Board Self-Evaluation: Ex Officio Student Board Members (NYS Only)

With respect to an ex officio student board member participating in the board self-evaluation process, SuperEval, in following NYSSBA’s guidance*, suggests soliciting the student’s overall input and feedback on how well the board is addressing student needs or engaging with the student body. Throughout the school year, this feedback may be provided via board meetings and/or other methods deemed appropriate by the board. Each board member would then consider the student’s feedback as they complete their portion of the self-evaluation within SuperEval.

The ex officio student board member will not access the board’s self-evaluation within SuperEval. 

If desired, the board may provide the student with a Word Doc, Google Doc, or some other file/link type that the board deems appropriate for the student to supply written input and feedback. In SuperEval, any board member with an account may upload the file or link to the Shared Documents section under the Overall Evaluation tab of the self-evaluation. 

This file or link will be available to all board members for access and reference as they progress through their portion of the self-evaluation. A live link (such as a Google Doc URL) is ideal, as it allows students to make continuous additions throughout the year without necessitating the upload of new versions of a file each time an addition is made.

* A self-evaluation is a board activity. While the law allows ex officio student board members to participate in “other board activities” besides participation at board meetings, they may do so only “at the discretion of the board.” Thus, they do not have a right to participate in evaluating the board’s overall effectiveness. However, as part of the evaluation, the board should evaluate how effectively they are utilizing student voices in their decision-making. As a result, the ex officio student board member may provide feedback on how well the board is addressing student needs or engaging with the student body. Participation in such evaluations should depend on district policies and whether the ex officio student board member’s input is deemed relevant by the board.

Source: NYSSBA Ex Officio Student Board Members FAQ (#15)

The following NYSSBA webpage offers additional Ex Officio Student Board Member Implementation Resources.

If you require further assistance, please contact the Help Desk or call 1-844-312-3825.