SLLA: Community Engagement Leadership

A new school leader has been tasked with coordinating with the community for resources to support student learning. The leader is going to start this task by conducting a needs assessment to identify where resources are needed most. Which THREE sets of data would be the most beneficial for the leader to review for the needs assessment?

• Acceptable use policies for technology equipment.

• Survey data from teachers on the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.

• State and district policies for entering into an external agreement.

• Most recent state assessment data.

• Disaggregated subgroup data.

Answer explanation

The question is asking to pick THREE data sets for a needs assessment. The most beneficial data sets are the survey, the state assessment, and disaggregated subgroup data. If the leader is focused on a needs assessment, identifying gaps in the assessment data and examining areas for improvement in the survey will help the leader determine academic and instructional needs

A high school principal is conducting outreach to recruit individuals in the community to play an active role in the school’s success. The principal is seeking people to volunteer in the classroom, make classroom presentations in curriculum-aligned areas of expertise, and serve as mentors to selected students. The principal makes it a priority to reach out to members of the various demographic groups that make up the school community. This action best demonstrates the principal’s commitment to:

• Promoting all students’ school success by valuing diversity.

• Providing learning opportunities that students perceive as relevant to their lives outside of school.

• Encouraging a sense of accountability for results among all stakeholders.

• Using a collaborative approach in solving problems and making decisions affecting the school.

Answer explanation

All of the actions this principal is taking creates a democratic school and strengthens educational programs by using diverse representatives from the community. The importance of a democratic school is to focus on all student achievement and valuing diversity.

The members of the city council want to know how the local high school is addressing the needs of the whole community. The school leader has decided to invite members of the city council to campus for a presentation on the school’s goals. Which of the following is the best approach for the school leader to take when planning the presentation for the meeting?

• To provide the best impression of the school to community leaders, only focus only on the school’s strengths.

• Provide the information in a simple and positive format because community leaders typically do not understand education assessment data.

• 2. Focus on the strengths of the school’s academies and how the community can help grow the school’s academies.

• Focus on the school’s strengths while also including areas of opportunity and resources needed to meet the needs of the whole community.

Answer explanation

The administrator should focus on the strengths of the school so all stakeholders at the meeting can feel proud. However, all schools have needs and goals to be met. Instead of framing the needs as deficits, the leader can frame them as opportunities for the community to help. This is an opportunity for the school leader to advocate publicly for the school and facilitate constructive discussion about the school’s needs.

After analyzing school grade data, the principal discovers the school has dropped a letter grade from the previous year. The principal knows the parents in the community will be disappointed and possibly angry. What can the principal do to proactively engage with the community regarding the drop in scores?

• Send out a newsletter to stakeholders explaining the drop in school grade and the plan to rectify the situation.

• Invite the community to the school to go through the data and identify opportunities for the community to get involved.

• Focus on getting the staff professional development aligned with the needs of the school.

• Defer communication with parents and the community to the school district.

Answer explanation

Inviting the community to come in and review the data includes all stakeholders and cultivates collaboration among the school and the community.

When providing information to the media about an emergency incident on campus, which of the following is the best approach?

• Thorough information with in-depth descriptions of the situation.

• Background information on the parties involved.

• Concise information provided on a routine schedule.

• Eyewitness accounts on the incident.

Answer explanation

The best approach for providing information to the media during an emergency is brief, accurate information on a schedule. Media will want to know when the next update will be available, so it is important to stick to a regimented briefing schedule. Detailed information is usually not available in a timely manner during an emergency. Background information and eyewitness accounts are not appropriate to provide about an emergency.

A new school leader wants to engage with the community in a proactive manner. Which of the following is the best approach to developing new relationships within a tight-knit community?

• Inviting community members to the school for a social event.

• Collaborating with respected agents within the community to build trust.

• Meeting with business leaders to identify mutual opportunities.

• Sending letters of appreciation to community members.

Answer explanation

When building new relationships within the community, the best answer choice is to coordinate with a trusted community member. This will demonstrate the school leader’s willingness to engage the stakeholders in their community. Inviting the stakeholders to the school puts the action on them instead of the leader. Identifying mutual opportunities skips a few steps in the relationship-building process. Sending letters of appreciation to people the leader doesn’t know yet might seem disingenuous.

A new leader is preparing a document to provide to the school community explaining the data from recent state assessments. Which of the following is the most important aspect to consider when developing the information?

• Present the data in a format that the school community can easily understand.

• Present the data to highlight the areas of strengths to bolster a sense of pride in the community.

• Present the data in complex graphics and charts to show the vastness of the information.

• Present the data to downplay areas of weakness and deflect attention away from areas of improvement. 

Answer explanation

It is important for school leaders to present student achievement data in a format that stakeholders can digest and understand. Often, school data is in a format full of acronyms, jargon, charts, and graphs that only people in the education industry can understand. It is the school leader’s responsibility to interpret the data and present in a way where stakeholders can draw meaningful conclusions.

There is a growing divide between two factions within the school advisory council about how to manage dress code violations. One group strongly supports the students’ first amendment right to expression. The other group believes school is a place for learning without disruptions from student dress choices. Which TWO actions should school leaders take to address the situation?

• Collect and analyze school dress code violations to identify patterns in disciplinary actions.

• Solicit feedback from teachers, students, and parents about current dress code rules and enforcement.

• Request guidance form the district office on an acceptable dress code policy.

• Defer responsibility to the students’ parents to monitor and implement. 

Answer explanation

School leaders must be able to achieve consensus for the success of the school and student achievement. By looking at the data and soliciting feedback from stakeholders, the school leader can guide the advisory council toward reaching consensus on the dress code policy.

A school leader wants to increase collaboration with the school community. He is developing a list of potential activities that will help him stay in touch with the community and support student achievement. Which TWO activities should the school leader participate in to proactively engage with the community?

• Attend public land use and urban planning meetings to stay informed of new zoning and commercial development.

• Facilitate professional development for veteran teachers seeking leadership roles.

• Attend a networking event hosted by the area chamber of commerce

• Conduct vertical planning meetings with feeder schools to align instruction and school goals.

Answer explanation

Urban and land use planners are next-level demographic statisticians. They have tremendous knowledge and data about the past, present, and future of the community. So much of the school is impacted by the physical, social, economic, residential, and commercial landscapes. It is really important for school leaders to be involved in urban development planning. Likewise, the area chamber of commerce also provides a trove of resources, contacts, and networking opportunities.

Long Branch High School is situated between neighborhoods of need and technology industry. The high school has a unique opportunity to pair needs with resources. A school leader is taking on the task of community engagement and networking. Which of the following is the first step the new leader should take in engaging the community to support the school?

• Engage with industry leaders for potential opportunities to support the school with resources, technology, scholarships, and internships.

• Conduct an assessment to identify areas where resources are needed most and align them to the school’s goals for student achievement.

• Provide community leaders with information about the school including achievements, gaps, and opportunities for support.

• Present information to district leadership for guidance on community outreach and state-wide resources. 

Answer explanation

Conducting a needs assessment is the first step in community engagement. The leader must know the areas where resources are needed most before soliciting support from the community. When asked for the first step, look for answer choices that involve data gathering or a needs assessment.