School Board Governance in Denmark

• In Event: International School Boards in the Governance Process

Abstract

Objectives: The Danish state is successively moving towards Global competition and European Collaboration so many changes are being made on public sectors and on governing public sectors. Relations between state and institutions are transformed from democratic, public sector governance towards business-like, market place relations. New forms on governance are emerging. Another important change is the trend towards treating schools as freestanding, self-governing institutions that are governed directly from the ministry and not indirectly through municipalities. Simultaneously municipal administration is changing from broad and flat organizations into steeper hierarchies. This three-layered corporate model, in which power is made more hierarchical but less subject or cause oriented, is by some seen as professionalization. Methods, Data Sources: Researchers formed a collaboration with Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the United States. The researchers met over two years to create an International Governance Survey. The re-cultured survey was administered to all school board members in the country.
Results: Results across countries were compared and data trends were noted. Emerging themes across countries were developed and implications and recommendations for (a) control and trust, (b) power and influence, (c) quality assurance and satisfaction (d) politics, administration and professionalism, (e) democracy and ‘member knowledge’, (e) management and leadership, (f) multi-level governance, and (g) school board and superintendent relations was compared between Denmark and the other countries in the study.
Significance: Study findings provide evidence to address a variety of issues currently being debated in all countries regarding school governance. These include democracy, leadership, quality assurance, and power and influence. Findings and emerging themes across the participating countries in the study allow for improving school governance models in multiple countries.

Authors

• Lejf Moos, Department of Education, Aarhus University

• Klaus Kasper Kofod, Aarhus University - School of Education