Fundamentals of Effective School Board Governance

1. Fundamentals of EffectiveSchool Board Governance ASBA Fall General Meeting November 23, 2010

2. What is it all about? Much is being debated by Alberta Education and various education stakeholders which is to be informed and supported by governance principles. In order to govern effectively, school boards would benefit from a shared understanding of what is meant by governance … and how does one define ‘effective governance.’

3. ASBA Governance Task Force The ASBA Board of Directors established the ASBA Governance Task Force and asked that a review of ‘governance’ be completed in an attempt to provide a generic, broad description of the basics. We were asked to identify the fundamentals of effective school board governance.

4. Participants ASBA Board Members Serafino Scarpino (Director - Calgary Catholic)– Chair Anne-Marie Boucher (Director - Zone 5) Karen Kryczka (Director - Calgary Public) Zone Representatives Ralph Wohlgemuth (Zone 1) Jeff Thompson (Zone 23) Cheryl Smith (Zone 4) Don Zech (Zone 6)

5. Terms of Reference With a view of identifying the fundamental or essential elements of effective school board governance, research and review various models of governance to: • identify common components essential to any effective governance model • consider any unique or varying components which would promote effectiveness and efficiencies in school board governance

6. Result Based on the research and discussions of the ASBA Governance Task Force, it appeared as though there are a number of ‘fundamentals’ or most commonly accepted pillars of effective school board governance

7. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten • Play fair. • Don’t hit people. • Put things back where you found them. • Don’t take things that aren’t yours. • Say sorry when you hurt somebody. • When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. ~Robert Fulgham

8. Greatness is Largely a Matter of Conscious Choice.

9. What is good governance? To ‘govern’ is to decide. “Good governance” refers to the practice of making decisions based on the collective knowledge and skill of board members and their capacity or willingness to:

10. What is good governance? (continued) • work together with a tolerance for dissent in the public’s interest • balance the responsibility of constituency representations with the best interests of the whole organization

11. What is good governance? (continued) Good governance provides a framework and a process for the allocation of decision-making powers. Governance structures are founded in the organization’s mission and vision.

12. “Thinking is the most important act of leadership in the change oriented environment. Intellectual leadership denotes that you think through problems and conceive alternative futures.” P. Schlechty: Schools for the Twenty-First Century

13. What is good governance? (continued) Effective governance speaks to the framing of problems. Governing is essentially a set of activities that identifies needs and establishes a supporting environment for decisions.

15. The Key Work of School Boards A school board is elected to govern the local education system; no other group in society has this mandate or responsibility. The Board is responsible for ensuring that children and youth receive an appropriate education. Student achievement in all its aspects is the key work of school systems.

17. Roles & Responsibilities 5 essential roles in every effective organization: the owners, the board, the CEO, the staff, and the customers. Translated for our context: Owners = Public (all citizens of Alberta) Board = Board of Trustees CEO = Superintendent Staff = Staff Customers = Students, parents, communities, public

18. The Secret Formula For Organizational Effectiveness

19. Role of School Boards The fundamental role of school boards can be discussed in the context of 5 key components: • Vision • Structure • Accountability • Advocacy • Conduct & Ethics

20. Actions of School Boards The role of school boards then lead to a number of common actions, including: • ensuring the delivery of education programs • ensuring student achievement and well being • providing safe and caring school environments • establishing policies and procedures • recruiting and monitoring the performance of the Superintendent

21. Actions of School Boards (continued) • ensuring fiscal accountability • determining strategic priorities • monitoring and evaluating outcomes • engaging the public • engaging in political advocacy

23. Leadership At its root, school board trusteeship is defined by leadership. Leadership gives an organization its vision and its ability to translate that vision into action. Leadership is about the will to govern.

24. Transforming the Board’s Will into Reality Will Clarity of Roles Accountability Authenticity Strong Governance Role Reality

25. Power Tools Accomplish the Board’s Will • Policy • Strategic Planning • CEO Evaluation • Board Self-Evaluation • Accountability Reports

26. Governance as Leadership Three Modes of Governance • Fiduciary • Strategic • Generative 3modes are better than 2 or 1!

27. Fiduciary Mode Duties of loyalty and core attention to: • the duty of loyalty owed to the corporate board • the requirement for each trustee to support a board’s decision regardless of dissenting views • the requirement for each trustee to act in the best interests of the board • the implied application of common law

28. Strategic Mode Focus on strategic priorities: • the processes by which boards plan and make major decisions with respect to resources, programs and services

29. Generative Mode Board and Administration collaborate to: • frame problematic situations • make sense of experiences • engage the collective mind

30. Balance is the key Effective governance calls for a purposeful, coordinated and intentional balance between fiduciary, strategic and generative modes of governance.

31. Fundamentals of Governance So what is the result of all the research? How does all this funnel down to the fundamentals of effective school board governance?

33. Duty 1: Establish and promote ownership of the district’s vision and values • a vision for student achievement shared by the school board, superintendent, staff, and community • create a positive learning environment or climate for improving student achievement

34. Duty 2: Articulate expected district results and monitor progress • engage in strategic planning • set clear learning standards for student achievement • plan for board development • establish a strong accountability process for the district

35. Duty 3: Create conditions for achieving the district’s vision, values, and expected results through effective use of board authority • advocate to enhance student and jurisdictional success • recruit and monitor performance of the Superintendent • approve and promote policies • govern the use of public funds for education • engage the community in its schools • sustain an effective board-executive relationship • negotiate and approve union contracts • allocate and align resources to ensure that students meet standards

36. Duty 3: Create conditions for achieving the district’s vision, values, and expected results through effective use of board authority (continued) • monitor and evaluate - establish an assessment system that periodically measures individual student progress toward standards (informs boards on what may be needed in order to ensure that system goals will be met) • promote systematic and continuous improvement for student achievement (to be evidence based and to include self-assessment) • grow and develop the organization, its leadership and its staff

37. Duty 4: Ensure a community-wide climate of commitment, respect, and trust • build and maintain collaborative relationships: • between the board, the superintendent and the leadership team • with the community, including key political and business leaders, to develop support for student achievement as a top community priority

38. Duty 4: Ensure a community-wide climate of commitment, respect, and trust (continued) • model responsible governance and leadership through: • establishing board and trustee standards of conduct • developing positive board/staff/community relations • ensuring a culture of cooperation and trust • promoting ethical practices

39. Conclusion It is recognized that this collation of resources represents a general framework from which each school board must find its own identity. The framework provides flexibility for a board to determine processes and structures which best serve its community and their unique needs.