Coding Definitions | Effective School Boards

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Coding Definitions

Meeting Phase
Participants
Outcomes
Topics

COVID-19
Evidence Use
Evidence Use > Data Viewing
Evidence Use > Research / Research-based Practices
Governance
Governance > Collective Bargaining
Governance > Goal Monitoring
Governance > Goal Setting
Governance > School Board Policy
Governance > Superintendent Employment
Governance > Superintendent Evaluation
Meeting Logistics
Meeting Logistics > Agenda Change
Meeting Logistics > Consent Agenda
Meeting Logistics > School Board Schedule
Recognitions
Operations
Operations > Calendar
Operations > Human Resources
Operations > Human Resources > Compensation
Operations > Human Resources > Performance Evaluation
Operations > Human Resources > Retention / Hiring
Operations > Human Resources > Teacher Job Duties
Operations > Human Resources > Working Conditions
Operations > Managerial Leadership
Operations > Managerial Leadership > District Administrative Organization
Operations > Managerial Leadership > Managerial / Operational Goals
Operations > Managerial Leadership > Strategic Planning
Physical & Financial Assets
Physical & Financial Assets > Infrastructure
Physical & Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Library
Physical & Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Physical Environment
Physical & Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Technology
Physical & Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Transportation
Physical & Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures
Physical & Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Contracting / Procurement
Physical & Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Enrollment / Student Count / Overage Adjustments
Physical & Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Finances / Budget
Physical & Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Fund / Donation Acceptance / Approval
Policy / Politics
Policy / Politics > Law / Policy
Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > Litigation
Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > Lobbying / Advocacy
Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > National / Statewide Politics / Policy
Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > Policy Compliance / Audit
Policy / Politics > Social Issues
Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Climate Change
Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Criminal Justice
Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Gender / Sexuality
Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Gun Control
Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Racism
Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Other Social Issues
Racial and Class Equity / Justice
School Programming and Engagement
School Programming and Engagement > Curriculum and Instruction
School Programming and Engagement > Parent / Community Engagement
School Programming and Engagement > Professional Development
School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations
School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations > English Learners
School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations > Gifted and Talented
School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations > Special Education
School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools
School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Career and Technical Education
School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Charter Schools
School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Early-Childhood Education
School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Magnet Schools
School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Tutoring / Summer School
School Programming and Engagement > Sports / Extracurriculars
School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement
School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Course Grades
School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Promotion / Retention / Graduation
School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Standardized Testing
School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Student Performance
School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being
School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Attendance / Truancy
School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Student Discipline
School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Student Health and Safety
School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Student Nutrition
Unknown Topic

Definitions: Meeting Phase

Main Meeting Items
This refers to anything that is not public comment or meeting opening/closing. It includes board discussions, board comments, votes, and presentations. It also includes presentations to recognize people/things and board member reports. When coding this meeting phase, indicate the approximate share of time (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) that the board was listening to a presentation or report and the remaining share that the board was discussing or debating. For example, if the board listened to a presentation half the time and asked questions half the time, this would be coded as 50% listening and 50% engaging. If a board member is the one giving the presentation or report and the other board members are silently listening, this would qualify as "listening."

Opening / Closing
The opening includes the call to order, attendance roll call, establishment of quorum, pledge of allegiance, reading of district mission statement, or any other non-substantive ritual that is repeated at the beginning of every meeting. The closing takes place at the end of the meeting after all of the agendized items have been covered. It may include a period of announcements from individual board members, consideration of a motion to adjourn or adjourn to a closed session, or something similar. This may also include transitions to and from recess or to and from closed session.

Announcements
General board announcements, typically done at the end of meetings, when board members are allowed to share non-agenda announcements or updates (e.g., meetings/events they have attended as a board member).

Public Comment
Related to an official public comment period, whether about agendized or non-agendized items. This is sometimes referred to as Hearing of Citizens, Community Comments, or similar titles.

Reading of Public Comments
When public comments are read by a board member or representative, rather than spoken directly by members of the public.

