School Board Member Role Expectations in Making Decisions about Educational Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role expectations of school board members when confronted with decisions about curriculum and social programs and to gain insights into how they make these decisions. A national sample of 293 school board members responded to a survey asking what role they might expect to play in program decisions, the role of community members in decision making, the status of superintendent recommendations, and who board members would consult in making decisions. Of major interest was whether the size of the school district and the region of the country were related to role expectations and decision processes. Results indicated that region and size interacted to affect perceptions of community involvement, that size of school affected status of superintendent recommendations, and that region of the country was related to responses on all variables.