NES Educational Leadership (815) Practice Tests

Competencies 0001–0002 make up about 20% of the test. They ask you to understand how to provide leadership in facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a shared vision of learning; collaborating with various stakeholders; and mobilizing school and community resources to achieve the vision and promote the success of all student groups; understand the interplay of the political, social, economic, legal, ethical, and heritage-based contexts of education in promoting the success of all student groups.

• Competency 0001: Understand how to provide leadership in facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a shared vision of learning; collaborating with various stakeholders; and mobilizing school and community resources to achieve the vision and promote the success of all student groups. Skills tested: Major theories and concepts in educational leadership; the importance of viewing all aspects of educational leadership through the lens of student learning; and relationships between leadership theory and practice in the context of contemporary educational issues; Skills and strategies for facilitating the development of a shared vision for the achievement of all student groups based on data from multiple measures of student learning; The characteristics of a sound and sustainable educational vision and the importance of aligning the school vision with the district's vision and goals; Skills and strategies for effectively communicating the shared vision, helping all stakeholders understand the vision, and encouraging the entire school community to work toward achieving the vision; Skills and strategies for leveraging and marshaling sufficient resources to implement and attain the vision for all student groups; Potential barriers to accomplishing a vision and effective ways to address and overcome barriers; How to shape school programs, plans, and activities to ensure that they are integrated, articulated through the grades, and consistent with the vision; How to facilitate the comprehensive integration of technology to support achievement of the vision; How to ensure the inclusion of diverse stakeholder groups in change efforts and use the experiences and perspectives of those with diverse backgrounds to achieve the vision; Skills and strategies for strengthening schools through family and community partnerships; The importance of communicating information about the school on a regular and predictable basis to all families through a variety of media and how to ensure that all constituents have ample access to information sources; How to mobilize and leverage community support to promote equity, social justice, and success for all student groups.
• Competency 0002: Understand the interplay of the political, social, economic, legal, ethical, and heritage-based contexts of education in promoting the success of all student groups. Skills tested: The principles of democratic education and the ways in which historical, cultural, and philosophical forces; policy decisions; and prevailing practices influence education; The role of schools in preparing students to be productive citizens and to meet challenges of the future; The political, social, economic, and cultural contexts of education at the local, regional, state, and federal levels that affect public schools and how to respond to and influence these contexts; Public school governance, including the structure and organization of public schooling and the roles and responsibilities of various individuals and system components; The relationships between federal, state, and local educational policies and practices and the role of specified policies and practices in ensuring equitable, democratic education; How to communicate and work effectively with all stakeholders, including district and local leaders, to generate support for the school, promote public policies that benefit students, and encourage improvement in teaching and learning; Effective, professional, and interactive communication with various audiences and for various educational purposes; Skills and strategies for welcoming the community and for developing and nurturing public support; How to learn about and address the diverse expectations, needs, goals, and aspirations of family and community groups and incorporate this knowledge as a basis for decision making; How to examine and respond to equity issues related to race, diversity, and access using inclusive practices; Principles and guidelines for acting fairly, responsibly, ethically, and with integrity in educational contexts; How to communicate about, model, and hold oneself and others accountable for exhibiting personal and professional ethics, integrity, justice, and fairness; How to use the influence and power inherent in a leadership position to enhance the educational program, promote learning for all student groups, and make fair and appropriate decisions.

Competencies 0003–0004 make up about 30% of the test. They ask you to understand how to advocate, nurture, and sustain a positive environment of learning that emphasizes high expectations and an instructional program that promotes success for all student groups; understand effective teaching and learning and the use of instructional leadership to promote the success of all student groups.

