Deck 7: Governing and Administering Public Education

Question 1

Instructional leadership is a primary responsibility of the _______________, who often collaborates with stakeholders to make "data-driven decisions."

A)chief state school officer
B)principal
C)school board
D)superintendent

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The "Chicago Plan" is an example of which type of reform?

A)community control
B)school consolidation
C)downsizing schools
D)charter schools

Answer 2

A

Question 3

An elected community school board functioning in conjunction with a central school board is an example of

A)community control.
B)community education.
C)community participation.
D)all of the above.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

School board members are usually selected by

A)appointment by the city or town council.
B)appointment by the governor.
C)appointment by the mayor or county executive.
D)election by community members.

Question 5

As described in chapter 7, a 1987 study led by two researchers concluded that an ideal high school should enroll ___________students to be most effective.

A)250
B)500
C)1000
D)2000

Question 6

Depending on the community, members of local school boards may be elected or appointed. Either way, there are some advantages and some disadvantages. Identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of elected members.

Question 7

Sixty-four percent of elementary school principals are female. This figure is substantially higher than that of secondary schools, where it drops to 30%. To what do you attribute the female majority among elementary school principals? To what do you attribute the glaring drop off in secondary schools?

Question 8

Describe the role of the federal government in education since the 1980s.   How do opponents of NCLB criticize funding aspects of the act?

Question 9

Which of the following statements best describes the role of the local school board?

A)Local school boards of education have retained a great deal of influence over the day-to-day operation of schools.
B)Although they have the legal right to make decisions about the operation of public schools, school boards generally leave the day-to-day operation of schools to professional educators.
C)The only area in which school boards directly influence the day-to-day operation of schools is in the determination of curriculum.
D)School boards have basically become outdated, having only symbolic roles in public education.

Question 10

Some of the largest school districts in the nation enroll ____________students in more than ___________ schools.

A)1,000; 5
B)10,000; 15
C)100,000; 150
D)1,041,000; 1500

Question 11

The functioning of the state department of education is most directly affected by the actions of the

A)congressional representatives.
B)local boards of education.
C)state board of education.
D)superintendents.

Question 12

​Educational opportunities for all citizens, with responsibility shared with various community institutions is called

A)​community control
B)​community education
C)​community participation
D)​none of the above

Question 13

Given the way large school districts and large schools have been organized in the past, the trend toward larger school districts and larger schools conflicts, at least in principle, with which of the following other trends in education?

A)the increasing level of authority in school boards operating over the last decade
B)dramatic improvements in the funding of public education
C)the flight of public-school students out of the public schools and into private schools
D)the increasing urge on the part of educators to downsize schools and to make districts organizationally leaner

Question 14

The typical school board member tends to

A)be female.
B)have no children in school.
C)be wealthier that the general population.
D)be liberal.

Question 15

Jan was just hired as school district superintendent, and her duties are many and varied. Which of the following duties is likely to be the most relevant to her ability to keep her job?

A)ensuring compliance with state and federal directives
B)informing and advising the school board on policy matters
C)evaluating curriculum
D)supervising professional and nonteaching school personnel

Question 16

The combination of a number of smaller school districts into one or two larger ones is called

A)consolidation.
B)decentralization.
C)teacher empowerment.
D)community control.

Question 17

__________________ is (are)a key component of the No Child Left Behind Act.

A)Data collection
B)Parent involvement
C)Assessment intervention
D)State examinations

Question 18

The day-to-day operation of a school district is determined by the

A)principal.
B)school board.
C)superintendent.
D)teacher organization.

Question 19

Local school districts have been delegated powers and duties by the

A)county government.
B)local government.
C)state government.
D)federal government.

Question 20

Authority for approval in the hiring of new teachers rests with the

A)principal.
B)school board.
C)superintendent.
D)teachers in the school where the opening exists.

Question 21

Why would a community want the school board to promote parental involvement?

Question 22

Considering the high level of administrative responsibilities, discuss reasons that may lead to the regular turnover of superintendents.

Question 23

Why might there be community resistance to consolidation?

Question 24

Implementing the laws of the state legislature is the responsibility of the

A)intermediate unit.
B)state board of education.
C)state court system.
D)state department of education.

Question 25

_________________ programs often blur the line between private and public schools.

A)Faith-based
B)Charter
C)School choice
D)State funded

Question 26

Identify four of the eight specific powers of a school board.

Question 27

When considering school reform, which federal law has had the largest impact on reform since the wave of school reforms in 1957?

A)No Child Left Behind
B)IDEA
C)Great Start
D)No Worker Left Behind

Question 28

What are the responsibilities of local school boards? How are these responsibilities limited by the state?

Question 29

What role does the state legislature play in public education?

Question 30

Identify the characteristics of a charter school.

Question 31

Compare the make-up of school administration as it relates to government. What branch does each represent?

Question 32

The chief state school officer is the chief executive of the

A)intermediate unit.
B)Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
C)state school board.
D)state superintendents' agency.

Question 33

What role might a citizens group play in the school board decision making process?

Question 34

Which of the following statements best describes the nature of the governance and administration of public schools in the United States?

A)Although the influence of the federal government has begun to increase in recent years, public education is clearly seen as a responsibility of states and local districts.
B)Professional educators have succeeded in wresting control from school boards and legislatures and in establishing their own control over major educational decisions in this country, thus removing much of the politics from the process.
C)Parents and community members have been able to achieve unprecedented levels of influence in public schools in the United States.
D)After about 200 years of public education, it is still very difficult to identify any single group, combination of groups, or level of government that is clearly in charge of public education.

Question 35

Private and parochial schools are not exempt from state legislation concerning

A)curricular content.
B)technology policies.
C)health standards.
D)teacher salaries.