Study Guide

Field 015: Educational Leadership
Sample Constructed-Response Assignments

The following materials contain:

Directions for the Focused Constructed-Response Assignments

This section of the test consists of three written assignments, each of which requires a written response of approximately 150–300 words. Read the assignments carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your responses.

As a whole, your responses must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In each response, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the subject matter through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.

The written assignments are intended to assess knowledge and skills important for effective performance as an educational leader. Your response to each assignment will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Purpose: The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
  • Content Knowledge: The extent to which the response accurately and effectively applies the relevant content knowledge and skills
  • Support: The extent to which the response provides relevant, specific support
  • Rationale: The extent to which the response provides sound reasoning about the topic

Be sure to write about the assigned topics. You may not use any reference materials. You may, however, use citations when appropriate. Your responses should be written for an audience of educators knowledgeable about educational leadership. Your responses must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written to ensure that you address all aspects of the assignment, and make any changes you think will improve your responses. The final version of each response should conform to the conventions of edited American English.

Sample Work Product Assignment

Domain I–Visionary and Inclusive Leadership

Use the information below to complete the task that follows.

You are in your second year as principal of a high school that enrolls approximately 1,750 students. Last year you worked with stakeholders to develop a new vision for your school. One important goal associated with the new vision is to enhance career and technical educational options for students.

Your school is considered "high-performing." Most students score well on state tests, and graduation rates are high, as are rates of admission to two- and four-year colleges for graduating seniors. However, the school has traditionally been less focused on students who do not wish to attend college after high school. As a result, pressure has been increasing in recent years to improve options for these students.

You decide to form a team to develop a plan for enhancing career and technical educational options for students. The team includes teachers, parents/guardians, students, a school counselor, and a special educator. You will chair meetings of the team.

Examinee Task

Write a memo of about 150–300 words to the team about the plan they will develop. In your memo:

Sample Strong Response to the Work Product Assignment – Domain I

Schools have an obligation to provide all students with programming and instruction that meets their immediate and future needs. The admission of many of our students to colleges and universities suggests that we are meeting the needs of this group of students. However, we have been less successful in meeting the needs of those students who do not wish to attend college. Inadequate career and technical educational programming may negatively affect the employment prospects and earning power of these students for the rest of their lives. By enhancing our career and technical options, we can expect to improve the motivation of these students to stay in school, as well as their ability to secure good jobs after graduation and go on to productive and satisfying careers. The broader community will also benefit by helping ensure the availability of a workforce that is well-prepared to fill a range of twenty-first century jobs.

As the team begins developing a plan to enhance career and technical education at our school, a key factor to consider is current employment trends and projected future job growth in a variety of career and technical fields. Such information can be obtained from a survey of local and regional business owners and managers and from published reports on the outlook for different types of jobs across the country. The team can use this information to focus its efforts on increasing programming in areas where employment opportunities are expected to be significant. This will increase the likelihood that our students who follow a program of study in career and technical education will obtain appropriate employment in areas of interest after graduation.

Sample Student Diversity Assignment

Domain II–Student Learning

Use the information below to complete the task that follows.

You are the new principal of an elementary school. The school enrolls nearly 500 students, approximately two-thirds of whom are English Language Learners. Through discussions with teachers and other staff, you learn that significant efforts have been made in recent years to increase the involvement of parents/guardians in the life of the school. Although much progress has been made in this area, you become aware that the parents/guardians of English Language Learners remain much less involved than other parents/guardians.

Examinee Task

Write a response of approximately 150–300 words about efforts to increase the involvement of the parents/guardians of English Language Learners in the life of your school. In your response:

Sample Strong Response to the Student Diversity Assignment – Domain II

One type of information that would be particularly helpful in initiating planning to increase the involvement of parents/guardians of English Language Learners in the life of the school would be derived from a survey designed to learn more about the thoughts and attitudes of these parents/guardians about school involvement. Such a survey would allow the parents/guardians of English Language Learners to identify factors that keep them from being more involved and to suggest steps the school could take to encourage greater involvement. The survey should be offered in multiple languages to ensure that all parents/guardians can participate fully. This information would assist staff in focusing their efforts effectively by addressing the specific needs and concerns of the targeted parent/guardian population.