• Competency 0003: Understand how to advocate, nurture, and sustain a positive environment of learning that emphasizes high expectations and an instructional program that promotes success for all student groups. Skills tested: How to shape a positive school culture in which high expectations are the norm for all students and staff; Strategies for creating a positive, safe, and supportive learning environment for all student groups by promoting equity and respect among all members of the school community; Relationships between student behavior management systems and student success; How to develop and implement positive and equitable behavior management systems that promote and support a collaborative, positive culture of learning; Standards-based curricula and how to work collaboratively to integrate and articulate programs throughout the grades; How to establish a culture of individual and collective accountability among students, teachers, and other staff by developing and implementing an accountability system grounded in standards-based teaching and learning; How to make evidence-based decisions regarding instructional improvement, including changes in practice, by analyzing, evaluating, and using various types of data to engage staff in advancing instructional effectiveness; How to improve the academic performance of all student groups by using multiple formative and summative assessments to continuously evaluate learning; Principles of educational equity and how to provide equitable access to the school, the curriculum, and available programmatic supports to all groups of students and their parents/guardians; How to incorporate all types of diversity into the curriculum and educational activities in ways that are appropriate and that enhance teaching and learning; Discriminatory practices in education and how to identify, analyze, minimize, and eliminate potential personal and institutional bias; Skills and strategies for engaging all parents/guardians in the instructional program and in behavior management systems in ways that support high expectations.
• Competency 0004: Understand effective teaching and learning and the use of instructional leadership to promote the success of all student groups. Skills tested: Theories, principles, and concepts related to student learning and development and best-practice applications in the school setting; Effective, research-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment and how to use this knowledge to plan, organize, and supervise curriculum, instruction, and assessment to meet educational standards; Classroom structures, schedules, instructional materials, and grouping practices that support teaching and learning goals and that facilitate active learning and promote student reflection and inquiry; How to create a dynamic learning environment that appropriately integrates technology to facilitate student learning, creativity, and collaboration; How student diversity influences teaching and learning and how to use research- based strategies to maximize achievement for English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and all other student groups; Policies and practices for determining student learning needs, placing students in appropriate learning contexts, and ensuring full access to the curriculum for all students; How to coordinate the identification, acquisition, and use of internal and external resources to provide support and enhance achievement for all students.

Competencies 0005–0006 make up about 30% of the test. They ask you to understand how to use professional development for faculty, staff, and self to promote lifelong learning and the success of all student groups; understand organizational management and its use in creating positive and productive learning systems that promote the success of all student groups.

• Competency 0005: Understand how to use professional development for faculty, staff, and self to promote lifelong learning and the success of all student groups. Skills tested: Principles of adult learning and their use in designing, facilitating, and implementing effective, motivating, and data-driven professional development programs and opportunities that focus on authentic problems and student outcomes; How to implement effective induction plans for new teachers and use a variety of methods, such as mentoring, coaching, observation, and feedback, to promote effective teaching and improve performance for all faculty and staff; How to use data to assess and diagnose instructional needs, define staff goals for continuous improvement, and collaboratively design differentiated professional development to meet needs and achieve goals; Strategies for building staff capacity through systems of support and development, integrating opportunities for continuous learning into the educational environment, and engaging faculty and staff in ongoing reflection and self-assessment; How to develop and implement a plan for self-improvement and continuous learning; use various types of activities and resources to engage in effective professional development; and reflect on personal leadership practices and their influence on others; How to use time and technology effectively to improve instructional leadership and promote personal and professional growth.
• Competency 0006: Understand organizational management and its use in creating positive and productive learning systems that promote the success of all student groups. Skills tested: Research-based strategies and best practices for establishing, monitoring, and evaluating organizational structures, processes, and systems that promote a culture of collaboration and respect and that maintain a focus on continuous improvement and enhanced achievement for all student groups; Principles and practices for initiating and sustaining a cycle of inquiry leading to growth and improvement in organizational effectiveness as evidenced by increased student learning; How to initiate, monitor, and evaluate change processes within the organization and make needed adjustments to achieve goals; How to address the concerns of stakeholders who may find change threatening and how to overcome barriers to change; How to use systems thinking to set priorities and manage organizational complexity; Skills and strategies for engaging in collaborative, data-driven problem solving and decision making aimed at improving the learning environment and promoting achievement for all student groups; Skills and strategies for trust building, team building, consensus building, and conflict resolution and for promoting a sense of shared responsibility among all members of the educational community; Skills and strategies for providing opportunities for all staff to develop and use skills for collaboration, distributed leadership, reflection, shared decision making, and problem solving in support of student learning and for inspiring higher levels of performance, commitment, and motivation; How to reach out to the broader community, including families, agencies, businesses, and community organizations, to promote organizational improvement; Principles and procedures for evaluating and using technology to facilitate effective and timely communication, manage information, enhance collaboration, and support effective management of the organization.

