What School Boards Can Do : Reform Governance for Urban Schools

Foreword xi Rod Paige Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 1(4) Why Boards Must Lead 5(8) School Districts 5(2) Superintendent Leadership 7(1) Direct and Indirect Democratic Control 8(1) School Boards and Superintendents 9(4) Reform Governance: An Overview 13(9) Core Beliefs and Commitments 14(1) Theories of Action for Change 15(1) Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships 16(1) Building Blocks of Reform Governance 17(1) Policy Development and Oversight 18(1) Policies to Transform Urban Districts 19(1) Building Civic Capacity 19(1) Transition Planning 20(1) The Reform Governance Framework 21(1) Core Beliefs and Commitments 22(11) The Big Question 22(1) Core Beliefs and Commitments 23(7) Standards and Assessments 30(1) The Hope for America 31(2) Theories of Action for Change 33(31) Theory of Action for Change 33(3) Comprehensive Theories of Action for Incremental Improvements 36(3) Comprehensive Theories of Action to Transform Urban Districts 39(18) Accountability, Empowerment, and Capacity 57(1) Choosing a Theory of Action 58(6) Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships 64(20) The Governance Challenge 64(2) Relationship Spheres 66(8) Constituent Service Versus Micromanagement 74(4) Management Oversight 78(3) Follow or Lead? 81(3) Building Blocks of Reform Governance 84(15) Board Meetings 84(6) Judicial Hearings 90(1) Board Workshops 90(2) Board Committees 92(3) Administrative Support 95(2) Conclusion 97(2) Policy Development and Oversight 99(13) Policy Context 99(2) Routine Operating Policies 101(2) Reform Policies 103(1) Policy Development Methods 103(4) Policy Development Principles 107(3) Policy Oversight 110(2) Policies to Transform Urban Districts 112(21) Policy Framework for Performance/Empowerment 114(8) Policy Framework for Managed Instruction 122(5) Policy Framework for Managed Performance/Empowerment 127(2) Policy Framework for Charter Districts 129(1) Reform Governance Policy Leadership 130(3) Building Civic Capacity and Transition Planning 133(12) Building Civic Capacity 134(6) Transition Planning 140(5) Board Leadership 145(6) Notes 151(2) References 153(8) Additional Readings 161(4) Index 165(9) About the Author 174