The purposes of this study were to report on the effect of female board members and to determine if male and female board members held different perceived roles and responsibilities. Women have been stereotyped as having board interests which differed from their male counterparts. Women have also been viewed as having different perceptions of board responsibility than men. A stratified random sample (4,441) of 18 percent was drawn from the population of subscribers to The American School Board Journal who are local school board members. A return rate of 34 percent (1,525) was realized. The survey used in this study was divided into three parts. Part I of the survey gathered demographic information about the school board member's school district and the pressing management concerns of the same districts. Part II, provided personal information about school board member subscribers to The American School Board Journal. Part III sought information about personal views, opinions, and involvement of female school board members as seen by both males and females. Respondents reported that males are more involved and more interested in facility and financial issues. This study indicated that if women gain more seats in the future, there will be an attempt to shift board emphasis from facility and financial concerns to curriculum and community involvement concerns. Female respondents were more likely to believe that school system operation would change if women became a majority on school boards. The study showed that the number of female board members has not increased significantly over the past three years and a majority of female board members worked outside of the home. Females believed themselves more qualified in curriculum while males believed themselves more qualified in finance. / Ed. D.

A selected group of school superintendents and school board members who had served during the transition from appointed to elected school boards in Virginia from 1992 – 2006 were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the positive and negative effects of the change. Superintendents indicated the transition from appointed to elected school boards had a somewhat negative effect, while school board members said there was no effect. The law providing for the direct election of school board members in Virginia was approved April 1, 1992, and was §22.1-57.1 through §22.1-57.5 of the Code of Virginia (Elected School Boards Act, 1992). Prior to this time no provisions for the election of school boards in the state were set, and school boards were appointed, either by the local governing body (Underwood, 1992) or by a school board selection commission (Code of Virginia, 2009, §22.1-36). The change in governance from appointed to elected school boards is an important phenomenon in Virginia , and the knowledge gained from the study could provide ways to lessen the stress which often exists in superintendent-school board relationships. / Ed. D.

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions and opinions of national school board members concerning the present availability and impact of school-linked services in their school districts. Schools have been asked to act as brokers for a diverse array of social, health, and judicial services to help ameliorate some of the problems of students at risk of educational failure. In response, a growing number of school districts have established many types of school-linked programs which provide services to children and their families through collaborative partnerships among schools, health care providers, social service agencies, and judicial systems. The research questions for this study were: (1) To what extent do school board members perceive that school-linked services are necessary and are available to students in their district, and developed in a collaborative manner? (2) Do school board members perceive changes in governance and in formulating policy to oversee the school district as a result of school-linked services? (3) To what extent do school board members perceive that school-linked services impact on school funding? (4) To what extent do school board members perceive that review procedures are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of school-linked services in their district? (5) What are school board members' opinions of the obstacles and critical issues related to school-linked services in their school district? Descriptive research methodology was utilized in this study. A stratified, random sample of school board member subscribers to The American School Board Journal was identified, and subsequently surveyed through the use of a mailed questionnaire. Thirty percent of the population of 19,723 were surveyed. The response rate was 5.9 percent. A second mailing was sent to 3 percent of the subscriber population. This time a coded survey was utilized. This mailing resulted in a 19.7 percent response rate. The data revealed that the development of school-linked services are supported and are needed in a majority of the school districts that responded. The range of services provided and the variety of approaches of school-linked services is broad and diverse. The majority of board members do not perceive changes in governance or policy formulation as a result of school-linked services in their district. School-linked services do not impact on school district funding; however, inadequate financing is the major obstacle to implementing services. School board members responded that procedures to review the effectiveness of programs are in place and that the services offered are meeting the clients' needs. In addition to funding, another obstacle to successful implementation of services is that some school board members' believe that schools should not get involved in providing social services. Substance abuse services, health services and parenting classes ranked as the three areas where services are most critically needed. / Ed. D.

