This study examines performance among public higher education boards, describing the results from a national study. The research questions that framed the study were: What are the elements of high performance/effectiveness in public higher education governing boards? How does performance among public higher education boards compare to the research on effectiveness among private high education boards, non profit, and corporate boards? After a review of the extant literature/research on board performance, the results of the study (six major themes: board agenda/leadership, influential individuals, structure, relationship, culture, and external relations) are presented. Next, a model for creating high performing boards is described before the implications for improving board performance and areas of future research are discussed. The following are appended: (1) Protocol for Public Governing Board Interviews; (2) Unique performance features of public higher education governing boards; (3) Table comparing the deductive themes from the literature and inductive themes that emerged in the data; and (4) Comparison of models of the effectiveness for governing board performance. (Contains 1 table and 9 endnotes.)