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Achieving Small School Success in Washington State
Identifies challenges and strengths of educating students in small districts; also outlines background information and makes recommendations for the future of education reform in Washington state in several key areas, including equity of funding, program support, staffing, flexibility/adaptability and facilities. Includes case studies in three small districts: Index, Klickitat and Steilacoom Historical. |
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Available in PDF |
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: A Guide for School Board Members and Superintendents
Reviews basic conflict of interest issues, with emphasis on structuring district policies and board practices to comply with state law when board members or superintendents have an ongoing personal financial interest in their district's operations. |
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Available in PDF |
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The Basics of School Law: A Guide for School Board Members
Provides an introduction and overview of some of the legal issues school directors may encounter in their board service. |
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Available in PDF |
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Closing the Achievement Gap: A Policy Action Guide for Washington State's School Directors
Award Winner - National School Public Relations Association
Contains background, findings, and key policy recommendations from a 22-month study conducted by the WSSDA Ad Hoc Achievement Gap Task Force |
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Available in PDF |
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Cultural Diversity in School: A Guide for School Board Members and School Administrators
Award Winner - National School Public Relations Association
By Gregory Eliyu Guldin, Ph.D., WSSDA Diversity Consultant. A comprehensive guide to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment for all children. Contains an orientation to diversity, background information on multicultural education, language minorities, and ethnicity/disproportionality, and recommendations on making positive changes. |
| $25 ea. ($20 ea. for orders of 5 or more) To order, contact Stacia Hollar or use the order form in PDF |
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Data Dashboards for School Directors: Using Data for Accountability and Student Achievement
Developed by WSSDA's Student Achievement Task Force, this publication is designed to help school boards strengthen their skills in using data to make decisions related to improving student achievement. |
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Available in PDF |
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Effective Advocacy for School Directors
Advocacy is one of the primary responsibilities of a school board member. This 62-page manual covers the fundamentals of advocacy in the community and with state and federal legislators/policymakers. Includes tips on organizing advocacy programs and working with the news media. |
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Available in PDF |
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The Evaluation Process: Board Self Assessment and Superintendent Evaluation
A complete “how to” manual for developing your board’s own self-assessment and the superintendent’s evaluation. Shows how these tasks are part of an overall process that leads to a clear understanding of the expectations and the annual focus for both the school board and the superintendent. Provides several sample instruments for each area, legal citations and a sample superintendent contract. |
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Available in PDF |
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Available in PDF |
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Guide to Parliamentary Procedures
Compiled by WSSDA Parliamentary Consultant Mary Randolph. Covers essential parliamentary procedures for school boards in the state of Washington. |
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Available in HTML |
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Open Public Meetings: A Guide for School Board Members and Superintendents
Focuses on provisions of the State Open Public Meetings Act, and addresses other legal requirements and nonlegal issues surrounding effective and responsible public meetings. |
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Available in PDF |
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The Role of School Boards in Improving Student Achievement
In this era of education reform and increased accountability, it’s essential that everyone involved in public education understand and recognize the vital role of school boards in improving student achievement — especially school directors themselves. That’s why WSSDA has produced a position paper detailing the unique responsibilities of school boards and their pivotal role in sustaining continuous improvement in student learning. |
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Available in PDF |
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School Director Brainstorm Ideas on Improving Key Transition Points in the P-20 Education System
A This report synthesizes a number of suggestions that were developed during school director "brainstorm" sessions held to develop ideas on smoothing the transition points in Washington's education system, from early learning to K-12 to higher education.
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Available in PDF |
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Serving on Your Local School Board: A Guide to Effective Leadership
For new and prospective school board members. Topics include the governance role of school boards, the board-superintendent relationship, leadership techniques, ethics, employee relations, legal requirements, and education reform. |
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Available in PDF |
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Serving on Your Local School Board: A Guide for Candidates
Covers fundamentals of school board service, candidate filing requirements, election procedures. (Not a guide to campaigning). |
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Available in HTML |
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Superintendent Search Handbook
Information and advice on seeking, recruiting, interviewing and hiring a superintendent. Addresses topics such as selecting a consultant, setting a timeline, involving parents, citizens, students and staff, screening applications, conducting interviews, and negotiating a contract. Also includes sample worksheets, model policies on the board-superintendent relationship and superintendent evaluations, and a model superintendent contract. |
| Hard copy: $12.50 + Tax |
Available in PDF |
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STEM Work Group: Recommendations for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
Report to Governor Chris Gregoire and the Washington Legislature. Outlines a comprehensive plan to improve policies and practices to ensure that a pathway is established for elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, postsecondary degree programs, and careers in the areas of STEM. |
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Available in PDF |
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Targeting Student Learning
Explore key components to effective school board policymaking and policy topics targeted on student learning. |
For prices and ordering information, contact Cindy Sands
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Washington School Board Standards
Standards for School Boards and School Directors, developed by the WSSDA Board Standards Task Force. |
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Board Standards Index Page |
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Washington School Bond Manual
The result of a partnership between WSSDA and Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation. Provides critical information to those involved in financing education in the state of Washington. A helpful resource for districts in maneuvering the essential process of planning for bond measures. |
Hard copy: $15.00 + Tax
10 percent discount on orders of 25 manuals or more |
For ordering information,
contact Stacia Hollar |