Educational Leadership 5411

Administrators that want to influence policymakers should begin by:

Finding out where the policymaker stands on key issues

What is the most important step for an administrator to take when preparing a plan to gauge her school's progress?

Formulating an organized, cohesive plan for gathering various types of data over an extended period of time

What would be the most objective way for a principal to allocate funds for individual teacher professional development?

Use criteria formulated by a committee of teachers

A middle school principal wishes to support incoming 6th graders in having a seamless transition from elementary school to middle school. He meets with the principals of his "feeder" elementary schools and they decide to engage in joint professional development for the instructional staff at their respective schools. Which of the following support structures will best meet their needs?

Vertical Teaming

Effective communication skills are an essential skill for administrators. Which of the following would ordinarily NOT be a communication task performed by a school principal?

Preparing data and statistics for publication

Why is it in the interest of the local school board to create principal ownership and buy-in when enacting a new policy?

Principals are the ones who are called upon to administer these policies

_________ resources are those that are the actual inputs into the educational process such as people and materials

Real

A principal regularly provides professional development during the school day as part of his School Improvement Plan (SIP). As a result, quality substitute teachers are required to cover those teachers' classes. What factor would have the least impact on a substitute returning to the school for another job?

Referring to them as a "guest teacher" rather than a substitute teacher

A principal in a suburban elementary school would like to reduce the amount of gossip and incorrect information that seems to abound around any significant school issue. What action listed below would best assist her in achieving this goal?

Releasing as much information as possible, within legal constraints, as soon as issues arise

A high school principal overhears a teacher saying that a new teacher in the elementary school was hired because she is related to a member of the school board of education. Which of the following is the principal's best response to the information?

Speaking with the teacher about passing on information that could be defamatory

Of the following, the foremost reason for involving key stakeholders in every step of the strategic planning process is that __________.

Strategic plan development requires consideration and articulation of values and priorities of all those affected by the process

Performance Tasks * Journals and Portfolios * Tests and Quizzes * Teacher Observations * Student Self-Evaluation Research has shown that utilizing the above assessment types, as well as others, can best assist schools in obtaining what

Students' acquisition of the delivered curriculum

There are many challenges to school safety and security. Which of the following is currently the biggest obstacle for school leaders?

A lack of consistent funding to support needed security measures

Which of the following is an example of reflection-on-practice?

A principal evaluates her interaction with an irate parent whom she met with that morning

Which of the following teachers would probably have the highest tolerance for taking risks?

A teacher who frequently collaborates with colleagues.

A middle school principal has been working with his stakeholders to expose their underlying assumptions about the school. Now that they have uncovered these assumptions, they are attempting to ascertain which beliefs are limiting and which ones are empowering. Which of the following axioms will best assist them in making this determination?

An assumption is limiting when it is not in alignment with one's vision.

Each of the following behaviors is an ethical responsibility of students EXCEPT:

Establishing an emotionally safe classroom environment

During a random search, administrators find small cellophane bags containing a variety of prescription pills in a student's P.E. locker. According to the school handbook, one of the consequences is a ten-day suspension from school. In accordance with the Goss v. Lopez decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, school leaders are obligated to do which of the following before imposing a suspension?

Arrange for a hearing where all sides, including the student's, have an opportunity to be heard.

School principals are often called upon to collaborate with key stakeholders who have perspectives that may be much different than their own. This often takes time and dedication. What is greatest benefit of utilizing diverse representatives of the school community in school improvement efforts?

Bringing multiple perspectives to bear on complex issues can produce a rich array of approaches not available otherwise.

Mr. Quezada is the new principal of large, urban elementary school. He often hears his school faculty and staff denigrate the school's neighborhood, businesses, parents and other community members. What should be Mr. Quezada's primary focus in his efforts to engage all of his school's stakeholders

Connecting his faculty and staff to the common vision for student success that all stakeholders share

A principal has received several complaints about a bilingual instructional assistant who is allegedly doing students' work for them rather than providing them with scaffolding and support. When he questions the assistant, she confirms that she sometimes gives the students more assistance than she should because her caseload is too large for her to handle. What is the first step that the principal should take following this this conversation?

Consult with the human resources department to ensure that all legal requirements are followed in dealing with this employee

Building materials, layout and design are an integral part of comprehensive school safety. All of the following are key components of architectural design for school safety EXCEPT

Cost considerations for construction labor and materials

Mr. Orozco is the chair of the special education department in a small, rural junior/senior high school. At his regular bimonthly departmental meetings he presents issues that needed to be discussed and decided upon by the department members. These meetings often result in openly hostile verbal exchanges and very rarely are they able to come to a consensus on anything. Mr. Orozco has concluded that he must work on team building if anything is to be accomplished this year. Which of the following should he focus on first?

