SLLA Education System
Among guidelines for school leaders to embed standard based professional development into teachers' jobs, which pair is described accurately? a - effective PD is student centered; teachers are actively involved in learning processes b - job embedded and school based pd is on site; teachers independently problem solve c - PD is supported and ongoing; teachers must know practice applications, not theories d - PD is part of district supported systematic reform; it must cover new, unstudied trends
A
How can attending district school board meetings most help a school leader who is new to a school and community in both informing the leader and promoting leader willingness to change positions or beliefs about educational issues? a - by discovering how diverse the new school district is b - by witnessing how school boards accentuate diversity c - by seeing how school differences correlate to distance d - by realizing how districts are managed just like schools
A
To create a culture of high expectations for students, some school leaders and teachers have instituted "no zeroes" grading policies wherein students received progressive interventions and new due dates to achieve at least 70% on assignments instead of 0% the first time. What best reflects student outcomes? a - far fewer students received F grades b - missed assignments remained equal c - more students received a d grade d - more students received extra help
A
Educational research into collaborative data analysis has identified four areas. Which of these areas involves the process of exploring learning standards, goals, and definitions? a - calibration b - student data focus c - educator engagement d - supportive technology
A - Calibration is the process of exploring and reaching consensus about learning standards, goals and definitions at building system wide, and district wide levels.
Questions 2 of 3 - A school leader has been hired as the new principal of a public elementary school. State standardized test scores in English language arts across all 4th grade classes in his school have steadily declined over the past several years. Scores in reading, listening, and speaking have all declined and scores in writing started out the lowest and have dropped the most since. The new principal and all 4th grade teachers are meeting to study samples of student compositions and discuss how to improve writing achievement - Following the initial meeting, the new principal conducts observations of each fourth grade teachers classroom instruction. What should the principal mainly focus on in terms of improving students' state standardized ELA test scores?
Align lesson objectives with state grade level english language arts standards directly addresses improving students' scores on state ELA tests, which are based on those standards.
Relate some practices that successful education leaders recommend in advocating for educational equity and excellence
As researchers have discovered, many education leaders commonly recommend certain practices to develop equity and excellence in schools: school leaders should build shared understandings of reasons for leading. They should be brave in confronting genuine challenges to developing leadership. They should design and maintain "nested" professional development opportunities. School leaders who effectively advocate for equitable, excellent education also advise others to establish collaborative approaches across systems to explore leadership practices from various viewpoints. They recommend furnishing opportunities for colleagues, staff, and other learning community members to develop addressed equity skills. School leaders should model the kind of dialogue that demonstrates courage for comprehending and confronting the power interactions inherent in racist and classist attitudes and practices. These professional say school leaders must distinguish between their intentions and their actions. They advice studying systemic inequities, i.e., how they are part of the problem; and characteristics of equitable leadership i.e., the solution to the problem. They recommend that school leaders be open to learning new things about equitable practice, and take risks they have not previously taken.
