SLLA Practice Test

The teachers have each brought working samples from their students to the meeting. The principal should advice them to take which of the following steps first toward instructional improvement? - ANS Review all of the writing samples and identify and group student needs. A principal wants to develop a new school vision and goals associated with that vision. What applies most about implementing these? - ANS The principal must differentiate measurable versus non-measurable vision and goals for every student. To gather feedback from key stakeholders about the relationship between their opinions about the significance of education and the school's vision and goals, which of these should a school leader do? - ANS Develop a series of critical questions appropriate to this topic. What does research show about school leaders distributing leadership responsibilities for implementing a school vision and goals? - ANS Todays' schools cannot be led by one principal without significant participation by other educators. Which statement is MOST accurate and complete regarding school leader skills for prompting staff communication and collaboration in problem solving toward school improvement and reform to realize school vision and goals? - ANS School leaders use consensus building and group-process skills in facilitating reform. To assess and monitor progress toward school goals, which type(s) of assessment would be MOST indicated for measuring student analytical and critical thinking and communication skills? - ANS Performance assessments, journals Which of the following is the MOST effective strategy for a principal to communicate the school vision to school personnel? - ANS Sending a daily e-mail to staff (exactly what my principal's secretary does) School leadership experts have observed that many available forms of school data can be more significant for informing and guiding the school vision than the kinds of data educators tend to think of automatically. Which choice represents this default assumption that can exclude other valuable data? - ANS Standardized achievement, state local common, AP, and IB test results (the golden standard in educational leadership) To address inherent barriers like staff fear of the unknown and resistance to change, school principals benefit from knowing common kinds of inner dialogues employees experience around school vision development for listening to and validating their thoughts. What do school personnel typically ask themselves about this change process? - ANS Whether they will be able to continue their instructional practices along with why or why not Relative to developing and sustaining a clear school vision and learning goals, which choice correctly describes documented practices of effective school principals? - ANS They protect educators' instructional time via minimizing disruptions. The research literature about school principals' roles in realizing the school vision and goals and aligning instruction with the vision and goals, affords which of these conclusions? - ANS Principals with high-achieving schools communicate to all stakeholders that learning comes first. To create a culture of high expectations for students, some school leaders and teachers have instructed "no zeros" grading policies wherein students received progressive interventions and new due dates to achieve at least 70% on assignments instead of 0% the first time. What best reflects student outcomes? - ANS Far fewer students received F grades As school leader responsibilities have increased, distributing leadership has become more important. Distributive leadership can have additive or holistic forms. Which of the following is correct about these? - ANS In the holistic form, interdependent leadership among organization members is emphasized. The collective work of all leaders adds up to more than the sum of its parts. One way of describing interdependence is that all members realize they must "sink or swim" together, not individually! Regarding strategies that principals can use to give teachers effective feedback, which is true? - ANS Principals convey criticism best following strengths and by requesting solutions. Educational research into collaborative data analysis has identified four areas. What area involves the process of exploring learning standards, goals, and definitions? - ANS Calibration. This is the process of exploring and reaching consensus about learning standards, goals, and definitions at building, system-wide, and district-wide levels. Among standards informing effective professional development (PD) for teachers, which is or are most characteristic of strong school leaders? - ANS Realizing good PD'S value, prompting teacher participation, and communicating PD benefits to stakeholders (Hint: key words in this answer is PD) Which of these is NOT one of the purposes of rigorous and relevant curriculum design? - ANS To incorporate new and different instructional goals A high school teacher's Algebra II class includes some students learning independently, some progressing as fast as she could teach them, and some lacking prerequisite skills for the course. The teacher's dual goal is to help every student acquire a solid grasp of mathematics and also pass the standards exam. Which of the following practices help her achieve this? - ANS Dividing classroom time among varies instructional groupings and activities. This answer choice includes all groups of students in the classroom. Regarding data collection, recording, and submission for monitoring student progress and relating it to the state assessments, which school leader responsibility to help faculty is MOST accurately described? - ANS Deciding how often, and to whom, teachers submit data How must school leaders help faculty and other staff with curriculum and instruction to identify and meet student needs? - ANS They help faculty and staff identify content and practices to address needs. Which of the following applies to both horizontal and vertical curriculum alignment? - ANS Teaching to minimize achievement gaps through standardizing education.