DMGroup’s Strengthening School Board Governance Institute is an in-depth professional development and executive training program for superintendents and their school board members. It provides a unique opportunity for superintendents and board members to spend time together outside of school board meetings and focus not just on what work needs to be done but how they can work most effectively together to accomplish their goals. Building the capacity to govern effectively and to work collaboratively is essential to drive improvements in district performance.
Objectives Include:
• Strengthening alignment on strategic issues
• Examining and adjusting the governance structure to help the district achieve its goals
• Align on key levers to drive district performance, including:
• Agreeing on roles and responsibilities of various parties
• Establishing accountability measures
• Reviewing how resources are allocated
• Strategizing on leading through conflict and crisis
Discussions will be centered on Harvard’s PELP School District Governance Framework, developed by John Kim, founder and CEO of DMGroup and co-chair of Harvard's PELP to explore the myriad complexities that superintendents and board members must navigate to forge change and drive improvements.
* Adapted from the PELP Coherence Model which was based on the Congruence Model developed by Michael Tushman and Charles O’Reilly
How it Works
Each district sends a delegation composed of the district superintendent and multiple board members. At the Strengthening School Board Governance Institute, each delegation has a unique opportunity to learn together and work in a supportive environment to develop better alignment and better working structures and procedures. Delegations also have the opportunity to meet and learn from other district delegations and share experiences, challenges, and lessons learned.
Features of the Strengthening School Board Governance Institute include:
• Team approach: Districts participate as teams with each district sending a district delegation composed of the district superintendent and board members. It is a unique opportunity for this team of people to learn together and develop relationships over multiple months.
• Training spanning approximately 4 months: Superintendents and board members have an opportunity to meet outside of their school board meetings and participate in a multi-modal approach to learning that includes training sessions, simulation exercises, and coaching.
• Learn by doing: With the belief that the best way to learn is by doing, district delegate teams will work through a series of simulation exercises which will challenge teams to test their understanding of their roles and responsibilities, their alignment on strategic issues, and their ability to work collaboratively. With the support of a coach, they will work on the real work of aligning on strategy and examining how work gets done.
• Peer network: At the Institute, your district delegation will have the opportunity to meet other district delegations with whom to share challenges, successes, and lessons learned.
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