Little Rock School et al v. Pulaski Cty School et al

Filing 5561

ORDER: The Court is attaching Ms. Powell's Eighth summary report, which covers monitoring matters at JNPSD, No. 5502 at 2-3. The Court appreciates her work on all the summary reports. Signed by Chief Judge D. P. Marshall Jr. on 1/29/2020. (jak)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
CENTRAL DIVISION

LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al.

PLAINTIFFS

No. 4:82-cv-866-DPM
PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT, JACKSONVILLF/NORTH
PULASKI SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al.

DEFENDANTS

EMILY McCLENDON, TAMARA EACKLES,
VALERIE ST ALLIN GS, TIFFANY ELLIS,
and LINDA MORGAN

INTERVEN ORS

ORDER

The Court is attaching Ms. Powell's eighth summary report,
which covers monitoring matters at JNPSD. NQ 5502 at 2-3. The Court
appreciates her work on all the summary reports.
So Ordered.
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D .P. Marshall Jr.
United States District Judge
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UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE JACKSONVILLE/NORTH PULASKI SCHOOL
DISTRICT'S IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN 2000 - MONITORING
On July 18, 2019, Chief U. S. District Judge D. Price Marshall, Jr., directed the Court Expert to
issue written status reports on the remaining areas of the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School
District's (JNPSD) desegregation plan (Plan 2000) that still remain under Court supervision.
(Doc 5502). This report is number eight of eight.

MONITORING (Plan 2000-Section N)
Note: Although the Joshua Intervenors have been renamed the McClendon Jntervenors, for
clarity, this report uses the original names and titles found in Plan 2000. In addition, this report
substitutes JNPSD where Plan 2000 cites PCSSD.
PLAN PROVISION
The Assistant Superintendent for Desegregation shall: (i) develop a plan so that he (or she) and
his (or her) staff focus their monitoring and compliance efforts on the specific elements of the
Plan; and (ii) provide the Joshua Intervenors within 30 days of the court's approval of this Plan a
list, geared to the sections of this Plan, identifying the staff member or members with particular
responsibilities for its implementation and the position held by each. N(l), pg.7
Findings
•
Each year, the JNPSD develops a Strategic Plan that focuses on improving student
achievement and discipline. Educators use the processes outlined in "The Ross Plan",
found in Plan 2000. (See Status Report Achievement, Doc. 5540 for more information).
The Ross Plan embeds strategies for eliminating racial disparities in achievement and
discipline. The Strategic Plan is available on line.
The Assistant Superintendent for Desegregation reported that the JNPSD presents regular
•
updates to the School Board that focus on curriculum and instruction, as well as updates
on the district's activities related to Plan 2000.
•
According to the Assistant Superintendent for Desegregation, the JNPSD sends Plan 2000
related data to Joshua, when requested.
•
District staff information is available upon request, and is also found on the district's
website .
PLAN PROVISION
Upon Reasonable notice, the Joshua Intervenors shall have the opportunity: (i) to examine and
secure copies ofrecords relating to the JNPSD's compliance with this Plan, including records
identified in the Plan, and (ii) to meet with the Assistant Superintendent for Desegregation or a
staff member responsible for a particular part of the implementation of the Plan. N(2), Pg 7

Findings
•
The JNPSD's top administrators, as well as the district's attorney, meet monthly with the
PCSSD, Joshua Intervenors, and the Court Expert, to present updates and reports on
district compliance with Plan 2000.

PLAN PROVISION
The JNPSD shall submit statistical reports showing the following:

(a)
(b)

The enrollment in each school by race;
The enrollment in gifted and talented programs, honors programs, and advanced
placement classes, by school and race;
(c)
The make-up of special education programs:(i) by disability category, including
Section 504, by race, and by sex; and (ii) by school, by race, and by sex; provided
that the system may comply with this reporting requirement by providing copies
of materials submitted to ADE, as long as they include all information designated
in this paragraph;
(d)
For each school system, the number of instances of each form of discipline, by
race and by sex; or each school and the system, the number of students receiving
each form of discipline, by race and by sex.;
(e)
The racial make-up, in each school, of (i) the administrators, (ii) the faculty, (iii)
other professional staff, and (iv) support staff;
(f)
The racial make-up, by category, of the various categories of administrators,
faculty, support staff, and other workers employed in the JNPSD.
The information in all sub-paragraphs other than sub-paragraph (d) shall be submitted not later
than November 1 of each year, and the information in sub-paragraph (d) twice a year, not later
than 30 days after the end of each semester.

Findings
•
Access to all school related information is available on line at "My School Info", which is
used by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) for monitoring purposes, and is
available to the public for all of the statistical reports noted above.
•
The JNPSD publishes discipline monitoring reports on a quarterly basis.

COMMENTS

As noted in previous status reports related to the JNPSD' s compliance with Plan 2000 (See docs
5521 ,5538,5540), the district has an arsenal of programs, policies, and practices designed to
improve educational outcomes for its students. As an added bonus, these systems can be
monitored for effectiveness in real time. School personnel no longer have wait years to track
student progress in any area and are able to make necessary adjustments when needed. District
personnel can access information and relevant data in any area in Plan 2000 with the click of a
mouse. As a result, it could be said that the PCSSD is always in ''monitoring mode." As long as
district personnel make the most of the advantages provided by their information systems, they
can go to the head of the class.