DESE School Administration & Leadership 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A principal is conducting a root-cause analysis after reviewing school-wide discipline data showing disproportionate suspension rates for Black and Latino students. Which framework most directly addresses this systemic issue?
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implemented without demographic analysis
- Culturally responsive disciplinary practices combined with implicit bias training for staff (Correct answer)
- Increasing the number of in-school suspensions to reduce out-of-school suspensions
- Delegating all discipline decisions to assistant principals
Correct answer: Culturally responsive disciplinary practices combined with implicit bias training for staff
Addressing disproportionality requires both culturally responsive practices and structured efforts to identify and counteract implicit bias in disciplinary decisions.
Question 2: A high school principal learns that a student has posted threatening messages about a classmate on social media, which occurred off campus after school hours. Under Massachusetts law and school authority, the principal may:
- Take no action because the conduct occurred off school grounds and outside school hours
- Discipline the student if the conduct creates a substantial disruption to the school environment (Correct answer)
- Refer only to law enforcement and take no independent school action
- Discipline the student only if the threat is made in writing and delivered on school property
Correct answer: Discipline the student if the conduct creates a substantial disruption to the school environment
Massachusetts courts allow schools to discipline students for off-campus conduct that materially disrupts the school environment, including credible threats.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a School Quality Review (SQR) conducted by DESE in Massachusetts?
- To rank schools on a statewide performance index for public reporting
- To provide an external, evidence-based examination of school practices and improvement needs (Correct answer)
- To determine whether a school should receive additional Title I funding
- To formally evaluate the principal's effectiveness for licensure renewal purposes
Correct answer: To provide an external, evidence-based examination of school practices and improvement needs
SQRs are diagnostic reviews that examine school practices, systems, and culture to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Question 4: A superintendent is evaluating two candidates for a principal vacancy. Candidate A has strong instructional coaching skills; Candidate B has strong operations management skills. Research on school turnaround suggests the superintendent should prioritize:
- Candidate B, because operational efficiency is the foundation of school improvement
- Candidate A, because instructional leadership has the strongest evidence base for improving student outcomes (Correct answer)
- Either candidate equally, as leadership style does not affect turnaround outcomes
- Candidate B if the school is a Level 3; Candidate A only for Level 1 schools
Correct answer: Candidate A, because instructional leadership has the strongest evidence base for improving student outcomes
Research consistently identifies instructional leadership as the leadership dimension most strongly linked to improved student achievement, particularly in underperforming schools.
Question 5: Under the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines, a student with a disability who is expelled for a violation unrelated to their disability must continue to receive:
- No services during the expulsion period
- A free appropriate public education (FAPE) so the student can progress in the general curriculum (Correct answer)
- Services only if the parent waives the right to a manifestation determination
- Services only through an alternative school placement approved by the school committee
Correct answer: A free appropriate public education (FAPE) so the student can progress in the general curriculum
IDEA requires that students with disabilities continue to receive FAPE even during expulsion, regardless of whether the misconduct was related to their disability.
Question 6: A principal wants to improve the quality of Tier 1 instruction as the most efficient lever for school improvement. Which action has the STRONGEST evidence base for improving classroom-level outcomes?
- Purchasing new curriculum materials aligned to state standards
- Implementing a cycle of instructional rounds, targeted coaching, and job-embedded professional development (Correct answer)
- Increasing the number of standardized assessments given throughout the year
- Requiring teachers to submit weekly lesson plans for administrative review
Correct answer: Implementing a cycle of instructional rounds, targeted coaching, and job-embedded professional development
Instructional rounds combined with coaching and job-embedded PD form a high-leverage cycle that directly improves teaching practice at scale.
Question 7: Which Massachusetts regulation governs the licensing requirements for school administrators, including principals and superintendents?
- 603 CMR 7.00 — Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval (Correct answer)
- 603 CMR 28.00 — Special Education Regulations
- 603 CMR 49.00 — Educator Evaluation
- M.G.L. c. 71, § 38G — Superintendent Employment Requirements
Correct answer: 603 CMR 7.00 — Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval
603 CMR 7.00 establishes the licensure requirements and routes for all Massachusetts educators, including administrative licenses for principals and superintendents.
DESE School Administration & Leadership 5
A principal is conducting a root-cause analysis after reviewing school-wide discipline data showing disproportionate suspension rates for Black and Latino students.
Which framework most directly addresses this systemic issue?