Department of Education

Region III
Division Of Pampanga
Candaba East District
MANGGA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
S.Y. 2015 2016

School Governing Council

School Governance
Definition

School governance refers to the authority of education stakeholders to jointly make decisions
directed towards the continuous improvement of learning and promotion of childrens welfare in the
school. It is the interface among school stakeholders who make strategic decisions that shape the school
and its work and are, therefore, ultimately accountable for the work and actions of the whole system.
The school, as an organization, defines the relationships among the key players in its operations and
expands its ability to work with the stakeholders through an effective governance structure composed of
representatives from different groups of school community stakeholders.
Thus, school governance is a system which operates under the principle that education which is focused
on the holistic development of school children is a shared responsibility and a shared accountability
among school community stakeholders.

Basic Concepts

Someone said: A sustainable governance structure in school should produce stable and effective
leadership which underpins achievement of the schools objectives, and which is sensitive to guarding
the vision and values of the past, whilst being responsive to changes in community values and the
preferences of the immediate stakeholders.

A stable and effective leadership is characterized as shared leadership, shared commitment and shared
accountability

Shared Leadership

The concept of shared leadership in schools can be viewed from three perspectives. First, shared
leadership can be viewed as leadership-as-partnership where internal and external school stakeholders,
who are guided by a shared vision, work together to accomplish a common goal. Second, it can be seen
as distributed leadership, where school heads enhance the knowledge and skills of the people in the
school organization to create a common culture of expectations and hold everyone accountable. Third,
shared leadership can also take place by developing a Community of Leaderswhere school heads openly
articulate the goal, share decision-making authority with the school stakeholders, and involve the
stakeholders before decisions are made. When stakeholders are included in the decision-making process,
they are more likely to implement change that ultimately benefits the learning and development of school
children.

Shared Commitment

A great business leader underscores the importance of shared commitment:

"...the basic philosophy, spirit, and drive of an organization have far more to do with its relative
achievements than do technological or economic resources, organizational structure, innovation, and
timing. All these things weigh heavily in success. But they are, I think, transcended by how strongly the
 people in the organization believe in its basic precepts and how faithfully they carry them out." (Thomas
J. Watson, Jr., A Business and its Beliefs - The ideas that helped build IBM.05-14-08)

In the school context, success in school improvement efforts is greatly determined by the quality
of the shared commitment of all stakeholders - shared commitment that is founded on the spirit of shared
ownership of the school.School leaders should facilitate the development of shared organizational values,
trust, and a systems perspective which serves as a strong foundation on which school-based shared
decision-making is built. When school leaders help stakeholders move sources of power, motivation, self-
esteem and well-being, those within the school community develop a broader and deeper sense of
responsibility to the work they share and a strong commitment to see the school succeed.

Shared Accountability

Accountability means taking ones fair share of responsibility for outcomes. Being accountable
means one answers for his/her actions as well as the results of his/her actions. Accountability is not only
taking credit, but also accepting the blame.

Shared accountability in schools should be viewed as a process of continuous collective

engagement of stakeholders geared towards different activities and actions to be taken to improve school
performance, with an ultimate direction of improving student learning outcomes and promoting students
welfare.

People involved in school governance.

In school governance, stakeholders with harmonized perspectives and experiences are crucial in
improving the lives of children, youth, families and the community. These groups of stakeholders may be
formally represented in a governance structure in the school system. In the SBM Framework and
Standards adopted by the DepEd, these School Governance structures are called School Governing
Councils (SGCs). They are composed of:

Internal Stakeholders
o Students and student organizations
o Parents of students/pupils and Parent associations
o Teachers, Non-teaching and Teacher Associations in the school

External Stakeholders
o Various Government Agencies
o Non-Government Agencies
o Alumni
o Retirees
o Professionals
o Basic Sectors: Business, Fisherfolks, Farmers, Indigenous People, Cultural Minority, others

The School Governing Council

Purpose

The SGC provides a forum for parents, students, teachers, community stakeholders and the school
head to work together towards continuously improving student learning outcomes. SGCs provide the
opportunity and the environment to:

Develop shared responsibility in the childrens learning and holistic development

Encourage and facilitate effective community stakeholder participation in school improvement
process focused on childrens learning and welfare.