The major purpose of this study was to determine what school board members believe to be most essential to their effectiveness; board members' perceptions of their knowledge in the essential areas of board responsibility; and how they gain information and training to become more effective in these essential areas. The study utilized descriptive research methodology and survey technique to gather data from a national sample of school board members. A stratified random sample of board members was selected from the list of subscribers to the American School Board Journal. The survey was designed to collect demographic and personal data about board members and to obtain information on their perceptions of the most essential facets of school board membership. In addition, the survey asked board members to rate their strengths and weaknesses in these essential areas, and how they gained information and training in their districts. Of the 3,744 or 15.5% subscribers sampled, 968 or 25.6% responded. The study was sponsored by The American School Board Journal, published by the National School Boards Association, the national professional organization for school board members in the United States. / Ed. D.

This is a case study of the dynamics of the decision-making process of one rural school board in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The case study focused on a five member elected rural school board and the division superintendent. Four decisions of the board were studied. The researcher and the division superintendent identified the four decisions (cases) after a review of board meeting agenda items and board minutes from July 1, 1996, through June 30, 1999. The researcher interviewed all board members and the superintendent and reviewed board minutes and other documents to gather data on the decision-making process by the board on the four selected issues. Data were entered into matrices for analysis. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Triangulation of the data served as a means of data validation. Conclusions and recommendations for future study and practice are included. The major findings were that this board relied heavily on the superintendent for information, external and internal factors influenced the board during the decision-making process, and communication and information sharing were key to this board as it worked to make what it felt was the best decision on each of the four issues. During the decision-making process, this board, depending on the issue, used numerous decision-making process steps. These steps ranged from a minimum of seven to a maximum of eleven. The first step on each issue was becoming aware of the issue and the final step was voting on the solution to the issue. / Ed. D.

The major purpose of this study was to ascertain the opinions of school board members about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as it relates to the curriculum of America's public schools and employment and other policies governing those schools. The presence of the AIDS virus in the general population presents school board members throughout the nation with potentially volatile choices to be made about dealing with this infectious disease in the public school setting. In addition to the opinion survey, data were also gathered from this national sample of school board members about practices already in place related to sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Descriptive research methodology was utilized in this study. A nationwide sample of school board members was identified from the list of subscribers of The American School Board Journal using a stratified random sampling technique. Of the approximately 25,000 subscribers who are school board members, the researcher surveyed an 18% random sample by means of a mailed questionnaire. The study was sponsored by The American School Board Journal, published by the National School Boards Association, the national professional organization for school board members in the United States. / Ed. D.

This study describes the strategies that were employed by the Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent and the School Board to maintain instructional programming while assuring continued support for schools by the local governing body during the economic recession of 2007-2009. Despite reductions in state appropriations beginning in 2008 and continuing through 2011, division leaders worked closely with the county Board of Supervisors to support public schools and local governmental services, even as the local economy faltered. While other local governments annually reduced appropriations to schools, effort by the Frederick County School Board and its administrative leadership to foster a positive relationship with the Board of Supervisors led to only one operating fund reduction in fiscal year 2010, as the schools' share of the projected local revenue shortfall. This study describes those actions that promoted and improved trust between the School Board and the Board of Supervisors. This study addresses the following research questions: 1. What political and relationship factors contributed to maintaining level local funding in fiscal year 2010 and beyond by the local Board of Supervisors? 2. What strategies were employed by the School Board and division leadership to reduce operating expenditures and maintain quality education programs for all students? 3. How did State Fiscal Stabilization Funds provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act influence decision making for fiscal year 2010? Some of the actions taken by the School Board and the Board of Supervisors may be representative of those steps taken to address revenue shortfalls by other Virginia local governments. However, each community has had unique financial challenges to overcome. Not all actions described will be generalizable to other communities. As economic uncertainty continues at the time of this study, the findings may foreshadow how public education will be supported in the future. / Ed. D.

