Staff Contacts
- Phil Gore
Director of Leadership Development Services
- 800.562.8927 or 360.252.3020
The Washington School Board Standards are intended for use by local school boards and individual directors as a common framework for school board governance. Two sets of standards were developed to encourage school boards and individual school directors to subscribe to the highest levels of professional and personal conduct and performance.
Developed by a WSSDA task force and approved by the WSSDA Board of Directors, these voluntary standards identify the elements of good governance and effective board leadership as drawn from best practices and current research. They provide shared understanding of what constitutes good governance. They also validate and affirm the importance of the school board’s role in ensuring student success.
One set of standards address the school board’s leadership role in governing through researched best practices that are proven to promote high levels of district and student performance. Areas covered include responsible governance, expectations for student learning, conditions for student and staff success, accountability, and community engagement.
The other set addresses professional standards for individual school directors. Areas covered include values and ethical behavior, leadership, communication, growth and learning, and accountability.
Use the links to view and download the standards. Also included is information on how the standards were developed and how they can be put into practice.