COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FOR CANDIDATES
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Saturday, March 24, 2001
9 a.m. - 12 noon
DIRECTIONS: Answer a total of four (4) questions. Question 1 is required of all students. Then select three (3) from the remaining questions. Each question is of equal value. Be sure to cite relevant literature, court cases, and expert opinion in your responses.
MANDATORY QUESTION
QUESTION 1
SunshineState Standards and accountability for student achievement have impacted the role of principals in Florida’s schools. Describe the leadership approach you believe to be best to be a successful principal today in Florida.
REPOND TO THREE (3) OF THE REMAINING FOUR (4) QUESTIONS
QUESTION 2
As a student at EastHigh School, Josh was normally in trouble and this day was no different. In fact, he had just been suspended (again) for disruptive conduct during lunch. The Assistant Principal contacted Josh’ parents who indicated that they would come for him as soon as possible. Josh asked if he could remain in the school building until his parents arrived but was told that he could enter the building no further than the front lobby. Josh chose to walk across the school parking lot to wait under a tree.
While waiting for his ride, Josh was accosted by someone with whom he may or may not have been familiar. Suddenly a shot was heard and Josh fell dead.
Josh’s parents intend to bring legal action against the school district, the principal, and the assistant principal for wrongful death claiming that: 1) the school district had a duty to maintain the premises in a safe condition; 2) the school district breached that duty; 3) Josh was killed as a result of the school district’s failure. They are also making a Federal claim that Josh was deprived of his life without due process.
What are the rights of the parties: 1) Josh’s parents; 2) the school district; 3) the principal; and 4) the assistant principal? How do you think the case will turn out and why?
Spring 01 Page 1
QUESTION 3
Please answer both parts of this question
- Outline the major components of the FEFP and the rationale for each component.
- List the four major funds at the district level and give one example of an appropriate expenditure from each.
QUESTION 4
We estimate that over 30% of U. S. households have a personal computer today and that percentage will rapidly grow. Such technology can assist in helping parents, students, and community members become partners in education. As an educational leader, how would you go about developing workshops and seminars to help these individuals understand the benefits of computers in the educational process? How would you address equity concerns for low-income families who may not be able to gain access to a computer?
QUESTION 5
Compare and contrast Goldhammer’s clinical supervision model with Cogan’s supervision model. In addition, describe in general, effective teaching behaviors and characteristics of which a supervisor can observe and document in the event the supervisor is out of his/her content (field).
END OF EXAMINATION
Spring 01 Page 2
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FOR CANDIDATES
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Saturday, July 14, 2001
9 a.m. - 12 noon
DIRECTIONS: Answer a total of four (4) questions. You must respond to either Question 1 or 2. Then select three (3) from the remaining questions. Each question is of equal value. Be sure to cite relevant literature, court cases, and expert opinion in your responses.
MANDATORY QUESTION (YOU MUST RESPOND TO EITHER QUESTION 1 OR 2)
QUESTION 1
You are the principal of a Florida middle school. Following an almost typical lunch period, you are given suspension papers for four eighth grade exceptional education students for bringing a malt beverage called O’Douls (non-alcoholic beer)in their sack lunches. According to the report, the assistant principal and dean confiscated the canned beverages and called the parents to inform them that their children were in possession of a controlled substance. Your student handbook does not speak to the issue. What is your decision and why? (Please avoid conclusionary statements. Discuss the law as you know it.)
QUESTION 2
You are the principal of a Florida high school. Your athletic director reports that during the parent booster meeting parents of female athletes voiced concerns about members of the girls varsity tennis team not having lockers for storing personal items during practices and home matches. The girls’ tennis team is your school’s most prestigious girls’ athletic group, having earned two state titles, and is frequently compared to the boy’s football team which holds many titles. Because of the local status of the girl’s team, the parents insist that the girls are required by law to have the same facilities and locker space as the boys. Building such a facility for the female athletes will place a heavy burden on the school budget and may even result in reductions in other programs. What is your recommendation and why? (Please avoid conclusionary statements. Discuss the law as you know it.)
QUESTION 3
Roland Barth, author of Improving Schools from Within, said, “The nature of the relationships among the adults who inhabit a school has more to do with the school’s quality and character and with the accomplishments of its pupils than any other factor.”
Summer 01 Page 1
Discuss what he meant and describe the supervisory/leadership philosophy and practices which a school administrator must possess and utilize in order to make Barth’s comments become a reality.
QUESTION 4
You must answer all of the following questions. You may answer them individually or collectively. Single sentence answers may be appropriate in some instances.
Where does the money come from which comprises the Internal Accounts?
How may that money be expended? On what items? For whose benefit?
Within what time frame must funds of a given student organization be expended?
The signatures of which two persons must appear on any Internal Account check? (Be careful)
How often must Internal Account money be deposited in the bank?
How often is each school to be audited?
