OAE OAE Community & Family Engagement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which strategy is MOST effective for building genuine school-community partnerships rather than one-way service relationships?
- Accepting community donations for school programs
- Co-designing programs and initiatives with community members as equal partners (Correct answer)
- Inviting community speakers to present at school assemblies
- Allowing community organizations to use school facilities after hours
Correct answer: Co-designing programs and initiatives with community members as equal partners
Genuine partnerships involve shared decision-making and co-creation, ensuring community members have real voice and agency rather than simply being recipients or donors.
Question 2: Under FERPA, schools may share student education records with parents of a minor student:
- Only with the student's written consent
- Without consent as parents have the right to inspect and review records (Correct answer)
- Only after a court order is obtained
- Only through a third-party mediator
Correct answer: Without consent as parents have the right to inspect and review records
FERPA grants parents of minor students the right to inspect and review their child's education records without needing the child's consent.
Question 3: A principal wants to increase attendance at school events in a low-income neighborhood. Which approach would MOST effectively address structural barriers?
- Sending reminder texts the day before each event
- Offering evening events with childcare, transportation, and food provided (Correct answer)
- Featuring student performances to incentivize attendance
- Partnering with a local business to sponsor door prizes
Correct answer: Offering evening events with childcare, transportation, and food provided
Providing childcare, transportation, and meals directly removes the most common structural barriers that prevent low-income families from attending school events.
Question 4: When a school develops a Family-School Compact under Title I requirements, its primary purpose is to:
- Establish consequences for families who do not volunteer at school
- Create a shared agreement on responsibilities of school, families, and students to support learning (Correct answer)
- Provide legal documentation in case of student discipline actions
- Outline the school's academic curriculum for the year
Correct answer: Create a shared agreement on responsibilities of school, families, and students to support learning
Title I Family-School Compacts are collaborative agreements that outline the shared responsibilities of schools, families, and students in supporting academic achievement.
Question 5: A school leader who practices 'asset-based' community engagement views the neighborhood surrounding the school primarily as:
- A source of challenges and problems that negatively impact students
- A rich resource with strengths, expertise, and partnerships to leverage (Correct answer)
- An external environment separate from the school's academic mission
- A target population for school outreach programs
Correct answer: A rich resource with strengths, expertise, and partnerships to leverage
Asset-based approaches identify and build upon community strengths, relationships, and resources rather than focusing on deficits and problems.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the role of a school advisory council that includes parent and community representatives?
- Overriding principal decisions on instructional matters
- Providing input and shared decision-making on school improvement priorities (Correct answer)
- Managing daily school operations and staff assignments
- Conducting formal teacher evaluations on behalf of the district
Correct answer: Providing input and shared decision-making on school improvement priorities
School advisory councils serve as shared governance bodies providing community and family input into school improvement planning, not operational management.
OAE OAE Community & Family Engagement 2
Which strategy is MOST effective for building genuine school-community partnerships rather than one-way service relationships?