INFLUENCES

2. INFLUENCES ABILITIES OPTIONS

3. INFLUENCES

4. FACTORS INFLUENCING DISTRICT LEADERS’ DECISIONS ABOUT ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES:A STUDY OF RURAL ADIRONDACK SCHOOLS Is there a relationship between a school district’s : • culture and a system leader’s decisions about academic offerings? • geographic location and isolation and a system leader’s decisions about academic offerings? • available finances and a system leader’s decisions about academic offerings? • capacity and a system leader’s decisions about academic offerings?

5. “ In rural America, finding a happy medium between the past, with its rich tradition of rural life, and the future, with its promise of opportunity and prosperity, requires school leaders to have a keen sense of where the school and its community have been and where they hope to go.” Harmon & Branham, 1999, p.15

6. “Schools transmit the values of the family and community from generation to generation. [This might create a means to] open a world of opportunity by freeing students from the limitations of their parents.” Bethel, 2001, p.25 “Successful leaders, it was believed, needed to understand the ‘mentality’ of small, rural communities. . .” Budge, 2006, p.7

7. Participants Of the 61 school districts located all or in part in New York States Adirondack Park, 53 offer high school programming. Twenty two of these 53 districts are small and rural. Seven of the twenty two superintendents in these districts volunteered to participate in the study.

8. Findings The decisions of school leaders in New York State’s Adirondack Park relative to academic opportunities are influenced by: • Culture • Geographic location & isolation • Finances • Capacity

9. Culture and System Leader’s Decisions About Academic Offerings

10. Research Question #1: Culture • Expectations exist to exceed mandates. • Advanced offerings are expected. • Unique aspects of the community should be considered. • Despite influence, insistence was not apparent. • Decisions were influenced by community values. • Offerings should reveal opportunities beyond students current reality.

11. Geographic Location & Isolation and System Leader’s Decisions About Academic Offerings

12. Research Question #2: Location & Isolation • Location and isolation do not directly impact offerings, repercussions of both do. • Advanced Placements and college credit bearing courses result from location and isolation. • Transportation • Beyond current reality • Geographic attributes utilized in offerings.

13. Finances and System Leader’s Decisions About Academic Offerings

14. Research Question #3: Finances • Concerns about financing, particularly in the future exist. • Only a small number of courses were eliminated as a result of finances. • Driver Education was often mentioned. • Financial concerns were compounded by enrollment and staffing. • Despite frustration, community supports expenditure that support academic opportunities.

15. Academic Impact of Building/Renovation Projects and Closures

16. Capacity and System Leader’s Decisions About Academic Offerings

17. Research Question #4:Capacity • Physical plant and structure can promote or hamper opportunities. • Recent and ongoing projects have and will rectify limitations. • Physical plant did not keep courses from being offered. • Technology is less problematic than in recent history. • Staffing is a persistent problem.

18. Rank Order of Factors Influencing System Leader’s Decisions About Academic Offerings “The smallest class we have had is [an enrollment of] one – not typical, but three to six is not out of the ordinary. The ‘one’ was a calculus class, the student had been accelerated, and a few other students had left. I don’t advertise that, but we wanted to do what was in the best interest of the student.” (D6)

19. “A critical leadership of place is leadership that specifically aims to improve the quality of life in particular communities. Leaders with a critical leadership of place support community as a context for learning, understanding that schools and their local communities are inextricably linked, and that the ability of each to thrive is dependent upon the other. They work to conserve what is beneficial to the well being of students, families, and communities, while actively leading efforts that address the challenges and/or contradictions found in the local context.” Budge, 2006, p. 8

20. It is imperative then, that school leaders, particularly superintendents, be well attuned to the community, its history, and its values. Bethel (2001) identified the school superintendent as the key figure in small, rural districts, and indicates that in many cases (s)he may be the only full time central office administrator and, as such, is functioning in many capacities.

