Section B: Personnel

The After-School Plus (A+) Program is designed to operate with part-time temporary employees. The A+ Program position classifications are similarly designed to utilize people in the community labor pool who desire to contribute their services and earn income through off-hour and/or partial-day employment, and who are willing to accept such part-time temporary employment, at the offered pay rate, with no retirement benefits, and without job security commitment. 

It is the Department’s objective to staff positions with the most qualified applicants available. Critical to this process is the documentation of the evaluation of each applicant. Relatives may be considered for employment. Therefore, it is especially important that fair and equitable procedures are followed to determine the most qualified person to be hired. 

An alternative for providing A+ services is by contracting a Private Provider. Private Providers manage the A+ site as a contractor; hiring and managing their own staff. The decision to contract is a school responsibility, which involves the Principal and school community. The Principal, with the assistance of the A+ District Coordinator(s), will monitor the implementation of the contract with the Private Provider. See Attachment B1: Providing A+ Services through the Contracting of Private Providers for details.

Administrative Responsibilities

State Level – A+ Program Manager, Community Engagement Branch (CEB)

• Coordinates and administers the A+ Program on a statewide basis in cooperation with the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Fiscal Services.
• Develops, publicizes, and facilitates the implementation of appropriate guidelines and procedures for the A+ Program.
• Administers and coordinates statewide recruitment support efforts.
• Develops guidelines and coordinates and initiates the implementation of training programs for part-time temporary employees.
• Works under the supervision of the Community Engagement Branch Director
• Provides appropriate administrative support services.

District Level – District Coordinators

• Responsible for planning, coordinating, monitoring, administering, and operating the A+ Program for the district.
• Appointed and supervised by Complex Area Superintendents.
• A+ District Coordinators and a team of other district staff members provide support and technical assistance to:
  1. Ensure compliance with program staffing ratios and budgets.
  2. Orient school administrators and coordinate program implementation and operations with school personnel.
  3. Select, train, and support the A+ Site Coordinators.
  4. Coordinate, monitor, and support the recruitment, selection, and appointment of part-time temporary employees in the district.
  5. Coordinate and assure the successful implementation of district training programs for A+ Group Leaders and Aides.
  6. Assist in administering the employment of temporary part-time personnel in the A+ Program.
  7. Assist in the termination of unsatisfactory part-time employees.
  8. Assist in the establishment of a substitute pool.
  9. Assist in making accommodations for special needs children.

School Level — School Principal

• Assumes responsibility (in both DOE and Private Provider sites) for the successful administration and operation of the A+ Program as part of the broad scope of integrated services provided by the school.
• Communicates with and solicits program support from faculty, staff, students, parents, and community.
• Assists by arranging schedules (preparation period conflict, in-service activity conflict, extra assignment conflict, etc.) for employees who want to work in the A+ program.
• Coordinates the use, care, and maintenance of school facilities.
• Coordinates the scheduling and availability of support services, including use of office equipment, janitorial services, supplies, etc.
• Consults and confers with the School Community Council (SCC) and decides on available options for A+ services.
• Works together with A+ personnel to ensure an effective child care program.
  1. Participates in conferences for children with special needs.
  2. Participates in conferences with A+ staff when needed.
  3. Assumes responsibility to ensure that services provided are satisfactory.
• For DOE Program: Recruit, hire, supervise and evaluate the school’s A+ Site Coordinator.

School Site Level — Site Coordinator

• Plans, administers, and operates the A+ Program.
• Promotes the A+ Program within the school and community.
• Communicates information and responds to inquiries and complaints about the program and its operations.
• Administers recruitment, selection, appointment, and employment of part-time temporary employees as required to initially and continuously staff and operate the program.
• Develops and maintains an effective means to obtain substitute employee services in the event that regular employees are absent.
• Develops, cultivates, and maintains a waiting list of contingency employees who can fill employee vacancies and who can serve as substitutes for A+ Group Leaders and Aides.
• Trains, supervises, and evaluates A+ Group Leaders and Aides.  
• Maintains employee records.
• Prepares and processes payroll-reporting forms.
• Terminates employment of unsatisfactory employees.
• Works with school staff and parents in making accommodations for special needs children.
• Prepares monthly A+ reports and updates A+ website for timely submittal.

