Governing multi-level education systems requires governance models that balance responsiveness to local diversity with the ability to ensure national objectives.

Practical resources for building cohesive governance teams As a supplement to the best-selling The Governance Core, this practical guide will help trustees and superintendents adopt a governance mindset and partnership that creates coherence throughout the district. With a systems thinking approach, the authors provide readers with the strategies and tools needed to build cohesive teams and engage in deeper learning and decision making. The Taking Action Guide for the Governance Core offers readers: • a deeper understanding of core governance and how to build it • a planning guide to help new trustees get started • protocols and sample agendas for focusing on strategy and systems during open board meetings Educational leaders will find this guide offers them a foundation for building strong, flourishing school districts that are equipped to adapt to and meet the daunting challenges of our time.

Working together for excellence for all children As our society faces daunting and evolving challenges, education might well be the social institution that offers the most hope and opportunity for change. Overloaded with multiple, diverse issues, however, where do educational leaders even begin? Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan believe efficacy must be achieved with a systems focus. The Governance Core provides strategies and tools for board members, superintendents and school leaders to unify and face the complex challenges of school governance together. Practical and authentic, the Governance Core is based upon: A governance mindset A shared moral imperative A unified, cohesive governance system A commitment to system-wide coherence A focus on continuous improvement in the district Essential for local education governance – school boards in collaboration with district and school leadership – this guide will help you operate at the highest levels of effectiveness.

Improving School Board Effectiveness offers a clarifying and essential look at the evolving role of school boards and how they contribute to efforts to improve student learning. At its heart is the concept of Balanced Governance, a principle that most generally "balances the authority of a superintendent to lead a school district with the necessary oversight of a locally engaged and knowledgeable board." Improving School Board Effectiveness is a helpful and practical book that will prove indispensable for school board members, school and district administrators, and everyone with a stake in school improvement and reform. "A must-read for anyone interested in the complex challenges school boards face, especially regarding the question of how board members can contribute to the central goal of improving student outcomes." --From the foreword by Willard R. Daggett, founder and chairman, International Center for Leadership in Education "Alsbury and Gore have done an outstanding job of pulling together research that highlights how school boards matter. Their book provides practical examples for improving school governance at the local level. Improving School Board Effectiveness is an essential read for school board members, superintendents, and those working to improve public education governance." --James B. Crow, executive director, Texas Association of School Boards "Improving School Board Effectiveness is a valuable book for superintendents as well as school boards. It explores the crucial relationship between school boards and superintendents, indicating ways to build a trusting, mutually accountable partnership to advance student achievement." --Bert L'Homme, superintendent, Durham Public Schools, North Carolina Thomas L. Alsbury, a former schoolteacher, principal, and administrator, is a professor of educational leadership at Seattle Pacific University as well as a founder and president of Balanced Governance Solutions. Phil Gore, a former school board member, is the division director for leadership team services with the Texas Association of School Boards. Willard R. Daggett is the founder and chairman of the International Center for Leadership in Education.

This text is about governing schools. It lays out a strategic model of school governance and considers the three key roles of planning, monitoring and evaluating. Practical examples and procedures are provided, for governors to adapt.

Integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) into governance processes can greatly enhance the delivery of public services to all citizens. ICT integration will not only improve the performance of governance systems, it will also transform relationships amongst stakeholders, thereby influencing policymaking processes and regulatory frameworks. In the developing world, however, the potential of ICTs for effective governance remains largely unexplored and unexploited. This book presents the context, theory, and current thinking on the interaction between ICTs and local governance, particularly in Africa. It discusses the shift from OC governmentOCO to OC e-governance, OCO describes the role of local-level authorities, and presents the benefits and limitations of introducing ICTs in government operations. Case studies from Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda describe local governance/ICTs projects executed by civil society organizations, academic institutions, and government authorities. Drawing from the findings in these case studies and from the introductory research and original conceptual framework, the book presents a series of conclusions and recommendation on the future of effective ICTs use for better governance and improved economic development at the local level. This book will be of interest to professionals, practitioners, and policy advisors at local and national government levels in developing countries (particularly in Africa); international organizations staff, bilateral aid agencies, international financial institutions, civil society organizations, and private sector; researchers, academics, students, and professors of public administration and governance in Africa and throughout the world."

Introduction -- American dreams : access, mobility, fairness -- Free minds : educating democratic citizens -- Hard facts : knowledge creation and checking power -- Purposeful pluralism : dialogue across difference on campus -- Conclusion.