SAC School Culture and Climate 3

Question 1

According to the NASSP and research on school turnaround, which factor is MOST critical for sustainably improving a negative school culture?

Accepted Answer

Distributing leadership and building the capacity of teacher leaders to co-own the culture

Answer

Distributed leadership that builds teacher leader capacity creates shared ownership of the school's culture and ensures that improvements are sustainable beyond any single principal's tenure.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes a 'professional learning community' (PLC) and its relationship to school culture?

Accepted Answer

A PLC is a group of educators who collaboratively inquire into practice to improve student learning, reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement

Answer

PLCs foster a culture of continuous improvement by creating structured opportunities for educators to collaboratively analyze data, refine instruction, and hold each other accountable for student learning.

Question 3

An administrator observes that staff celebrations and rituals focus exclusively on athletic achievements, leaving academic and artistic accomplishments unrecognized. This situation reflects a problem with:

Accepted Answer

The school's articulated and enacted values being misaligned

Answer

When the behaviors and rituals (enacted values) of a school contradict its stated mission, it reveals a values misalignment that signals a deeper cultural problem requiring intentional realignment.

Question 4

Which of the following strategies BEST addresses a school climate issue related to high rates of student bullying?

Accepted Answer

Implementing a comprehensive, school-wide social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum alongside clear reporting systems and adult monitoring

Answer

Comprehensive SEL curricula build empathy and conflict resolution skills school-wide, while clear reporting systems and adult monitoring create the safe environment needed to reduce bullying sustainably.

Question 5

The concept of 'psychological safety' in a school, as defined by Amy Edmondson, refers to:

Accepted Answer

An environment where staff and students feel safe to take interpersonal risks, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment

Answer

Psychological safety, as defined by Edmondson, is the shared belief that the environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking — essential for both staff professional growth and student academic engagement.

SAC - School Administrator Certification Practice Test

SAC - School Administrator Certification Practice Test

SAC School Culture and Climate 3