Guidelines Governing A+ Employee Recruitment, Selection, Appointment and Employment Procedures

Authorized Position Classifications and Pay Rate

The A+ Program shall be operated utilizing only the position classifications and pay rates established in Attachment B2: Authorized Position Classifications and Pay Rates. These generic position classifications and pay rates were pre-approved as exempt from some personnel rules, regulations, procedures and hiring practices in the interest of providing efficient and responsive employment services to large numbers of temporary employees. Updates will be made as necessary to reflect changes in pay rates and classification categories if funds are available. 

Recruitment of Part-Time Temporary Employees

Recruitment, selection, and appointment of the part-time temporary employees to be hired for the various positions identified with the A+ Program shall differ, depending upon which specific position(s) is being filled. The process shall be as follows: 

A+ District Coordinator

The Complex Area Superintendent(s) shall select the A+ District coordinator based on the Attachment B3: Position Description, A+ Program District Coordinator and minimum qualification requirements. 

A+ Site Coordinator

For DOE sites, selection of the A+ Site Coordinator shall be made by the school principal in consultation with the Complex Area Superintendent or designee.  The following is a suggested priority for selection and appointment:

1. Present or former DOE administrators
2. Certificated school staff person (i.e., teacher, librarian, counselor, etc.)
3. Others from outside the school who meet the desired qualification requirements as described in Attachment B4: Position Description, A+ Program Site Coordinator I and II. 

A+ Group Leaders and Aides

Desired qualifications for group leaders and program aides are described in Attachment B5: Position Description, A+ Program Group Leader and Attachment B6: Position Description, A+ Program Aide. 

Application

Applications shall be available at, but not limited to, the following locations: 

1. Schools; 
2. District Offices; and 
3. State Department of Education—Office of Human Resources (OHR).

Applications for A+ Group Leader and/or A+ Aide positions shall be submitted on Attachment B7: Personnel Form 418, Employment Application, Personnel Form 418. Applications shall generally be submitted or mailed directly to the school(s) where the applicant wishes to work. Applications may also be submitted or mailed to the A+ District Coordinator’s office from which referrals may be made to schools that need more applicants.  A list of DOE A+ sites that are soliciting for employment is also available on the public DOE A+ website for potential applicants (http://bit.ly/APlusEmployment). 

The initial deadline date for submitting applications shall be as announced. Applications must be received in the school by the specified initial deadline date. In situations where insufficient applications are received by the deadline date, schools may continue on their own to recruit and accept additional applications until such time that all vacancies are filled; applications may also be referred to schools from the district office. Open recruitment shall also be conducted throughout the school year, as necessary, to fill vacancies, hire replacements, add staff as enrollment increases, or to maintain a pool of qualified substitute employees. 

Identifying Staff Vacancies and Screening and Selection of Applicants

Selection of A+ Group Leaders and A+ Aides shall be administered at the school level by the school principal or designee (A+ Site Coordinator) as follows: 

1. Evaluates and considers the selection and re-hiring of current employees. 
2. Identifies remaining position vacancies. 
3. Reviews new applications and selects candidates for interviews based on their relative qualifications. Only the most promising applicants need to be interviewed. 
4. Interviews applicants and selects the candidates deemed best qualified. 
5. At the earliest time, notifies all non-selected applicants (both interviewed and not interviewed). It is suggested that this contact opportunity should be used to establish a “waiting list” of potential replacement employees and substitutes. 

Refer to Attachment B9: Recommended Process to Identify Vacancies, Screen and Select New Applicants as Leaders and Aides for recommendations regarding this process and Attachments B9-B15 for sample interview forms, questions, rating factors, and evaluation summaries. 

Documentation

In order to document that the most qualified applicant has been hired, the A+ Site Coordinator shall keep copies of the completed Applicant Evaluation Worksheet and Applicant Evaluation Summary sheet for each staff position. These files must be kept for two years beyond the date of hiring of the selected applicant. Application forms of those not hired must also be kept for two years. However, the application for employment for each individual employee, i.e., those who are hired, must be retained for two years after termination of employment. 

Note: The temporary and part-time job status of the A+ Group Leader and Aide positions attracts many candidates with temporary employment needs. Under these conditions, employee turnover can be a major concern. Site Coordinators should thus continuously cultivate an informal pool of replacement candidates. At the beginning of each operational year, staff recruitment must be announced and initiated with ample lead-time to conduct necessary training. 

