SLLA Practice Exam 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A parent demands to see another student's discipline records during a meeting about a bullying incident. How should the principal respond?
- Share the other student's records to demonstrate that action was taken
- Decline and explain that FERPA protects the other student's educational records (Correct answer)
- Offer to describe the disciplinary action in general terms without naming the student
- Consult the superintendent before responding to the parent
Correct answer: Decline and explain that FERPA protects the other student's educational records
FERPA prohibits disclosing one student's educational records, including discipline records, to another student's parent.
Question 2: A school leader wants to improve family engagement among underrepresented communities. Which strategy is MOST likely to be effective?
- Sending home a monthly newsletter translated into multiple languages
- Hosting evening events at community-based locations with childcare and transportation support (Correct answer)
- Posting all school information on the school website
- Requiring parent conferences twice per year for all students
Correct answer: Hosting evening events at community-based locations with childcare and transportation support
Removing logistical barriers and meeting families in familiar community settings directly addresses engagement obstacles for underrepresented groups.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes distributive leadership in a school setting?
- The principal making all major decisions with input from a leadership team
- Assigning administrative tasks to multiple assistant principals
- Sharing leadership responsibilities and authority across staff based on expertise (Correct answer)
- Rotating the role of department head annually among all teachers
Correct answer: Sharing leadership responsibilities and authority across staff based on expertise
Distributive leadership intentionally shares authority and decision-making with staff members based on expertise and context, not just role.
Question 4: A school's student discipline data reveals that Black male students are suspended at three times the rate of other groups. What should the principal prioritize?
- Reviewing and revising the school discipline policy to address implicit bias and disproportionality (Correct answer)
- Increasing the number of counselors to handle the higher caseload from this group
- Implementing restorative practices only for this student group
- Informing the district and waiting for guidance before acting
Correct answer: Reviewing and revising the school discipline policy to address implicit bias and disproportionality
Reviewing policies to identify and reduce bias-driven disproportionality is the root-cause intervention needed to address systemic inequity in discipline.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a school's mission statement?
- To satisfy accreditation requirements
- To articulate the school's core values and define its educational purpose for the community (Correct answer)
- To outline the academic programs offered at the school
- To describe the school's demographic composition and geographic context
Correct answer: To articulate the school's core values and define its educational purpose for the community
A mission statement communicates the school's fundamental purpose and values, guiding decisions and unifying the community around shared beliefs.
Question 6: A principal is hiring for a new teaching position and wants to ensure a diverse candidate pool. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Set a hiring quota for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds
- Partner with HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to broaden recruitment outreach (Correct answer)
- Limit the hiring committee to members of diverse backgrounds only
- Accept all applications without advertising the position widely
Correct answer: Partner with HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to broaden recruitment outreach
Proactive recruitment from diverse institutions expands the candidate pool legally and equitably without imposing quotas.
Question 7: A principal wants to ensure that curriculum is aligned to state standards. Which approach is MOST systematic?
- Requiring teachers to list standards at the top of every lesson plan
- Purchasing a standards-aligned curriculum package from a publisher
- Conducting a curriculum mapping process with vertical and horizontal alignment reviews (Correct answer)
- Having department heads review their own curriculum documents annually
Correct answer: Conducting a curriculum mapping process with vertical and horizontal alignment reviews
Curriculum mapping with both vertical (across grade levels) and horizontal (across subjects within a grade) alignment ensures coherent, standards-based instruction.
SLLA Practice Exam 3
A parent demands to see another student's discipline records during a meeting about a bullying incident.
How should the principal respond?