FELE Strategic Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When prioritizing initiatives within a school's strategic plan, a principal should give HIGHEST priority to:
- Initiatives with the most teacher support regardless of student impact
- Initiatives most likely to improve student outcomes based on data evidence (Correct answer)
- Initiatives that are easiest to implement with existing resources
- Initiatives proposed by the longest-tenured staff members
Correct answer: Initiatives most likely to improve student outcomes based on data evidence
Strategic prioritization must center on evidence-based initiatives that demonstrably improve student outcomes, as student success is the core mission.
Question 2: A principal is developing performance indicators for the school's strategic plan. Which type of indicator measures progress toward a goal DURING implementation rather than at its conclusion?
- Lagging indicator
- Summative indicator
- Leading indicator (Correct answer)
- Benchmark indicator
Correct answer: Leading indicator
Leading indicators measure early signs of progress during implementation, allowing leaders to adjust strategies before final outcomes are determined.
Question 3: Which approach to strategic planning is MOST consistent with a distributed leadership model?
- The principal drafts the plan and shares it for comments
- Small teams develop components of the plan collaboratively before synthesis (Correct answer)
- External consultants develop the plan based on school data
- The plan is adapted from a neighboring school's successful document
Correct answer: Small teams develop components of the plan collaboratively before synthesis
Distributed leadership involves empowering multiple teams to contribute meaningfully, creating deeper ownership and leveraging diverse expertise across the campus.
Question 4: A school's strategic plan identifies closing the achievement gap as a priority. Which action BEST translates this priority into a specific strategic initiative?
- Hosting a schoolwide cultural fair each semester
- Implementing targeted intervention programs with progress monitoring for underperforming student subgroups (Correct answer)
- Purchasing new textbooks for all grade levels
- Hosting parent informational nights about state testing
Correct answer: Implementing targeted intervention programs with progress monitoring for underperforming student subgroups
Targeted interventions with structured progress monitoring directly address the achievement gap by focusing resources and strategies on the students most in need.
Question 5: During strategic plan implementation, a principal notices that staff are resistant to a new initiative. The MOST effective leadership response is to:
- Mandate participation and document non-compliance
- Ignore the resistance and allow it to resolve naturally over time
- Communicate the rationale, address concerns, and involve resistant staff in problem-solving (Correct answer)
- Remove the initiative from the plan to avoid conflict
Correct answer: Communicate the rationale, address concerns, and involve resistant staff in problem-solving
Addressing resistance through transparent communication and collaborative problem-solving builds trust and increases the likelihood of successful implementation.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a logic model in school strategic planning?
- It provides a legal framework for distributing resources equitably
- It visually maps the connection between inputs, activities, outputs, and desired outcomes (Correct answer)
- It replaces the need for data analysis in the planning process
- It documents teacher evaluation criteria for the school year
Correct answer: It visually maps the connection between inputs, activities, outputs, and desired outcomes
A logic model illustrates the causal pathway from resources and activities to outcomes, making the theory of change explicit and testable.
Question 7: How should a school principal use benchmark data collected mid-year in relation to the school's strategic plan?
- Store it in student files for end-of-year review
- Use it to confirm original goals without modification
- Analyze it to determine if strategies are producing expected progress and adjust accordingly (Correct answer)
- Share it only with the district office to meet compliance requirements
Correct answer: Analyze it to determine if strategies are producing expected progress and adjust accordingly
Mid-year benchmark data enables formative evaluation of strategic initiatives, allowing leaders to refine approaches before the year ends.
FELE Strategic Planning 2
When prioritizing initiatives within a school's strategic plan, a principal should give HIGHEST priority to: