PCP Data-Driven Decision Making 2

Question 1

Which federal law requires schools to publicly report disaggregated student performance data by subgroup?

Accepted Answer

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Answer

ESSA requires states and districts to publicly report academic achievement data broken down by race, income, disability, and English learner status.

Question 2

A principal notices that student performance data improves each spring. Before celebrating, the principal should consider which data validity threat?

Accepted Answer

Seasonal or testing effects that inflate scores artificially

Answer

Score gains near standardized testing windows may reflect test preparation rather than genuine learning gains, a validity threat called 'teaching to the test.'

Question 3

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a school data dashboard for a building-level principal?

Accepted Answer

To provide a real-time, at-a-glance view of key performance indicators for decision-making

Answer

A well-designed data dashboard consolidates key indicators—attendance, behavior, grades, assessment—so principals can monitor school health and act quickly.

Question 4

A principal wants to determine whether a new reading intervention actually caused student improvement. Which research design provides the strongest evidence of causation?

Accepted Answer

Randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Answer

Randomized controlled trials eliminate confounding variables by randomly assigning participants to treatment and control groups, providing the strongest causal evidence.

Question 5

Which practice BEST supports a culture of data-driven decision making among teachers?

Accepted Answer

Regularly scheduled collaborative data team meetings focused on student learning

Answer

Collaborative data teams normalize data use, build shared ownership of student outcomes, and translate findings into instructional changes more effectively than top-down mandates.

PCP - Principal Certification Program Practice Test

PCP - Principal Certification Program Practice Test

PCP Data-Driven Decision Making 2