TExES 268 Leadership & Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A principal reviews attendance data and finds chronic absenteeism disproportionately affects English Learners. What is the MOST appropriate leadership response?
- Increase disciplinary consequences for absent students
- Investigate root causes and engage families and community partners to address barriers (Correct answer)
- Refer all cases to the district truancy officer
- Eliminate attendance requirements for EL students
Correct answer: Investigate root causes and engage families and community partners to address barriers
Effective principals investigate systemic root causes and leverage community partnerships to address equity-driven attendance gaps.
Question 2: Which scenario BEST demonstrates transformational leadership by a campus principal?
- Maintaining existing routines to ensure operational stability
- Inspiring teachers to adopt a shared vision that challenges the status quo for student success (Correct answer)
- Focusing leadership efforts solely on compliance with state mandates
- Delegating all instructional decisions to department chairs
Correct answer: Inspiring teachers to adopt a shared vision that challenges the status quo for student success
Transformational leaders inspire staff around a compelling shared vision that drives meaningful change.
Question 3: A principal is conducting a walkthrough observation and notices a teacher consistently using one instructional strategy. What is the MOST effective follow-up action?
- Write a formal reprimand in the teacher's file
- Have a reflective coaching conversation about instructional variety and student engagement (Correct answer)
- Report the observation findings to the superintendent
- Ignore the pattern since the teacher has tenure
Correct answer: Have a reflective coaching conversation about instructional variety and student engagement
Coaching conversations after walkthroughs promote reflective practice and instructional growth.
Question 4: In managing school improvement planning, which step should occur FIRST?
- Selecting strategies to implement across the campus
- Purchasing new instructional materials
- Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment using multiple data sources (Correct answer)
- Submitting the plan to the district for approval
Correct answer: Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment using multiple data sources
A comprehensive needs assessment provides the data foundation that drives all subsequent improvement planning decisions.
Question 5: A principal wants to create a safe environment where teachers feel comfortable taking instructional risks. This is BEST described as building:
- Bureaucratic accountability structures
- Psychological safety in the professional community (Correct answer)
- A culture of surveillance and evaluation
- Competitive performance incentives
Correct answer: Psychological safety in the professional community
Psychological safety allows staff to take risks, share failures, and learn together without fear of punishment.
Question 6: Which stakeholder engagement strategy is MOST effective for building community trust in a diverse school?
- Sending home English-only newsletters quarterly
- Scheduling community events only during school hours
- Providing information in multiple languages and hosting culturally responsive engagement opportunities (Correct answer)
- Limiting parent involvement to fundraising activities
Correct answer: Providing information in multiple languages and hosting culturally responsive engagement opportunities
Multilingual, culturally responsive outreach demonstrates respect and makes engagement accessible to all families.
Question 7: A principal must manage a teacher who is resistant to adopting new campus-wide literacy strategies. Which approach is MOST aligned with instructional leadership best practices?
- Issue an immediate formal improvement plan
- Ignore the resistance to preserve the relationship
- Engage the teacher in reflective dialogue, connect strategies to student data, and provide targeted support (Correct answer)
- Assign the teacher to non-classroom duties
Correct answer: Engage the teacher in reflective dialogue, connect strategies to student data, and provide targeted support
Connecting new strategies to student outcome data and offering tailored support addresses resistance while maintaining professional relationships.
TExES 268 Leadership & Management 3
A principal reviews attendance data and finds chronic absenteeism disproportionately affects English Learners.
What is the MOST appropriate leadership response?