Nebo district receives Master Boards Award
The Nebo School District Board of Education was recently presented with a Master Boards Award, the third year in a row the board has received the award.
Governor Herbert said, “It is my great pleasure as governor to congratulate your board for receiving the Master Boards Award for 2014. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in leading public schools in your neighborhoods and strengthening communities across the state through your efforts. As leaders in Utah, it is critical that we work together to ensure high achievement for every student.”
Research shows that highly effective boards boost student achievement.
Boards of education should be the “up front” leaders of public education. They are charged with the responsibility of creating the conditions within their school districts that will enable students to meet more rigorous knowledge and performance standards. This means boards taking responsibility for results even as they hold others in the school district accountable. This means that boards articulate the educational mission of the district and garner the public support and resources needed to achieve that mission.
For this purpose the Five Star Master of Boardmanship Award or MBA has been designed to help and encourage boards to become highly effective boards of education. There are five areas of achievement to become a five star board. The Nebo School Board completed these five areas of achievement:
1. Continuous Improvement: Continuous improvement is about paying attention to the quality of what boards do to ensure student achievement.
2. Advocacy: School boards should be advocates for public education.
3. Community Engagement/Collaborative Relationships: Community engagement includes fostering good relationships with stakeholders in the district community. Collaboration occurs when people come together to solve problems or create new and better ways of achieving desired results based on trust and mutual respect.
4. Accountability: Local school boards are held accountable for student performance, fiscal responsibility and commitments made to the state and community.
5. Foundation of Effective Governance: School boards provide the leadership through governance that will create the conditions under which excellent student achievement can be attained. Boards should set the model for excellence.
An effective board governs with unity of purpose, agrees on roles and responsibilities, creates a positive governance culture and operates with protocols and policies.