What School Boards Can Do

by McAdams, Donald R.; Paige, Rod

• ISBN13: 9780807746486
• ISBN10: 0807746487
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-05-01
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

To provide essential guidance to urban school board members committed to high achievement for all children, Don McAdams presents a comprehensive approach to board leadership he calls reform governance. This accessible framework brings together all the work of an urban school board, including everything from big ideas about core beliefs and theories of action for change to the fundamental relationships and processes through which boards and superintendents work together and the leadership role boards have in building community support for sustained change. Taking into account the hot political arena of urban education, reform governance: Helps school board members understand why it is necessary to redesign urban districts and what their role in the process should be, Sets forth principles that boards can use as guides to action, and gives real-life examples of how they work, Shows how a strong board and superintendent team can work together to be agents for change. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Donald R. McAdams is president of the Center for Reform of School Systems

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Rod Paige
Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction	1	(4)
Why Boards Must Lead	5	(8)
School Districts	5	(2)
Superintendent Leadership	7	(1)
Direct and Indirect Democratic Control	8	(1)
School Boards and Superintendents	9	(4)
Reform Governance: An Overview	13	(9)
Core Beliefs and Commitments	14	(1)
Theories of Action for Change	15	(1)
Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships	16	(1)
Building Blocks of Reform Governance	17	(1)
Policy Development and Oversight	18	(1)
Policies to Transform Urban Districts	19	(1)
Building Civic Capacity	19	(1)
Transition Planning	20	(1)
The Reform Governance Framework	21	(1)
Core Beliefs and Commitments	22	(11)
The Big Question	22	(1)
Core Beliefs and Commitments	23	(7)
Standards and Assessments	30	(1)
The Hope for America	31	(2)
Theories of Action for Change	33	(31)
Theory of Action for Change	33	(3)
Comprehensive Theories of Action for Incremental Improvements	36	(3)
Comprehensive Theories of Action to Transform Urban Districts	39	(18)
Accountability, Empowerment, and Capacity	57	(1)
Choosing a Theory of Action	58	(6)
Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships	64	(20)
The Governance Challenge	64	(2)
Relationship Spheres	66	(8)
Constituent Service Versus Micromanagement	74	(4)
Management Oversight	78	(3)
Follow or Lead?	81	(3)
Building Blocks of Reform Governance	84	(15)
Board Meetings	84	(6)
Judicial Hearings	90	(1)
Board Workshops	90	(2)
Board Committees	92	(3)
Administrative Support	95	(2)
Conclusion	97	(2)
Policy Development and Oversight	99	(13)
Policy Context	99	(2)
Routine Operating Policies	101	(2)
Reform Policies	103	(1)
Policy Development Methods	103	(4)
Policy Development Principles	107	(3)
Policy Oversight	110	(2)
Policies to Transform Urban Districts	112	(21)
Policy Framework for Performance/Empowerment	114	(8)
Policy Framework for Managed Instruction	122	(5)
Policy Framework for Managed Performance/Empowerment	127	(2)
Policy Framework for Charter Districts	129	(1)
Reform Governance Policy Leadership	130	(3)
Building Civic Capacity and Transition Planning	133	(12)
Building Civic Capacity	134	(6)
Transition Planning	140	(5)
Board Leadership	145	(6)
Notes	151	(2)
References	153	(8)
Additional Readings	161	(4)
Index	165	(9)
About the Author	174