Creating a shared vision for the department with tangible goals and behavioral norms.

Which of the following is the most crucial question to consider in utilizing the services of various community agencies?

Do the services the community agency provides support the goals of the school?

An elementary school engages in data-driven instruction. This is the systematic use of student results to inform instructional practices. Which of the following behaviors by instructional staff at this school should be of greatest concern to the principal?

During data conferences, a teacher consistently expresses and demonstrates a belief that the bulk of responsibility for student learning is the students' and their families

An elementary school with a diverse population has formed a school advisory committee to support the school in achieving its goals. Which of the following behaviors by members of this committee should be of greatest concern to the principal?

During meetings, several committee members consistently ignore or ridicule comments and suggestions from parents on the committee who require a translator.

As part of a crisis response plan, the administration at a middle school has established a command and control structure that delineates the faculty and staff members who are responsible for directing crisis response. To ensure that the system is most effective, it would be important to confirm that:

Each individual's responsibilities within the command and control structure are clearly defined.

Which of the following actions would be the best way for a new principal to involve a school's stakeholders in formulating a shared vision?

Engaging as many community members and employees in the process from the outset so that all may contribute

Classroom management is essential to learning. All of the following support teachers with managing their classrooms EXCEPT:

Extinguishing negative behaviors through punishment

An effective group discussion has all of the following characteristics EXCEPT

Group members do not argue or openly disagree about topics

Which of the following actions would be the most explicit demonstration of an administrator's commitment to implementing his school's vision?

Hanging copies of the vision in visible places throughout campus

Which of the following strategies would best help a school administrator to stay focused on achieving his school's vision and goals

Having clearly articulated performance indicators with deadlines on the school calenda

_________alignment occurs when the content being taught in the classroom directly correlates with content standards and assessments.

Horizontal

School leaders are tasked to create an open and inclusive school community. Which of the federal laws or U.S. Supreme Court rulings mandate inclusive practices? I. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) II. Honig v. Doe (1988) III. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 IV. Lau v. Nichols (1974)

I, II, III and IV

The Title IX portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 addresses sex discrimination in which of the following educational activities? I. School Athletics II. School Band III. School Fraternities and Sororities IV. Academic classes

I, II, and IV

Which of the following are considered to be performance indicators that a teacher is competent in lesson presentation? I. Emphasizes what is important to remember. II. Circulates about the room as students engage in seatwork and assists students as needed. III. Stops inappropriate behavior before it spreads or becomes more serious. IV. Gives clear, brief, and explicit directions and checks for understanding.

I, II, and IV

I. Listening to what students have to say II. Speaking as an adult authority figure III. Being straightforward and honest IV. Saying things in a politically correct way V. Using current slang and colloquialisms Which of the above communication strategies would help a school administrator communicate most effectively with his students?

I,II,III

I. Specific II. Measureable III. Achievable IV. Relevant V. Time Frame Listed above are the elements of the SMART format—a widely used framework for developing goals. Which of these elements provide(s) a way for schools to easily gauge progress toward their vision?

I.,II,III,IV,V

I. Attending hearings II. Giving testimony III. Sending e-mails IV. Preparing policy briefs V. Writing postal letters Listed above are techniques by which school leaders can communicate with policymakers. Which of these would be the most influential in communicating a leader's point of view on a particular issue?

III

How does the recruitment and hiring of a diverse instructional staff support student learning?

It exposes students to diverse points of view and experiences

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that schools receiving Title I funds must publish an annual report card containing information such as teacher qualifications, enrollment data and student achievement. What is the chief purpose and benefit of this requirement?

It provides families pertinent information about their child(ren)'s school

The school site council at a low performing high school is considering implementing a character education program as a way to address students' lack of confidence in their own abilities to achieve and be successful. All of the following statements about the impact of character education are supported by research EXCEPT:

It results in students adopting the same core values

One way to provide more student access to challenging curricula is implementing a "flipped classroom" model that reverses the traditional model of a classroom, focusing class time on student understanding and processing rather than on lecture. Which of the following explanations gives the best reason for a teacher to utilize this method of instruction?

Learning is more student-centered and collaborative.

Legislators receive hundreds, if not thousands of e-mails a day. All of the following are components of an e-mail to a legislator that has a high probability of being read EXCEPT

Links to your union or association's website

The purpose of creating a comprehensive assessment system is that it can provide teachers with a continuous stream of high-quality information on student performance that they can utilize to improve their teaching and in turn impact student learning. As a result, teachers perform many essential tasks within the assessment system. Of all of the listed tasks, which would be considered the most crucial for a teacher to perform?

Modifying instruction based on assessment results

Teaching can be an all-encompassing profession. It is a common practice that teachers use their personal property, time and other resources to enhance their teaching practice. However, this can cause the line to become blurred between the personal and professional. Identify the scenario below that is not an example of a teacher using his/her position for personal gain.

