Any athlete knows the model works. Coaches take stock of players’ abilities and work to improve them on an ongoing basis. Practice, assess, tweak, improve, practice, assess, tweak, improve. Peak performance isn’t left to chance. Yet few boards conduct a self-assessment of their effectiveness in providing governance and leadership that promote student performance and system effectiveness. Even fewer conduct an external assessment of stakeholders’ opinion of the board’s performance.
While not universally applied, board self-assessment is both a best practice and first step. A recent study showed boards that conducted a self-assessment within the past three years reported higher performing boards, better board orientation, and greater board cooperation, all of which impact student achievement in a positive way.
Structured self-reflection provides a unique and essential opportunity for board members to “judge” their collective performance, understand the extent of their individual responsibilities and take action to improve performance.
Continuous improvement plays a vital role in a school system’s accreditation process. School boards set the example for district staff by committing time and energy into evaluating their work as a collective body and in setting goals for improvement. Additionally, a board self-evaluation can help the board gauge the degree to which the board is successful in their role to provide
- clear vision and purpose,
- effective and responsive leadership,
- a rigorous curriculum,
- the collection, reporting, and use of performance results,
- adequate resources and support for educational programs, and
- valuing and communicating with stakeholders.
FSBA now offers a Board Self-Evaluation package to assist you in this important task.
Contact Tina Pinkoson at Pinkoson@fsba.org for more information.
