Instructional
Which of the following best exemplifies the notion of influence and impact as opposed to power and control?
(A) Having teachers evaluate their own recorded lessons
(B) Having teachers submit lesson plans
(C) Having teachers follow lesson plans without deviation
(D) Awarding pay increases on the basis of merit
(E) Filing teacher evaluations that are not seen by the teachers
Having teachers evaluate their own tape recordings of lessons generally enables them to be responsible for their own growth and development. Responses (B), (C), and (D) are obviously authoritarian and controlling, and (E) is fully contrary to the concepts of “influence” and “impact.” The correct response, therefore, is (A).
The organization chart of Spring Valley schools shows that the assistant superintendent, who reports directly to the superintendent, is in charge of 10 high schools and 75 elementary schools. This arrangement is in conflict with which of the following classical principles of organization?
(A) Span of control
(B) Unity of control
(C) Line and staff
(D) Subordination of individual interests to general interest
(E) Esprit de corps
Supervision is less effective and “control” is lost once the number of individuals one has to supervise exceeds eight. This is referred to as “span of control,” so the correct answer is (A).
A staff member tells the principal that a particular teacher is very upset at the end of a trying day. The most appropriate action by the principal would be to
(A) urge the teacher to resolve any difficulties before the next day
(B) refer the teacher to the school counselor
(C) talk to the teacher about maintaining one’s composure in front of students
(D) urge the teacher to reread a textbook on effective teaching
(E) help the teacher talk about the day and the feelings the teacher is experiencing
When a teacher is in crisis, the most appropriate action the principal can take is to be available to the teacher and provide assistance through active listening, nonjudgmental dialogue, and sensitivity to the teacher’s current state of mind. Each of the choices (A) – (D) requires the teacher to “do” another thing, thus adding more stress. The correct answer is (E).
Which of the following strategies would be most effective for a school administrator who wants to
foster an open school climate?
(A) Setting the desired tone during staff meetings and through individual interactions and
memorandums
(B) Asking the district superintendent to designate the school an open school
(C) Issuing a memorandum directing that there be a change to an open school plan
(D) Providing a staff professional-development program on open schools
(E) Appointing a committee of parents, teachers, and students to study the idea
(A). While all of the other choices address the issue of an open school climate, they do
not involve steps that will allow the principal to create it. Only choice (A) directly addresses the issue and
actively involves the skills of the school leader in making this happen.
The 1974 Supreme Court decision in Lau v. Nichols mandates which of the following?
(A) Bilingual education must be provided
for all immigrant groups.
(B) Students must be taught in a language that they understand.
(C) Bilingual education must be included in all school districts regardless of
demographic or logistical realities.
(D) ESL instruction must be optional if some groups reject it.
(E) Bilingual education must be available to both native and non native speakers of English.
(B) Students must be taught in a language that they understand.
The teaching techniques or methods that are generally considered to have the most direct impact on affective feelings are
(A) discussion and dialogue
(B) recitation and independent study
(C) role-playing and simulation
(D) questioning and observation
(E) lecturing and demonstration
(C) because role-playing and simulation are most
concerned with creativity and feeling. Choices (A), (B), (D), and (E) are concerned with cognitive activities
Research indicates that a major factor in the high rate of novice teachers leaving the profession is the lack of administrative support. Which of the following actions by school leadership is most likely to address this factor?
(A) Developing streamlined processes for paperwork and eliminating duplication
(B) Providing encouragement, frequent feedback, and opportunities for professional growth
(C) Providing adequate teaching resources and workspaces
(D) Making sure that teacher assignments match prior experience and training
(E) Offering opportunities for teachers to network with and mentor each other
All of the strategies given are likely to benefit novice teachers by addressing concerns about clerical tasks, inadequate equipment, limited staff development, and isolation from colleagues. However, only choice B is likely to target the specific concern about lack of administrative support. Therefore the correct answer is (B).
Daily Double!
D – Best Answer - In 1982, in McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education, a federal court held that a "balanced treatment" statute violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Arkansas statute required public schools to give balanced treatment to "creation-science" and "evolution-science". In a decision that gave a detailed definition of the term "science", the court declared that "creation science" is not in fact a science. The court also found that the statute did not have a secular purpose, noting that the statute used language peculiar to creationist literature. The theory of evolution does not presuppose either the absence or the presence of a creator. (McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education (1982) 529 F. Supp. 1255, 50 U.S. Law Week 2412)
Which of the following is the most
justifiable position a principal could take
with regard to establishing a bilingual
program in a school in which more than 75
percent of the students are from homes
where English is not the first language?
