Assessment Design and
Framework

Field 056: School Treasurer

The assessment design below describes general assessment information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this assessment measures.

Assessment Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions 5 constructed-response assignments
Time*	165 minutes
Passing Score	220

*Does not include 15-minute tutorial

Framework

Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table below.

Domain		Range of Competencies	Approximate Percentage of Assessment Score
1	Governance and Leadership	0001–0002	16%
2	Financial Management, Accounting, and Reporting	0003–0005	24%
3	Capital Asset Management, Purchasing Procedures, and Risk Management	0006–0008	24%
4	Compliance, Communication, Collaboration, and Professionalism	0009–0010	16%
5	Budget Projection and Revenue and Expenditure Forecasting	0011	20%

Domain 1–Governance and Leadership

0001 Understand the legal roles and responsibilities of the treasurer as the chief fiscal officer of the school district and how to participate fully as a member of the school district leadership team.

Includes:

The legal governance structure of school districts in Ohio and the legal roles and responsibilities of the school treasurer as chief fiscal officer of the district.
The roles and responsibilities of the school treasurer as an active member of the school district leadership team, including participation in school district leadership team meetings and district committees.
The roles and responsibilities of the school treasurer as a member of the school district policy review committee and as secretary to the board of education.
Skills and strategies for collaborating with the board of education, superintendent, the school district leadership team, and other stakeholders in the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and revision of the school district strategic plan and related organizational goals.
Processes and procedures for identifying and defining measurable short- and long-term organizational goals relevant to all aspects of school district operations that advance the school district strategic plan.
How to analyze, monitor, and report accurate and relevant financial data to facilitate strategic planning; identify and update the financial resources required to support the school district strategic plan and organizational goals; and assess the impact of the school district strategic plan on the district budget.

0002 Understand how to establish and maintain sound fiscal practices that support school district programs, policies, and procedures in collaboration with the board of education, superintendent, district leadership team, and other stakeholders.

Includes:

How to propose, align, implement, and monitor school district financial policies and procedures that are consistent with school district goals, legal requirements and other mandates, and negotiated agreements.
How to develop, implement, and monitor school district policies and procedures to ensure compliance with legal requirements related to school district personnel.
How to develop, implement, and manage financial components necessary to support the instructional and noninstructional programs within the school district.
How to utilize financial tools and data in order to monitor, evaluate, and report on the cost-effectiveness of school district programs, in support of and alignment with short- and long-term planning.
How to identify and communicate financial issues facing the school district, recognize potential sources of conflict related to financial issues, and provide input on possible solutions.
How to support fiscally sound decision making by school district stakeholders, including identifying relevant data to assess district programs and initiatives and ensuring that district policies and procedures governing financial operations are applied in decision making.
Processes and procedures for the use of financial data as a decision-making tool in the school district, including collecting, reporting, and utilizing financial data to assist in developing, evaluating, and implementing programs.

Domain 2–Financial Management, Accounting, and Reporting

0003 Understand how to collect, analyze, interpret, and report financial data for budgeting, forecasting, and decision making.

Includes:

How to provide financial oversight in collaboration with district leadership by utilizing sound fiscal practices to meet the district's short- and long-term goals.
How to apply economic indicators and financial data to evaluate and forecast local, state, and federal economic factors that impact the school district, including the cost of current and proposed salaries and employee benefit packages.
Practices and procedures for preparing and communicating school district financial statements and supporting documents (e.g., budgets, forecasts, projections) for the superintendent, board of education, district leadership, and other stakeholders.
Effective practices and procedures for gathering, managing, analyzing, integrating, reporting, and securing school district financial data (e.g., enrollment data, Education Management Information System [EMIS] reporting), including the use of current technology.
How to formulate decisions that are based on financial data in order to ensure fiscal responsibility.
Skills and strategies for communicating the school district's financial position and the relationship of district strategic plans, programs, and staffing with district budgets, revenues, and appropriations to internal and external stakeholders.
Skills, strategies, and tools for effectively reporting financial information for a variety of settings, purposes, and audiences, including managing financial information related to school-community relations.

0004 Understand public school funding and the school district's resource allocations via the appropriation and budget process.

