Colorado Administration Accountability Program (CAAP)
by Tom Buchanan
August 17, 2006

The CSAPs are here! The CSAPs are here! Every one involved with education in Colorado goes over the scores with a fine tooth comb wanting to know where their school is ranked.

Here is the definition of the CSAP.

Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP)
The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) is designed to provide a picture of how students in the state of Colorado are progressing toward meeting academic standards, and how schools are doing to ensure learning success of students. For several years now the public education machine has been crying out that they do not have enough money to spend. Before we give them more to spend we ought to be sure that our tax dollars are being spent prudently. We should apply the same logic to school administration as we do teachers with a program like this.

Colorado Administration Accountability Program (CAAP)
The Colorado Administration Accountability Program (CSAP) is designed to provide a picture of how school districts in the state of Colorado are progressing toward meeting financial integrity, and how school district administrators are doing to ensure fiscal fitness of their districts and that tax dollars are spent as wisely as possible.

We could measure many different aspects of running schools within a district and compare the results among schools throughout the state. We can have a grid just like the teachers have to see how they stack up against the competition.

We could measure things like the cost of grounds maintenance. Could we save money and water by using xeriscape landscaping design?

We could measure transportation cost by counting and reducing the number of empty seats on buses. Full size buses shuttle one or two students between schools and are not allowed to pick up children along the route.

We could measure the cost of full time employees from janitors to teachers and administrators. Competition always creates a better product at a lower cost.

With a standardized accountability plan throughout the state hard working tax payers, the customers of education could quickly see if their district is using their money in the wisest manner possible. It would be a report card for school administration.

Imagine the same anticipation being applied to the administrative aspect as is apparent with the academic side of education.

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