Competencies 0007–0010 make up about 20% of the test. They ask you to understand human resource management and its use in creating a positive and productive learning system that promotes the success of all student groups; understand operational management and its use in creating a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment that promotes the success of all student groups; understand fiscal and material resource management and its use in creating efficient and effective learning systems that promote the success of all student groups, and more.

• Competency 0007: Understand human resource management and its use in creating a positive and productive learning system that promotes the success of all student groups. Skills tested: Effective, legal, equitable, and ethical procedures for recruiting, selecting, hiring, inducting, developing, and retaining staff; Effective, legal, equitable, and ethical procedures for evaluating, supervising, disciplining, and dismissing staff; How to support, motivate, recognize, and celebrate staff at various stages in career development; Skills and strategies for coordinating and aligning human resources, including making appropriate staffing and teacher placement decisions, to support organizational goals and promote equitable learning opportunities for all student groups; Labor relations and collective bargaining as they relate to education, and contract implementation and management within the local setting; How to manage legal and contractual agreements and records in ways that foster a professional work environment and ensure privacy and confidentiality for all students and staff, including using appropriate technological tools; Policies and procedures related to human resource administration, including relevant laws and regulations.
• Competency 0008: Understand operational management and its use in creating a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment that promotes the success of all student groups. Skills tested: Practices and procedures (e.g., record keeping, repair and maintenance, custodial services) and legal requirements (e.g., fire safety codes, OSHA regulations) for sustaining a safe, efficient, clean, well-maintained, and productive school environment; How to manage school operations effectively within the structure of public education rules, regulations, and laws and how to develop, implement, manage, and modify operational plans, procedures, and schedules to support student learning; Legal and policy requirements related to school safety and how to develop and implement plans and procedures for ensuring student and staff safety and building security; Effective and equitably applied student behavior management principles and practices, including tiered disciplinary measures, that promote a safe and productive learning environment for all students; Principles and practices related to crisis planning and emergency management; Strategies for allocating and utilizing space to meet instructional needs and accommodate extended learning programs (e.g., intervention programs, before/after-school programs, summer school programs, volunteer programs); The use of technological systems and tools to support the management of school operations; Procedures, practices, and legal requirements for managing auxiliary services (e.g., laws and regulations related to food services, health services, student transportation, free and reduced-price meals).
• Competency 0009: Understand fiscal and material resource management and its use in creating efficient and effective learning systems that promote the success of all student groups. Skills tested: How to coordinate and align fiscal and material resources to support learning for all student groups; The financial implications of serving a diverse student population and the relationships between equitable resource management and effective instructional leadership; How to use planning and problem solving to allocate fiscal and material resources effectively, legally, equitably, ethically, and in ways that align with teaching and learning goals for all student groups; Procedures for evaluating the use of resources and their educational impact; How to leverage and maximize existing resources and seek new resources to enhance teaching and learning; Procedures for developing, managing, and monitoring balanced budgets and for involving stakeholders in budgeting processes; How to interpret budgets and adhere to restrictions on the transfer and use of funds from various sources, including student activity accounts, to meet educational needs; School finance (e.g., state and local revenue sources, capital and operational funding, federal funding), including relevant laws and regulations; Procedures for communicating and reporting accurate financial information to a variety of audiences (e.g., school boards, community members); Types of financial records, procedures for accurate record keeping and reporting, including legal requirements, and the use of current technologies for financial management and business procedures; Procedures for establishing and ensuring effective internal controls to safeguard financial operations.
• Competency 0010: Understand the legal dimensions of educational leadership. Skills tested: Constitutional rights and protections for students and staff (e.g., due process, equal access, free speech, harassment) in various educational contexts and the role of the educational administrator in monitoring and ensuring their implementation; Legal issues and responsibilities related to an evolving technological culture (e.g., ensuring equitable access to digital tools and resources to meet all students' needs, implementing policies for the safe and appropriate use of information technology, promoting responsible use of technology); How district policies and specific laws (e.g., related to students with disabilities, English Language Learners, parents/guardians, mandated reporting, confidentiality, liability) affect individuals and schools and how to ensure that the school operates consistently within the parameters of applicable laws, policies, regulations, and requirements.