received and meet quality 5 – CGCS Implemented. Procedures have been implemented in Material Management. Next Continue to monitor
standards and that include procedures for filing claims against carriers or 1/2006 step is compliance monitoring.
vendors for shortages or damaged materials, a process for accurately (p. 125)
counting and examining received goods to ensure that they meet quality
standards, receiving reports that account numerically for or are otherwise
controlled to ensure that all receipts are reported to the accounting
department, designating a district representative to monitor and evaluate
contractor performance and approve receipt of services for special purpose
materials, services, or facilities.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
13 Restructure the district’s budget to clearly articulate the strategic direction 5 – CGCS Not implemented. The district won the GFOA Certificate of Excellence Award. High Priority
and priorities of the district. The budget document should communicate 1/2006 District has met the GFOA standards of excellence. The district has no current
how the budget relates to the district’s mission, goals, and operational (p. 139) strategic plan from which branches and departments can establish goals and priorities.
activities and who is accountable organizationally for specified outcomes.
14 Tie Local District and school budget explicitly to the district’s instructional 5 – CGCS Not Implemented. Instructional staff meets with business and operations in divisional High Priority
goals and priorities. 1/2006 meetings to discuss instructional priorities. Much work remains. School budgets are
(p. 139) based on the transactions of managing the budget not used as an informational tool.
15 Develop a “citizen’s budget” or other accessible synopsis of the budget that 5 – CGCS Implemented. The district does have a pocket budget in tri-fold format that is used to Completed
can be used to communitywide distribution. 1/2006 communicate the budget to the public.
(p. 139)
16 Expand participation in the budget development process. This expansion 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. All departments are not consistently involved in the budgetary High Priority
should extend to utilization of the information and resources of the Planning 1/2006 process. The Finance Department meets three months on department budgets and has
and Research department to develop objective criteria for the evaluation of (p. 139) not yet linked to Planning and Research. District officials concur there is still much
programs in the budgetary process. work to do.
17 Establish a clearer process to solicit input from Local District personnel, 5 – CGCS Partially implemented (see above). Pilot testing before system roll out is currently High Priority
principals, and others on the annual budget process and to pilot-test ideas 1/2006 being performed for BTS (Better Tools for Schools). Preparation module is a pilot at
before they are rolled out to the field. (p. 139) 40 schools. Budgetary process does not consistently solicit input from school and
department. District officials concur more work needs to be done.
18 Base decisions on program expansions or cuts on goal-driven and 5 – CGCS Not implemented. This is a goal that district officials believe is beyond the control of Priority for prudent,
measurable criteria. Ineffective programs should be eliminated, not simply 1/2006 the budget department. Program people should be held accountable for their own fiscal management.
reduced in funding, and programs should not be continued based solely on (p. 139) budgets. Implementation will
the impact that their discontinuance might have on personnel. require senior level
support.
19 Charge the leadership of the financial services unit with making a greater 5 – CGCS Implemented. District changed leadership and charged him with more visibility at Completed
effort to understand the districts past fiscal issues, problems, challenges, and 1/2006 schools, department, and community functions including instructional leadership.
accomplishments in order to gain additional perspective on how to guide the (p. 139)
district in the future.
20 Establish effective controls for safeguarding assets from unauthorized use, 5 – CGCS Not implemented. No strong asset inventory. Little oversight of manual ledgers. No High Priority
theft, and physical damage by providing annual reports detailing all missing 1/2006 central asset management function. Implementation
property items and their total costs at all cost centers or sites for review by (p. 139) potentially could
the Board of Education, Properly identifying all equipment by metal number save district funds.
tags another means for positive identification.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
21 Develop a process that sets objectives for risk-management activities, 5 – CGCS Implemented. District risk management function is well developed and documented. Completed
identifies and evaluates risks, and reduces the impact of losses, including a 1/2006
management policy related to risk financing and related insurance coverage (p. 139)
to provide reasonable coverage for risks of loss.
22 Establish controls to ensure that the district’s financial resources are 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. The BTS will have monthly reports. Reports are not High Priority
managed properly, including: monthly financial reports for fiscal 1/2006 meaningful at this point. District is working towards establishing accountability in
management and decision making for the Board of Education, periodic (p. 140) this area.
System is currently
reviews of and formal authorizations for district’s depositories, adequate
under
fidelity-bonding for employees responsible for cash management, cash flow
implementation
analyses to determine the extent of idle funds available for investments,
controls related to electronic funds transfers.
23 Establish tighter controls to account for payment of salaries and benefits that 5 – CGCS Not implemented. Requirements for direct deposits may be subject to collective High Priority
include implementing a mandatory direct deposit process for payroll, 1/2006 bargaining. Controls for payroll are not implemented and should be considered within
comparing of W-2 forms and payroll records, investigating returned W-2s (p. 140) a system of internal controls.
24 Monitor and report grant activities on a regular basis that includes timely 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Finance created small grants unit and a new system with a Consider with
investigation when financial reporting requirements are not met, centralizing 1/2006 grants master file is to be implemented. Grants Compliance Unit reports to organizational
and fixing the monitoring of all grant activities to ensure compliance with (p. 140) Instructional Branch and should consider a move to the Finance. restructuring.
the use of funds, and all financial reporting and billing requirements.
25 Use the district’s annual external audit to improve district operations, 5 – CGCS Partially Implemented. Finance has hired an employee responsible for internal Implement with
including the timely review and follow-up of findings, development of 1/2006 controls and managing of findings and corrective actions. Interviews indicate a need current staff and
corrective action plans and implementation of corrective actions, (p. 141) for professional level support for establishment of internal control function. District enhanced with
presentation of audit findings and corrective action plans to the Board of officials concur more work is needed. organizational
Education. restructuring.
26 Create a central clearinghouse for grant applications to ensure adherence to 5 – CGCS Implemented. Small Grants Unit has a log of clearinghouse for all grants and signs Completed, but
district policies and financial practices and consistency with the district’s 1/2006 off on all grants on behalf of the superintendent. The Small Grants Unit has strong ties needs to be
goals, objectives, and methodologies. (p. 141) with the instructional leadership. maintained.
27 Hold external grant managers explicitly accountable for exceeding program 5 – CGCS Not implemented. Small Grants Unit reportedly attempts to establish accountability Should be supported
budgets and not informing grant staff in a timely manner of the expiration of 1/2006 with minimal success. by senior
grant funds. (p. 141) management and
implemented with
organizational
restructuring.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
28 Establish a more effective automated position control system for both 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. The new BTS financial accounting system incorporates a High Priority
certificated and classified personnel to prevent payments for unauthorized 1/2006 three-way match for pay against HR position number, budget authorization, and site-
positions. (p. 141) reported time.
29 Develop a district wide budget calendar to ensure that finance decisions are 5 – CGCS Implemented. The district has developed a high level calendar and detailed Completed
made on a standard basis and can be made early enough to avoid midyear 1/2006 administrative calendar. The calendar is on the Web and in the budget book.
financial disruptions. (p. 141)
30 Institute the necessary technology to provide timely, useful, and accurate 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. The district is currently implementing a new financial Currently being
standardized financial reporting to Local District and school personnel to 1/2006 management system. This new system has reporting capabilities that will need to be implemented
enable them to manage their resources better and to preclude the need for (p. 141) developed and utilized.
school sites to maintain their own separate financial records. This
technology should allow budget transactions and have budget transfer
capabilities.
31 Establish uniform comprehensive financial procedural manuals for school 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Functional areas have started development of procedures Is necessary for
sites, Local Districts, and central offices and conduct appropriate training for 1/2006 documentation for future compilation into procedures manuals. Much work still needs system of internal
users. (p. 141) to be done. control
32 Reexamine how the district manages and spends its federal Title 1 resources 5 – CGCS Partially implemented. Significantly changed how to manage Title I and all Has financial reclaim
to include: an examination how central control points in the organization are 1/2006 categorical funds with relationship between budget and instruction. Audit findings impact
hampering the effective utilization of these funds, an analysis of whether (p. 141) still exist.
funds are being used to support the district’s priorities at the school site
level, an analysis of whether funds are being allocated on a timely basis.
33 Enhance controls, provide additional training and update its policy bulletin AFR* Partially implemented. Inspector General completed report, staff reviewed, and Has financial reclaim
to provide more specific guidance and instructions to help ensure 2006 discussions are in progress. Much work is needed. New payroll system should help impact
compliance with OMB Circular A-87 as it relates to allowable costs charges (p. 184) with control features.
to federal programs including charges to federal awards for salaries and
wages, whether treated as direct or indirect costs, salary distribution based
on personnel activity reports and related certifications of such work
provided
34 Strengthen controls by providing additional training to program personnel AFR 2006 Partially implemented. District had an accounts payable cycle of over 90 days. Has internal control
responsible for the coding and classification of program expenditures to (p. 187) Purchasing card was implemented to reduce the number of payments in accounts and financial reclaim
ensure that they are reasonable, necessary, and consistent with district policy payable. District tries to balance reduce volume in accounts payable transactions impacts. Should be
and OMB Circular A-87 as it relates to allowable costs charges to federal against expenditure control. implemented with
awards, and capital expenditures for general purpose equipment which are current staff and
not allowed. enhanced with
organizational
restructuring.
*Annual Financial Report


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
35 Strengthen controls to ensure that indirect cost rates are accurate and AFR 2006 Not implemented. Charges to food service and federal grants are under review. BTS Has internal control
updated to ensure their correct allocation to the federally funded program. (p. 191) accounting system with grants management system will provide opportunity for better and financial reclaim
control. Authorization for charges must be improved. impacts. Must be
implemented.
Important fiduciary
issue.
36 Comply with federal cash management requirements or obtain positive AFR 2006 Partially Implemented. Accrued interest on cash advances. In response to audit Substantially
confirmation of a waiver of the requirements from its various federal (p. 194) finding, money will be returned. District will implement procedures to remit interest. completed. Staff
funding agencies. Review its current policy for the calculation of interest follow through
due to the federal government to eliminate the recording of interest due from needed.
the federal government and the subsequent netting with amounts earned on
Federal Advances.
37 Consider implementing a more automated system of accounting for AFR 2006 Not implemented. Proposal to create an asset management function was not funded. Has financial impact
equipment inventory with a software program, which should have the (p. 199) Staff is currently working on alternative methods, such as integration of controls into potential and should
capabilities to capture all equipment over the federal equipment threshold of every division. be priority.
$5,000. These detailed equipment records should be used both by the
district to reconcile its equipment recorded in the general ledger for financial
reporting purposes and at the schools to support the accuracy and
completeness of the school classroom inventory equipment inventory
counts. Strengthen its internal control policies and procedures to prevent
loss or misappropriation of assets by developing some sort of sampling of
the existence of its equipment: selecting a sample of equipment acquired
during the year and tracing it to the physical equipment at the school site,
and selecting a sample of equipment acquired in a previous year but still
maintained in the permanent inventory records and tracing it to the physical
equipment at the school site. Review the current equipment inventory and
disposal policies and procedures and consider implementing a more
automated system of accounting for equipment for equipment inventory
software program which should have the capabilities to capture all
equipment over the federal equipment threshold of $5,000 It should also
have the ability to generate reports to detail annual equipment acquisitions
and dispositions by federal program and by school site location.
38 Strengthen its process so that administrative costs are not charged in excess AFR 2006 Not implemented. District does not agree with the rule. Completed
of the 2% limit. (p. 207)


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
39 Strengthen its process and controls over the calculation of the administrative AFR 2006 Not implemented. District disputes audit calculation. Completed
costs charged to ensure that administrative costs are not charged over the (p. 207)
allowable maximum. During the procedures performed over the program
earmarking requirements, we noted that the District had not included all
administrative costs in the calculation of the district’s 15% earmarking limit.
California law requires an organization participating in the 21st Century
Community Learning Center program receiving funding for an after school
or before and after school program may expend no more than 15% of annual
core funding on administrative costs. Indirect costs are included in
administrative costs.
40 Enhance its current policies and procedures to include documented controls AFR 2006 Partially implemented. BTS system implementation begun in July 2006 with Has financial reclaim
in place and specific object codes to capture earmarked expenditures to help (p. 209) conversion to state accounting code. Change has not helped yet due to limited staff potential and should
ensure compliance with earmarking requirements. Further recommend the understanding. be priority⎯
District maintain documentation o support earmarking expenditures for a Important fiduciary
period of not less than three years as required by the award and reporting issue.
documentation.
41 Update its policies, procedures and current templates for all contract types to AFR 2006 Partially implemented. Policies and procedures are being developed for Has financial reclaim
reflect the change in the Federal regulations that were effective Nov 2003. (p. 216) implementation in July 2007. potential and should
be priority⎯
Important fiduciary
issue.
42 Strengthen its controls over its procurement approval process to ensure that AFR 2006 Partially implemented. Procurement is developing procedures and is starting to audit High Priority
required District policies are being followed with proper documentation (p. 222) to establish standards of reporting. Contract compliance unit is being requested for
maintained in the procurement files. (has to do with quotes, verbal and funding.
written requirements)
43 Strengthen controls over the cash collection and reporting process at the AFR 2006 Not implemented. Policies on cash management are not evenly implemented. District High Priority
school sites by requesting that a copy of the total from the register sales tape (p. 222) interviews indicate they lack competencies at the area food service supervisor level to
be included in the weekly claim information being sent to the District office. resolve this concern.
Recommend that these sales tapes be retained or microfilmed for record
retention purposes to comply with federal guidelines.
44 Strengthen its current controls over reporting to ensure that reports are AFR 2006 Partially implemented. The district is implementing the new BTS financial Should be priority
completed accurately. (refers to supporting documentation to support exp (p. 229) accounting system. Staff must develop and ensure reports are created and financials
reported in annual Performance Reports for Improvement of Ed and Early monitored.
Readiness)


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
45 Establish an audit committee separate from the Audit, Business, and AFR 2006 Not implemented. District contends that the Audit, Business, and Technology Should be discussed
Technology Committee. (p. 278) Committee embodies many of the attributes of a separate committee. and evaluated
46 Some documents in an orderly manner with adequate physical protection AFR 2006 Partially implemented. Documents will be maintained in the new financial Should continue to
again inadvertent destruction or loss. This relates to documents including (p. 279) accounting system. The district has an initiative of file net project to digitize imaging be implemented
reconciliations and exception and edit report not available at the district. system starting with accounts payable then human resources.
47 Implement controls to ensure that vendors are not entered twice into the AFR 2006 Partially implemented. The BTS Financial Accounting System should provide High Priority
database. (p. 281) substantial control. Internal controls will have to be assured.
48 Implement steps to ensure that key payroll systems can be adequately AFR 2006 Partially implemented. The BTS Financial Accounting System has replaced the old Should continue to
supported in the short term by knowledge transfer, documentation and (p. 287) programming system. Documentation will still have to be maintained for the system be implemented
training, retention of retiring programming staff through contractual and training on new system is essential.
agreements, recruitment of new employees to transfer of employees from
other areas within ITD
49 Consider replacing their payroll systems and processes with an integrated AFR 2006 Partially implemented. In July 2006, the system started implementation of the new Should continue to
payroll/human resources/benefits system. The District’s approach should (p. 290) financial accounting system. Continued documentation, evaluation, monitoring and be implemented
include the following steps: conduct a benchmarking study to discover best training is essential to ensure the integrity of the system.
practices among similarly structured organizations. District should analyze
the reasons underlying the complexities of the current payroll processes and
perform baseline business process reengineering, evaluate various payroll
system options, perform formal need analysis/functional requirements for
the proposed solution, develop a migration plan that would include project
development, project management, and change management programs,
reengineer business processes to support the selected solution using
employee self service models to automate workflow and minimize human
interaction as well as process inefficiencies, implement the solution.
50 Assess the appropriateness of the transfers out of the program and replenish AFR 2006 Implemented. District refunded $11.4 million to the school service fund in 2006-07. Should continue to
such funds if deemed necessary to comply with various federal and state (p. 314) District should continue to monitor for compliance. be implemented
requirements. (Noted a transfer out of school food service of $1,362,788
that was transferred to the special education fund of the district. Based on a
reading of District correspondence, this transfer was made under the State
budget flexibility provisions. Another transfer was made the prior year of
$2,641,751.

2.4 Human Resources

The diagnostic review of human services was performed for the Personnel Commission and the
Human Resources Division functions of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The
primary focus of the diagnostic review was on the administrative and personnel responsibilities
of the two units. The review included interviews with the heads of the Personnel Commission
and Human Resources, key employees in the Personnel Commission and Human Resources
Division, Board Members, community and civic leaders, union leaders, and members of the
business community.
The significant issues identified in Evergreen’s review of previous reports centered around
teacher shortages, staff relations, evaluation procedures, and union relations. In addition,
previous reports focused on the separation of the Personnel Commission and Human Resources
considering that both have identical functional responsibilities with their difference being the
clients they serve (Personnel Division for classified personnel; Human Resources for Certificated
Personnel).
The diagnostic review noted that ongoing action is being taken to resolve some, but not all
issues. Improvements in collaboration have been made and facilitated through the use of a
third-party consultant. Improvements which has been initiated include:
• creating a “seamless” service to customers by teamwork between the two units;

• aligning the workforces;
• creating two separate, but correlated strategic plans;
• consolidating processes and procedures; and
• developing common tools such as evaluation forms.
Much has been done, but additional, continued improvements are needed in such areas as:
• developing a job classification central repository to eliminate the practice of job

classifications being created for certificated or classified personnel outside of the Human
Resources or Personnel Commission;
• taking responsibility in the Human Resources Division and the Personnel Commission to
develop job descriptions for personnel in LAUSD;
• duplicating hiring, employment, training, retention, employment relations, evaluations,

job descriptions and customer service functions;
• designing a competent evaluation system for all certificated and classified personnel;
• improving the quality and control of external staff evaluations, which at present are not
systemic, lack quality and should be reduced in scope;
• ensuring that accountability for professional development training is mandatory and not
voluntary; and
• developing the process, procedures and implementation to meet change management

requirements to move all personnel operations into the 21st Century.