Definitions: Participants

Board Member
Participant is a current member of the school board

Other School District Employee
Participant is employed by the school district. Includes people employed in schools and the central office.

Parent
Participant recognized as a parent with children in the school district

Student
Participant is recognized as a current student in the school district

Superintendent
Participant is the superintendent of the school district

Group/Organization Representative
Participant represents any kind of organization (e.g., unions, support organizations, non-profits etc.)

Unknown
The main identity of the participant is not known by the coder.

Other, Please Specify

Definitions: Outcomes

Full Passage
All motions passed (which includes if there was only one vote and it passed).

Partial Passage
There are multiple motions on a single agenda item and some pass while others do not.

Full Failure
All motions failed (which includes if there was only one motion and it failed).

No Vote
Nothing was put up for vote during this item.

Skipped
The agenda item was acknowledged but then skipped.

Definitions: Topics

COVID-19
Related to COVID-19 pandemic, including mentioning of COVID-19 related safety measures, health, education, opening/closing, policy/politics

Evidence Use
Topics related to evidence use that are not clearly either data viewing or research-based practices.

Evidence Use > Data Viewing
Viewing or discussing any kind of data, whether student-related, financial, infrastructure-related, community-related, national etc. that is not goal monitoring.

  • Questions or expressed skepticism about the data surrounding a discussion
  • Proposal or suggestion to review data to support future decisions
  • Recognition of a lack of data as a barrier to effective decision-making
  • Reference to specific or non-specific data as supporting a discussion
  • Presentation of evidence from data, interviews, focus groups, or other data collections (including invited presentations of outcomes and experiences from staff and students)

Evidence Use > Research / Research-Based Practices
A discussion or presentation that involves any one of the following elements. The core definition here is that a discussion will be considered “evidence-relevant” as long as verifiable statements about the state of schools, policy, or existing research base are referenced in discussion.

  • Questions or expressed skepticism about the research surrounding a discussion
  • Proposal or suggestion to review research to support future decisions
  • Recognition of a lack of research as a barrier to effective decision-making
  • Reference to specific or non-specific research as supporting a discussion
  • Presentation of research findings

Governance
Topics explicitly related to school board governance but that don’t include goal setting, goal monitoring, supt employment, or supt evaluation

Governance > Collective Bargaining
Related to contracts with labor groups. These could be academic staff (e.g., teacher) or other district employees (e.g., bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria worker).

Governance > Goal Monitoring
Monitoring progress on student outcomes in alignment with a board-adopted goal. These discussions must 1) explicitly focus on student outcomes (defined as things students can think and do) ; 2) be in alignment with a specific board-adopted goal; and 3) leverage data to assess progress towards the goal.

Governance > Goal Setting
Time focused on the creation or revision of school board-adopted goals.

Governance > School Board Policy
Standing board policies, bylaws, board-adopted strategic plans or goals or other governance documents. To qualify in this category, the policy should be a standing one. (A policy for a single meeting should be coded as meeting logistics.)

Governance > Superintendent Employment
Related to the recruitment, hiring, continuation/contract renewal and/or firing processes of the superintendent, and the contract that a superintendent receives

Governance > Superintendent Evaluation
Related to frequency and type, as well as results, of superintendent evaluation by school board

Meeting Logistics
Related to meeting procedures or logics. This could include extending the adjournment time, moving around items on the agenda, controversy over adherence with parliamentary procedures, appropriateness of adjourning to closed session, or selection of presiding meeting chair.

Meeting Logistics > Agenda Change
When an item or items on the agenda are added, removed, or changed

Meeting Logistics > Consent Agenda
A vote on the formal (i.e., planned to be taken together by board in advance) consent agenda, which is typically a package of uncontroversial agenda items that are consented by the board to be considered as a block rather than being voted on individually. Also includes discussion and/or vote on an item that was originally part of the formal (i.e., planned to be taken together by board in advance) consent agenda but was removed for individual consideration by the board. This also includes a vote on an informal (i.e., not planned to be taken together by the board in advance) consent agenda. This item does not need to be called "consent agenda" on the agenda or in the meeting to qualify.

