Praxis Test Questions

A school leader reviews a report regarding a new schoolwide mathematics program after its first year of implementation. Which of the following statements from the report best demonstrates the effectiveness of the program?

"Student benchmark data indicates that program objectives were met." *This statement most effectively demonstrates the effectiveness of the program, explaining that benchmark data indicates that program objectives were met.

A school leader is responsible for assembling a search committee to fill an open position for an assistant principal. Which THREE of the following practices will best ensure that the recruitment and selection processes used by the committee are ethical and equitable?

1. Basing hiring decisions on the employee's qualities rather than on resumes and other traditional hiring tools 2. providing a detailed description of the qualifications and responsibilities related to the position in the job posting 3. using screening and assessment tools that demonstrate substantial job-related fidelity *Personal attributes give a more holistic understanding of the candidate. Accurately announcing and advertising a job ensures equitable access and a detailed understanding of all job responsibilities for all who apply for the position. Equitable hiring practices prioritize criteria that directly relate the candidate's suitability for the responsibilities of the job.

Following a suicide attempt by a student, a school leader learns that the student's counselor became aware of suicidal ideation during counseling sessions but did not disclose the information to authorities. Which TWO of the following actions by the leader have the best potential for avoiding a similar counselor error in the future?

1. Reviewing with the counselors the legal requirements for informing authorities of student suicides or other harmful acts 2. ensuring that the school counselors are up-to-date with their training on suicide prevention and intervention *The school leader should ensure that staff are aware of their legal responsibilities and are properly trained to manage and implement suicide prevention and intervention programs for students in crisis.

Which TWO of the following are essential elements of an effective school mission statement?

1. a brief statement that is memorable and specific to the school 2. the school's priorities and focus *Good mission statements are brief, can be easily remembered, and demonstrate the uniqueness of their organization. Mission statements summarize why the organization exists and what it values.

Using which of the following instructional approaches is most effective for supporting the learning of a struggling student?

A multitiered intervention guided by student outcome data * A multitiered system of interventions, known as Response to Intervention, is an approach designed to remediate academic and behavioral issues.

Ms. Gomez is the new school leader in a K-5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern. 1. Review the placements of all students in special education 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the school's RTI process Which of the following will provide Ms Gomez the most valuable data for completing step 2?

A progress-monitoring instrument that quantifies rates of student improvement *#21 Help: RTI is based on 4 components: universal screening, multilevel prevention, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making. Progress monitoring is the element that assesses students' academic performance and the effectiveness of instruction Most valuable data for completing "Evaluate the effectiveness of school's RTI process". A PROGRESS MONITORING INSTRUMENT THAT QUANTIFIES RATES OF STUDENT IMPROVEMENT

A high school student with a history of fighting is suspended from school after another violent incident. Because of the student's repeated offenses, the school leader recommends expulsion. Which of the following actions should the school leader take before the expulsion hearing to ensure compliance with due process?

A.Notifying the student and parents, orally or in writing, of the accusations and evidence gathered *Every student has a right to an education, and school districts cannot deprive a student of liberty or property without due process. Due process requires meeting with the student, parents, and school officials to explain the circumstances leading to the suspension and potential expulsion, and the evidence to support it.

A state department of education downgrades a high school's rating from satisfactory to unsatisfactory. Which of the following strategies by the school leader will best maintain staff and stakeholder morale after the downgrade?

Accentuating areas where the school succeeds *The school leader can maintain staff and stakeholder morale by reminding them of the positive aspects of the school, placing the negative rating in perspective.

The new school leader of a high school hears the following comments from teachers regarding changes in student demographics and low scores on state-mandated assessments. 1. "Why are they sending these kids to our school now?" 2. "These new kids do not seem to value getting a good education." Which of the following is the best first step for the school leader to take to improve the school culture?

Acknowledging the challenges of teaching a diverse student population in a positive and inclusive manner *Acknowledging the challenges of teaching a diverse student population in a positive and inclusive manner will help teachers to develop new understanding, competencies, and pedagogies for engaging students in a changing population.

Several students have life-threatening allergies and require injectable epinephrine in emergencies. Which of the following procedures approved by the school leader best ensures the immediate availability of the medication when it is needed?

Additional nonnursing staff are trained to administer the medication, and the students are permitted to carry the medication as prescribed by a doctor. *Allowing students to carry this medication, as well as training staff in addition to the school nurse, will make this treatment more readily available if it is needed.

A school leader observes a teacher's mathematics lesson. The lesson plan indicates that the learning objective is teaching students to add fractions. The lesson begins with a minilesson on adding fractions, followed by guided and independent practice using several problems. The teacher provides students with feedback and support as they work. At the close of the lesson, the teacher provides each student with an exit slip. The exit slip contains three fractions for students to reduce to the lowest common denominator. Which of the following is most important for the school leader to target in the teacher's postobservation conference?