The Human Resources Division has functional responsibility for all certificated personnel in
LAUSD, including teachers, administrators, principals, staff personnel, and others who must be
certificated in order to meet employment requirements. The Human Resources Division is
responsible for their recruitment, employment, training, retention, employment relations and
customer service. The Human Resources Division is responsible to the Superintendent for staff
relations pertaining to certificated personnel. The Human Resources Division maximizes use of
technology and other automated systems to monitor, support and control human resources
operations for certificated personnel in LAUSD. The Human Resources Director is supported by
a highly professional staff that is well trained and fully cognizant of the important
responsibilities associated with the human resources function and its criticality to the success of
the educational mission of the district.
The Personnel Commission provides human resources services to all LAUSD classified
employees. The Commission is responsible for the recruitment, employment, training, retention,
and employment relations for classified employees. The Commission is composed of three
members: one appointed by the Board of Education, a second member represents the union with
the largest number of classified employees, and the third member is selected by the other two
members. The Personnel Commission Director, as the chief administrator, runs the day-to-day
operations for the Personnel Commission. Personnel Commission staff report to the
Commission, although they are under the Board of Education. The Personnel Commission
maximizes use of technology and other automated systems to monitor support and control human
resources operations for classified personnel in LAUSD.
It was reported, during the on-site diagnostic review, that until recently no LAUSD
Superintendent had met with the Personnel Commission for about 30 years, although the
Personnel Commission has repeatedly invited LAUSD Superintendents to meet.
Evergreen Solutions conducted interviews and examined the law, policies, procedures, and prior
studies relating to the functions and operations of the Personnel Commission and Human
Resources Division. The following was noted during the on-site diagnostic review:
• both elements duplicate hiring, employment, training, retention, employment relations,

and customer service functions;
• each operates independent employee recruiting initiatives; and
• possible duplication of staff exists between the units.
The dichotomy between the Human Resources Division reporting to the LAUSD Superintendent
and the Personnel Commission reporting to the Board of Education continues to exist. The above
arrangement could be considered to be dysfunctional, creating duplication of effort, wasting
resources, and not in the best interest of LAUSD. The situation could also, however, upon further
observation and analysis, prove to be providing effective services to certificated and classified
personnel. This issue will require additional analysis by Evergreen Solution, keeping in mind
that a merger will require a waiver from the California Department of Education.


Operational Area: Human Resources
Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
1 Consolidate all human resources and personnel functions into a single 5 - CGSC Not implemented. The Human Resources Division administers certificated This
department reporting directly to the superintendent to ensure that the 1/2006 personnel and the Personnel Commission administers classified personnel. recommendation
functions sustain the district’s top-to-bottom reform effort. (p. 13) Consolidation of all human resources and personnel function into a single should be a high
department has not occurred, nor is there an implementation plan for priority.
consolidation which will necessitate a waiver from the state.
2 Reorganize the consolidated Human Resources Department into four core 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. The February 2007 goals of the Human Resources Recommendation
functions: recruitment and employment, retention, employee relations, and 1/2006 Division are to improve recruitment, and the placement of qualified teachers should continue to
customer services. (p. 13) and administrators. Though not specifically identified in the goals, the Human be implemented.
Resources Division indicated that it has organized initiatives to focus on
retention, employee relations, and customer service.
3 LAUSD has somewhat fewer staff members than do other major city 5 - CGSC Not implemented. CGSC indicates that LAUSD appears to have these Comparisons should
school districts in most staffing categories except teacher aides. LAUSD 1/2006 shortages. A comparative analysis has not been made. It will be necessary for be made with other
appears to have more teacher aides) 1 aide for every 52.8 students) than do (p. 62) the district to make a substantiated comparison with other large urban school districts to
other big city school districts (1 aide for every 93.6 students). The LAUSD districts to determine if and what shortages exist. substantiate.
also had fewer administrators at the central and regional offices and at the
school level than do other big city school districts, including New York
and Chicago.
4 The Superintendent oversees human resources, financial operations, or 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Process of correcting the oversight is acknowledged, but This
informational technology – functions that are critical to the district’s next 1/2006 corrective action is not in progress. recommendation
steps in the reform process – only through the Chief Operating Officer. (p. 66) should be
This indirect oversight might have a negative impact on the ability of the implemented.
school district to implement its new ERP system, overhaul human
resources, and strengthen the financial units.
5 The district’s human resource functions are splintered by having staff 5 - CGSC No action taken to correct. Human Resources currently report to the Continue to study
relations reporting to the superintendent and the Personnel Commission 1/2006 Superintendent and Personnel Commission reports to the Board of Education. consolidation as a
reporting to the Board of Education. (p. 67) The two units should continue to be studied for consolidation. high priority.

Operational Area: Human Resources (Continued)

Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
6 The district does not have a single functional unit that oversees or 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Professional development efforts are fragmented. Recommend a single
coordinates the school system’s professional development efforts. The 1/2006 functional unit to
district also has little way to determine and monitor how professional (p. 68) oversee professional
development required by the No Child Left Behind at the school level is development, and
actually used. decision as to where
it should be placed.
7 Employees often viewed the district’s two main unions – UTLA and 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Situation still exists and is a difficult issue to resolve. Will Board and
AALA – as “go-to” organizations when they wanted to solve problems that 1/2006 require tremendous application of resources to resolve. Superintendent
they could not get the LAUSD itself to solve. (p. 70) assessment before
going forth.
8 Principals are unable to evaluate plant managers, school police, academic 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. Issue is being examined by the Human Resources Continue to monitor
coaches, and other school-based staff members who are organizationally 1/2006 Division. progress
accountable to Central Support Services. (p. 72)
9 In general, the district is highly centralized, somewhat remote, and oriented 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Serious problem of independent operating units continues Major problem to
largely around issues of compliance and control than issues of performance 1/2006 (also see Section 2.1). resolve. Will require
and achievement. Operational silos have become highly defined and (p. 72) dedicated leadership
problem solving across units is all too rare. The “work around” nature of at all levels to
how staff at all levels handle what should be systemic, moreover, is resolve. School and
contributing to as sense of ineffectiveness, isolation, poor communications, community
fractured operations, and weak accountability. Essentially, the district often leadership must be in
works as a series of independently operating units rather than as a system. full support.
10 Proposed Central Organization Structure includes a Chief Human 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. Working with an external consultant, the Human Recommendation for
Resources Officer, who would be responsible for transitioning the division 1/2006 Resources Division has developed a strategic plan addressing most of these implementation has
from one limited to personnel functions to a strategic partner responsible (p. 74) issues. potential to save
for employee recruitment, selection, and certification; compensation, district funds.
retirement, unemployment, professional development, and training; and
employee hearings, staff relations, employee grievances, and disputes.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
11 Consolidate the Human Resources and personnel functions over which the 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Consolidation of the
district has direct control (i.e. staff relations, early childhood, vocational 1/2006 Personnel
and adult education, and Beyond the Bell) into a single department-and (p. 74) Commission and
petition the state to allow the district to consolidate the Personnel Human Resources
Commission into that department. could have cost
savings implications.
12 Consolidate professional development into one office responsible for 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Human Resources Division and Personnel Commission have Requires further
designing, coordinating, delivering, and evaluating coherent and ongoing 1/2006 separate and independent elements. study
training programs focused on the district’s goals, objectives, and priorities. (p. 75)
13 Create and share single, clear, rational organizational charts for the Central 5 - CGSC Not implemented. Related to the above. Requires further
Support System and all related offices with top strategic priorities clearly 1/2006 study
visible in the organizational structures. (p. 75)
14 Expand the delegation of authority to senior staff members to encourage 5 - CGSC Not implemented. More work is required to determine if the LAUSD culture Recommendation is
them and their staff members to be “less risk adverse” and act more like 1/2006 has changed to produce more effective leaders. important to ensure
leaders and managers. (p. 75) leadership
improvement.
15 Linkage is needed among Non-Instructional Program Objectives, Board 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. The Human Resources Division is working with an Recommendation
Goals, and the Strategic Plan. The Board Goal is concern about the 1/2006 external consultant to improve issues related to this recommendation. has potential to
Achievement Gap. The Human Resource Department should: increase the (p. 75) improve hiring
number of newly hired credentialed teachers in underperforming schools credentialed
and increase employment of emergency permit teachers. personnel.
16 Expand technology uses to improve service to customers and to strengthen 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. The Human Resources Division is implementing This
resources. 1/2006 additional procedures to strengthen technology and use other innovations to recommendation
(p. 85) improve customer service. should continue to
be implemented.
17 Increase the number of newly hired credentialed teachers in 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. Action is being taken to implement this recommendation This
underperforming schools. 1/2006 to increase the number of newly hired credentialed teachers in underperforming recommendation
(p. 89) schools. should continue to
be implemented.
18 Improve employment processes, procedures, and practices through 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. Action is being taken to implement this recommendation Recommendation is
enhanced technology and staff development. 1/2006 to improve employment processes, procedures, and practices through enhanced important to ensure
(p. 89) technology and staff development. improvement
through enhanced
technology.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
19 Expand technology uses to improve service to customers and strengthen 5 - CGSC Partially implemented. Action is being taken to implement this recommendation This
data resources. 1/2006 to improve service to customers and strengthen data resources. recommendation
(p. 89) should continue to
be implemented.
20 The teams saw no evidence that staff at any level had been terminated for 5 - CGSC Not implemented. It appears that there has been no change in termination This
failure to meet any performance goals. Staff members had sometimes been 1/2006 procedures for failure to meet performance goals. In fact, evaluation processes recommendation
terminated or reassigned for failure to acculturate them to the district, but (p. 91) are not designed for this purpose. should be
few had been released in the recent past for failure to perform. implemented.
21 The Personnel Commission should establish written guidelines for setting California State The recommendation by the auditors calls for increased internal guidelines to be Recommendation is
salaries and ensure that it consistently follows processes and procedures Audit used by staff to conduct salary surveys. The district should take action to important to ensure
for determining administrative compensation. 9/2006 improve and augment those documents. Staff should enhance guides and leadership
(p. 68) research best practices regarding salary setting guidelines and policies to better improvements.
reflect the complex processes staff follows in recommending salaries to the
Personnel Commission.
22 The Personnel Commission should maintain complete records of its salary California State Staff is currently implementing a new database system designed to track and Recommendation
determination process, including what methods it followed and what Audit organize data to enhance reporting capability. Staff will explore its capacity to may not be needed if
information it used to support its decisions. 9/2006 assist in the tracking and reporting of survey methodology. In addition, staff is the Personnel
(p. 69) expecting the implementation of a document storage system for the District Commission and
(Filenet) to assist in this endeavor. Human Resources
Division are
consolidated.


According to several LAUSD officials, the facilities function of LAUSD was only minimally
addressed for over three decades until about the year 2001. During that 30-year period,
administrators with little facilities experience were commonly placed in charge of facilities. Few,
if any, of these facilities chiefs had the necessary background or qualifications to understand the
significance and importance of facilities planning and maintenance, and to run a proper facilities
department function. Thus, a legacy of inattention and neglect was formed in the facilities arena
of LAUSD since about the late 1960s.
The following factors were prevalent during this period:
• Insufficient, and nearly dormant, new construction activity resulted in the eventual
overcrowding of existing schools, leading to:
− a decision to operate schools on a year-around basis;
− massive use of portable classrooms; and
− involuntary busing to equalize school populations.
• Insufficient funding and conduct of preventive maintenance resulted in a current deferred

maintenance backlog of over $6.2 billion, by LAUSD’s own estimates.
Documents consulted for this portion of the diagnostic review were:
• Cortines Plan, March 2000.
• California State Audit Report, 2005.
• The Council of Great City Schools Report, January 2006.
• Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance, July 31, 2006.
• State Audit Report and Council of Great City School Recommendations Update Report
(November 13, 2006). Surprisingly, this document contains no facilities-related
recommendations.
• Superintendent’s 2006-07 Final Budget - Deferred Maintenance Fund.
The Cortines Plan is a critical document containing the provisions for the current organization of
the Facilities Services Division of LAUSD. The Plan’s full title is Eleven Local Districts, One
Mission: A Multiple District Plan for Transforming the Los Angeles Unified School District for
Submission to the Los Angeles Board of Education on March 14, 2000. Although the focus of the
Cortines Plan is on the formation of eleven local districts under the central administration of
LAUSD, the creation of a fully functioning Facilities Services Division was viewed as an
essential component of the envisioned transformation of the district. While the Cortines Plan laid

the foundation for the Facilities Services Division, it is not necessarily a model for all
organizational and functional needs of facilities.
According to interviews held with past and current facilities administrators, the overall central
structure of the Facilities Services Division was, to a large extent, implemented as described in
the Cortines Plan. Thus, a best practice organization was put in place at the central district office:
all facilities functions, ranging from early planning, programming and design, to eventual
facilities maintenance and operations, were placed under one chief executive, who reports
directly to the Superintendent. This organizational change allowed facilities design decisions to
be made on a life-cycle costing basis whereby the emphasis was on the total cost of facilities
ownership, rather than on a fixation on lowest first cost alone.
In addition, the newly created Facilities Services Division was charged with beginning to reverse
the legacy of neglect from the previous 30 years by:
• constructing new schools to:
− return to a two-semester school year across LAUSD,
− eliminate involuntary busing and allow mostly walk-able neighborhood schools to be

used; and
• modernizing, repairing, and adding to existing schools, and eliminating the deferred
maintenance backlog.
According to LAUSD sources, the Facilities Services Division’s New Construction Branch, with
funding support from several locally-funded bond issues and other sources, has to date
constructed 65 new schools, and is funded and positioned to deliver about $20 billion in new
facilities totaling 180,000 new classroom seats by the end of 2013. The same sources report that
the Existing Facilities Branch is currently operating with nearly $6.4 billion in funding for repair,
modernization, upgrade, and safe and healthy neighborhood schools repairs.
Thus, the record of accomplishments of the Facilities Services Division have been impressive in
the six short years since its creation. However, a review of current documents describing the
Facilities Services Division, along with opinions and observations provided by LAUSD officials
from the highest levels of central administration to finance, food services and facilities, shows
that some other aspects of the original intent for the Facilities Services Division, as expressed in
the Cortines Plan and other reviewed documents, were not implemented. The lack of full
implementation of the Cortines Plan provisions is not necessarily a deficiency. However, some
aspects, in the opinion of Evergreen, require further study. The most significant issues:
• the current organization does not involve local districts to the same degree and extent as
envisioned for planning, programming and design of new facilities, perhaps because of a
lesser than expected relationship with the local districts when the Facilities Services
Division was formed and operationalized;

• unlike originally envisioned, the Facilities Services Division has created its own
functional units (such as human resources, procurement, legal and financial services),
perhaps because such autonomy was necessitated in order to create fully functioning and
properly staffed programs in the New Construction and Existing Facilities unit;
• the use of highly sophisticated computerized information systems may not yet be at the
ultimately desired level of functionality;
• custodial staffing appears to be seriously underfunded (30 percent to 40 percent by

LAUSD’s own estimate) based on accepted needs for school standards of cleanliness;
• LAUSD’s large portable (mobile classroom) inventory is not yet being reduced as part of
the current massive new construction, modernization, and repair program;
• existing facilities inspections, such as those for food services, appear to be in need of
improvement in the district;
• LAUSD has consistently spent less than provided in the district’s Deferred Maintenance
Fund (027), allowing a carryover of over $150 million at the end of the 2006-07 fiscal
year; and
• LAUSD has not yet implemented an appropriately scaled and scoped massive preventive
maintenance program, even for new facilities as these are placed into service.
In summary, this diagnostic review of LAUSD’s facilities functions finds that the newly created
Facilities Services Division made significant accomplishments since its creation approximately
six years ago, promising to erase in a significant manner the legacy of neglect of over three
decades of poor facilities management. However, some potentially useful and effective aspects
of the originally intended Facilities Services Division remain unimplemented.
In the area of safety and security, the Los Angeles Schools Police Department (LASPD) has been
unable to staff all schools with police officers to the extent that has been reportedly
recommended by the Inspector General’s Police Audit of 2003. Audits of the LAUSD Police
Department by the Inspector General were not made available to Evergreen Solutions.


Operational Area: Facilities/Safety and Security
Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
FACILITIES
1 The activities that will be managed by the Local District Business Manager 2 - Cortines This does not appear to have been implemented as is stated on paper. In general, Implementation
include fiscal services, local procurement activities, oversight of the food Plan the emphasis in facilities – especially new construction – is on strong central office requires further
services program, safety and environmental services and facilities 3/2000 organization and financial control rather than a decentralized one. This is contrary analysis
management. (p. 47) to the apparent deconsolidation emphasis of the Cortines Plan, but it may be the
best way to achieve LAUSD’s ambitious goals of new construction. The word
“oversight” implies local supervision and control. The main question to be pursued
was asked by a LAUSD executive: “Since the money is all controlled centrally,
how can there be true local control in facilities?” It is possible that, with respect to
new facilities construction, any current evidence of local district control may be
more formality than reality. In addition, the Office of Environmental Health and
Safety became eventually a separate entity from the Facilities Services Division.
2 Each Local District will be served by its own Maintenance and Operations 2 - Cortines See #1 above. This aspect was implemented differently. Local District Facilities Do not implement
Area, led by an Area Facilities Director. Plan Directors were established to advise the Local District Superintendents. The
3/2000 positions of Local District Business Manager were never established. The current
The Area Facilities Director will coordinate closely with the Local District
(p. 48) maintenance and operations function is thus conducted with the Local Districts.
Business Manager regarding maintenance and operations issues.
There appears to have been so far too little preventive maintenance at LAUSD,
centrally or in the local districts, because deferred maintenance is a huge expense
($6.2 billion by LAUSD’s estimates) and requires maintenance crews to respond
largely to emergencies (known as “breakdown maintenance” in LAUSD) rather
than to any preventive maintenance assignments.
3 OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 2 - Cortines This structure appears to have been implemented. Has been
Plan implemented
The mission of the Office of the Chief Operating Officer is to provide Based on comments received from various sources at LAUSD, the quality,
3/2000 organizationally
leadership and direction to Facilities Services, Environmental Health and reliability and serviceability of district-based information systems are in need of
(p. 80)
Safety, Human Services, and the Planning, Assessment and Research further refinement. This probably includes those IT systems used by the Facilities IT systems require
divisions in order to serve local districts and school communities in their Division. further analysis
efforts to improve student achievement. Tactical Support, Services,
Compliance, and Major Units are elaborated.

