This study explored how the educational governance team, composed of the superintendent and school board, can, in their collaborative efforts and decision-making processes, influence school district climate and impact student achievement. Though in form and function, school boards have not changed much in their almost 200 years of existence,…

Increased scrutiny on the place of music education in school systems has caused some school systems to eliminate their music program entirely. School systems are being forced to place more emphasis on increased testing and accountability with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This study examined the impact music education has on academic…

One important element of school district reform involves quality district leadership. Researchers have shown that effective school leadership requires numerous responsibilities including knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment (Marzano, Waters & McNulty, 2005). Principals typically have difficulty being strong leaders in this…

Due to the increasing accountability associated with the No Child Left Behind legislation and the new board governance policy of the fifth cycle of the Missouri School Improvement Program, the issue of school board accountability has emerged as an important topic. At this point, the issue of school reform has reached the school board level. In…

Public school constituencies continue to face a teacher shortage as the number of teachers leaving the profession outnumbers the number of teachers entering or remaining. There are many factors that contributed to the teacher retention problem including teacher attrition. In a southwestern U.S. state, local policymakers and school board members…

This study compares the succession of urban principals working under negotiated collective bargaining agreements and conferred "memorandums of understanding" with particular school boards in three of Ohio's major cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Toledo. Relying on the following information: tenure, licensure status, professional…

The purpose of this study was to identify successful tribally controlled schools and to determine the factors that contributed to their success. It also examined how stakeholders defined success. Two schools were studied. A review of literature on Indian education was conducted to determine the factors that are associated with improving Indian…

In the era of school accountability, school boards are under scrutiny for their effectiveness in improving student achievement. It has become more than obvious that school boards play an important role in the effectiveness, ineffectiveness, successes and failures of school districts. However, to what degree of importance was the premise for this…

The grade-span configuration of a school district determines the number of school-to-school transitions students experience; a review of the literature concludes that these factors may have an impact on students' sense of belonging, the continuity of curriculum and instruction, and student academic achievement. This study derived input from…

Effective leadership is important at all levels of a school system. This study will focus on the school district superintendent. While the impact of this leadership position on student achievement has been cited in several studies, research on the preparation of individuals for the superintendency is minimal. The media reports shortages in the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there are any differences in what school board members look for in the areas of personal characteristics and professional skills when hiring a superintendent. A sample population of school board members who were serving at a school that had an opening for a superintendent during the…

During the past several decades the demand for school accountability has increased, with much of the attention and pressure on school leaders, particularly the public school superintendent. Since the 1950's, there has been a marked decline in the average longevity of superintendents in a district which changed from an average of 20-plus years to…

The research base on the relationships among superintendents, school board members and student achievement results is strikingly small. Most research on student achievement has focused at the student-, teacher- and school-levels. This study focused at the district level, and specifically at the effects of school boards and superintendents. The…

The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between selected Texas public school superintendents and school boards to determine the communication factors that help to make for stronger relationships. This study attempted to describe the relationship between the superintendent and school board in terms of effective communication…

Having a united board behind a superintendent can facilitate noteworthy change within a district. In contrast, having a split board of trustees that habitually votes a divided count on every significant issue can stall progress and programs, ultimately bringing down student achievement and success. The purpose of this research was to examine how…