Connections: School Board Governance, Student Performance, and District Vision

Connections:  School Board Governance, Student Performance, and District Vision

The framework of school board governance provides a strong relationship between district vision/purpose and student performance.  In a school district that functions within this model, the school board is required to set goals for the district.  In a high-functioning school district, the board would determine these goals through a direct link with the community.  After determining the values of the community towards the education of its students, the board would develop goals that reflect these values.  Most likely, one of the goals that will be set will involve increased learning for the students.  This goal will now filter through the layers of accountability within the school district, starting with the superintendent, flowing next to the school building principals, and then being a required goal for the teachers of the students.

After going to training on SLO’s this past week, I can see how having clear district level goals that tie to student achievement could be very helpful to everyone involved.  If the school board has made it clear that increased student achievement is expected, the principals can use that goal as a guide in establishing a building-level SLO.  It may also be possible for the teaching staff to do the same – using the building-level SLO as a guide in establishing their individual professional SLO’s.

Several of the principals that attended the SLO training were discussing the need to require their teachers to set an SLO that addressed reading or literacy.  Again, this becomes much easier to require if the school board has set a goal that supports that requirement.