Governance practices, teamwork, effectiveness, and curriculum responsibilities in urban and suburban school board members in the northeast region of the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among the attitudes school board members have towards six components of governance, and their sense of effectiveness when moderated by their sense of teamwork and their curriculum responsibilities of investment and evaluation. The governance practices examined were professional leadership, policy orientation, structured decision making, board responsibility, financial planning, and financial management. This study further compared the differences in these practices between urban and suburban school districts in the northeast region of the United States.;The methodology employed a 73 item Likert scale survey instrument, as well as four demographic items used for correlation and comparison data. Upon completion of the study, the survey was reduced to 68 questions.;Generally the respondents in this survey failed to agree that they considered themselves effective. There was no significant difference between the attitudes of urban and suburban school boards towards the components of governance. The curriculum responsibilities of investment and evaluation did, indeed however, influence a member's sense of effectiveness. A model was developed outlining the core pathway to board effectiveness for board members including the curriculum responsibilities, mainly curriculum evaluation, then teamwork, and professional leadership. However, it was noted that it is also critical for board members to manage their basic skills of board financial planning, financial management, curriculum investment and focus on the dimension of policy orientation including structured decision making and board responsibility if board effectiveness is to be achieved.