Assessing Board Effectiveness - Resources for Boards of Trustees Self-Evaluation

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

Resources for boards of trustees self-evaluation provide a structured approach to assess board effectiveness in California community colleges. The guide explains how board self-evaluation supports governance beyond election outcomes, outlines the overall evaluation process, and details methods including surveys, interviews, and informal discussion. It defines evaluation criteria such as annual board priorities, development goals, performance standards, accreditation standards, and individual trustee knowledge and skills, with sample survey materials and an item bank to support implementation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Relationship to CEO Evaluation

Accreditation Standard

Purpose and Outcomes

Evaluation Process

Surveys

Interviews

Informal Discussion

Designing the Evaluation Process

Board Policy

Who participates in the board’s self-evaluation?

Evaluation Discussion

The Report

Conducting the Survey

Role of Consultants

Evaluation Criteria

Annual Board Priorities and Tasks

Board Development Goals

Board Performance Standards

Accreditation Standards

Individual Trustee Performance

Summary

Survey Samples

Sample 1: Evaluation of Progress on Board Priorities and Tasks

Sample 2: Board Performance Standards

Sample 3: Evaluation Criteria for College Constituents

Sample 4: Accreditation Standards as Criteria

Open-Ended Questions

Board Effectiveness Criteria Item Bank

Assessing Trustee Knowledge and Skills

Additional Resources

Community College League of California ASSESSING BOARD EFFECTIVENESS Resources for Boards of Trustees Self-Evaluation By Cindra Smith, Ed. D. [cindrasmith@comcast.net](cindrasmith@comcast.net) Published by Community College League of California [www.ccleague.org](www.ccleague.org) Updated June 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................. 4 Relationship to CEO Evaluation ................................................................................. 4 Accreditation Standard ............................................................................................... 5 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................................ 5 EVALUATION PROCESS ................................................................................................................................. 6 Surveys .......................................................................................................................... 6 Interviews .................................................................................................................... 7 Informal Discussion ..................................................................................................... 7 DESIGNING THE EVALUATION PROCESS............................................................................................... 7 Board Policy .................................................................................................................. 7 Who participates in the board’s self-evaluation? ..................................................... 8 Evaluation Discussion ................................................................................................. 9 The Report.................................................................................................................... 9 Conducting the Survey ................................................................................................ 9 Role of Consultants...................................................................................................... 9 EVALUATION CRITERIA .............................................................................................................................. 10 Annual Board Priorities and Tasks............................................................................ 10 Board Development Goals ........................................................................................ 11 Board Performance Standards ................................................................................. 12 Accreditation Standards............................................................................................ 14 INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE PERFORMANCE................................................................................................. 14 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 SURVEY SAMPLES .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Sample 1: Evaluation of Progress on Board Priorities and Tasks .......................... 16 Sample 2: Board Performance Standards ............................................................... 18 Sample 3: Evaluation Criteria for College Constituents........................................ 20 Sample 4: Accreditation Standards as Criteria ...................................................... 22 Open-Ended Questions ............................................................................................. 24 Board Effectiveness Criteria Item Bank ......................................................

FAQs

Why should a governing board conduct ongoing self-evaluation rather than relying on election feedback?

Election outcomes only provide limited yes/no signals and do not clarify the underlying reasons. Self-evaluation gives the board continuous information about its specific roles and responsibilities so performance can be assessed and improved.

What methods does the evaluation process include?

The process includes surveys, interviews, and informal discussion. It is designed to evaluate how the board, as a unit, collectively governs the district.

What evaluation criteria are used in the board and trustee assessment?

Criteria include annual board priorities and tasks, board development goals, board performance standards, accreditation standards, and individual trustee knowledge and skills. The guide also provides sample survey materials and a criteria item bank.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob