FAQ: Effective Board Practices: An Inventory for School Boards

The following questions and responses are updated periodically. If you have a question that is not answered here, be sure to send us a message with your question.

Where can the district get additional copies of Effective Board Practices: An Inventory for School Boards (Inventory)?

The Inventory (pdf) are available on this site. The documents prints off exactly as the version printed by TASB. The district is free to make as many copies for its own use as it wishes. Additional bound copies of the documents may be purchased from the TASB Store online in sets of eight. You may also order them by calling TASB Communications at 512-467-0222, extension 2290.

Is the board required to go through the Inventory and to do all the things listed on it?

Absolutely not! The Inventory was designed as an improvement tool to assist boards who want to help focus the district and the board on continuous improvement. Completing the Inventory and incorporating the practices listed in it are entirely voluntary on the part of the board. None of the practices listed in the Inventory is required by law or rule. However, all of the practices listed represent good practices, and TASB hopes the board will at least review it to understand the benefits of using it as an improvement tool.

How is the Inventory different from other board self-assessment instruments the board has used in the past?

The Inventory looks at the structure within which the board does work. It focuses on whether the board-superintendent team has institutionalized certain practices that promote continuous improvement both within the board and in the district. These practices form a framework that helps the board carry out its responsibilities effectively. Traditional board-superintendent self-assessment instruments look at a wider variety of board activities and generally focus on the manner in which the board performs specific tasks.

How is the Inventory different from the TASB Board Effectiveness Audit? 

The Inventory is a revision of the Audit with changes made based on feedback from users. The Inventory includes all the essential things found in the Audit and is written in a more focused manner. It has a shorter support document, is more user friendly, and includes a new section that addresses the board's role as an advocate for the district.

If the board fills out the Inventory document, is the completed document a public record, subject to release under Texas law? What about the individual copies that board members fill out in advance of a meeting to discuss the Inventory?

In completing the Inventory, a board member would be wise to assume that the document could be subject to public release. Texas' public information laws require that all records "collected, assembled, or maintained" by a governmental body, including a school board, are subject to public release unless specifically exempted by law. Both the final Inventory checklist and individual trustees' contributions would likely be considered public records. Under some circumstances, certain legal exceptions might prevent disclosure of discreet parts of the Inventory document. Nevertheless, this document, like most school district records, could be the subject of a public information request.

Please e-mail additional questions about the Audit to Leadership Team Services, or call 512-467-0222, extension 6161.