A principal wants to develop a new school vision and goals associated with that vision. What applies mos about implementing these? a - the principal must ensure that the vision and associated goals are all measurable for every student b - the principal must differentiate measurable versus nonmeasurable vision and goals for every student c - the principal must ensure vision and goals, rather than expectations are measurable, for all students d - the principal must develop vision and goals, and school staff must develop an implementation plan
B
As part of an overall school reform initiative, a principal makes a plan to distribute leadership among educators and other stakeholders for implementing school goals. Which research findings exist to inform this decision? a - distributing leadership improves professional development but nothing else b - educational reform changes demand efforts requiring a few superior leaders c - the capacity building needed for school improvement limits leader numbers d - school reform initiatives all share implicit distributed leadership in common
D
For a school principal to assess the effectiveness of his or her strategies to communicate the school vision, which method would be most informative? a - separately ask a group of students and a group of parents what the vision is; see if answers align b - separately ask the teachers and a group of parents to state the vision, and compare their answers c - separately ask different members of the school staff to articulate the vision, comparing responses d - separately ask an educational leader, student, teacher, and parent the vision; see if answers align
D
How must school leaders help faculty and other staff with curriculum and instruction to identify and meet student needs? a - they oversee but do not participate in designing curriculum and instruction b - they review programs regularly to determine correct implementation only c - they help faculty and staff meet unmet needs rather than implement plans d - they help faculty and staff identify content and practices to address needs
D
Regarding a school's vision, mission, and related goals, the school leader's responsibility is to ensure these are congruent with which level(s) of education policy? a - with only the school and district policies b - with the school, district, and state policies c - with only federal and state level policies d - with school, local, state and federal policies
D
The National PTA identifies factors promoting family school involvement as a critical form of stakeholder collaboration. Which factor(s) is/are more the responsibility of school leaders than the collective responsibility of school leaders, faculty and staff? a - supporting the parenting skills of the parents or guardians of the students b - actively participating in student learning and supporting parents to do this c - engaging students' parents to become partners for school decision making d - community outreach, encouraging family volunteers, and serving on PTAs
D
Questions 3 of 3 - A school leader has been hired as the new principal of a public elementary school. State standardized test scores in English language arts across all 4th grade classes in his school have steadily declined over the past several years. Scores in reading, listening, and speaking have all declined and scores in writing started out the lowest and have dropped the most since. The new principal and all 4th grade teachers are meeting to study samples of student compositions and discuss how to improve writing achievement - the principal wants to assist the teachers in identifying the best instructional strategies to augment their students ELA achievement. Which of the following pairs of data sets would most inform this assistance? a - 4th grade students' reading levels; 4th grade ela instructional schedules b- demographic information on the students; the vision statement for the school c - 4th grade teachers years of experience; 4th grade teachers' education d - student standardized test data, disaggregated; state grade level ELA standards
D for making appropriate instructional decisions, the principal must be able to identify data required to inform them. Disaggregated standardized test data will inform indentifying areas of student mastery and need, and state standards will inform designing curriculum and identifying instructional content.
Summarize some strategies that experts recommend school leaders use to influence educational equity in the respective domains of instructional practices and assessment and evaluation.
In the domain of instructional practices, experts recommend that school leaders take steps to influence school equity by 1. enabling faculty to give students necessary support by helping teachers develop culturally relevant lessons; cultivating partnerships among classroom teachers and other staff, giving students needed additional scaffolding; and providing resources like visits to other schools, release time, etc. 2. Giving full curriculum access to all students, e.g., using school resources to compensate for limited home access to technology and cultural activities; 3. acknowledging potential racial or cultural bias in special education identification; and 4. supporting research-based instructional practices addressing achievement gaps. In the assessment and evaluation domain, school leaders should 1. use student data to monitor progress toward reducing achievement gaps. 2. Match testing accommodations to student needs, enhancing fairness and validity. 3. Discourage manipulation of assessment to omit reporting certain student results and artificially inflate scores to fool the accountability system, which impedes resolving achievement gaps. 4. Recognize and celebrate all students' performance gains, including those not meeting state standards. 5. Increase assessment reliability so score changes reflect performance, not test or tester changes. 6. Examine tests with staff for cultural, linguistic, and gender bias; discuss potential impacts on diverse students; and seek alternatives.
Cite some ways school leaders can develop stakeholder relationships through violence prevention and intervention programs, and through partnerships with local colleges and city business organizations
In two counties of one state, 13 school districts were involved in a school violence and safety collaborative partnership project. School stakeholders responded with reports about the schools to focus groups, which collected the information. This project resulted in recommendations for more effective communication channels throughout the whole school community, and strategies for recruiting community support in implementing effective programs for violence prevention and intervention. In another state's rural community, through a partnership formed by a city high school, city chamber of commerce, and county community college, the school career center started a work ethic recertification program to help students learn effective communication, dependability, friendliness, and other "soft" skills needed for workplace success. Students earned tuition scholarships at the county community college, one semester for every year they met program requirements, including GPAs of 2.5 or more, community service participation, monthly skill-building lunchtime brown-bag workshop attendance, being on time to classes, and making portfolios of their experiences. Students completing the program for all four high school years earned free tuition for college degree programs.
