Allocation of primary responsibility in decision making : a study of selected Tennessee school boards

The purpose of this study was to determine school board member and superintendents perceptions of the level of school board participation in the decision making process, as well as, to determine the perceived source of primary responsibility for decision making. The effects of selected demographic variables upon perceptions of responsibility allocation and the level of school board participation in the decision making process were also studied.

The following findings were presented:

1. Respondents considered the school board to be primarily responsible for making selected decisions concerned with matters of Business Management, Physical Plant, and the Instructional Program (with system-wide effects). The professional staff was considered to be responsible for making selected decisions concerned with matters of School-Community Relations, Personnel, and the Instructional Program.

2. Respondents perceived the level of school board participation in the decision making process to be substantial for decisions dealing with Business Management and Physical Plant. The school board was not viewed to participate substantially in making selected decisions concerned with matters of School- Community Relations and Personnel.

3. School board members and superintendents held significantly different perceptions of responsibility allocation for only one of the 15 selected decisions. The two groups differed significantly in their perceptions of the level of school board participation in the decision making process for seven of the 15 selected decisions.

4. Demographic group membership did not consistently have a significant effect upon perceptions of responsibility allocation or perceptions of the level of school board participation in the decision making process.

5. Within-group differences were more prevalent than differences between groups (for both responsibility allocation and level of school board participation).

6. Both school board members and superintendents had been actively involved with secondary vocational education programs, and both groups expressed positive attitudes toward vocational education.

It was concluded that school board members and superintendents viewed the professional staff to have final authority for matters requiring technical knowledge of school programs. The school board was viewed to have final authority for matters with high public visibility and matters of system-wide importance. Although the professional staff was considered to be the final authority for a majority of the decisions, the school board was viewed to participate substantially in the decision making process. Respondents were able to allocate primary responsibility with greater clarity than they were able to describe the level of school board participation in the decision making process. Demographic group membership did not appreciate affect perceptions of the allocation of primary responsibility or perceptions of the level of school board participation in the decision making process.

The following recommendations were presented:

1. Members of the professional staff should have adequate technical knowledge of vocational education. School board members need a general knowledge of vocational education to competently oversee the performance of the professional staff.

2. The role and responsibilities of the school board as a decision making body needs to be clarified.

3. The Tennessee School Boards Association Handbook should contain a section on the role and responsibilities of the school board as a vocational governing body.

4. Several related areas of further research were cited within the study. Specifically, 1) the present study should be refined and replicated with perceptions of members of the professional staff (other than the superintendent) being included, and 2) the means and methods by which school board members achieve a general knowledge of local education needs, as well as, a working knowledge of their school district, needs to be determined.