The SAIS Governance Health Check measures how well the board executes on its commitment to best practices in independent school governance in its day-to-day work within the five domains of board governance: roles and responsibilities, structure and operations, culture, board-head partnership, and strategic mindset.

SAIS schools should bear in mind that good governance is a part of accreditation. The relevant standards and indicators and the governance questions asked at the pre-accreditation visit are linked below.

For background on best practices for independent school boards, see these short SAIS videos as well as the NAIS Principles of Good Practice for Boards of Trustees and Individual Trustees.

Overview of Survey Topics

Roles and ResponsibilitiesMission, vision, values, strategic priorities, evaluation of head, board performance review, budgeting process, personal giving, and donor cultivation.
Structure and OperationsRecruitment and appointment of board members, trustee orientation, meeting attendance, professional development, respect, diversity, bylaws review, and term limits.
CultureDecision making, alignment, discussions, diversity, and support for decisions.
Board-Head PartnershipSupport, success, and trust of the head, head’s vision, and school information and developments.
Strategic MindsetMission alignment, allocation of time, long range planning, opportunities and challenges, strategic thinking and planning, and suspension of personal agendas.

Schools receive an aggregate report of their information; no personal information is recorded.

The SAIS member price for the governance survey is $175, or it is included when you schedule a governance workshop for your school. Non-member schools may deploy the survey for $250. Please note that the survey must be ordered at least ten (10) days prior to the deployment date. Governance workshop dates fill months in advance, please see the link below for availability.

For more info, contact surveys@sais.org.