In schools that are governed effectively, decisions are made in an efficient and timely fashion by a diverse and representative governance body. Some of the key characteristics of an effective governance system are:
- Legitimacy – decision-making structures, process, and groups are seen as fair, open, appropriate, representative, and authoritative
- Efficiency – decisions are made in a timely way and meetings are run smoothly
- Clarity – guidelines outlining how decisions are made exist in writing and are understood by all stakeholders, meetings are open, written notes of meetings are shared widely
Effective governance is essential in small schools, where there is a continuous process of inquiry and improvement. The intimate, flexible nature of small schools enables staff to regularly examine their teaching and learning practices and the steps students are making toward achieving standards. This kind of ongoing self-study demands a system of decision-making that is efficient so that the school can continue to make progress toward its goals for all students.
What are some strategies small schools can use to ensure effective governance?
- Create representative leadership councils. In successful small schools, teachers, parents, students and community members have high levels of participation in key leadership roles. They have voting privileges on committees and councils, a signal that their opinions are meaningful and their participation is valued. Creating representative leadership councils ensures that the thoughts and concerns of all constituents are heard in a timely way and is an essential part of building community engagement. This reduces the need to revisit issues and factor in opinions that were not previously voiced. It also eliminates feelings of exclusion that can stall a process and sow feelings of mistrust in the community.
- Clarify everything in writing. Schools with effective governance systems are schools that have taken the time to create clear guidelines that explain exactly which decisions are made when and by whom. These schools’ leadership groups have written by-laws that are easily understood and consistently followed. And they are diligent to distribute useful meeting notes to all constituents in a timely fashion after every meeting. With these critical pieces in place, school decisions and policies cease to be a mystery to students, parents and new staff members.
- Open meetings to all stakeholders. In successful small schools, decisions are part of an open forum. Whether or not members of the school and the community are active participants on councils and committees, they should have the opportunity to attend and/or be informed about the process. Meetings should be open to the public and meeting minutes should be made available in a variety of formats (online, as part of newsletters, and posted at school). The minutes should be published immediately following meetings so that community members can remain up-to-date on school issues. Meetings and meeting minutes should be translated whenever necessary.
- Make fairness and efficiency the rule throughout the school. Decision-making practices should be consistent at all levels of the school. All committees and councils should adhere to the same standards of representation and efficiency. No group decision should be deemed “too trivial” to adhere to standards for participation or timely decision-making. An effective school models effective governance throughout the school.
Review this element on the Oregon Small Schools Initiative School Change Rubric Self-Assessment Tool.
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