One key issue to consider when initiating planning to implement the desired change is current teacher attitudes and outreach efforts with regard to the parents/guardians of English Language Learners. Teachers may need professional development on the importance of involving the parents/guardians of all of their students, as well as specific strategies to use to encourage the involvement of the families of the English Language Learners in their classes. Without positive teacher attitudes and responsive outreach, school efforts to increase the involvement of the parents/guardians of English Language Learners in the life of the school are unlikely to succeed.

Sample Management Problem Solving Assignment

Domain IV–Resource Management and Educational Law

Use the information below to complete the task that follows.

You are the new principal of a middle school. The school enrolls nearly 1,200 students and is presently operating at close to its full capacity. Six weeks before the start of the fall term, one wing of the school is severely damaged during an intense storm. The district superintendent informs you that repairs will be combined with needed renovations, and the wing will be closed for the upcoming year. The wing houses 20 percent of the school's classroom space. Offices for the administration, teachers, and staff, as well as common space, such as the gymnasium and the cafeteria, are housed in the main building and are unaffected by the closure. The superintendent asks you to develop a plan for finding classroom space for students and staff displaced by the closing of the wing.

Examinee Task

Write a response of approximately 150–300 words about how you could address the displacement of students and staff resulting from the closure of the school wing. In your response:

Sample Strong Response to the Management Problem Solving Assignment – Domain IV

In this situation, my overriding concern would be to minimize the disruption of student learning at the school by minimizing changes in class schedules, course offerings, and teacher assignments. My goals would be to allow students to take their planned courses (especially core courses) as much as possible and to minimize disruptions in teacher assignments and schedules to ensure that all classes are appropriately staffed and to prevent a significant reduction in teacher morale. Increasing class sizes would be undesirable, as it may involve teacher contract issues, but if it must be done in a few cases, students should be distributed among many existing classes to minimize the impact.

The first step I would take in redistributing students to the undamaged parts of the school would be to gather relevant data about students and about spaces that are and are not affected by the closure of the wing. This would include information about the number of students affected, their grade levels, class assignments, and special needs requirements. It would also include information about the types of classroom space affected (e.g., science labs, computer labs, larger vs. smaller classrooms) and about the types of classroom space that are available in the undamaged portions of the school.

Collecting these data about students and classrooms affected by the closure is a necessary first step for redistributing students to classes in the undamaged parts of the building while minimizing disruptions to student learning. Constructing an inventory of available space would allow student needs to be matched with existing resources. If space can be found in the undamaged part of the building, entire classes could be transferred intact. For any students who may need to be redistributed to existing classrooms, knowledge of both their needs and the characteristics of these classes will facilitate this transition.

Directions for the Case Study Written Assignment

This section of the test contains a constructed-response assignment called a case study. You are required to compose a written response of approximately 300–600 words. You are to prepare your response based on the assigned topic. Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response.

As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the subject matter through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.

The written assignment is intended to assess knowledge and skills important for effective performance as an educational leader. Your response to the assignment will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Purpose: The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
  • Content Knowledge: The extent to which the response accurately and effectively applies the relevant content knowledge and skills
  • Support: The extent to which the response provides relevant, specific support
  • Rationale: The extent to which the response provides sound reasoning about the topic

Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials. You may, however, use citations when appropriate. Your response should be written for an audience of educators knowledgeable about educational leadership. Your response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written to ensure that you address all aspects of the assignment and make any changes you think will improve your response. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English.

