School Site Council (SSC)

What is the School Site Council (SSC)?

The School Site Council (SSC) is a federally mandated shared decision-making body composed of elected representatives from the school community. The SSC serves as the school’s primary decision-making committee for the development, approval, implementation, and monitoring of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). Through collaboration and review of student data, the SSC helps ensure that school goals, programs, and Title I resources are strategically aligned to support student achievement and improve outcomes for all students. By working together, SSC members help create opportunities for every student to succeed.

Who Serves on the School Site Council (SSC)? 

The proper composition of the SSC at the elementary and secondary levels is defined by Education Code Section 52852.  At both the elementary and secondary level, a minimum of ten (10) elected members are required.  A school may choose to have a SSC composition of more than 10 members as long as parity is maintained. (See tables below.)

At the elementary level, parity is maintained between a) the principal, classroom teachers, and other school staff; and b) parents and other community members.

At the secondary level, parity is maintained between a) the principal, classroom teachers, and other school staff; and b) parents, other community members and secondary students (required at the high schools). 

Note: Classroom teachers must constitute the majority of the school staff group in SSC. Classroom teachers are defined as certificated staff who provide direct instruction to pupils in a self-contained classroom (i.e. teacher of record). Additionally, parents who are employed at the same school their child attends may not serve as a Parent/ Community Member representative on the SSC. Instead, they can serve in the employee category as Other School Staff. For example, a parent who works at the school as a Campus Supervisor and has a child enrolled at the school would serve as an Other School Staff representative rather than as a Parent/Community Member representative.

How Does SSC Support Student Achievement?

📊 Review Student Data

SSC reviews state and local school data, including academic performance and attendance to identify student needs, disparities, and resource inequities.

🎯 Develop School Goals

SSC helps establish goals and priorities that focus on improving student achievement.

💡 Allocate Resources 

SSC discusses and approves how Title I funds are used to support evidence-based strategies, services/ programs, and resources to improve student achievement.

📈 Monitor Progress

Throughout the year, SSC reviews implementation and progress toward school goals and makes recommendations for continuous improvement.

Why is SSC important?

The School Site Council (SSC) is built on the belief that the best decisions for students are made when all voices are included. The SSC provides parents/community members, school staff, and secondary students with an opportunity to actively participate in shaping the school’s goals, priorities, and programs. Through meaningful collaboration, data-informed discussions, review of student achievement data, development of school goals, approval and monitoring of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), and other legally required responsibilities, the SSC helps ensure that resources and strategies are aligned to student needs and focused on improving outcomes for every student.

How to Join the SSC?

Parents/ community members are encouraged to get involved by serving on the SSC. Parent representatives are elected by fellow parents at the school, while school staff representatives are elected by their respective peer groups. Elections are typically held at the beginning of each school year. Please see your site's front office or site administrator if you're interested in becoming a SSC member.

Additionally, you do not have to be an elected member to participate in SSC. All SSC meetings are open to the public, and parents/ community members and school staff are encouraged to attend, learn about school improvement efforts, and provide input/ recommendations during public comment opportunities.

Parents/ community members also have opportunities to provide recommendations through site parent advisory committees, including the School Advisory Committee(SAC) and English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). Recommendations from these groups can be submitted to the SSC for consideration using the Site Parent Advisory Recommendations to SSC Form, ensuring that parent and community voices are included in the school planning and decision-making process.

SSC meeting calendars are available at each school site; please contact your school’s front office or site administrator for more information.

SSC Trainings

To support the effectiveness of SSC, all elected SSC members should receive site-level training at the beginning of each school year. Site-based training ensures members understand their school's procedures, meeting protocols, and responsibilities.

In addition to site-level training, the State and Federal Programs Department provides two districtwide SSC training opportunities each school year:

First Semester: SSC Foundations

• Purpose and legal requirements of the SSC
• Roles and responsibilities of SSC members
• SSC composition, elections, and bylaws
• Effective SSC meetings and compliance requirements

Second Semester: SPSA Implementation & Monitoring

• SSC's role in implementing the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)
• Progress toward SPSA goals and student outcomes
• Implementation evidence
• Title I Allocation per Consolidation Application (ConApp.)

Training dates and session details are shared with site administrators, who are responsible for communicating these opportunities to their SSC members.