Operational Area: Facilities/Safety and Security (Continued)

Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
The Chief Operating Officer will take the lead on issues of collective
bargaining and facilities, two of the most pressing areas facing the District
today. Direct supervision of the Planning, Assessment and Research functions
will give the COO the information systems support to analyze student
performance, classroom space and demographic data in order to make
recommendations on collective bargaining and accountability.
4 FACILITIES SERVICES DIVISION 2 - Cortines This blueprint for the Facilities Services Division remains the same as conceived Has been
Plan originally. implemented
School Construction, Modernization, Maintenance and Cleaning 3/2000
The mission of the Facilities Services Division is to deliver essential, cost (p. 89)
effective services that sustain, improve and increase substantially the physical
learning environments for students and staff.
5 TACTICAL SUPPORT 2 - Cortines The following bullets from the first left column appear to be only partially or not at High Priority
Plan all addressed in the current organization of the Facilities Services Division, or they
• Assist in developing and updating the Facilities Master Plan for school 3/2000 embody potential problems that should be considered carefully in future analyses Bulleted
construction. (p. 89) (commentary is offered in italics). recommendations
may be
• Manage a program of community outreach to assist in the identification • Provide direction and oversight to field staff engaged in the cleaning of recommended for
of potential school sites and provide a forum for community input on classrooms, support areas, and restrooms to maintain an educational implementation after
school design. environment conducive to learning. (According to the LAUSD Existing further analysis.
Facilities Strategic Execution Plan - June 2006, page 33,“The District’s
• Acquire land for new construction, additions and modernization. custodial services are approximately 30%-40% under funded based on
cleaning industry standards.” This is an intolerable condition that must be
• Develop and maintain specifications for the construction and remedied without delay.)
modernization of schools.
• Assist Child Development in expanding programs by providing either portable
• Manage the competitive bidding process for school construction and or permanent facilities. (Portables should not be encouraged as part of a
modernization; provide inspection services. comprehensive new construction or modernization program. Instead, a
program to minimize portables should be part of the overall facilities
• Manage the school modernization program so that schools are upgraded construction and modernization program Ultimately, the only portables
for access, technology, and safety. remaining in the LAUSD inventory should be those needed as temporary
classrooms during new construction, modernization, repair, additions, etc).
• File all appropriate applications with the State for the district’s fair share
of State school construction/ modernization funds. • Provide asset management analysis for best utilization of existing district-
owned properties. (According to various LAUSD officials interviewed, two
• Analyze district demographic data to project enrollment growth, identify asset management systems have been under development and simultaneous
areas of overcrowding, assist in the determination of where new schools implementation for several years: (Core Facilities Deficiencies – a
should be built, and recommend/analyze alternate means of relieving quantitative analysis, and the qualitative Facilities Condition Index. Neither
overcrowding. system is fully operational at this time, though both are currently used in
decision making. The systems need to be made fully complete and operational.
If, in the long-run, the systems are not as effective and useful as predicted,
better asset management systems should be found or developed, and
implemented with all deliberate speed.)


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
• Oversee the implementation of repairs and improvements to schools Work cooperatively and proactively with federal, state and local regulatory
funded with BB Bonds. agencies to ensure the district meets all applicable safety standards in its operations
According to LAUSD officials, no outside agency inspections take place of food
• Provide direction and oversight to field staff engaged in the cleaning of service facilities. Other inspections may also be lacking. A thorough review of this
classrooms, support areas, and restrooms to maintain an educational area is needed.
environment conducive to learning.
• Assist Child Development in expanding programs by providing either

portable or permanent facilities.
• Provide asset management analysis for best utilization of existing

district-owned properties.
• Develop policies for environmental assessment of potential school sites.
• Develop and monitor policies to ensure the safety of students, staff and
the community during regular school operations as well as during
construction and repairs.
• Set standards, review and approve the safety of supplies and materials to
be used in district schools and offices.
• Work cooperatively and proactively with federal, state and local

regulatory agencies to ensure the district meets all applicable safety
standards in its operations.
• Develop and monitor the implementation of campus safety programs.
• Coordinate districtwide emergency response team.
6 MAJOR UNITS 2 - Cortines The original organization of Facilities Services remains essentially as it was Has been
Plan developed in 1999-2000 as part of the Cortines Plan. Environmental Health and implemented
• School Building Planning and Construction (New Facilities) Design 3/2000 Safety is now a more prominent stand-alone unit with its own Director, and key
(p. 91) recognitions as a model best-practice program by USEPA.
− Master Plan/Demographics
New concepts implemented since that time include both functional and
− Real Estate
organizational innovations:
− Community Outreach
− Project Management • the “Factory Floor”;
− Grants and Funding Applications • M&O Scoping;
• Project Development; and
• A/E Technical Support Unit.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
• Facilities Modernization and Inspection (Existing Facilities)
− Design
− Public Works Contracting
− Inspection
− Relocatables
− Leasing
• Maintenance and Operations
− Maintenance Services (11 Maintenance Areas)

− Operations Services
− Central Facilities Services (Central Shops – Specialized Services)
• Environmental Health and Safety
7 COMMENTS 2 - Cortines This narrative is a micro-management snapshot of recent attempts to organize in a Implementation
Plan decentralized manner. It emphasizes M&O working in a more decentralized fashion requires further
The Division is continuing the process started in September 1999 when it
3/2000 directly with the schools. It is questionable whether such a fully decentralized analysis
began to move resources from the central offices into the Maintenance and
(pp. 91-92) M&O function actually exists. Similarly, school site identification, the
Operations Areas (M&O Field Offices) to work more directly with the
establishment of educational specifications, and construction project management
schools. To support the district reorganization, four new M&O Areas are
at the local district level appear to be either a token function or non-existent.
established so that each local district will be served by its own M&O Area. In
Decentralization should be examined thoroughly to determine its practicality or
addition, 219 positions have moved from central services to the M&O Areas,
appropriateness, and action should be taken as needed to correct any problems.
including 78 roving gardeners (100 on July 1, 2000). Of course, their
functional responsibilities will move with them. All aspects of the Cortines Plan, as shown in Item #7, were not implemented as
described. For example, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety was
Each M&O Area is being managed by an Area Facilities Director. The
established as a stand-alone unit with its own Director, and has functioned on an
position of Area Maintenance and Operations Director will be eliminated. In
exemplary basis within LAUSD and as a USEPA-recognized role model for other
addition each of the M&O Areas are being be staffed with two Area
schools.
Operations Supervisors (one for days and one for evenings), rather than the
three or four currently in each Area. Once each of the four new M&O Areas is The Asbests Technical Unit was incorporated within the M&O Department in the
staffed, there has been a net loss of 10 management positions. The existing Facilities Services Division.
crafts positions are reallocated among the eleven Local District M&O Areas
based primarily upon square footage and enrollment. The new organizational
unit of School Building Planning and Construction will assist local
communities in identifying school sites, establish specifications for the
construction of schools, and through contractors, will manage construction
projects.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
The new organizational unit responsible for modernization and other
improvements to existing sites provides public works bidding services for all
facilities projects, manages the Relocatable Building Program (portables),
manages the modernization program, and manages other BB, Safety &
Technology and related improvement projects at local schools, and provides
leasing services for administrative sites and school needs (such as auxiliary
parking facilities). It is anticipated that additional realignments of
responsibilities may be necessary to optimize the delivery of facilities
services. In some areas, a senior facilities consultant may be necessary to
ensure that potential school sites are identified and negotiated on an expedited
basis. The new Chief Facilities Executive will be responsible for making
additional adjustments, as needed. The Environmental Health and Safety
Branch has been realigned to become a part of the Facilities Services
Division. The Branch has been augmented by the addition of the Asbestos
Technical Unit and the CEQA Unit which were formerly in other branches
within Facilities. The district’s Emergency Response Team has also been
moved to this Branch. In support of the local districts, the branch transferred
safety officers and environmental health technicians to the field offices, under
the day-to-day supervision of the Local District Business Manager.
Technical direction and supervision continue to be provided by the
Environmental Health and Safety Branch. A net total of 27 central positions
have been eliminated. Specifically, the Laboratory Services function is
eliminated, and all such work is outsourced. Additional positions in the
Asbestos Technical Unit have been eliminated and the work outsourced.
However, additional contract services resources are needed to engage highly
qualified firms to perform not only these functions, but to conduct program
development activities for a variety of mandated environmental programs
which the district does not currently have. Those contracts are being managed
centrally.
8 Various financial functions and positions are being transferred to the finance 2 - Cortines This transfer apparently never happened or was rescinded. Instead, as has been Needs to be studied
group from facilities services. These positions will be absorbed into Budget Plan noted by several LAUSD officials, Facilities Services eventually created
Services and Accounting and Disbursements, as appropriate to their actual 3/2000 autonomous support areas, including procurement, human resources, legal, and
functions. (p. 94) financial services. This move appears to have been largely justified: specialized
units serving the Facilities Services Division have allowed it to produce “the
miracle” of new construction meeting the classroom seat goals leading to a return
to a two semester schedule, and neighborhood schools, without involuntary busing.
The area requires further study.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
9 BUDGET SERVICES AND FINANCIAL PLANNING DIVISION 2 - Cortines The demographic function resides in the Master Planning and Demographics No further action
Plan (MPD) Unit of Facilities Services – New Construction. It was either never part of necessary
The mission of the Budget Services and Financial Planning Division is to
3/2000 Budget Services and Financial Planning or it was transferred to Facilities Services.
accurately provide the schools, students, the community, the administration,
(pp. 102, 108) MPD appears to be in the proper location at this time and no further action appears
and the Board of Education with budget, financial planning, and related
warranted.
services in a manner that maximizes, distributes, and safeguards the
resources available to carry out the educational and support activities of the
District. It is also to communicate with the local districts and school
communities in a consistent, timely and user-friendly manner.
TACTICAL SUPPORT
Develop enrollment projections to assist in long term financial and facilities
planning.
10 SCHOOL POLICE 2 - Cortines This portion of the Cortines Plan was implemented, but current issues remain. No further action
Plan These issues are explained in the 2003 Inspector General’s audit of the Los Angeles necessary
The mission of the School Police Support System is to promote student
3/2000 School Police Department (LASPD) – a confidential document. See Reference #17
achievement by l) promoting a safe educational environment for all, free from
(p. 111) below.
the fear of crime and victimization, 2) identifying and solving problems by
forming partnerships, and 3) providing professional police services for the
Los Angeles Unified School District family and community, using dynamic
and proactive techniques.
TACTICAL SUPPORT
Provide foot beat officers to campuses experiencing or threatened by crime
perpetrated by students or others, which affects the instructional program.
Provide patrol services to schools and facilities not provided foot beat
officers, as well as in support of campuses with foot beat officers, during
times of high activity.
11 Local Districts 5 – CGCS The small budgets per district (approximately $7-8 million per district per year) Implementation
1/2006 lend support to the concern raised by some LAUSD officials: “Since most of the requires further
In 2000, 11 regional local districts were created in order to bring services and
(p. 55) money is controlled centrally, how can there be true local control if local control is analysis
personnel closer to students and communities served by the Los Angeles
indeed wanted?”
Unified School District. The local districts were defined by geographic
location, number of schools, students, student density, and critical needs of the
respective communities.
The 11 local districts were reorganized and reduced to eight in 2004-05
largely as a cost-cutting measure. Most local districts have personnel in
charge of instructional services, facilities, fiscal services, operations, and
elementary and secondary school services, and have between 50 and 100 staff
each.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
12 Selecting sites for new schools should be managed by the central office in 7 - Joint Local district “buy-in” and support are necessary. This recommendation is being Continue to
collaboration with the local communities. Commission implemented. implement this
on LAUSD recommendation
Governance
7/2006
13 Facilities and building maintenance should be the primary responsibility of 7 - Joint Note: An allowance given to principals in the repairs and maintenance area may be Implementation
the central office, with an allowance given to principals to use at their Commission misplaced in the face of over $6 billion in deferred maintenance. An allowance for requires further
discretion for repairs and maintenance, particularly for matters concerning on LAUSD preventive maintenance in modernized and new schools may, however, be an analysis
health and safety. Governance appropriate use of resources.
7/2006
(p. 28)
14 This Commission recommends that school safety remain the purview of the 7 - Joint This recommendation has not been implemented. Related issues are explained in Implementation
Central Office. After considering several options for improving student, Commission the confidential 2003 Inspector General’s Audit of the Los Angeles School Police requires further
school, and community safety, the Commission recommends that the Chief of on LAUSD Department (LASPD), and are addressed as best as possible due to confidentiality analysis
the School Police report directly to the Superintendent. Governance limitations further below (Reference #17).
7/2006
(p. 28)
15 No references or recommendations concerning facilities in this report. 11- State It was surprising to Evergreen that this report update contains no recommendations No further action
Auditor’s about the facilities functions of LAUSD. required
Report and
Council of
Great City
Schools
Recommendati
ons Review
11/2006
16 Deferred Maintenance Fund provides for major maintenance projects 12 – These figures reveal that there has been a consistent inability on the part of the This matter requires
including repair of plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical, roofing, Superintendent Existing Facilities Capital Improvements Program of the LAUSD’s Facilities immediate attention
floors, and interior or exterior paint. Funding is half from the State and half 2006-07 Services Division to place under contract all of the possible deferred maintenance
from the District. Final Budget projects for which funding has been made available in the District’s Deferred
Maintenance Fund (027). Estimates by the LAUSD Facilities Services Division
Deferred
place the entire deferred maintenance backlog at $6.4 billion (page 24 of the
Maintenance
Existing Facilities Strategic Execution Plan – June 2006). Consequently, ample
Fund (p. IV-6)
opportunity to find suitable deferred maintenance projects should exist year after
year.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
The following footnote explains persistent carryovers in this fund: The carry-over of deferred maintenance funds may be due to LAUSD not
making available the staff resources to use fully all available deferred
* It is estimated that the 2006-07 Deferred Maintenance Fund ending balance maintenance funding. Other have suggested that the Los Angeles construction
will increase from $110.6 million in 2005-06 to $158.2 million in 2006-07, an markets are too saturated to place all needed contracts.
increase of $47.6 million (43%). The projected increase results from a
combination of anticipated District contribution for deferred maintenance and No matter what the cause of this persistent underutilization of funds, it should
corresponding State match, and anticipated expenditures in the Fund that are not be viewed as an acceptable business practice. It deprives the LAUSD of
below the level of the new available resources. the benefits of over $100 million of deferred maintenance projects, and soon
of over $150 million of “deferred” maintenance. According to some LAUSD
officials, every effort is already being made to prevent future carryovers, and
to spend the carryover monies expediently.
17 Inspector General’s Audit of School Police Report (unavailable to Evergreen Inspector General According to LASPD sources, the audit recommended more complete and Implementation
consultants because it is classified “confidential.”). Police Audit intensive school police officer staffing at all school facilities and campuses. requires further
2003 Another related recommendation received verbally – and not necessarily analysis
contained in the confidential audit – is the merger of the LA Police
Department and LAUSD Police Department.

2.6 Transportation
All managers in the Transportation Branch Staff, and the Business Services Manager, the
Procurement Manager, and Personnel Commission staff knowledgeable of the transportation
function were interviewed by the Evergreen transportation consultant. A contractor
representative and the Regional Transportation Managers were also interviewed. In addition,
Evergreen consultants attended the Transportation Deputy Director’s monthly meeting with
contractor representatives.
The Transportation Branch has been exposed to many audits and inspections over the last 10
years. The recommendations contained in the latest November 2006 status report are still being
analyzed.
Priority areas have been identified based on effective transportation operations or where there
may be potential for cost savings. The five priority areas are:
• Actions related to Bus Replacement Planning.
− need to get a Board decision on the desired age of buses; and
− based on the desired fleet ages and other revenue factors, LAUSD needs a Board-
approved Replacement Plan for buses.
Significant cost savings can be generated by these decisions.
• Actions related to the recruitment, hiring, and retention of bus drivers and mechanics in a
competitive labor market.
− time from recruitment to hiring is too long for mechanics and bus drivers; and
− the Transportation Branch funds three positions in the Personnel Commission. Has
this funding reduced the time from recruit to hire?
• Actions related to internal controls and supervision of fueling operations from input to
post operations. While there appears to appropriate internal controls against theft and
fraud (credit card tracking of consumption, technology and sensor-based measures of
buy, and manual “measuring stick” checks), fraud is possible and should be checked.
• Actions related to the effective integration of the Special Education Division’s IEP
process and the assignment of transportation services. The question to be answered is:
Are service destination decisions being made in the IEP process without proper regard to
transportation costs?
• Actions related to effective management of the administrative vehicles, the “White

Fleet”.

Various audits and inspections pertaining to district administrative vehicles (“white fleet”)
included issues such as:
• who uses administrative vehicles and why;

• controls over misuse;
• adherence to preventive maintenance schedules to conserve the asset;
• compliance with IRS rules when vehicles are used for personal interests; and
• discipline/enforcement for violations.
The Transportation Branch coordinated a response to the recommendations on administrative

vehicles. However, the Transportation Branch has no enforcement authority over the use of
district administrative vehicles. The Transportation Branch has no control over mix of the fleet
or replacement planning of these vehicles. Due to cost implications, the issues of discipline,
enforcement, fleet mix, optimal size of the “white fleet,” and replacement planning must be
examined.
Subsequent examination of these priority areas will address accountability issues and cross
functional problems and successes as they relate to current operations and alignment with the
district’s strategic plan. Where there are potential cost savings, funds could be rechanneled to
the classrooms.


Operational Area: Transportation
Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
1 LAUSD should explore in more depth the option of increased outsourcing SR00-01, Pupil This recommendation has been accomplished. A separate study was performed None required
of the pupil transportation function. Transportation by the Analysis Group that suggested that additional outsourcing could be cost
11/2000 beneficial given the variables and values they examined. SR00-01, when
recommending the exploration in more depth an increase in outsourcing,
acknowledged that “non-monetary considerations must be weighed and
evaluated”. Business Services and the Transportation Branch concluded that
there needed to be greater balance between the number of district-owned and
contractor buses and routes, and better distribution of routes among contractors
to ensure LAUSD was not overly dependent on a single contractor. This
recommendation was approved by the Board and implemented.
2 Most relevant are the subsequent recommendations in 2006 pertaining to LAUSD Inspector The recommendations have been complied with to the extent Transportation Continue to study
the Audits of Administrative Vehicles⎯the “White Fleet”. In brief, there General Branch has the authority to enforce the recommendations. The cross function
were six recommendations: Recommendations dimensions for success must be examined to ensure the intent is satisfied.
for the Audit of
• Update Bulletin No 1745.0 to include a warning on preventable Administrative
accidents, suspension of usage after second accident, revocation of Vehicles
usage after third offense, and designation of the department that will 1/2002 and
collect all data on accident reports. subsequent Audit
• Update restitution policy to include restitution of damages from the 8/2006
employee.
• Create a central office to monitor status of drivers’ licenses of
employees.
• Update the Bulletin to require the Administrator to submit a periodic
report of usage to the Transportation Department; an annual audit
should be accomplished by a central office for compliance; and an
online form should be made available as the basis for a uniform log
satisfying all data required by the Bulletin.
• Notify higher authorities (e.g., a quarterly report to ABT Committee)
of vehicles notified more than three times for overdue maintenance.
• Conduct a study by Business Services to determine the number of
times a vehicle assigned to an employee for on call (24/7) responded
to an emergency call in the past three years.