The SGC is not intended to replace parent organizations such as the PTA/PTCA.
This model of governance has the following features:
1. The cooperative role of the SGC and school staff is emphasized.
 2. Management and governance are clearly separated.
3. The focus is on improving student learning outcomes.
4. The broad directions are set and monitored by the Council.
5. The school head and staff are responsible for reporting progress of SIP implementation to the
SGC.

Mission Statement

The participation of the School Governing Council in school practices shall be guided by a mission
statement developed by the Council itself. The mission statement of the School Governing Council
communicates the ground for its existence.

The Council mission statement conveys:

The reason for its existence.
The clientele the Council wishes to serve.
The Councils intention to produce in relation to the school vision.

Sample School Governing Council Mission Statement:

The School Governing Council of Assiduous National High School seeks to collaboratively work with
school staff and the entire school community in incorporating learning resources into the improvement
processes of the school to ensure continuous enhancement of student learning outcomes and the students
holistic development.

Guiding Principles

The SGCs guiding principles are:

Inclusive - ensures that all voices in the school community, including Indigenous Peoples group, are
heard and all perspectives are taken into account in the school processes Respectful - recognizes
differences among its constituents and appreciates all viewpoints.

Trustworthy - conducts its operations in an open and transparent manner Responsible - strives to
respond to the needs and aspirations of the community they serve Effective - continuously makes a
difference in their students learning Committed - commits to fulfill their role as a link in school level
governance.

The following indicators of an effective SGC may also be considered as guide for Council operations:

openness
Transparency
effective communication
synergy
continuous personal development
cooperation and trust good leadership clear and shared goals
SGCs may establish their own guiding principles that best fit their aspirations.

Governance
Governance of SGCs is the responsibility of the Council whose functions and roles are directed
by the SGC Constitution and By-laws and the Code of Practice. (Please refer to Appendix 1.1).

Functions
The SGC
The SGC determines the general policies of the school on:
Student welfare, discipline and well-being
Development and Implementation of the SIP
Monitoring and Evaluation of the SIP Implementation
Reporting progress of SIP Implementation to the SDS and the community
Management of Council resources
 The authority of the SGC is exercised in accordance with government legislation, administrative
instructions and the Council Constitution and By-laws.
The School Head
The functions of the School Head in the SGC are to:
establish school and community networks and encourage the active involvement of school
community stakeholders in school improvement processes and,
serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.

Limitations
The following are limitations of the authority of the SGC:
It shall not directly manage the schools because it is the responsibility of the School Head.
The power and responsibilities of the SGC shall be lodged in the SGC acting as one body and
not with individual members.
It shall act through the School Head in the conduct of its affairs and shall not act on its own in
any financial transactions involving the school.
It shall not enter into or be bound by any contractual transactions for and in-behalf of the
school unless authorized for such purpose in its Constitution and By-laws.
All decisions of the SGC shall conform to existing laws and policies and regulations of DepEd. It
shall conduct its affairs in keeping with the schools decision-making processes. It shall adopt
a Constitution and By-laws to guide its decisions.

Roles and Relationships

School Head as SGC Chief Executive Officer
Implement the SIP. Once the SIP is accepted by the Schools Division Superintendent upon the joint
endorsement of the SGC and the School Head, the school heads responsibility is to ensure its effective
implementation. This involves delegating responsibilities to other staff and setting up processes to
monitor progress, collecting and analyzing data and documenting relevant information in the School
Annual Report.

Implement policies. Policies are developed in partnership with the SGC. The school heads role is to
inform students, parents, and staff and to set up processes and procedures to ensure that the policy is
followed, e.g., a new policy on school uniform and behavior management and use of mother tongue for
instruction in Grades I, II and III.

