Review Questions

for Principal Examination

1. A new principal has just been appointed at a high

school and has been advised by the district office that in
the past, the school improvement plan did not include
professional development for teachers. Identify the most
useful information the principal and the SAC should
consider
in
developing
a
new
school
improvement
plan.

A. information on successful previous professional

development offerings
B*. analysis of classroom-level student achievement data
C. informal survey of teachers interests
D. assessment of students needs

2. Smith Elementary School is an urban school with a large

minority population. Over the last 2 years the percentage
of African American and Hispanic students scoring at Level
3 or above in reading and mathematics has dropped by
30% and test scores for nonminority students remain
below
the district. Indepartment
an effort to meetings.
improve student
A. mathematics
achievement,
the principal
wants to engage the faculty in
B*. action research
teams.
a student-driven approach to professional development.
textbook
committee
The C.
best
method
to achievemeetings.
this goal would be through
D. classroom walk-through training.

3. To prepare students for the district's benchmark tests

given each month in the first 7 months of the school
year, the principal at a middle school creates learning
communities of teachers at each grade level and in
each subject area. Identify which practice the groups
A. integrated
unitsfirst to enhance student
should
develop thematic
and implement
B. peerand
coaching
assignments
learning
achievement
as measured on the
C*. instructional
benchmark
tests. focus calendar

D. cooperative learning activities

4. Which learning strategy

A.
asking students
to complete
a worksheet
would
be best
suited
to containing
100 two- or three-digit multiplication problems in small
groups
students in intermediate
grades?
B*. asking students to explain the steps taken in solving
a two- or three-digit multiplication problem
C. asking students to solve two- or three-digit
multiplication problems at the chalkboard without
discussion
D. asking students to complete a two- or three-digit
multiplication worksheet alone at their desks

5.

When determining the

appropriateness of instructional
materials, which criterion is most critical
to improving statewide assessment
scores?
A. cultural diversity representation
B. appeal to students and teachers
C. reading level
D.* alignment with standards

6.Joe is an 8th-grade student who has learning

disabilities in writing and reading. He is in a regular
8th-grade class taught by a language arts teacher
and an ESE teacher. Joe's IEP calls for modifications
and accommodations for his daily school routine
and when he takes statewide and districtwide tests.
Which of the following is an example of an
appropriate accommodation that could be included
inJoe's
IEP?
A.* Joe
will speak his answers to an essay test
rather than writing them down.
B. Joe will use a peer coach during testing sessions.
C. Joe will use the 5th-grade textbook and a
modified, limited curriculum.
D. Joe will be exempt from norm-referenced tests.

7. At a school site, four black students were huddled

together; one student had money in his hand and
another student had his hand in his pocket. In the 1997
court case of A.S. v. State of Florida, 1997, the court
ruled that the situation did not provide reasonable
suspicion.
The federal
statute argued
in thisAct,
case
A. the Individuals
with Disabilities
Education
as was
it
relates to the removal or expulsion of special education
students.
B. the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which
guarantees freedom of expression.
C. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits
federally funded programs from discriminating on the
basis of race or national origin.
D.* the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which
guards against unreasonable searches and seizures.

8. Mr. Jones is a 4th-grade teacher at XYZ Elementary

School. After giving instructions to his students on the
group work to be completed in class, he leaves the
room to speak to the other 4th-grade teacher about the
upcoming statewide assessment. During the 5 minutes
in which he is out of the room, two students begin to
A. standard of care
roughhouse
and
of the students hits his head on
B. breach
ofone
duty
the corner
of the desk.
When Mr. Jones hears the
C.* proximate
cause
D. injury
commotion
and returns to the classroom, he finds that
the student has a gash on his forehead. Of the four
elements of negligent tort liability, which is best
described in this incident?

9. Mrs. Adams is the newly appointed principal of Pine

Shore High School. In her first week as principal, she
realizes that the school has no technology or software
to contact parents regarding student attendance and
school activities. Mrs. Adams decides to purchase a
system at a cost of $8,500.00. According to legal
standards, Mrs. Adams may purchase the equipment
A. through the schools petty cash account.