Mr. Y takes a microwave oven from his home to use in the teachers' lounge and donates it to the school when he retires

A school instructional coach uses the results for the state-mandated writing test to evaluate the effectiveness of a new method for teaching writing. To best ensure that the new method is aligned with state standards, a more in-depth analysis of which of the following should occur?

Multiple years of classroom-level assessment results and district benchmark results.

What behaviors can a leader display while listening that will best demonstrate her understanding of and empathy for another person's point of view?

Paraphrasing what has been said accurately when the person finishes sharing

All of the following are requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) EXCEPT:

Parents have a right to free copies of the records the school maintains regarding their child

Social media provides a myriad of ways for school leaders to communicate with the public. All of the following are examples of how schools can use social media successfully EXCEPT

Posting student information such as attendance and grades

In determining the resources that the district will need to provide during the next fiscal year for a school's Special Education program, leaders should first:

Review state and federal mandates for the program, as well as how much categorical aid will be provided to meet those mandates

A high school principal desires to support teachers in consistently holding all students to high standards regardless of their personal ability. What teacher behavior will most successfully accomplish this goal?

Teaching students to differentiate between high and low standards by showing examples of meeting one's personal best

Which of the following is NOT a way that technology supports teaching and learning?

Technology makes it possible for teachers to update their skills less often

_______________ is the step in the clinical supervision process where the teacher takes ownership of the process and decides what should be observed

The Pre-observation Conference

Conducting a needs analysis is a way for schools to identify their strengths and weaknesses. All of the following are reliable sources of information/data EXCEPT:

The complaints most often reported to the principal

Increasing funding for early childhood education • Providing access to a rigorous and engaging curriculum • Enhancing access to colleges and universities • Providing quality health care • Expanding access to libraries and the internet • Supporting housing policies that integrate and diversify communities Research has shown that taking the above actions, as well as others, can help solve what crucial educational issue?

The opportunity and achievement gap

One way education leaders can promote continuous professional growth is to support teachers in creating a personal professional growth plan. What is the greatest benefit for teachers who have such a plan?

The plan supports teachers in taking ownership of their own professional growth.

Karen, a new middle school principal, reviews the student data to prepare for the upcoming year. She notices that the number of English Language Learners (ELs) has experienced a dramatic increase. In an attempt to support her staff in teaching this changing population, Karen offers staff development opportunities to visit other schools with similar demographics and learn new strategies for teaching ELs. When she offers these options she receives feedback along the lines of, "What we're doing works for us. Thanks for the opportunity, but we're fine." What might be the reason for the staff's apparent resistance?

The present situation seems satisfactory.

In order for professional learning communities (PLCs) to be successful, educational leaders must provide staff members with tangible support that demonstrates that collaborative work is actually an important part of school culture. Which of the following is an example of tangible support?

The principal attends trainings with staff members.

In order for teachers to best instruct their students, they must understand the students' culture of origin. Which of the following examples demonstrates a principal supporting this understanding?

The principal provides training about current demographics and instructional strategies compatible with students' culture.

A school leader would like to adopt a new program for teaching keyboarding to his upper elementary school students. Which of the following factors should get primary consideration?

The program's alignment with the school's vision and goals

Which of the following is the most important reason for putting systems in place for monitoring and revising school programs, plans and opportunities?

The school community can quickly identify discrepancies between current and desired outcomes

A high school principal has decided to apply for a grant to fund his school's marching band's attendance at a national competition that is less than 6 months away. When researching grants, what type of grant source would probably be the most appropriate for his needs?

a local philanthropic group

Mr. Singh, the new school principal at an inner city high school would like to examine the effectiveness of individual math instructors by examining their students' math achievement. Which type of accountability model would best support Mr. Singh in achieving this goal?

a value-added model

As a result of the constantly evolving U.S. population, research has shown all of the following trends in the U.S. educational system EXCEPT:

an increase in the percentage of male teachers

You are an elementary school principal. An event of tragic school violence has just occurred that is in the national news. You have noticed that many students, parents and staff members seem especially worried and tense. To support your school community, what action should you perform first in order to address this?

communicating about the school violence prevention measures that you already have in place

A _________ school is one that joins forces with local government, social service agencies, and other community partners to meet students' needs.

community

Students are active participants in their learning * Students are challenged to reach their fullest potential * Students are expected to engage in critical thinking * Students are encouraged to become politically and socially conscious * Students are educated about the world around them The above are characteristics of culturally _________ instruction.

competent

The greatest benefit to having community stakeholders participate in a school perception survey is that surveys _________________.

capture respondents' attitudes at a given point in time.

