Leadership and Ethics WGU D016 Exam Questions with Complete Solutions
100% Solved| Grade A+
Engage The creation of a psychological contract between educational leaders and teachers
and staff (an unspoken contract to make the relationship work as a means to get the job done).
Engaging employees can be done by creating a psychological contract between the leader and
the employees. This is an understanding and an agreement on what the school will provide,
what the leader will provide, and what the employee will provide. This helps to make the
relationship work and engage employees.
Align An understanding of teacher and staff activities and goals as they are related to the
school's mission, vision, and values. Teachers and staff are in alignment when they fully
understand the relationship between their activities and goals as they align with the mission,
vision, and values (primary goals and focus) of the school and coworkers.
Develop Encouraging all teachers and staff to work toward their goals and meet their full
potential. As a leader, you are accountable for developing your teachers and staff. You need to
be able to recognize the potential of each member of your team so that you are effectively able
to coach and mentor them.
Now that you understand the relationship between educational leadership practices and the
importance of accountability, what are some of the things you will do to demonstrate
accountability for yourself when you become an educational leader? Successful school
leaders must draw on their knowledge, experiences, skills, and characteristics that include both
instructional leadership and management. This includes their ability to strategically utilize
resources-based evidence presented in a given situation, create a reflective and purposeful
school culture, and communicate clearly and effectively to address the situation at hand.
In your response, did you consider these aspects?
Use of a calendar to ensure allocation of time to support teacher instruction
Discussion of follow-through on promises
Clear articulation of goals and strategies for achieving goals
A shared leadership approach where responsibility for outcomes are shared
Reflective practices that identify achievements as well as areas that fell short
,What are some of your biases? After identifying your biases, describe how you plan to mitigate
them. In your response, did you include biases from any of the following?
Background: where the student grew up, religious practices, political affiliations, family
structure (single parent versus two parents)
Misinformation: girls are better "students" than boys (executive functioning skills), boys are
better at math, athletes struggle academically, certain ethnicities place more or less value on
education
Did you consider any of these strategies to mitigate bias?
Acknowledge your bias or potential areas for bias
Discuss thoughts and decisions with a colleague to see how that individual would approach the
situation
Work with various stakeholders to develop inclusive programs that promote and educate
others about diversity
Personal ethics statement In your reflective response, did you provide a discussion of ethical
qualities that define the individual as well as why these are valued? Did you provide a
description of how the ethical qualities contribute to their role as an educational leader?
Did you consider these strategies to preserve ethical standards?
List ethical standards and keep them visible.
Utilize a trusted colleague to get feedback on decisions.
Ask questions consistently to guide decisions (e.g., How does this decision impact the safety
and well-being of students? How does this decision impact the organization as a whole? If this
decision involved a different individual, group, program, etc., would I make the same decision?
Does this decision align with the vision and mission of the organization?).
Ms. Thomas, a seasoned principal, is meeting with a first-year teacher to discuss a dilemma the
teacher needs to address. The teacher has a class in which a handful of students are struggling
to grasp the concepts and skills, and he really wants to address the needs of these students.
However, doing so takes instructional time away from the remaining students who understand
the concepts and skills. How can Ms. Thomas show the teacher that she understands his views
and his feelings in a way that will build trust? By being empathetic. Professional
relationships rely on trust, which can be built by being an empathetic leader. When leaders not
,only listen to stakeholders but also let them know that they can see their stakeholders' world
view and understand their feelings, stakeholders feel those leaders are genuine.
How can a school leader ethically use the power of the authoritative position to improve
student achievement and well-being? By promoting professional growth among employees.
The power of the position of leadership should ultimately be used to improve student
achievement and well-being. Developing the staff members professional skills and knowledge
will positively impact student outcomes.
What is an ethical responsibility of a school principal? To demonstrate transparency and
accountability in decision-making practices. To create and maintain a culture of trust and
fairness, principals must demonstrate transparency and accountability in decision-making
practices.
Which statement accurately reflects the role of a code of ethics in school leadership? School
leaders are expected to follow a code of ethics when making decisions, but the codes vary
among states and organizations.
The candidate identifies the school leader's ethical responsibilities that to promote an equitable
and inclusive school environment.
A principal believes a current law that governs aspects of her school is unethical. Which
approach should the principal take? Obey the law but work to change it. Ethical school
leaders comply with the law in all matters, despite any personal feelings about the law itself.
They can make separate efforts to effect change in the law by going through the proper
channels.
Which statement describes a code of ethics for school leaders that reflects a value of
democracy? It is based on the belief that all individuals in a system have rights that must be
respected. Based on the value of democracy in a code of ethics, school leaders have an ethical
duty to respect the rights of all students and staff.
