Effective School Governance 

This course is designed to help current and potential school board and governing body members better understand their roles and responsibilities in supporting best practices in school governance and to apply these to their own contexts as school board members.

The course is presented in seven modules. To enable learners to apply the course material to their own school context, the modules include exercises using reflection, analysis, and, where possible, discussion with learners’ fellow school board members. The course equips leaners, in their role as school board members, to best contribute to their school’s development.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to

• Understand best practices in school governance and how to apply them
• Understand the behaviours and ethical standards required of school board members
• Understand the roles of school governance and how they differ from school management
• Understand the role of board members in supporting the oversight and development of the school community

Professional Application

This course will support learners to:

• Analyse a school board’s strategic plan and code of conduct
• Understand the role of the school board vis-à-vis the Head of School
• Understand how board committees are best used to support the efficient functioning of the board
• Perform the role of ‘critical friend’ to the school, and, specifically, to the Head of School

Course Video Length: 1 hour and 47 minutes

Total Course Length (with exercises): 8-10 hours