SAIS Governance Health Index

With governance challenges on the rise across the independent school landscape, SAIS set out during the 2024–2025 school year to address a timely and complex question: How might we design a governance framework that strengthens organizational health in a changing educational landscape?

In November 2024, we convened a Governance Summit with 23 heads representing a range of schools in our association—geography, school size, student demographics, mission, and educational philosophy. Through a design thinking challenge, these leaders generated four governance prototypes, each exploring new possibilities for board effectiveness, head-board partnership, and strategic alignment.

As a result of this generative process, four governance prototypes emerged—each offering a different lens on how boards and heads could lead with greater alignment, resilience, and strategic clarity. From these prototypes, the Governance Health Index (GHI) was born. The GHI identifies six core competencies essential for healthy governance: Collaborative Leadership, Community Engagement, Strategic Direction, Talent Cultivation, Shared Accountability, and Adaptive Innovation.

To ensure broad applicability and practical value, the GHI was tested with a representative sample of SAIS board chairs and ultimately refined with input from both the SAIS board of trustees and staff. The result is not a static rubric, but a growth model and diagnostic dashboard—a tool that allows governance teams to assess where they are now and chart a path forward. Each competency is accompanied by a developmental continuum, guiding boards and heads from disconnection to optimization in their leadership practice.

Ultimately, the Governance Health Index provides a shared language and structure for strategic reflection, performance review, and board development. In a time marked by complexity and change, it offers a forward-thinking, mission-aligned framework to help boards and heads lead with clarity, coherence, and purpose.

Dr. Brett Jacobsen
SAIS President

Governance Health Index Framework

The Governance Health Index Framework is a comprehensive resource, amplifying six governance competencies while clarifying the respective roles of the head and board of trustees for each. Designed to facilitate meaningful board development, it provides key questions and topics to consider, along with structured discussion frameworks that promote purposeful, in-depth conversations.

Each section integrates fictional board scenarios to illustrate challenges and opportunities, helping trustees practice critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving. The framework also allows space for board self-reflection, ensuring teams can assess their own effectiveness within each competency. By translating governance principles into actionable strategies, it equips boards to strengthen institutional leadership, improve decision-making, and navigate complex educational leadership challenges with clarity and alignment.

The Governance Health Index guide is complimentary for SAIS members. Non-members may purchase the guide.

Download (SAIS Members)

Purchase (Non-Member Schools)

Core Competencies

Collaborative Leadership

The partnership that ensures clear governance delineation, aligns resources and policies, and maintains operational coherence to support the school’s mission, vision, and long-term sustainability.

Community Engagement

The cultivation of meaningful relationships with internal community members and external partners, strengthening the school’s mission and advancing strategic priorities.

Strategic Direction

The ability to design, communicate, and coalesce community around the school’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities to ensure cohesive goal-setting, planning, execution, and oversight.

Talent Cultivation

The process of recruiting and developing high-performing professionals that align with the school’s mission, vision, and values.

Shared Accountability

Shared Accountability – An interdependent relationship where the head and board collectively uphold responsibilities, monitor performance, and ensure progress toward strategic targets.

Adaptive Innovation

A commitment to ongoing learning, goal setting, and planning to innovate and adapt to an evolving educational landscape.

Competency Rating Scale

At risk – Governance is fragmented, leadership lacks cohesions, and alignment with mission and strategy is weak. Immediate action needed.
Developing – Some structures exist, but inconsistencies in leadership, accountability, and strategic direction limit effectiveness.
Effective – Governance is strong, roles are well-defined, and leadership is aligned with strategic goals, though areas for improvement remain.
Distinguished Practice– Governance operates at an optimal level, with strong leadership, accountability, innovation, and a mission-aligned strategy driving success.

GHI Instruments

The Governance Health Index includes three instruments that may be used together or separately.

Board Self-Evaluation

The Board Self-Evaluation is designed as a reflective tool for trustees to assess their collective effectiveness across the core competencies. This instrument provides a growth-oriented framework to help boards identify strengths, surface opportunities, and align governance practices with the school’s mission and strategic priorities.
Note: Generally completed by all trustees including the head of school.

Executive Committee Evaluation

The Executive Committee Evaluation assesses how the committee models core competencies, supports the head of school, cultivates board effectiveness, and guides strategic decisions. It promotes continuous improvement and ensures the committee leads with clarity, integrity, and alignment with the school’s mission and vision.
Note: Generally completed by all trustees including the head of school.

Head of School Evaluation

The Head of School Evaluation provides a mission-aligned framework for boards to assess the head’s leadership and foster shared clarity. It is not a performance rating, but a reflective tool that reinforces alignment with the school’s mission, promotes continuous development, and assesses how the head and board collaborate with purpose, adaptability, and long-term vision.
Note: Generally completed by either the executive committee or by all trustees.

Registration & Deployment

Schools will receive a survey link to distribute to their board. Plan to have the survey open for 10-14 days.

All responses are submitted anonymously. All demographic data collected are reported in aggregate only and not linked to individual responses, ensuring anonymity and confidentiality.

Member Pricing
You may choose to use one, two, or all three evaluation instruments.

Board Self-Evaluation
Board Evaluation of the Executive Committee
Board Evaluation of the Head

-SAIS Members: one evaluation instrument $250, two $350, all three $500
-Non-member flat fee: $1,000
-An optional, virtual debrief of the results with an SAIS staff member is available for $500.

Getting Started

To learn more about how the SAIS Governance Health Index can benefit your school, contact SAIS Director of Resources Sheri Burkeen.

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Resources

Board Bulletin is a monthly newsletter supporting boards in effective governance and strategic leadership. Through your respective mission and vision, cultivate a strong partnership with the head of school, gain a deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities of trustees, and build capacity to address the unique challenges faced by independent schools.

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