Keep the Focus
Standard 2 says school executives must focus their own and others’ attention persistently and publicly on these two central areas of schooling.
What are learning and teaching?
The school’s curriculum should have an appropriate and logical alignment with this state-level system.
What is the state’s accountability program?
Standard 2 calls for an environment in which leadership is practiced across the school and teachers have meaningful authority to contribute.
What are distributive leadership and teacher empowerment?
Standard 2 calls for collecting and using student test data and this other major type of instructional data.
What is formative data?
Standard 2 expects the principal to systematically and frequently visit this location to observe teaching and learning.
What are classrooms?
A principal frequently begins faculty meetings by discussing instruction, but the conversations contain no targets, expected outcomes, or measures of success. Identify the missing feature required by Standard 2.
What are high expectations and concrete goals?
Standard 2 expects teachers to reflect deeply and determine which three dimensions of learning are essential to students’ complete educational development.
What are knowledge, skills, and concepts?
Name any three actions that Standard 2 expects teams to perform with rigorous, relevant, and engaging instructional lessons.
What are any three of the following?
The purpose of collecting test data and formative data under Standard 2 is not simply reporting results. The data must be used for this purpose.
What is the improvement of instruction?
During classroom visits, Standard 2 expects principals to engage this group in conversations about their learning.
Who are students?
During a parent meeting, the principal explains how classroom instruction, curriculum, and assessment work together. This most directly demonstrates the principal’s knowledge of this Standard 2 area.
What is 21st-century curriculum, instruction, and assessment?
Teachers teach engaging projects throughout the year, but the projects do not address the content measured by the state accountability program. Which Standard 2 responsibility should the principal address?
What is ensuring appropriate and logical alignment between the school’s curriculum and the state accountability program?
Teachers design strong lessons together, but each team stores its work privately, preventing others from learning from or using it. Which parts of the Standard 2 collaborative process are missing?
What are sharing and archiving instructional lessons?
Teachers administer weekly checks for understanding and record the results, but lessons remain unchanged. What essential part of the Standard 2 data process is missing?
What is using formative data to improve instruction?
A principal routinely visits classrooms and takes notes but never provides teachers with an official response concerning instructional effectiveness. What Standard 2 process is missing?
What is a process for providing formal feedback to teachers about the effectiveness of their classroom instruction?
A principal sends teachers a monthly instructional newsletter but rarely discusses learning with teachers, parents, or students. What important Standard 2 practice is missing?
What is leading or participating in frequent formal or informal conversations about curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning?
A leadership team wants to remove several units from the curriculum. Before approving the change, the principal asks teachers to determine what students must know and be able to do for their complete educational development. Which Standard 2 practice is the principal applying?
What is challenging staff to reflect deeply on and define essential knowledge, skills, and concepts?
A principal purchases the same digital program for every classroom without determining whether it meets students’ different learning needs. What Standard 2 process should have occurred first?
What is identifying and benchmarking instructional tools and best practices for meeting diverse student needs?
Which listed Standard 2 artifact would provide the strongest direct evidence that teachers are adjusting instruction during the learning process?
What is C: documented use of formative assessment instruments to impact instruction?
Teachers lose two instructional periods each week to announcements, paperwork, and avoidable noninstructional meetings. What Standard 2 responsibility should guide the principal’s response?
What is creating processes that protect teachers from issues and influences that detract from instructional time?
A principal wants to make student learning the school’s public and persistent focus. Which plan best aligns with Standard 2?
A. Publish test scores once each semester.
B. Ask instructional coaches to handle all conversations about teaching.
C. Regularly guide conversations with staff, students, and parents about instruction, high expectations, and concrete learning goals.
D. Discuss instruction only when student performance declines.
What is C?
A school’s lessons align with tested standards, but students describe the work as repetitive and disconnected from meaningful learning. According to the Standard 2 summary and practices, what two instructional qualities need greater attention?
What are rigorous/relevant instruction and engaging schoolwork?
OR What are Rigorous, relevant, and engaging lessons.
A principal personally designs all common lessons and then requires teachers to use them. The lessons are rigorous, but which two Standard 2 leadership expectations are being undermined?
Student achievement data are improving schoolwide, but one identified student group continues to struggle. Which listed Standard 2 artifact would best demonstrate a targeted instructional response for those students?
What is the development and communication of goal-oriented personalized education plans for identified students?
Accept: Personalized education plans for ESOL students, exceptional children, or Level I and Level II students.
A school has adopted an ambitious instructional goal, but teachers lack planning time, appropriate materials, and access to needed instructional tools. What two Standard 2 responsibilities should the principal address?
What are: