(49 Questions to Ask Your Board)
“[In reference to nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction] In effective districts, the local board of education is aligned with and supportive of the nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction. The board ensures that these goals remain the top priorities in the district and that no other initiatives deflect attention or resources from accomplishing these goals. Although other initiatives might be undertaken, they must directly relate to these two primary goals. Indeed, publicly adopting broad five-year goals for achievement and instruction and consistently supporting these goals, both publicly and privately, are precisely the board-level actions that are most directly related to student achievement.“
― Tim Waters and Robert Marzano1
In the above report of research on effective district leadership, the Mid-Continent Research and Education Laboratory emphasized the value of boards sticking with long-term and non-negotiable achievement and instruction goals.
A long-term perspective does not come naturally for boards.
“When asked whether board priorities are more likely to remain consistent or to change annually in response to newly identified student needs, boards report that they are far more likely to adjust priorities from year to year.
― Frederick Hess and Olivia Meeks2
A major obstacle to achieving long-term goals is frequent superintendent turnover and the resulting changes in district-level leadership that Hess refers to as policy churn:
“The fact that superintendents cannot expect to be around when their policies come to fruition discourages a focus on long-term improvement and encourages an emphasis on short-term crises and projecting a reassuring image of progress.”
― Frederick Hess3
Short-term thinking is often criticized in the corporate world when quarterly earnings forecasts overshadow long-term corporate growth. This is no less a problem in education. Board behavior is too often the primary cause of board member turnover, which in turn is too often the primary cause of superintendent turnover. Only the board, with its capacity for playing a stabilizing role, can overcome such policy churn. It should stand firm in its long-term stewardship role to assure the benefits of stability.
Long-term perspective is never more important than when establishing a vision statement that will guide the school district into the future.
Scenario: When the Alta board undertook the task of creating a vision, it found one of the most effective techniques was to hold a community forum. This was sometimes a big gathering with a (“Y’all come”) invitation. At other times the district scheduled a number of smaller focus group sessions. In all cases the district advertised the event in the local media, targeting parents as well as citizens without kids in school, and traditional “no” voters. The intent was to let them see how open the district was, and that their opinion was valued. District staff planned an informative agenda. Toward the end of each event participants were asked to engage in a small group discussion, focused on skills a student will need to be successful (however they define success). These events increased taxpayer confidence in the school system and also provided valuable information about programs schools needed to offer to serve the broader community.
The effective board adopts long-term multi-year goals related to student learning. The board is knowledgeable about and supportive of the community’s long-term desires for student learning. It maintains an extended time perspective, making only minor adjustments to established enduring goals. It avoids the disruptive cycle of changing district priorities, which can occur if it engages in such practices as setting annual goals for the district, particularly if those annual goals overwhelm more important long-term goals. Even when superintendent turnover occurs, rather than setting new goals the effective board refines and reinforces its highest-level goals over time, always keeping a long-term perspective.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in these blog entries are informed by references cited herein, and the experiences of the author. Your comments are welcome additions to the conversation.
ALSO: Please feel free to register in order to receive future posts like this one as soon as they are published.
Excerpt from:
- A Framework for School Governance (2018), Rick Maloney
Additional References:
- 1District Leadership That Works (2009), Robert Marzano and Tim Waters
- 2School Boards Circa 2010: Governance in the Accountability Era (2010), Frederick Hess
- 3Spinning Wheels: The Politics of Urban School Reform (1999), Frederick Hess
Next: Question #18 – Does Your Board Give Voice to Community Values?