At a meeting with the district superintendent, a high school principal learned that the district
has been analyzing data on student discipline in individual schools. The superintendent
, explained that, in the high school, students from low-income families (as evidenced by the "free
and reduced lunch" enrollment data) were formally referred by teachers for behavioral issues
nearly 40% more often than were those students from higher-income families. The principal, it
was decided, needed to address this issue. The principal knows that in order to achieve change,
the teachers' efforts will be vital because they are the ones referring students for behavioral
issues. The principal must be accountable to helping the staff make progress.
How can the principal ethically help the staff affect change in the discipline referral data? By
increasing staff awareness of unconscious bias in their decision-making. increasing staff
awareness of unconscious bias that may be affecting their decision-making can help improve
equity in all areas of student performance and well-being.
A principal hears staff members talking about a teacher who they say uses abusive language
with students when they are not paying attention during class. How can the principal
demonstrate ethical decision-making in this situation? Meet with the teacher promptly to
ensure the teacher understands expectations for professional conduct with students. The
principal should make sure that students are in a safe and supportive learning environment
while honoring the teacher's rights to due process and confidentiality.
A principal of an elementary school has a side home-based business selling candles. A parent
volunteer who was meeting with the principal about an upcoming school fundraiser noticed a
candle on the principal's desk and asked where to buy one. Upon learning that the principal
sells the candles, the parent suggested the principal sell them at the next fundraiser since other
parents will definitely be interested in them. Which principle from the American Association of
School Administrators (AASA) code of ethics should the principal use to guide a decision in this
situation? Avoid using his or her position for personal gain through political, social, religious,
economic, or other influences. Even if other parents or individuals at the school fundraiser are
interested in the candles, it is a violation of the code of ethics to sell them at a school function if
the principal will benefit financially.
A high school principal has identified surplus funding in the school's budget. Several
department chairs have requested additional funding for their programs, but there is only
enough leftover funding for one of the programs. How can the principal make a decision to
distribute the funding that shows equity and fairness? Analyze student learning data with a
committee to determine the program with the greatest need for improvement in meeting
school goals. Student data is an objective way to equitably distribute funds to the areas that
show the greatest need for achieving school goals, and a committee decision removes the
appearance of favoritism from the principal.
100% Solved| Grade A+
Engage The creation of a psychological contract between educational leaders and teachers
and staff (an unspoken contract to make the relationship work as a means to get the job done).
Engaging employees can be done by creating a psychological contract between the leader and
the employees. This is an understanding and an agreement on what the school will provide,
what the leader will provide, and what the employee will provide. This helps to make the
relationship work and engage employees.
Align An understanding of teacher and staff activities and goals as they are related to the
school's mission, vision, and values. Teachers and staff are in alignment when they fully
understand the relationship between their activities and goals as they align with the mission,
vision, and values (primary goals and focus) of the school and coworkers.
Develop Encouraging all teachers and staff to work toward their goals and meet their full
potential. As a leader, you are accountable for developing your teachers and staff. You need to
be able to recognize the potential of each member of your team so that you are effectively able
to coach and mentor them.
Now that you understand the relationship between educational leadership practices and the
importance of accountability, what are some of the things you will do to demonstrate
accountability for yourself when you become an educational leader? Successful school
leaders must draw on their knowledge, experiences, skills, and characteristics that include both
instructional leadership and management. This includes their ability to strategically utilize
resources-based evidence presented in a given situation, create a reflective and purposeful
school culture, and communicate clearly and effectively to address the situation at hand.
In your response, did you consider these aspects?
Use of a calendar to ensure allocation of time to support teacher instruction
Discussion of follow-through on promises
Clear articulation of goals and strategies for achieving goals
A shared leadership approach where responsibility for outcomes are shared
Reflective practices that identify achievements as well as areas that fell short
,What are some of your biases? After identifying your biases, describe how you plan to mitigate
them. In your response, did you include biases from any of the following?
Background: where the student grew up, religious practices, political affiliations, family
structure (single parent versus two parents)
Misinformation: girls are better "students" than boys (executive functioning skills), boys are
better at math, athletes struggle academically, certain ethnicities place more or less value on
education
Did you consider any of these strategies to mitigate bias?
Acknowledge your bias or potential areas for bias
Discuss thoughts and decisions with a colleague to see how that individual would approach the
situation
Work with various stakeholders to develop inclusive programs that promote and educate
others about diversity
Personal ethics statement In your reflective response, did you provide a discussion of ethical
qualities that define the individual as well as why these are valued? Did you provide a
description of how the ethical qualities contribute to their role as an educational leader?
