Tools
Strategic Planning
- Essential elements of goal setting and strategic planning focused on raising student achievement outcomes by Terry Spradlin and Steve Horton, Summer 2025
- Focusing on strategic goals by Steve Horton
- Starting with a strategy by Dr. Robert Stwalley
Roles and Responsibilities
- Building a foundation of effective school board governance by Steve Horton, Winter 2025
- Are we reflecting light? by Steve Horton
- Laws board members should know by Lisa Tanselle
- Policy development is an important school board function by Julie Slavens
- Picking a lane by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Understanding the school board's role in personnel matters by Lisa Tanselle
- Board members and policy development by Julie Slavens
Boardsmanship
- Seven framework questions for effective board reports by Steve Horton, August 2025
- How board members can avoid common pitfalls by Steve Horton
- Hitting your stride by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Rules of the road by Dr. Robert Stwalley
- Dealing with difficult decisions by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Alignment & balance by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Professional development: Necessary or not? by Dr. Michael Adamson
- When things go south by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Finding balance as part of a team by Dr. Michael Adamson
Boards and Superintendents
- Superintendent turnover since the pandemic by Adam VanOsdol, October 2025
- The new superintendent evaluation toolkit by Steve Horton
- School boards and the superintendent search by Steve Horton
- Five approaches to support an effective superintendent evaluation by Steve Horton
- Elevating and enhancing superintendent evaluation by Steve Horton
New Board Members
- Key takeaways from our new board member training by Steve Horton, Spring 2025
- Advice for making your school board experience a fulfilling journey by Rebecca Gardenour, Spring 2025
- How to welcome and integrate new school board members by Steve Horton
- Onboarding new members by Steve Horton
- Starting with purpose by Dr. Michael Adamson
Leadership
- Leading with vision, values, and vulnerability by Steve Horton
- The case for trust in school board leadership by Steve Horton
- Great leaders surround themselves with great people by Steve Horton
- Leading is a matter of trust by Tom Simpson
- On a clear day by Kim Woodward
- A season of leadership: Staying strong by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Patience: A leadership virtue by Dr. Michael Adamson
- The value of board service by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Learning leadership by Kim Woodward
Meetings
- Five rules for a great board meeting by Steve Horton
- The power of school board protocol by Steve Horton
- Are you mired in minutiae? by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Advice for board retreats by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Meeting time: Too long or too short? by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Why meeting preparation is crucial by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Reasons for utilizing working sessions by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Meeting speed vs. meeting efficiency by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Agenda packets: The best tool in board decision-making by Dr. Michael Adamson
- Abstaining from voting by Dr. Michael Adamson
Student Achievement and Learning
- Bad board behavior=Poor student performance by Ivan Lorentzen & William McCaw
- All districts should become learning districts by Ivan Lorentzen & William McCaw
- Science of achievement: Board standards impact student success by Ivan Lorentzen & William McCaw
- Research shows that school boards do impact student achievement by Ivan Lorentzen & William McCaw
