Leadership and Ethics D016
Mission Statement - ANS A short sentence that defines the school's goals, philosophies,
and purpose. The mission of a school is a sentence that describes the ultimate goal and
purpose for the school. What is the mission statement at your school?
Vision - ANS A description of what the school would like to achieve or accomplish in the
future. A vision statement is a description of what the school wants to be in the future. The intent
of defining a vision is to serve as a guide when making decisions. Is the vision at your school
motivating and attainable?
Core Values - ANS Serve as a basis for traits and descriptions of how individuals should
act and what to base their decisions on. The core values of a school define the traits of
members of the school community, which guide decision-making, strategic planning, and peer
interaction. Core values can be terms such as integrity, respect, responsible stewardship, and
trust. As a future school leader, what are some core values that are most important to you?
How can school leaders expand their sphere of influence in the school setting? - ANS In
order to expand their sphere of influence, the principal must not only support endeavors and
policies that align with the school mission and vision; they must also ensure that their actions
and behaviors represent the core values identified in the mission and vision.
What must a school leader do prior to making changes that will affect the school's culture? -
ANS Assess the current culture of the school.. An audit can inform leaders of the current
culture of the school so that positive changes can be planned.
A new middle school was built to accommodate a growing town's student population. The
school's mission statement was created by the local board of education. While positive in
nature, the mission statement is vague and broad.
What should the principal do to ensure the entire staff can model behavior and attitudes that
support the school mission statement? - ANS Collaborate with staff to define the core
values and behaviors that will support the goals of the mission statement. School leaders and
staff should work collaboratively to identify specific key core values and behaviors that exemplify
the positive ideas enumerated in the mission statement.
How can a principal help ensure faculty and staff support the school vision? - ANS By
articulating the knowledge and skills needed for each role in the school to achieve the vision.
Each member of the school community should know how to align behaviors and professional
decisions to the vision of the school.
,How should core values be modeled in the school setting? (Choose all that apply.) - ANS
They should drive curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices in every classroom.
They should be reflected in policies and procedures. They should be used to guide
decision-making. Core values should be modeled in the school's policies and procedures. They
should also guide decision-making and drive curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices.
School leaders should use professional development and resources to support teachers to
achieve the school's vision. - ANS A collaborative effort is needed to work toward a
school's vision of where they want to be. Leaders should empower and support teachers' efforts
to contribute toward that shared vision.
How can standards help a school work toward its vision? - ANS Standards can provide a
shared framework for a school's vision. Standards help focus leadership and staff on a shared
vision of what needs to be done.
A high school has the following mission statement and vision statement:
Mission Statement: We provide a comprehensive education that prepares students for the
global community by emphasizing acceptance, tolerance, and collaboration.
Vision Statement: The vision of the school is to be an exemplary learning environment whose
graduates are compassionate global leaders and innovators.
Which goal would be an aligned, measurable, achievable goal for improvement for this school? -
ANS Increase enrollment in foreign language classes by 10% every two years. Increasing
foreign language class participation would support the mission and vision of preparing global
leaders, and it is measurable and achievable.
A school is implementing some changes derived from goals they created to more closely align
with their vision and core values.
Which approach would allow school leaders to address stakeholder needs? - ANS Identify
different student segment groups and stakeholder needs and anticipate how the changes will
affect these groups individually. The more specific the groups you can identify, the better you will
be able to anticipate what their needs are and how to meet them.
Conversational leadership strategy - ANS one strategy that leaders use build and maintain
a school community based on transparency, trust, and inclusion.
Conversational leadership is one form of leadership that positively impacts systemic change. A
conversational leader values the importance of involving all key stakeholders in the process of
gathering information on critical issues - ANS Conversational leaders are able to articulate
core questions and ensure that all key stakeholders are heard when those questions are being
asked and answered.
, Which strategies would help a principal build and sustain an environment that encourages open
communication? - ANS Ask teachers to bring their ideas or suggestions to your office to
discuss.
Frequently visit classrooms and the break room and engage in conversation.
Off the record conversation - ANS This statement is false. This is considered an "off the
record" conversation. Because you want to foster a community of transparency and trust, it is
imperative that any decision you make is justified. Ms. Reynolds needs to be willing to have you
explain to the staff the issue and where the report came from. This will build trust within the
school and demonstrate your transparency. Also, though you have a friendly relationship, you
must remember that there is a balance with your staff seeing you as a friend and as a
supervisor.
Consider each leadership strategy and determine if it is or is not a best practice. - ANS
Connection with best practices
Collaboration
Redefined roles
To foster an environment of inclusive education, best practices should be followed to meet the
diverse needs of all students. It is the school leader's role to communicate to teachers, staff, and
parents those best practices for inclusion. The best practices to facilitate inclusion should mirror
the best practices identified by a school to educate all students.
One person cannot build and sustain an inclusive community; it takes the whole community. To
successfully build and support an inclusive learning community, all members need to be on
board with the plan, be heard, and work together to identify solutions to problems. Not only
should leaders collaborate with teachers, but all stakeholders (including parents) should be
involved in identifying strategies to create an inclusive environment.
In order for inclusion to be supported at the systems level, staff need to build the mindset that
they are all working toward a shared goal. Thoughts such as "That's not my job," or "These are
my students, those are your students," do not foster an inclusive community. The roles of
teachers, staff, and administration need to be redefined in order to share the responsibility in
creating an inclusive environment.
The school leader drives the environment of a school, which has an impact on the greater
community. What are some characteristics that you will demonstrate to cultivate a positive
professional culture? - ANS Although there are countless answers and approaches to
building and sustaining a positive professional culture, there are some key best practices that
you must consider to be successful and build a community based on transparency, trust, and
inclusion.
In your response, ensure you address:
Promoting trust
Establishing a growth-oriented professional culture
Demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Cultivating emotional intelligence