(A) Initiate the program because it would
provide cultural recognition for
students from diverse backgrounds.
(B) Initiate the program because it will
most likely help the students advance
academically.
(C) Do not initiate the program because it may slow the students’ learning of English.
(D) Do not initiate the program because it could be seen as favoritism.
(E) Do not initiate the program because such programs are not always effective.
Diverse populations present numerous
challenges to schools, and providing alternative
programming and/or additional levels of
support for these students is essential for their
success. This is especially evident when 75
percent of a school’s population has a dominant
language other than English. The correct
answer, therefore, is (B).
Federal funding to provide compensatory
education to disadvantaged students was
established under which of the following
legislative acts?
(A) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(B) Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(C) Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(D) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
(E) Title IV (b) of the Education Amendments of 1974
(B) Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
It was Title I of the Elementary and Seconda Education Act of 1965 that provided funds for compensatory education for disadvantaged students.
Recommended practice suggests that which of the following should be involved when decisions are
being made about the curriculum?
I. Curriculum experts
II. Boards of education
III. Professional staff
IV. Parents and students
(A) I and III only
(B) II and III only
(C) II and IV only
(D) II, III, and IV only
(E) I, II, III, and IV
You should be aware that all four of the parties listed have legitimate roles to play in decisions about curriculum. The correct answer to the question, therefore, is (E).
An elementary school has adopted a program of
directed studies in order to meet the needs of
gifted students. In the program, students pursue
an area of interest in depth under the supervision
of a faculty member. This approach to gifted
education is best described as
(A) enrichment
(B) compacting
(C) acceleration
(D) self-pacing
(E) cluster grouping
In enrichment programs, (A),students are given challenging material to enhance an area of the curriculum. Compacting,(B), allows students to move beyond material they have already mastered, while acceleration (C) allows students to skip material or grades to study at levels more appropriate to their abilities. Cluster grouping (E) allows students to work in small groups under the supervision of a specially trained teacher. The directed learning situation described above allows students to self-pace their learning. Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
In a school of 30 teachers, 12 teachers are absent on the same day due to a flu epidemic. On this day the school was to have sent four teachers for a district in-service program o computer-assisted instruction. Because of the epidemic, no substitutes are available. The principal should do which of the following?
(A) Inform the district office of the situation, saying that it is not possible to spare any teachers and requesting that training be rescheduled.
(B) Send two teachers to the in-service and keep two in the building to help cover classes.
(C) Send four teachers to the in-service sessions as directed by the central office.
(D) Leave the four teachers in the building to help cover classes, but personally attend. the in-service and explain the new practices to the faculty at a later time.
(E) Keep the four teachers in the building to cover the classrooms and notify the district office later in the week.
Sending any teacher. to this workshop will obviously exacerbate the problem. Consequently, no staff should be allowed to leave. This eliminates responses B and C from consideration. Given the fact that the building is so understaffed, the principal should remain in the building to help with student supervision. Thus, response D is inappropriate. Response E is also inappropriate because it does not provide for notification of those conducting this in-service program until later in the week. The correct response, therefore, is (A).
If you think about this question, perhaps jotting
down some notes on techniques for building
morale, you will review your knowledge of the
subject and you will probably be ready to answer
multiple-choice questions similar to the one below:
Which of the following types of behavior best
demonstrates a leader’s sensitivity to the needs
of individuals and groups?
(A) Establishing and maintaining two-way
communication and responding to the
needs expressed
(B) Conducting a needs assessment and
summarizing the results in a
memorandum to those affected
(C) Maintaining an atmosphere that
encourages sociability and friendliness
(D) Seeking verification of school needs
through the perceptions of others
(E) Maintaining an “open door” policy
is (A). Responses B, C, D, and E
are ways to either create a positive climate or means
of gathering data. Only (A) demonstrates a leader’s
sensitivity to the needs of individuals or groups.
The norms for a standardized test are
intended to help the test user to
(A) compare scores with the average performance of others
(B) administer the test
(C) score the test
(D) correlate the test with a comparable test
(E) prescribe remedial treatment in areas
of educational deficiency
Since norms provide a point of reference or
comparison for analyzing the test results of an
individual or group, the correct answer is (A),
comparing scores with the average
performance of others.
Which of the following measures that a supervisor might use in evaluating teacher competence would be considered the most objective?
