D016: Leadership Foundations and Ethics (Pre-Test Practice)

D016: Leadership Foundations and Ethics (Pre-Test Practice) What is a school vision? - ANS A descriptive statement of aspirations for the school Which example represents a school vision? - ANS To foster the growth of compassionate, capable, and responsible citizens who will build a better world. What is the objective of a school's mission statement? - ANS To articulate the school's purpose and its commitments as an organization A high school has "collaboration" as an established core value. Which action demonstrates a principal modeling the core value? - ANS Forming discussion groups for staff to discuss current school needs and propose changes What should be included in a school's mission statement? - ANS The school's goals and priorities A school principal reviewed student assessment data for the last school year and noticed a high number of students with special needs who are failing to make academic gains. The principal believes that one problem is that this population of students is failing to be appropriately challenged, so the principal proposed implementing a new school-wide core value to help address the problem. How can a school-wide core value be used to help this school better meet the educational needs of its students with special needs? - ANS Students and staff will be exposed daily to the belief that all students can meet high expectations An elementary school's mission states in part, "All students can and will learn." The school's vision reads in part, "We will support the educational success of all students." Which school improvement goal aligns to the school's mission and vision? - ANS Creating a customized learning plan for each student and reaching 90% of the documented academic growth benchmarks in the learning plans. At Ridgeland Academy, professional development is considered a high priority for both individual and organizational success. Why does Ridgeland Academy place so much importance on professional development? - ANS Sustainable organizational success occurs when change or improvement is supported through shared vision, program coherence, and respect for teachers' knowledge, skills, and focus on all students' ability to learn. The new principal for George Madison High School has observed that teachers work in silos, do not appear to value collaborative planning, and exhibit competitive behaviors, such as not sharing effective instructional strategies, in an effort to keep individual performance scores higher than those of other instructors. Ms. Johnson, the new principal, has decided to begin implementing peer observations and working to provide specific, positive feedback on observed, successful instructional practices. Which specific features are being fostered with these actions? - ANS Recognition and celebration of positive instructional practices, creating an environment of transparency, and encouraging inclusive practices to build trust and professional respect What is the main factor that distinguishes an open system from a closed system? - ANS The boundaries that allow influences to affect the system Which steps should a principal take to help build a culture of trust, transparency, and inclusiveness? - ANS Using active listening and shared decision-making, demonstrating professional respect, and celebrating teachers' and students' efforts and successes Which actions do leaders take who are practicing conversational leadership? - ANS Clarify purpose and intent, explore critical issues, engage key stakeholders, use collaboration, guide collective intelligence, and foster innovative capacity A principal has been concerned about the school's lack of improvement in standardized test scores over the last three years. Which approach demonstrates the use of conversational leadership to address the problem? - ANS Fostering discourse among all staff focused on the issue and leveraging their collective wisdom to find solutions. On her first day as principal at a new school, Mrs. Turay held a staff meeting and explained in detail what staff could expect from her and what she expected from them. How is Mrs. Turay's approach effective in establishing trust early in the course of a new school leadership role? - ANS It helps minimize uncertainty and anxiety among staff. Which action from a principal demonstrates transparency in leadership? - ANS Communicating to all stakeholders the school's response to an emergency situation Which characteristic is an element of effective supervision? - ANS A collegial rather than hierarchical relationship between teachers and formally designated supervisors The new principal of a middle school wishes to use leadership methods that reflect a more developmental approach to improving staff performance. Which action from the new new principal is consistent with a developmental approach? - ANS Organize professional learning communities in which staff can discuss ideas for improvement. An experienced principal works to create an environment where all stakeholders and organizational members are offered opportunities for high levels of development, regardless of position, age, or intellectual capacity. Which leadership style is this principal using? - ANS Transformational leadership A veteran principal at a high school has managed to achieve very positive results at a historically low-performing school. Teacher satisfaction and student performance levels are now the highest in the district. The principal achieved these gains through the use of servant leadership. Which process or processes exhibiting servant leadership did the principal implement? - ANS Develop skills of staff, use active listening, and understand personal needs of those within the organization Which description of distributed leadership is accurate? - ANS Leadership is spread across an organization at multiple levels. Ms. Kalani is a new principal of a middle school that has been identified as needing improvement by the state's department of education. She knows there are many major changes to be made and sees that staff morale is very low. Ms. Kalani decides to use a transformational leadership style to improve the school. Which action illustrates Ms. Kalani using transformational leadership as principal? - ANS She inspires and motivates staff by offering them a vision of a better future. What should a leader do when staff members are willing and able to perform a given task, according to situational leadership theory? - ANS Allow staff members to perform the task on their own with minimal interference Mr. Kim, the principal of an elementary school, demonstrates leadership that encompasses values-based principles, such as working with his staff as a strong cohesive force, providing strong guidance with respect for all stakeholders, and ensuring that interpersonal relationships are enhanced. Which attendant reactions in stakeholder behaviors do these values-based behaviors support? - ANS Improving collegiality and professional respect Which principal's action demonstrates Marzano's leadership responsibility of involvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment? - ANS The principal helps first-year teachers develop end-of-grade assessments that are valid and comprehensive. Which plan demonstrates a commitment to Marzano's leadership responsibility of visibility? - ANS The principal plans two blocks of time during school to observe teacher and students in classes and hallways and after school to attend student activities. A principal created a group of administrators and teachers to communicate to specific groups. One group created a page on the school website dedicated to parents that highlighted upcoming events, student accomplishments, and volunteer needs. One group created a social media page for the community at large celebrating the collaboration between local organizations and the school. And one group created an electronic newsletter that went to the office of the superintendent that featured school accomplishments and student and teacher accolades. Which of Marzano's 21 Leadership Responsibilities did this principal