CSET Quality Assurance & Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A school district wants to reduce the variation in student reading scores across classrooms. Which quality improvement tool is BEST suited for identifying the root causes of this variation?
- Pareto chart
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram (Correct answer)
- Control chart
- Run chart
Correct answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
A fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram is specifically designed to identify and organize potential root causes of a problem or variation.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of formative assessment in a quality improvement cycle for instruction?
- To assign final grades at the end of a unit
- To rank students against a national norm
- To gather ongoing data that informs instructional adjustments (Correct answer)
- To certify that students have met grade-level standards
Correct answer: To gather ongoing data that informs instructional adjustments
Formative assessment provides real-time data during instruction so teachers can adjust their methods to improve student learning.
Question 3: In the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, what is the primary goal of the 'Study' phase?
- To implement the improvement plan school-wide
- To analyze results and determine whether the change led to improvement (Correct answer)
- To identify stakeholders who will participate in the change
- To create a new curriculum aligned with standards
Correct answer: To analyze results and determine whether the change led to improvement
The 'Study' phase involves analyzing the data collected during 'Do' to see if the change produced the desired improvement.
Question 4: A principal notices that tardiness peaks on Mondays and after lunch. Which data display would MOST clearly show this pattern over a six-week period?
- Histogram
- Scatter plot
- Run chart (Correct answer)
- Pie chart
Correct answer: Run chart
A run chart plots data points over time, making it ideal for identifying patterns and trends such as recurring tardiness peaks.
Question 5: Which concept in quality improvement refers to understanding the sequence of steps through which a student or process moves from start to completion?
- Benchmarking
- Process mapping (Correct answer)
- Gap analysis
- Needs assessment
Correct answer: Process mapping
Process mapping (flowcharting) visually documents the steps in a workflow to identify inefficiencies or breakdowns.
Question 6: A school uses disaggregated test data showing that English Language Learners consistently score lower in mathematics word problems. This practice exemplifies which quality improvement strategy?
- Universal screening for all students
- Equity-focused data analysis to target subgroup needs (Correct answer)
- Criterion-referenced testing for course placement
- Summative benchmarking against district norms
Correct answer: Equity-focused data analysis to target subgroup needs
Disaggregating data by subgroup allows educators to identify and address achievement gaps affecting specific student populations.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a leading indicator in an educational quality improvement system?
- Graduation rate for the current senior class
- End-of-year state test proficiency scores
- Weekly formative assessment completion rates (Correct answer)
- Annual dropout statistics reported to the state
Correct answer: Weekly formative assessment completion rates
Leading indicators (like weekly formative completion rates) predict future outcomes and allow earlier intervention, unlike lagging indicators that report past results.
CSET Quality Assurance & Improvement 2
A school district wants to reduce the variation in student reading scores across classrooms.
Which quality improvement tool is BEST suited for identifying the root causes of this variation?