Operational Area: Transportation (Continued)

Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
3 There were four recommendations pertaining to fuel station operations: LAUSD Inspector The Transportation Branch agreed with each of the recommendations and Review of records
General Audit of described the actions to be taken. The audits address an operation where there and no-notice
• Coordinate the calibration of the Veeder Root Consoles on a periodic Fuel Stations is potential for high cost fraud and theft. Five years have passed and now fuel physical checks of
basis and request a report; instruct garage supervisors to test the 1/2002 costs are higher. Actual compliance with policy and procedures to prevent fuel the actual practices
accuracy of fuel delivery, disbursement, and inventory through a loss is critical. Responses to the other audits also indicated corrective actions. are necessary to
manual measurement of fuel levels in storage tanks. LAUSD Inspector
Actual practices alignment with policy needs verification. ensure that LAUSD
General Audit of
• Instruct supervisors to lock fuel pumps connected to underground Transportation
resources are
storage tanks receiving fuel delivery. conserved.
Tanker Fuel Lines
• Direct the branch to develop and complete: expected miles per route 11/2002
and miles per gallon for each bus and investigate significant
LAUSD Inspector
variances.
General Audit of
• Maintain a complete file of all fuel pump inspection reports prepared Transportation Wet
by independent certified inspectors. Line Fueling
NOTE: All four LAUSD IG Audits addressed internal control 12/2002
issues/failures pertaining to fuel processes that can affect cost efficient Response to OA3-
operations and expose LAUSD to resource loss from fraud and theft. 153, Wet Line
Fueling
7/2003
4 Recommendation A 3 required the Personnel Manager of Transportation OA 02-141, Audit Completed and current. None
Branch, et al, to provide OEHS a complete list of job applicant/employees of Drug and
sent for drug and alcohol testing. Alcohol Testing
Program
10/2002
5 This audit had 11 recommendations for action: LAUSD Inspector

General Audit of
• Recommendation 1 required full implementation of MAPNET. Special Education • MAPNET has been implemented. None required
Transportation
7/2003
• Recommendation 2 required that manually prepared route sheets • Implementation of MAPNET eliminated the need to use manually None required
contain all required information prepared route sheets.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
• Recommendation 3 required that Area Bus Supervisors ensure that a • The Transportation Branch proposed an alternate solution to the problem. The Transportation
Parent Notification form is prepared and retained on file as evidence They proposed training for the Area Bus Supervisors followed by a Branch’s procedures
that parents are updated on all changes to forestall complaints. periodic random sampling of files to verify that notifications have for ensuring
occurred. The effectiveness and compliance with the alternate system compliance with the
should be checked. Any breakdowns in the transportation service of alternate system
special education students is serious, and an effective Parent Notification should be reviewed
System is essential to ensuring customer responsive service. together with a
sampling of Area
Bus Supervisors’
record keeping.
• Recommendation 4 required a review with the Special Education • According to the Transportation Branch response in July 2004, meetings How transportation
Division to determine, how Transportation Branch can assist the IEP were held to seek ways to provide service and reduce transportation costs. service is assigned in
Team in improving transportation services. Such meetings were to continue in subsequent years. During interviews, the IEP process
there was an indication students were assigned for transportation to a should be examined
school at a greater distance at parent request and the route passed by a along with a
closer school which offered the same special education service. If this is comparison of per
so, such practice adds to the cost of the service and extends the ride time student cost data
for students. from 2004 to 2007.
• Recommendations 5-11 pertain to internal procedures and training in • Training and other internal procedures should be reviewed. Continue to review
support of Special Education.
6 There were six recommendations, four of which were to be accomplished Inspector General The Transportation
by June 2005: Audit of Garage Branch does not
Operations have the authority to
• Revise policies to establish internal controls on the District’s “white Preventive • Completed. enforce all that is
fleet”. Maintenance required in the
8/2004 completed actions.
• Revise Bulletin Q-21, “Acceptable Use of District-Owned Vehicles”. • Completed.
• Expand the notification process for overdue preventive maintenance. • Completed. Enforcement needs
to be verified
• Observe drivers in pre-trip inspections and conduct refresher training • Completed.

as necessary.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
7 • Develop and present to the Board of Education better data on student Status of Actions in • Transportation Branch collects data on the cost per student and cost per
transportation cost implications of district educational program State Audit Report mile to support School Choice, Magnet Schools, Charter Schools, Small
decisions. and CGCS Report Learning Communities, and other special programs. The data are
11/2006 available for Board use in decision making.
• Assess turnover rate of bus drivers and attendants and make changes • When possible, Transportation Branch does exit interviews to determine The process needs to
to retain drivers and recruit replacements effectively. reasons for leaving. The major issue is not getting enough hours since of be studied in detail
1,091 drivers; only 192 are FTE, others are part- time. Thus, opportunities to identify how the
− Status of Assessment? for more pay elsewhere drives turnover. timeline can be
collapsed,
Transportation Branch offers summer driving opportunities that include disincentives
− What are the changed actions to retain drivers? test drives for routes being considered for the coming school year. reduced, and
The Personnel Commission and the Transportation Branch have possible adoption of
− What are the changed actions to recruit replacements collaborated on solving the problem. Transportation has funded three better practices.
effectively? positions in the Personnel Commission to improve recruiting and
processing of applicants. However, there are obstacles to overcome in
reducing the timeline from recruiting an applicant to the actual hiring.
• What processes have been developed to ensure sufficient vehicles are • The need for bus replacement planning is in the strategic plan and a Benchmarking to
acquired economically and available for transportation needs? genuine concern in the Transportation Branch. Such planning has not develop courses of
occurred in the past and is now critical---the average age of the fleet is action for a prudent
− Process to determine the age and mix of the fleet and a now 19 years. More than 300 buses will be purchased this year; an timeline/costline is
timeline/cost line to achieve the desired strategic and analysis of the age type of vehicle for the future is imperative. necessary for both
maintainable state. the bus fleet and the
“white fleet”.
Assistance may be
required in getting to
a Board-approved
Plan.
− Actions to date to obtain Board approved bus replacement plan − There is an awareness that a Board-approved plan is necessary. None
funded over time. exists. The analysis to support a Board decision must be accomplished.


Next Steps for
GO-FORTH
8 • How have all planning variables that impact on cost been determined • The Transportation Branch captures the relevant cost variables. As they
and made available to the Board and public for their respective satisfy Board needs leading to an approved bus replacement plan, the most
needs? salient information can be available readily for public information needs.
• How is contractor operations integrated in the long-term • Decisions have been made to achieve a better balance between the district
transportation requirement? and contractors in favor of the district. The draft strategic plan also
reflects the timeline for increasing the number of contractors to distribute
dependence and enhance the ability to manage contractor performance.

2.7 Technology
The technology diagnostic review focused on the information technology functions of LAUSD.
Multiple documents focusing on some aspect of the delivery of information technology services
provided by LAUSD were reviewed to identify germane recommendations. Interviews were
conducted with key LAUSD staff members concerning recommendations or issues addressed in
the documentation as well as with staff from an external information technology consulting firm
and district staff who were knowledgeable and involved in the recent history of information
technology activities in LAUSD.
Over half of the documentation provided by LAUSD consisted of vendor information technology
consulting firm studies prepared in 2000 and 2001 which dealt with internal technical operations
and issues within ITD and the degree of integration with other information technology service
areas. The remaining documents provided by LAUSD focused on information technology issues
as part of comprehensive critiques of district management functions as prepared by state auditors
and by the Council of Great City Schools.
The Information Technology Department (ITD) is a large, complex organization providing

technology services to district business offices and schools. ITD consists of two major enterprise
applications areas⎯business services and student information services. ITD also maintains
responsibility for instructional technology. ITD believes that its customers are the district offices
responsible for business or instructional operations, as well as the respective employees at the
district and school levels that use these applications daily.
ITD is concurrently implementing two key enterprise applications:
• Business Tools for Schools (BTS), a enterprise resource program (ERP) provided and
supported by a well-known business technology vendor, SAP; and
• Integrated Student Information System (ISIS), the core of which is SchoolMax, a student
information management systems software package, developed and supported by the
vendor, Maximus.
Both applications have experienced severe implementation difficulties typical of large-scale

deployments and encountered significant criticism from their users. Functioning as independent
projects, both BTS and ISIS are working to resolve implementation difficulties and to progress
forward. Understandably, both projects have focused their attention on initial installation of the
product and are deferring enhancement efforts as post-implementation activities.
Evergreen’s review of documents results in two different and inconsistent impressions of

information technology within LAUSD.
• First, the sole focus of ITD is on business operations, at the expense of other service
delivery areas, such as student information and instructional services.
• Second, ITD services are, for the most part, invisible within the strategic documents
prepared for LAUSD that map core goals and directions. For example, the

Superintendent’s Strategic Plan, adopted by the Board in 2002, only contains one goal
which bears directly on ITD, “Classroom Technology”. The core ITD enterprise areas of
business services and student information systems, which pervade the work of district
offices and schools, can only be inferred indirectly from other plan goals.
The recommendations contained in the documentation provided by LAUSD focus on business

application issues or on technical aspects of internal technology operations, such as networking,
architecture, or computer platform management. The recommendations dwelling on business
applications pointed to archaic and fragmented legacy business applications which LAUSD
needed to replace if the district were to realize more efficiency in its business operations.
LAUSD is responding to these recommendations with the ongoing implementation of the BTS
application.
Several vendor reports relate to internal technology operations, which call for LAUSD to
implement standards for LANs, WANs, and for desktop configurations. ITD has been able to
implement these recommendations when they were in areas in which ITD had either direct
control, such as its data center, or leverage, as through districtwide contracts (e.g., ITD set
standards for desktop machinery and for virus protection through purchasing contracts which
have indirectly achieved standardization). ITD has also informed schools, through a Bulletin,
that it will only service and maintain equipment that has been purchased through district
contracts in which ITD has been able to set standards. For the most part, this group of
recommendations has either been implemented or is in process by ITD and does not require
Evergreen Solutions assistance in Phase II. However, those recommendations that impact school
users, in particular, have been implemented only in part or not at all by ITD because of what an
interviewee referred to as “organizational constraints”. Evergreen suggests that these
recommendations are symptomatic of larger organizational concerns that should be addressed in
Phase II.
With respect to instructional technology, the 2002 Superintendent’s Strategic Plan generically
focuses on teacher literacy and the use of computers in classrooms. No meaningful metrics to
gauge success were established. The Instructional Technology Unit within ITD has gathered data
on these two indicators, but they are imprecise. The number of computers in a classroom, or the
number of schools with classroom Internet access, do not identify the extent to which technology
has really been integrated into the fabric of instruction. Similarly, teacher literacy does not
indicate the degree to which teachers are comfortable with or apply technology in what they do.
From interviewing LAUSD staff, the issue arose as to the extent to which the Instructional
Technology Unit within ITD proactively collaborates with the instructional leadership in
LAUSD. An example offered was that the Instructional Technology Unit had purchased on-line
instructional programs which were based on a different pedagogy standard not in use in the
classroom, and that they had not sought the involvement of the instructional leadership. This
seems symptomatic of larger organizational relationship issues which Evergreen recommends be
addressed in Phase II.
What is missing in the above recommendations is the whole aspect of the visibility, cooperation,
and accountability of information technology services within LAUSD. ITD has never developed
a long-range strategic plan for information technology as either a separate document tied to

strategic goals and objectives, or as a visible subcomponent of a districtwide strategic plan. Such
a plan, to be meaningful, must have the ongoing representation and involvement of an
overarching committee of customers and users representing all facets of LAUSD. Currently, each
ITD core application develops its own separate steering committee and project management
structure to guide the implementation of a discrete body of automated administrative services.
The major problem to be addressed is not in respect to the internal organization and professional
competence of ITD, or its capability to execute implementation of districtwide automated
applications. Here, the successes and failures of ITD seem to be no different from those achieved
by other comparable complex IT operations in private industry or in other large urban school
districts.
The issue which Evergreen Solutions recommends be addressed in Phase II is the more “macro”
aspects of the roles, functions, visibility, and accountability of information technology within the
broad domain of LAUSD. Each of the five recommendations offered for further exploration in
Phase II address some aspect of activities that ITD should undertake in order to form a more
cohesive, proactive, and responsive relationship with the customers (business offices and
schools) and users (district and school staff) who collectively comprise the LAUSD enterprise.


Operational Area: Technology
Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
1 KPMG End User Computing & Vendor Management Assessment: 45.1
February 2001
• Implement a centralized inventory management system that is BTS currently rolling-out the inventory management and consolidated asset Continue
integrated with procurement, help desk, and warranty systems. components which will accomplish this recommendation. implementation
• Establish policies and procedures relative to procurement and LAUSD has implemented centralized procurement and maintenance through No further review
maintenance of end-user computing equipment. leveraging E-rate funding and districtwide vendor contracts. required
• Establish enterprise-wide hardware and software configuration LAUSD has established configuration standards for hardware and is implementing Continue
standards for end-user computing equipment. software standards. implementation of
software standards
and examine district
constraints.
• Establish policies and procedures for desktop equipment lifecycle Not accomplished because of organizational constraints. Review budgetary
management which includes a “total cost of ownership” model. procedures necessary
for implementation.
• Establish a permanent Software Copyright Compliance Section to A section has not been implemented, but LAUSD is considering centralized Examine alternatives
monitor software copyright adherence compliance in conjunction with asset management implementation. for accomplishing
requirement.
• Establish and enforce virus protection software standards and LAUSD enforces virus protection through a Norton districtwide contract used by all No further action
procedures on end-users. offices. required
• Establish policy and procedures that support a “preventative” and LAUSD is attempting to implement this approach as part of its centralized Continue
“proactive” approach for managing service warranties and monitoring procurement strategy. implementation of
vendor compliance with service-level and software maintenance approach
agreements.

Operational Area: Technology (Continued)

Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
2 KPMG Information Technology Current State Assessment: 45.2
February 2001
• Consolidate FIS into ITD and incorporate best practices into a unified FIS has not been consolidated within ITD, because state bond language requires No further review
ITD organization. LAUSD to maintain a separate system in facilities. required
• IT management must address user perceptions on the lack of State bond law requires facilities to maintain its own IT organization; however user Undertake a
responsiveness and customer service within ITD that lead to facilities perceptions of underperformance do exist. comprehensive
establishing its own IT organization. review of IT service
delivery and user
satisfaction.
• Management should evaluate the role of IT within the district such that A districtwide comprehensive review of ITD service delivery has not been conducted. Undertake
efficient deployment of IT resources could lead to significant process comprehensive
improvements throughout the district. review of ITD to
determine needed
changes.
• Implement a unified IT strategy district wide to ensure consistent ITD has implemented a unified architecture, but has not been able to implement Evaluate and take
customer service standards and service delivery. consistent customer service standards across schools and local district offices within steps to resolve the
LAUSD. various services
issues which impede
ITD capability to
deliver consistent
service across its
client base.
• Evaluate the capability of existing applications to determine whether ITD believes it has accomplished this objective for its core enterprise applications, Re-evaluate whether
they support seamless usage across multiple business processes and BTS and ISIS, now being implemented. Interviews with Finance Office personnel core enterprise
consolidate, modify, or replace those that do not with integrated indicate that they must still perform manual tabulations across systems. Until the core applications, as well
applications. applications have been thoroughly implemented and users have been de-briefed post- as key legacy
implementation, it is difficult to determine the degree of success. applications, have
obtained the
requisite degree of
integration desired
by users.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• New applications that are implemented should be integrated with 45.2 This was a problem of legacy systems prior to the Construction. No further review
existing key systems, including PICK and IFS. required
• Achieve a clear understanding of user requirements prior to replacing The Construction Information Systems Office required by state bond language was No further review
or modifying construction applications and that new systems established to attack these problems and has implemented a five-year plan of changes required
implementations will be consistent with overall IT organization and that make its operations consistent with overall IT organization and strategy.
strategy.
• Establish a standard System Development Methodology that is used in ITD has in practice employed a standard, but has not formally adopted policy and Formally adopt a
all future application development and implementation efforts. procedures. standard System
Development
Methodology and
implement steps to
ensure its use across
applications.
• Identify the key business processes that require redundant data entry This was a problem with legacy construction applications prior to the establishment of No further review
and establish automated interfaces between key applications within the Construction Information Systems Office which has implemented changes across required
Facilities. key business processes and is achieving closer integration with BTS.
• Develop appropriate invoice tracking procedures to ensure timely The Construction Office invoice tracking system has been redesigned and will soon No further review
processing until Expedition has been fully implemented and Cost be interfaced with BTS. required
Analysts have been trained.
• Re-engineer vendor invoice payment process to remove redundant This has been accomplished for accounts payable at the central level and is an Check to determine
business processes. enhancement feature of the current BTS roll-out. that this is
accomplished during
the roll-out, since
this impacts
customer
satisfaction.
• Address application security from a districtwide perspective. ITD has implemented centralized application security policy, standards, and ITD has taken the
procedures, and monitors adherence. appropriate steps
• Applications not meeting these requirements should be modified or ITD reviews applications on an ongoing basis to determine whether they comply with No further review
replaced. security standards. required


