One Voice Conference: Gender Attitudes Towards School Board Governance: Professional Leadership and Policy Orientation

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One Voice ConferenceGender Attitudes Towards
School Board Governance Professional Leadership
and Policy Orientation

• Patricia Neville,
• Michael Rubino, Caroline Burns, Dr. Elsa-Sofia
  Morote, Dr. Richard Hawkins, and Dr. Robert
  Manley
• Dowling College

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Purpose of the Study

• The purpose of this study was to examine the
  relationship of gender and school board members
  perceptions towards both policy orientation and
  professional leadership on their school board.
  This study was done in the framework of selected
  school boards of education in Suffolk County, New
  York.

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Background

• For this study 45 board of education members from
  Suffolk County, New York responded to a survey
  that examined several components of governance
  Policy Orientation and Professional leadership.
• Of the participating board members 33.3 of the
  respondents were female. The response
  differences between male and females board
  members were examined on two variables Policy
  Orientation and Professional Leadership.

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Gender in School Boards

• At the beginning of the 20th Century in United
  States history women were under-represented on
  local school boards (Blanchard, 1977). However,
  recent research conducted has shown a vast
  improvement on the number of women seeking
  election and playing a role on their local school
  boards. The recent research proposed that gender
  attitudes and philosophical differences were
  significant.
• Tallericos research in 1992 indicated that
  female board members were generally more
  interested in curriculum, programs, and
  humanistic issues. While equivalent male school
  board members exhibited a greater interest in
  school finance, facilities, control and
  efficiency.

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Definition of Terms

• School Board Member A member of an elected body
  whose primary function is to govern a school
  consistent with the roles and responsibilities
  outlined in New York State Education Law 1709.
• Policy Orientation Policy Orientation is the
  process utilized by the school board to guide the
  actions of others, the extent to which the board
  examines alternative courses of action, selects
  system-wide objectives aligned with the mission
  of the schools, and anticipates or evaluates
  outcomes of their policies on a regular basis.
• Professional Leadership Professional Leadership
  is the extent to which the school board has
  respectful communications with the superintendent
  and the extent to which the members exhibit
  respect for each other as well as focus their
  efforts on the school districts mission, goals,
  and regard for community values.

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Methods

• Data was collected from a 2002 study conducted by
  Hawkins, which was divided into three parts. The
  demographic of gender was extracted from the
  first part of the survey.
• School board member respondents were asked to
  identify their level of participation using a
  five-point Likert scale of (1) strongly disagree,
  (2) disagree, (3) slightly agree, (4) agree, (5)
  strongly agree. A complete survey can be seen in
  Hawkins 2002, page 151.

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Policy Orientation Items

• Policy Orientation Items (Reliability .87)
• 1. Our board considers current research during
  the process of decision making.
• 2. Our board members evaluate policies about the
  hiring of staff.
• 3. Our board has a common understanding of the
  purpose of education.
• 4. Our board matches district wide policies with
  the mission and objectives of the district.
• 5. Our board is attentive to the ethnic and
  multicultural needs of the district.
• 6. Our board focuses on its role in policy
  making.
• 7. Our board provides leadership in developing
  the districts mission statement.

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Professional Leadership

• Professional Leadership Items (Reliability .86)
• Our board has respectful communications with the
  Superintendent.
• During periods of adversity our board considers
  its mission and objectives when making decisions.
• Our board encourages trustees to achieve
  consensus on board decisions.
• In public sessions, our board members exhibit
  respect for each other.
• Our board represents the interests of the entire
  district rather than individual interest groups.

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Results for Policy Orientation

• 33.3 of males compared to 13.3 of females
  slightly agree with Our board considers current
  research during the process of decision making.
• 13.3 of males compared to 6.7 of females
  strongly disagree and disagree to Our board
  members evaluate policies about the hiring of
  staff.
• 3.3 of males compared to 0 of females strongly
  disagree and disagree with Our board has a
  common understanding of the purpose of
  education.
• 30 of males compared to 20 slightly agree to
  Our board matches district wide policies with
  the mission and objectives of the district.

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Policy Orientation..results

• 16.7 males compared to 6.7 of females strongly
  disagree and disagree with Our board is
  attentive to the ethnic and multicultural needs
  of the district.
• Question 16 had no significant percent
  differential in any of the categories.
• 43.3 of men compared to 14.3 of females
  slightly agree with Our board provides
  leadership in developing the districts mission
  statement.
• 46.6 of men and 71.5 of females agree and
  strongly agree with Our board provides
  leadership in developing the districts mission
  statement.

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Results for Professional Leadership

• An analysis of the Professional Leadership Items
  (Table 3) concluded that
• 3.3 of males compared to 6.7 of females
  strongly disagree and disagree with, Our board
  has respectful communications with the
  Superintendent.
• 10 of males compared to 20 of females strongly
  disagree and disagree with During periods of
  adversity our board considers its mission and
  objectives when making decisions.

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Professional Leadership..results

• 6.7 of males compared to 26 of females slightly
  agree with Our board encourages trustees to
  achieve consensus on board decisions.
• 3.3 of males compared to 20 of females strongly
  disagree and disagree with In public sessions,
  our board members exhibit respect for each
  other.
• 23.3 of males compared to 6.7 females strongly
  disagree to disagree with Our board represents
  the interests of the entire district rather than
  individual interest groups.

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Conclusions

• In conclusion, this data supports the idea that
  men and women serving on a Suffolk County, New
  York Board of Education have different viewpoints
  and ideas regarding their roles as members of the
  school board.
• Females tend to be more in agreement with
  questions related to policy orientation. On the
  other hand, females tend to be more in
  disagreement in items related to professional
  leadership.

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Conclusions

• In addition, it would also be beneficial for
  school board members to attend workshops provided
  by the New York State School Board Association
  educating school board members role on policy
  orientation and professional leadership. This
  would provide school board members with a clear
  vision of their purpose which in turn provides
  the school district with a more focused Mission
  Statement.