B.* after soliciting written quotes from three or

more sources.
C. after soliciting telephone quotes from three or
more sources.
D. through the schools activity funds.

10. An elementary school is planning to purchase a new

mathematics textbook series for initial implementation in
the next school year. The school allocation for stateadopted textbooks/instructional materials will allow the
school to purchase the text for only about half of the
A. contactinthe
district
finance
officethe
forexpenditure
guidelines on
students
Year
1. When
planning
of the
acquiring
additional
fundsthe
forprincipal
implementation
funds
for the
new series,
should of the new
textbook series.
B.* meet with faculty representatives to develop a plan for
implementation of the new textbook series over a 2-year
period.
C. purchase the new textbooks for Grades K, 2, and 4 the
first year of implementation and plan to buy them for
Grades 1, 3, and 5 in Year 2.
D. divide the total amount of money available by the
number of students in the school and allocate dollars to
each grade on a per-student basis.

11. Sally is a 2nd-grade student at Freedom Elementary

School. Sally must receive administered medication every
day at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Her mother has
completed an authorization form allowing school personnel
to administer the medication. Which of the following
statements is true in this situation?
A. The school must order the medication.
B*. The medication must be stored in the original
container.
C. School personnel do not have to be trained to
administer
this medication if they follow
the directions on the container.
D. An IEP meeting must be held prior to school
personnel administering the medication.

12. John has been suspended from school 4

times within the last 2 months, and his
suspensions from his current school site total 8
days. John has a learning disability and is
A. increasing the time John spends in the
consequently
falling behind in his class work.
exceptional
student
education program
Which
strategy
is required?
B. shortening Johns school day
C.* determining if Johns behavior is a
manifestation of his exceptionality
D. placing John in a more restrictive
environment

13. Simon is an 18-year-old student who is living

with his 20-year-old brother. His mother calls the
school and wants to see his disciplinary records.
Which statement is true?
A. Only Simons brother may see the records,
as Simon is currently living with him.
B. Simons mother, in her role as parent,
always has the right to see his records.
C.* Since Simon is 18, his mother needs his
permission to see his records.
D. The school, acting in loco parentis,
determines who may see Simons records.

14. A student from another country who

does not have any records or
documentation wants to enroll in a school.
The
principal should
A. refuse enrollment until the district office
has been contacted for instructions.
B. refuse enrollment until proper paperwork
is produced.
C. enroll the student without records.
D.* enroll the student temporarily pending
receipt of documentation.

15. A student with limited English proficiency

wants to enroll in school. According to the META
Consent Decree, the student may participate in
which of the following programs without regard
to his level of English proficiency?
A. accelerated mathematics
B. in-class science experiments
C.* dropout prevention
D. personalized tutoring in reading

16. During the past 2 years, a student has

consistently experienced difficulty in reading
despite extra assistance from teachers. Which
of the following formal assessment
A.* statewide
reading
assessmentto
instruments
would
be appropriate
B. Weschler
Intelligence
Scale for Children
determine
the
student's strengths
and needs?
C. teacher-generated test of current gradelevel reading ability
D. teacher-generated test of previous years
grade-level reading ability

17.West Middle School is reviewing its first draft of a

technology plan to assess compliance with State
technology goals. One of the State's strategic objectives is
to "identify and develop appropriate methods and
strategies to measure and monitor student and teacher
A.progress
Identify productivity
improvement
opportunities,
towards achievement
of technology
proficiency
including
a student
bar coding
system
food
service,
and literacy
standards."
Which
step infor
the
school's
plan
the
mediacompliance
center, andwith
attendance.
reflects
this State objective?
B. Continue technology retrofit plan to enhance
integration of technology in classroom instruction and
assessment.
C.* Analyze instructional staff evaluations to determine
professional development needs in technology
integration and literacy.
D. Provide incentivessuch as stipends, compensation,
and release timefor continuing technology
development and advancement of computer literacy

