Auditors Begin Observing JCPS Classrooms and Data

A team of auditors is spending the week observing Jefferson County Public Schools. The 25 member team will produce a comprehensive report to help district leaders improve education policies and programs.Phi Delta Kappa International will observe all parts of the district and will visit almost every classroom and interview teachers, parents and the community, said lead auditor Dr. John Murdoch. The district has been open and transparent so far, he said.“There hasn’t been anything that hasn’t been shared or disclosed when we’ve asked for things people are forthcoming so this is a very open process The audit I believe will be very helpful to the county and to the school district and as it becomes public my sense is that it will be put on the web and there will be goals set,” said Murdoch.Auditors are also reviewing classroom behavior and assessing whether the hundreds of interventions and programs are working, he said.“Then we look at program evaluation and other evaluations the district is conducting and say so what? What is the answer to how well we are doing where can we improve. And when you put all of that together it becomes a very comprehensive but cohesive report,” said Murdoch.The team will end its work on Friday. Murdoch said he expects the audit to produce up to a dozen recommendations. He'll return in January to present those recommendations to the district. Murdoch said he expects the report and information to be made available online.The audit was written into Superintendent Donna Hargens’ 90-Day Plan.