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 board members from a stratified random sample of 20 school systems in the province of Ontario. Data were collected on (1) the structure and process of school board member socialization, and (2) the ecological structure (i.e., the distribution and diversity of population) of school systems. Contary to the hypothesis, analysis of the data showed that novice members reported expectations of a lesser administrator role over time. Also, contrary to Kerr's conceptualization, the study found that the role definitions of novice board members did not converge with those of administrators over time, but rather with those of experienced board members. (Author/JG)