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
3 KPMG Information Technology Current State Assessment: Help Desk 45.3
and Repair Facilities : February 2001
• Integrate the separate help desks and their systems using an enterprise- • ITD has implemented an enterprise-wide help desk strategy except for Facilities No further review
wide help desk strategy. applications. required
• Implement as a minimum consolidation of the SIS and LAUSDnet help • ITD has accomplished integration of the SIS and LAUSDnet help desks. No further review
desks by July, 2001. required
• Establish an enterprise-wide hardware obsolescence plan. • ITD has not implemented a districtwide hardware obsolescence plan because of Evaluate whether a
organizational and budgetary constraints. districtwide
hardware
obsolescence plan is
warranted.
• Outsource computer repair function. • ITD indicates it has outsourced computer repair where required. Periodically review
its computer repair
process and
procedures.
• Implement an alternative inventory management system, if the district • ITD believes an alternative inventory management system is not warranted. Re-examine this
does not outsource repair. need in conjunction
with its computer
repair process
review.
4 KPMG Information Technology Current State Assessment: April 2001 45.4
• Freeze IT projects in short term. • ITD not certain whether, at the time, a freeze was implemented, but no longer No follow-up is
relevant. warranted
• Implement long-term districtwide IT strategy for administrative and • ITD asserts that it is implementing these practices on an ongoing basis. This may Develop a long-
instructional computing, including identifying strategically relevant IT be true on a project by project basis, but no overarching framework has been put range strategic plan
initiatives, defining strategic, tactical and operational goals and their in place to govern all ITD activities across the enterprise. that defines crucial
metrics, and evaluation method. initiatives, strategic
and tactical goals
and metrics, with
integral and
meaningful
participation of its
various user
constituencies at all
levels.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Implement centralized LAN management with a strategic, districtwide • ITD is implementing centralized LAN management as time and resources Review existing
plan and standards. permit. Establishing standards at the end-device level has met with resistance. LAN management
practices across all
levels.
• Implement an overall WAN strategy that includes a scalable WAN • ITD has implemented a WAN strategy, yet school users have been concerned Examine the
architecture and standards for remote dial-up. about whether sufficient broadband will be available during key peak periods. increased demands
to be made of its
WAN as the core
applications
encompass a
growing volume of
daily users.
• Develop districtwide security architecture for all IT resources. • ITD has mostly completed implementation of a districtwide security architecture No further follow-up
across all IT resources. required
• Develop a districtwide strategic vision for effective deployment of end • ITD has not developed an districtwide strategic vision for effective deployment Should be integral to
user computing resources and support of end-user computing resources due to organizational constraints. the Strategic Plan for
Information
Technology.
• Develop and implement a “preventative and proactive” approach for • This recommendation has been implemented and will be further enhanced from No further review
managing equipment and service warranties and monitoring the forthcoming roll-out of the asset management system. warranted
compliance with service level and software maintenance agreements.
• Evaluate the capability of existing construction applications to support • The Construction Information System Office was established to promote No further review
seamless usage across multiple construction business processes. seamless usage across multiple business processes. The Office has identified required
applications requiring modification within its own systems and with BTS.
• Construction applications not able to support multiple construction • The Construction Information Systems Office identified redundant processes for No further review
business processes should be modified or replaced. purchase requisitions and time-keeping which have been fixed. required


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Establish a clear understanding of user requirements for construction • The Construction Information Systems Office employs ITD Standard System No further review
applications based on a Standard System Development Methodology. Development Methodology. required
• In short term for payroll applications, create aged adjustment reports to • This recommendation is not relevant at this time. No further review
monitor pending and returned adjustments. warranted
• In the long term, replace the existing payroll systems and processes • This recommendation was accomplished through Phase 2 BTS payroll Determine if re-
with an integrated payroll/human resource/benefits system and re- implementation in January 2007. engineering steps
engineer payroll business processes to maximize benefits of new have benefited users
systems. of BTS.
• Implement a top-down, districtwide help desk strategy across the • ITD is implementing a districtwide help desk strategy. Determine whether
organization and consolidate separate help desks. clients have
experienced
improvements in
service.
5 KPMG Information and Physical Security Assessment: February 2001 45.7
• Develop a security strategy that addresses across all IT resources: • ITD has implemented a comprehensive districtwide security strategy. No further review
authentication, authorization, privacy of student records, monitoring required
and detection, response and testing.
• Develop authentication standards for passwords, for remote access and • ITD has addressed authentification standards within its security strategy. No further review
encryption. required
• Develop a data classification and ownership scheme that assigns • ITD has implemented. No further review
ownership and sensitivity classification to all of the district’s strategic required
information assets.
• Develop a firewall strategy that consolidates services into fewer • ITD has implemented. No further review
firewalls and provides load balancing across clusters. required
• Develop a network zoning strategy that considers different levels of • ITD has implemented. No further review
security domains. required


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Re-architect the DMZ strategy based on re-evaluating requirements • ITD has implemented. No further review
for effective security. required
• Implement active intrusion detection to provide early warning of • ITD has not been able to complete implementation of active intrusion detection Complete this
attempted breaches, including formal response procedures. because of insufficient resources. initiative
(Note: Information and Physical Security Assessment: Detailed

Observations and Recommendations (Item 45.8) contains very detailed
technical recommendations on High Risk Vulnerabilities and was not
addressed in this report.
6 KPMG Network Connectivity Assessment: February 2001 45.9
• Develop a districtwide LAN strategy that establishes guidelines for • ITD has implemented a districtwide strategy that covers both future and legacy No further review
future LAN deployment and sets standards for legacy LANs. LANs. required
• Develop and maintain an accurate inventory of LANs. • ITD has implemented an accurate inventory of routers and switches, but has Continue efforts to
been less successful in cataloging end-user devices. implement an
inclusive inventory.
• Develop policies related to central oversight and management of LAN • ITD has not been able to complete development of policies pertaining to central Clarify the
resources and that addresses the organizational issues to be resolved. oversight and management of LAN resources due to intra-organizational issues. organizational issues
with executive
management that
inhibit the
implementation of a
centralized LAN
management
strategy.
• Consider outsourcing LAN management on a regional basis. • LAN maintenance has been outsourced, but district has not been able to fully Review alternatives
fund this effort. for maintaining
LAN operations.
• Develop a strategic plan for WAN management which aligns with the • ITD is in the process of developing a strategic WAN management plan. The development of
district’s overall strategic objectives. a strategic plan for
information
technology is a
necessary
prerequisite.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Develop core competencies within ITD for strategic WAN • ITD is building the core competencies necessary for strategic WAN Continue efforts
management. management.
• Evaluate options for outsourcing WAN management. • ITD is evaluating outsourcing of WAN management. Complete this task
• Evaluate remote dial-up requirements and consider alternative • ITD is restricting dial-up to special purpose applications is using VPN to provide No further review
methods such as VPN over the Internet. end-user access to the Internet. required
• Develop modem and remote access standards, policies and procedures. • ITD is preparing these standards. Complete this task
• Assess the total cost of ownership for dial-up access systems and • ITD has evaluated the total cost of ownership for dial-up access. As a result, No further review
consider alternative methods such as VPN over the Internet. dial-up access to the Internet has been eliminated and restricted to special necessary
purpose situations. VPN has been implemented for end-user access and also for
internal network administration purposes.
7 KPMG Payroll Applications Assessment: March 2001 45.10
• Implement short-term solution recommendations regarding automating • ITD deployment of BTS addresses these recommendations. Conduct a follow-up
file updating, interest penalty payment process, complete the position business process
control and PTRS integration project, and ensuring that key payroll walk-through with
systems can be adequately supported. Finance Office staff
to ensure that the
implementation
resolves all issues.
• Implement long-term solution of replacing payroll system and existing • ITD is implementing BTS as its solution to this recommendation. Conduct a post-
processes with an integrated human resource/benefits/payroll implementation
application, and reengineering supporting payroll business processes. business process
walk through to
ensure that Finance
Office needs have
been met.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
8 Superintendent’s Strategic Plan: May 23, 2002 15
• Goal 9 Classroom Technology: All teachers will be proficient in LAUSD has connected all school sites to the Internet and has implemented computer Examine process for
utilizing technology in the classroom to support and enhance skills training for school personnel. While broad-based, LAUSD personnel indicate selecting,
instruction and develop student skills to enable them to be globally that training efforts too often do not dovetail with ongoing instructional strategies in implementing, and
competitive in the information age. the classroom, and that the Instructional Technology Office needs to more proactively evaluating
involve instructional staff in selecting content and programming. instructional
Objective measure is to provide access to technology and the Internet technology
to every student in every classroom and to develop a technology The 2002 Strategic Plan focuses almost exclusively on instructional priorities and
initiatives.
literate teaching force which integrates technology into the curriculum. objectives, and gives little or no visibility to the comprehensive role that technology
plays at all levels of LAUSD, and especially of the critical role that data can play in The district’s
both instructional and administrative decision making . The core technology strategic plan should
applications of BTS and ISIS, which encompass all facets of the capability of the be revised to
district to operate effectively on a daily basis, receive no attention. incorporate a more
thorough and
comprehensive
vision and
implementation of
the role of
information
technology in
supporting all facets
of LAUSD.
9 Increasing Accountability and Improving the Quality of Education in 8

LAUSD: September 2006
• A similar accountability system is being developed for…Information 8.3 • LAUSD has not initiated development of an accountability component focusing Pursue development
Technology. on Information Technology of an accountability
component for
Information
Technology that
incorporates
meaningful metrics
gathered from
consumers of
technology services.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
10 State Auditor’s Report and Council of Great City Schools 11
Recommendations Review: November 2006
• Establish more effective automated position control system to prevent • BTS Phase 2 implementation, begun in January 2007, will roll-out an automated No further
payments for unauthorized positions position control system. recommendations
required at this time
11 Review of the Organizational Structure and Operations of LAUSD by 5

Council of Great City Schools: January 2006
Recommendations: Strategic for Board and Superintendent No further review
• Move aggressively to replace fragmented and antiquated business

• ITD is implementing BTS, A SAP enterprise ERP application. Full required
implementation of all components will be accomplished by the end of 2007.
systems with ERP.
• Publicly adopt “formal charter” that commits support of • LAUSD has adopted a formal charter for its ERP implementation, BTS. No further action
Superintendent, Board, and senior management. required
• Assign reporting responsibilities of ERP executive office to • The ERP Office reports through ITD to the Chief Financial Officer. Undertake a
Superintendent. comprehensive
review of the
organization and
delivery of
information
technology services.
• Integrate ERP into district’s strategic goals and objectives so that 5 – CGSC • The Strategic Plan does not address ERP. The project is only partly driven by Strategic Plan should
project is strategically driven and owned by functional users. functional users. incorporate a more
thorough and
comprehensive
vision of the role of
information
technology in
supporting all facets
of LAUSD.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Adopt a sophisticated and comprehensive change management strategy 5 – CGSC • Both core enterprise applications, BTS and ISIS, include a comprehensive No further review is
to streamline core business processes based on “as is” assessment. change management strategy. required
• Develop consistent district wide procedures that maximize capability • ITD’s primary focus has been on implementation of BTS components and Undertake a
of ERP and examine the impact of resulting changes on organizations. responding to identified user problems. Efforts to fully maximize capability of comprehensive
ERP by fine-tuning organizational processes will begin once the implementation business process
of all components has been accomplished. review as part of its
post-implementation
activities.
• Reorganize current policies and operating procedures. • Full implementation of BTS and post-implementation review will be necessary Undertake a
to identify further policy and procedure changes. comprehensive
business process
review as part of its
post-implementation
activities.
• Integrate ERP project into district’s long-range comprehensive • ITD submitted the ERP Project Charter to the Board for approval in 2005. Prepare a
technology plan that encompasses operational rollout of the project and LAUSD does not at this time have a long-range comprehensive information comprehensive
submit entire plan to the Board for formal adoption. technology plan. information
technology plan
covering all facets of
technology delivery
for approval by the
Board.
• Conduct a study of IT’s capacity to sustain ERP environment long term • This recommendation has not been accomplished to date as ITD has been Conduct a post-
and make changes necessary to accomplish this. focused on implementation of BTS. ITD realizes that this is a necessary activity. implementation
review of its
capacity to sustain a
long-term
infrastructure that
will meet ERP
needs.
• Conduct a feasibility study to ensure that district’s infrastructure can • ITD has determined that its infrastructure capability is sufficient to support ERP. Examine this issue
support the ERP project. again in mid-2007 as
the volume of
transactions and
users from core
applications
increase.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Absorb or eliminate as many homegrown or third party systems and 5 – CGSC • ERP must be fully and satisfactorily implemented enterprise-wide before ITD Conduct a post-
discontinue further acquisition of all new third party systems as part of can turn its attention to identifying integration issues implementation
ERP implementation. review of business
processes to
determine and
correct integration
issues.
• Develop a detailed project budget with cost estimates, timelines, risk • The ERP Project Management Office has developed timelines, risk mitigation No further review
mitigation strategies and contingency plans. strategies, and contingency plans. required
• Align or consolidate different units as necessary as part of pre- • It is uncertain whether any organizational re-alignment occurred prior to ERP No further review
implementation effort. implementation. required
• Require commitment and participation of executive-level managers • ITD indicates that executive-level and core functional users have participated No further review
and core functional users on the ERP Project Steering committee satisfactorily in the ERP Project Steering Committee. required
• Develop and deliver pre-project and project training to prepare staff for • ITD has delivered training to support ERP implementation throughout the roll- Re-evaluate its
windows environment prior to, during, and in six to twelve month out. However, users especially at school offices, have not participated at a instructional training
intervals following rollout. satisfactory level. delivery system to
determine necessary
changes.
• Involve end users (principals and office managers) in planning, • ITD established an ERP Project Steering Committee, composed primarily of Re-examine its end-
configuration, and rollout of the project. executive-level staff. School personnel indicated that ERP eventually would user involvement
benefit the schools, but staff felt they were often not informed about what would strategy for rolling
be required of them. out future projects.
• Retain external project management support and commit a dedicated • ITD has established project management offices for each of its core enterprise No further review
full-time team of district staff, including both user experts and applications, BTS and ISIS and involved subject matter experts to assist them required
technology professionals to manage the project at task and resource with rolling out the applications to users.
levels.
• Prepare a comprehensive communications plan with regular reports • The ERP Office implemented a substantial communications effort through the Undertake a review
that track ERP progress to inform Board and all others. ERP project page on the LAUSD Web site, as well as through the distribution of of the effectiveness
periodic bulletins. It is difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of this strategy in of its
reaching school and district office users. Regular reports were made to the communications
Board. plan in reaching
users.


Next Steps for
Document GO-FORTH
• Map and post existing “as is” work flows and the required “to be” 5 – CGSC • ITD conducted an extensive business process analysis for the ERP project. Conduct a post-
process as Central Support Services and related offices migrate to the implementation
ERP system. review with users to
determine the
success and
comprehensiveness
of this effort in
understanding the
work place.
• Establish regular cross-functional and interdivisional meetings around • ITD established an ERP Project Steering Committee, but did not undertake any Consider employing
offices to be impacted by ERP. cross-fertilization efforts between office staffs. this strategy in future
projects.
• Design new standard operating procedures aligned with the new • Some standard operating procedures have been changed to align with the new Undertake a post-
processes. business processes required by ERP. It is likely that more changes will emerge implementation
as ERP becomes fully implemented. evaluation of desired
changes in
organizational
processes and
staffing to maximize
the benefit of ERP.
• Rewrite job descriptions and titles that are aligned with new business • As ERP reaches full implementation, ITD anticipates that district offices will LAUSD should
process. focus more follow-up attention on identifying and recommending desirable undertake a post-
organizational changes to maximize benefits from ERP. implementation
evaluation of desired
changes in
organizational
processes and
the benefit of ERP.
• Continually monitor and align the use of new business processes as • ITD monitors the impact of ERP on business processes as best it can while its LAUSD should
greater functionality is achieved through the ERP. main focus is on initial roll out of ERP. undertake a post-
implementation
evaluation of desired
changes in
organizational
processes and
the benefit of ERP.

CHAPTER 3:
AREAS REQUIRING NEW OR DEEPER ANALYSIS

3.0 AREAS REQUIRING NEW OR DEEPER ANALYSIS
During the diagnostic Phase I study, Evergreen Solutions was asked to identify programs and
operations requiring new or deeper analysis. In responding to this challenge, we have attempted
to group potential areas for study into about 40 broad categories. We will work with LAUSD
senior staff to prioritize these areas and then develop action plans for the scope of services for
the prioritized areas prior to the Phase II engagement.
The major sections of this chapter are:
3.1 Governance/Organization/Accountability
3.2 Instruction
3.4 Human Resources
3.6 Transportation
3.7 Technology
3.1 Governance/Organization/Accountability
Under Governance, Organizational, and Accountability, we have identified the following five
areas for further review:
• Board Policies and Procedures

• Roles of Superintendent and Board
• Development of the Superintendent’s Management and Organization Structure
• Development and Implementation of a Performance-based 2007 Strategic Plan
• Development and Implementation of an Effective Accountability System
The rationale as to why we believe these five areas are critical is shown in the chart on the next
page.

Areas Requiring New or Deeper Analysis LAUSD Diagnostic Phase I Review
Evergreen Solutions
Review of Recommendations in Previous Reports
AREAS NEEDING NEW/DEEPER EXAMINATION
Operational Area: Governance/Organization/Accountability
# Area Requiring New/Deeper Examination Reason for Additional Analysis
Governance
1 Policies and Procedures Policies are adopted by a school board to set direction for the Superintendent and his staff. Administrative procedures are
generally created to provide steps that staff must follow to implement Board policy. In LAUSD, no centralized repository
of policy and procedures exist, no caretaker of policies has been identified, policies are on-line and not distributed through
a printed bulletin as before, old policies are not weeded out, and mangers are not aware of policies/procedures/rules in the
district. Many on-line policies were developed in the 1960s and 1970s. Few new policies have been brought to the Board
for adoption in the 2000s. Further, the resolution process is used, at times, to develop policy, but once a policy-related
resolution is adopted by the Board, it is not systemically added to the on-line policy manual. National and state school
board standards recommend complete purging of policy manual at least every 10 years, and most school districts conduct
a comprehensive policy review more frequently.
2 Role of the Board and Superintendent As stated in the 7/2006 Commission of LAUSD Governance report, the “Role of the School Board needs to be clearly
focused.” No action has been taken to implement this recommendation. This analysis would include, but not limited to:
• operational definitions of the role of Board and the role of the Superintendent;
• roles and responsibilities for LAUSD staff and Board staff, including the independent analysis unit;
• roles and responsibilities of the LAUSD General Counsel and Board Legal Counsel;
• responsibilities of Board Standing Committees and their relationship to the Board as a whole; and
• effectiveness of Board meetings.
Organization
1 Development of Superintendent’s Management and Organizational Structure • Not clearly defined at present. Relationship of central office administration to Local District Superintendents to
Directors of School Services to Principals needs to be more clearly conceptualized.
• The roles and responsibilities of the Cabinet/Leadership Team must be defined.
• Vertical and horizontal alignment of operations in an effective matrix organization needs to be created.
2 Development and Implementation of a Performance-Based 2007 Strategic Plan The 2002 Strategic Plan did not include measurable objectives, nor was it linked with the LAUSD budget . No one was
held accountable for effective implementation of 2002 Strategic Plan. The 2007 Strategic Plan, which is being imitated,
must be quantifiable with appropriate performance measures at the district level. This districtwide umbrella plan should
form the basis for and support central office department/division, local district, and school improvement plans. The 2007
LAUSD Strategic Plan must set the stage for performance, accountability, and standards which will be integrated into job
descriptions and an effective evaluation system for managers and supervisors. AALA needs to be involved as plans are
formulated.