18. In a job interview the principal asks the applicant

the following questions:
What accommodations will you need to do this job?
Have your recent performance evaluations been
satisfactory? Do you have any relatives working in this
school?
Can you summarize
yourcolor,
work or
experience?
A. discrimination
based on race,
religion
Identify
the federal
prohibition
the principal
has
B. discrimination
based
on handicapping
conditions
violated.
C. nepotism
D. reprisal for whistle blowing

19. Select the situation that would most likely be

considered a violation of ethical conduct as
stated in Florida Statutes.
A. The teacher accepts small gifts from the
parents of his students at the end of the school
year.
B. The teacher is invited to bring the students in
his jazz band to perform at the opening of a new
mall in exchange for movie passes for the
students.
C.* The teacher is paid by the parent to tutor a
student enrolled in his 4th-grade mathematics
class.
D. The teacher receives a plaque from the city
council for the efforts of his students for a beach

20. A group of students at Blue River High School

meets each Tuesday morning before school for a
prayer breakfast. Should the principal disband
the group and discontinue the practice?
A. Yes, because this is a violation of the
separation of church and State.
B. Yes, because the administration cannot
provide supervision for activities before school.
C. No, because the students are part of a
religious minority group.
D.* No, because the student activity is
protected under the U.S. Constitution.

21. Lisa and her family have recently relocated to Florida

and are homeless. Lisa's parents want her to be admitted
to kindergarten. All of the parents' records showing Lisa's
birth and birth date have been destroyed. The school term
for kindergarten begins in 5 days. The principal can

A. prohibit Lisa from attending kindergarten

until the records are produced.
B. prohibit Lisa from attending kindergarten
until proof of residency is submitted.
C. exempt Lisa temporarily from the records
requirement for 30 school days.
D. exempt Lisa temporarily from the records
requirement for 60 school days.

21. The school's student achievement results have been

declining for the last 3 years. The administrative team
recognizes the need for organizational change. The most
immediate and feasible step toward preparing the staff for
change
is to each departments budget.
A. increase
. B.* foster collaboration by promoting professional
dialogue.
C. recognize faculty members who have perfect
attendance.
D. reduce average class size

22. Principal Barnes is preparing to open a new high school

in the district and is forming a school advisory council.
Select the group that is in compliance with Florida Statutes
for composition of a school advisory council.
A.* the principal and an appropriately balanced number of
teachers; education support employees; students; parents;
and other business and community citizens who are
representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community
served by the school
B. the principal and an appropriately balanced number of
teachers; education support employees; adult education
contacts; parents; and other business and community citizens
who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic
community served by the school
C. the principal and an appropriately balanced number of
teachers; education support employees; students; parents;
community civic leaders; and other business and community
citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and
economic community, with a majority of the members
employed by the school

23.A middle school has failed to make adequate yearly

progress under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in the
area of reading among minority students in Grades 6 and 7
for 2 years in a row. The superintendent and district staff
have
asked the
principal to
present
plan forobjective
A.*
a display
of pertinent
test
data, aaspecific
for
improvement,
sequentialthe
steps
that will beessential
taken and
improvement.
In preparing
presentation,
by
whom, the
andprincipal
a systemshould
for monitoring
progress and
elements
include are
assessing success.
B. a display of pertinent test data including data from
other schools with similar demographics, sequential
steps to be taken and by whom, and a system for
monitoring and assessing success.
C. a display of pertinent test data, a list of explanations
for past lack of achievement, sequential steps that will
be taken and by whom, and a system for monitoring
progress and assessing success.
D. a display of pertinent test data, an objective for
improvement, sequential steps that will be taken and by
whom, and the estimated costs in human and financial

23. Which of the following responsibilities of a school

principal most clearly reflects the concept of
representative governance?
A. applying the most up-to-date research on best
practices in education when formulating school policy
B. formulating school policies that are fair and can be
applied equally to all members of a diverse student
body
C.* balancing the varying interests of the large number
of stakeholders who have a voice in formulating school
policy
D. formulating school policies that help prepare
students for playing active roles as citizens in U.S.
society

