Climate and Culture Leadership Flashcards
2.) A high school student with a history of fighting is suspended from school after another violent incident. Because of the student’s repeated offenses, the school leader recommends expulsion. Which of the following actions should the school leader take before the expulsion hearing to ensure compliance with due process?
A.Notifying the student and parents, orally or in writing, of the accusations and evidence gathered
B.Alerting the superintendent that expulsion is being considered for a chronically disruptive student
C.Reviewing the school’s behavioral expectations and discipline policy with all students
D.Sending a copy of the student’s discipline record to the parents via certified mail
A.Notifying the student and parents, orally or in writing, of the accusations and evidence gathered
Every student has a right to an education, and school districts cannot deprive a student of liberty or property without due process. Due process requires meeting with the student, parents, and school officials to explain the circumstances leading to the suspension and potential expulsion, and the evidence to support it.
9.) When acting as a cultural leader, a school leader focuses on
A.facilitating smooth operations through effective management of the building and schedules
B.guiding curriculum development and instruction at each grade level and content area
C.managing teachers and community resources to maximize capital and time commitments
D.enhancing student achievement by seeking to develop a community with a common purpose
D.enhancing student achievement by seeking to develop a community with a common purpose
When focused on cultural leadership, the school leader draws people’s attention to compelling concerns for student learning by developing a common purpose.
10.) Which of the following should be a school leader’s primary concern when instituting a school-wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program?
A.Communicating the program’s purpose to parents
B.Informing other school leaders in the district
C.Establishing a thorough list of behavioral expectations
D.Ensuring consistent implementation of the program
D.Ensuring consistent implementation of the program
Consistent implementation is a key component of a successful PBIS program.
13.) A school leader promotes professionalism by encouraging teacher participation in a cycle of continuous improvement. Which THREE of the following are the primary outcomes expected for teachers who participate in this practice?
A.Feeling part of a committed community of learners
B.Ensuring that lessons are differentiated to meet at-risk student learning needs
C.Gaining the confidence to try new instructional approaches and methods
D.Engaging in collaborative professional development activities
E.Gaining confidence to participate in a master’s level degree program
A.Feeling part of a committed community of learners
C.Gaining the confidence to try new instructional approaches and methods
D.Engaging in collaborative professional development activities
By engaging in a continuous cycle of improvement together, teachers will begin to feel a commitment to learning and growing together. Teachers will feel comfortable trying new instructional strategies knowing that risk is encouraged at the school. Collaborative professional development is an important component of the continuous improvement process. It allows teachers to work together to share thoughts and ideas and develop their practices as a team.
14.) School leaders can best empower teachers to bring about positive change in their schools by
A.publicly acknowledging student accomplishments
B.acquiring trending instructional materials and technology
C.promoting a culture that encourages teacher leadership
D.seeking teacher candidates who have a record of success
C.promoting a culture that encourages teacher leadership
The creation of a culture that encourages teacher leadership will best empower teachers toward positive change.
19.) Ms.Miss Gomez is the new school leader in a K–5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern.
- ) Review the placements of all students in special education
- ) Evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s RTI process
According to studies on student populations in special education, which of the following is the most likely explanation for the high percentage of students in special education in Ms. Gomez’ school?
A.Overidentification of linguistically and culturally diverse students
B.Increase in intervention services for at-risk students
C.Inadequate staff understanding of eligibility criteria
D.Administrative concern with meeting student proficiency standards
A.Overidentification of linguistically and culturally diverse students
Statistics gathered by federal agencies indicate that a child’s cultural and linguistic diversity significantly influences the probability that he or she will be misidentified as needing special education services, leading to overrepresentation of linguistically and culturally diverse students.
20.) Ms.Miss Gomez is the new school leader in a K–5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern.
- ) Review the placements of all students in special education
- ) Evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s RTI process
Which of the following is the best way for Ms. Gomez to involve stakeholders in addressing any problems revealed by her investigation?
A.Facilitating the establishment of an advocacy group for advancing the causes of students in the school’s RTI and special education programs
B.Forming a task force of varied individuals selected for their expertise, experience, and interest in the school’s RTI and special education programs
C.Creating a dedicated media outlet for communicating general information about the school’s RTI and special education programs
D.Establishing a training program for volunteers who are interested in tutoring students in the school’s RTI and special education programs
B.Forming a task force of varied individuals selected for their expertise, experience, and interest in the school’s RTI and special education programs
A task force is appropriate for a short-term task that involves complex issues or when solutions will require organizational change. The involvement of staff brings multiple perspectives to the table and can facilitate implementation. The buy-in a task force generates can be especially valuable when the outcome affects people deeply, is emotionally charged, or affects a large part of the organization.
21.) Ms.Miss Gomez is the new school leader in a K–5 elementary school in a large urban district. She is concerned about the high percentage of students in her school who receive special education services. She identifies two initial steps for investigating her concern.
