Does school BoarD leaDership Matter? - what do school board members do

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• (1) how do school boards work
• (2) texas school board members responsibilities
• (3) purpose of school board member
• (4) school board duties and responsibilities

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by Arnold F. Shober and Michael T. Hartney
Foreword by Dara Zeehandelaar and Amber M. Northern
March 2014
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute is the nation's leader in advancing
educational excellence for every child through quality research, analysis,
and commentary, as well as on-the-ground action and advocacy in Ohio. It
is affiliated with the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and this publication
is a joint project of the Foundation and the Institute. For further
information, please visit our website at www.edexcellence.net or write to
the Institute at 1016 16th St. NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036. The
Institute is neither connected with nor sponsored by Fordham University.
Contents
Foreword and Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
I. What Do We Know about School Board Leadership?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1
II. Data and Methods.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3
III. Analysis and Findings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5
Question 1: Do school board members have the capacity to govern effectively?.. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5
Question 2: Do districts with higher-capacity board members "beat the odds" and excel
academically, despite district characteristics?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0
Question 3: What characteristics of board members are associated with greater capacity?. . . . . 2 1
Question 4: Is a district's method of selecting board members associated with its ability to
beat the odds?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3
IV. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4
Appendix: Technical Matters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6
Data sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6
Academic return on investment and "beating the odds". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6
Supporting tables.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8
Endnotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8


What makes a good school board member? What makes a good school board member is an individual who is willing to take advantage of opportunities for growth and development (through board training, encouraging relationships, or utilizing new technology) that support accomplishing district goals toward student success. School board members recognize that it is through the work of the ...

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