(A) A judgment as to the clarity with which a teacher presents subject matter
(B) A record of the frequency with which a teacher asks questions during instruction
(C) A judgment as to the appropriateness of difficulty of the instructional materials used
(D) A judgment as to the degree of negative interaction between teacher and student
(E) A record of the extent to which a teacher makes use of student ideas
The measures described in
(A), (C), and (D) all involve “judgment.”
Judgments are subjective by their very nature, so
these three items can be ruled out. Both (B) and
(E) speak to data collection. However, only (B)
addresses a component of instruction that can be
objectively quantified during a classroom
observation.
In a public school system that sponsors a continuing citizen advisory committee, the usual role of the superintendent with reference to the committee is to
(A) assume membership in the committee, with. the same responsibilities as other members
(B) act as chairperson of the committee to ensure relevant educational problems. are considered
(C) withdraw from active participation on the committee
(D) offer her or his services as a resource person for the committee
(E) prepare the agenda and schedules for each meeting
In working with these groups, superintendents must be certain that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, understood, and put in the context of the district’s vision and mission. This superintendent’s relationship with these group should be both positive and supportive. However, he or she should not attempt to control or widely influence the group’s work. The correct response, therefore, is (D).
Several parents have contacted a middle school principal with regard to a concern they have about the school’s extracurricular program. The parents say that after-school activities sometimes end early, leaving students to wait for up to 45 minutes, usually unattended, until the late bus arrives.
Which of the following would be the most important immediate step for the principal to take in response to this issue?
A. Appoint a staff member to gather more information and report back as soon as possible regarding the extent of the problem.
B. Temporarily suspend extracurricular activities until a task force is formed and is able to develop a permanent solution to the problem.
C. Arrange for a staff member to be responsible for supervising any students who remain after extracurricular activities end.
D. Assign each student a back-up activity to report to if their chosen activity ends early.
A. Appoint a staff member to gather more information and report back as soon as possible regarding the extent of the problem.
Always consider gathering more information
Midland High School (you are the principal) received notice that the chronically low student test score will lead to mandated state intervention. Next year an Academic Assistance Team and Principal Mentor from the state department of education will assume leadership/supervision of the school in all areas academic and instructional. Several significant changes have been made and parents, students, and the community are very concerned about what is going on and what will happen to their children. In addition, personnel changes will be made which may either remove or reassign some teachers in the school. What is the best strategy to address these concerns and inform all concerned parents, students, and community?
Post all of the information on the school’s website for parents to read.
Hold a school-wide assembly for students to inform them of the changes
Schedule a series of parent/community forums to discuss the changes
Send out an automated call to all parents followed with a detailed Newsletter
C) is the best strategy. This option allows for adequate preparation and offers the parents and community and opportunity to gather information and ask informed questions.
It is always important to address the concerns of parents, students and the community especially when there are significant changes coming very soon. (A) This option does get the information out to the public, but does not allow for any discourse or discussion. It also takes for granted that all parents have daily access to the Internet (B) While it is important to meet with students and talk with them about significant changes, it is never a good decision to talk to them prior to informing parents as this will often lead to more confusion and the information they bring home may be incorrect of incomplete. (D) Sending out an automated call is usually reserved for short announcements that parents can respond to quickly such as bad weather, school closings and early dismissals. This is not an appropriate way to transmit this type of information
An article is published in the local newspaper which includes several quotes from five of your teachers employed at your high school. The article and the quotes from the teachers are very critical of the school and school district’s response to a recent upswing in gang activity and violence. The paper does not contact you or any other member of the district administration for a quote of information. Which of the following is an appropriate response to this situation?
Contact the paper and request that they send a reporter to your school to interview you and get the districts side of the story.
Call the teachers in and remind them that negative comments like these may lead to punitive action. Tell them they are not district spokesman and should not comment.
Take no action as these quotes are protected free speech as outlined in the US Constitution.
Respond to the article with a Letter to the Editor which you write after getting district permission.