Which employee must be bonded (insured) in order to deal with Internal Account money?
Which employee is ultimately responsible for the proper accounting of the Internal Accounts of a given school?
QUESTION 5
The national agenda for education has shifted from equity to excellence. As an educational leader what actions would you take to address the agenda of excellence while assuring equity for all students ? In responding, be sure to address organizational issues, professional development, finance, curriculum, instruction, and any other areas on which you would focus.
QUESTION 6
A recent NSBA publication stated, “After two decades of providing software classes to teachers, we need to explore different approaches — those honoring key principles of adult learning while placing both curriculum and literacy ahead of software and technology.” How can you, as a school leader, plan for effective faculty technology programs that will be perceived as valuable and useful by your faculty as well as address these approaches?
Summer 01 Page 2
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FOR CANDIDATES
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Saturday, November 3, 2001
9 a.m. - 12 noon
DIRECTIONS: Answer a total of four (4) questions. You must respond to Question 1. Then select three (3) from the remaining questions. Each question is of equal value. Be sure to cite relevant literature, court cases, and expert opinion in your responses.
MANDATORY QUESTION
QUESTION 1 (General Administration)
Accountability and grading of schools is a current reality for administrators in Florida. Based on theory and research how will you lead your first school staff in meeting these demands?
QUESTION 2 (Technology)
Educational technology is in its fourth decade as an instructional system. Yet, there continues to be much confusion and indecision about the integration of technology into our curricula. As an educational leader with limited discretionary funds, how would you advocate for the infusion of technology systems into your school? Articulate your case as if you were defending your decisions to your superintendent and/or your school improvement committee. Cite relevant literature and research as appropriate.
QUESTION 3 (Supervision)
Define and discuss five Educational Supervisory/Leadership styles and place such on a continuum (from the most direct style to the least direct style). Compare and contrast the effectiveness of each style with that of the characteristics of the subordinate personnel during the communication process and conflict resolution.
Fall 01 Page 1
QUESTION 4 (Law)
Peter Principal, was the top school administrator at Rebel Yell High School. The South CarolinaSchool consisted of a population that was approximately 75% Caucasian, 22% African American, and 3% other minorities. Many of the students were direct descendants of Civil War veterans. While this was an "old country school", Mr. Principal was very proud that his students mixed well together and there were no racial tensions. Most football games and events went without incident, and interracial friendships abounded.
One day, while on supervision duty during lunch, Peter noticed two boys quietly talking in the courtyard of the school. One of the students, Robert Lee, who frequently participated in local Civil War re-enactments during the summer, pulled a small confederate flag from his pocket and showed it to the other boy, Jeremiah Grant. Fearing that the display of the flag would irritate the African American students and cause racial disharmony in his school, he went quickly to the boys and confiscated the flag. He escorted Lee and Grant to his office promptly suspended them, and instructed Lee not to bring the flag to school again. Robert's parents were proud of their son's interest in American history, and participation in civil War Re-enactments, and were outraged. Discuss legal implications of this incident.
QUESTION 5 (Finance)
You must answer all of the following questions. You may answer them individually or collectively. Single sentence answers may be appropriate in some instances.
Where does the money come from which comprises the Internal Accounts?
How may that money be expended? On what items? For whose benefit?
Within what time frame must funds of a given student organization be expended?
The signatures of which two persons must appear on any Internal Account check? (Be careful)
How often must Internal Account money be deposited in the bank?
How often is each school to be audited?
Which employee must be bonded (insured) in order to deal with Internal Account money?
Which employee is ultimately responsible for the proper accounting of the Internal Accounts of a given school?
Fall 01 Page 2
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FOR CANDIDATES
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Saturday, March 23, 2002
9 a.m.–12 noon
DIRECTIONS: Answer a total of four (4) questions. You must respond to Question 1. Then select three (3) from the remaining questions. Each question is of equal value. Be sure to cite relevant literature, court cases, and expert opinion in your responses.
MANDATORY QUESTION
QUESTION 1 (General Administration)
Florida’s A Plus accountability plan has created great political pressure for all schools to demonstrate improvement in student achievement. You have just been appointed as principal of a school which has been graded D. How would you proceed to make improvements? Use your knowledge of educational leadership including law, finance, personnel, organizational structures, and any other research based knowledge to develop and implement your plan.
QUESTION 2 (Technology)
The application of e-mail and computer conferencing, in conjunction with multimedia, integrated learning systems, databases, and electronic libraries, has enabled the emergence of a whole new kind of educational activity called “eLearning.” Information and communications technologies are also enabling educators to rethink and re-engineer the nature of their teaching and learning practices.
How can you, as a school leader, plan for effective faculty technology development programs that address these challenges and opportunities and that will be perceived as valuable and useful by your faculty?
