CHAPTER 9

SCHOOL BOARD EVALUATIONS

            Given the growing demands for excellence and accountability in public education, it is critical that every public school district has high expectations and thorough evaluations at every level. Teachers are evaluated by principals, principals are evaluated by school directors/administrators, administrators are evaluated by the superintendent, the superintendent is evaluated by the school board . . . and who evaluates the school board? School board members, as leaders of the school district, should set a course of action for themselves and be willing to be held accountable to those actions.

            Anne L. Bryant, National School Boards Association executive director said that, “As school board members, we have to hold ourselves accountable and in turn hold administrators and teachers accountable … The bottom line is that each of the adults in the school system must be held accountable for students’ learning.  And, ultimately, the school board is accountable.”  

            This chapter provides one specific way that school boards can practice sound leadership by evaluating where they are and where they are going before making the “map” that provides the direction. Board evaluations (both by self and others) also provide a large amount of insight about “where we need to be.”

            An effective board evaluation promotes professional and personal growth and development. Board members should feel comfortable enough with the process to honestly communicate, share concerns and receive critical feedback.

getting started

            Before initiating a board evaluation, the board should discuss all the possibilities that may emerge as a result of the evaluation. The board must be committed to holding itself accountable for its actions and not be afraid to have its weaknesses presented to the public. If properly conducted, the benefits of an evaluation lead to a more effective, efficient, and accountable board.

            If, after a complete discussion of evaluation, the board decides to undergo an evaluation (and it is strongly recommended by KSBA that this should happen) there are some good sources that boards can access to do so.  Some of those follow. Once a board chooses a process, it should be publicized and shared with the school system and the community.

SELF EVALUATIONS

            NSBA’s “Becoming a Better Board Member” lists the following steps to evaluation:

1. Recognize the need for self-evaluation.
2. Decide on the evaluation process to be used.
3. Select or develop an evaluation instrument (survey included).
4. Have board members individually respond to the instrument.
5. Tabulate and report the survey conclusions. (One good way to do this is to chart the composite responses on a graph to get a clear picture of board strengths and weaknesses.)
6. Decide how the board will improve weak areas and set new goals.

            “Becoming a Better Board Member” sees the following as essential evaluation elements and outcomes of a self-evaluation:

1. An evaluation should be constructive. It should be a tool that is both positive and helpful, assessing both the strengths and weaknesses of a board. It should provide a systematic process by which the members of a board can improve their performance.
2. Board members should develop the standards against which they will evaluate themselves. They should be involved in developing the standards that measure their relationship with the superintendent; how well they conduct board meetings; and how effectively they plan, make decisions, or set policy.  Evaluations at the end of the year should be based on what the board planned to do at the beginning of the year. 
3. Evaluation should be based on goals the board sets for itself, not on goals it sets for the entire school system. When developing an evaluation instrument, the board should recognize the difference between board goals and district goals.
4. As part of the process, the board should identify objectives and strategies for improving its performance.  Some boards include a place where evaluators can write in suggestions for improvement. These suggestions are used to set objectives and priorities.
5. The board should not limit itself to those items that appear on the evaluation form. Although an evaluation form will help start board discussion, informal comments also have value.
6. Formal evaluation should occur at least once a year and at a scheduled time and place. Many boards hold annual evaluations with a mid-year review. Once a final report is written, the process is recycled with the re-establishment of board goals for improvement and accomplishment.
7. A composite picture of board strengths and weaknesses is best. Each board member should complete an evaluation form independently. Then the board as a whole should meet to compare and discuss results.
8. The board should be evaluated as a whole, not as individuals. Although some self-evaluation instruments allow for an individual assessment of a board member’s strengths and weaknesses, these self-assessments usually are not shared with other members of the board. Evaluations that avoid personal criticism are generally more productive, since they focus on board action rather than on personalities. 
9. The board should have an orientation and in-service program for its members. Self-evaluations should not occur until all members of the board understand what is expected of them. Thus, when new members come aboard, they should be introduced to the evaluative criteria and goals the board has set for itself.  In addition, the board as a whole might need training in areas in which it functions poorly.  For example, if board members want to improve their policy-making abilities or their relationship with the superintendent, they might hire a consultant to help them do this. 

EXTERNAL EVALUATIONS            

            Ideally, a school board team would not only evaluate itself, but it would also solicit input from those it serves. Boards can solicit this input from educators in the system as well as from community members. The board may choose to contract with a person outside of the organization to conduct the evaluation. The methodology to be used by this external evaluator would include:

1.      A review of the minutes of the board meetings.

2.      A review of board policies

3.      A review of the goals and objectives of the board (or review of the long-range or strategic plan).  Both the processes that the board has used during the year and what it has accomplished should be evaluated.

4.      Individual interviews with board members.

5.      Interviews with the superintendent and other selected staff members.

6.      Interviews with community leaders and parents.

7.      Interviews with recent graduates and dropouts.

8.      Interviews with reporters who cover and report on the board meetings.

9.      A written survey. Constituents completing the survey can be purposefully chosen or randomly selected.

10.  A review of the school system operations. Although the board should not interfere in day-to-day operations, it is responsible for seeing that the district is operated properly and for the benefit of children.

RESOURCES

             “School Board Self-Evaluation:  A Comprehensive Guide” is an NSBA publication, available through its publications ordering service (800-706-6722). This self-evaluation focuses a school board on the NSBA Key Work of School Boards, which includes eight areas:  vision, standards, assessment, accountability, resource alignment, climate, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 

            NSBA can also provide local school boards an assessment system that has been developed by the South Carolina School Boards Association as a model for board assessment.  The SCSBA model encompasses assessment by individual board members, the board as a whole, educators and community members.

            KSBA offers board teams “Managing Board Team Effectiveness” training, another option for board assessment and evaluation.

Questions

v     Will the results of the board self-evaluation as well as the external evaluations be reported to the public?

Yes, either report would be a public document.

v     Would the board members have an opportunity to review the evaluation before it is released to the public?

Yes.  Copies should be forwarded to individual board members prior to discussion of the evaluation report at the board meeting.

v     Will the evaluations involve the evaluation of individual board members? 

School board members are encouraged to continually assess themselves as individual contributing members to the governance team. However, the most critical evaluation should be of the board as a whole.  It is only through actions of the board as an entire body that any action can take place. Therefore, the evaluation process should focus on this. 

v     How often should these evaluations occur?

A formal evaluation should occur annually. If the board brings in someone from outside the organization to conduct the external evaluation, this could serve as a “baseline” evaluation, and could be conducted every two or three years. Annual external evaluations other than the baseline could then be done in survey form. 

v     Will the evaluations tell us how to improve?

The evaluation provides the information needed for the board to devise a plan of improvement. The specifics of the improvement process would be up to the board. An analogy to this is when teachers create a professional development plan based on evaluation of data.                                                 

v     How can the evaluations then be used to train the board and individual members?

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