Meeting Logistics > School Board Schedule
Discussion or voting on planned schedule of board meetings, committee meetings, retreats, training sessions, or other collective events.

Operations
Related to high-level issues of running the day-to-day operations of a school district

Operations > Managerial Leadership
General discussion related to district operational goals, broad visioning exercises, or drafting of mission and vision statements.

Operations > Managerial Leadership > District Administrative Organization
Related to the organization of central office personnel (e.g., reporting relationships between different officials, district organization charts, how district schools are grouped together for reporting and oversight purposes such as “area superintendents,” etc.)

Operations > Managerial Leadership > Managerial / Operational Goals
General discussion related to district operational goals (set by the staff, not the board).

Operations > Managerial Leadership > Reorganization
Addresses questions of major reorganization (consolidating departments, eliminating entire categories of employees or functions), or outsourcing specific services.

Operations > Managerial Leadership > Strategic Planning
General discussion related to strategic planning or long term vision.

Operations > Calendar
Related to the scheduling or calendar of school operations (not board meeting calendar). Includes discussions of the beginning or end of school year, timing for breaks, timing of days off for professional development, etc. Also includes discussions of calendar related to a natural disaster, weather days, COVID-19 opening/closing, etc.

Operations > Human Resources
Related to personnel as an asset to the district, including their hiring, firing evaluation, contract requirements, training, and/or salary & benefits

Operations > Human Resources > Compensation
Related to any type of compensation, include take-home pay of employees, non-salary compensation (e.g., health benefits, vision benefits, dental benefits, disability benefits, medical leave, parental leave, disability), and benefits employees receive after retirement, including pensions, 401(k), Social Security or Medicare eligibility, and retiree healthcare.

Operations > Human Resources > Performance Evaluation
Related to evaluating the performance of district employees (other than those employees who report directly to the school board)

Operations > Human Resources > Retention / Hiring
Related to hiring of new district employees or retention of existing employees. This could be about individual people (e.g., hiring or retirement of administrator) or categories of employees. Discussion of mass layoffs would also fall in this category.

Operations > Human Resources > Teacher Job Duties
Related to teachers fulfilling their job duties as outlined in their contract, including teacher attendance and behavior (in school only).

Operations > Human Resources > Working Conditions
Related to conditions on the job.

Physical and Financial Assets > Infrastructure
Related to physical plant (new construction or ongoing maintenance needs), physical environment, or district-owned assets (e.g., buses, food production/processing plants, vehicle repair facilities). Could involve present needs or planned investments (e.g., resolution placing a bond on the ballot).

Physical and Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Library
Related to libraries, including books purchased within libraries

Physical and Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Physical Environment
Related to the physical buildings, classrooms and/or environment (e.g., athletic fields, landscaping) of the district, including the indoor environment of the school (e.g., air conditioning, age of materials)

Physical and Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Technology
Related to technology owned by district, or technology for which there is a contract with the district, including computers/laptops, mobile devices, internet access, smart boards, etc.

Physical and Financial Assets > Infrastructure > Transportation
Related to school-owned transportation vehicles such as buses, vans, cars

Physical and Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures
Related to either sources or levels of money coming into the district (e.g., property appraisals, property tax collections, budgetary impact of enrollment changes) or going out (specific procurements/contracts). This could include budgetary impact of collective bargaining agreements or discussion about how to close budget shortfalls.

Physical and Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Contracting / Procurement
Related to putting out, reviewing proposals for work to be done within/on the school through a contract with an outside entity; and the selection process for contractors

Physical and Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Enrollment / Student Count / Overage Adjustments
Related to student enrollment numbers, student count days, and funding formulas related to per-pupil enrollment

Physical and Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Finances / Budget
General conversations about school revenues, expenditures, and proposed budget. Includes conversations related to property valuation, taxes, property abatement requests/approvals/denials, and to going to the voters about a local taxed-based funding stream.