QUESTION 3 (Supervision)
Le Francois (1982) suggested that “there is substantial evidence supporting the notion that students do not consistently perform better on one type of test than any other. Students who generally perform well on one type of test also perform well on others.”
Describe six different types of tests and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Also, explain when each of the six test types is best utilized.
Spring 02 Page 1
QUESTION 4 (Finance)
Explain the evolution of the FEFP. (What does it stand for? Why was it created and when? What did Florida use prior to it?). What are the elements of the FEFP? How does each element contribute to the concept of funding equity?
QUESTION 5 (Law)
As a student at BohicaHigh School, Josh was normally in trouble and this day was no different. In fact, he had just been suspended (again) for disruptive conduct during lunch. The Assistant Principal contacted Josh’s parents who indicated that they would come for him as soon as possible. Josh asked if he could remain in the school building until his parents arrived but was told that he could enter the building no further than the front lobby. At this, Josh chose to walk across the school parking lot to wait under a tree. While waiting for his ride, Josh was accosted by someone with whom he may or may not have been familiar. Suddenly a shot was heard and Josh fell dead.
Josh’ parents intend to bring legal action against the school district, the Principal and the Assistant Principal for wrongful death claiming that: 1) the school district had a duty to maintain the premises in a safe condition; 2) the school district breached that duty; 3) Josh was killed; 4) as a result of the school district’s failure. They are also making a Federal claim that Josh was deprived of his life without due process.
What are the rights of the parties: 1) Josh’s parents; 2) the school district; 3) the Principal; and 4) the Assistant Principal? How do you think the case will turn out and why?
END OF EXAMINATION
Spring 02 Page 2
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FOR CANDIDATES
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Saturday, July 13, 2002
9 a.m. - 12 noon
DIRECTIONS: Answer a total of four (4) questions. You must respond to Question 1. Then select three (3) from the remaining questions. Each question is of equal value.
Be sure to cite relevant literature, court cases, and expert opinion in your responses.
MANDATORY QUESTION
QUESTION 1 (General Administration)
The U.S. Department of Education has as its priorities parental choice, accountability, closing the achievement gap, and character education. As a school principal, how will you ensure that your school is successful on all four priorities? Use your knowledge of leadership, organizational theory, personnel, law, finance, and other content strands to provide a thorough response.
QUESTION 2 (Technology)
Educational technology is in its fourth decade as an instructional delivery system. Yet, there continues to be much confusion and indecision about the integration and utilization of technology into our schools, classrooms, and curricula. There is also much debate regarding its cost efficiency. As an educational leader with limited discretionary funds, how would you advocate for the infusion of technology systems into your school? Articulate your case as if you were defending your decisions to your superintendent and/or your school improvement committee.
QUESTION 3 (Supervision)
Discuss the concept of adult life-span development as such relates to personnel supervision. Include references to theories and research such as those of Erikson, Osteen, Piaget etc., as well as models by Hersey and Blanchard in your discussion.
Summer 02 Page 1
QUESTION 4 (Finance)
You must answer all of the following questions. You may answer them individually or collectively. Single sentence answers may be appropriate in some instances.
a)Where does the money come from which comprises the Internal Accounts?
b)How may that money be expended? On what items? For whose benefit?
c)Within what time frame must funds of a given student organization be expended?
d)The signatures of which two persons must appear on any Internal Account check?
e)How often must Internal Account money be deposited in the bank?
f)How often is each school to be audited?
g)Which employee must be bonded (insured) in order to deal with Internal Account money?
h)Which employee is ultimately responsible for the proper accounting of the Internal Accounts of a given school?
QUESTION 5 (Law)
Patty Wagon was an officer for the city of Polaris Police Department for the last five years. She saw an advertisement for a position with the PegasusSchool district for a School Resource Officer at the local high school. Tired of shift work, Patty was eager to apply and accept the position. She had twin daughters that attended that high school and looked forward to helping keep her school safe. She knew of the shootings at Columbine and vowed to never let an incident like that happen in her jurisdiction. The school was a rural school with a population of approximately 2000 students. Patty, in fact, knew many of the students from her daughters’ participation in local softball games and events. One day while supervising the cafeteria, Patty saw a boy, who lived on the other side of the tracks, take a small cylindrical object from his pocket and hand it to another boy whom she did not know. Patty looked up and noticed that the Assistant Principal, Mr. Randy, was in deep conversation with a senior cheerleader. Deciding that something must be done immediately, Officer Wagon went over to the boys and asked them to accompany her to her office where she told both boys to remove their jackets and shoes. She patted down the jackets, and finding nothing, instructed the boys to pull up their shirts so that the waistbands of their pants were visible. The boy from the other side of the tracks had two cigarettes stuck in his waistband. Patty ticketed the boy for possession of cigarettes and sent the boys to lunch. She later reported the incident to Mr. Randy who promptly suspended the students. Knowing that these students’ parents never were involved with the school, he just told them to go home for two days.