Aligning assessments with instructional goals *The lesson was on adding fractions, not reducing. If assessments are not aligned to the purpose of instruction, the teacher's knowledge of a student's learning is inaccurate.

Which of the following is the best question for a school leader to ask to determine the value of district-wide benchmark assessments?

Are the assessments providing information about students that is useful for instructional decision making? * If the reports are understandable and useful for the teachers to make corrective decisions in the classroom then the assessment data can impact instruction.

A representative of the chamber of commerce asks the leader of a high school how the business community can partner with the school to acknowledge the accomplishments of individual students. Which of the following is the school leader's best recommendation?

Asking businesses to offer discounts or reward cards to students who achieve a goal set by the school *Obtaining incentives from local businesses for students to achieve a goal set by the school (attendance, honor roll, community service, etc.) is an effective way for many students to have their achievements celebrated.

Which of the following is the most effective way for a new school leader to advocate on behalf of the school district within the community?

By forming a community advisory committee * The advisory committee will become invested in the goals of the school and represent community interests in district decision making.

Story question about student injury (questions 68-70) Which of the following should be Mr.Mister Jackson's first action upon hearing about the incident from Ms. Alonzo?

Checking on the condition of the student and assuring the parents that a full accident investigation will be conducted *The school leader's first action should be to check on the student and inform the parents that the incident is being investigated and any questions they have will be answered.

Which of the following is the best recommendation a school leader can make to teachers who find parents unresponsive to their efforts to establish school-home partnerships?

Communicating positive information about students more often than negative information *Communicating mostly or only negative information about students sets up an adversarial relationship between teacher and family, not a partnership. Parents like to feel that they and the teacher are on the child's side.

The school leader of a middle school wants to assess the effectiveness of a new science curriculum that has been in place in seventh grade for one year. Which of the following methods will provide the school leader with the most valuable data?

Comparing the performance of seventh graders on the annual state science assessment with the performance of previous seventh graders *The results of the state assessment test are valuable because they provide quantifiable information by comparing like to like—in this case, seventh graders with seventh graders.

The school leader of a high school who is examining data from the district's annual freshman writing sample observes that students in certain teachers' classes scored significantly higher than their peers in other classes. Which of the following is the school leader's best initial response to the data?

Comparing value-added growth data of the teachers within the grade level * Comparing value-added growth data will help to identify teachers who are using effective methods to achieve greater gains with students.

Which of the following is a school leader's best strategy for using community services to support student success?

Coordinating opportunities for students and families to access community services at multiple sites in the community *Coordinating with district and community leaders will help develop community partnerships while working on a joint vision for student success.

The school leader of a high school allocates time during faculty meetings for teachers to propose a solution to a schoolwide problem or to suggest ideas for school improvement. The practice demonstrates that the school leader has established which of the following norms in the school?

Creating a safe environment for risk taking *In order for these regular discussions to be held, the school leader has established an environment conducive to taking risks and collegiality.

Which of the following actions best demonstrates a school leader's commitment to building leadership capacity among the staff?

Creating opportunities for staff to participate in collaborative decision making *The process of collaborating with others who share the responsibility for decision making nurtures leadership.

A school leader invites community members and parents to join a school improvement committee. Which of the following actions by a school leader will best promote accountability among the committee members?

Developing a shared agreement regarding the stakeholders' roles *Developing an agreement and clarifying roles is an appropriate next step in ensuring accountability. If roles are vague, it is unlikely that stakeholders will share accountability for school progress.

A school leader, Mr. Hernandez, reflects on his current professional performance. He finds that his complacent leadership style has resulted in minimal schoolwide progress toward campus goals, and he identifies his ability to adapt his leadership behavior to the demands of current situations as an area that needs improvement. Which of the following goals will best improve this area?

Developing his willingness to actively challenge and change the status quo *The core idea behind the need to adapt the school leader's leadership style is to help manage the potential challenges that come with implementing change.

An elementary school leader meets with the school's leadership team to develop a plan to address problems that occur at afternoon dismissal. Teachers have difficulty directing student traffic, given the large number of students who are dismissed simultaneously into the hallway. Student traffic is bottlenecked at school exits, creating a safety hazard. Which of the following is the best action for addressing the dismissal problem?

Developing procedures for staggering dismissal times for each grade level *Staggering dismissal times is an effective strategy for reducing the number of students in the same place at the same time and helps minimize confusion, anxiety, and safety concerns.