Appointment

The school principal or A+ Site Coordinator shall:

1. Notify selectees of their conditional appointment;
2. Ensure that selectees complete all employment forms;
3. Ensure that selectees obtain tuberculosis clearance;
4. Oversee/Input personnel data for hiring authorization on the Casual Personnel System; 
5. Oversee/Input personnel data on the A+ Employee Management Website; 
6. Oversee/Administer employee time and attendance reporting for payroll action;
7. Oversee/Follow-up to assure that A+ employees are properly screened for criminal history records check; and 
8. Ensure selectees are trained regarding Bloodborne Pathogens and all other training as required by the State and training dates are documented. 

Employment Documents and Forms

This is a list of commonly used employment documents and forms:

• Form HW-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance (State of Hawaii);
• Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate (Federal);
• Form RS 01-1150, Employment Data;
• The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986;
• Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification;
• Payroll Understanding;
• DOE Drug-Free Workplace Statement;
• Policies on Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action;
• Notification of Conditional Hiring; and
• Form BP-3, Organizational Unit In/Out Sheet.

Please see Attachment B19: Employee Processing for Part-Time Temporary Employees for more information.

Personnel Management Guidelines

Proper Use of Temporary Personnel

The duties and responsibilities assigned to part-time temporary employees in the A+ Program should be generally consistent with the established generic position descriptions. 

Tuberculosis Clearance

All after-school program employees must present upon initial employment with the Department of Education a tuberculosis clearance certificate from the Department of Health or a private physician. The certification must be dated within one year prior to employment and does not need to be renewed as long as continuous employment is maintained. Existing records must be maintained. 

Part-Time Employment

The A+ Program was designed to operate with part-time employees. Hours of scheduled work for each A+ Group Leader and A+ Aide should not exceed 19 hours per week. 

Employee Benefits

A+ employment is temporary and part-time. Effective July 1, 2015, all part-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF).  There are no employment benefits such as sick leave, vacation accumulation, retirement, etc. 

Separate Voluntary Employment

A school administrator, regular teacher, substitute teacher, or part-time temporary teacher (PTT) may voluntarily accept employment beyond the school day as an A+ Program employee. The employee who accepts such after-school employment serves in two separate jobs and the after-school employment is not considered an extension of the employee’s regular duties and responsibilities. Part-time employment in the A+ Program is not considered PTT work. Thus, employees may be hired for this program without concern about exceeding the maximum allowed 17 hours of PTT work per week. 

Restricted Employment of Classified Employees

Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines require that all classified employees working more than 40 hours a week be paid at overtime rates. Employment of classified employees in the A+ Program cannot be handled on a separate contract basis as employment for certificated employees can. Classified employees who are employed 100% FTE in the regular school program generally cannot accept additional employment in the A+ Program as the cost of overtime pay would be prohibitive. 

Certain classified employees, e.g., custodians, clerks, SASAs, etc., may occasionally participate in the A+ Program if they work on an overtime basis and get paid at one and one-half times their regular rates of pay. Half-time classified employees may participate in the A+ Program.

Hiring of Retired Employees for A+ Program

• Beginning with the 2009-10 school year, all retired state or county government employees seeking casual employment/re-employment must now meet the Department of Education’s (DOE) current eligibility criteria. 
• When hiring a retired state or county government employee for casual employment, please ensure that the retiree has either suspended his/her retirement benefits or has not been employed in any state or county government position/job for six (6) consecutive months following his/her official retirement date. 

Work Schedules

Job Sharing

• Job sharing (position sharing with another employee) is an option at all staff levels. Not only will it facilitate staffing the program and sharing of workload, but it will also enrich the program by incorporating the expertise of a variety of individuals. 
• It is conceivable that an A+ Site Coordinator position may be shared between principal and vice-principal, where one person works, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the other Tuesday, Thursday, etc. Extending this concept, it would also appear possible to have A+ Group Leaders share a position based on their expertise. For example, a person good in arts/crafts could work on Monday-Tuesday and a person good in drama could work Wednesday-Friday, etc. A+ Aide positions, which may be filled in part by high school and college students, may sometimes be difficult to fill with one person assuming the entire job load; a job-sharing arrangement, thus, may better suit some prospective employees. 
• Please note that job-sharing arrangements may require job accommodations that would affect the work schedules of employees, as well as the activities scheduled for the site. 

