California school boards: professional development and the Masters in governance training

2013-03-05The California School Board Association’s (CSBA) Professional Governance Standards, Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal’s framework for leadership and management, and the Lighthouse Inquiry of the Iowa Association of School Boards provided the framework to understand the impact of the Masters in Governance (MIG) training provided by the CSBA on school board leadership and practice. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the MIG training affects a board’s ability to adhere to best practices for effective governance. A central component of the study was to determine what characteristics effective school boards exemplify. Only public elementary, unified, and union school districts in six counties in southern California (average daily attendance 2,000–50,000) with a demonstrated minimum 21-point growth in the Academic Performance Index (API) over a 3-year span or 800 API in the previous and who had at least one school board member who had participated in MIG training were considered. Surveys and structured interviews of school board members and superintendents, the MIG Observation Protocol, and research data regarding school district characteristics and performance assisted in triangulating the data. Findings indicated that the MIG training provides school board members with best practices for effective governance. School board members who received MIG training exhibited a greater awareness of their roles and responsibilities, increased focus on student achievement, and alignment of decision-making processes to the district’s vision and goals. This study highlights the significance of professional development for the local schoolhouse governing board and the characteristics of effective school board governance