Learning Needs of School Board Presidents in the Central Region.

This study sought to determine whether school boards from central region states with aggressive legislative education reform initiatives differ from school boards from nonreform states. Reform states, defined as states that have enacted statewide choice legislation, included Ohio, Minnesota, and Iowa. Nonreform states were Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. The study described school board members based on the perceptions of school board presidents and explained differences between school board presidents from reform and nonreform states based on common legally mandated learning areas, sources of learning, group dimensions, and other demographics. The study found that school boards from reform and nonreform states do not differ with respect to learning, group relations, educational reform, district wealth, district size, or school board size. School board members learned to do their jobs primarily from the district superintendent or on the job. School board presidents were interested more in learning how to do their jobs and the impact of reform than they were about group relations. Recommendations are provided for school board members, superintendents, legislators, and other school personnel. (Contains 23 references.) (JDD)