Operational Area: Governance/Organization/Accountability (Continued)

# Area Requiring New/Deeper Examination Reason for Additional Analysis
Accountability
1 Development of the LAUSD Accountability System. Parts of the proposed system are being designed, but several components have not been developed, including:
• measurable job descriptions for all critical positions;

• performance-based contracts for all critical positions;
• an evaluation system to hold employees accountable; and
• a training package for supervisors who must evaluate staff on the basis of performance-based standards.

3.2 Instruction
Many effective strategies in LAUSD are in place not only to assist low-performing schools, but
also to prevent schools from entering program improvement (PI) due to failure to meet Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP). However, with some schools languishing in program improvement for
more than five years, it may be informative for the district to more systematically examine
factors contributing to that long-term inability to systemically reform those schools and improve
student achievement. When patterns of low achievement for students and low performance for
schools persist over time, more exhaustive examinations of the causes need to be taken and
comprehensive plans developed to address them for improvement of achievement of all students
in the district. Phase II plans should include research-based strategies and best practices, both
from LAUSD and broader, and the identification of professional development for teachers and
administrators that would contribute to addressing the pattern. These plans should not just
suggest, but require, that standards be set by all schools to be held accountable.
Additionally, teacher turnover and teacher qualifications and experience should be examined and
current strategies expanded to address exceptionally high turnover rates, and provide support for
inexperienced teachers and principals in areas of concern. Turnover and concomitant training
and support for district initiatives as new teachers replace outgoing ones must be planned and
consistent.
Among the instructional areas recommended for new/deeper analysis are the following:
transitions between school levels, program evaluation, staffing levels, parent education, best
practices, charter schools, and extended-day programs.
• Transitions Between School Levels. Transitions between school levels are essential for
receiving schools and teachers to fully understand student abilities and needs, and for
sending teachers to fully inform them. Planned and coordinated transitional activities
between schools also provide sending teachers of instructional preparedness of students
they have previously received, and thus improve instructional articulation between
grades. Often, transitions are planned between elementary and middle schools and
middle and high schools.
Articulation between PreKindergarten and Kindergarten staff is equally important as

subsequent transitional meetings throughout the school years. A district policy exists, but
is not uniformly followed, to ensure that Kindergarten teachers know student
preparedness for success in Open Court, know the students and their parents, and vice
versa. The optimal situation would be for meetings to begin several months before
students’ transition to Kindergarten with parents and the teachers at the two levels
developing at least a figurative IEP-type plan for student success. Parent meetings should
be held in mornings, afternoons, and evenings to accommodate parent needs and
schedules. All central and local district parenting activities should regularly include
parents of the district’s preschool population. In order to promote, educate, and
coordinate with local district staff, the placement and matrixing of the Early Childhood
Office and its branches must be defined as LAUSD develops communications, reporting,
and accountability procedures.

Although used as an example, the transition issue is broader than Early Childhood
Education and needs to be studied at all school levels.
• Program Evaluation. LAUSD’s reliance on individual departments to determine and

fund evaluative needs for programs does not ensure that evaluation is as integral a part of
programmatic and funding decisions as it should be in a best practice environment. The
Program Evaluation and Research Branch (PERB) is in the position of playing a critical
role in achievement of the Board’s goals of closing the achievement gap and making all
students globally competitive upon graduation, but the structure and responsibilities of
PERB must change to achieve this goal.
PERB is the district entity that provides a myriad of data to school and district staff upon
which it should base decisions about:
− program retention, revision, or elimination;
− areas in which students and staff are excelling that should be systematically studied
and replicated;
− areas where there are patterns and/or groups of low performance that need to be
addressed with the development of new or targeted programs or resources, additional
or different staff development, and the more directed integration of research and best
practices into district actions; and
− identification, in program evaluations, of successful practices that should be

replicated in other locations across the district.
The information PERB generates can and does, when analyzed and used, provide
valuable guidance in decisions related to student performance within the district. PERB’s
resources should, therefore, be more purposefully utilized to guide the district in
instructional and programmatic decisions.
Aligned with district instructional priorities, annual decisions about programs to be

evaluated should be made and funded centrally. The effective process of collaboration
between PERB and other units should continue in order to focus evaluative questions on
issues that are fundamental to student learning and to ensure that instruments are
meaningful for that purpose. However, making PERB dependent on budgeting in
instructional offices, and leaving prioritization of evaluations based on these budgets,
may exclude important evaluations from being generated. By allocating a portion of
general funds as a line item in the district’s budgeting process and collaboratively
identifying programs to be evaluated, LAUSD will ensure that essential information is
available in a timely manner to make programmatic and instructional decisions.
PERB can or has the ability to serve as a valuable resource for exploring research or
examining data regarding programs the district is considering for funding. LAUSD
offices should continuously and systematically capitalize on PERB to evaluate the
appropriateness of proposed programs for LAUSD students. As initiatives are

undertaken, an evaluation component that provides both formative and summative

findings and recommendations, should be an integral part of the initial program design to
inform interim adjustments as well as to make final programmatic decisions.
As the role of program evaluation within an effective accountability structure is studied

further in Phase II, a restructuring of PERB needs to be considered. Variables such as the
following need to be included in such a study:
− a research-based philosophy is needed to drive decisions on program evaluations;
− consideration should be given to whether PERB should be a Cabinet-level office;
− a clearinghouse or central point of contact for program evaluations needs to be

created; and
− quality control and objectivity of program evaluations must be emphasized.
LAUSD should regularly use the products of its objective evaluations to guide
instructional decisions. When programs are found to be ineffective, reports findings,
recommendations, and data should be used to make needed changes or eliminate those
programs. When programs are found to be efficient and effective, they should be
systematically replicated in other sites throughout the district.
• Staffing Levels. There is a current lack of alignment between instruction and resource
allocations so there are no uniform expectations or procedures for regular examination of
instructionally-related needs. Developing processes to examine staffing levels of
instructional support would ensure that student performance will continue to be central to
funding decisions. This action will raise the likelihood that student performance will
increase instead of fall. Staffing programs at an appropriate level will also enable the
district to maintain its capacity to continue to address the instructional needs of low-
performing schools and students, and thus decrease the achievement gap.
• Parent Education. LAUSD has a valuable resource for reaching and educating the
multitudes of parents in the district that remains untapped. Some families, who do not
have transportation, have televisions at home. Many families in the Los Angeles area are
either illiterate or not fluent in English. Partnering with universities and community
agencies to develop Public Service Announcements (PSAs) as a first step in providing
parent education via television could begin to educate that segment of parents, through
visual means, of ways that they can reinforce and support their children’s education at
home. Teaching parents that the activities they do with their children at home have value
is a first step in enlisting them as partners throughout their children’s school years. Once
parents become comfortable at one level of involvement, they will be less reticent to
become active in others.
• Best Practices. A district as large as LAUSD has many exemplary practices and
programs taking place in its schools. It has yet, though, to develop a systematic means of
harvesting those effective practices for wider dissemination and replication throughout

the district. Several instances of the evaluation of programs for best practices were
evident in discussion with district personnel and examination of evaluation reports. One
example was cited where principals of schools that had made exceptional progress in
raising student achievement reported to the Board and identified five strategies they
believed had contributed to their success. When asked what had been done in the district
as a result of that report, the answer was “nothing.” This is yet another example of
valuable information being readily available for broader use to inform and guide
improvement that is not being capitalized. As stated previously, evaluation reports also
provide information on successful strategies, but are not routinely touted as a source of
seed ideas for improvement. Responses to questions about systems of sharing reflected
that it is primarily done informally.
Best practices must be substantiated by research. One can not assume that a “practice” is
a “best practice” unless research has shown that it has made a difference in the student
learning. Other districts have used a clearinghouse approach for best practices; this
should be explored as part of the Phase II study.
The district should use student performance data to define common needs related to
teaching, learning, and professional growth in LAUSD schools and high performers in
those areas. It should regularly identify places in LAUSD where pockets of excellence
are influencing student learning in those areas. Possibilities might include teachers,
administrators, or school staffs who are excelling in:
− involving parents and the community in the school;
− raising student achievement;
− teaming;
− using student data to impact achievement/safety/attendance;
− focusing professional development on specific, identified school, staff, or student

needs; and
− effectively raising student achievement through collaborative instruction for students

with special needs, whether they are students with disabilities, have language
acquisition challenges, or have learning styles that do not benefit from traditional
classroom instruction.
Best practice programs and practices should be used to promulgate similar practices in
other schools. Opportunities should be created for them to share their best practices in
professional development/role-alike meetings, and include them on the LAUSD Web site.
Some staff mentioned initial efforts to collect best practices that are being used in
LAUSD schools to share more systematically. PERB evaluations have collected best
practices on such topics as closing the gap strategies and charter school promising
practices. However, there is not a systematic way to identify, collect and share best

practices within the district for dissemination and replication (Note: the Office of Special
Education was holding a colloquium for sharing best practices during Evergreen’s
diagnostic visit which could be replicated).
• Charter Schools. Charter schools operate without the hindrances of many regulatory
provisions and stand in a good position to be creative in many ways in contrast to
traditional schooling. This creativity, as well as their smaller sizes, should enable these
schools to extend approaches to schooling in broader ways, meeting student needs in
ways that LAUSD schools might not be able to. These characteristics of charter schools
should be explored for the benefit of students in the Los Angeles area by directing
scrutiny more concertedly on school applications that promise to capitalize on their
uniqueness.
LAUSD should consider creating a Committee with representation from such groups as
University Schools of Education, Local District Superintendents, Directors of School
Services (DSS), principals and teachers from Academic Achievement Schools,
instructional coaches, central office instructional staff and Board members with the
charge of approving charter applications most likely to raise student achievement through
innovative instructional approaches, operational structures, curricula, or partnerships.
Ongoing analysis of student performance is fundamental to decisions about instruction,

curriculum, professional development, individual and group enrichment, and remediation
instruction. When student or school achievement is assessed regularly, changes can be
made throughout the year to improve performance and bolster success. This action
prevents a full year from going by before the need for change is identified and strategies
are put in place. Much student learning is lost in the interim. Charter schools are not
currently required to present their periodic assessment data the same way or to use the
district tests. They are supposed to be part of the district’s SIS System which would
facilitate downloading and analysis of some student data, but charter budgets have stood
in the way of this happening universally.
The organizational structure for Charter Schools within the central office needs to be
examined. One of the key responsibilities of the administrator overseeing charter schools
for the district is to have a handle on student progress. Although coordinators are
reported to have backgrounds in schools and school administration, and be in the field
visiting schools regularly, without a transparent means of reporting and analyzing student
performance data throughout the year, it is challenging, at best, to stay abreast of possible
curricular and instructional needs or to analyze the progress of groups of students and
target instruction for their individualized or group needs. Similarly, as renewal
applications are submitted, student achievement should be central to decision making.
District schools will have to teach students who return from failed charter schools, so
monitoring of charter student achievement is equally important as that of other students.
Accountability for student achievement would be raised by requiring that charters

participate in the district’s periodic assessments, thus standardizing the means of
reporting and analyzing data. In this way, achievement could more regularly and

systematically be monitored throughout the school year, as it has been on the California
Standards Test.
Although networking and collegiality are essential elements of professional growth and
sharing, only a couple of local districts include charter principals in principals meetings
and professional development. Although charter representatives are not invited to
participate in centrally-offered professional development, they are welcome to attend
when they hear about it. Where one local district embraced charter principals as equal
partners with his schools, a best practice used in a charter was borrowed for replication at
one elementary school. Similar exchanges of ideas between the two types of schools, if
encouraged and supported, would likely benefit students and staff in both.
• Extended-Day Programs. LAUSD expends over $100 million annually on extended

day (Beyond the Bell) programs for its students. The 2005-06 County of Los Angeles
Grand Jury evaluation of “Beyond the Bell” noted concerns about equity among
programs provided with various funds. District staff stated that coordinators for Beyond
the Bell programs have helped student performance and that data are used in day and
after-school programs to target instruction and improve achievement. Some coordinators
have helped to ensure that a balance exists among the academic, socio-emotional, and
enrichment needs of students. Some schools, in other parts of the country, are using
student ID cards to link student participation in after-school programs with school
achievement to see the correlation. Considering the great sums of dollars that are being
expended on beyond-school programs, an examination of the correlation between the
academic side of the programs and daytime achievement should be regularly monitored
in all extended day programs.

Evergreen Solutions
Operational Area: Instruction
Area Requiring
# New/Deeper Examination Reason for Additional Analysis
1 Low-Performing Schools The ability of teachers to meet the needs of students with disabilities and other groups of students (e.g., English learners), as well as leadership capacity, should be more
systematically examined as possible contributing factors to low performance. The district may need to systematically examine the source of achievement gaps in all subject
areas, grades, schools, and student groups where disparities exist as a basis for providing more targeted support.
In addition, LAUSD needs to re-think its support for low-performing schools as some are in Years 8 and 9 of program improvement. District resources should be examined
regarding their best use to turn schools around. Students with disabilities continue to be a student group whose performance is contributing to schools not making AYP and
teacher ability to meet their individual learning needs may be a contributing factor.
2 Articulation Purposefully create systems so that preKindergarten and Kindergarten teachers and principals can communicate about student educational and social needs, especially in API
1, 2, and 3 schools. Relationships between the Early Childhood Centers and local districts should also be considered with respect to matrixing and accountability so that the
Early Childhood Office has the authority it needs to forward and coordinate its program with districts.
In planning articulation between schools and programs, staff often noted transitions between elementary and middle school, and middle and high school, but rarely between
Preschool and Kindergarten. Similarly, although parents are most easily recruited into support for schools and partnership for their children at this age, few schools routinely
invite parents of preschool students to attend parenting activities. Communications between the Early Childhood Centers, too, and local districts needs to be clarified
regarding reporting structures and coordination.
3 Program Evaluation There is no program sunset policy, and the district’s responsiveness and use of the products and expertise of the Program Evaluation and Research Branch (PERB) in
consideration of instructional and programmatic decisions, are limited.
Currently, individual offices request and fund program evaluations. Many are appropriately long-term initiatives. However, many of the evaluation reports that have been
conducted in the past and examined by Evergreen consultants, have made the same recommendations, illustrating the point that, in general, evaluations are not used to guide
instructional or programmatic decisions. This places the district in the position of: (1) failing to consistently use objective data and examinations of its instructional programs
and actions to adjust, maintain, or eliminate programs that have been deemed ineffective; (2) not using the resources of PERB in a cost-effective manner when they conduct
evaluations that do not result in changed practice; and (3) not using evaluative information to adjust or eliminate programs that are not proving to have the desired effect on
student achievement or are proving not to be cost effective in the results they are rendering.
4 Resource Allocations As the district moves towards focusing resource allocation on student achievement goals, it should develop a process for an annual re-examination of staffing levels of
curricular support positions in terms of span of control, responsibilities, and concomitant support for schools.
Since the district does not yet base resource allocation on elements that will ensure improved student achievement, it is critical that it develop procedures to examine and
align budget relationships between expenditures and district instructional priorities.
5 Parent Education The use of the district’s television station should be examined relative to its use in reaching out to and educating parents.
District staff stated that there needs to be a stronger focus on educating and empowering parents to be more active in their children’s education, but many current outreach
efforts require parents to go to the school or a central conference, excluding many parents who either have no transportation or the self-confidence to attend such events. The
TV station serves as a powerful medium for reaching and educating parents in helping children at home.


Area Requiring
6 Best Practices Systematically identifying, collecting, sharing and using best practices across the district does not take place.
Some staff mentioned initial efforts to collect best practices that are being used in LAUSD schools to share more systematically. PERB evaluations have collected best
practices on such topics as national closing the gap strategies and charter school promising practices. However, there is not a systematic way to identify, collect and share
best practices within the district for dissemination and replication (Note: The Office of Special Education was holding a colloquium for sharing best practices during
Evergreen’s diagnostic visit which could be replicated).
7 Charter Schools The level of innovation in terms of instructional approaches, operational structures, curricula, or partnerships of charter schools needs to be re-examined with future
applications and requests for renewals. Charters are intended to be innovative, but have been historically approved regardless of exhibiting innovation because of the need to
create student seats in LAUSD’s crowded facilities. As charters add grades, this exacerbates space problems in a facility. Facilities in the community are becoming tighter
for charters, placing more in the position of wanting to avail themselves of district seats. Now that space is a concern, more carefully examining applications for the qualities
and foci behind the intent of each charter school is imperative.
The frequency of examination of student progress in charter schools may not be sufficient to make timely changes in curriculum or instruction. Currently, there is only an
annual formal examination of charter student achievement in partnership between PERB and the Charter Office. Some schools administer periodic assessments, but when
submitted to the Charter Office, they are on CD or even hard copy, making analysis for examination of student progress and any resultant curricular or instructional changes
time consuming and difficult, so not likely to be done effectively. Furthermore, each charter school uses assessments of its choosing, eliminating the possibility of making
valid or easy comparisons or conclusions. No LAUSD charter school has been revoked to date on the basis of student performance.
The need exists to include the Charter Office more systematically in communications, meetings, and professional development in local districts and the central office. In
only a few instances does communication, collaboration, or coordination exist between the Charter School Office and local districts or the Charter School Office and the
instructional departments of the central office. The role of the Charter School Office and its efficiency and effectiveness must also be examined. Other issues to be assessed
include accountability and best practices in Charter Schools.
8 Communications and There may be a need to develop more regular, systematic communications and academic coordination between some “Beyond the Bell” programs and the regular daytime
Coordination in Extended academic program. In some schools, the focus is more academic than a balance with other aspects, like recreation and arts. The effectiveness of extended day programs
Day Programs must be examined.


