The school site council is a group of parents, teachers, classified employees, and students (at the high school level) that works with the administration to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets. The members of the site council are generally elected by their peers. For example, parents elect the parent representatives and teachers elect teachers.

Over the course of a year, the council considers the goals of the school and then works with the administration to evaluate the school's progress toward those goals. In this evaluation, the council might consider school test scores, attendance and discipline records, parent surveys and input from students.

School site council members don't just represent their own interests. They have an obligation to make decisions that will best serve the whole school community. In fact, they are specifically charged with finding ways to close gaps in achievement between groups of students.