FELE Practice Test

A new principal has just been appointed at a high school and has been advised by the districtoffice that in the past, the school improvement plan did not include professional development forteachers. Identify the most useful information the principal and the SAC should consider indeveloping a new school improvement plan.

• information on successful previous professional development offerings
• analysis of classroom-level student achievement data
• informal survey of teachers’ interests
• assessment of students’ needs

Teachers in a high school social studies department are developing school learninggoals that address State Board of Education benchmarks related to a standard onpreparing students to participate as active and engaged citizens. One of thebenchmarks states that students will "Evaluate, take, and defend positions onissues that cause the government to balance the interests of individuals with thepublic good."The teachers can best address this benchmark by developing learning goals focused on promoting students'

• self-determination skills.
• goal-setting skills.
• problem-solving skills.
• critical-thinking skills.

Smith Elementary School is an urban school with a large minority population. Over the last 2years the percentage of African American and Hispanic students scoring at Level 3 or above inreading and mathematics has dropped by 30% and test scores for nonminority students remainbelow the district. In an effort to improve student achievement, the principal wants to engage thefaculty in a student-driven approach to professional development. The best method to achievethis goal would be through

• mathematics department meetings
• action research teams
• textbook committee meetings
• classroom walk-through training

A principal wants to plan professional development activities for teachers aimed at reversing a school trend toward declining scores on the statewide reading assessment. The principal can most effectively begin the planning process by taking which of the following actions first?

• analyzing test data to identify specific reading skills needing improvement orsubgroups of students needing additional support
• reviewing materials disseminated by the state about the types of questions and tasks that appear on the reading assessment
• identifying high-quality teacher resources aimed at improving reading instruction that are available in the school or district
• meeting with small groups of teachers to elicit information about the methods they currently use to promote student reading skills

Based on the tables above, which of the following statements reflects the most appropriate objective to address reading in the school improvement plan?

• By July of the following year, 55% of all 5th graders taking the statewide readingassessment will score 3 and above.
• By July of the following year, the percentage of 4th graders scoring 3 and above on the statewide reading assessment will increase by 2%.
• By July of the following year, the percentage of 5th graders scoring 3 and above on the statewide reading assessment will increase by 2%.
• By July of the following year, 70% of all 3rd graders taking the statewide readingassessment will score 3 and above.

Three years ago a middle school implemented a new mathematics program. Following are some data derived from the school's scores on the statewide mathematics assessment for the last three years. After reviewing these data, the middle school principal should place the highest priority on answering which of the following questions?

• Should the school investigate other mathematics programs that may maximize mathematics gains for all student groups?
• How can the achievement gap in mathematics performance between the total group and the subgroup be closed?
• What factors were most important in promoting improvement in the school's overall performance in mathematics?
• Has there been a significant change in recent years in the number of students in the total group and the subgroup?

Based on the tables above, which strategy is most likely to improve the reading performance of 5th-grade students at the school?

• using lesson plans and curriculum mapping to align instruction with reading contentstandards
• initiating a daily program of sustained silent reading for all students
• providing teachers with state and district reading scores
• administering weekly reading comprehension tests for students scoring at statewideassessment Levels 1 and 2

School administrators are in the process of designing a data report that will beused to communicate standardized assessment results to classroom teachers.The reports are likely to be most useful in facilitating and improving the teachers'instructional planning if they

• include information about each student's performance on each section of a test.
• incorporate a variety of summary statistics, such as mean, range, and standard deviation, to characterize student scores.
• compare an individual's current performance to performance on previous tests
• provide an indication of how each class performed on each test question compared with other classes at the same grade level.

To prepare students for the district's benchmark tests given each month in the first 7 months of the school year, the principal at a middle school creates learning communities of teachers at each grade level and in each subject area. Identify which practice the groups should develop and implement first to enhance student learning and achievement as measured on the benchmark tests.

• integrated thematic units
• peer coaching assignments
• instructional focus calendar
• cooperative learning activities

A principal has established grade-level teacher teams to provide teachers with professional support and improve school performance. A key school goal at this time is to "set and achieve high academic expectations for every student." In observing the teacher teams in action, the principal can best ensure that they are effectively striving to meet this goal if team members place the greatest emphasis on discussing ways to

• determine the skills and content that are most important for students to master.
• provide students with enhanced opportunities to practice and improve their test-taking skills.
• create meaningful incentives that encourage students to work to their potential
• respond to students who are progressing at different rates in the classroom.