Physical and Financial Assets > Revenue / Expenditures > Fund / Donation Acceptance / Approval
Related to receiving a donation from an individual, group, entity, organization, etc.. Does not include government-related funds.

Policy / Politics
Related to laws, legal opinions, lobbying, government audits or state/national political events or policies.

Policy / Politics > Law / Policy
Related to statutory requirements or changes, relevant court rulings or legal opinion. Could focus on compliance with current requirements or discussion of future changes (aspirational or upcoming). Also includes discussions of lobbying to influence policy.

Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > Lobbying / Advocacy
Related to lobbying efforts (focused either on policy or funding) on the part of the school board or other actors (e.g., teachers’ unions) or informal advocacy on education-related issues. Does not describe lobbying or advocacy occurring during a meeting, but rather a discussion of these actions occurring outside a meeting. Lobbying is defined as any effort to influence policy by meeting or communicating directly with policymakers. Advocacy also includes other types of influence-seeking efforts, like signing petitions, protesting etc.

Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > Litigation
Related to legal proceedings within the court system and lawsuits involving the district, district officials, and personnel

Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > Policy Compliance / Audit
Related to independent, local, state, and/or federal audits; and/or related to alignment with local, state, and/or federal laws, status, administrative policies, rules, or regulations

Policy / Politics > Law / Policy > National / Statewide Politics / Policy
Related to state or national political events, movements, policy reform such as elections, ramifications of elections, introductions/passage/existence of legislation. May include policy and regulations directly related to schools (like ESSA, funding or teacher evaluation laws) or issues not directly related, like gun control, etc, but not involving audits/compliance.

Policy / Politics > Social Issues
Related to salient national social or political events (e.g., climate change, gun control or gun violence, police violence/BLM, criminal justice, gender or sexuality issues).

Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Criminal Justice
Related to criminal justice, including police, incarceration, the judicial system, the school-to-prison pipeline, etc. Does not include discussions of crime without a social justice dimension.

Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Climate Change
Related to climate change, whether within schools, locally, or nationally

Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Gender / Sexuality
Related to gender, gender-identity, and sexuality, including issues impacting LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and the community, either in schools, the district, the local community, or nationally

Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Gun Control
Related to gun issues and gun control laws and policy, whether within schools, the district, the local community, or nationally

Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Racism
Related to racism in the local community, in the state, or nationally. If the discussion is about racism in the school, instead select "Racial and Class Equity / Justice."

Policy / Politics > Social Issues > Other Social Issues
Related to other broad social issues (beside criminal justice, climate change, gender/sexuality, gun control, and racism)

Racial and Class Equity / Justice
A discussion of school board or district decisions that involved any one of the following elements. The focus here is on racial and class equity to align with current trends in research as well as to simplify the coding for this first round of data collection. The core definition here is that a discussion will be considered “equity-relevant” as long as there is a dedicated discussion of inequities and injustice, either as statements of problems or as justifications for proposed solutions.

  • Questions or statements about disparate outcomes or experiences of students of different racial and class identities
  • Discussion of demographic information
  • Discussion of programs aimed at addressing disparate outcomes or experiences, when the aims are explicitly stated as a part of discussion
  • Consideration of board’s previous, current, or future decision-making patterns that contribute to racial and class inequities
  • Discussion of representation of racial minorities among district staff
  • Discussion of access of racial minorities and low income community members to the school board and other systems of power
  • Programs or concerns related to and explicit bias among staff and board members
  • Discussion of multicultural and ethnic studies curricula
  • Discussion of programs explicitly targeted to low income students and/or students who are racial minorities

Recognitions
Recognition of accomplishments, retirements, athletic championships, or other noteworthy events, occasions, and contributions. Can include recognitions related to district or general recognitions related to national or seasonal issues (e.g., Black History Month resolution). Recognition could be led by a board member, superintendent or administrator, or another district employee. May be formal or informal. May or may not be part of the meeting agenda.

School Programming and Engagement
Related to school curriculum and instruction, professional development, student well-being, student achievement, special programs and schools, sports and extracurriculars, special student populations, and parents/community engagement.

