DBHawley

Resources

This resources page includes references to good practice in school leadership and governance. Aligning with these can contribute to the stability and flourishing of the school, its leadership and governance and, ultimately, students. Many of the frameworks for workshops, retreats and coaching are derived from these resources, tailored to the needs of the school and its leaders. This resources page also includes links to research that I am engaged in as well as books, articles and podcasts that I have found made me think in the area of leadership, governance and education for the 21st century and beyond.

Tools and Templates for Boards, Owners and School Heads A collection of practical resources for meetings, retreats, planning and continuous improvement.

BOOKLET:

ECIS Governance Foundations for International Schools, from Principles to Practice - A practical guide for boards, owners, chairs, and Heads. This is a twenty-four page booklet developed as a companion guide for the ECIS Governance Foundations full-day workshop. Note: for a nominal fee and with quick turnaround, this booklet can be tailored to your school, in line with its history, governance model and bylaws. This can then be printed and shared as a pocket reference guide for all board members to be aligned with accreditation standards and good governance practices. Contact me at David@DBHawley.ca.

TEMPLATES:

Annual Board Calendar - A typical rhythm of governance work across the school year

Board Meeting Agenda - A practical template for focused, prepared board meetings

Board Member Essential Agreements - A simple annual conversation about how we agree to serve together

Board Paper / Decision Brief - A simple template for concise, decision-ready board papers

Board Self-evaluation - A simple annual process for reviewing board effectiveness and continuous improvement

Decision Log and Actions Tracker - A simple tool for recording decisions, follow-up and future agenda items

Delegation of Authority Map - A practical template for clarifying who decides what

Head Support and Evaluation Cycle - A simple annual rhythm for support, feedback and no-surprises evaluation.

ACTIVITY: (with the Head of School)

Watch this two minute video on "What Makes a Great Leader" - After watching the video, the head of school can use this prompt for discussion: "What are some examples where you are willing to be a safety net for me to take courageous action?" Best if you can use an actual example so the discussion is about something specific not theoretical.

Research Research related to the factors that influence head of school longevity.

How long do international school heads really stay—and what helps some thrive beyond the average? Quantitative findings from a survey of 142 international school heads conducted in 2025-26 exploring details about the governance of each school. This is the largest data set collected to date with this level of granularity on international school governance provided by the head of school.

How Long do International School Heads Survive?, Hawley A Research Analysis Part 1, and Part 2. The answer: only 2.8 years. And most leave due for some reason connected to the governing body of the school. This is the seminal study on international school head longevity covering the period 1980-1990.

Chief Administrator Turnover in International Schools, Benson 2011. This research suggests turnover, a somewhat different measure of head longevity, is about 3.7 years. An excerpt from the summary: "School board issues, however, are still the primary reason why chief administrators move on to another school, although career considerations also rank very highly in the decision-making process. Even where chief administrators moved to their current position for career-based reasons, a board-related reason for departure was regularly mentioned. More specifically, the same two school board-related reasons found by Hawley (1995) – changes in board composition and micromanaging – are still the most significant reasons for chief administrator dissatisfaction with school boards."

AAIE The Association for the Advancement of International Education - Good Governance Project

AAIE has partnered with the US Office of Overseas Schools to create a collection of resources for member schools. These resources were developed by experienced heads and board chairs, guided by research, in response to their finding that:

"boards and school heads in “high-achieving schools” come together to create a strong working relationship, where shared vision and action over time promotes continuous improvement– guided by high-quality board policies, procedures and strategic intent."

And further assert that:

"Board trustees and head of school form the single most important team within a school. If the school head and board team are not in harmony and productive, then all other functions across a school are compromised."

The project has led to the development of the LEADING TOGETHER CURRICULUM, a practical, hands-on governance development curriculum for Head of School/Board Chair teams and THE BOARD DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM, a concise yet comprehensive guide to the responsibilities of an International School Board of Trustees. Reading through the table of contents of each of these curricula can give heads and chairs an opportunity to reflect on areas of expertise that they have developed and those areas that are not yet fully developed and that might be areas for coaching or mentoring.

Link to AAIE

BoardSource An essential resource for every nonprofit board.

BoardSource is considered one of the best resources for non-profit boards. All of the members of DBH EduConsulting have completed the BoardSource Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education and use their resources adapted to the unique needs of each head of school and board with whom they work. Here is a sample resource book on building the governance partnership.

Link to BoardSource website.

NAIS The National Association of Independent Schools principles of good practice.

The NAIS Principles of Good Practice define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of independent school operations. These include principles of good practice for boards, the individual trustee, the head of school and many other areas. In addition, NAIS serves international schools worldwide and has published an International Trustee Handbook for schools outside the United States. Many schools use these resources as a benchmark. The founder of DBH Consulting has worked closely with NAIS and received the NAIS Leading Edge Award for Curriculum Innovation in dual language education while serving as Head of Atlanta International School.

Link to NAIS website

Books & Articles References useful for leadership and governance with an emphasis on transitions and current trends

The First 90 Days, Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Michael D. Watson -
A good resource for the creation of an entry plan for a head new to a school. I have used this myself and have coached several principals on adapting this to a school setting. From the website: "Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success."

The Great Board Reboot, Board members open up on changing roles and expectations, Financial Times

Most school boards include members who are themselves senior leaders from a variety of businesses and organizations, both for profit and non-profit. This 2024 report from the Financial times captures trends relevant to all boards in language that may be more familiar to those working outside the world of schools.

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