Local school boards and their presidents provide Americans with the grass roots leadership for public education. Both have been ignored by policy makers and authors. The purpose of the study was to solicit school board members', school board presidents', and past presidents' perceptions of the role as well as the real and ideal leadership attributes of their school board presidents. A survey method was utilized to address the questions inherent in the purpose. The population for this study included the members of local public boards of education in the U.S. The sampling frame consisted of local school board members holding membership in the National School Boards Association. A random stratified sample was selected. Descriptive procedures were used to summarize the data. Additionally, the relationships between school board presidents', past presidents', and board members perceptions and selected demographic variables (i.e. geographic region, gender, community type, school system enrollment, age, number of terms served, education attainment, race, method president is chosen) was explored using cross-tabulation procedures. The response rate was about 27%. School board members perceive their school board presidents to be most active in the board room. Ideally, school board members perceive an expanded role for their president that includes services to board members and superintendent relations. School board presidents perceive a greater role for the school board presidents than do school board members that includes the highly visible board room roles as well as board member services and superintendent relations activities. Past school board presidents' views differ widely from those of school board presidents and slightly from board members, and in most cases tend to give a lower rating of the board president. School board members, school board presidents, and past presidents perceive their school board presidents as displaying few of the leadership attributes of traditional leaders. They agree that ideally these leadership attributes are critical or important. Differences concerning the board president's real and ideal role and real and ideal leadership attributes were found among board presidents by gender and school system enrollment; among past presidents by school system enrollment, and method president is chosen; and among school board members by geographic region, gender, age, school system enrollment, and education attainment. Results should assist school superintendents and professional educators, school board presidents, school board members, and the general citizenry as they work to clarify their respective roles. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the turnover of incumbent board members and turnover of the district's superintendent. Research questions asked were: 1.What are the turnover rates within five years for: a. superintendents? b. incumbent board members? c. superintendents when an incumbent board member fails to be reelected? 2. What are the factors associated with board member turnover? 3. What are the factors associated with superintendent turnover? 4. Are there variables which may be used together to discriminate between categories of superintendent turnover? 5. What is the relationship between district size and number of schools in the district to superintendent and board member turnover? 6. What is the relationship of geographic location of the districts to superintendent and board member turnover? 7. What is the relationship of the type of district, elementary, high school, or union high school, to superintendent and board member turnover? A questionnaire was sent to the superintendents of all school districts in Oregon governed by five-member school boards. The results obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using frequency distributions, percentages, means, standard deviations, and content analysis. All hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. The following conclusions were based upon the data collected and analyzed in the study. The total number of elections impacted both board member and superintendent longevity. The total number of changes on the board dramatically affected superintendent longevity. The superintendent's relationship with the board did not affect superintendent turnover until the political climate in the district became active. Political climate played a crucial role in both superintendent and board member turnover. Recommendations for further research include: (a) an in-depth study of what constitutes a contested election, (b) a study of the differences between large and small school districts that may impact superintendent and board member turnover is recommended, (c) a study of the role of the board chair in superintendent turnover, and (d) a study of the difference in superintendent turnover between superintendents who also serve as principals and those who do not.

All states have different perspectives and various statutes within broader constitutional law. Perception of public dissatisfaction with public schools has led to choice schooling options for parents. One of the fastest growing choice options in schooling is charter schools; schools privately run by organizations through public funds. This study analyzes the governance of charter schools and how charters operate under legal guidelines and Florida statutes, with significant legislative events cited. This study answers the following questions as they relate to evolution and legal parameters surrounding the charter movement using exploratory case study method: 1) What is the evolution of the charter school movement in the United States and specifically in Florida, and the legal precedence that comes from this reform effort? 2) What are legal parameters regarding the charter school movement nationally? (e.g. constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, common or court/case law, and contract law) and 3) What present legal structures and parameters affect Florida’s charter school movement? The significance of this study lies in the need to understand significant legal parameters surrounding the current charter school movement and how policies and law related to charter schools impact stakeholders. All of the findings together signify the important role legislators and the judicial powers execute in the ongoing realization of the charter school movement. The legal support of the charter school movement fosters an opportunity for the development of charter schools. With charter school implementation, several issues arise in the process of the charter school practice. The study shows the following themes impacting the charter school movement: regulations, accountability, Special Education, facility concerns, innovations, and employee and legislative issues. Charter schools provide a niche for certain parents desiring a different approach from the local public school. Charter schools provide a niche to parents seeking alternatives to traditional public school education. Charter schools will continue to exist and cater to parents desiring school choice options.