The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of two rural consolidated districts through the consolidation process, as well as board effectiveness (post consolidation), in actions using relevant behaviors taken from elements in Smoley’s survey. The six behavior categories of Smoley’s survey include: Making Decisions, Connecting with the community, Functioning as a Group, Working Toward Board Improvement, Exercising Authority and Strategic Planning. The goal of this study was to determine what factors may have contributed to effective behaviors of board members within each of the six categories of Smoley’s model within consolidated rural school districts.
Two consolidated rural school districts scoring the highest overall effective score using Smoley’s Board Member Self-Assessment Survey were selected. The results of the survey, observations of board meetings, review of records and intensive interviews revealed the two districts experienced consolidation in very different ways. However, even with these differences the data showed the emergence of four consistent themes which may have contributed to effective behaviors in Smoley’s behavioral categories. These factors included building relationships, establishing communication, heightening accountability, and leadership of the superintendent.