Did you consider these strategies to preserve ethical standards?
List ethical standards and keep them visible.
Utilize a trusted colleague to get feedback on decisions.
Ask questions consistently to guide decisions (e.g., How does this decision impact the safety
and well-being of students? How does this decision impact the organization as a whole? If this
decision involved a different individual, group, program, etc., would I make the same decision?
Does this decision align with the vision and mission of the organization?).
Ms. Thomas, a seasoned principal, is meeting with a first-year teacher to discuss a dilemma the
teacher needs to address. The teacher has a class in which a handful of students are struggling
to grasp the concepts and skills, and he really wants to address the needs of these students.
However, doing so takes instructional time away from the remaining students who understand
the concepts and skills. How can Ms. Thomas show the teacher that she understands his views
and his feelings in a way that will build trust? By being empathetic. Professional
relationships rely on trust, which can be built by being an empathetic leader. When leaders not
,only listen to stakeholders but also let them know that they can see their stakeholders' world
view and understand their feelings, stakeholders feel those leaders are genuine.
How can a school leader ethically use the power of the authoritative position to improve
student achievement and well-being? By promoting professional growth among employees.
The power of the position of leadership should ultimately be used to improve student
achievement and well-being. Developing the staff members professional skills and knowledge
will positively impact student outcomes.
What is an ethical responsibility of a school principal? To demonstrate transparency and
accountability in decision-making practices. To create and maintain a culture of trust and
fairness, principals must demonstrate transparency and accountability in decision-making
practices.
Which statement accurately reflects the role of a code of ethics in school leadership? School
leaders are expected to follow a code of ethics when making decisions, but the codes vary
among states and organizations.
The candidate identifies the school leader's ethical responsibilities that to promote an equitable
and inclusive school environment.
A principal believes a current law that governs aspects of her school is unethical. Which
approach should the principal take? Obey the law but work to change it. Ethical school
leaders comply with the law in all matters, despite any personal feelings about the law itself.
They can make separate efforts to effect change in the law by going through the proper
channels.
Which statement describes a code of ethics for school leaders that reflects a value of
democracy? It is based on the belief that all individuals in a system have rights that must be
respected. Based on the value of democracy in a code of ethics, school leaders have an ethical
duty to respect the rights of all students and staff.
At a meeting with the district superintendent, a high school principal learned that the district
has been analyzing data on student discipline in individual schools. The superintendent
, explained that, in the high school, students from low-income families (as evidenced by the "free
and reduced lunch" enrollment data) were formally referred by teachers for behavioral issues
nearly 40% more often than were those students from higher-income families. The principal, it
was decided, needed to address this issue. The principal knows that in order to achieve change,
the teachers' efforts will be vital because they are the ones referring students for behavioral
issues. The principal must be accountable to helping the staff make progress.
How can the principal ethically help the staff affect change in the discipline referral data? By
increasing staff awareness of unconscious bias in their decision-making. increasing staff
awareness of unconscious bias that may be affecting their decision-making can help improve
equity in all areas of student performance and well-being.
A principal hears staff members talking about a teacher who they say uses abusive language
with students when they are not paying attention during class. How can the principal
demonstrate ethical decision-making in this situation? Meet with the teacher promptly to
ensure the teacher understands expectations for professional conduct with students. The
principal should make sure that students are in a safe and supportive learning environment
while honoring the teacher's rights to due process and confidentiality.
A principal of an elementary school has a side home-based business selling candles. A parent
volunteer who was meeting with the principal about an upcoming school fundraiser noticed a
candle on the principal's desk and asked where to buy one. Upon learning that the principal
sells the candles, the parent suggested the principal sell them at the next fundraiser since other
parents will definitely be interested in them. Which principle from the American Association of
School Administrators (AASA) code of ethics should the principal use to guide a decision in this
situation? Avoid using his or her position for personal gain through political, social, religious,
economic, or other influences. Even if other parents or individuals at the school fundraiser are
interested in the candles, it is a violation of the code of ethics to sell them at a school function if
the principal will benefit financially.
A high school principal has identified surplus funding in the school's budget. Several
department chairs have requested additional funding for their programs, but there is only
enough leftover funding for one of the programs. How can the principal make a decision to
distribute the funding that shows equity and fairness? Analyze student learning data with a
committee to determine the program with the greatest need for improvement in meeting
school goals. Student data is an objective way to equitably distribute funds to the areas that
show the greatest need for achieving school goals, and a committee decision removes the
appearance of favoritism from the principal.