Includes:

Public school funding in Ohio, including major sources of local, state, and federal funding for public education, as well as grants and other revenue sources.
Principles and procedures for estimating and recommending tax levies, including understanding the types of tax levies, effects of state laws (e.g., House Bill 920) on tax levies, tax rates and reductions, and processes for forecasting property values.
Procedures for placing tax levies on the ballot, including the importance of election dates and filing deadlines.
Terminology, processes, policies, and philosophies concerning the appropriation and budget process, including the difference between appropriations and expenditures.
Budget models; budget cycles and important timelines; state laws; and school district policies, procedures, and legal requirements associated with the appropriation and budget process.
How to manage, model, and plan revenues and expenditures for the appropriation and budget process, including the five-year forecast, the use of analytics to support forecasted numbers, and the importance of sound and detailed assumptions.
Processes and procedures for projecting revenues, including local property taxes and state funding.
Processes and procedures for projecting expenditures, including salaries and benefits.
How to manage and continually evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the school district's budgetary process.

0005 Understand how to manage school district finances, including managing cash and debt, accounting practices, auditing procedures, and accurate financial reporting.

Includes:

Processes and strategies for managing cash flow within the school district, including cash collection and disbursement, methods of cash forecasting, and procedures for preparing cash flow analyses.
How to implement, maintain, and monitor effective procedures, processes, and internal controls for handling cash, including audit procedures, and evaluating the school district's payroll and purchasing operations.
Processes, procedures, and appropriate strategies for managing school district debt, including the use of short-term financial instruments and long-term general and special obligation securities.
How to implement, manage, monitor, and communicate information regarding the school district's accounting system, including the relevance of fund accounting to financial management and reporting, the purpose and appropriate use of each type of account code, and the effect of account coding decisions.
How to identify and evaluate investment objectives for school districts and implement appropriate investment strategies, including developing a district investment policy, applying knowledge of investment providers and their roles, applying knowledge of investment parameters and limitations, and making investment decisions.
Policies and procedures for the administration and oversight of student activity programs, including managing student activity funds and training individuals involved in operating the funds.
Processes and procedures for internal and external audits across all school buildings and departments, and reporting school district revenues, expenditures, and fund balances to local, state, and federal agencies in an accurate and timely way.
Procedures for preparing corrective action plans with the appropriate school district committees based on the information conveyed in the audit report and guiding the implementation of the plans.

Domain 3–Capital Asset Management, Purchasing Procedures, and Risk Management

0006 Understand the acquisition, financing, and maintenance of school buildings and other capital assets.

Includes:

How to develop and implement school district capital asset policies, including accounting for the valuation, depreciation, and classification of capital assets.
How to develop, implement, and monitor plans for the acquisition and construction of capital assets, including bidding requirements.
Processes and procedures for financing capital projects, including identifying a finance team, analyzing debt structure, matching useful life to length of debt, investing related proceeds, and maintaining financial solvency during construction projects.
Options for financing capital assets, including the refinancing of debt, sale of notes, sale of bonds, lease options, and lease-to-purchase options.
How to determine the useful life and coordinate the disposition of capital assets.
Practices and procedures for ensuring the financial integrity of the capital assets through repair and/or maintenance programs.

0007 Understand how to manage purchasing procedures and provide financial oversight and analysis of fiscal impact of school district support services.

Includes:

Principles and practices related to purchasing procedures (e.g., segregation of duties, requisitioning and approving purchases).
How to direct and maintain oversight of purchasing procedures.
Procedures and processes for supply and fixed asset management and depreciation practices.
Principles and internal procedures for inventory management, reporting, monitoring, and control, including utilizing inventory management systems.
How to ensure compliance with a code of purchasing and procurement ethics.
How to analyze and articulate the fiscal impact of various school district services (e.g., food services; transportation services; maintenance, grounds, and custodial services; technology services).

0008 Understand how to develop and monitor risk management practices to protect school district assets.

Includes:

Identify and implement effective risk management practices to protect school district assets and operations.
The characteristics, benefits, and limitations and liabilities of types of insurance protection available to school districts.
How to develop and implement policies and procedures for insurance coverage that are in compliance with legal requirements, including minimum requirements vs. maximum risk.
Principles and procedures for risk management and financial security for fleets, property, liability, and bonding of employees.
How to analyze the financial implications of risk management and security practices, school safety, workers' compensation, cybersecurity, and other emerging risks.

