whose job is it? part two © iowa association of school boards at the board table discussion tool

Whose Job Is It?Part Two

© Iowa Association of School Boards

At the Board Table Discussion Tool

Team IASBHarry Heiligenthal

Leadership Services Directoremail [email protected] (515) 247-7062

Mary Jane VensBoard Development Directoremail [email protected] (515) 247-7023

1-800-795-4272 www.ia-sb.org

Overview

A consideration of the board’s role in three parts:1. Discussion of a scenario and a consideration of

what “areas of work” might need to be done.2. Consideration of some sample “specific tasks”

and determination of what role the whole board, the superintendent or others would play in the situation.

3. A brief statement of the board’s role in school improvement.

Please consider all three parts in order given.

1. Scenario

Directions

As the board reads the following brief scenario you should ask yourselves:1. What areas of work might

emerge as needing to be done in this situation?

2. What actions might need to be taken to “lead the district forward.”

See handout p. 3

Scenario

The Dreamfield School Board has been hearing a lot about the need to make sure students graduate “college and career” ready. They also learned that staff leadership recently identified literacy as an area of student need after studying district assessment data results.

See handout p. 3

Scenario, continued

The board then read a portion of the Iowa Core that describes the literacy skills of “students who are college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking and listening and language.”

Scenario, continued

After much discussion, the board decided to make improved literacy a district-wide student learning goal for the next two-to-five years in Dreamfield: “All students will be college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking, listening and language.”

Scenario, continued

Now they are asking themselves: What actions or areas of work might we look for that would indicate something is being done in working toward this goal?

Why?

IASB Thoughts On Possible Actions

2. Whose Job Is It?

Whose Job Is It?Please discuss “Whose job is it?” in relation to the following task. Then click on “IASB Thoughts on Responsibilities” to review IASB’s thinking regarding best practice in this area.

Discuss what “College and Career Ready” really involves, and what does that have to do with fourth graders?

IASB Thoughts on Responsibilities


Identify what data will need to be studied to narrow the goal within the literacy content areas and determine where Dreamfield is in relation to the focused goal.



Study options and select the initiative or actions the staff will implement to improve instruction that will result in increased student learning in the focused literacy goal area.



Identify the amount of professional development time the staff will need to learn skills or strategies to implement the initiative or actions and compare that need to the existing professional development time allocated in the school calendar.



Develop talking points to share with the community about the importance of additional staff development time (early dismissals, etc.) to help teachers strengthen instruction to ensure students graduate “college and career ready.”


3. The Board’s Role

DirectionsBefore you continue, consider and discuss the following questions as a group:1. In general, how would you describe

the school board’s roles in relation to improving student learning?

2. Describe, in general terms, what your board team sees as the board’s various roles to ensuring all children learn at high levels.

3. How can the board team make a significant difference in student learning by demonstrating active leadership while operating at the governance level?

IASB’s Key Roles of the Boardfor Improving Student Learning

The Iowa Lighthouse Research studies identify five main leadership roles of the board in improving student learning, along with some sample actions of the board within those roles.

Click on each role on the next slide to see more information.

See handout p. 5-6

The Board’s RoleIASB Lighthouse Research

Set Clear Expectations

Hold the System Accountable for Progress

Create Conditions for Success

Build the Collective Will

Learn Together as a Board Team

Click each box to see

an explanation of the role

Vision & Voice forPublic Education

whose job is it? part two © iowa association of school boards at the board table discussion tool

Documents