Sample Case Study Written Assignment

Domain II–Student Learning and Domain III–Systems for Capacity Building

You are the new principal of Carson Elementary School. Read the five school documents provided. Citing specific evidence from the information given, write a response of about 300–600 words in which you:

  • identify one strength of the school;
  • describe a strategy for building on this strength to improve the school's educational program and/or functioning;
  • identify two weaknesses or areas of concern for the school;
  • for each of the weaknesses or areas of concern you have identified, describe one strategy to address that weakness or area of concern; and
  • explain why each of these strategies is likely to be effective in improving the school's educational program and/or functioning.

Document #1: Excerpt from a letter written by the district personnel director to applicants for the position of Carson Elementary School Principal during the recent search process (last spring)

Dear [applicant for principal]:

Thank you for your interest in the position of Carson Elementary School Principal. The purpose of this letter is to share some general background information about our school. Carson Elementary is a K–6 school with over 1,300 students, the great majority of whom are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Our school culture is one of energy and excitement, with strong support for innovation, creativity, and individuality. Staff, students, and families seem to thrive in this atmosphere of acceptance and encouragement and are often eager to try new programs and support promising ideas and initiatives. Visitors to Carson Elementary quickly pick up on the school's focus on active learning, since a great deal of student activity and learning "noise" are typically in evidence.

Our test scores are not nearly as high as we would like them to be, but we are pleased that scores have shown consistent improvement and are now approaching district averages. Since we have initiated a number of exciting new programs during each of the last three years, we can't be sure about exactly what has led to this improvement. We believe that expanding our use of parent volunteers as well as high school and college tutors, dividing by gender many of our upper elementary classes, and upgrading our computer labs have all made a difference.

Document #2: State test results for Carson Elementary School (last year)

Standardized Testing and Reporting Results for All Students—Three-Year Comparison

This table displays the percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).


Standardized Testing and Reporting Results by Student Group—Three-Year Comparison

This table displays the percentage of students, by group, achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).

Document #3: Excerpts from the minutes of a school site council meeting (last year)

Parent Volunteers
Many parents continue to participate in our Parent Volunteer Program, assisting in classrooms, with after-school tutoring, and with lunchroom and recess supervision. The enthusiastic response to the school's invitation to volunteer has been impressive. Besides assisting school staff in various ways, parents' increased involvement with the school has led to increased social connections for many of them. One often sees small clusters of parents chatting in the halls or on the playground. Carpooling and sharing of child care have also expanded as a result of these connections.

Computer Labs
Everyone is excited about the new hardware and furnishings in our computer labs. According to a recent newsletter from the district technology director, Carson Elementary now has state-of-the-art hardware and first-rate programs for teaching mathematics concepts and skills. The school also has high-quality language arts and literacy programs for both the general student population and for English Language Learners. A number of teachers have spoken to the principal about scheduling training in the best use of these new technology resources.

Teacher Turnover
Parents continue to express concern about the turnover in our teaching staff. Many have been disappointed to learn that their children will not be able to take advantage of some of the school's most popular and successful teachers because the teachers no longer work at the school. This trend has been in evidence particularly with our younger teachers. Many of these teachers create excitement and enthusiasm in their classrooms and put extra time and effort into their work. Students miss the programs that have been started by these teachers and that end when the teacher leaves, such as the school newspaper and the school garden and composting center.

Document #4: Memo from the assistant principal to the previous principal (last spring)

M e m o r a n d u m

TO: Previous Principal

FROM: Assistant Principal

SUBJECT: Parent Volunteer Program

When we first started our Parent Volunteer Program three years ago, I couldn't have imagined we would have so many parents eager to work in the school and that they would continue doing so even after the initial excitement of a new venture has worn off. Now I'm wondering if it may be time for us to take a closer look at how we're using our parent volunteers. Given our limited school budget, I know we all want to make the best possible use of this valuable resource. However, I'm not at all sure our volunteers are meeting staff and student needs as well as we would hope. Based on conversations I've had as well as my own observations, I believe we could probably be doing significantly more with the volunteer assistance that's available to us. If you think this matter is worth pursuing, I'd be happy to look into it and report back to you on my findings.