24. An elementary school principal wants to encourage all

teachers to participate in the process of revising the
school's mission statement. Which of the following actions
by the principal would most effectively motivate teachers
A*.share
creating
atmosphere
ofmission
trust bystatement?
emphasizing that
to
theiran
ideas
about the
the contributions of all participants are respected and
appreciated
B. delegating responsibility for revising each part of the
mission statement to teachers who have the greatest
experience with that subject
C. providing frequent praise for the teachers who
participate most in the process of revising the mission
statement
D. stressing that all members of the educational
community are equally obligated to help develop and
revise the school's mission statement

25. When articulating a new school vision to the media and

members of the school community, it would be most
important for the principal to:
A. provide an estimate of the financial and human
resources that will be necessary to implement the new
vision.
B. *identify some of the specific ways that implementation
of the new vision will improve educational programs at
the school.
C. summarize the process used to gather, evaluate, and
apply stakeholder input in developing the new vision.
D. discuss the reasons why the previous school vision was
inadequate to meet the current educational needs of
the school.

26. In a system of educational accountability, statemandated standardized testing of students can be used
most appropriately to:

A. increase student motivation to attain

high levels of academic success in all
content areas.
B.* identify strengths and weaknesses in a
school's educational programs.
C. ensure uniform course content and
instructional method in schools across the
state.
D. evaluate the job performance of
teachers.

27. A middle school principal wants to increase teamteaching and other forms of cooperative instruction at the
school. The principal recognizes that some teachers may
be unenthusiastic or anxious about these changes in
staffing patterns. The principal can best ensure a smooth
A.transition
instituting
gradually
to the
the changes
new program
by: to facilitate teachers'
adjustment to
the new program.
B. encouraging teachers to make their own decisions
about course changes and collaborative staffing patterns.
C. initiating the changes as quickly as possible to avoid
confusion about
teacher roles and responsibilities.
D. emphasizing the responsibility of every teacher to
improve instruction
through collaborative approaches.

28. Student scores on standardized tests for math and

reading have been declining at a middle school. Which of
the following procedures best reflects a systems approach
for gathering information about the reasons for the
decline?

A. identifying patterns in student test scores in

order to determine which areas of math and reading
are most in need of improvement
B.* examining a wide range of possible factors,
such as curriculum content,teacher performance,
student motivation, family support, and community
resources
C. examining the school's math and reading
curricula to determine whether they are aligned
with state standards in these subject areas
D. comparing mean scores for students in each
classroom to determine which teachers are most
and least successful in preparing their students for
the exams

29. The student body of a school has become much more

culturally diverse in the past few years. Many staff
members have had little experience with cultural diversity,
and several teachers have expressed a lack of confidence
in their ability to relate to students from different cultural
groups he principal could best respond to these teachers'
A. Arrange
teachers
with the families
of
concerns
byfor
taking
whichtoofmeet
the following
steps first?
students from each of the ethnic groups represented at the
school.
B.* Provide professional development to help teachers
become more aware of their own preconceptions and
culture-based expectations.
C. Revise the curriculum to ensure that academic content is
presented in a
manner that is interesting to students from diverse ethnic
groups.
D. Reassure teachers that their teaching experience and

Use the information below to answer

question nos.30 and 31 that
follow.
The principal of a high school wants to
promote greater participation of
community members in the process of
school decision making. To help address
this goal, the principal invites community
members to serve on ad hoc committees
to consider various issues at the school.

30. Which of the following strategies is likely to be most

effective in sustaining the commitment of community
members to the work of their ad hoc committees?

A. establishing a policy of replacing community

members who demonstrate low rates of committee
participation
B. scheduling committee meetings infrequently and
making sure that all the meetings include social
events, such as potluck suppers
C.* making sure that committee assignments focus
on tasks that can be accomplished in a reasonably
short amount of time
D. suggesting that the committees rotate leadership
among all
members rather than elect one individual to serve
as chair

31. The

principal hopes that many community

members who are currently serving on ad hoc
committees will volunteer to serve again on
other ad hoc committees. The principal is most
likely to achieve this goal if she:
A. keeps community members well informed
about potential problems at the school.
B. stresses the importance of service to the
school when encouraging community
representatives to serve again.
C. sends letters of appreciation to all community
members who serve on the committees.
D.* gives serious consideration to all committee
suggestions and implements them whenever
possible.

