School Board Resources Cen⁠t⁠er

Here you can find a variety of trusted resources and tools to effectively represent your community on the school board.   

Categories 

1. Policy Resources 

2. Elevating Student Achievement 

3. Tools for Effective Governance  

4. Models and School Board Structure 

5. Books for School Board Members 

6. Studies and Publications 

7. Podcasts and Videos 

Resource hotline: Are you looking for a school board resource that isn’t listed on this page? Whether you are a candidate or a current trustee, we are here to help. Please contact info@schoolboardleader.com and we will do our best to assist you.  

Policy Resources 

Setting policies to monitor and improve student outcomes is a chief responsibility of all school board members. Below are several resources to guide you in this process.  

• Model School Board Policies – Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

• Policy Reform Handbook – School Boards for Academic Excellence 

• Questions to jumpstart policy discussions – School Boards for Academic Excellence 

Policy frameworks

• Assessing your educational goals – Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty 

• Literacy curriculum guidelines – Carolinas Academic Leadership Network 

• Enhancing curriculum transparency – Illinois Policy Institute 

• Curriculum adoption process – Carolinas Academic Leadership Network 

Note: These materials can serve as helpful resources when thinking about policy decisions but may not address all district needs or requirements. You are encouraged to review applicable state laws and regulations when making policy decisions.  

Elevating Student Achievement 

With the right tools, data, and curricular resources, all school board members can become effective champions for student achievement.  

• State assessments and test scores – SC Department of Education  

• NC state testing results – NC Department of Public Instruction  

• How to evaluate reading curriculum – The Reading League  

• Curriculum requirements – (South Carolina) 

• Course of study requirements – (North Carolina)  

• SC Standards With PragerU Content – SC Department of Education

• Free U.S. Constitution Resource Guide – PragerU

• Securing the Outcomes our Students Need – Hoover Institution

• Helping Every Student Achieve in Math – Council of Chief State School Officers

Tools for Effective Governance 

Whether you are a newly elected trustee or a veteran board member, embracing the principles of good governance is key to successful leadership. 

• Basics of the school board position – National School Boards Leadership Council 

• Onboarding for new school board members – Effective School Boards

• Mastering Robert’s Rules of Order – School Boards for Academic Excellence

• Superintendent evaluation tool – School Boards for Academic Excellence 

• School board time use evaluation form  – School Boards for Academic Excellence 

• Seven traits of effective school board members – Diligent 

• Tools, research, and articles for school board members – Effective School Boards  

• Governing from the minority (video) – Dr. Kelly Kohls, National School Boards Leadership Council, hosted by Kansas Policy Institute  

Models and School Board Structure 

Organize your school district and explore different governance models using these resources. 

• Sample school board organizational chart – National School Boards Leadership Council 

• School board governance models – Diligent 

Books for School Board Members 

A selection of books to help you embrace a results-focused mindset and improve your school board’s effectiveness. 

• Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective – A.J. Crabill

• Framework for School Governance: Assessing Performance & Planning for Growth – Rick Maloney 

• Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization – John Wooden 
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• Simon’s List – A collection of books and articles about student wellbeing in the digital age, Everyschool

Studies and Publications 

Navigate the education landscape and sharpen your knowledge as a school board member with these essential publications. 

• Funding our Future: A Study of Student-Based Finance in North Carolina – Dr. Robert Luebke, Kaitlyn Shepherd, John Locke Foundation (2024) 

• The “Reading Brain” is Taught, Not Born: Evidence from the Evolving Neuroscience of Reading for Teachers and Society – Rebecca Gotlieb, Laura Rhinehart, and Maryanne Wolf, The Reading League Journal (2022)

• First Amendment US Supreme Court Decisions that School Board Members Should Know – Robert Pondiscio, Cory Brewer, and Riley Fletcher, American Enterprise Institute (2024) 

• How the Science of Reading Informs 21^st–Century Education – Yaacov Petscher, Florida Center for Reading Research (2022) 

• Protecting Parents’ Rights with the Given Name Act – Jason Bedrick and Jonathan Butcher, Heritage Foundation (2023) 

• Many American Parents Have No Idea How Their Kids Are Doing in School – Jenny Anderson, Time (2023) 

• The Case for Educational Pluralism – Ashley Rogers Berner, First Things (2012) 

Podcasts and Videos 

A curated selection of podcasts, films and video content focused on education and school board governance.  

• Why School Boards Fail and How Yours Can Succeed – AJ Crabil, hosted by the Kansas Policy Institute 

• Learn Right Podcast – Leadership Institute 

• The State of Education with Melvin Adams – Noah Webster Educational Foundation  

• Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong – APM Reports  

• Truth & Lies in American Education – U.S. Parents Involved in Education