Evergreen’s review of prior study recommendations in business services indicates ongoing areas
of concern for the organizational structure, financial reporting, internal controls, and asset
management. While many of these areas are in some stage of implementation, several concerns
beyond the prior study recommendations were identified. In addition to areas of prior study
recommendations, Evergreen’s review indicated a need for new or deeper examination for the
following areas: purchasing, cost allocations, payroll, integration of financial functions, internal
controls, and employee health benefits.
• Purchasing. Purchasing was addressed in the prior study recommendations relative to a

review of purchasing transactions. Purchasing is recommended for further analysis
because Evergreen’s diagnostic review found that several levels of concerns over the
purchasing and procurement function. The organizational structure of Purchasing is not
conducive to a smooth flow of transactions. Facilities and Food Services have unique
programmatic needs that interviews and document analyses indicate are not being met.
Contracts, especially professional services contracts, are not processed timely or
smoothly. Consistent documentation of the benefits from the district’s purchasing power
was not evident, and current comprehensive policies and procedures were not available to
ascertain the level to which these concerns are valid.
• Cost Allocations. The direct and indirect charges to the School Food Services Fund and
certain other federal grants (Title I, Special Education, 21st Century Community Learning
Grant, etc.) were addressed in the prior study recommendations relative to the review of
federal grants. Planning and budgeting, from the standpoint of projections, allocations,
and budgeting methodologies, are recommended for further review because of the lack of
understanding at the central office and the potential for negative financial impact if errors
or irregularities are found.
• Financial Integration. The concern over a lack of integrity for the payroll, accounts
payable, human resources, warehousing and general accounting systems was addressed in
prior study recommendations. Further study is recommended to ensure the integration of
functional areas as well as development and documentation of integrated system
procedures. LAUSD is implementing a new financial accounting system with the
capacity to alleviate prior study recommendation concerns. The implementation of a new
system, however, creates new concerns over documentation of the system, training for
employees on the new system, and the availability of unique reports.
• Internal Controls. The concerns over cash collections and inventory accountability
were discussed in the prior study recommendations. Corrective actions are not
sufficiently implemented to provide reasonable assurance of the safety of district assets.
Further study is recommended for the internal control and accountability system for
district assets. A lack of accountability over district assets was a recurring theme
throughout Evergreen’s review. Comprehensive procedures are not consistently
documented. Without documented internal control procedures and evidence of
monitoring, it is impossible to determine if an adequate accountability system exists.

• Employee Health Benefits. Evergreen’s review indicates that the employee health
benefits for LAUSD employees are very generous and represent a substantial portion of
district personnel costs. The district provides health, vision and dental insurance to all
full-time employees and retirees, and their eligible dependents. Health and welfare costs
have increased substantially and are projected to continue to rise. Further study is
recommended of the district’s benefit plan design and the district’s ability to pay.
In summary, implementation of several prior study recommendations for business services is

underway. Although LAUSD has made progress toward improving its business and financial
services functions, Evergreen’s current review identified areas requiring new or deeper
examination. The continued efforts of business and financial services staff are encouraging and
should provide long-term benefits to the students of LAUSD.

Evergreen Solutions
Operational Area: Business Services
Area Requiring
1 Purchasing Procurement for facilities has seceded from the district. Purchasing for food service is not responsive to the uniqueness of the needs for food services. Contracts,
especially professional services contracts, are not processed timely or smoothly. Purchasing does not have up-to-date comprehensive policies and procedures.
2 Cost Allocations Direct and indirect cost allocations have been questioned in the food service area. Consistent, reliable documentation and support for charges to the food service fund were
not available at the time of our site visit. Interviews with district officials indicate a lack of understanding of the allocation methodology and appropriateness of charges to
federal funds.
3 Payroll The development of integrated procedures for the processing of payroll transactions through the finance function is lacking and must be developed and communicated to
users to ensure accuracy, reliability and timeliness of financial reporting of the payroll transactions. Interviews indicated a lack of availability of management reports and a
lack of training on use of the new system.
4 Financial Integration The review of financial documents and interviews indicate a lack of integration among functional areas. such as payroll, accounts payable, food services, etc. The district
needs to develop a systemic approach to accountability. Reports are not always documented as to source and reliability.
5 Internal Controls Without documented internal control procedures and evidence of monitoring, it is impossible to determine if an adequate system of internal control over districts assets
exists. Review of documents and interviews indicate potential internal control concerns for cash collections, budgetary control, and asset management.
6 Employee Health Benefits Employee health welfare benefits are generous and represent a substantial portion of personnel costs. LAUSD provides health, vision and dental insurance coverages to all
full-time district employees and retirees and their eligible dependents. Health and welfare costs have increased 81 percent since 2001-02, and are projected to increase by
142 percent by 2009-10. During the same period, general fund revenue increased by 24 percent and is projected to increase by 37 percent. LAUSD should evaluate the
benefit plan design in relation to its ability to pay.

3.4 Human Resources

The diagnostic review was conducted for the Personnel Commission and the Human Resources
Division functions. As the result, Evergreen found that additional analysis is needed in certain
areas. As pointed out in the diagnostic review, the Human Resources Division and the Personnel
Commission share responsibility for personnel and administrative services in LAUSD for
certificated and classified workers, respectively. In Phase II, Evergreen needs to ascertain if the
improvements made by both entities to streamline functions and improve collaboration and
cooperation are sufficient in themselves to make the issue of consolidation no longer valid. In
addition, adult education, early childhood education, and after-school programs have their own
human resources departments. This should be studied as part of a Phase II process as well.
Therefore, areas requiring deeper analysis will be discussed as they apply to the two respective
units.
• Consolidation of the Human Resources Commission and the Personnel Commission.

The Council of Great City Schools recommended consolidation of the Personnel
Commission with the Human Resources Division. It will be difficult to eliminate the
Personnel Commission, and the only function likely to be lawfully removed from within
the Commission is the processing of assignment transactions. Nevertheless, the district
believes that it can enhance and streamline some functions currently not required to be
handled by the Commission to meet many of the recommendations set forth in the
Council of Great City Schools Report.
In addition to consolidation, organizational areas recommended for further analysis in

human resources by Evergreen consultants include the following:
− Should the Position of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) be elevated to a

Higher Administrative Level? The Council of Great City Schools Report and other
documents suggest elevation of Human Resources Division to a higher level in the
organization. If so, what level should it be? Does the present level within the district
accomplish the division’s mission and goals? These and other questions have to be
answered in order to make an informed recommendation on the issue. The CHRO is
responsible for recruitment, employment, training, retention, employment relations
and customer service. He is supported and augmented by a highly professional staff
that is well trained and cognizant of the important responsibilities associated with the
human resources function and its criticality to the success of the education mission of
the district.
− Development of Quantifiable Goals. Whether separate or combined, it is important

for the Personnel Commission and Human Resources Division to develop and
implement quantifiable goals, targets, benchmarks, metrics, timelines, responsibility
centers and resource allocations. In several studies, both units were found to be weak
on accountability standards. The strategic plan which has been developed by the
Human Resources Division and is being developed currently by the Personnel
Commission will guide the development of accountability standards.

− Examine Core Functions of Recruitment and Employment, Retention, Employee

Relations, Training and Customer Service. It is important to examine the five core
functions of recruitment and, employment, retention, employee relations, and
customer service in both the Human Resources Division and the Personnel
Commission. It has been pointed out in the Council of Great City Schools Report and
other studies that the Human Resources Division and Personnel Commission are
deficient in providing adequate core functions service to its workforce. Though the
initial diagnostic review indicates that some action has been initiated by both the
Human Resources and Personnel Commission, additional analysis of these core
functions is critical.
Also considered important for Phase II review are the following:
¾ the job classification process to eliminate the practice of job classifications being
created for certificated or classified personnel outside of the Human Resources
Division or Personnel Commission;
¾ the development of job descriptions for all personnel in LAUSD;
¾ analysis of hiring, employment, training, retention, employment relations, and

customer service practices;
¾ development of a competent evaluation system for all certificated and classified

personnel;
¾ the effectiveness of personnel evaluations and the termination process for

classified and certificated personnel, based on performance-based evaluations;
¾ if effective and balanced integration of union input to the personnel process is

accomplished;
¾ determine if there is accountability for professional development training and

should it be mandatory or voluntary; and
¾ analysis to determine if the Personnel Commission and Human Resources

Division meet change management requirements to move all personnel operations
into the 21st Century.

Evergreen Solutions
Operational Area: Human Resources
Area Requiring
1 Organizational Structure of This area of concern has been cited in reports, with the Council of Great City Schools being the most recent. However, these reports are limited in making substantive
the Human Resources recommendations or prescriptive remedies. Additional analysis is essential to determine the feasibility of consolidation and if the climate in LAUSD can support this
Division and the Personnel observation with appropriate personnel and resources. Related organizational issues to consider for further analysis include:
Commission
• The reporting responsibility for the Personnel Commission is embedded in state law. The organization, staffing and reporting requirements for the Personnel
Commission emanate from law. Any changes to implement recommendations regarding the Personnel Commission have administrative and legal considerations. This
issue requires additional analysis in order to form any conclusion about consolidation.
• The Personnel Commission is adamant about being independent and has strong reason supporting its position as champion for LAUSD classified personnel. Yet, its
budget comes from LAUSD resources. This challenging issue will require additional analysis.
• The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) indicates that he is reorganizing the Human Resources Department into four core functions of recruitment and
employment, retention, employee relations, and customer services. To what extent has reorganization been accomplished and is it effective?
• The Human Resources Division may not be positioned at a high enough level within the organizational structure to ensue that its functions are aligned with the
district’s goal of ensuring that every student will be taught by a highly qualified teacher and that paraprofessional meet rigorous standards. This issue will require
additional study. The level of the Human Resources Division in the organization may or may not have significant impact on it core mission, function, and
responsibilities.
2 HR Commission The Human Resources Division must develop and implement quantifiable goals, targets, benchmarks, metrics, timelines, responsibility centers, and resource allocations.
Accountability In discussion with the CHRO and his staff, there are indications that they have developed and are implementing quantifiable goals, targets, benchmarks, metrics, timelines,
responsibility centers, and resource allocations as part of the strategic planning process. The Personnel Commission concurs. Additional analysis is necessary.
3 HR Policies and Procedures Like other LAUSD units, the Human Resources Division does not have current polices and procedures. A review is needed and should take place as part of the
comprehensive policy and procedures study recommended in Section 3.1.
4 Guidelines for Setting Salaries The Personnel Commission indicates that it is implementing a database system designed to track and organize data to enhance reporting capability. Guidelines are being
developed that will improve the criteria staff use when recommending a salary. The Personnel Commission reported that it has an overall plan to standardize and
consolidate the salary assignment process. Its staff are working with certificated human resources staff to develop a joint point factor analysis job evaluation process to be
used for all management level classifications (both certificated and classified).This is intended to ensure that all management classifications are evaluated by the same
standards. The plan was initiated in 2006 and requires additional analysis as to its effective implementation.
The Human Resources Division does not maintain complete records to support salary determinations for executive-level administrators to show that these determinations
are based on reasonable and objective criteria. The Human Resources Division response is that salary determinations of executive certificated administrators are set
infrequently and involve a rather small group. The majority of certificated executives in LAUSD are at the Assistant or Associate Superintendent level, and receive salaries
determined by the district’s Master Salary Table established by the Human Resources Division.


Based on our review of documents and interviews conducted with LAUSD officials, the
following areas appear to require new or deeper examination in order to improve the delivery of
new facilities, perform effective and efficient facilities maintenance and operations, and provide
building and campus security and safety protection uniformly throughout LAUSD: organization
and staffing, maintenance and operations, facilities standards, facilities planning, facilities
construction, safety and security, and warehousing.
• Organization and Staffing. The Facilities Services Division has grown, developed and
evolved into a possibly unprecedented multi-billion dollar operation since its creation in
2000. This means massive organizational growth and change in only a few years, leading
possibly to overstaffing or understaffing and potential organizational problem areas.
Consequently, a thorough and independent analysis of the organization and staffing of all
parts of the Facilities Services Division should be conducted.
The purpose of this study should be to find ways of delivering the facilities services
functions even more efficiently, more rapidly, and possibly at a savings over current
costs. This investigation should include, but not be limited to:
− an examination of overstaffing or understaffing situations;
− organizational problems that create conflicts, duplications of effort, lack of control or

oversight, or other dysfunctions;
− the extent of the current Local District control over facilities functions and decisions,
as opposed to the central district office, and the appropriateness or inappropriateness
thereof; and
− the appropriateness of the establishment of facilities-specific support functions (such

as human resources, financial and legal services) by the Facilities Service Division.
• Maintenance and Operations. By its own calculations, LAUSD estimates the cost of
deferred maintenance to be over $6 billion. This huge burden has resulted in a nearly total
emphasis on a daily response by maintenance to emergency calls (termed “breakdown
maintenance” by LAUSD officials), and in the needed use of a significant portion of
modernization and repair funding to address the huge deferred maintenance backlog.
Preventive maintenance does not appear to be evident as a major program component.
This void may put in jeopardy the new and modernized facilities as they are placed into
service.
A careful and deliberate investigation is needed to determine, at minimum, how:
− deferred maintenance can be removed more speedily;
− a major preventive maintenance component can be developed and implemented

promptly for new and modernized facilities, and eventually for all facilities;

− all deferred maintenance funds can be used fully each year, including the LAUSD
budget’s deferred maintenance fund; and
− the work-order management system can be more fully streamlined and automated.
• Facilities Standards. LAUSD has two significant compliance mechanisms with federal,
state and local standards for facilities operations:
− The LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for annual
Safe Schools Inspections (Note: A major omission appears to be the inspection of
food services facilities; a protocol needs to be developed and such inspections
conducted as rapidly as possible. Space standards and educational specifications
appear to be generally well-considered. One exception appears to be the overly
generous teacher dining facilities in many middle and high schools. All space
standards should be reviewed for appropriateness, but the ones for teacher dining
should be reduced and limited to meet only minimum requirements).
− The Los Angeles School Police Department assists each school with developing a
safety plan.
• Facilities Planning. A formal planning component has only been introduced recently as
part of the Facilities Services Division. A strategy is needed to fund, staff and otherwise
support this new function. While much has been accomplished in new construction and
modernization during the past six years, a need remains to accomplish the future new
designs and modernizations with more deliberate input from client stakeholder groups. A
deliberate strategy for the minimization of mobile classrooms (portables) is needed for
implementation not later than 2012, and preferably earlier. Only the strategically required
number of mobile units should be kept after 2020.
• Facilities Design and Construction. Construction costs have escalated astronomically

during the past 24 months. A strategy is needed to implement a battery of cost escalation
countermeasures as rapidly as possible. According to LAUSD executives, the time for
the design process has increased in recent years from about 18 months to nearly two
years. The causes for this problem must be identified and removed as soon as possible.
Other aspects of the process should be examined for opportunities to shorten the time
required for their completion. Computer software used to help manage the process
should be examined for its effectiveness and improved or replaced, as determined
necessary. According to LAUSD executives, although the timeliness of bill paying has
improved significantly, the system to accomplish this task is not state-of-the-art and
remains in need of automation.
• Security and Safety. Options for the reorganization of the LAUSD Police Department
should be carefully evaluated, selected, and implemented, and police staffing needs
determined for LAUSD facilities. Unfortunately, Evergreen consultants were not able to
obtain previous studies from the Inspector General.

• Warehousing. The current warehousing function should be assessed in light of current

on-time delivery practices. The re-use or sale of LAUSD warehouses should be studied.

Evergreen Solutions
Operational Area: Facilities/Safety and Security
Area Requiring
1 Organization and Staffing The extent of local district control over facilities functions and decisions, as opposed to the central district office. The role of the local districts appears somewhat
different and weaker than originally envisioned in the Cortines Plan. There is possibly a pretense about the extent of local influence and control, whereas the reality is that
most of the money is controlled and spent centrally. The matter should be studied carefully to determine what should be the proper role of local districts and what should
be the proper role of the central district office in facilities development, maintenance, and operations, and in all other areas and aspects of the process.
Establishment by Facilities Services Division of separate functional units from LAUSD. Although it was not envisioned by the Cortines Plan, Facilities Services
eventually developed many of its own support functions, such as procurement, human resources,, legal, and other financial functions. This move may have resulted in the
Facilities Services Division being able to carry out its mission more completely and effectively. An investigation should be made of the extent to which this separation
from LAUSD functions is acceptable and beneficial, and if any corrective actions should be taken, including a possible further separation of some functions from LAUSD.
Staffing. The self-admitted 30 percent to 40 percent understaffing in custodial services is a serious matter. The lack of adequate staffing may be contributing to a slow
deterioration of cleanliness, and to an acceleration in deferred maintenance – especially in new and modernized schools. Because of this understaffing condition in
custodial services, all other facilities-related staffing becomes suspect and questionable. An organization and staffing study of Facilities Services should be completed at
the central and local district levels.
2 Maintenance and Operations Preventive and deferred maintenance. The Cortines Plan foresaw a local emphasis with respect to maintenance and operations: the Area Facilities Director would have
jurisdiction and the Local District Business Manager would lend support. Local involvement is provided for, but differently and perhaps not as intensively as intended
originally. Local District Facilities Directors were appointed, but Local District Business Managers were not. Much of the deferred maintenance mitigation is currently
funded by active bond issues, and this is largely a centrally administered program.
LAUSD remains mired in a $6 billion deferred maintenance problem, leaving little room for needed preventive maintenance to be done. A strategy should be developed
whereby local districts can begin to conduct their own preventive maintenance programs under guidelines provided by Facilities Services in the central office, with a
sufficient local budget and staff. Concurrently, a districtwide strategy for quick deferred maintenance mitigation should be developed.
Deferred maintenance carryovers in LAUSD annual budget. The annual deferred maintenance fund has been underspent for many years, resulting in a cumulative
carryover projected to reach more than $150 million by the end of 2006-07. This problem must be fixed, even though $150 million is a small figure compared to over $6
billion in estimated deferred maintenance. The possibility of converting the fund monies to preventive maintenance should be explored, although it may mean the loss of
State of California matching monies.
Work-order system. The work-order processing system is partially automated, but portions remain in need of further automation and refinement. Further automation
options or different systems should be investigated, chosen, and implemented as appropriate.
3 Facilities Standards Federal, state and local safety standards for facilities operations. LAUSD’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety conducts annual Safe School Inspections, and
the Los Angeles School Police Department assists each school in developing a safety plan. However, in food services, no one internally or externally is responsible for
inspections of kitchens and serving areas. An inspection protocol should be developed for food services facilities by an independent internal or external unit, and any other
inspection gaps should be identified and fixed.