A facilities audit of a middle school indicates widespread problems with the building's internal systems and structure. The estimated cost of remedying the problems far exceeds the school's annual allotment for maintenance and operations. Which of the following is the school leader's most appropriate response to the information in the audit?

Discussing the feasibility of a bond election with the superintendent * The superintendent determines spending priorities and is the appropriate person to approach the board with the possibility of a bond election.

Which of the following behaviors is the best indication that a school leader is a reflective practitioner?

Engaging in continuous learning by paying critical attention to experiences and values * Reflective practice is a process by which people stop and think about their practice, consciously analyzing their decision making to relate it to what is done in practice.

After conducting a ten-minute walk-through of a third-grade classroom, a school leader makes the following observations: 1. Students worked in flexible groups to sequence story events on cards that have key plot points. 2. Students, when asked, were unable to explain why they were sequencing story events. 3. A word wall presented key vocabulary terms: first, last, then, finally. Which of the following is the most appropriate feedback for the school leader to give the teacher in a postobservation conference to improve the quality of the lesson?

Ensure that students can articulate the lesson objectives or learning targets. *The school leader noted that students were not able to articulate the purpose of the sequencing activity. It would be appropriate to discuss strategies for ensuring that students know why they are engaged in a particular task and what the learning target is for the lesson.

Which of the following is the best strategy for a school leader to use to keep teachers focused on their primary instructional goal?

Ensuring alignment of the school's vision with teachers' actions through ongoing conversations and observations * A clear vision can help keep everyone at the school focused on their primary goal—student learning. Discussing the school vision and goals will help keep the focus on alignment with the current vision and goals.

Which of the following should be a school leader's primary concern when instituting a school-wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program?

Ensuring consistent implementation of the program *Consistent implementation is a key component of a successful PBIS program.

A group of students ask the school leader if they can add a religious study club to the school's extracurricular offerings. Which of the following laws dictates the school leader's response to the students?

Equal Access Act *The Equal Access Act provides students in public secondary schools that receive federal funds with equal access, or opportunities, to conduct meetings in an open forum, unless it substantially interferes with educational activities in the school. A school can also opt not to allow any non-curricular activities at all.

Which of the following identifies the most important initial action for a school leader to take to promote teachers' use of student achievement data to support instructional decision making?

Establishing a clear vision for the schoolwide use of data *a strong culture of data use is critical to effective data-based decision making

The school leaders of elementary, middle, and high schools in a district set a goal of working together to decrease dropout rates among at-risk students. Which of the following will most effectively facilitate meeting the goal?

Establishing a professional learning community (PLC) in which school leaders will examine data, propose and test solutions, and track progress *Professional learning communities are structured to systematically work together across grade levels to study the problems and seek solutions. By establishing PLCs that monitor student attendance, behavior, and academic performance, the school leader promotes collective responsibility for monitoring factors that affect dropout rates.

A school leader in an urban high school observes that dropout rates have steadily increased over the last three years. Further investigation reveals that many students are dropping out because they are unable to retake the courses they have failed before they reach the high school age cut-off. Which of the following is the leader's best action for addressing the situation for these students?

Establishing an online credit recovery option that enables failing seniors to retake courses at their own pace *An online credit recovery option provides students with a more efficient and effective method to retake courses they have failed over the course of a year.

Which of the following is the best way for a school leader to engage the local community in supporting a school's goals?

Establishing relationships with respected community leaders *Respected community leaders have networks within the community and can serve as advocates for school programs and initiatives.

Security-camera footage informs a school leader that the industrial arts teacher, Mr. Grayson, has been taking home power tools at the end of each week and bringing them back a few days later. When the leader questions Mr. Grayson, he explains that he is borrowing the tools for a home improvement project. Which of the following is the leader's most appropriate response to Mr. Grayson?

Explaining that borrowing school equipment for personal projects violates district policy *Policies are intended to provide guidelines that explain, direct, or limit the actions of an organization and its members; therefore, the school leader's most appropriate response to the teacher is to explain that district policy expressly prohibits borrowing any equipment for personal use.

A school leader is concerned about a number of teachers who are resistant to integrating technology into their classroom instruction. Which of the following actions by the leader is most effective for addressing the concern?

Facilitating a teacher-to-teacher model for developing technological proficiency *School leaders need to facilitate effective professional development on how to use technology tools. To help teachers who may have anxiety about using unfamiliar tools, research supports using a teacher-to-teacher model of professional development in which teachers demonstrate to their peers and provide an opportunity for experimentation.

Which of the following strategies by a school leader best supports the goal of establishing and maintaining a drug-free school?

