The book includes a board self-assessment tool, which is also available on this site. Take the Board Quiz and instantly receive your score at the end. The scoring rates your board's effectiveness in six areas, providing links to excerpts from the book in those sections.

To purchase the full text of the book, contact Jossey-Bass at: http://www.josseybass.com or call (888) 378-2537.

BOOK TOPICS

Making Rational Decisions
Decision making is the lifeblood of a school board. Boards have power and authority over a range of topics, and with this power goes the obligation to make the best decisions possible. It is no surprise that when board members are asked what makes them effective, they talk about the way they decide things, from virtually automatic appointments to potentially divisive issues.

This chapter of the book describes how school boards can access and use relevant information, discuss deliberately, consider alternative actions, and work toward consensus.

Functioning Cohesively as Group
A healthy decision-making process naturally flows from board members working together to fulfill their responsibilities. When school board members gel as a unit, they exhibit many characteristics of other well-functioning groups: a shared respect and trust that recognizes the contribution of each individual, a feeling of cohesiveness, shared goals for the board, able leadership within the board (often the board president), shared values, and agreement on the board's operating rules.

This chapter of the book describes how boards can: operate with norms, demonstrate leadership, articulate cohesiveness, act on values, show respect.

Exercising Appropriate Authority
In discussing their ability to act effectively, board members speak of the need to negotiate the delicate balance between exercising authority and supporting the school district's chief executive. Traditional governance wisdom suggests that you hire the best chief executive and then get out of his or her way. Board interviews indicate that it's not that simple. The superintendent's recommendation may be clearly contrary to the board's sense of what is important or supported by the community, or the superintendent may violate prior understanding of proposed action. In these are other situations, boards feel they must exercise independent authority.

This chapter of the book describes how boards can: act with defined roles, take initiative, overrule the superintendent, resist pressure.

Connecting to the Community
The board serves as a liaison between the district and the community. An effective board understands what the community wants and explains to the community what it believes to be in the best interest of children.

The process works both ways. The long-established tradition of local control of education is based on the value of the community shaping its schools and of the schools "belonging" to the community. This close relationship contributes to greater community participation in the education of its children and interest in how the schools operate. Even in the context of current times, which see a decline in the number of households with school-age children, fewer volunteers, and a diminishing respect for public schools, interest in education is intense.

As communities become more diverse, so do their values. Building understanding and support becomes an increasing challenge. The board's role in explaining actions to the community and ensuring consideration of all points of view becomes increasingly important.

This chapter of the book describes how boards can: structure community involvement, obtain input, explain actions, facilitate information flow, connect with the internal community.

Working Toward Board Improvement
When boards talk about effectiveness, one area they center on is self-improvement. This shouldn't be surprising. Forty percent of board members have three or fewer years of experience. They say in interviews that it takes them two years to understand their board roles well enough to be fully effective. Furthermore, it is through ad hoc, unplanned contact with other board members and the superintendent that they learn much of what they know.

This chapter of the book describes how boards can: cultivate leadership, assess competence, obtain assistance.

Acting Strategically
Board members discuss and resolve issues that are central to helping children learn. They plan systematically and for the long term, taking into consideration the needs and concerns of internal and external constituents, all the while balancing reality and politics. They match plans against results. They organize responsibilities and authority between superintendent and the board to adjust for strengths and weaknesses. Boards that can accomplish these tasks can deal effectively with crises, especially when they have no choice but to act.

This chapter of the book describes how boards can: address critical issues, plan, organize, consider context, evaluate.

Copyright © 1999 Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers