School districts implementing change proceed through the phases of investigation, facilitation, and cultivation. In addition, staff members are encouraged to develop professionally according to their individual choices and their levels of success and commitment. (MLF)

This handbook is intended to help school boards become more effective governing bodies by becoming more efficient in conducting routine business, improving their abilities to reach constructive decisions and to solve problems, making their meetings sources of good will among members, students, and the community, and developing and following…

This report attempts to present a balanced discussion of several key issues in the charter school movement. Its goal is to help school board members, especially those in urban districts, assess the record of charter schools so far, and understand the complexity of the issues involved. The first chapter presents a brief legislative history of the…

This handbook offers observations from the superintendent's viewpoint about the evaluation responsibilities of school board members and school boards. The handbook describes important features of the evaluation role of school boards and offers a detailed description of what the board should evaluate within the context of the districts--who the…

Discusses the issues and challenges facing school boards in the current educational reform climate. Summarizes the findings and recommendations resulting from the Institute for Educational Leadership (Washington, DC) national study of local school boards. (MD)

Provides strategies for creating effective partnerships between state and local boards of education. (MD)

Describes the format for board policy development for the Camden Central School District (NY). It was developed to ensure consistent presentation of policies and to define specific responsibility and authority in the process of policy formation. A sidebar contains a copy of a policy statement. (MD)

Institute for Educational Leadership report identifies 15 characteristics of an effective school board and lists steps to strengthen leadership roles and create a more informed and supportive public. Characteristics include addressing energy/time toward educational outcomes, establishing board and superintendent evaluation procedures,…

A school board member discusses the roles school boards and superintendents should maintain in the management of schools. The division of authority between the two is critical. Includes four steps to keep disagreements at a minimum. (MD)

School boards have legal responsibility and liability for crowd control at extracurricular events. Board policies should cover supervision, rules, and various legal liabilities involving different crowd-control personnel, including school employees, on- and off-duty police, hired guards, and parent volunteers. Twelve guidelines are suggested for…

Defining "power" as political action, the author offers some thoughts designed to disabuse school board members of the notion that power is all bad. (Author/JM)

The Scarsdale, New York, system for finding qualified school board members utilizes a representative search committee that looks for experienced hopefuls and provides a short list of candidates. Of primary importance for candidates is an extensive record of public service. (MLF)

Summarizes the characteristics of a winning school board team and provides a "togetherness index" to help boards evaluate their effectiveness. (MLF)

School boards should review their policy manuals to keep them up-to-date with new laws and regulations and to make sure student and employee handbooks reflect current district policy. State and national school board associations offer model policies. (MLF)

The logical starting place for school boards to review and revise policies annually is a policy-analysis model that includes local criteria as well as state and national legal mandates. Offers 15 criteria for policy analysis, each framed in terms of a question to ask about the policy under study. (MLF)