Facilitating parent involvement in peer and community groups that provide support and factual information about drug use *involvement of parents in providing relevant and factual information to their children about drugs is vital to the success of the school leader's goal of a drug-free school. Can promote antidrug norms and help parents raise drug-free children

A school leader promotes professionalism by encouraging teacher participation in a cycle of continuous improvement. Which THREE of the following are the primary outcomes expected for teachers who participate in this practice?

Feeling part of a committed community of learners Gaining confidence to try new instructional approaches Engaging in collaborative professional development activities *By engaging in a continuous cycle of improvement together, teachers will begin to feel a commitment to learning and growing together. Teachers will feel comfortable trying new instructional strategies knowing that risk is encouraged at the school. Collaborative professional development is an important component of the continuous improvement process. It allows teachers to work together to share thoughts and ideas and develop their practices as a team.

Miss Gomez is the new school leader in a K-5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern. 1. Review the placements of all students in special education 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the school's RTI process Which of the following is the best way for Ms. Gomez to involve stakeholders in addressing any problems revealed by her investigation?

Forming a task force of varied individuals selected for their expertise, experience, and interest in the school's RTI and special education programs *A task force is appropriate for a short-term task that involves complex issues or when solutions will require organizational change. The involvement of staff brings multiple perspectives to the table and can facilitate implementation. The buy-in a task force generates can be especially valuable when the outcome affects people deeply, is emotionally charged, or affects a large part of the organization.

Which of the following is a school leader's best initial action for creating a school vision and goals?

Gathering data from stakeholders about their perceptions of a school's purpose and values *Defining the school's purpose and values with a diverse section of the community will provide different perspectives when creating a vision and goals for success.

The school leader of a middle school plans to share the results of the state assessment test with parents to help them understand how students are performing and where gaps exist in their achievement. Which of the following is the best method for the school leader to use to make the assessment data valuable to parents?

Holding meetings with parents to explain how to interpret the data * The potential value of data systems lies in the use of the information collected to improve outcomes for students. When effectively shared with families and community members, these data may influence the ways that families support their individual child's progress and impact communities' efforts to support education.

A school leader meets with the school improvement committee at the beginning of the school year. During the meeting, the school leader presents the results of a comprehensive needs assessment which highlight the gaps between the school's current status and its desired outcomes. Which of the following should be the school leader's first guiding question?

How do we develop a plan for change that addresses the most pressing needs? *Developing a plan first can help guide the rest of the change process.

Mr. Washington is the school leader at Spring Garden Elementary School. Two days ago, an intruder armed with a knife entered the school building by one of several entrance doors in the school's glass atrium. The individual was subdued by the school security guard but not before inflicting minor wounds to the guard and a nearby office worker. Mr. Washington convenes a meeting of the crisis management team to debrief after the incident. Which of the following should Mr. Washington and the crisis management team prioritize in response to the incident?

Identifying a single visitor entrance door equipped with a buzzer system *. Installing a front door buzzer system will give staff members more control over who enters the building and will allow staff to monitor visitors as they enter.

Which of the following is a school leader's best initial step for developing programs that target the needs of students who are economically disadvantaged?

Identifying the barriers that hinder students' academic success *investigating these barriers must be completed before implementing programming. Successful programs must address the root causes of achievement problems

A school that follows an inclusion model experiences an increase in students receiving special education services. To best meet student needs, the school leader should consider hiring which of the following additional personnel?

Instructional paraprofessionals *Since there are more identified students and the district follows an inclusion model, it is reasonable for the school leader to hire personnel to provide support within the general education classroom.

Dr.Doctor Carson is the school leader of March High School. Shortly after the scores for the annual state assessment are released, the local newspaper publishes them along with an article that questions why the school's academic performance is declining. The following day, the school leader receives an e-mail from the president of the board of education. Which of the following is the school leader's best response to the e-mail from the school board president?

Inviting the board president to attend a presentation of the action plan at the next school improvement committee meeting *Attending a presentation by the campus improvement committee shows the board president that an action plan has been designed and will be implemented and demonstrates that the plan reflects input from a variety of stakeholder groups, not just the school leader or school leadership team. It also allows the board president to ask questions or participate in a discussion.

We help each and every student in our high school develop higher-order thinking skills and leadership skills in preparation for postsecondary education and the global workforce. We empower students to achieve their potential using community internships and projects. Which of the following is the most appropriate question to ask about the draft vision statement above?

Is the statement more reflective of a mission statement? * The current vision is more of a mission statement. Visions are broader statements and do not include specific strategies for ensuring student success.

Which of the following is the most important reason for a school leader to share a school's vision with stakeholders?

It helps focus their collaborative efforts on school improvement. *Stakeholder familiarity with the vision best guides plans to improve student achievement.

Which of the following school resources is most appropriate for school leaders to offer when creating community partnerships?

