This study sought to determine whether school boards from central region states with aggressive legislative education reform initiatives differ from school boards from nonreform states. Reform states, defined as states that have enacted statewide choice legislation, included Ohio, Minnesota, and Iowa. Nonreform states were Wisconsin, Michigan,…

This publication presents the officially adopted focus statements for Illinois public universities which describe the distinctive strengths and contributions of each institution, their priorities, and their immediate programmatic directions. Focus statements are developed at the State Board of Higher Education level for statewide planning purposes…

Local school boards bear the responsibility for goal-setting, policy-making, hiring, firing, construction, curriculum, and budget allocations. Competent boards need to become and remain informed about emerging, continuing, and future issues. School boards are turning to annual inservice programs to improve their decision-making skills. A sample…

Texas education's tradition of local school board autonomy is rapidly vanishing as the state takes tight control of public education, with reforms in the areas of curriculum, school management, teachers, school finance, and administration. The implementation of state mandates will now be the primary function of school boards. (DCS)

This publication, a resource for board of education presidents in the State of New Jersey, covers a wide range of topics pertaining to the board president's duties. Separate sections are devoted to the following: (1) the code of ethics for New Jersey board members; (2) statutory responsibilities of a board of education president; (3) an opinion…

Parent involvement is widely acknowledged as a central component in both overall school success and the academic success of individual children. Recognizing this, the federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates that states, districts and schools make extraordinary efforts to enhance effective parent involvement. Now, more than six years after the…

Principals are middle managers. Board members should have a superintendent who has a high regard for the principalship and who believes in the total team approach to school administration. They should allow principals to do the job they were hired to do--parental or citizen complaints should be referred to the principal instead of being personally…

This handbook is a guide to the collective bargaining process for school board members. It emphasizes the need for school boards to take the initiative in setting goals, reducing the potential for friction, and preserving management prerogatives against the competing responsibility to bargain in good faith under the law. Chapter 1 describes the…

This paper describes the reform processes in teacher education in Tennessee over the past ten years. The decade of school improvement efforts, which culminated in 1984 with the passage of the Comprehensive Education Reform Act (CERA), is discussed. The paper presents: (1) a summary of action taken between l975-80; (2) an account of the action…

The findings of 22 significant and accessible studies of community involvement in school board policy formation, selected from over 130 relevant studies, are analyzed in this report to provide lay activists with information that could prove useful in efforts to influence policy-making. This information is organized in a question-and-answer format,…

This report presents the results of a survey of the 69 urban school districts constituting the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Council of Urban Boards of Education. It provides data designed to assist school board members and school superintendents in meeting their leadership responsibilities, and indicates significant trends in urban…

This booklet addresses student membership on local boards of education. It is intended to serve as guide for boards considering adding youth to their membership. It discusses the following topics: (1) the benefits to both students and the board of youth serving as board members; (2) researching issues before accepting students on boards; (3)…

Outlines the rudiments of writing a persuasive speech on education, including keeping language conversational, avoiding jargon, using handouts, using audiovisual aids when appropriate, and keeping the speech short. Eleven additional techniques to perk up speeches are also discussed. An inset annotates four volumes of anecdotes for further…

A new Kentucky law requires school board members to undergo 15 hours of training annually, of which 10 are provided by the Kentucky School Boards Association without state funding. A new Georgia law provides funding for required orientation training and encourages further training. Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas also mandate training. (PGD)

Presents the unspoken expectations for superintendents to consider to function more effectively. They fall into two areas: first, the managing of political structures, and second, the fact that superintendents become "public property." (MD)