Area Requiring
Space standards and educational specifications. Educational specifications and design guidelines are well-written and considered. Some areas, however, should be
revisited. An example is found in teacher dining facilities. Teacher dining facilities appeared to be oversized in high and middle schools visited. An examination should be
conducted to determine if faculty dining facilities could be downsized and still meet the requirements of the labor agreement providing for teachers to be separate from
students during lunch.
4 Facilities Planning Process A systematic planning process has been established recently to set the tone for more deliberate long-range planning in new and existing facilities. Proper staffing and
funding for this effort needs to be studied and implemented.
Refined definition and involvement of a client. LAUSD should re-examine how it consults the client as facilities plans, programs, and designs are developed. Once it is
clear where the deficiencies in client consultation occur, a clear and straightforward process for client involvement should be developed and implemented. The consultation
of the client should be real and trackable. It should never be a token gesture. On the other hand, it should not be allowed to delay the facility delivery process.
Portables plan. A long-range portables policy and plan are needed. Current portables policies expect the use of portables as part of the overall strategy to reach 180,000
two-semester classroom seats by 2013. A policy to eventually eliminate all but some portables should be investigated. Portables are useful for the temporary placement of
students during modernizations and additions, but they should not be indefinitely part of a permanent facilities inventory. A possible goal for complete implementation
should be 2020.
Information Technology for Planning Support. Some systems have been years in development and have not yet reached an apparent point of unquestionable usefulness.
Examples include Core Facilities Deficiencies and the Facilities Condition Index. The long-range usefulness and applicability of such systems should be evaluated, and the
systems should either be refined or dropped in favor of more useful and effective ones.
5 Facilities Design and Cost escalation countermeasures: A countermeasure is something that is done in reaction to and as defense against a hostile action by somebody else, or is done in order
Construction to deal with a threatening situation. In LAUSD, the situation is a construction market causing bids to increase rapidly, considerably beyond the rate of inflation.
Countermeasures include many diverse strategies. An arsenal of such strategies considered meritorious should be developed and used.
Timeliness: The time from design to occupancy has increased over recent years. As a large organization develops and executes its programs, it is not unusual for
previously established time expectations to be eroded due to new requirements and stakeholders. Strategies should be established and implemented to monitor any erosions
in scheduler performance, and to reduce that time span to earlier, shorter periods, in both design and construction.
Information Technology for Construction Management Support. The MAXIMO System and other IT software used should be examined carefully to assess their full
capability to support project management and related activities, and modified or replaced as may be necessary.
Payment Timeliness: Although the timeliness of invoice payments has improved, new automated state-of-the-art systems should be chosen.
6 Security and Safety Organization. Options for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of police protection and law enforcement on all LAUSD campuses should be identified, analyzed,
and selected. This includes such possibilities as merging the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), or giving
the LASPD greater prominence by having its Police Chief report directly to the Superintendent.
Staffing. Staffing needs for sufficient school police officers at all schools, campuses, and other facilities should be studied under the above organizational options.
7 Warehousing Warehousing. As on-time deliveries become more commonplace, warehousing operations may diminish or become unnecessary altogether. Portions of the LAUSD
warehouses may provide an alternative use or be sold.

3.6 Transportation
The matrix for Phase II elaborates on the emphasis going forward for the priorities cited in the
Phase I report⎯cost implications, cross functionality, and accountability. The emphasis areas on
the following chart are largely within the Transportation Branch, yet some operations are
controlled by other branches/departments.
There are seven priority areas identified for study in Phase II. The three most important
priorities (the Daily Bus Report, Fleet Maintenance Management, and the Bus Replacement
Plan) are described below:
• Daily Bus Report. This report is referenced in several audits and inspections conducted
in past years. The Daily Bus Report still appears to be problematic, both from the
perspective of Transportation Branch as well as the contractors. This report serves as an
accountability document, feeds payroll functions, and triggers termination for contractor
failures. Other school districts use a Daily Bus Report; other models might need to be
considered or adopted.
During the Deputy Director’s meeting with Contractor representatives, the report was
cited in terms of possible payment delays because of problems with the new BTS System.
In a separate interview with a contractor, the issue was discussed not only as an irritating
cash flow problem, but also because of not having shared understanding of entries made
by Area Bus Supervisors who make entries to this report that can impact contract
continuation and drivers’ pay.
• Fleet Maintenance Management. The fueling process was cited as a priority concern.
Given the size of the bus fleet, the “white fleet,” and other equipment charged to
maintenance, there are high cost activities which should be analyzed, including:
− parts inventory;
− outsourcing practices;
− availability of diagnostic equipment and management information systems;
− crime prevention;
− safety;
− training; and
− implications for asset and risk management.
• Bus Replacement. The age of the current fleet is 19 years; there has not been any
deliberate bus replacement planning. Both cost data, and the hours required to perform
services and maintain the proficiency of mechanics on an aging fleet, are critical data
points for presenting sound options for Board decisions.

Evergreen Solutions
Review of Recommendations in Previous Studies
Operational Area: Transportation
Area Requiring
1 Bus Replacement Plan The current average of the bus fleet is 19 years. Across the nation, the average age is 12-14 years, although a higher age may be justified. Nonetheless, the Evergreen
Team has never seen 19 years as the average age. The fact that 300 plus buses are about to enter the fleet will reduce the average age, but this addition also demands
sound replacement planning to maximize this surge over time. Too many bus models also affect costs significantly.
The development of a bus replacement plan should:
• address the desired age of the bus fleet;

• propose timelines and costs to achieve that age;
• give rational analysis for an optimal mix in the fleet; and
• enable the Board to make prudent decisions to acquire and maintain a safe and maintainable bus fleet.
2 Recruitment, Hiring and These two positions are critical to the timely and safe transportation of students to and from school. The Los Angeles area is highly competitive for a persons with
Retention of Bus Drivers and commercial driver licenses and qualified mechanics. Competitive compensation is a factor in recruitment and retention of drivers and mechanics. But even when
Mechanics compensation is competitive, the timeline from recruitment to hiring takes longer than that of competitors. Consequently, LAUSD is operating at a disadvantage. A
focused, cross function problem-solving team is needed to ensure transportation can compete for these positions.
3 Administrative Vehicles, Multiple audits and inspections demand a broader and deeper examination of the “white fleet” for administrators if public resources are to be used and maintained
Management, Maintenance prudently. Replacement planning is also a prudent requirement, and whether that is being accomplished is unclear.
and Usage Controls
4 Daily Bus Report The Daily Bus Report has appeared as a problem in multiple audits focusing on Transportation Branch and Contractor Management. This document serves accountability
purposes, but also feeds invoice and payroll processes. During the diagnostic phase, this issue was examined, but not in sufficient depth to understand and propose
solutions.
5 Fuel Operations While the Transportation Branch seems to have effective manual and technology-supported internal controls, the high cost of fuel demands scrutiny of the entire process
from vendor to vehicle and post-operations. Fueling operations are an area for possible fraud.
6 Special Education The examination of special education transportation was insufficient during the diagnostic phase. Only unconfirmed assertions surfaced during interviews, but if true, the
Transportation practices described could be expensive if they are widespread. The IEP process can be used to reduce the high cost of these special education services.
7 Fleet Maintenance Fleet maintenance management for the bus fleet, administrative vehicles, and other equipment could not be examined during the diagnostic phase. This is a high cost area
in school transportation management and cost savings based on best practices may surface in fleet management and garage operations.

3.7 Technology
Based upon the documentation reviewed and the interviews completed, Evergreen Solutions has
determined that further investigation in Phase II should concentrate on “macro” considerations in
examining the external position of the Information Technology Department (ITD), and the
interaction and accountability within the broader domain of the LAUSD enterprise. Each of the
five recommendations for further investigation center upon some aspect or level of how ITD
interacts with its external environment through management, involving its customer and user
communities in long-term planning and near-term implementation activities; and self-evaluation
and external reporting of how the department performs.
Proposed Phase II analysis areas are described below.
• Effective Governance of ITD. Evergreen’s Phase I investigation determined that

management is internally controlled within ITD. Neither external leadership, nor their
managers and staff at the district and school levels, have any formally structured
mechanism by which to participate or respond to the development, execution and
evaluation of overall ITD policy, procedures and processes that impact the total
organization. Currently, the only steering committees that advise ITD are application-
specific to BTS and ISIS. ITD reports to the Interim Chief Information Officer (who is
also the Chief Financial Officer), while significant users of student information and
instructional technology report to different executive leadership. ITD provides effective
communications about its projects through the NET Web site, but interviews suggested
that ITD is too isolated from its clientele. Evergreen consultants recommend that LAUSD
investigate the initiation of a districtwide mechanism that will enable ITD customers and
users to provide ongoing input into ITD planning and service delivery that impact their
work.
• Strategic Plan for Information Technology. The only planning document developed
by ITD is the Educational Technology Plan, which state and federal education agencies
require local education agencies to prepare in order to participate in state and federal
education grant programs. The federal government also requires the plan as a condition of
e-rate funding. The plan, which has a decided instructional focus, would not meet
industry standards for the focus and content of a true strategic plan for information
technology. ITD has never prepared a long-range strategic plan for information
technology as either a separate document tied to district strategic goals and objectives, or
as a visible, sub-component of the district’s strategic plan. To be meaningful, such a plan
must have the ongoing representation and involvement of an overarching committee of
customers and users representing all facets of district. Evergreen Solutions recommends
that LAUSD undertake the development, adoption, and maintenance of a three- to five-
year strategic plan which includes long- and short-term directions, goals, measurable
objectives, and the budget necessary for the delivery of services.
• Accountability System. Currently, LAUSD does not have in place an accountability

program for information technology. A previous study, Increasing Accountability and
Improving the Quality of Education in LAUSD (September 2006), indicated that an
accountability system was under development. ITD staff could not provide information

about its current status. Evergreen Solutions believes that the implementation of an
accountability program, focusing on how well ITD provides timely, efficient, and
effective services to its clientele, is a vital component of ensuring that information
technology services are responsive to the total district.
• Training/Professional Development. The BTS and ISIS components of ITD offer many
opportunities for training. ITD maintains a well-organized Web site containing
information of importance to staff as well as offering online training resources. Training
issues identified during Phase I interviews can be attributed both to ITD planning and
delivery, and to the existing culture of LAUSD that seems to downplay the importance of
training in utilizing technology applications. Phase I interviews indicated that ITD
planning for the delivery of training sometimes fails to understand and address work
place realities of when and how to deliver training to school and business office staff.
One example is that ISIS originally planned to deliver training on the secondary
scheduling module in a timeframe that occurred later than when such training should be
delivered in order for secondary school personnel to complete this activity. The result
was that implementation of the scheduling module had to be postponed to the beginning
of the next year, because ITD had missed the “window of opportunity”. A Phase I
interview also pointed to the instructional technology example of purchasing an
instructional training program that did not match teaching standards in the classroom. On
the other hand, 60 schools failed to send staff for the training necessary to serve as time
recorders in the payroll process recently implemented without receiving any sanctions.
Yet, public reaction to payroll troubles in January 2007 attributed the problems primarily
to ITD.
Evergreen Solutions recommends that LAUSD evaluate the effectiveness of training and
professional development in terms of ITD planning and execution as well as measures to
contravene or lessen the impact of the work place culture as an inhibiting factor.
• Business Process Re-evaluation/Post Implementation Review. The rolling-out by ITD

of two core enterprise applications concurrently is an ambitious undertaking. Phase I
interviews documented that both the BTS and ISIS implementations have encountered
difficulties not unexpected in the realm of information technology projects. While both
projects completed business-process walkthroughs with district and school personnel of
their daily work activities as part of their pre-installation activities, once implementation
began, ITD could only concentrate its resources on initial implementation of the products
“as is”. Moreover, it is an open question as to what extent identified changes in the work
place recognized as necessary to realize the full effects of the products were implemented
in business and school offices.
LAUSD staff indicated that reports available in the legacy payroll system used in the
food service cost allocation system are not produced in the BTS payroll implementation.
Staff also indicated that both the legacy and the new payroll systems contain substantial
coding errors. Currently, they must download reports from the payroll and warehouse
systems, manipulate them in a spreadsheet, and then upload them into the cost allocation
system. Staff see the need for vital system integration.

Evergreen Solutions recommends that LAUSD should conduct another cycle of business process
evaluation to determine the “degree of fit” which exists between how district and school offices
actually complete their daily work with the demands and expectations of the product. Such an
examination will reveal whether further alignment of district and school office work processes
will be necessary in order to make efficient and effective use of the products. Performing the
business process re-evaluation should also be coupled with a survey of customer satisfaction.
The findings of these efforts should be reported back to the steering committee for ITD.
In summary, Evergreen Solutions has identified five areas for further investigation during Phase
II. Each of these areas focus on some aspect of how the Information Technology Department has
interacted with the current organizational structure and culture of LAUSD.

Evergreen Solutions
Review of Recommendations in Previous Studies
Operational Area: Technology
Area Requiring
1 Organizational Structure for The oversight and placement of information technology services within LAUSD should be evaluated. The Information Technology Department (ITD) does a creditable
Information Technology job of designing, developing and deploying its applications to customers using established industry standards. The issue is not so much the internal structure and
functioning of ITD, but whether its current placement in the organization limits its responsiveness and effectiveness in serving customers. Currently, ITD and it core
enterprise applications of BTS and ISIS, as well as the Instructional Technology Unit, report to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), until the CIO position which is being
advertised, is filled. Similarly, its district business office end-users also report to the CFO. However, the primary consumers of ISIS and instructional technology, report
respectively through different executive officers.
ITD develops and uses steering committees on a project by project basis. ITD has no overall steering committee of school and local district office users to which it is
accountable on a regular basis. ITD maintains well-organized Web sites to communicate news to its customers, but these are “reactive” activities. A district function which
has such broad impact throughout the entire organization should have a more widely inclusive structure.
2 IT Strategic Plan A three- to five-year strategic plan for information technology should be prepared, reviewed, and approved. The plan should cover all facets of information technology
service delivery to business offices and schools, specifying objectives, tasks, performance criteria and an estimated budget. At present, the only technology plan maintained
by LAUSD is the Educational Technology Plan which focuses on compliance with federal and state grant program standards for the delivery of instructional technology
services. Each ITD project prepares its own strategic plan.
3 IT Accountability An accountability program focusing on ITD and the delivery of information technology services should be developed and implemented. Accountability metrics should be
established which measure the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery as well as the capability of information technology to support overall district goals and
objectives. No accountability program has been established for ITD with defined metrics to evaluate its performance as a broad-based tool serving all components of the
enterprise. Accountability only occurs currently through separate project management activities or through visible user discontent.
4 IT Training IT training should be re-evaluated for its effectiveness and accessibility to clientele given their work environments. A broad-based user group should be consulted about
their needs and preferences. The possibility of incentives to participate in training activities should be examined for feasibility.
The BTS and ISIS projects, as well as Instructional Technology, offer many training opportunities. BTS, ISIS, and Instructional Technology maintain Web sites to convey
information to their clients and have offered training through online resources. ITD has made creditable efforts to service their users. Yet users complain that these
training opportunities do not take account of the realities of their work place, and in some instances offer training that does not support instructional strategies being
implemented by schools. However, users have not always taken advantage of training opportunities (e.g., 60 schools did not have trained personnel available to support
payroll in January 2007).
5 IT Business Practices The degree of fit between current business practices at the district and school levels with BTS and ISIS should be re-assessed as an integral part of post-implementation
activities. ITD should evaluate whether further alignment of business processes with the application will be necessary.
Both the ISIS and the BTS projects completed a business process walk-through as part of the project initiation activities. Since then, ITD has focused its efforts on rolling
out the applications to users. It would do well for ITD to come back to users in their work settings to take a second look at what works and does not work in using these
systems in business operations.

The Evergreen Report (2007)

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The Evergreen Report (2007)

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Diagnostic Phase I Review in the

Los Angeles Unified School District

Evergreen Solutions, LLC

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 1-1

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN PREVIOUS REPORTS ........ 2-1

2.1 Organization/Governance/Accountability .................................................................... 2-1

CHAPTER 3: AREAS REQUIRING NEW OR DEEPER ANALYSIS ............................ 3-1

3.1 Governance/Organization/Accountability .................................................................... 3-1

Evergreen Solutions, LLC

Evergreen Solutions, LLC

Phase I included a food services review, documents review, stakeholder interviews,

During this one-month Diagnostic Phase I Review, nine Evergreen consultants:

• reviewed over 300 existing reports and documents;

• interviewed over 100 LAUSD employees;

• determined the status of recommendations implemented to date;

• recommended areas requiring a new or deeper review in Phase II.

Previous report recommendations were analyzed in the following areas:

• Governance and Organization

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page i

• President’s Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance (July 2006); and

• California State Audit Report (September 2006).

• The centralized structure of the organization is not conducive to the effective

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page ii

• There is no linkage between planning and budgeting. Consequently, there is little

• The lack of accountability is pervasive throughout the organization at all levels.

In the remainder of this Executive Summary, we highlight critical concerns by area.

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page iii

• Lack of Collaboration/Ineffective Structure for Instruction and Organization. The

• Instructional Technology. Instructional technology must be a thoughtfully integrated

• Program Evaluation. LAUSD’s reliance on individual departments to determine and

• Purchasing. The districtwide purchasing operation is not conducive to a smooth flow of

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page iv

• Cost Allocations. Planning and budgeting, from the standpoint of projections,

• Financial Integration. LAUSD is implementing a new financial accounting system with

Facilities/Safety and Security

• overstaffing or understaffing situations;

• organizational problems that create conflicts, duplication of effort, lack of control or

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page v

• the appropriateness of the establishment of separate facilities-specific support functions

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page vi

Evergreen Solutions, LLC

Phase I included a food services review, documents review, stakeholder interviews,

During the one-month Diagnostic Phase I Review, nine Evergreen consultants:

• reviewed over 300 existing reports and documents;

• interviewed over 100 LAUSD employees;

• determined the status of recommendations implemented to date;

• recommended areas requiring a new or deeper review in Phase II.

Previous report recommendations were analyzed in the following areas:

• Governance and Organization

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page 1-1

Evergreen Solutions, LLC

In this section of our report, Evergreen consultants provide an analysis of recommendations

The major subsections include:

• President’s Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance (July 2006); and

• California State Audit Report (September 2006).

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page 2-1

• clarification of strategy, goals, and objectives;

• The fundamental restructuring, consolidation, and integration of the Division of

• The development of an Instructional Guidance Plan to communicate the District's

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page 2-2

• The centralized structure of the organization is not conducive to the effective

• The lack of accountability is pervasive throughout the organization at all levels.

Evergreen Solutions, LLC Page 2-3

Evergreen Solutions, LLC