Provide accurate and timely information. The school head works with staff to provide progress reports
about the SIP to the Council at each meeting. The school head must also inform and help the Council
understand government requirements and initiatives. Financial reports are provided to the finance
committee to ensure expenditure is being appropriately managed.

Roles of the SGC

Participates in the development of the SIP. The SIP is a document that outlines the vision, values, goals,
targets, strategies and resources in school improvement. It is developed in a participatory manner by
the School Planning Team (the membership of which is decided by the SGC) and representatives from
groups of school community stakeholders.

The SGC takes an active part in the development of the SIP, and together with the School Head,
endorses the same to the Schools Division Superintendent for review and acceptance.
Assists the school in installing the Monitoring and Evaluation System for school performance based
on SIP and reports accomplishments to the community and the Department. This requires the SGC to
participate in collecting information about the schools performance and reports it to the Department
and local community through a self-assessment process.

Generates resources to support implementation of the SIP. The SGC supports the implementation of
the SIP and undertakes resource generation and mobilization in support to SIP implementation.
 Organizes committees to support the school head and staff in the implementation of the SIP. Relevant
committees may be organized to support the school in implementing the SIP. The Council has to
ensure that committees understand their role and tasks. (Please refer to Appendix 1.5. for sample
committee duty statements.)

Relationships
The SGC can make representation to Local Government Units and other stakeholder groups to get the
resources needed in the implementation of the SIP.

The SGC and the school staff must exist with mutual trust and respect and share responsibilities in the
continuous improvement of learners performance.

The willingness of school heads to involve parents and community members for school tasks and in
decision- making provides a necessary foundation for all school-family-community partnerships.

Summary Points

SGCs provide an opportunity to develop a partnership between the school and school community to
improve the learning performance and holistic development of all students.
The role of the SGC is to assist in planning and setting direction for the school.
The role of the school head is to provide the day to day management of the school.
The positive relationship founded on mutual respect, between the SGC and school head will be essential
for the success of the school shown in childrens learning, growth and development.
Clear understanding of the rules for membership, roles and procedures must be developed.
The SGC must work for the welfare and well-being of all students.

Getting Started

Overview of the Election Process

The SGC is created through an election process. The School Head shall convene stakeholder
representatives in an assembly (parents of students, students, teachers, LGU representatives, NGOs, etc)
and provide them with the basic information on School Councils. This can serve as an establishment
meeting with the following areas for discussion and decision-making:
readiness and capability of the school community to organize the SGC.
level of involvement of the SGC in the school improvement process.
membership/composition of the SGC.
term of office of Council members.
election process for the initial Council members ( an ad hoc committee may be organized to
facilitate the election procedures agreed upon in the establishment meeting; subsequent
elections will follow the process defined in the SGC Constitution and By-laws).
other matters that need to be clarified to aid the assembly in decision-making

Generally, the election process involves the following steps:

1. Awareness raising - informing parents about the SGC and providing notice of organizational
meeting/s2. Nomination - recruiting parents and community members to serve in the Council (parent
representatives elected by the parent association, teacher representative elected by school staff, student
representative/s elected by the student population, representative of the school alumni association, LGU
representative, etc.)3. Election - process clearly defined in the SGC Constitution and By-laws4. Installation
- establishing Council structures (e.g., development of Constitution and By-laws and other elements).

Installation Procedures

Installation Procedures involve the setting of structures like developing the Constitution and By-
laws, ratifying the By-laws, developing Operating Procedures and Code of Conduct/Practice and
organizing committees deemed necessary by the Council. The Council may also find it necessary to
 establish its decision-making process and conflict resolution procedures but these structures can all be
done progressively. (Please refer to Appendix 1.8 for a sample of a decision-making process).

