SLLA Climate & Cultural Leadership

The principal has planned a back-to-school festival that includes sponsored booths with information and activities that reflect the cultural and ethnic demographics of the school's population and the local community. What does this action demonstrate?

• The principal's efforts to recruit parent volunteers for future involvement at the school.

• The principal's commitment to providing relevant learning opportunities outside of school.

• The principal's affirmation of the school's diversity and its contribution to the school's success.

• The principal's appreciation for celebrations and their effect on school culture.

Answer explanation

Students' academic success increases in an environment where they feel valued and honored.

A high school athlete invites their teachers to follow their social media accounts regarding sports. The school leader becomes aware of one teacher liking, commenting, and sharing many of the student's posts. Some comments appear inappropriate. How should the school leader respond?

• The school leader should comment on the posts and deflect the attention from the teacher.

• The school leader should contact the student's parents and make sure they are comfortable with the situation.

• The school leader should ask the student to remove or block the teacher from all social media accounts.

• The school leader should meet with the teacher privately and review local board policies and state laws regarding inappropriate communication with a student or minor.

Answer explanation

The school leader uses this opportunity to coach the educator to refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or minor, including, but not limited to, electronic communication such as cell phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network communication.

Mr. Leon is working with counselors to recruit underrepresented students into the Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit programs. What is he promoting?

• equity

• equality

• inclusion

• rigor

Answer explanation

Targeting students for participation in advanced placement is a method to close the academic gaps between student groups. Ensuring that students from low-socioeconomic or diverse cultural backgrounds have access to high quality, challenging education is equitable.

A secondary school principal notices students leaving campus midday and thinks they may be skipping classes. Which of the following is the initial step this principal should take?

• collecting current data and past reports on student attendance
  

• taking immediate disciplinary action against students skipping class

• sending out a survey to students asking how to fix this problem

• creating a new rule restricting students from leaving campus

Answer explanation

Action cannot be taken until the principal first identifies whether a problem exists. Data must be reviewed to understand the scope of the issue and how to address it.

What is the most effective step a leader can take to model equity and respect for diversity?

• organizing activities that celebrate student cultural diversity

• creating opportunities to discuss equity and diversity

• hiring teachers who come from diverse backgrounds

• promoting professional development that emphasizes diversity and equity

Answer explanation

A diverse teaching staff can bring in a variety of talents and life experiences to support the multicultural makeup of the student body. A faculty who can easily build relationships and connections due to similar backgrounds with students will have the greatest impact on an educational environment and student success.

Mr. Keyes makes an effort to learn about the heritage and cultural background of each student at the beginning of each year. Which of the following describes the most likely benefit of this practice?

• Mr. Keyes can ensure the teaching relates to the historical heritage of each student.

• Mr. Keyes can better adapt instruction to be relevant to the unique experiences of each student.

• The students will not form negative attitudes about each other's heritage and cultural background.

• The students will better appreciate Mr. Keyes' teaching.

Answer explanation

If Mr. Keyes is aware of the culture and heritage of each student, then he can adapt lessons and instruction to appeal to their culture and heritage.

Which of the following approaches is least effective in meeting the district goal of supporting family cultural needs and remaining sensitive to the many different cultures represented in the schools?

• increasing family night engagement nights at all of the schools in the district

• providing interpreters and school communication for non-native-English-speaking households

• celebrating diversity of language through instructional reading materials

• training teachers to incorporate different cultures into curriculum and course activities

Answer explanation

Family engagement nights may be somewhat helpful in meeting the cultural needs of diverse families and learners, but since these nights only reach those in attendance and those who understand the language, other actions will have a stronger effect.

Building-wide survey results completed after professional development sessions consistently reflect concerns over the value of each session. Teachers shared they feel it is "a waste of time" or that the session content is not supporting the building goal of rigorous instruction. The only session that has received positive feedback was the one over the best practice of working on state standard alignment. With this feedback in mind, what two additional best practices should be incorporated when looking for professional development content to support rigorous instruction?

I. utilizing only research-based approaches to instruction in professional development

II. implementing professional development that integrates critical thinking across subject areas

III. incorporating high-interest and motivational topics into sessions regardless of content

IV. providing a choice of format with multiple professional development offerings within each training session

• Actions II and III

• Actions I and III

• Actions I and II

• Actions I and IV

Answer explanation

In order for staff to be highly effective in the classroom, the principal needs to provide training using key best practices that support the goal of rigorous instruction. Since the teachers have already suggested working on state standard alignment, the next two best practices should incorporate research-based approaches to instruction and critical thinking across subject areas.

The site-based team is working with building leadership to finalize the school improvement plan. They are articulating the focus as developing culturally responsive classrooms through the practice of making learning contextual and relevant to all students. What is a best practice to support this goal in the classroom with every teacher?

• selecting a school improvement program that meets the learning needs of the majority of student learners

• focusing on collaborative learning practices using heterogeneous grouping and shared accountability

• encouraging students to share their culture and integrating materials that connect with students' cultures

• suggesting that staff focus on building relationships and developing student self-image

Answer explanation

A culturally responsive classroom uses materials and instructional practices that connect to and support the varied cultures present in the classroom; therefore, these practices would be reflective of the building goal.

A school has experienced significant changes in the diversity of the student population over the last five years. Teachers have expressed concerns that the increased diversity has contributed to the decline in overall student performance. Which of the following actions can the school leader take to best address the teacher's concerns related to student diversity and performance?

• encouraging teachers to participate in cultural activities in the surrounding community

• reviewing the student demographic data from the previous five years to identify the major shifts in student population

• distributing a questionnaire about the changes in student diversity that teachers may answer anonymously

• providing teachers with safe and respectful opportunities to discuss their assumptions and reframe their thinking about student diversity

Answer explanation

Guiding teachers through identifying their assumptions and biases then working toward acceptance will help teachers to recommit to the academic success of all students. Creating an environment where teachers feel safe to express their concerns is imperative to solving the issue.