Abstract
Purpose. The purposes of this study included: (1) identifying the intragroup behaviors and strategies used by perceived high-performing school boards; (2) determining whether similarities existed among the behaviors and strategies identified by the governance teams; and (3) determining whether similarities existed between the board behaviors and strategies and behaviors identified in governance, leadership, and team literature. Methodology. Three nominated district governance teams participated in the descriptive case study. Study data were collected during individual interviews. Qualitative analyses were used to examine the data, identifying and summarizing the intragroup behaviors and strategies exhibited by the governance teams. Findings. Common intragroup behaviors and strategies were: (1) demonstrates commitment to a common goal or purpose; (2) seeks training to acquire needed skills; (3) demonstrates commitment to collaboration; (4) uses workshops, task forces, and committees to involve others; (5) uses good communication behaviors; (6) uses good listening skills and behaviors; and (7) respects others and others ideas. Few behaviors were identified to monitor student achievement program evaluation. Governance team behaviors similar to the literature included: (1) demonstrates commitment to a goal or purpose; (2) demonstrates role awareness and collaboration skills; and (3) demonstrates competence in communication, self-reflection, and mutual respect. Conclusions. Perceived high-performing boards transform many personal commitments into one organizational commitment. They know or get training to know their roles and responsibilities. Effective board members use collaboration and effective communication to get things done in the organization. Board members need training to understand their roles and options for action to ensure student achievement and effective program evaluation. There are similarities between high-performing board member behaviors and the literature on leadership, teams, and governance [and training]. Focusing training on these most similar skills could assist board members to improve. Recommendations. Future research, conducted on a larger sample, would determine if these behaviors could be generalized. Follow-up studies might explore the impact of the developmental level of the governance team on their behaviors, or use probing questions to identify barriers to self-assessment, collaboration, and communication. Further, professional agencies should develop training to define the roles and procedures that will assist school boards to set up systems of accountability in program evaluation and student achievement.