Explain how legislators rely on school leaders to be informed about educational issues, and reciprocally how school leaders can influence political leaders through lobbying and advocacy.
In view of term limits, legislators count on their lobbyists and staff members to furnish them with information they need about legislative bills and current issues. The progressions directly involved with school districts and individual schools are those that are most knowledgable about educational issues. Therefore, politicians who get laws passed need to hear from school leaders about all issues that relate to education. it is not necessary for educators, including school leaders, to be professional lobbyists in order to influence their political leaders. They can advocate and lobby for their schools as individuals; through their professional organizations; and through a range of community contacts like local politicians, community leaders, and local businesses, all of whom can be equally important as the legislators. School leaders first must identify the names of individuals and groups they want to approach via community directories, the internet, professional organizations, and district offices. These sources can provide information on local civic and district representatives, and community companies and individuals to contact. Then they can participate in grassroots initiatives sponsored by chambers of commerce, legislative action days sponsored by professional organizations, and other opportunities to lobby at federal and state levels.
Questions 1 of 3 - A school leader has been hired as the new principal of a public elementary school. State standardized test scores in English language arts across all 4th grade classes in his school have steadily declined over the past several years. Scores in reading, listening, and speaking have all declined and scores in writing started out the lowest and have dropped the most since. The new principal and all 4th grade teachers are meeting to study samples of student compositions and discuss how to improve writing achievement - The teachers have each brought writing samples from their students to the meeting. The principal should advise them to take which of these steps toward instructional improvements?
The principal should help teachers design and deliver instruction that addresses the standards on which the test is based. Grouping students needs is most related to declining group test scores, so identifying those needs is the first step to improve instruction
Discuss some reports from school leaders about how they interact with parents who are irate or unhappy, and why.
When parents approach school leaders in irate or agitated states, some school leaders not only listen, but also take notes. They tell parents note-taking records parents' exact concerns. This makes parents realize they are listening, and helps leaders understand issues better. Some leaders even offer parents to read their notes and add anything they find omitted. Other school leaders report eye contact and smiling help when greeting concerned parents. They make clear not only that they will hear parents out, but also that their office rules include adult behavior by adults and behaving otherwise will instantly end their meeting. These leaders use active listening, restating parent utterances. They treat parents as they would want to be treated. Successful leaders note they ask parents to be advocates for children, but rarely teach them how, so they are advocating however they can. They remember parents often have heard children's incomplete or inaccurate accounts, and seek all information possible before acting or deciding. Focusing on the student and not the parent, remembers parents react out of concern and love, putting themselves in the parent's shoes, communicating that the child is equally important to them, and never personalizing parental upset all help leaders stay calm.
Explain some of the mutual advantages to schools and communities when school leaders invite community member businesses, organizations, and individuals to partner with their schools
When school leaders invite businesses, individuals, and other community members to partner with their schools, their community partners become more informed about school functions and needs through their direct involvement and participation. They develop a sense of ownership in the school. They also derive satisfaction and pride from personally helping students learn. When school leaders then thank community partners for their efforts and participation, and acknowledge and celebrate everything they have done, these partners will not only appreciate, but may also remember what the school leaders did by reaching out to invite them and how they acknowledge them. Community partners will also remember and value things they have learned from the school and how they helped it through their participation. School leaders must also remember that their school belongs to their community: they should provide community access to school facilities by inviting or organizing special events, town hall meetings, legislative breakfasts, receptions, banquets, etc. This not only benefits the community, it also affords community members better understandings of the school and of what it is doing to make positive differences in students' lives.
