Engagement that supports student achievement

Effective boards use engagement processes to support school improvement

In effective districts, these processes for community engagement established by the board are the means through which boards:

1. Create a sense of urgency for district improvement; Effective boards create a sense of urgency
2. Recent research suggests that effective school boards create a sense of urgency about the gap between the data and the vision by actively advocating for change that will result in how the district confronts the barriers to student achievement and improved instruction (Delagardelle, 2008; Dervarics & O'Brien, 2011; Goodman & Zimmerman, 2000; Goodman, Fulbright & Zimmerman, 1997; Johnson, 2010; LaRocque & Coleman, 1993).
3. Goodman and Zimmerman found that even with a visionary board and superintendent guiding the district, reaching the goal of high student achievement depends upon thinking differently about teaching, learning, and public engagement and in so doing "the meaning of achievement for the whole child must be rethought by the entire community, led by the board/superintendent team, and embraced by teachers, principals, students and other citizens" (p. 11).
4. Based on their work, Goodman and Zimmerman made the claim that the most important task for every board/superintendent team is to lead the community to face the problems and confront the barriers that are blocking the potential of its children. This kind of leadership "can inspire and engage citizens, staff and students-neighborhood by neighborhood, using whatever means possible-to create a community vision and a long range plan" (p. 17).
   • In districts that successfully raise student achievement, boards take responsibility for informing the local community about the status of student achievement, identifying problems, and offering a compelling case for the urgent need for change.
   • This role of sharing data that identifies problems and creates a sense of urgency about the need for change can be a difficult shift for board members, who are accustomed to building confidence in the school system by articulating its strengths and accomplishments.⁹⁹
   • Research indicates that while data might highlight critical need, the sharing of data alone may not
garner support for change.¹⁰⁰
   • Gaining support for district change requires building trust with parents and community leaders, anchored in a shared concern for the children in their community.¹⁰¹
   • Beyond establishing the need for change, effective districts build consensus with stakeholders that the change will be a top priority for the district and will focus on improving student achievement.¹⁰²
5. encourage participation; Effective boards involve community in vision and planning. Effective boards create opportunities to hear the views of a diverse range of community members. These opportunities, provided during regular board meetings as well as in other public venues, solicit stakeholder input for the district’s vision,¹⁰³ and long-range planning processes.¹⁰⁴

Recent research suggests that effective school boards actively engage the community in pursuit of the district's shared vision and goals (Danzberger, 1994; Delagardelle, 2008; Dervarics & O'Brien, 2011; Goodman & Zimmerman, 2000; Johnson, 2010; McAdams, 2000; Murphy & Hallinger, 1988).

• effective boards view public engagement and community mobilization "as keys to defining priorities, setting goals and creating an educational vision, all of which must be tied to quality education for all children" Goodman and Zimmerman. (2000 (p. 11).
• effective superintendent/board teams established partnerships throughout the community and ensured effective communications with students, teachers, other employees, media and the community at large (p. 16).
• effective boards engage their communities by convening "community forums to discuss major educational policy issues and to provide leadership for public education" Danzberger (1994) (p. 372).
• In fact, according to Delagardelle (2008), in effective districts "the distinctions between the professional and lay community are blurred because of the level of involvement, support and shared responsibility" (p. 196).
• Ensuring that these processes include all community voices—particularly from community members who may not have been previously included such as non-English speaking groups—can be challenging and may require complex processes.¹⁰⁵
• These major efforts to gain community support are considered necessary for implementing district improvement. In studies of districts that have made significant progress in raising student achievement, researchers found that boards not only involved the community, they “believed in them as part of the larger team.”¹⁰⁶