Board begins quarterly self-evaluation process and coaching with Effective School Boards coach

At the Sept. 9 Christina School District Board meeting, Rodney, a coach from Effective School Boards, discussed a quarterly board self-evaluation instrument the group will use to measure governance practices and progress toward being more student-outcomes focused.

Rodney described a rubric that evaluates practices across categories such as focus/mindset, clarifying priorities, monitoring progress, aligning resources and communicating results. He said individual board members would complete the instrument and that the coach would consolidate responses into a board-level score. Rodney told the board that three of seven members had submitted their self-evaluations so far.

“Student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change,” Rodney said as he described the rationale for the instrument and the intended continuous-improvement approach. He recommended quarterly evaluation and an annual self-evaluation scheduled before the superintendent evaluation.

The instrument uses a four-point progression from ineffective to highly effective, with the goal of measuring quarterly progress and identifying actions to move forward. Rodney offered to compile results and provide a write-up if the remaining members submit their responses soon; he planned to highlight actions the board could take to progress to the next level.

Board members and the superintendent supported the approach and noted that governance training and clearer priorities can help the district set goals that cascade to classroom practice. The transcript shows no formal vote to adopt the instrument; the coach framed the work as ongoing professional development and invited additional participation and time to complete the self-assessment.