Locations for meetings and special events *After school hours, the facilities are appropriate for use by the community.

Which of the following is the most effective use of student achievement data by a school leader to support decisions about teaching practices?

Making data collection part of an ongoing cycle of instructional improvement *Instructional decision making can be strengthened by making data part of the ongoing cycle of instructional improvement.

Mr. Foster is a middle school English teacher who is friends with many of his students on his personal social media page. Several parents contact the school leader to inquire about the appropriateness of teachers and students forming friendships on social media. Which of the following is the leader's best initial response to the situation?

Meeting with Mr. Foster to determine whether his use of social media conforms to district policies on relationships with students *The school leader must speak with Mr. Foster to ensure that he understands what the district policy defines as appropriate teacher-student relationships whether on social media, in person, or by any other medium.

A school improvement committee has completed a revision of the school vision and goals. Which of the following is the committee's best next step for gaining feedback on the revision?

Meeting with a focus group of stakeholders to discuss their impressions of the revised vision and goals * Establishing focus groups with stakeholders is the next step toward sharing the committee's work with a broader audience.

A school leader observes an increase in the number of students that teachers refer for evaluation for special education services. The referrals state that the students are functioning too far below grade level to keep up in general education classes. Which of the following is the leader's best response to the increase in student referrals?

Meeting with teachers to determine whether they are implementing the steps of the Response to Intervention (RTI) process with fidelity * It is critical that the teachers are implementing the components of the RTI process exactly. This process provides students with interventions at increased levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning and to closely monitor their progress. The RTI process ensures that special education referrals are supported by data from research-based interventions.

Miss Gomez is the new school leader in a K-5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern. 1. Review the placements of all students in special education 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the school's RTI process According to studies on student populations in special education, which of the following is the most likely explanation for the high percentage of students in special education in Ms. Gomez' school?

Overidentification of linguistically and culturally diverse students *Statistics gathered by federal agencies indicate that a child's cultural and linguistic diversity significantly influences the probability that he or she will be misidentified as needing special education services, leading to overrepresentation of linguistically and culturally diverse students.

Which of the following is the most effective way for school leaders to foster their personal professional growth?

Partnering with a peer to reflect on experiences, ideas, and challenges *Partnering with a peer to reflect on shared experiences, ideas, and challenges provides an opportunity to give and receive feedback from someone in the same leadership position.

A city is planning to widen a main road by eliminating sidewalks that many students use on their way to school. Which of the following is the school leader's most effective means of advocating for student safety?

Presenting the council with data on the number of students who use the sidewalks and student pedestrian accidents *The school leader is advocating for student safety by presenting the potential repercussions of the council's plan in concrete terms with supporting data. This is most likely to sway the council's decision.

Story question about student injury (questions 68-70) Based on the custodians' actions following the storm, Mr.Mister Jackson should work with the head custodian on building which of the following skills?

Prioritizing Tasks *By prioritizing, the custodian could organize tasks so that the most important one is addressed first. Clearing hazards from the playground, as soon as it was safe to do so, would have enabled students to resume outdoor activities safely and may have prevented the injury sustained by the student.

A school leader hosts a parent meeting to solicit support for a high school senior internship program with local businesses. Which of the following aspects of the internship should the school leader communicate as being the primary benefit of the program?

Promoting skills and knowledge in a student's field of interest *promoting skills & knowledge in student's field of interest serves as one of the primary benefits of school internship programs. Programs help students engage in work that interests them while developing skills for career goals

Ms.Miss Gomez is the new school leader in a K-5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern. 1. Review the placements of all students in special education 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the school's RTI process Which of the following is Ms.Miss Gomez' most important consideration in investigating step I ?

Protecting the rights afforded to students and parents by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) *First and foremost, the school must conform with IDEA regulations, restrictions, and protections when reevaluating students. IDEA sets forth regulations with respect to students' and parents' rights during the reevalution process, which are similar in many ways to the regulations, restrictions, and protections for initial placement.

Dr.Carson is the school leader of March High School. Shortly after the scores for the annual state assessment are released, the local newspaper publishes them along with an article that questions why the school's academic performance is declining. The following day, the school leader receives an e-mail from the president of the board of education. The school improvement committee identifies increased family involvement as a key factor in students' academic success. Which of the following is the best action for the committee to include in its school improvement plan?

Providing multiple outlets for parents to receive and respond to information about their children's school and classrooms *This action addresses the disconnect parents feel with the school by providing them with a means to know about and respond to situations that directly affect their children.

Which of the following actions by school leadership has the best potential for reducing the technology gap for students who are economically disadvantaged, transient, or homeless?

