Purpose: What is the primary purpose of school systems according to the introduction? Why does this matter?
Challenges: What was your take away from the story about Josh and I? What wasn't the intended take away and why is that important?
Change: What are your thoughts about the three levers for adult behavior change that we use? Where else in your life/work do these three levers make sense?
Mindset: Where have people had a disempowering mindset about you and what impact did that have? Where in your life have people had an empowering mindset about you -- and that made all the difference for you?
Improvement: What came up for you as you reflected on the five continuous improvement steps -- focus mindset, clarify priorities, monitor progress, align resources, and communicate results? Where else in your life/work could this continuous improvement framework be useful?
Part I: Why School Boards Fail
Chapter 1: Knowledge-based Failures
Key Idea: Why does the distinction between inputs, outputs, and outcomes matter?
Purpose: Why does the difference between student outcomes and adult outcomes matter?
Challenge: What's the harm in a school board being intensely focused on adult inputs to the exclusion of focusing time on student outcomes?
Training: What did you think about the analysis of the school board conferences?
Chapter 2: Skill-based Failures
Skill Deficiency: What essential skills are often lacking among school board members?
Real-world Impact: Can you identify specific cases where a lack of skills led to poor outcomes for the school district?
Meeting Agenda: What did you notice about the two different meeting agendas? How does this relate to your own board meetings?
Improvement Plans: What training or development programs are recommended to enhance these skills?
Chapter 3: Mindset-based Failures
Mindset Issues: How do fixed mindsets contribute to the ineffectiveness of school boards?
Cultural Change: What steps can be taken to shift the mindset of board members from fixed to growth-oriented?
Coaching: What difference did coaching make for the school boards that used it? Why do you think that’s the case? How does this apply to your board?
Long-term Effects: How does changing the mindset of board members influence the overall culture and performance of the school district?
Part II: How Your School Board Can Become Effective
STEP ONE: FOCUS MINDSET
Chapter 4: Student Outcomes Don’t Change Until Adult Behaviors Change
Behavioral Impact: As you read the story about Ignaz Semmelweis, what connections are you drawing between his story and education in general? In your school district?
Behavioral Change: As you read the remainder of the chapter, reflect on the question prompts within the text and "replay your personal video" to come up with examples of your own behaviors as an educational leader. What are you noticing?
Examples of Success: What are examples from your own life where you have “replayed your video” and changed your behavior? What was that like for you? What makes that challenging to do?
Chapter 5: What Is Our Why?
Purpose and Vision: Why is it crucial for school boards to have a clear understanding of their 'why'?
Community Vision: How can school boards effectively align their goals with the community’s vision and values?
Seduction: Why is it so easy for school boards to get focused on adult inputs rather than student outcomes? Where have you seen this on your own board?
Defining Goals and Guardrails: What are the examples of effective goals and guardrails mentioned? How do they help in achieving the school board's vision?
Chapter 6: Representing Community
Community Representation: How should school boards ensure they accurately represent the community's vision and values?
Engagement Strategies: What are effective ways for school boards to engage with diverse community stakeholders?
Balancing Interests: How can school boards balance conflicting interests within the community?
Influencers: What does the story about Mrs. Johnson teach us? What’s an example of a “Mrs. Johnson” in your own community?
STEP TWO: CLARIFY PRIORITIES
Chapter 7: The Community’s Vision and Goals
Vision Setting: What process should school boards follow to establish a clear vision for the community?
SMART Goals: How can school boards set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-bound) goals?
Impact on Students: What impact do well-defined goals have on student outcomes?
Chapter 8: The Community’s Values and Guardrails
Value Identification: How can school boards identify and define the community’s core values?
Establishing Guardrails: What are guardrails, and why are they important for school boards?
Negation: Why are guardrails worded as what the superintendent can’t do rather than what they can? Why does this matter?
Chapter 9: Board Work Versus Superintendent Work
Role Clarity: What are the distinct roles and responsibilities of the school board versus the superintendent?
Overlap: Why would a school board care if its work is crossing into the work they’ve delegated to the superintendent?
Collaboration: What strategies can improve collaboration between the board and the superintendent?
Chapter 10: Understanding Assessments
Assessment Types: What are the different types of assessments used in schools, and what purposes do they serve?
Data Interpretation: What are inappropriate uses of assessment data and why are they inappropriate?
Assessment Challenges: Which common misconception about assessments most often comes up in your community? How can you better help address it?
STEP THREE: MONITOR PROGRESS
Chapter 11: Effective Progress Monitoring
Monitoring Strategies: What are best practices for monitoring progress towards school board goals?
Data Utilization: How can school boards effectively use data to track progress and make adjustments?
Ensuring Accountability: What mechanisms ensure accountability in progress monitoring?
Chapter 12: Evaluating Board Performance
Evaluation Criteria: What criteria should be used to evaluate school board performance?
Self-assessment: How can school boards conduct effective self-assessments?
Improvement Plans: What steps should be taken if the board’s performance is found lacking?
Chapter 13: Evaluating Superintendent Performance
Performance Metrics: What metrics should be used to evaluate the superintendent’s performance? Why?
Prioritization: When should the school board provide feedback to the superintendent about the superintendent’s leadership style? When shouldn’t it?
Addressing Performance Issues: What steps should be taken if the superintendent’s performance is not meeting expectations?
STEP FOUR: ALIGN RESOURCES
Chapter 14: The Most Valuable Resource
Resource Identification: What are the most valuable resources for a school board, and how should they be prioritized?
Resource Allocation: How can school boards ensure each type of resource -- board time, staff time, staff talent, district treasure/budget -- is aligned with their goals and guardrails?
Maximizing Impact: What strategies can be used to maximize the impact of limited resources? What types of behaviors will damage the ability to make an impact with limited resources?
Chapter 15: Aligned Decision-Making
Decision Framework: What can school boards do to ensure decisions are aligned with their goals?
Leader Selection: How do school boards fail in their superintendent search processes? Where have you seen these failures in your board’s efforts?
Strategic Abandonment: What would lead a school board to step away from current practices? Which “diet” concept is most immediately relevant to your board?
Chapter 16: Cascading Priorities Throughout the Organization
Priority Alignment: What is the school boards role in ensuring that priorities are aligned at all levels of the organization?
Communication: What communication strategies are effective for cascading priorities throughout the school system?
Monitoring Implementation: How can school boards monitor the implementation of priorities across the organization?
STEP FIVE: COMMUNICATE RESULTS
Chapter 17: Responsibility to Community
Transparency: How can school boards maintain transparency in their operations and results?
Engaging the Community: What strategies can be used to effectively communicate results to the community?
Building Trust: How does communicating results build trust with the community?
Conclusion
Reflecting on Progress: What are the key takeaways from the book for school board members?
Next Steps: What steps should school boards take to continue improving their effectiveness?
Commitment to Change: How can school boards sustain their commitment to change and improvement?