Because they made these comments outside of the school work day and workplace, they are protected by their First Amendment rights
The Court affirmed for the first time that public school teachers do not relinquish their constitutional right to free speech on matters of public concern simply because they work in the public sector (Pickering v. Board of Education, 1968)...In deciding whether a teacher’s First Amendment rights have been violated, a court must weigh the interest of a teacher, as a citizen, to speak out on matters of public concern against the school board’s legitimate interest in maintaining the efficiency of the workplace. School districts often establish procedures for dealing with the press and all administrators and teachers are made aware of these guidelines. (A) Requesting the newspaper to send the reporter out to interview you is risky as the interview request may be seen as disingenuous. (B) Calling the teachers in and threatening them with a negative personnel action is illegal and serves to damage the relationship of the schools with the staff and community by appearing to stifle any comment on the subject. (D) Responding to the article with your own Letter to the Editor is another attempt at getting your side out, but this is best left to district administration so (C) Civil Liberty organizations have several court decisions that support the right for teachers as private citizens to make comments outside of their workplace.
Before individualization of instruction can
occur in a classroom, the teacher must first
(A) identify the needs of each student
(B) talk with students to determine their curricular likes and dislikes
(C) talk with each student’s previous teacher
(D) thoroughly understand the grade-level curriculum
(E) informally observe the students duringthe first few weeks of school
Responses B, C, and E are valid strategies a teacher can use in trying to learn more about his or her students. But they actually are subsets. of response A, which speaks more generally to knowing students’ strengths and weaknesses before planning instruction. Response D would be an appropriate action to take only after the needs of the students are identified and understood. The correct answer, therefore, is (A).
Teachers in urban elementary schools complain to their principal that funds designated for remediation and intervention programs have not been distributed responsibly and, as a result, are not impacting student performance. Which of the following allocation plans would best ensure that students in the most need are receiving appropriate assistance?
(A) Allocate funds by grade level, requiring the grade-level teams to identify programs receiving the funds
(B) Allocate the funds for programs at the grade levels that have the greatest number of low-performing students
(C) Allocate the funds for programs at the grade levels at which state standardized testing occurs
(D) Allocate the funds for programs in subject areas identified by an examination of data as having the weakest level of student performance
(E) Develop an application process where teachers can apply for funding to support programs they have identified as beneficial
Unless there is a clear identification of student need at grade levels where state tests are given, this should not drive the allocation of funds. Although choices A, B, and E offer the opportunity to spend the funds equally, the principal’s main concern should be distributing the funds equitably based upon data which identifies the programs with the most likelihood impacting student performance (D). Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
During a School Leadership Council meeting formed to develop a school vision, several committee members request information that includes teacher turnover, individual teacher evaluation instruments, and data on teacher personnel actions as part of the needs assessment for the high school. Which of the following should be the reply of the principal for these requests?
Inform the committee members that federal and state laws prohibit the sharing of confidential personnel information and you will share only data that is allowed under law.
Ask all members of the committee to sign an agreement that they will not disclose any of the personnel information and bring them the information.
Ask the superintendent to allow the Human Resource Director to send the information with personnel names blacked out or removed.
Inform the committee members they are to include only student achievement and attendance information in their needs assessment. Personnel records are not important.
(B) It is unlawful to even offer a confidentiality agreement for committee members to see personnel information (C) The Superintendent and Human Resources Director would be both reluctant and hesitant to send the information even with the names blacked out as there might be the possibility of persons being identified (D) Personnel records are important but the committee must understand that some information even for students is confidential and will not be disclosed (A) It is important to state initially that personnel files are off-limits and while other data can be used those cannot.
Daily Double!
Best Answer (D) – The meeting should be at the request of the school district and there should be initiations to every stakeholder including parents so that all parties will feel that their participation is valued and valuable. It is important that the meeting begins to develop the parameters and expectations of the partnership as it will allow the district to talk about its limitations.
What would be the most effective procedure to assist School Leadership Committee in adhering to local, state, and federal laws while constructing a school vision?
A) Inform committee members that any part of the vision that does not meet legal requirements will be vetoed and removed from the draft by the principal
B) Inform committee members that they should read about current state and federal laws that govern schools and school vision statements
C) Offer a short descriptive overview at the beginning of the process and offer direction on additional resources available to help them to give additional information
D) Most employed people are aware of personnel and privacy issues so it would be best to let committee members proceed with the process without any training.
(A) This approach might lead to some frustration as the committee might see this as just an opportunity for the administrator to cut out or disallow information they deem as unacceptable (B) This approach does not allow for a uniform level of competence and understanding of these of these laws as they are left to individual understanding (D) This assumes that all committee members know personnel law would also prove to ineffective as it is based upon incorrect assumptions so (C) offering a brief yet descriptive overview at the beginning of the process that would determine a baseline of knowledge as well as offering additional resources such as the internet and world wide web is helpful.