Describe how some effective school leaders interact with parents who are upset or angry by listening to them and using related strategies.
When they are confronted by a parent who is upset and/or angry over some issue, some effective school leaders begin by smiling and extending a hand. They report that this conveys a sense to parents that they respect them, and are willing to listen to them and look for a solution to whatever issue they perceive. To help themselves remain calm, school leaders also say that as they are welcoming an upset parent, they remind themselves the parent is not angry or upset with them personally, but with some event, or something in his or her own life. School leaders find that listening attentively accomplishes much toward resolving the majority of problems. Other school leaders observe that parent yelling in the school halls have an extremely negative effect, so they immediately invite them to converse privately in their offices. They find that knowing school leaders empathize and are willing to help nearly always enables angry parents to calm down.
Among tenets of the philosophy of differentiating instruction that are compatible with standards-based instruction, which is described correctly here? a - the zone of proximal development (where students can do more with assistance than they can do alone) enables optimal learning b - designed learning opportunities are superior to natural ones c - activating prior knowledge enhances relevance, not learning d - sense of community aids socials, not academic, development
a
Regarding data collection, recording and submission for monitoring student progress and relating it to state assessments, which school leader responsibility to help faculty is most accurately described? a - deciding how often, and to whom, teachers submit data b - ensuring teachers collect data periodically, for example, quarterly c - having faculty aid one another with data recording forms d - applying state assigned rubrics to assessment for faculty
a
Relative to developing and sustaining a clear school vision and learning goals, which choice correctly describes documented practices of effective school principals? a - they protect educators' instructional time via minimizing disruptions. b - they set aspirational goals that they do not expect everyone to meet c - they have a clear vision for the school and always focus on one vision d - they ensure continual progress monitoring regardless of school goals.
a
School leaders should regularly review and analyze teachers' learning objectives, assessments, progress, and achievement data collection and use their analysis to determine which of the following? a - how well these elements align with one another within and across grade levels and curriculum b - how well these elements align with state or national standards rather than with one another c - how well these elements align with one another within grade levels rather than across levels d - how well these elements align with one another across grade levels instead of the curriculum
a
School leadership experts have observed that many available forms of school data can be more significant for informing and guiding the school vision than the kinds of data educators tend to think of automatically. Which choice represents this default assumption that can exclude other valuable data? a - standardized achievement, state, local common, AP and IB test results b - data that measure rates of student attendance, absence, and tardiness c - rates of attendance, absence, and turnover of grade or department staffs d - student extracurricular enrollments and incidents and dispositions in discipline
a
To assess and monitor progress toward school goals, which type(s) of assessment would be most indicated for measuring student analytical and critical thinking and communication skills? a - performance assessments, journals b - standardized tests of achievement c - extended student group projects d - teacher's observations of students
a
To gather feedback from key stakeholders about the relationship between their opinions about the significance of education and the school's vision and goals, which of these should a school leader do? a - develop a series of critical questions appropriate to this topic b - develop a few open-ended questions to stimulate discussions c - develop a school task force to interview all of the stakeholders d - develop a series of meetings wherein stakeholders discuss this
a
A principal forms and helps train a school vision oversight team before involving whole faculty in developing a school vision statement What best describes the primary purpose of this team? a - to draft the vision because most school faculties are too big to be productively involved b - to introduce the concept, engage faculty in writing a vision, and synthesize all their input c - to represent the school leadership team on a smaller level by delegating some members d - to represent all school department staff, including those who are not already educational leaders
b
A principal has assembled a school vision oversight team and provided them with a variety of school data for background knowledge. The team is ready to engage school staff in developing a new school vision. Faculty members review the current vision statement, examples of others' vision statements, and school data. The team divides staff into groups with discussion questions; for example, "what kind of school do we aspire to be?" What other question would apply? a - How is our school just the same as any other school? b - What do we think our vision statement should reflect? c - What should we keep on doing to realize this vision? d - what is evidence we are meeting the current vision?
