Study shows that school boards are a successful and effective model for governance of the public school system

MONTREAL, Jan. 9, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA) is pleased to endorse an important and comprehensive study launched January 10, 2013 entitled "School Boards Matter: A Pan-Canadian Study of School District Governance" by Bruce Sheppard, Gerald Galway, Jean Brown and John Wiens.

This important and timely study on school district governance, counters recent literature that has called school boards "wasteful hierarchies" and deals head on with political trends affecting public education across Canada. At the heart of the study, the authors provide convincing evidence that in fact, effective and successful school boards are important bodies in the education of our children.

The study draws a strong correlation between effective school boards and successful public school systems and state that "strong and effective boards are essential to maintaining a meaningful and sustainable public school system". They provide clear answers to the question "What are the attributes of effective school boards in Canada?

This document will be an important resource to local school board trustees/commissioners across Canada, provincial school board associations and members of the CSBA Board of Directors.

"Boards of education use a wealth of research to strengthen their education practices and decisions. This report gives school boards data that will help strengthen school board governance and as a result, student success," said Sandi Urban-Hall, President of CSBA.

The full report, plus a CSBA executive summary and information on complementary studies can be found on the CSBA website (www.cdnsba.org).

The Canadian School Boards Association represents eight provincial associations throughout Canada.

SOURCE: CANADIAN SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION (CSBA)

For further information:

Valerie McLeod
Managing Director, CSBA
[e-mail]