Recent research on the historical and political influences affecting the relationship between local school boards and superintendents is summarized and discussed in this paper. Following a brief summary of the historical development of the superintendency in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the author contrasts the opposing viewpoints of…

This bibliography lists 101 journal articles, unpublished master's and doctoral dissertations, bulletins, books, and monographs on school board personnel. The studies listed contain systematically collected data regarding the behavior, attributes, attitudes, or interactions of board members. A related document is EA 001 758. (JK)

This book presents a picture of the high-pressure area in which the school superintendent works. Its purpose is to forewarn veteran and neophyte administrators concerning a number of problems which they may not have met. Most of these challenges are new, even to experienced superintendents, since they are products of the rapidly changing national…

The basic function of any school board meeting is the transaction of the official business of the school district. Policies that direct the daily activities of the school are derived through this transaction process. If an understanding of the intricacies, actions, and interactions of each group that participates either directly or indirectly in a…

In response to a survey designed to determine the issues of concern existing between community college presidents and boards of trustees, 137 presidents identified and ranked the importance of ten major areas of need: (1) both parties need to understand where the line is drawn between their respective responsibilities; (2) trustees need to…

Considering the issue of whether or not school boards should have separate staffs, three models are presented: a "two-hat" concept of metropolitan governance; a separate staff operating on a needs basis; and, the "federal model" with legislative, judicial, and administrative branches. These models raise two political questions: In routine,…

Four articles designed to assist the individual community college trustee in meeting his or her institutional commitment and to encourage trustee communication are presented. "Women in Higher Education: A Trustee's Viewpoint," by Alberta Perry, describes the specific steps a college should consider to strengthen the effectiveness of its commitment…

This study examines some of the characteristics of decision-making on school boards, focusing on the behavior of southern school board members in comparison with their counterparts in other regions of the country. Data were collected in 1975 at the convention of the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Self-administered questionnaires were…

Upon completion of the presidential search, six major tasks remain. Three come before appointment: salary and benefits negotiation, development of evaluative procedures, and completion of a contractual agreement or letter of appointment. Three come after appointment: making the public announcement, producing a search summary report; and retention…

School board members from a national sample read specially designed evaluation vignettes and responded to questions about informatyon needs and resources. Information needs and decision-making processes were found to vary depending upon such factors as importance of the decision, amount of conflict present, presence/absence of superintendent…

School board members can be more effective by following four rules: count their votes, comply with open meeting laws, live with press scrutiny, and learn the art of political decision making. (MD)

Observation of a sample of 24 Chicago (Illinois) principals for a period of 11 working days each, spread over the course of 1 to 2 school years, revealed evidence of an organizational loyalty/identification system and a training-oriented relationship between the principal and the district superintendent. (MLF)

The Gaston County (North Carolina) board and superintendent have developed a board self-evaluation questionnaire and a community questionnaire to improve the board's effectiveness as a policy-making body. The 30-item community questionnaire is appended. (MLF)

A model of "alternant leadership"--leading and succeeding one another by turn--is presented that proposes a democratic, collegial, multivoter, team approach to electing educational leaders. The rationale is based on contingency theories of administration and studies on leadership succession. Related articles are EA 519 583 and 584. (MLF)

The extent to which college presidents and governing board chairmen agree on the relative importance of 20 presidential roles was studied. Institutional size and type were examined, and the results indicated general consensus between the two groups. (MSE)