Community Survey: Project Involve

Project Involve

Community Focus on Good Governance
Lafayette Parish School Board Observation Form

As a community, we can each do our part to ensure that all children receive a quality education!

Staying attuned to issues that impact the quality of decisions made by our school board leadership is one way to hold ourselves accountable as citizens. It is important that we know when good governance and leadership are happening as well as when they are not.

Through observation and listening, the Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholder Council (LaPESC) invites interested citizens to assess how governance is delivering on the promise of a quality education for each child. The intent is to provide constructive feedback to the Lafayette Parish School Board and to inform the communities that make up Lafayette Parish. It is our hope that this information will encourage the Board to continually strive for the betterment of their governance practices in pursuit of ensuring that all of Lafayette Parish’s youth receive the high-quality education they deserve.

Aggregate results of these community-driven observations will be shared with the Board and posted on www.lapesc.com.

What does good governance look like?
In order to achieve good governance, a Board must be:

Focused: Focused on achieving its identified goals for student success and underlying conditions
Transparent: Board processes are accessible to the public and decision rationale is shared with all stakeholders
Respectful: Conflict is managed respectfully and public comments are given weight in decision-making
Policy-centered: Board provides policy leadership and oversight; the superintendent is empowered as the CEO of the school system to achieve the school system’s goals
Informed: Board members are present for meetings and are prepared to address the topics included on the agenda

1. Tell us about your self.

Your individual comments on this form will not be shared at any time. All information gathered from this form will be combined with all other observations to summarize the Board’s performance at each meeting.

Name (Optional) *

First

Last

Email (Optional) *

3. Phone Number (Optional) *

Choose All that Apply to You. *

I am I citizen of Lafayette Parish. I am a parent of a school-aged child. I am a grandparent of a school-aged child. I am a school administrator. I am a teacher. I am employee of LPSS. None of these apply.

2. Board Meeting Details

3. To what extent was good governance displayed at today's school board meeting?

Using the scale below, choose the number that indicates the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding the quality of governance displayed at the meeting.

a. I understand the information presented at today’s meeting. (transparent) *

b. I understood the rationale behind the board’s actions. (transparent) *

c. Board members understood their governance roles and responsibilities. (policy-centered) *

d. Discussions and decisions were strategic rather than operational or managerial. (focused) *

e. The Board reviewed some aspect of board goals or system achievements to assure that reasonable progress was being made. (focused) *

f. Discussions were focused on using policy as a way to enhance student achievement. (policycentered) *

4. How was effective governance visible at today's meeting?

Using the scale below, choose the number that indicates the number of Board members that displayed the following characteristics.

a. Board members appeared to use public knowledge (public comments, civic and constituent input) in forming their opinions and decisions. (respectful/informed) *

b. Board members used research, district data, existing policies, and other facts to inform their opinions. (informed) *

c. Board members effectively fulfilled their role as policy makers. (policy-centered) *

d. Board member comments and discussion were solution –oriented. (respectful) *

e. Board members handled differences of opinion amongst themselves and with the system in a respectful manner. (respectful) *

f. Board members were prepared for the meeting (i.e. read materials in advance and attended relevant workshops to educate themselves on all agenda items). (informed) *

5. General Observations & Insights

a. How did Board members demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to receive the best possible education in Lafayette Parish? *

b. What, if anything, could the board have done differently in this meeting that would have resulted in better governance? *

c. If any Board members stood out as particularly effective in one or more of the indicators of good governance, please share below.

Thank you for your participation!
About this Project: After careful consideration of thoughts shared by current and former School Board members after the 2010 Board elections, LaPESC identified 5 aspirations for the Lafayette Parish School Board: focused, transparent, respectful, informed, and policy-centered.

Conversations revealed a vision of the board as trustees of the school system that would work on the community’s behalf to ensure that community values and expectations were reflected in its work, a vision that would not come to fruition without increased involvement from the community, parents, and other stakeholders.

Project Involve was created to bridge the gap between the Board and the community by increasing public awareness of the role of the Board in impacting the education of our community’s youth and by increasing public confidence in the Board and school system. By working together to promote the success of all students in Lafayette Parish, all stakeholders can begin the process of addressing the challenges that limit us from reaching our full potential, such as: low-performing schools, decreasing graduation rates, over-crowded facilities, and more!