21. ABILITIES

22. “Today’s school districts cannot meet the challenges of an increasingly demanding and diverse clientele without solidly established business and financial operating systems led by effective school business officials.” ASBO International, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND CODE OF ETHICS, 2005

23. So what….why investigate this? Public school districts’ financial teams are charged to do more with less… Q: How can the upper edge be gained? A: One way is through better skilled leadership… better financial leadership. Q: WHO are the financial leaders and WHATmakes them better skilled? A: School Business Officials and mastery of the Association of School Business Officials International Professional Standards. Q: HOW can they master these standards? Training, experience or BOTH? A: Let’s investigate and find out……..

24. Research Questions Do CSO’s and SBO’s have similar perceptions of the competencyof SBOs? Is there a difference in perceived competency of SBOs based on the: eligibility category experience Asexperienceincreases, is there a difference in perceivedcompetencybetween civil service SBOs and NYS certified SBOs?

25. “Whether a school business official comes to the profession from a formal education administration degree program or from a business position in government or the private sector, the professional standards can help each identify opportunities for further learning to best serve the district and its mission to educate children.” Everett & Johnson, 2005, p.16

26. Measuring Competency • Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO International) • International School Business Management Professional Standards and Code of Ethics (2005) IV. Facility Management A. Planning and Construction B. Maintenance and Operations V. Property Acquisition and Management A. Purchasing B. Supply and Fixed Asset Management C. Real Estate Management VI. Information Management A. Strategic Planning B. Instructional Support Program Evaluation C. Instructional Program Evaluation D. Communications E. Management Information Systems VII. Ancillary Services A. Risk Management B. Transportation C. Food Service I. The Educational Enterprise A. Organization and Administration B. Public Policy and Intergovernmental Relations C. Legal Issues II. Financial Resource Management A. Principles of School Finance B. Budgeting and Financial Planning C. Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting D. Cash Management, Investments, and Debt Management E. Technology for School Finance Operations III. Human Resource Management A. Personnel and Benefits Administration B. Professional Development C. Labor Relations and Employment Agreements D. Human Relations

27. Comparison of Pathway to Eligibility Categories for the School Business Official

28. Population NYS Public schools excluding: New York City, BOCES, special act, charter schools Chief School Officers School Business Officials Sample clustered random group of CSO’s clustered random group of SBO’s Responses 31% response rate 42% CSO’s 58% SBO’s

29. Findings: Perceptions by RoleDo Chief School Officers and School Business Officials have similarperceptions of the competencyof School Business Officials? Organizational Role and Perceived Competency(Point Bi-Serial Correlation) **Correlation is significant at the .01 level* Correlation is significant at the .05 level

30. Findings: Eligibility Category Is there a difference in perceived competency based on the eligibility category of the School Business Official? Eligibility Categoryand Perceived Competency (Independent samples t-test) ** significant at the .01 level * significant at the .05 level

31. Findings: ExperienceIs there a difference in perceived competency based on the experienceof a School Business Official? Post-hoc Analysis of Experience and PerceivedCompetency * significant at the .05 level One Way Analysis of Variance of Experience and Perceived Competency * * significant at the .01 level * significant at the .05 level

32. Findings: Experience, Eligibility & CompetencyAs experience increases, is there a difference in perceivedcompetencybetween civil service qualified and New York State certificatedSchool Business Officials? ANCOVA: Eligibility Categoryis Co-variate, Experience is Fixed Factor Correlation with Perceived Competency ** significant at the .01 level ANCOVA: Experience is Co-variate, Eligibility Category is Fixed Factor in Correlation with Perceived Competency **significant at the .01 level

33. The School Business Official is a “steward of taxpayer resources” Cattaro, 2005, p.28

34. OPTIONS

35. Why This Research? The recommendations of two NYS Commissions for further consolidation of school districts Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness Commission on Property Tax Relief Increases in reorganization aid and building incentive aid do not necessarily have the desired effect of encouraging more consolidation.