32. Which of the following is likely to be the most

important advantage of using interactive software to teach
basic computational skills to students in the second and
third grades?

A*. providing individualized feedback to help

students monitor their own
progress in mastering the skills
B. allowing students to use a variety of learning
styles to acquire basic mathskills
C. making it easier for teachers to assess
student progress in acquiring computational
skills
D. helping students make the transition from
concrete to abstract thinking inmathematics

33.A new principal of a high school wishes to

improve teaching at the school by instituting a
system of peer coaching among the teaching
staff. As one method of staff development, peer
coaching tends to be especially effective in:
A. helping teachers understand the importance of
having all teachers use the same instructional
methods.
B.* improving teacher motivation and collegiality as
well as teaching skills.
C. prompting teachers to share information about
particular
students in their classes.
D. facilitating the principal's evaluation of teacher
competence.

34. A new sixth grade teacher has a strong record but has
worked primarily with early elementary grades in the past.
After the first few weeks of school, it becomes clear that
the leader is having difficulty engaging the students and
maintaining discipline. In a meeting with the principal, the
teacher admits feeling discouraged. The principal could
A. Recommend that the new teacher perform a selfbest
address thiseach
problem
byand
taking
which
of the
the following
assessment
week
meet
with
principal
steps?
regularly to discuss the results.

B. Suggest that the new teacher take some

continuing education courseson classroom
management techniques.
C.* Offer the new teacher continuing support, and
ask an experienced sixth grade teacher to serve as
the new teacher's mentor.
D. Contact the district office to make plans to have
the new teacher reassigned to an early elementary
class.

35. A school principal could best minimize the

need for costly repairs of the school's physical
plant by:
A. hiring outside experts to conduct a yearly inspection of all
physical plant systems.
B*. requiring a schedule of regular preventive maintenance
for all
physical plant systems.
C. ensuring the quality of parts and labor by accepting
middle-range bids for physical plant repairs.
D. operating all physical plant systems at below normal
capacity whenever possible.

When formulating policy for a school district,

which of the following questions would be most
important for district decision makers to consider
first?
36.

A. Do the proposed policies have the support of

most stakeholders in the school community?
B. Can the proposed policies be implemented
within the budget for the current fiscal year?
C. Do the proposed policies conform to all
relevant state and federal laws and
regulations?
D. Do the proposed policies reflect current
views of educators regarding best practices in
education?

37. One of goal of a campus curricular program is to

produce strong student performance as demonstrated by
standardized measures. Which of the following factors is
likely to be the most accurate predictor of the programs
effectiveness in meeting this goal?
A. The degree of consistency across subject areas and
grade levels of the instructional approaches used to
present content
B. The percent of the total campus budget that is devoted
to supporting programs related to instruction in the core
curriculum
C. The extent of alignment among the content identified
in curriculum documents, the content actually delivered
and the content assessed
D. The percent of the total campus budget that is devoted
to supporting innovative curricular programs such as the

38. The new principal of an elementary school that has a

record of low
student achievement believes that the schools
instructional program must be improved significantly in
order to make the campus academic vision a reality for all
A.students.
Meet informally
teachers
remind
Which ofwith
the individual
following would
be and
the most
them
of the importance
ofthe
participating
intake
efforts
to
appropriate
first step for
principal to
to encourage
improve
instruction
atengage
the school
the teaching
staff to
in a process of instructional
B.
Arrange to provide
a stipend or other financial incentives
improvement
and change?
to teachers who plan and implement changes in their
instructional programs
C. Analyze student performance data with teachers and
help them identify
instructional areas that should be modified
D. Ask teachers to develop campus goals for instructional
improvement and criteria for evaluating whether the goals
have been achieved