Composition of SGCs

The composition of SGCs should remain flexible considering the differences in the contexts of
schools. Geographical location and student demographics might be considered in determining the
composition and membership of the Council.
SGCs may have the following officers:
1. Chairperson
2. Vice-Chairperson3. Secretary
4. Treasurer
5. Auditor
6. Chief Executive Officer (School Head)

Organization Process

With basic knowledge on SGCs gained through this manual, orientations or trainings, the School
Head with the support of the internal stakeholders may begin the organization of the SGC.
This simple procedure in organizing SGCs is gathered from the experiences of Philippine schools
which have established and functional SGCs.
a. The School Head, with the School Planning Team, identifies community members who can provide
support to school improvement and are interested in school practices inclusive of the nominations
from the establishment meeting.
b. School Head prepares and sends letters of invitation to the identified stakeholders to invite them to a
preliminary orientation on School Council aspects and their role in school improvement and local
school management/ governance. Community stakeholders identified include representatives from
the retirees group, religious sector, business sector, civic organizations, private companies, NGOs, the
alumni, farmers associations, fisherfolks association, indigenous peoples group and others interested
in school practices and that improve learning and promote the holistic development of children.
c. With basic information acquired through preliminary orientation, school stakeholders in attendance
manifest willingness or desire to be Council members or turn down the invitation.
d. School Planning Team goes through the process until SGC desired composition is completed. The
process must ensure the engagement of committed stakeholders.
e. As the SGC composition /membership is formed, the School Planning Team conducts a more
comprehensive SGC orientation workshop which culminates in an election of its officers and first
planning meeting.
f. Based on the agreed process, the Council elects its first set of officers. Subsequent elections shall follow
election procedure prescribed in the SGC Constitution and By-laws.
g. The SGC undertakes installation processes progressively to develop its operating procedures, code of
practice, constitution and by-laws and their SGC Improvement Plan which reflects the Councils share
of responsibilities and action steps in supporting the school in implementing its SIP. Models of these
SGC elements can be adapted to suit individual SGCs.
h. Completed documents are then published to inform the school community of council developments.

Assessment

Monitoring and Evaluation. Assessment of progress is an important part of the work of the SGC. Knowing
how the Council is performing is part of public accountability and ensures continuous improvement in
student learning outcomes.

Monitoring generally means to be aware of the state of a system. It is a continuing collection of data to
provide management and stakeholders with indications of progress on outputs and achievement of
outcomes. It refers to the regular gathering and analysis of information to assist timely decision making,
ensuring accountability by providing the basis for evaluation.
Evaluation is the process of learning from the results and impact of the program, either to improve the
design during its implementation or to apply its lessons learned to future projects or programs. It is the
process of determining the value or significance of a development activity, policy or program to determine
the relevance of objectives, the effectiveness of design and implementation, the efficiency of resource
use, and the sustainability of results.

Evaluation of Council Operations. Evaluating Council operations is done from two perspectives:
a) focus on outcomes and
b) focus on process.

SGC self-evaluation does not need to be sophisticated. It could be done by using very simple key
questions such as:
a) Focus on Outcomes- Are we achieving success in accomplishing our role and responsibilities?
- Have we improved student learning outcomes through our involvement in school practices?
- Have we improved parent/client satisfaction through our involvement in schooling?

b) Focus on process- Are we working well as a team?- What is working well? What needs improvement?
What can be done to improve?
The Council may develop its own Self-Evaluation. Procedures and tools or may use the existing
Monitoring and Evaluation System used by other schools. (Please refer to Appendix 2.1 for sample SGC
Self- Assessment Tool and School Self-Evaluation Scheme).

Accountabilities

Accountability can be defined as the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for

actions, products, decisions, and policies including the administration, governance and implementation
within the scope of the role or employment position and encompassing the obligation to report, explain
and be answerable for resulting consequences.

Accountability of the SGC to the school community The SGC is accountable to the school community for
improved learning outcomes. The SGC and its members are bound by the approved written by-laws,
operating procedures, code of conduct, rules for membership and decision-making processes.

Accountability of the SGC to DepEd The Council must establish a Reporting System to report progress to
the Schools Division Superintendent and the school community to keep stakeholders informed on what it
has been doing.