demonstrate? - ANS Outreach A school principal is planning professional development for the next school year. After reviewing student learning data and the school improvement plan, the principal narrows down professional development needs to five major goals. The principal wants staff input to prioritize two of the five goals to be targeted in next year's whole group professional development activities. The principal sends out a survey to all staff to gather input. What should the principal do after gathering staff input for a collaborative decision-making process? - ANS Share findings with staff and work to reach consensus about priorities What is a leadership responsibility for instructional leadership? - ANS Having knowledge of effective instructional practices to be able to evaluate teachers and provide feedback Which scenario demonstrates a school principal fulfilling the leadership responsibility of being an optimizer? - ANS A principal encourages staff who are struggling with using new classroom technology to view it as a chance to learn and grow. Why is community outreach an important leadership responsibility for a school principal? - ANS A school principal needs to be an advocate for the school with the community stakeholders. A principal is going to discuss a delicate topic with a group of physical education teachers. Which communication approach should help ensure the teachers fully grasp the meaning of his message? - ANS A face-to-face discussion A principal has trouble maintaining interpersonal relationships with teachers. How can poor interpersonal relationships prevent the principal from making informed decisions that affect teachers? - ANS Teachers will be reluctant to communicate accurate, complete information to the principal. Which scenario shows a principal using active listening during a staff meeting while staff propose suggestions for new grading policies? - ANS The principal repeats each suggestion after the speaker has finished speaking to verify understanding and show that the idea was heard. At a staff meeting, the principal of a high school discussed recent budget cuts with staff and explained that the availability of some programs might be affected. Since decisions about which programs would be affected had not yet been made, the principal was unable to provide the staff with more specific details. Some staff members expressed fear about losing their jobs. How can the principal show effective communication for a school leader when responding to these staff members? - ANS Show empathy for their feelings while reassuring them that efforts will be made to preserve jobs and provide timely communication. How can school leaders use social media to connect to the community beyond simply sharing information and events? - ANS By providing a look into the school's culture and story The principal at a high school is speaking to a parent about a fight the parent's child was in. The principal tells the parent only part of what actually happened that led to the fight. Which barrier to communication is present in the scenario? - ANS Filtering Ms. Johnson recently took the position of principal at a middle school. She learned that the school has a reputation for, and appears to support, a culture of low expectations for student performance. Which approach would effectively address the second-order change needed for Ms. Johnson to begin to change the school culture? - ANS Understanding how the change in expectations will impact curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices; being the driving force behind the change while supporting the belief that staff can achieve the established goals, and challenging the status quo The principal of a high school is leading a change to a new standards-based grading system, moving away from traditional letter grades. Which change management approach should the leader take to help implement this new system? - ANS Create a regular meeting structure that addresses school culture, support, and input Which scenario is an example of a second-order change in a school? - ANS Training all teachers to routinely record lectures and upload them into a new learning management system The science department of a high school has been selected to implement a new blended learning program in which students view video lessons outside of the school day and then participate in hands-on experiential learning within the classroom labs during instructional time. How can the principal inspire the science teachers to implement this change? - ANS Communicate to stakeholders how the change will utilize the latest technology to more effectively prepare students for college and careers Which principal action is essential for effectively leading a major change in a school? - ANS Celebrating even minor successes throughout the change process Which principal action is essential for effectively leading a major change in a school? - ANS Beginning with a vision for change and continually communicating it throughout implementation How should school leaders identify the stakeholders they need to engage when implementing a change? - ANS By identifying the stakeholders who will be affected by the change What is an ethical responsibility of a school principal? - ANS To protect the confidentiality of personal student and staff information What would a professional code of ethics help a school principal to do? - ANS Maintain fairness and objectivity when addressing a personnel problem What is the purpose of a professional code of ethics for school leaders? - ANS It provides standards for making decisions in a position of authority. Which action by a principal could create a lack of trust about confidentiality? - ANS Discussing a colleague's legal trouble with other teachers Standard #1 of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) code of ethics states that an educational leader "makes the education and well-being of students the fundamental value of all decision making." 1 Which example demonstrates a potential violation of Standard #1 of the AASA code of ethics? - ANS A middle school principal was facing pressure to raise achievement test scores because the school was identified as a "failing school" for three years in a row. In conjunction with the leadership team, the principal initiated special education testing for the students who were in the lowest 10% on the achievement tests because the scores of the students who qualified for special education would not count against the school the following year. A high school principal has a concern about the math department's current practice of assigning the least-experienced teachers to teach the most difficult and challenging classes because the teachers with seniority prefer the easier classes. The math scores are consistently poor even after increases in staff development and support. How should the principal ethically handle the problem in this scenario so that decision making is fair and transparent? - ANS Organize a data team to review data about the effect of the math department's practice on student achievement and make recommendations. A principal has a concern about a special education teacher. The teacher is an excellent instructor, is great with families, and is very popular and connected with school staff. However, the principal has had more than one complaint from parents that the teacher neglected to complete IEP paperwork that informs decisions about necessary accommodations. Which action demonstrates an ethical response from the principal that incorporates both accountability and consideration of due process? - ANS Create a formal plan for staff development with the teacher that will support the teacher in completing essential job functions and monitor the teacher's progress. A teacher's son was arrested for theft at a store in town. The story became known in the community. At lunch with several teachers, the principal discussed what he had heard about the situation. Why should principals refrain from having discussions like the one in this scenario? - ANS It could lead to a lack of trust about confidentiality among staff.