ISBA facilitator tells Kuna board governance, community engagement key to improving reading

Phil, a facilitator from the Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA), led a mandatory literacy and continuous-improvement workshop for the Kuna Joint District board on Feb. 14 that linked effective board governance to student achievement and urged trustees to make reading a focused, measurable priority.

Phil opened the session by asking trustees to decide how many of their students were reading at or above grade level now and what percentage could reach that level "with the right support," drawing audience estimates and preparing the board to examine district benchmark data presented later in the meeting.

Why it matters: Phil said boards influence achievement most where there is alignment between board goals, superintendent expectations and classroom practice, and where the community is engaged. He cited research that associated boards’ use of specific superintendent goals and public communication with higher student achievement — describing a Pearson correlation he cited as 0.71 for superintendent goals tied to student improvement in one study he referenced.

Phil laid out several governance practices he said research has linked to districts that improve student achievement: setting clear, high expectations; publicly communicating goals; tying superintendent evaluation to student outcomes; maintaining a focused, narrow set of priorities; and monitoring progress. He emphasized that boards do not do instructional work directly but must ask “informed questions” so they can hold the system accountable. “One of the biggest powers we have as a trustee is the power of the question,” Phil said.

On reading specifically, Phil reviewed elements of the “science of reading” and urged boards to know enough about the research to evaluate curriculum choices, professional development, and interventions. He noted that students who do not meet statewide screening benchmarks must receive targeted literacy intervention, citing the program requirement that qualifying students receive 30 to 60 hours of intervention (tier 2 or tier 3) during the year. Phil recommended trustees ask four questions whenever administrators propose a literacy change: what does the research show, what are peers doing, how must the approach be adapted locally, and how will success be measured.

Trustees asked clarifying questions during the session and discussed the district’s upcoming curriculum review and the possibility of forming an adoption committee that would include parent representation and at least one board member.

The board scheduled part two of the literacy workshop for April 8 and staff said they would provide links to the materials and follow-up resources.

Ending: Phil said district boards do not need to be reading specialists but must know enough to ask the right questions and require outcome-based measures for any recommended literacy changes.