Providing students with tablets enabled with mobile hot-spot devices *Tablets with Internet connectivity put all students on an even playing field in terms of technology.

Ms. Thompson is a new seventh-grade teacher. Pressed for time, she administers a test she finds in the files left by her predecessor. When students uniformly perform poorly, she realizes that the test assesses content she did not teach. She decides against administering another test and records the students' grades in her grade book. Her testing error comes to light when the parents of several students complain to the school leader about their children's grades. Which of the following is the school leader's most appropriate action for improving Ms.Miss Thompson's practice?

Providing the teacher with immediate targeted training on professional ethics *ethics training directs the teacher back to how teachers are to apply ethics to their instruction and assessment

Story question about student injury (questions 68-70) Which of the following is Mr.Mister Jackson's best action for reinforcing the importance of following established crisis management procedures?

Reminding teachers that following procedures during a crisis can mean the difference between life and death * It reminds teachers that crisis management is not a routine exercise or a means of meeting state or federal requirements but a plan to save lives. Although crises are unlikely to happen in most cases, the consequences of not following crisis procedures are grave.

The computer technician in a high school informs the school leader that a teacher has been using a district computer for personal purposes during the instructional day. Which of the following is the school leader's most appropriate initial response to the information?

Reminding the teacher that district computers are for school-related use only

Which of the following is the best way for a school leader to ensure that teachers are addressing the learning needs of English learners (ELs)?

Requiring that lesson plans show evidence of differentiation for ELs at a range of language proficiency levels *Reviewing and providing feedback about lessons ensures that lessons are differentiated for the range of students' language proficiency levels.

A school leader is using data to assess the effectiveness of a volunteer tutoring program for improving student achievement in reading. Which TWO of the following types of data best evaluate the success of the initiative?

Scores from pretests and posttests administered to the students Antecdotal records from the teachers of students who receive tutoring *Pretests and posttests will document students' growth and the success of the program. Teachers' anecdotal records are valuable for providing cumulative information on student learning and a direction for further instruction, in this case, tutoring.

A school leader of an urban school strives to hire faculty and staff who will have a positive influence on the social, emotional, and academic achievements of students of all backgrounds. Which of the following approaches best supports the leader's goal?

Seeking and embracing diversification in the recruitment pool *Diversification in school leadership improves the quality of education and provides positive role models for the students.

Which of the following practices best demonstrates a school leader's commitment to involving parents in decision making about their children's education?

Seeking parent input when creating action plans * The school leader involves parents in decision making by incorporating their feedback directly to create an action plan.

The school leader of a high school assesses reading scores, which have shown a steady decline for the last few years. The chairperson of the reading department asks the school leader for assistance in identifying methods to boost students' reading abilities. Which of the following data will be most important for the school leader to suggest that the chairperson share in guiding the department's instructional decisions?

Subskill reading assessment scores *Subskill reading performance data will enable teachers to discern exactly which reading subskills (such as vocabulary) to spend more time teaching.

Which of the following scenarios best describes a school leader's reinforcing transparent decision-making practices?

The school leader of a middle school holds open forums to meet with teachers and parents to discuss the possibility of using block scheduling and the impact on student achievement. After receiving mainly positive feedback, the school leader decides to form a committee of stakeholders to design the implementation plan. *exhibits transparent decision-making practices by engaging stakeholders in open forums and including them in designing the implementation plan for block scheduling

A school leader is advocating among district administrators and teachers for establishing school-based health centers (SBHCs). Which of the following is the school leader's most effective argument for gaining support for SBHCs?

They increase student attendance. *Studies have found increased school attendance for SBHC users compared with nonusers.

Which of the following is the best reason for a school leader to ask teachers, parents, and other community members for suggestions to improve teaching and learning at the school?

To build a shared vision among various stakeholders *School leaders should solicit input from stakeholders, including teachers and community members, in order to build a shared vision for the school.

Mr. Washington is the school leader at Spring Garden Elementary School. Two days ago, an intruder armed with a knife entered the school building by one of several entrance doors in the school's glass atrium. The individual was subdued by the school security guard but not before inflicting minor wounds to the guard and a nearby office worker. Mr. Washington convenes a meeting of the crisis management team to debrief after the incident. Several teachers in the school hold certification in school counseling. Which of the following actions by Mr. Washington makes the best use of the teachers?

Training the teachers to act as additional crisis counselors when needed *Assigning staff members with relevant training to the crisis response team shows that the school leader has a firm understanding of how to assign personnel to address the needs of students.

Which of the following is the most appropriate direction for a school leader to give teachers regarding formative assessments?

Use assessment results to inform instructional decision making. *Formative assessment is used to inform instructional decision making. Teachers should use formative assessment to determine what students know and do not know in order to modify their instruction based on assessment results.