Substitution

• The A+ Site Coordinator shall be responsible for carrying out the program of services scheduled each day while anticipating that occasional employee absences will occur. There are several ways of dealing with substitution:
  1. Based on enrollment schedules, the actual child-to-staff ratio on any one day may not require a substitute.
  2. Where a substitute is required to maintain a 20:1 child-to-staff ratio, the A+ Site Coordinator may fill in where needed.
  3. A staff person who is job sharing and not scheduled to work that day may fill in for the absent staff member.
  4. The Site Coordinator may call in a substitute.
  5. If necessary, the program for the day may be operated with larger group activities to adjust for employee absences.
• A+ Site Coordinators should develop and maintain a substitute list of capable personnel (gleaned from the recruitment process, parents, etc.) which is kept current. A+ Site Coordinators may want to contact those not hired to ask if they will consider substituting in the program.
• In order to have flexibility in the use of employees in the A+ program, it would be helpful to have site coordinators, group leaders and program aides listed in more than one position in the Casual Personnel System. When unexpected absences occur a group leader may fill in for a site coordinator and be justly compensated. Substituting in this manner must be based on qualifications, experience and capability and not on a strictly rotational basis.
• When a substitute is used, only the substitute receives pay. Substitutes are to be paid at the same rate as the position they are filling.
• Employees are required to make every effort to report to work on time. If an employee is not able to report for work, it shall be the responsibility of that employee to notify the Site Coordinator as soon as possible.

Time Conflicts of Regularly Employed DOE Personnel

• Principal as A+ Site Coordinator: The Principal, if he/she becomes the A+ Site Coordinator, is responsible to supervise and coordinate the A+ Program just as he/she is responsible to supervise and coordinate the regular school program. The Principal/A+ Site Coordinator will have to work his/her schedule to meet the needs of the regular school program and the A+ Program. There should always be a site coordinator on campus during program hours. Hence, the position should be job-shared to meet this requirement. 
• Teachers: Teachers, if they become A+ Group Leaders or A+ Site Coordinators, will not be excused or excluded from meetings, parent conferences, and other responsibilities of the regular school day. Good planning and professional judgment will take care of certain types of activities. For others that require presence at a particular time and place, there will be some flexibility in maintaining the 20:1 ratio. Otherwise, substitutes can be used. (Therefore, it is important that a substitute pool be maintained and kept current by the Site Coordinator.) In addition, job sharing the Site Coordinator and/or Group Leader positions will allow for both professional and personal flexibility.
• Preparation Time: One option to permit regular teachers to participate in A+ work is to arrange for early morning preparation periods in accordance with the Board of Education-Hawaii State Teachers Association contract. Schools participating in the A+ Program may also use A+ Aides to conduct organized student play activities during the common teacher preparation time period at the end of the regular school day. This allows the A+ Program to start directly after the end of the regular school day for students while allowing teachers to start serving as A+ Group Leaders after the end of their regular workday. However, each school site will need to work out its own scheduling and coordination of regular school activities and A+ activities. 

Partial Days

On those occasions on which an A+ employee is absent from work only a portion of the day’s A+ hours for acceptable reasons not related to the A+ Program, the staff member may receive full pay for the day, if 1) a fill-in person was not required to adhere to the 20:1 children/staff ratio, and 2) the hours missed are made up within a reasonable period of time, or 3) the employee may be paid only for the partial day he/she actually worked. 

Staff Evaluation

All A+ Program staff (Site Coordinator, Group Leaders, Program Aides, Coordinator’s Aides) should be evaluated annually, i.e., before the end of the school year. Site Coordinators should evaluate Group Leaders and Program Aides annually, particularly those employed for the first time and those who want to continue employment next year. Evaluations should be as constructive as possible. Attachment B16: A+ Staff Evaluation Form

Principals, with the assistance of A+ District Coordinators, should conduct Site Coordinator evaluations annually in May, in order to improve the Site Coordinators’ performance and help the sites improve their A+ Program. See Attachment B17: Site Coordinator Evaluation Form for a sample evaluation form. The sample form may be given for review by the Site Coordinator prior to the visitation. After the conclusion of the visitation, the Site Coordinator, District Coordinator and Principal sign and date the form. Annual evaluations should be kept in each staff member’s personnel folder. Copies of the annual Site Coordinator’s evaluation are distributed as follows: School Principal, Site Coordinator, and A+ District Office. 

