Our schools are only the best that they can be with the support of the entire school community. The Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is a group of elected and appointed members that exists for every DCPS school. The team (formerly the Local School Restructuring Teams) consists of parents, teachers, non-instructional school staff, a community member, and in some cases students, to advise the principal on matters that promote high expectations and high achievement for all students.
The Purpose of Local School Advisory Teams Local School Advisory Teams are a key lever to increasing transparency at DCPS and ensuring decisions affecting school communities are made collaboratively with the help of a diverse group of school stakeholders. As such, every District of Columbia public school must have a functioning LSAT that is constituted according to the LSAT Guidelines, and that conducts the business outlined therein. The LSAT is aligned with the Washington Teachers Union contract and the Elementary and Secondary Act. Specific rules and guidelines can be found in the DCPS-LSAT Guidelines.
LSAT Responsibilities (Purpose)
- Advise the principal on priorities and goals;
- Work with the principal on developing the local Comprehensive School Plan, including the supporting budget;
- Review data in order to be informed about school needs and trends;
- Keep updated on the implementation of the local Comprehensive School Plan;
- Use assessment results to develop specific strategies for research-based school improvement;
- Align strategic and specific goals and DCPS objectives.
Specific Areas of Advisement
- Allocation of school resources
- Organization of the school
- Curriculum options, including special or supplementary course offerings and specialized
- Research-based instructional strategies
- Budget decisions
- Priorities and considerations for staffing patterns and the selection of personnel
- Monitoring overall student progress
- School culture
- Family engagement