A ___________ is a small learning community within a high school that brings together school and the world of work often engaging students who would otherwise be indifferent to, or possibly even drop out of, school.

career academy

In Everson v. Board of Education the Supreme court held that public tax money could be used to transport students to religious schools on the basis of the _____________.

child benefit theory

The English department at a comprehensive high school would like to improve the achievement of its English Language Learners (ELs). Many of the students have been in the district for more than 7 years without being redesignated and English Proficient. Rather than waiting for yearly standardized test results to gauge the progress of these students, teachers can most effectively support student progress by ____________.

conducting frequent classroom-level monitoring of student progress and using the gathered information to inform instruction

The math department at an inner city high school is ready to implement instructional changes designed to improve students' math achievement. Prior to making these changes, the school department chair in conjunction with the school principal has led the teachers in a review of current research on math instruction and an examination of their students' math standardized test scores for the last four years. The leader can best ensure that planned changes actually result in increased student achievement by encouraging the teachers to ____________.

develop a plan for assessing student achievement during and following the instructional changes.

The ______________ has the authority to adopt policies in any given school district.

district board of education

1. Inviting the community to open house and other school events 2. Highlighting community events and achievements in school newsletters 3. Interacting with civic organizations 4. Attending community events that aren't school-related 5. Using social media as a tool for authentic engagement The strategies above are actions that a principal can take to _____________.

facilitate proactive community engagement

The board of education of an inner city school district has voted to require all middle and high school students in the district to wear school uniforms. Prior to the new school year, a high school principal has heard that many of his students cannot afford to buy the required apparel. To address this issue, the principal should:

find alternative ways to supply the students with the necessary clothing

Mrs. Hyder's second grade students use small, dry erase white boards during their math classes. The students use them to complete practice problems independently or in pairs and then hold them up so that she can review them and give feedback. This is an example of which type of assessment?

formative assessment

The 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) introduced important changes in the provision of special education services for students with disabilities. It requires that students with disabilities have access to, involvement in, and progress in the _______________.

general curriculum

Of the following descriptions, which one best describes backward planning?

identifying the content that needs to be mastered, then designing assessments and activities to support student learning

As a result of family and community partnerships in schools, research has shown all of the following benefits for students EXCEPT:

increased dependence on adults

Summarizing and note taking • Homework and practice • Cooperative learning • Generating and testing hypotheses According to research, the factors above are all ____________ that positively affect student learning.

instructional strategies

Of the following reasons, which one illustrates the primary rationale for providing health services in schools?

there is a proven link between students' health and their ability to learn

The greatest benefit to school leaders delegating responsibility is __________.

it empowers others to be more invested in the success of the school

All of the following factors have been cited as impacting teacher retention EXCEPT

lack of affordable housing within the district

A(n) ________ is something that a person believes about himself, others or an organization that impedes progress toward a goal.

limiting belief

A(n)_______ is a means of providing special access so parents can log in and view their child's data, review class-specific content, receive automatic progress updates, read teacher comments, track attendance, and contact teachers with questions or concerns.

parent portal

A school population has become increasingly diverse during the pass two school year. Many faculty members feel that the changing population is less capable academically; as a result, the members feel powerless to help their students succeed in school. Which of the following steps taken by the principal can best help the staff address assumptions that could be impacting student success?

providing opportunities for teachers to identify their biases and learn to embrace student differences

Each of the following behaviors helps to create a culture of learning EXCEPT:

requiring teachers to use technology as much as possible

You are a principal at a comprehensive high school. One of your teachers has sought your support in differentiating a lesson to meet the needs of a student with autism in her class. What is the first task you and the teacher should perform before beginning the process?

reviewing the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Per pupil expenditures, teacher salaries and student-teacher ratios are examples of which type of community resource?

simple resources

Parent and student communication * Community outreach and event broadcasting * Showcasing student and faculty work * Emergency notifications According to research, the above activities are ways that schools utilize __________.

social media

A(n) __________ is anyone who is invested in the success of a school/school system.

stakeholder

A(n) ___________ is an ideal way that a school can communicate behavioral norms to students by clearly explaining codes of conduct, student rights and responsibilities, unacceptable behavior, and procedures for due process and appeals.

student handbook

In standards-based professional development, teachers gain new learnings and modify their behaviors in order to more effectively impact _____________.

student learning and growth

Many school leaders only conduct observations to gather data for formal teacher evaluations. However, peer observation can be a useful tool for ______________.

teacher professional development and collaboration

An "acceptable use policy" is created by school districts to regulate

the expected behavior of anyone using the district's technology

Do teachers respect one another's dignity and ideas? • Do teachers have a high level of personal regard for one another both personally and professionally? • Do teachers believe their colleagues are competent and willing to perform their jobs effectively? • Can teachers count on each other to keep their word? A new principal can use the preceding questions to assist her in identifying and assessing the level of ________ amongst her teaching staff.

trust