36. Some Essential Questions Does the reorganization process that has been in place for almost fifty years still serve the needs of school districts during the twenty-first century? Does this same process provide adequate options for leading and managing in a time of scarce resources? Does what we know about change and organizational theory help us better understand how to implement a change process that results in the reorganization of school districts? What is the role of school district leaders in this process?

37. Literature Review Setting the stage: the issue of scarce resources Master Plan for School District Reorganization (1958) Monk and Haller (1986, 1988) Frey Commission (1992) Campaign for Fiscal Equity CFE (1993) NYS Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness (2007) NYS Commission on Property Tax Relief (2008) NYS School Boards Task Force on Maximizing School District Resources (2008)

38. Literature Review Change theory as a lens for school reorganization Kotter (1996, 2002) Leading Change Eight steps for large scale change Bridges (2003) Managing Transitions Leading people through the difficulties of change Fullan (2006) The Six Secrets of Change

39. Literature Review Superintendent leadership and school district reorganization Heifetz and Laurie (1997) “Changes in societies, markets, customers, competition and technology around the globe are forcing organizations to clarify their values, develop new strategies, and learn new ways of operating. Often the toughest task for leaders in effecting change is mobilizing people throughout the organization to do adaptive work” (p. 124).

40. Literature Review • Superintendent leadership and school district reorganization • Johnson (1996) “In developing a capacity for meaningful change, superintendents must exercise not only educational leadership but political and managerial leadership as well. As political leaders, superintendents must discern patterns of power and influence in their constituents’ struggle for greater control of resources, and they must work on behalf of schools to secure sufficient funding and maintain control locally over important educational decisions” (p. 150).

41. Participants Selection Process Worked with Ms. Suzanne Spear and the Office of School District Organization to select districts in NYS that had been successful in the reorganization process and any districts that failed to merge or be annexed. Data Collection Interviews were conducted with each of the participants. 6 board of education members 6 superintendents

42. Findings R.Q. #1. The issue of scarce resources Declining enrollment Inability to provide certain academic programs Lack of state aid Lack of qualified/certified teachers Increasing costs-per-pupil Loss of tax base Increase in property taxes

43. Findings R.Q. #2 Reorganization through the lens of Kotter’s change model Kotter’s eight step change model - Creating a sense of urgency - Building a guiding team - Creating a vision - Communicating for buy-in - Empowering action - Creating short-term wins - Don’t let up - Make change stick

44. R. Q. #2 Reorganization through the lens of Kotter’s change model

45. Findings R.Q. #3. The leadership role of the superintendent in school district reorganization Superintendents created the sense of urgency Superintendents helped to articulate the vision Superintendents assumed a lead role in researching possibilities with contiguous school districts Superintendents guided their boards of education in considering options associated with scarce resources Superintendents communicated the importance of reorganization

46. Findings R.Q. #3. The leadership role of the superintendent in school district reorganization Superintendents were instrumental in facilitating the transition Superintendents with longevity have more credibility with their communities Superintendents continued the process with a sense of “servant leadership” in spite of potential job loss

47. Findings R.Q. #3. The leadership role of the superintendent in school district reorganization Other leadership roles Board of education members Helped to create a sense of urgency Helped to create a vision for the future Community members Helped to facilitate communicating for buy-in

48. Findings R.Q. #3. The leadership role of the superintendent in school district reorganization Other leadership roles (continued) Students - Students in both the efforts 1 and 2 played an important role in bringing the two school communities together Helped to create a vision for the future. - Students in effort # 3 were not included in the process.

49. Final thoughts regarding options When this researcher interviewed the superintendent and board president of the smaller district in the reorganization effort # 3, charts of paper were posted on the walls of the superintendent’s office. They were ideas that were being explored in the aftermath of the defeat of the proposed merger with the neighboring larger district. The last statement on these charts was: “Will we survive?”

50. RECOMMENDATIONS