FELE subtest 2

2.1.1 Subtest 2, Competency 1: A principal in a school with a history of low performance is preparing to interview candidates for an open position in the English department. The principal is considering various prompts that could be used to elicit information from the candidates during their interviews.

Which of the following prompts would likely yield responses that provide the principal with the most useful information about a candidate's effectiveness as an educator?

• A. Discuss your most important strengths as a teacher, and describe what you consider to be your greatest professional development needs and goals at this time.

• B. Explain how your courses at the college or graduate level, as well as your teaching experience to date, have prepared you to be a successful English teacher.

• C. Describe a significant problem you encountered in attempting to promote learning for one or more students, and explain how you addressed that problem.

• D. Identify the components of the English curriculum that you believe are most crucial for students to master, and explain why those components are so important.

2.1.2 Subtest 2, Competency 1: A school is planning to initiate a new mentoring program for beginning teachers. Goals of the program include promoting the instructional proficiency of new teachers and increasing new teacher retention. Which of the following practices used by school administrators would best help ensure the success of the new program?

• A. Observing and providing feedback on meetings between mentors and mentees on a regular basis

• B. Providing initial and ongoing training for individuals who are selected to serve as a mentor

• C. Pairing new teachers with mentors who have similar backgrounds and life experiences

• D. Giving mentors flexibility in defining their own roles and responsibilities in the mentoring relationship

2.2.1 Subtest 2, Competency 2: A principal will be working with a small group of staff members to select professional development activities that all teachers will participate in during the upcoming school year. The principal can best promote effective decision-making by guiding the staff members to place the most emphasis on which of the following criteria when evaluating each professional development option under consideration?

• A. Does the activity match defined school goals and priorities?

• B. Will the activity accommodate faculty learning styles and preferences?

• C. Is the breadth of knowledge covered by the activity sufficient?

• D. Are the resources required for the activity available within the school?

2.2.2 Subtest 2, Competency 2: A principal will be leading a school in which most teachers work independently with minimal professional interaction with their peers. One of the principal's goals is to transform the school into a professional learning community in which groups of teachers will collaborate on an ongoing basis, analyzing and evaluating student performance and using reflection, discussion, experimentation, and problem-solving to promote continuous improvement in student learning. The principal begins by leading many discussions with teachers about the characteristics, functions, and benefits of professional learning communities and by implementing training for teachers on relevant skills, including data analysis.

Which of the following additional actions by the principal is likely to be most important in making the identified goal a reality?

• A. Encouraging teachers in each group to observe and provide feedback to each other

• B. Allowing teachers to select the colleagues with whom they will work

• C. Prompting each group to define specific roles and responsibilities for each teacher in the group

• D. Allocating time in the school schedule for teachers to work together

2.2.3 Subtest 2, Competency 2: An assistant principal has conducted observation in a teacher's classroom. Although the teacher exhibited a number of strengths during the observation period, the assistant principal also identified some areas needing improvement. Which of the following actions taken by the assistant principal would best help in preparing for a productive post-observation conference with the teacher?

• A. Organizing data and notes collected during the observed lesson that can serve to guide discussion with the teacher

• B. Reviewing teacher-provided samples of lesson materials used and student work generated during the observation period

• C. Preparing a list of recommended professional development activities based on the teacher’s observed performance

• D. Providing the teacher with a brief summary of observed strengths and needs to review before the conference occurs

2.2.4 Subtest 2, Competency 2: A principal who was hired to turn around a failing school intends to conduct a thorough review of student performance on standardized tests to assist in analyzing current teacher effectiveness in the school. The principal can best ensure that this approach will yield accurate results by first taking steps to verify that

• A. students are receiving ongoing opportunities to learn and reinforce skills for taking standardized tests.

• B. the curriculum taught in the school is close aligned with the content addressed on the standardized tests.

• C. teachers’ classroom assessments incorporate question formats similar to those used on the standardized tests.

• D. the standardized tests reflect current knowledge about processes by which individuals gain knowledge and skills.

2.2.5 (EDU 553) A principal has determined that general education teachers struggle with the use of differentiated instruction. What would be the most effective approach to address this issue?

• a. Increase walkthroughs to monitor compliance

• B. create opportunities for team teaching with ESE certified colleagues

• C. Review all lesson plans for compliance

• D. Provide professional development in differentiated instruction supported by collaborative planning

2.2.6 Subtest 2, Competency 2: Peer coaching would be most appropriate to use as a professional learning strategy for teachers in which of the following school contexts?

• A. Teachers have expressed interest in exploring research on students with certain types of disabilities and its implications for instruction.

• B. A school recently hired a group of beginning teachers who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to the various demands of the job.

• C. Teachers have received feedback from a new assistant principal and are beginning to implement suggestions in their classes.

• D. A school is making plans to begin using a new set of teacher accountability procedures based on guidelines developed by district staff.

2.3.1 Subtest 2, Competency 3: A principal recently hired a new classroom teacher who appears to possess strong natural leadership skills. The principal would like to find ways to nurture and expand the teacher's leadership abilities. Which of the following approaches would likely be most appropriate and effective for the principal to use first in efforts to achieve this goal?

• A. Offering the new teacher opportunities to collaborate and contribute in a variety of school contexts

• B. Encouraging the new teacher to take on some of the lower level tasks that the principal normally carries out

• C. Involving the new teacher in reviewing and discussing professional literature on current issues in school leadership

• D. Inviting the new teacher to accompany the principal to selected school and district leadership meetings

2.3.2 Subtest 2, Competency 3: A principal is planning to begin delegating a number of tasks to aspiring leaders. In implementing delegation plans, which of the following should the principal consider the most important responsibility?

• A. Ensuring that the delegation of tasks to some staff members does not result in unequal staff workloads

• B. Engaging in ongoing monitoring of the quality and timely completion of delegated tasks

• C. Offering public acknowledgement and appreciation to those staff members who are performing delegated tasks

• D. Providing district leaders with accurate documentation regarding initial and future task delegation decisions