TExES 268 Instructional Leadership 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which action BEST demonstrates a principal using formative assessment data to improve instruction?
- Posting end-of-year STAAR results in the teacher workroom for reference
- Using weekly common assessment results to adjust instructional groupings and re-teach specific skills (Correct answer)
- Requiring teachers to give quizzes every Friday and submit grades by Monday
- Comparing this year's benchmark scores to last year's scores in a faculty newsletter
Correct answer: Using weekly common assessment results to adjust instructional groupings and re-teach specific skills
Using weekly common assessment results to adjust groupings and re-teaching demonstrates the instructional feedback loop central to formative assessment use.
Question 2: A campus has a high rate of student disciplinary referrals that are disrupting instructional time. What is the MOST effective first step for the principal?
- Implement a stricter disciplinary policy with harsher consequences
- Analyze referral data by classroom, time of day, and infraction type to identify patterns and root causes (Correct answer)
- Hire additional security staff to monitor hallways
- Send a letter to parents of frequently referred students
Correct answer: Analyze referral data by classroom, time of day, and infraction type to identify patterns and root causes
Analyzing referral data for patterns allows the principal to identify whether issues are instructional, environmental, or relational before designing targeted interventions.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes the role of the principal as instructional leader when supporting new teachers?
- Assigning new teachers the least challenging classes to build their confidence
- Providing structured mentoring, frequent feedback, and reduced non-instructional duties to support instructional growth (Correct answer)
- Observing new teachers once per semester and sharing results at the end of the year
- Pairing new teachers with the most experienced teacher regardless of subject alignment
Correct answer: Providing structured mentoring, frequent feedback, and reduced non-instructional duties to support instructional growth
Structured mentoring, frequent feedback, and reduced burdens directly address new teachers' most critical needs during their development.
Question 4: A principal wants to build shared instructional vision among staff. Which approach is MOST likely to result in genuine buy-in?
- Presenting the campus vision at the first faculty meeting and asking teachers to sign an agreement
- Facilitating a collaborative process in which staff analyze data, identify priorities, and co-construct the campus vision (Correct answer)
- Adopting the district vision statement verbatim and aligning all campus goals to it
- Sharing exemplary campus vision statements from award-winning schools and asking staff to vote on one
Correct answer: Facilitating a collaborative process in which staff analyze data, identify priorities, and co-construct the campus vision
A collaborative, data-informed process ensures staff have ownership of the vision, which is essential for genuine and sustained commitment.
Question 5: A principal reviews teacher observation data and finds that higher-order thinking questions are rarely used in most classrooms. Which response is MOST appropriate?
- Issue a campus-wide memo reminding teachers of the importance of higher-order thinking
- Design a targeted professional development series on questioning strategies with classroom application follow-up (Correct answer)
- Require all teachers to submit weekly lesson plans highlighting their questioning strategies
- Pair the weakest teachers with strong teachers and observe the paired lessons
Correct answer: Design a targeted professional development series on questioning strategies with classroom application follow-up
Targeted professional development with classroom application and follow-up is the most effective way to build a specific instructional skill across a faculty.
Question 6: Which scenario BEST illustrates differentiated instruction as defined by TExES 268 instructional leadership standards?
- A teacher assigns all students the same essay topic but allows them to choose their own font
- A teacher uses flexible grouping, varied materials, and tiered tasks based on pre-assessment data (Correct answer)
- A teacher provides an extension project only for students who finish early
- A teacher allows struggling students to skip difficult assignments
Correct answer: A teacher uses flexible grouping, varied materials, and tiered tasks based on pre-assessment data
Flexible grouping, varied materials, and tiered tasks based on pre-assessment data reflect the core components of research-based differentiated instruction.
Question 7: A principal receives feedback that some teachers feel micromanaged during the instructional improvement process. How should the principal respond?
- Reduce the frequency of classroom observations to give teachers more autonomy
- Clarify the purpose of observations, solicit teacher input on the support process, and adjust approaches to honor teacher professionalism while maintaining accountability (Correct answer)
- Explain to teachers that the observations are required by the district and non-negotiable
- Focus future observations only on teachers who have received unsatisfactory ratings
Correct answer: Clarify the purpose of observations, solicit teacher input on the support process, and adjust approaches to honor teacher professionalism while maintaining accountability
Clarifying purpose, soliciting input, and adjusting approaches respects teacher professionalism while preserving the goal of instructional improvement.
TExES 268 Instructional Leadership 3
Which action BEST demonstrates a principal using formative assessment data to improve instruction?