School Programming and Engagement > Curriculum and Instruction
Related to issues related to pedagogy or other policies and practices that impact student learning. This may include issues related to human capital (such as professional training and development of teachers and district academic leaders), school learning materials (textbooks, online platforms, supplies, social-emotional learning curriculum, learning technology, or assignments), or general policies (governing class sizes, academic programming, grading policies, learning standards etc.).

School Programming and Engagement > Parent / Community Engagement
Related to community engagement efforts, activities, or events, responses to specific parent complaints, or joint efforts with community groups and other organizations. Includes activities, initiatives, events, or communications meant to encourage parental engagement as well as the level, occurrence, or mention of parental engagement in general. Also includes any sort of engagement with community groups, nonprofits, businesses, or the community as a whole.

School Programming and Engagement > Professional Development
Related to professional learning designed to enhance the skills of educators

School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations
Related to specific students (not specific programs targeting these students), including special education, English learners, gifted and talented, racial or ethnic subgroups, chronic absentee students, etc.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations > English Learners
Related to children learning English as a second language, including both children with official language-learner classification and those without.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations > Gifted and Talented
Related to gifted and talented programs

School Programming and Engagement > Special Populations > Special Education
Related to children with learning disabilities, whether officially classified with IEP, 504 plans or not yet officially classified

School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools
Related to programs targeting specific student populations (Title I eligible, charter or private school students, career and technical education students, pre-k programs). Note that this category is specific to programs (not student subgroups targeted by these programs); use next category to code discussion of students that are not tied to specific, clearly identified programs.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Career and Technical Education
Related to Career and Technical Education, including discussion of specific programs, students involved in such programs as well as the career and technical impacts of programs not explicitly classified as CTE.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Charter Schools
Related to the discussion of charter schools/including the authorization of charter schools.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Early-Childhood Education
Related to early-childhood education programs, needs, or topics.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Magnet Schools
Related to magnet schools.

School Programming and Engagement > Special Programs / Schools > Tutoring / Summer School
Related to tutoring outside of school, by school employees or other actors, as well as summer school programs within or outside of the district.

School Programming and Engagement > Sports / Extracurriculars
Related to extracurricular programs that occur before, during or after school (physical education, team sports, varsity and junior varsity sports, after-school programs, drama/theater, student clubs, tutoring). Also includes events outside of the regular school routine, including book fairs, guest speakers or performances, college visits, etc.

School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement
Related to specific, expressly defined student achievement outcomes. These outcomes may be quantitative (e.g., percent of students proficient) or qualitative (portfolios demonstrating mastery). Use this category for cognitive/academic outcomes focused on either achievement or attainment/progress toward degrees only.

School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Course Grades
Related to the discussion/presentation of course grades or grading policies

School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Promotion / Retention / Graduation
Related to the promotion/retention/or graduation of students

School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Standardized Testing
Related to the discussion/presentation of standardized testing or standardized testing results.

School Programming and Engagement > Student Achievement > Student Performance
References to student academic performance, more generally.

School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being
Discussion or votes on issues related to students that are not specifically cognitive or academic in nature. This may include student nutrition, physical health and safety.

School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Attendance / Truancy
Related to student attendance or absenteeism (chronic or regular), and programs designed to improve student attendance (e.g., text campaigns to parents, etc.).

School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Student Discipline
Related to detention, suspension (in-school or at home), expulsion or other informal forms of discipline dispensed either by classroom teachers or school administrators.

School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Student Health and Safety
Related to physical and mental health safety, including while at school or traveling to/from school. May include discussion of health services provided at school (e.g., immunizations, vision or hearing screenings) or through district partners (e.g., mobile clinics).

School Programming and Engagement > Student Well-Being > Student Nutrition
Related to school meals or other school-provided food products or programs designed to address student nutritional needs (e.g, free lunch programs, summer meal distributions, pandemic EBT, etc.)

Unknown Topic
Coder is uncertain on the topic for the incident but has an informed guess.