New research indicates that new board members rely on what they have learned prior to their election or appointment to the board rather than on what they learn from the superintendent or experienced board members. (Author/IRT)

Over time, the role definitions of novice school board members do not converge toward those of the administrators sampled, but rather toward those of experienced members. New board members are socialized in the preincumbency period rather than after they take office. (Author/IRT)

Considers the transformed societal environment within which educational policy making occurs, the selection to and composition of the school board, and the school-board administrator relationship. (Author/RK)

This paper describes a study that tested the validity of Kerr's 1964 model of school board socialization. Central hypothesis of the study was Kerr's finding that, over time, novice school board members assign increasingly more responsibility to district administrators. Data were generated primarily through stratified interviews with 40 novice…