MSBA School Board Survey Results

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Agenda• Objective of the Study• Overview of Methodology• Reasons for running for school board• Training• Challenges and Opportunities• Performance Perceptions• Superintendent Evaluation Processes• Recap and Q&A

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Objective of the StudyFaculty from Minnesota State University, Mankato, working in cooperation with Minnesota School Board Association leadership, conducted a research study focused on identifying the characteristics and the work of public school board members in Minnesota.

Overall Objective: • Gain insight into how school board

members view their role, responsibilities and work as a school board member and compare views to defined roles and responsibilities.

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Methodology

Conduct Focus Groups with Current MN School Board MembersSeptember 2012

Field quantitative survey (n=390) to current MN School Board MembersOctober 2012

Data Analysis and Report out FindingsDecember 2012/January 2013

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Board members are running for school board to provide a public service and stand up for students

For compensation

Political aspirations

High profile/controversial issue occurred

To fix a specific issue in the district

Other

To stand up for school staff

Family/friends thought I’d be good at it

To stand up for students

To provide a public service

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

0%

3%

8%

13%

16%

26%

42%

65%

85%

Why Did You Run For School BoardAlmost ½ report being influenced

by friends and family to join

the school board

While 2/3 of members report

joining the school board to

stand up for students, ¼

report joining to stand up for school staff

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TRAINING 6

85% feel new board members need mandatory training, but only half feel yearly training for all board members should be mandatory

• Only 8% of members feel training is not needed

• However, members are divided on whether training should be mandatory for all members

Participation in training should be encouraged but

not mandated

Yearly MSBA training should be mandatory

MSBA training should be mandatory for all new school board members

40%

30%

10%

51%

50%

85%

Agree Disagree

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While only ½ feel annual training should be mandatory, 9 out of 10 board members feel MSBA training was effective

The training I received from MSBA helped me understand the duties and

roles of a school board member

The training I received from MSBA helped me become a better board

member

5% 5%

89% 88%

DisagreeAgree

Thought starter: If training was effective why don’t more feel it should be mandatory every year?

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Opportunity exists to have school board members work with an assigned mentor

Attending a National School Boards Association (NSBA) con-

ference

Having an assigned mentor for school board members

Attending training developed and hosted by your school dis-

trict

Attending a Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA)

sponsored training

9%

5%

50%

60%

15%

21%

58%

65%

Importance of Training Participation

Almost ¼ feel it is important to have

an assigned mentor, but only 1 in 20 members currently work

with an assigned mentor

Thought starter: Members feel these trainings are important to being effective members, but participation in all training is low to modest at best… Why the discrepancy?

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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 10

Driving student achievement and dealing with government are the top 2 challenges board members face

• While student achievement is top challenge, less than ¼ of board members report being presented with student achievement data monthly• Over 1/3 are

presented with data every 6 to 12 months

Dealing w/ Government Laws

Managing controversial issues

Setting school district budget

Developing long term vision

Driving Student Achievement

Chal

leng

ing

Every Month Every 2-3 Months

Every 6-12 Months

Never0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

23%

49%

28%

1%

Frequency Members are Presented with Student

Achievement Data

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Members feel setting a school district budget is the most important role of the school board they are currently a member of

Answer Options Importance Rank Time Spent Rank

Setting a school district budget 1 1Driving student achievement 2 2

Communicating with the community 3 4

Maintaining a good school board /superintendent relationship 4 5

Adopting school district policy 5 3Evaluating the superintendent 6 8

Defining roles and responsibilities of the school board 7 6

Rewarding good teachers 8 7Addressing student discipline 9 9

• While driving student achievement is the most challenging aspect, according to board members it is not as important as setting a budget

• After setting budget and driving student achievement, boards spend the most time on adopting policy• Despite the fact that it communicating with the community and maintain

relationship with superintendent are seen as more important tasks

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Districts are made up of increasingly more diverse student populations racially, culturally, and demographically

On Free

and Red

uced Lu

nch

Hispan

ic/La

tino

Identified

as an

Engli

sh La

nguag

e Lea

rner

19%

88%77%

58%

12%11%20%

1%1%

3% 11%

75 to 100%50 to <75%25 to <50%<25%

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School Boards Members demographics do not reflect school demographics

Unemployed

Homemaker

Employed part-time

Retired

Employed full-time

2%

7%

12%

14%

65%

Employment Status

<50k 50 to <75k 75k to <100k 100k to <150k

150k +

8%

20%

30%

25%

16%

HH Income

Caucasian Non-Caucasian

98%

2%

Ethnicity

High school graduate

Some Collage/2 year degree

4-year college graduate

Graduate school degree

3%

23%

43%

30%

Education

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Members should be aware of racial diversity issues and consider discussing more frequently at meetings

Student achievement

Programs to support struggling learners

Performance goals

Economic/ free and reduced

Programs to support high achieving students

Racial diversity

94%

87%

84%

77%

59%

37%

Topics discussed at board meeting gin the past 6 months…

Thought starter: What practices currently in place by your board create bias towards non- Caucasian students or students of poverty? 15

PERFORMANCE PERCEPTIONS 16

Many school board members overestimate the performance of their district

• Only 16% of school board members feel their district is performing below average

16%

30%53%

1%

Overall Academic Performance of District

Below the state average

At the state av-erage

Above the state average

Not sure

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• Over ½ feel there school board is very effective

SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION PROCESS

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8 out of 10 members report having a process to evaluate the Superintendent

• Performance based on board defined goals are the most common metrics included in the evaluation process• Statistics like test results and graduation rate are used infrequently

Performance based on board de-fined goals

Standardized Test Results Graduation Rate

86%

15%9%

Metrics included in Superintendent's Evaluation Process

Thought starter: Providing maintaining a good relationship with the superintendent was the 4th most important role of a school board, how does the evaluation process impact this relationship?

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Recommendations and Take Aways…..

To be filled in…

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Contact Information

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