Critics say top-rated Chinese education system has a flaw 

USA Today - But critics believe this strength may mask the Chinese education system's shortfall in producing innovative and creative students...

US School Makes iPad Mandatory Starting August, Trailblazer Or Mistake?  GizmoCrunch - The Webb Private School in Knoxville Tennesee will begin enforcing the mandatory iPad rule starting August, and has already announced leasing plans...

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1. Mission-Focused: Exceptional boards shape and support the mission, articulate a compelling vision, and ensure congruence between strategy, core values, and day-to-day operations. They develop a persuasive vision of where the organization is going, and keep their eye on the target. Both aspirational and inspirational, the vision provides a call to action that motivates the board and staff, and guides their decisions. Responsible boards define in words the purpose of the organization and what it hopes to accomplish in five years.  
2. Strategic: Exceptional boards engage constantly in strategic thinking that focuses the organization's direction, driving their strategic plan. Responsible boards set organizational course, provide direction, and take a long-term view on decisions. With the support of management, they stay current with internal and external forces that impact their organization, asking far-reaching questions that drive deeper, value-laden decisions, continuously allowing them to realign with their mission. They avoid board meetings that are report-driven, and instead focus on meaningful discussion that shapes organizational strategy and action. 
3. Interdependent: Exceptional boards govern in an 'interdependent' partnership with their chief executive. Yes, boards have a legal responsibility for governance, oversight and policy setting, and the delegation to the chief executive to manage operations and resources, but exceptional boards are allies with their CEO. They recognize the division of duties and roles and understand that they, and the CEO, provide complimentary ingredients to the governance partnership, which when combined, are greater than the sums of their parts. They distinguish the duality of the CEO-Board partnership, recognizing that collaboration and support will compliment each other's roles and performance.
4. Focused on Results: Exceptional boards are results-oriented. They evaluate their organization's achievement based on measurable results from their strategic plan. They annually review their mission, vision, and strategic priorities and develop measures of overall performance based on performance indicators and their operational plan. They review the organization's performance via internal and external mechanisms, identifying early issues, maximizing resource utilization, without micromanaging. They focus on outcomes, not inputs. Exceptional boards share responsibility of this task with the chief executive and staff, assessing the quality of service delivery and return on investment.
5. Diligent: A responsible board ensures that it operates the organization legally and ethically. Exceptional boards have systems of oversight that uphold both an ethical code of conduct and disciplined compliance. Ethics elevates compliance to a greater purpose, and compliance grounds ethics in the practical realities of day-to-day operations. Exceptional boards ensure that there is a clear set of ethical values and standards communicated to all stakeholders. They make diligence the norm. At the management level this is ensured through internal controls and oversight mechanisms, such as: approval of budgets, review of financial reports, independent reviews or audits, appropriate insurance and risk management, contingency plans, and revised bylaws.
6. Analytical: Exceptional boards institutionalize a culture of mutual respect, trust, and constructive debate that leads to shared decision making and focuses on fiduciary duties. They create an environment based on trust and candor that fosters an exchange of views and openness to question difference of opinions. Evidence of this can be found in highly participative retreats. The Chair energizes the board, manages the internal dynamics with well-prepared advance materials, ensures each member listens respectfully, and acknowledges different viewpoints. 
7. Autonomous: Exceptional boards are independent-minded. When making decisions, they put the interests of the board before their own. This sounds simple, but isn't always followed. Individual governors choose to be on boards for different reasons, or 'agendas.' However, exceptional boards establish at the beginning a set of standards that separates the board's viewpoint from the chief executive from personal agendas.
8. Transparent: Charitable status of a non-profit board creates safe-guards on behalf of the stakeholders. Exceptional boards recognize this and put into place benchmarks that promote transparency to donors, stakeholders, media, regulators, and other watchdogs. This not only ensures that the board is using its tax-exempt status properly, but also shapes its public perception. Exceptional boards recognize they must cultivate an open relationship with staff and donors and allow them access to appropriate and accurate information regarding finances, operations, use of funds, and results. 
9. Resourceful: Exceptional boards balance their bold vision with financial resources. A board's ultimate goal is to deliver the mission, but they must fully understand their organization's fiscal health to achieve this. Exceptional boards, in partnership with the chief executive, ensure that the organization has a clear financial plan that is aligned with the strategic, operating, development, programming, and marketing plan. By linking the fiscal with the strategic, they ensure that the mission can be achieved within their existing and attainable resources. Not only do exceptional boards approve and monitor budget, working closely with the chief executive, they also diversify and maximize revenue sources to achieve their goals.
10. Best Practices: Exceptional boards take an intentional and strategic approach to board operations by creating structures and best practices that effectively guide them as a body - valuing efficiency and flexibility in their leadership structure. They in turn value stable leadership, developing practices that transcend individuals, document polices, minutes, and decisions for institutional memory, and adapt to changing circumstances. This documentation protects board members and the organization. Exceptional boards determine their strategic priorities, leadership, optimal board size, structure, schedule, etc. based on organizational needs.
11. Self-Developing: Exceptional boards continuously evaluate their own performance in terms of the value they add to their organization, and look for ways to improve, and invest time and resources in board development. Responsible boards need guidance in governance duties and practices, traditions, teamwork, and relationships. It's not enough that individual board members bring professional expertise and experience to their board. Exceptional boards recognize that they need to ensure that new board members receive formal orientations and continuous education, while current board members engage in ongoing governance education
12. Renewing: Exceptional boards understand that their ability to achieve the organization's mission is related to their composition. They know that they need to renew their membership through effective recruitment that assesses future needs and current competencies. The Nominating Committee is aware of the need for a range of skills, both personally and professionally, as well as related knowledge of non-profits, financial insight, fundraising, and their ability to positively enhance group relations. This diversity allows the board to better understand their community needs.