- ) Review the placements of all students in special education
- ) Evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s RTI process
Which of the following will provide Ms.Miss Gomez with the most valuable data for completing step II ?
A.A universal screening assessment that identifies students at risk of poor learning outcomes
B.A graph that tracks the progress of individual students through the tiers of support
C.A teacher checklist that records the implementation of critical components of the RTI process
D.A progress-monitoring instrument that quantifies rates of student improvement
D.A progress-monitoring instrument that quantifies rates of student improvement
RTI is based on four components: universal screening, multilevel prevention, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making. Progress monitoring is the element that assesses students’ academic performance and the effectiveness of instruction.
35.) Which of the following actions by school leadership has the best potential for reducing the technology gap for students who are economically disadvantaged, transient, or homeless?
A.Providing students with tablets enabled with mobile hot-spot devices
B.Working with the librarian to assess students’ computer-literacy skills
C.Asking teachers to make assignments that do not rely on technology
D.Directing parents to agencies that provide low-cost Internet service
A.Providing students with tablets enabled with mobile hot-spot devices
Tablets with Internet connectivity put all students on an even playing field in terms of technology.
37.) The new school leader of a high school hears the following comments from teachers regarding changes in student demographics and low scores on state-mandated assessments.
“Why are they sending these kids to our school now?”
“These new kids do not seem to value getting a good education.”
Which of the following is the best first step for the school leader to take to improve the school culture?
A.Comparing current student summative assessment data with previous data that indicate academic success in the past
B.Acknowledging the challenges of teaching a diverse student population in a positive and inclusive manner
C.Hosting monthly events to recognize the accomplishments and successes of different cultures within the school community
D.Adjusting the core curriculum to provide for a lower level of student mastery of grade-level knowledge and skills
B.Acknowledging the challenges of teaching a diverse student population in a positive and inclusive manner
Acknowledging the challenges of teaching a diverse student population in a positive and inclusive manner will help teachers to develop new understanding, competencies, and pedagogies for engaging students in a changing population.
38.) A high school leader plans to implement a schoolwide program to develop students’ ability to use reasoned decision making. To most effectively monitor the implementation of the program, the school leader should
A.provide students with the opportunity to participate in planning the program goals and components
B.review teachers’ lesson plans to confirm that all aspects of the program are included
C.ensure that the program uses quantitative measures to assess the program’s effect on student behavior
D.interview representative stakeholders to determine their level of satisfaction with the program
C.ensure that the program uses quantitative measures to assess the program’s effect on student behavior
To best monitor program implementation, the school leader must have measures in place to determine the effectiveness of program implementation and allow for progress monitoring in a data-driven manner.
46.) The school leader of a high school allocates time during faculty meetings for teachers to propose a solution to a schoolwide problem or to suggest ideas for school improvement. The practice demonstrates that the school leader has established which of the following norms in the school?
A.Maintaining focus on a topic or task
B.Emphasizing creative thinking
C.Creating a safe environment for risk taking
D.Encouraging active listening
C.Creating a safe environment for risk taking
In order for these regular discussions to be held, the school leader has established an environment conducive to taking risks and collegiality.
54.) A group of students ask the school leader if they can add a religious study club to the school’s extracurricular offerings. Which of the following laws dictates the school leader’s response to the students?
A.Equal Access Act
B.Civil Rights Act
C.Equal Protection Clause
D.Title IX
A.Equal Access Act
The Equal Access Act provides students in public secondary schools that receive federal funds with equal access, or opportunities, to conduct meetings in an open forum, unless it substantially interferes with educational activities in the school. A school can also opt not to allow any non-curricular activities at all.
56.) A school leader plans professional development for the staff focused on cultural competency, which includes a self-assessment of attitudes and abilities both before and after the training. The primary reason for the school leader to promote this activity is to
A.unite staff in protecting students’ rights
B.make data transparent and explicit for decision making
C.model ethical behavior in the treatment of others
D.guide others to examine their own assumptions and beliefs
D.guide others to examine their own assumptions and beliefs
Research has shown that school leaders can help others safely examine deeply held assumptions and beliefs by developing cultural competency skills in the teaching and administrative staff and having them engage in self-assessment of their own beliefs and assumptions.
85.) Which of the following is a school leader’s best initial step for developing programs that target the needs of students who are economically disadvantaged?
A.Establishing a system of school-based social services available to students and families
B.Investigating government funding for services to students living in poverty
C.Enlisting the support of community businesses and organizations
D.Identifying the barriers that hinder students’ academic success
D.Identifying the barriers that hinder students’ academic success
Investigating the barriers hindering academic performance must be completed before implementing programming. When developing programming for economically disadvantaged students, successful programs must address the root causes of achievement problems.