Domain 4–Compliance, Communication, Collaboration, and Professionalism

0009 Understand how to ensure compliance of school district operations with state and federal laws, rules, and regulations; district policies; and contractual provisions and how to model high standards for professional ethics and values.

Includes:

How to apply the Ohio Revised Code (ORC); the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC); relevant court decisions, federal statutes, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) codes; board of education policies; and collective bargaining agreements to district operations.
Processes and procedures for establishing and monitoring compliance with finance-related legal, contractual, and regulatory provisions (e.g., generally accepted accounting principles [GAAP]).
How to ensure that appropriate data security and privacy of records are maintained, school district records are protected, and applicable Ohio open-government laws are followed.
How to analyze, explain, and ensure school district compliance with employment contracts and/or collective bargaining agreements, including compensation arrangements such as salaries, wages, and fringe benefits.
Political trends and legislative processes relevant to school districts, including how political and legislative changes affect school district finances and operations.
Principles of professional ethics, including the Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators and the Ohio Ethics Law.
How to communicate and model, set expectations for, encourage, and monitor professional and ethical conduct in all school district operations and values of integrity, honesty, fairness, and dignity, including conducting school district business without conflict of interest or impropriety and demonstrating sensitivity to diversity in all professional interactions.
Processes and procedures for accountability, including reporting suspected violations of professional and ethical standards through appropriate channels.
Practices and procedures to ensure that all school district policies are implemented in an unbiased and consistent manner; all relevant rules, regulations, and statutes are properly applied; and all stakeholders' interests with respect to responsibility and financial integrity are protected.

0010 Understand how to lead, manage, and promote professional development for personnel in the treasurer's office; communicate and collaborate with all stakeholders; and maintain a strong commitment to personal professional development and the advancement of the school treasurer profession.

Includes:

How to develop and implement processes for recruiting, selecting, hiring, inducting, developing, retaining, evaluating, and dismissing personnel while adhering to all local, state, and federal rules and regulations.
The principles of organizational development and their application in supervising personnel, including techniques for maintaining a positive, safe, and professional work environment; enhancing productivity; delegating authority; and monitoring performance of personnel.
Practices for making staffing decisions, planning and assigning tasks, and allocating personnel resources in order to accomplish district goals and to ensure accountability.
The principles of adult learning and the development, practices, and procedures for designing, facilitating, and implementing effective, high-quality professional learning for all personnel.
Skills and strategies for effective speaking, listening, reading, and writing, including tailoring communication to a variety of settings, purposes, and audiences and employing written, oral, multimedia, and other formats to maximize communication.
Skills and strategies for collaborating effectively with both internal and external stakeholders (e.g., superintendent, board of education, school district staff, parents/guardians, community members, school support groups).
How to set expectations for, encourage, and model internal self-assessment and personal professional growth, including developing and implementing a plan for self-improvement (e.g., Individual Professional Development Plan [IPDP]), continuous learning, and professional development that is aligned with district and professional standards, goals, and best practices.
Practices for remaining current with technology, applications, and software relevant to school district financial management.
How to participate in local, state, and national professional organizations and meetings; advocate for improvements in fiscal policies, laws, and regulations that affect education; and contribute to the professional mentoring and growth of new school treasurers.

Domain 5–Budget Projection and Revenue and Expenditure Forecasting

0011 Understand how to analyze and interpret information related to the school district's student population, faculty, and resources; identify revenue and expenditure trends; and communicate a strategy for managing district resources and meeting district goals.

Includes:

How to analyze and synthesize school district information, including student population data over multiple years, faculty by school building and level of experience, staffing levels, and general economic and demographic trends.
How to identify trends with regard to school district revenues and expenditures and describe factors driving those trends, including citing specific evidence to support conclusions.
How to analyze and project school district revenues and expenditures over multiple years.
How to develop a strategy to respond to the school district's five-year forecast, including citing evidence to demonstrate how the strategy will enable the school district to meet short- and long-term district goals, and how to communicate the strategy to stakeholders.

Assessment Design and Framework

Field 056: School Treasurer