Document #5: Carson Elementary School Teacher Recruitment and Retention Summary (last year)

Carson Elementary School

Teacher Recruitment and Retention Summary*

average annual total of 45 classroom and support teachers)


*As reported, staffing patterns at Carson Elementary School show nearly 40 percent more teacher turnover than that of total district.

Sample Strong Response to the Case Study Written Assignment – Domains II and III

One strength of Carson Elementary School is the strong support it receives from parents/guardians. The excerpt from the school site council minutes (document #3) describes a number of areas in which parents/guardians provide assistance and support. The excerpt also describes the response to the Parent Volunteer Program as enthusiastic and mentions positive outcomes of the program, such as increased parent/guardian involvement in the school and more opportunities for social support and networking.

The school can build on this strength by continuing to celebrate the support and enthusiasm of parents/guardians while taking steps to identify areas where this support could be more focused or effective (as suggested by the assistant principal in document #4). By closely examining how volunteers are currently being used in light of the school's goals and student and staff needs and then providing additional volunteer training as needed, the school will be able to make the best possible use of this valuable resource and improve its overall educational program.

There are two areas of particular concern for Carson Elementary School. First, although the school's test scores are catching up with the district and, for math, even exceeding the state level, a significant number of students have not yet reached the Proficient/Advanced levels, most notably in the area of Reading (as indicated by the data in document #2). One strategy the leadership and staff at Carson Elementary School should use to help more students reach the Proficient/Advanced level is to analyze the test results for the school and for different student subgroups in order to identify specific areas of student strength and weakness. This analysis would point out particular areas of the curriculum where teachers may not be giving adequate attention to state standards and/or may not be using effective instructional approaches. Implementing the curricular and/or instructional changes suggested by an analysis of the test data is likely to help students achieve greater success on the tests by helping staff focus their energies in areas of greatest need.

A second area of concern for the school is that recently upgraded technology resources are being underutilized, as indicated in an excerpt from the school site council meeting minutes (document #3). The minutes note that the school has high-quality math, language arts, and literacy software available—tools that could help increase student achievement in these areas—and that teachers have expressed an interest in receiving training to help them learn to use the technology more effectively. Technology resources are likely to have the greatest positive effect on student achievement when teachers are well-trained in both the technical aspects and instructional applications of the resources. With appropriate training, teachers will be able to use available technological tools with confidence and understand how to effectively integrate the resources into instruction to enhance student learning.

Performance Characteristics

Responses are scored holistically based on the following performance characteristics:

Purpose The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
Content Knowledge The extent to which the response accurately and effectively applies the relevant content knowledge and skills
Support The extent to which the response provides relevant, specific support
Rationale The extent to which the response provides sound reasoning about the topic

Scoring Scale

The four points of the scoring scale correspond to varying degrees of performance.

Score Point Score Point Description
4
 The "4" response reflects a thorough understanding of the relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response thoroughly achieves the purpose of the assignment.
  • The response demonstrates an accurate and effective application of relevant content knowledge.
  • The response provides high quality, relevant, and specific support.
  • The response reflects sound, effective reasoning about the topic.
3
 The "3" response reflects a general understanding of the relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response largely achieves the purpose of the assignment.
  • The response demonstrates a generally accurate and generally effective application of the relevant content knowledge.
  • The response provides some relevant support.
  • The response reflects generally sound reasoning about the topic.
2
 The "2" response reflects a limited understanding of the relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response partially achieves the purpose of the assignment.
  • The response demonstrates a limited, partially accurate and partially effective application of the relevant content knowledge.
  • The response provides limited relevant support.
  • The response reflects limited reasoning about the topic.
1
 The "1" response reflects little or no understanding of the relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response achieves little of the purpose of the assignment.
  • The response demonstrates an inaccurate or ineffective application of the relevant content knowledge.
  • The response provides little or no relevant support.
  • The response reflects poor reasoning about the topic.
U
 The response is unrelated to the assignment, is unreadable, is primarily in a language other than English, or does not contain a sufficient amount of original work to score.
B
 There is no response to the assignment.