GACE Educational Leadership Study Companion

An elementary school leader is contacted by the parents of a student who broke his arm over the weekend. They are concerned that he will be unable to complete assignments because of his inability to write. The school leader can best address the parents’ concern by providing the student with services through

• temporary placement in special education

• Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

• occupational therapy

Ms. Sylvester, an elementary school leader, uses a classroom observation application during walk-throughs. She utilizes a feature that allows her to time stamp specific teacher and student behaviors and make notes about what she observes. Once a walk-through is complete, the application instantly sends a report to the teacher. By using the application, Ms. Sylvester primarily demonstrates a commitment to

• storing important documentation for annual teacher evaluations

• using technology to complete administrative tasks and duties

• modeling the appropriate use of observation tools

• having systems in place for providing timely feedback

A school leader in a diverse community leads a school that does not currently have a parent-teacher organization (PTO) in place. The school leader prioritizes establishing a parent-teacher organization for the upcoming school year. Which of the following is a primary benefit of establishing a PTO in the school?

• The PTO will hold fund-raising events to supplement the school budget allowing for more significant purchases to be made.

• The PTO will assist the school administrators in making decisions about student activities that impact education.

• . The PTO will provide a way for parents to be more involved in their children’s education and foster a sense of community between families and educators.

• The PTO will reduce the number of transient families and establish a common vision for improved attendance and achievement.

A school leader regularly meets with grade-level teams to discuss interventions for struggling students and how to provide enrichment opportunities for students who have achieved mastery. The school leader’s primary purpose for the meetings is to

• build relationships with faculty and staff members through professional discussions

• promote differentiated instruction to support varying levels of student proficiency

• ensure teachers use an age-appropriate instructional strategy in each lesson

• analyze multiple data points across classrooms that demonstrate academic gains

To best assist with the implementation of a new shared vision and action plan, the school leader should ensure that individual teachers are

• given time to meet with their departments to discuss the plan

• able to meet with district representation before accepting new responsibilities

• able to select professional development opportunities of their choosing

• given ongoing training beyond the rollout phase of the plan

A school leader is setting goals for student success in reading and wants to include all important dimensions of goal setting. Match each defined goal with the dimension of goal setting it best exemplifies.

A. Students’ comprehension skills will improve by the end of the second nine weeks.

B. Students will score a level 3 or higher on the ELA benchmark test.

C. Students’ comprehension skills will improve by participating in a reading mastery program.

D. Eighty percent of students will pass the ELA benchmark test.

Specific

Measurable

Realistic and attainable

Time-bound

Answer explanation

The correct order is C, B, D, and A. Students’ comprehension skills improving by participation in the reading mastery program is a specific dimension of goal setting because it is a specific action that the school will implement to induce change in student performance. Students scoring a level 3 or higher on the ELA benchmark test is a measurable dimension of goal setting because the data can be easily analyzed to see whether the goal was met. Eighty percent of students passing the ELA benchmark test is a realistic and attainable dimension of goal setting because it sets a goal that is achievable. Students’ comprehension skills improving by the end of the second nine weeks is a time-bound dimension of goal setting because it defines a certain time to check for results.

A local high school plans to distribute laptops to all students for use on academic assignments and homework. Staff members express some concern about students using the laptops on campus and the potential for classroom disruptions. To best assist with implementation of the new technology initiative and address teachers’ concerns, the school leader should ensure that

• students access the Internet on the school-based network

• stakeholders are aware of the district’s new initiative

• students, staff, and parents are aware of policy expectations

• professional development opportunities address digital learning

For each row, select the answer that applies.

When developing a plan to delegate responsibilities, a school leader creates a chart of those tasks that can be delegated and those that are best kept within the leadership team. Indicate whether each task is best to delegate or to keep within the leadership team.

Task: Providing performance feedback

Task: Handling disciplinary action

Task: Organizing school events

Task: Composing school newsletters

Can Delegate or Keep Within Leadership Team

(a)  

Which of the following factors will have the greatest impact on communication and working relationships when a school leader sends e-mails to teachers and staff?

• The length and syntactic complexity of the e-mails

• The subject line, opening, and closing of the e-mails

• The daily and weekly volume of the e-mails

• The timing, content, and tone of the e-mails

A school leader can best support the development of teachers’ skills in technology integration by

• encouraging each teacher to create and host a classroom blog

• requiring that technology be a part of a specific number of lessons each week

• creating a committee to write an example technology lesson for each grade level

• modeling the effective use of technology tools throughout the school year