Argues that the negative media attention focused on public school boards as they struggle with issues of religion and the public schools could be avoided if boards would adopt policies on such issues. Discusses three primary areas of policy concern: school personnel; students' rights; and the school curricular and extracurricular issues and…

This guide to parliamentary procedures is presented by the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) for use by local school boards within the State of Washington. Parliamentary law and parliamentary procedure is the key to order and to provide justice and fairness to all. Through both formal and informal parliamentary procedures,…

This publication is a general overview of American school boards that explains how they function and why their continued operation is crucial to sustaining participatory and representative government. It comprises five chapters that cover the following topics: (1) a general summary of the significance of school board service; (2) the roles and…

This handbook was written to help school boards conduct routine business meetings more efficiently, and thereby improve their ability to reach constructive decisions and solve problems. After a brief introduction, the first chapter focuses on organizing the new school board, electing officers, adopting policies, and appointing committees. The…

Merit pay plans for administrators do not work in school systems in which the governing board is elected from among lay people. In 1979, the Brewster (New York) Central School District developed an administrator merit pay plan. The goal of the plan was to implement changes and programs which would reflect the needs of the community as interpreted…

School staff members need continuing opportunities to learn and grow because the waves of social change strike them first and most powerfully. Research on effective schools tends to stress staff development as crucial. School boards are involved in the development of their staff. A staff development program of broad scope and sharp focus can…

One of the key responsibilities of a school board is to adopt procedures for regular evaluation of the superintendent's performance. This handbook therefore provides specific suggestions for developing these procedures. Based on a question-and-answer format, the handbook is divided into seven chapters: (1) Evaluating your superintendent (a summary…

This case study documents how the school board of the city of New Rochelle, New York, handled change when it transmuted from being appointed to being elected. Local policy implications undergird such a transition. Specifically, a review of political influences and outcomes on school board policy and how the board and the city's politicians coped…

This document suggests how state boards of education can get a fair share of block grant monies from the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. States' decisions regarding distribution of block grant monies involve three significant characteristics: (1) almost all states keep 20 percent of the grant (the maximum allowed) at the state…

State boards and schools need to reframe how they view the role of public education. The time children spend in school cannot be kept separate from everything else happening in their lives. The National Association of State Boards of Education Study Group believes that academic achievement is linked to the development of the whole child and that…

Describes the working relationship between a board of education and the superintendent of schools. Outlines specific responsibilities of the superintendent. Discusses problems of policy development and administration and accountability of the school board to the community. (FMW)

A composite guidebook covers the collective wisdom and teachings of local school governance. From goal-setting to policy making to board-superintendent relations, this publication places in one complete resource information available to the new and the veteran school board member. Although specifically directed to Pennsylvania board members, the…

This paper lays out a performance-based model to better leverage the mission and power of school boards toward improving student learning. It moves beyond discussions about whether boards should be elected or appointed, instead arguing that mode of selection is less directly responsible for board success than clarity and focus about its mission…

Academic-vocational integration has been identified as a national strategy ensuring that students learn a rigorous course of study in a context that supports learning through application. Four key concepts surround the definition of curriculum integration developed by the Curriculum Committee of the California School Boards Association's project:…

This publication is written for school board members, who face decisions that will restructure how children learn. A comprehensive art education program can enhance the quality of children's education and help achieve excellence in a school system. This document: (1) presents the philosophy underlying comprehensive visual arts education programs;…