SCHOOL-BOARD MEMBER ROLE EXPECTATIONS IN MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT EDUCATIONAL-PROGRAMS - DO SIZE OF SCHOOL AND REGION OF COUNTRY MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role expectations of school board members when confronted with decisions about curriculu m and social programs and to gain insights into how they make these de cisions. A national sample of 293 school board members responded to a survey asking what role they might expect to play in program decisions , the role of community members in decision making, the status of supe rintendent recommendations, and who board members would consult in mak ing decisions. Of major interest was whether the size of the school di strict and the region of the country were related to role expectations and decision processes. Results indicated that region and size intera cted to affect perceptions of community involvement, that size of scho ol affected status of superintendent recommendations, and that region of the country was related to responses on all variables.