Discusses the contrast between the clear legal mandate for State boards of education to determine education for the State on the one hand, and their peculiarly ill-defined and tenuous role in the State policy system on the other. (JF)

Reviews responsibilities and structure of local boards of education; notes deficits. Improvements suggested: additional qualifications for board members; changing to an active, creative, thoughtful board; more attention to curricular policies; board committees with greater emphasis on the curricular; appropriate school officials seated with boards…

Provides a review of the literature published in the past two decades on the role and effectiveness of local school boards, specifically with respect to school boards' influence on students' academic achievement. Identifies characteristics of effective school boards. (SLD)

Analyzes the organization of a local school board. Describes the following positions: (1) president; (2) vice president; (3) clerk; (4) treasurer; (5) internal claims auditor; (6) attorney; (7) negotiator; (8) architect/engineer; (9) physician; (10) supervising dentist; (11) independent auditor; (12) tax collector; and (13) purchasing agent. (FMW)

Three hypothetical scenarios to help school board members analyze the process used when ethical issues are unclear. Lists five steps that lead to ethical decisions. (MLF)

New school board members need orientation and training as an ongoing process to function effectively as team members. Offers general principles and specific suggestions. Includes 10 guidelines for board behavior and demographic data about board members. (MLF)

Virginia--the only state in the nation to bar school board elections--recently cleared the way for elected boards. Recounts the history of school boards in the state. A map illustrates the 19 states that allow both elected and appointed school boards, according to local option. (MLF)

To influence school boards, staff developers must remember their rules, which include: demonstrate through ideals and actions that students come first; spend taxpayer money in thrifty, creative ways; explain things in simple, incisive ways; be independent-minded in accepting or rejecting advice; find early indications of success for money spent;…

New board members can jeopardize their abilities to get things done if they don't take the time to understand how school boards work. Advises new board members to watch what they say and lists 10 statements new board members often make but should not. (MLF)

Asserts that knowing how children develop is essential to understanding their behavior. Describes role of schools and school boards in addressing student behavior problems related to child development. (PKP)

Online learning and our current system of local education governance are at odds with one another, to say the least. In this paper, John Chubb examines how local school district control retards the widespread use of instructional technologies. He argues that the surest way to break down the system's inherent resistance to technology is to shift…

The 2006 Performance Standards Review Commission (PSRC) was appointed by the Board of Education "to assess the effectiveness of the performance standards and to review the implementation of the performance standards by the Board and the schools to determine whether the standards should be modified" (Section 302A-201, Hawaii Revised…

This qualitative research study, in the format of an historical narrative, chronicles the issues, process of consensus, and the impact of the National History Standards Project (NHSP) on local policies and curricula in history education. The "culture wars" for the "National Standards for History" of 1994-1996 and quest for a…

Many college and university trustees say money matters are the biggest challenge their boards face. This article discusses the results of "The Chronicle's" survey of the fiscal condition of public and private colleges. According to the survey, board members of four-year institutions are grappling with how to pay for new buildings and how to repair…