Impact of Masters in governance training on school board member practice

This study used best practices identified in the relevant literature as a means to understand effective school board governance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine whether Masters in Governance (MIG) training provided by the California School Boards Association (CSBA) impacted school board member governance practices. With increased public scrutiny and accountability, school board members need to understand their roles and responsibilities in order to create an effective learning environment. Three research questions guided this work: (a) what factors impacted the decision of school board members to complete the MIG training program, (b) whether the MIG training encouraged and equipped school board members to exhibit the behaviors of effective governance, and (c) in what ways mandating the MIG training could impact school board governance. The research team surveyed and interviewed school board members and superintendents across 6 southern California counties and included observations of MIG training modules. Targeted for participation were school districts with a student enrollment between 2,000 and 50,000, an API score of 800 or higher or an increase of 21 API points in previous 3 years, and having at least 1 fully MIG trained school board member. General findings included MIG adjustments to increase participation; the fact that MIG directly impacts effective governance practices; and if mandated, MIG training should be subsidized. Implications for practice include suggested CSBA modifications of MIG training, the fact that MIG training enhances school board member practice and effective governance, and mandating MIG training.