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Illinois School Board Journal - ARCHIVES
January-February, 2006
ASK THE STAFF:
Boards can take lead on achievement goals
IASB's Targeting Achievement through Governance consultants provide the answer for this issue's question.
Question: How can school boards provide leadership for student achievement without getting into staff work?
Answer: Boards of education can and should provide leadership for student achievement in a way that no other person or group within the system of public schools can. They do this best when they focus on being clear about what they expect; encouraging and engaging community input to develop expectations; articulating those expectations in board policy; and then monitoring the district's progress toward meeting those expectations.
The board must constantly define and redefine the mission/vision/goals of the district, and then clearly articulate those in district policy. This ongoing process involves board-led conversations with key stakeholders around such topics such as assessment, parental involvement, student welfare services, instruction goals and/or alternative education. Through these conversations, the board is able to learn community expectations, gather key data and information, and assess its current policy to make sure that it supports and reflects the district's aspirations for student learning.
Once board policy is adopted or reaffirmed, the board is in a position to delegate authority to the staff to pursue its student achievement and learning goals. Meanwhile, the board continues its leadership role by working to create a culture of continuous improvement and providing the necessary resources that will allow the staff to do its work.
Additionally, the board takes the lead for student achievement by putting into place processes for constantly monitoring progress toward its goals. The purpose of these monitoring processes are not only to keep the board - and subsequently, the community - informed, but also to allow for course corrections and modifications, as well as resource re-allocations, etc. as needed. Monitoring becomes a tool for learning and improving.
When boards focus on their student learning expectations, provide clear direction through policy, promote continuous district improvement by monitoring to learn, and ensure that there is alignment of policy, procedures and practices, they fulfill their trustee responsibility to the district. Rather than interfering with the work of the staff, this focus on expectations and policies puts boards in a unique position to provide leadership and support for student learning.