b
Among standards informing effective professional development for teachers, which is/are most characteristic fo strong school leaders? a - valuing ongoing learning, promoting continuous improvement, and inquiry, collaboration, and problem solving b - realizing good PD's value, promoting teacher participation, and communicated PD benefits to stakeholders c - human, financial, and temporal contributions; allocation coordination; and investment return assessments d - rigorous analysis of varied, disaggregated student data for proficiency standards, learning gaps and results
b
Regarding how school leaders involve students appropriately in school improvement teams and processes, which of the following is true? a - planning school wide forums is always a school leader's job b - some students have conducted school wide survey research c - students have never participated in hiring any school leader d - students testifying in the state legislatures is against the law
b
School leaders can organize teachers into data inquiry teams to identify and address student academic needs. What accurately describes something school leaders should direct these teams to do? a - develop action plans according to data analyses b - support the implementation of the action plans c - analyze data from summative assessments only d - analyze data by classes not individual students
b
The Tripod Project and other research based initiatives to close achievement gaps have identified aspects of student engagement. For example, when teachers help them consolidate new learning, students are prepared for the future. Among other aspects, each described here as opposing pairs leading to success or failure, which is incorrect? a - trust and interest versus mistrust and disinterest b - autonomy of students versus control by teachers c - ambition in learning versus control by teachers d - industry versus disengagement or discouragement
b
What does research show about school leaders distributing leadership responsibilities for implementing a school vision and goals? a - the most effective leaders are found to influence student achievement and school efficacy directly b - today's schools cannot be led by one principal without significant participation by other educators c - the traditional model of single, formal leadership exists because teachers lack a principal's expertise d - educational programs developed by one principal are easier for principals who follow to maintain
b
When school principals collaborate with others in making curriculum decisions, who else should be involved? a - curriculum specialists and professional personnel b - curriculum specialists, professionals, and board members c - the students and the school's professional personnel d - school professional and members of the board of education
b
Which of the following is the most effective strategy for a principal to communicate the school vision to school personnel? a - morning announcements b - sending a daily email to staff c - attending community events d - meetings in a one way format
b
Which of the following things can school leaders do to give teachers a safe environment for expressing their ideas? a - giving critical feedback about unusual ideas they express b - scheduling regular, brief meeting times for original ideas c - taking care not to let teachers undermine their authority d - asking them how "safe" differs for teachers versus students
b
A high school teacher's Algebra II class includes some students learning independently, some progressing as fast as she could teach them, and some lacking prerequisite skills for the course. The teachers dual goal is to help every student acquire a solid grasp of mathematics and also pass the standards exam. Which of the following practices help her achieve this? a - letting students discover curriculum skills to master instead of tell them b - devoting most small group instruction time to students needing more help c - dividing classroom time among varied instructional groupings and activities d - focusing on introducing new concepts rather than prior student knowledge
c
In steps for school leaders to take to develop professional earning communities for identifying instructional practices to augment student learning, the first is that school leaders and faculty endorse the school purpose of high level learning for every student. Which of the other steps is represented correctly here? a - school leaders form staff teams whose members collaborate in accomplishing diverse goals b - school leaders assign teams to develop, not administer, assessments nor design curriculum c - school leaders and staff teams identify both exemplary and struggling teachers and students d - school leaders let staff teams develop coordinated intervention plans but do not participate
c
To address inherent barriers like staff fear of the unknown and resistance to change, school principals benefit from knowing common kinds of inner dialogues employees experience around school vision development for listening to and validating their thoughts. What do school personnel typically ask themselves about this change process? a - not what is needed for the vision but if they will be able to live with and support it b - if they believe they and the school can realize the vision rather than if they believe it c - whether they will be able to continue their instructional practices along with why or why not d - what the vision will expect and how their lives will change more than practice continuity
c
To assist teacher with integrating technology into instruction, which should school leaders do? a - lead teachers first to encourage student technology use for enhancing research skills b - lead teachers to avoid legal and ethical issues with technology as outside their scope c - lead teachers to encourage student concept comprehension before using technology d - lead teachers to target technology skills and content quality without differentiation
c
To implement the school vision and pursue the school goals, how should a school leader best invite others to share these commitments? a - identify only members of the school staff with common perspectives to ensure cooperation b - identify members of school and community with common perspectives to attain consensus c - identify school and community members with diverse perspectives to assure representation d - identify only members of the school staff with diverse perspectives to implement equitably
c
What have researchers found about the roles of school leaders relative to teacher risk taking? a - principals who follow traditional authoritarian approaches receive more respect from teachers b - when principals allow more freedom in curriculum design, teachers miss their leaders control c - teachers attribute their success to empowerment by principals who give freedom to take risks d - researchers find that to meet student needs, school leaders must minimize teacher risk taking.
