This paper describes a study that tested the validity of Kerr's 1964 model of school board socialization. Central hypothesis of the study was Kerr's finding that, over time, novice school board members assign increasingly more responsibility to district administrators. Data were generated primarily through stratified interviews with 40 novice…

In the process of developing a coherent bargaining position, the school board's chief negotiator functions as a group leader, responsible for controlling behavioral dynamics so that the school board is productive and cohesive. Dissonance and dissent are expected components of the position-formulating process, and the negotiator should be…

Alternatives and recommendations to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges are presented for the accreditation of college academic and administrative personnel. The report first describes the present California credentials law, under which the Board of Governors is limited to prescribing professional or vocational experience…

This paper examines the role of the school board as a player in school "restructuring." Defining restructuring as the transformation of schools into equitable learning environments, this paper examines whether school boards have a leadership role in restructuring. Data were derived from a literature review, a questionnaire of individual board…

School boards significantly contribute to the future of education. There are three major elements regarding the role of school board members. First, demographic changes may illuminate school board members to their tasks. Demography reveals changes in family status. For instance, more children live with only one parent, more children are…

The role of test scores used as a district monitoring device by boards of education is discussed. It is suggested that board members insist on inservice education to become knowledgeable in using test scores as curriculum feedback, to understand what is being tested, and to understand test results. Concepts to be covered include: (1) meaning of…

Based on experiences of the Toledo (Ohio) Board of Education, this paper presents considerations and recommendations for those developing a superintendent evaluation process, including questions that initially must be answered about why and how evaluation will be performed. She recommends that for the evaluation process to be effective, the…

The school board's negotiating team is all-important in the collective bargaining process, especially in light of the unity and organization of teacher association teams. Upper echelon administrative personnel, not the board members themselves, should compose the board's negotiating team. A board inexperienced in collective bargaining can hire a…

The vast majority of American Indian students are educated in public school districts controlled by locally elected school boards. If Indian parents are to influence the education of their children they must become knowledgeable in political methods of influencing local school boards. The process of Indian influence in educational decisions was…

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…

During his years on an urban school board, the author, a sociologist specializing in education, found conditions that were completely reversed from those ascribed to school boards by Norman D. Kerr and other analysts. The school board election campaigns observed by the author, unlike those studied by Kerr, were interesting and highly organized…

The school board's role in improving teacher competency involves avoiding incompetent teachers, improving competent ones, and maintaining highly competent ones. Because teacher competence is a complex social phenomenon, affected by many different variables, boards should keep in mind that actions to improve competency may not be preferred by…

The local board of education plays an important role in facilitating change at the local level. This paper examines factors supporting educational change in an urban school district by studying members of the local board of education. Data were derived from observations of board meetings, interviews with the five board of education members, and…

Findings of a study that examined the responses of local school board members in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Nebraska to the National Goals for Education (NGE) are presented in this paper. A survey mailed to 718 local school board members in July 1991 obtained 298 responses, a 42 percent response rate. The respondents assigned a higher priority to…

This paper argues that school boards give away too much in contract negotiations with teacher associations without making sure the concessions they make result in higher educational quality. Educational administrators' general lack of expertise in labor relations, the author maintains, tends to lead to low quality contracts. Reviewing 11 articles…