Board Governance: A Key to Quality Organizations
© 2006 AdvancED
Board Governance
• Research-based Standards• Good Practices• The Challenges• The Link to Student
Achievement
© 2006 AdvancED
AdvancED Accreditation Standards for Quality
Schools/Systems1. Vision and Purpose2. Governance and Leadership3. Teaching and Learning4. Documenting and Using
Results5. Resources and Support
Systems6. Stakeholder Communications
and Relationships7. Commitment to Continuous
Improvement
© 2006 AdvancED
AdvancED Accreditation Standards for Quality Schools
Commitmentto ContinuousImprovement
Documenting &Documenting &Using ResultsUsing Results
Vision & Purpose
Governance& Leadership
Teaching & Learning
Resources &SupportSystems
StakeholderCommunications
andRelationships
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
© 2006 AdvancED
Governance and LeadershipGovernance and LeadershipThe system provides governance and leadership that
promote student performance and school effectiveness.
In fulfillment of this standard, the system operates under the jurisdiction of a governing board that:
• Establishes and communicates policies and procedures that provide for the effective operation of the system
• Recognizes and preserves the executive, administrative, and leadership authority of the administrative head of the system
• Ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws, standards, and regulations
• Implements policies and procedures that provide for the orientation and training of the governing board
• Builds public support, secures sufficient resources, and acts as a steward of the system’s resources
• Maintains access to legal counsel to advise or obtain information about legal requirements and obligations
• Maintains adequate insurance or equivalent resources to protect its financial stability and administrative operations
© 2006 AdvancED
Governance and LeadershipGovernance and LeadershipThe system provides governance and leadership that
promote student performance and school effectiveness.
In fulfillment of this standard, the system has leadership that:
• Provides for systematic analysis and review of student performance and school and system effectiveness
• Creates and supports collaborative networks of stakeholders to support system programs
• Provides direction, assistance, and resources to align, support, and enhance all parts of the system in meeting organizational and student performance goals
• Provides internal and external stakeholders meaningful roles in the decision-making process that promote a culture of participation, responsibility, and ownership
• Assesses and addresses community expectations and stakeholder satisfaction
• Implements an evaluation system that provides for the professional growth of all personnel
© 2006 AdvancED
Effective Practices for Effective Boards
General Duties• Oversees the business and affairs of the school/system; • Establishes financial policies, provides ongoing financial oversight, and ensures
financial stability; • Ensures that there are written procedures for the termination and/or suspension of any
student and that professional ethics are strictly observed should such procedures need to be activated;
• Establishes policies to ensure no conflict of interest between business, professional or parental roles and duties to the school;
• Assures that guidelines for student conduct, attendance, and dress are written and communicated to all students, parents, and staff members;
• Ensures that personnel policies are in place and provide for the ethical treatment of all staff with respect to hiring practices, compensation, evaluation, and working conditions
• Supports and models inclusive decision making methods; • Maintains adequate risk management policies for the protection of the school, including
governance policies in the event of an emergency; • Hires and oversees the administrative head of the school; and • Implements a remuneration plan for all members of the staff that recognizes the
administrative head as the highest paid employee.
© 2006 AdvancED
Effective Practices for Effective Boards
Financial Oversight As referenced on the previous slide, the board plays a critical role in financial
oversight. The following practices provide more detail on this role. The governing board:
• Assures that the accounts are kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are audited annually by an independent, licensed accountant;
• Assures that debt service or lines of credit are managed in such ways as to ensure that fiscal responsibility remains under the control of the governing authority;
• Maintains adequate insurance or equivalent resources to protect its financial stability and administrative operations from protracted proceedings and claims for damage
• Maintains a policy for funds in reserve; • Ensures the financial stability of the school system, and assures that the school
system is not in, nor in prospect of moving into, financial reorganization under the protection of bankruptcy; and
• Maintains policies for fund raising and adheres to accepted standards for reporting and recognizing gift revenues and fund raising expenditures.
© 2006 AdvancED
Effective Practices for Effective Boards
Role of Governing Board and Administrative Head Indicator 2.2 Recognizes and preserves the executive, administrative, and leadership
prerogatives of the administrative head of the school In support of this indicator, the governing board engages in the following practices:
• Maintains and adheres to clearly defined roles and responsibilities for board members and the administrative head of the school;
• Provides and implements orientation and evaluation procedures for board members and the administrative head;
• Maintains a strategic and policy-level focus; • Enables the administrative head to focus on the day-to-day operations of the
school; • Preserves the administrative head’s ability to hire and evaluate personnel in
accordance with established policies and procedures; • Assures that the administrative head of the school allocates and aligns the human
instructional, financial, and physical resources in support of the vision and purpose of the school; and
• Provides for stability in transitions of leadership.
© 2006 AdvancED
The Challenges• Motivation to be a board member
Is it a political office or service to community? Is it a job or volunteer? Am I serving to support my personal agenda or wanting to
make a contribution?• Identifying and electing the right people to serve
Educating the community on the characteristics of a good board member
Helping communities encourage the right people to serve• Training and support for board members
Understanding the role and its responsibilities Helping people make an informed decision about serving on a
board• Maintaining quality control
How can a school system implement internal controls to support effective board governance?
What reasonable and practical procedures can be enacted to address problems?
© 2006 AdvancED
Link to Student Achievement
• Thinking Differently: Recommendations for 21st Century School Board/Superintendent Leadership, Governance, and Teamwork for High Student AchievementBy Richard H. Goodman and William G. Zimmerman, Jr.
• Coherent governance: a board-superintendent relationship based on defined goals can raise achievement. By Randy Quinn
• School Boards at the Dawn of the 21st Century: Conditions and Challenges of District Governance. By Frederick M. Hess
• Pontiac School Board Must Do Better, Study Finds. By Chartwell Education Group
© 2006 AdvancED
Other Resources
Additional practices and resources with regard to effective board practices and school management are:
• National School Board Association’s website at www.nsba.org, which has published The Key Work of School Boards, which outlines eight key action areas to guide school boards in their efforts to improve student achievement.
• Georgia School Boards Association e-Board Solutions, www.gsba.org, which provides Boards electronic tools and resources to plan and conduct effective Board meetings. Resources include links to legislation, model policies, and peer sharing.
• The National Association of Independent Schools at www.nais.org offers Principles of Good Practice, which defines standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations for independent schools.