A small district plans to implement a computer-based student information system (SIS). Teachers in the elementary school express concern about the requirement that student data will have to be entered on a weekly basis. Which of the following initial actions by the school leader best helps address the teachers' resistance?

Using a survey to determine how teachers currently monitor and report student progress *The survey will help reflect teachers' current beliefs and assumptions about how student progress should be monitored and reported.

Which of the following practices by a school leader best reinforces professional behavior and communication between the teachers and the students and parents?

Using real-world situations to promote regular discussions about ethical behavior *leaders can help faculty develop an awareness of the impact of their decisions on students and parents through ongoing ethics discussions and by guiding them through ethical inquiry that they can consider when handling issues that raise ethical questions

A school leader is working with the campus planning committee to develop a new strategic plan to better focus its efforts. The school leader wants the planning committee to begin by identifying the current state of school programs and campus culture. Which THREE of the following questions are best to ask to help the school leader address this goal?

What are our strengths & weaknesses? What resources do we have to work with? What faculty are supportive of the change process? *The first steps in the strategic-planning process are to address the current status of the campus, including strengths and weaknesses, current available resources, and existing supportive personnel.

Dr.Doctor Carson is the school leader of March High School. Shortly after the scores for the annual state assessment are released, the local newspaper publishes them along with an article that questions why the school's academic performance is declining. The following day, the school leader receives an e-mail from the president of the board of education. Which of the following is Dr.Doctor Carson's most effective action for communicating to parents and community members that the district is taking action to address the declining test scores?

Working with the district media liaison to arrange an interview with the newspaper to explain the school's action plan *The school leader's most effective response is to the media outlet that first brought the data to light, as it will address the concerns of the community members and parents who read the original story.

During an annual review of school programs, a school leader asks committee members to refer to the school improvement plan while reviewing the effectiveness of various programs. By taking this action, the school leader demonstrates an understanding of the importance of

analyzing accomplishments against a benchmark *The school improvement plan provides detailed expectations for improvements and is being used by the school leader in a manner that encourages the committee to compare actual progress to goals set.

To effectively address harassment, bullying, and other threats to student safety, a school leader should first

communicate a personal commitment to school safety *establishing a clear commitment to school safety by the school leader is the first step in creating a safe school

Because of budget constraints, a school leader must eliminate some of the school's extracurricular programs. When deciding which programs to keep, the school leader should first consider whether the program

contributes toward achieving the school's vision *all are important to making the decision, but none are relevant if the program does not contribute toward fulfilling the school's vision

A school leader reviews the results of a summative assessment for fourth-grade science and observes that overall scores are unusually high. Further investigation reveals that the items on the assessment measure second- and third-grade concepts and skills. When meeting with the fourth-grade teaching team, the school leader can best address the discrepancy by

emphasizing the importance of aligning assessment content with grade-level learning standards *The school leader should help teachers ensure that assessments align with grade-level learning outcomes to maintain validity.

According to research, school leaders can best optimize learning for minority students by

encouraging teachers to integrate the students' life experiences into instruction *Using culturally relevant teaching practices that contextualize students' experiences in their communities increases academic achievement.

When acting as a cultural leader, a school leader focuses on

enhancing student achievement by seeking to develop a community with a common purpose *When focused on cultural leadership, the school leader draws people's attention to compelling concerns for student learning by developing a common purpose.

A new high school leader plans to use a photo-sharing application to promote school activities and acknowledge student achievements. The most important step the school leader should take before posting photos is to

ensure that the office has obtained media release forms signed by the parents of all students *Ensuring parents or guardians have completed media release forms gives the school leader the necessary parental consent to take and post pictures of students.

A high school leader plans to implement a schoolwide program to develop students' ability to use reasoned decision making. To most effectively monitor the implementation of the program, the school leader should

ensure that the program uses quantitative measures to assess the program's effect on student behavior *rationale: to best monitor program implementation, the school leader must have measures in place to determine the effectiveness of program implementation and allow for progress monitoring in a data-driven manner

A school leader works with a committee of stakeholders to craft a new school vision statement. The most effective first step the school leader can take to support the committee's work is to

facilitate dialogue to eliminate obstacles and validate committee members' thoughts *By facilitating dialogue with committee members, the school leader is able to identify and address their concerns and have a better understanding of their thoughts and ideas.

Mr. Dinh, an elementary school leader, keeps a journal to reflect on his daily interactions with members of the school community. His most recent entry asks, "What could I have done to improve the outcomes of today's interactions?" The primary purpose of the question is to

gain insight into how to develop relationships *The purpose of reflection is to look back on, critically examine, and learn from one's experiences. By reflecting on his daily interactions with others, the school leader acknowledges the effect of his behavior on relationships and can take action to make improvements and develop desirable outcomes.