Staff Termination

The Principal has the authority to terminate the A+ Site Coordinator. The A+ Site Coordinator has the authority to terminate the employment of part-time temporary A+ Group Leaders and A+ Aides. If a staff member is to be dismissed, he/she should usually be given at least a two week notice. The two week notice is not required when the employee poses a serious health or safety concern to students or the employee is irresponsible or unsuitable for the position. Terminations of Principals working as A+ Site Coordinators should be handled by Complex Area Superintendents with assistance from A+ District Coordinators. Wherever possible, the process of dismissing a person should be handled with care. The process should be as constructive as possible, hopefully providing a learning experience and due process for the employee. In many cases, a person may be ill suited to work with children, but may do well in a different work setting and should leave A+ employment as amicably as possible. 

Personnel Files

Site Coordinators shall keep an up-to-date file on each employee in a secured location. Employee files may be stored off site to maintain confidentiality of employee records. To comply with HIPPA requirements, each employee file shall be stored in a secure location that is locked. The file should contain the initial job application, Personnel Evaluation worksheet, Applicant Evaluation Summary sheet, interview notes, annual performance evaluations, written communications with employee, written documentation of any problems (tardiness, inappropriate behavior, irresponsibility in performance of duties, etc.), severance records, Medical Clearance Statement, TB clearance documentation, and appropriate pre-employment forms initially required for employment processing. The forms for the hiring of the employee must be kept for two years beyond the date of hiring the selected applicant(s). The job application form must be retained for two years after termination of employment. 

Department of Human Services Background Clearance Check

Individuals employed in the A+ Program shall be required to undergo a criminal history and background check for the purpose of determining suitability to work in the DOE in close proximity to students. A+ employees, including employees hired by Private Providers and outside privately contracted workers such as behavioral specialists, shall be required to submit to fingerprinting. Employees must abide by and complete the Department of Human Services (DHS) requirements regarding criminal history information for the purpose of determining employment suitability. 

Employees who are provisionally cleared through the FBI and State fingerprint check and have the status of “Provisionally Cleared” are able to work under the direct supervision of a staff member who has been fully cleared by all of DHS’ comprehensive background checks, including DOE A+ employees.

The most current DHS background clearance information is in the Operations Manual Section B.

Department of Human Services Health and Safety Guidelines

As a part of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, all A+ employees are required to complete an initial training, consisting of reading through a booklet and completing an assessment, and eight (8) hours of on-going training per subsequent year of A+ employment. More information can be found here:

1. DHS Memo to DOE A+ (dated 05/23/2018)
2. Training Requirements for A+ Providers

Reasonable Assurance of Employment

Before the end of the school year, reasonable assurance of employment for the next school year should be given to DOE A+ Program staff (site coordinators, group leaders, program aides and coordinator’s aides), who have performed satisfactorily during the current school year. Attachment B18: DOE OHR Form 300-012 Notice of Employment Status to Employee or a similar notice on school letterhead signed by the school administrator should be issued to the employees. The employees are to sign the notice to acknowledge receipt. Specific procedures are in the annual memorandum from the Superintendent on “Year-End Duties of Principals and Summer Duties for Athletic Directors, School Business Managers, Registrars, Librarians, School Administrative Services Assistants, Head Custodians and Other Classified Personnel in the Schools. 

Safe Workplace and Non-Discrimination Policies and Complaint Procedures

All staff members should be informed about the above-mentioned department policies and the complaint procedures. Employees who believe they have been subjected to discrimination prohibited by civil rights laws may seek redress through the Department’s Civil Rights Complaint Procedure for Employees, or file a complaint with the appropriate federal or state civil rights agency.  More information can be found here.

Volunteers

Volunteers in the A+ Program must undergo the DHS criminal history and background check procedure before working with children.  Volunteers can be included in the 20:1 staffing ratio.  Site Coordinators can track volunteers at A+ sites with Attachment B20: Sample A+ Volunteer Sign-In Sheet. 
If volunteers, including visitors coming in to provide specialized activities, are not counted in the staff-child ratio, they are not to be left alone with the children at any time.