Policy Governance
Strengthening connections with the community and focusing on policies that result in increased student achievement are two outcomes that the Bellingham School Board plans to accomplish by adopting a policy governance model.
Policy governance, authored by John Carver and used by a growing number of cities, non-profits and school boards across the country, applies a specific set of principles to the leadership role.
These principles include governing the school district by focusing on results or “ends” – what Bellingham School District graduates should know, understand and be able to do. By governing at this level, the Board avoids micro-managing the work of the 10,600 student district. Instead, the School Board holds the superintendent accountable for implementing the Board’s vision by monitoring results through the use of data, reports and focused discussions, including listening to the public about goals, standards and progress.
The Board is developing four goals under the following themes: Strategic mission, academic achievement, life and learning skills, personal attributes and ethics. The most detailed of those goals regarding academic achievement states that each student will demonstrate his or her highest level of achievement through application of knowledge and integration of learning in meaningful ways within a world-class program of study. Accordingly, students will understand and demonstrate through application the knowledge, processes and concepts of:
- Critical and creative thinking
- Humanities
- Mathematics
- Music and the arts
- Physical activity and health
- Science
- Technology
- World language
Policy governance provides a framework for the Board to host community outreach opportunities or “linkages” to discuss goals or standards for the school district. These will begin this school year.
“We are excited about the opportunity to connect with our community in a more meaningful way regarding important issues concerning student achievement,” says School Board President Dr. Ken Gass. “Our goal is a system that focuses our School Board on outcomes for the success of all children attending Bellingham Public Schools while allowing our superintendent to manage the district to deliver on the vision.”