Dr.Doctor Carson is the school leader of March High School. Shortly after the scores for the annual state assessment are released, the local newspaper publishes them along with an article that questions why the school's academic performance is declining. The following day, the school leader receives an e-mail from the president of the board of education. In her e-mail, the board president requests information about methods for assessing the success of a school improvement plan. Which of the following is generally accepted as a valid metric for evaluating the success of a high school academic improvement plan?

graduation rate *Graduation and drop-out rates, proficiency on state assessments, and rates of students performing at grade level by subject area have been identified as measures of student progress.

A school leader plans professional development for the staff focused on cultural competency, which includes a self-assessment of attitudes and abilities both before and after the training. The primary reason for the school leader to promote this activity is to

guide others to examine their own assumptions and beliefs *Research has shown that school leaders can help others safely examine deeply held assumptions and beliefs by developing cultural competency skills in the teaching and administrative staff and having them engage in self-assessment of their own beliefs and assumptions.

During an informal observation of a lesson, a school leader notices a lack of differentiation. When the school leader asks the teacher about what strategies are used for the gifted students, the teacher comments, "The gifted students do not need any extra help to learn." The school leader can best coach the teacher to improve instruction for gifted students by

guiding the teacher to challenge the assumption because it adversely affects student learning *The teacher has assumed that the gifted students require no additional differentiation in the classroom. It is the school leader's responsibility to challenge this assumption and help the teacher understand that gifted students are at risk of underachievement and missed learning opportunities without differentiation.

School leaders can best implement academic goals with rigor and measurable expectations by establishing a curriculum based upon

high-quality standards *High-quality standards establish learning goals based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills.

Mr. Washington is the school leader at Spring Garden Elementary School. Two days ago, an intruder armed with a knife entered the school building by one of several entrance doors in the school's glass atrium. The individual was subdued by the school security guard but not before inflicting minor wounds to the guard and a nearby office worker. Mr. Washington convenes a meeting of the crisis management team to debrief after the incident. Following the incident, Mr. Washington composes a letter to the school community in which he identifies an outside counseling firm that is providing additional crisis counselors to the school. The primary reason the school leader communicates this information is to

inform parents of the support services that the school is providing to help students cope with the incident *Identifying and communicating the key emergency support and their roles is an imperative part of responding to this type of incident. Parents must be informed of what has happened and how the school is responding.

When a school leader is deciding whether to permit a community group to use the school cafeteria, it is most important to ensure that the group

meets the terms of the district's facilities-use policy *A facilities-use policy establishes eligibility and regulations for public use of school facilities by outside groups for educational, recreational, civic, or social activities. A school leader must ensure that the outside organization meets the eligibility requirements for and follows the regulations of the district facilities-use policy.

A new school leader meets with the school improvement team to analyze how the fifth‑grade students' reading performance compares to the reading performance of a national sample of fifth graders. The school leader can best facilitate this analysis by reviewing data collected from

norm-referenced assessments *analyzing data from norm-referenced assessments provides information on how the fifth graders are performing in reading compared to a national sample of students

School leaders can best empower teachers to bring about positive change in their schools by

promoting a culture that encourages teacher leadership *The creation of a culture that encourages teacher leadership will best empower teachers toward positive change.

To best establish an ethical school culture, a school leader should apply a leadership style that focuses on

reflection and understanding *according to research, practicing self-reflective ethics engagement is the best way for a school leader to achieve ethics-based school goals

A school leader is planning to invite members of the community to serve on the school's improvement team. When selecting community members, the school leader should primarily strive to ensure that potential members

represent diverse community voices *The school leader must ensure that a wide variety of input is heard at the school improvement meetings. Merely having one voice from the community present is not sufficient.

Given the changing mobility rate of students, the school leader decides to see whether there has been an impact on the overall student population. To gather the most relevant data, the school leader should review

student demographics *Student demographics will best show whether there has been a change in student population.

A middle school leader meets weekly with grade-level teams to guide teachers in examining the class report graphs and item analysis graphs they have created from the results of classroom assessments. The leader asks the following questions to facilitate a targeted discussion. 1. Did certain classes outperform others? 2. Did certain class periods outperform others? 3. Which instructional strategies were used in the outperforming classrooms? By facilitating this discussion, the school leader primarily emphasizes the importance of

using data analysis to improve instruction *By examining data from interim assessments and analyzing trends in ongoing discussions, teachers are able to develop strategies and interventions to influence student achievement. The school leader's guiding questions are focused around identifying trends in performance and identifying what instructional approaches best promote student achievement.