c
Which of the following applies to both horizontal and vertical curriculum alignment? a - teaching the same content across all classrooms on the same grade levels b - teaching content aligned with state or district assessments and standards c - teaching to minimize achievement gaps through standardizing education d - teaching across successive grade levels including preparatory scaffolding
c
Which statement is most accurate and complete regarding school leader skills for promoting staff communication and collaboration in problem solving toward school improvement and reform to realize school vision and goals? a - school leaders communication school vision and goals to stakeholders, which suffices b - school leaders evaluate staff leadership abilities and select those with the best skills c - schools leaders use consensus building and group-process skills in facilitating reform d - school leaders evaluate staff collaborative skills and select those with the best skills
c
a school leader surveys key stakeholders regarding the school vision and goals to learn what they believe about the purposes of education. Which set of stakeholder groups is the leader least likely to survey about this particular topic? a - superintendent, central office administrators b - members of school board, parents of students c - community business owners, business workers d - students, teachers, paraprofessionals at school
c
As school leader responsibilities have increased, distributing leaders has become more important. Distributive leadership can have additive or holistic forms. Which of the following is correct about these? a - in the additive form, collective work by all leaders adds up to more than the sum of the parts b - in the holistic form, every organizational member is a leader, regardless of his or her interactions c - in the additive form, all organizational leaders must "sink or swim" together, not separately d - in the holistic form, interdependent leadership among organization members is emphasized
d
Regarding strategies that principals can use to give teachers effective feedback, which is true? a - principals will make feedback fresher for teachers by delivering it unexpectedly b - principals should give feedback unrelated to their expectations or teacher goals c - principals enable perspective by delaying feedback after classroom observation d - principals convey criticism best following strengths and by requesting solutions
d
Research into achievement gaps in suburban schools known for excellence found which of the following about students from racial and ethnic minority groups? a - Black and Latino students spent less time on homework and completed homework less b - researchers attributed differences in grades and homework to motivation and effort c - Asian students had higher grades and finished more homework by spending equal time d - researchers attributed grade and homework differences to skill and home support.
d
The research literature about school principals roles in realizing the school vision and goals, and aligning instruction with the vision and goals, affords which of these conclusions? a - principals with more effective schools focus on learning rather than on school improvement b - principals with high achieving schools have more confidence in teachers than in themselves c - principals with effective schools delegate the roles of assuring instructional quality to others d - principals with high achieving schools communicate to all stakeholders that learning comes first
d
What best describes knowledge of instructional practices that school leaders must have? a - helping teachers learn new methods but not predicting how long it will take b - knowing the time effective planning takes regardless of the number of students c - implementing new approaches, more importantly than networking teachers d - knowing the time effective planning takes according to the levels of content
d
Which of these is not one of the purposes of rigorous and relevant curriculum design? a - to challenge educator views on how students learn b - to incorporate the instructional skills of the teacher c - to impose a structure on existing instructional goals d - to incorporate new and different instructional goals
d
