The School Board Effect

The School Board Effect
Author: Alexander U. Ikejiaku, Ph.D.
Publisher: Author House
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2013-08
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1491801832

Every school board adopts a unique governing style which affects the way the district is managed. This book identifies some of those styles and examines their potential impact on district administration, and ultimately on student achievement. The book also clarifies the role of school boards in unequivocal terms, discusses board-superintendent relations, and offers several recommendations and critical takeaways for education stakeholders. The author's doctoral research which gave rise to this book shows that a school board's governing style has the potential to affect educational outcomes in consequential ways, particularly in urban districts where the greatest impact was observed. A content outline for a set of professional development modules on school board governance is provided in the book, including an in depth review of the roles and responsibilities of school boards, and some case studies on board-superintendent interaction.

The Keywork of School Boards Guidebook

The Keywork of School Boards Guidebook
Author: National School Boards Association
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020-08-26
Genre:
ISBN: 9780883640050

Newly revised in 2020, NSBA's Key Work of School Boards framework identifies the core skills that effective boards need to ensure that all students achieve at high levels through excellence in governance.

IJER Vol 16-N4

IJER Vol 16-N4
Author: International Journal of Educational Reform
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2008-06-04
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1475816510

The mission of the International Journal of Educational Reform (IJER) is to keep readers up-to-date with worldwide developments in education reform by providing scholarly information and practical analysis from recognized international authorities. As the only peer-reviewed scholarly publication that combines authors’ voices without regard for the political affiliations perspectives, or research methodologies, IJER provides readers with a balanced view of all sides of the political and educational mainstream. To this end, IJER includes, but is not limited to, inquiry based and opinion pieces on developments in such areas as policy, administration, curriculum, instruction, law, and research. IJER should thus be of interest to professional educators with decision-making roles and policymakers at all levels turn since it provides a broad-based conversation between and among policymakers, practitioners, and academicians about reform goals, objectives, and methods for success throughout the world. Readers can call on IJER to learn from an international group of reform implementers by discovering what they can do that has actually worked. IJER can also help readers to understand the pitfalls of current reforms in order to avoid making similar mistakes. Finally, it is the mission of IJER to help readers to learn about key issues in school reform from movers and shakers who help to study and shape the power base directing educational reform in the U.S. and the world.

The School Board Fieldbook

The School Board Fieldbook
Author: Mark Van Clay
Publisher: Solution Tree Press
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2011-11-02
Genre: Education
ISBN: 193676590X

Take a reader-friendly tour through the responsibilities and challenges of being a school board member. Written by experienced, award-winning administrators, The School Board Fieldbook gives practical guidance on how to best work with school administrators and staff to create and fulfill a shared vision of school system excellence. This clear, concise book helps new board members understand the difference between their expectations and actual duties.

Staying Alive

Staying Alive
Author: Rebecca Guth Falbo
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020
Genre: Content analysis (Communication)
ISBN:

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the decision-making processes of the school board of the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf as they worked to keep their school alive. Thus, the research question was "What decision-making processes did the school board of the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf adopt while redesigning and restructuring the school to be a viable educational option for Maine's deaf and hard of hearing children?" The review of the literature followed key elements of the theoretical framework. The theories that informed the present study were School Board Governance Theory, Institutional Theory, and Organizational Resilience Theory. The conceptual framework for the study reflects key points from the theoretical framework and from the research literature. The research design included directed content analysis of school board minutes and related documents from the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf from January 2005 through May 2018. The data were analyzed using the process of educational criticism (Eisner, 1998) and Hatch's (2002) typological analysis. Eisner's description and interpretation dimensions within educational criticism involved six typologies: (a) attending to the centrality of language and communication; (b) building capacity; (c) navigating resources; (d) responding to stakeholders; and (e) envisioning opportunities. The evaluation dimension of Eisner's educational criticism focused on three values evident in the school board's decision-making: allowing voices to be heard, anchoring decisions in the vision and mission, and developing policies to support the vision and mission. The strategic plan, aligned with the vision and mission, reflected the voices of the board members and stakeholders and identified the resources necessary to address these challenges. Analysis of the data led to the development of three themes: (a) The school board focused on striving for legitimacy through adherence to its vision and mission; (b) The school board valued stakeholders; and (c) The school board valued the sharing of new programs and procedures with other schools and programs for the deaf and hard of hearing. The following conclusions were derived from data analysis. The MECDHH/GBSD school board supported the importance of vision and mission through decision-making and policy development. Such decisions also adhered to the importance of language and culture of deaf and hard of hearing students. Further, the school board supported the role of stakeholders in providing appropriate and viable options for the education of deaf and hard of hearing students. The actions of the school board supported the view that the reciprocal sharing of educational knowledge matters because it benefits the profession in its service to deaf and hard of hearing students and because it promotes the learning of all. The school board also honored the school's traditions and organizational memory in their decision-making. Themes led to recommendations for school board practice. Boards should adhere to their vision and mission to guide decision-making. Additionally, they should value stakeholders' input to ensure understanding the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. Finally, school boards should value the sharing of new programs and procedures with other schools and programs for the deaf and hard of hearing. Recommendations for further study include analysis of other school board documents, such as social media accounts and videos. Additionally, researchers may consider interviewing school board members to understand their perceptions of school board decision-making. Further, survey research of board members' perspectives and board members' self-reports regarding board behavior could also shape research efforts.

Transforming Teaching and Learning Through Data-Driven Decision Making

Transforming Teaching and Learning Through Data-Driven Decision Making
Author: Ellen B. Mandinach
Publisher: Corwin Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2012-04-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1412982049

"Gathering data and using it to inform instruction is a requirement for many schools, yet educators are not necessarily formally trained in how to do it. This book helps bridge the gap between classroom practice and the principles of educational psychology. Teachers will find cutting-edge advances in research and theory on human learning and teaching in an easily understood and transferable format. The text's integrated model shows teachers, school leaders, and district administrators how to establish a data culture and transform quantitative and qualitative data into actionable knowledge based on: assessment; statistics; instructional and differentiated psychology; classroom management."--Publisher's description.