Study Guide

Field 140: Central Office School Administrator
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

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Test Directions for the Constructed-Response Assignment

This section of the test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You are to prepare a written response of approximately 300to600 words on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.

Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response.

As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response to the assignment, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the content area through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.

Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

 start bold PURPOSE: end bold  the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment

 start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold  accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge

 start bold SUPPORT: end bold  quality and relevance of supporting details

 start bold RATIONALE: end bold  soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

The constructed-response assignment is intended to assess subject matter knowledge and skills, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the scoring criteria. Your response should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your written response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.

Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.

Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

Objective 011 
Analyze and interpret information about a district's instructional programs, personnel, demographics, operational and resource management, and culture and climate; and describe a strategy to address district issues relevant to the analysis.

Assignment

Using the scenario and exhibits provided, write a response in which you analyze school strengths and areas of concern at your school district and outline your strategy for addressing one area of concern. In your response:

Be specific in your response, citing evidence from the scenario and exhibits as appropriate. Your response should be approximately 300–600 words.

Scenario and Exhibits for the Constructed-Response Assignment

Scenario

You are the new superintendent of a school district with an enrollment of approximately 250 students in grades EC–12. The district includes two buildings: an elementary school and a high school. Approximately 10% of the student population is American Indian/Alaska Native, 12% is Black, 14% is Hispanic, 7% identifies as Two or More Races, and 57% is White. The district serves a geographic area of well over 250 square miles. The region is primarily agricultural but includes industrial facilities that make important contributions to the regional economy, increasing the overall tax base in the district.

Faculty at district schools are experienced, and relatively high revenue levels have enabled leaders to keep student-to-teacher ratios relatively low. The district consistently performs above state averages on state assessments, and administrators, faculty, and staff take pride in the district's record of academic improvement. In your first meetings with the elementary and high school principals, they describe strong schools that support effective teaching and high levels of student learning. Both principals praise their faculties and say that they "give teachers room to do their best teaching"; however, the high school principal questions whether the district is doing enough to meet the needs of students with disabilities. During faculty meetings at both schools, you hear similar sentiments. Teachers are generally proud of their schools and describe most of their students as motivated and ready to learn. While teachers acknowledge that some students do not achieve at the same level as their peers, many see this disparity as unavoidable: "Some students are just not as strong, academically."

Most parents/guardians who speak with you also express happiness with the district's schools. A few parents/guardians, however, suggest that their children's learning needs have not been consistently met. Most notably, you receive a letter from the parents/guardians of a student who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The parents/guardians explain that the district public schools failed to provide adequate special education and related services for their child, and that ultimately their child was transferred to another district at the expense of the home district. While their child now receives adequate services, the parents/guardians describe the transfer to a school over 100 miles away as a hardship. Noting that they have heard similar stories from other parents/guardians, they ask that you consider making special education a priority.

As you prepare for your first year as superintendent, you review recent academic performance data, as well as teacher information; district demographic, revenue, and budget information; and the results from perception surveys conducted at the end of the previous school year.

Academic Performance Data

 start bold Academic Achievement and Graduation 
(2-year comparison) end bold 

This table displays percentages of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards by scoring at or above the proficient level on their state test, as well as the graduation rate and dropout rate for the graduating classes in each year.

percentages of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards, and graduation rate and dropout rate for the graduating classes
left intentionally blank District State
2 Years Ago Last Year 2 Years Ago Last Year
ELA 53 percent 54 percent 35 percent 33 percent
Math 52 percent 52 percent 31 percent 32 percent
Science 47 percent 48 percent 40 percent 35 percent
Senior Graduation Rate 94 point 4 percent 100 percent 96 point 8 percent 97 point 5 percent
4-year Dropout Rate (graduating class) 5 point 5 percent 0 percent 9 point 2 percent 9 point 8 percent

 start bold Assessment Performance by Grade Level and Student Group 
(last year) end bold 

This table displays the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards by scoring at or above the proficient level on their state test.

percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards by student group, last year
left intentionally blank All ELA Math Science
All Students 52 percent 54 percent 52 percent 48 percent
Female 53 percent 56 percent 53 percent 48 percent
Male 50 percent 51 percent 51 percent 47 percent
Grades 3to5 50 percent 52 percent 51 percent 45 percent
Grades 6to8 52 percent 53 percent 53 percent 48 percent
Grades 9to12 * 53 percent 57 percent 52 percent 51 percent
American Indian/Alaska Native Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown
Asian/Pacific Islander Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown
Black Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown
Hispanic Data Not Shown 53 percent 54 percent Data Not Shown
Two or More Races Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown
White 59 percent 61 percent 58 percent 55 percent
National School Lunch Program Eligible 45 percent 47 percent 44 percent 44 percent
English Learners Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown
Students with Disabilities Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown Data Not Shown

Data Not Shown (DNS) Possible reasons: (1) Not applicable (2) Data protected by privacy laws (3) No valid data to complete calculation

* Proficiency for Grades 9to12 based on student performance on available assessments

Teacher Information

 start bold Certified Professional Staff by Building and Length of Service in District 
(end of previous year) end bold 

Elementary School (178 students) # of Staff 0to3 Years 4to7 Years 8to12 Years Over 12 Years
Non-Special Ed Teachers 14 1 1 point 5 4 point 5 7
Special Education 1 em dash em dash 1 em dash
Counselors 0 point 5 em dash 0 point 5 em dash em dash
Other Certified Professional Staff 1 em dash 0 point 5 0 point 5 em dash
High School (74 students) # of Staff 0to3 Years 4to7 Years 8to12 Years Over 12 Years
Non-Special Ed Teachers 12 point 5 1 1 3 7 point 5
Special Education 0 point 5 em dash em dash em dash 0 point 5
Counselors 0 point 5 em dash em dash 0 point 5 em dash
Other Certified Professional Staff 1 em dash em dash em dash 1
TOTALS 31 2 3 point 5 9 point 5 16

 start bold Teacher Performance Ratings by Content Area 
(end of previous year) end bold 

This table displays teacher performance ratings from annual teacher evaluations, by content area (end of previous year).

left intentionally blank TOTAL (FTE) Ineffective Needs Improvement Effective Highly Effective Superior
Grades ECto5 10 point 5 em dash 1 6 point 5 2 1
ELA 3 em dash em dash 2 em dash 1
Math 3 em dash em dash 2 1 em dash
Science 2 em dash 1 em dash 1 em dash
Social Studies 1 point 5 em dash em dash 1 0 point 5 em dash
Specialists (Music, Arts, Languages) 3 point 5 em dash 1 1 1 point 5 em dash
Career and Technical Education 0 point 5 em dash em dash 0 point 5 em dash em dash
Physical Education, Health 2 point 5 em dash 1 1 0 point 5 em dash
Special Education 1 point 5 0 point 5 0 point 5 0 point 5 em dash em dash
TOTAL 28 0 point 5 4 point 5 14 point 5 6 point 5 2

Demographic, Revenue, and Budget Information

 start bold Selected District Demographic Data 
(end of previous year) end bold 

Total EC–12 Enrollment: 252
American Indian/Alaska Native 10 percent Female 53 percent
Black 12 percent Male 47 percent
Hispanic 14 percent National School Lunch Program Eligible 63 percent
Two or More Races 7 percent English Learners 1 percent
White 57 percent Students with Disabilities 21 percent
Census Data, Preparation, Attendance
District Population 1,240 KGto3rd Graders Receiving Reading Remediation 28 percent
Average Household Income 53,482 U S dollars In Good Attendance 79 percent
Median Household Income 40,623 U S dollars One suspension of 10 days or less for every  blank  students 29
percent of Population below Poverty 21 percent One suspension of more than 10 days for every  blank  students not applicable
Highest Educational Level for Adults Age 25+
Without H.S. Diploma 7 percent Some College, Associate's Degree 23 percent
H.S. Diploma Only 52 percent Bachelor's Degree and Above 18 percent

 start bold District Revenue and Budget Allocations 
(end of previous year) end bold 

left intentionally blank Current Year Next Year (Projected)
U S dollar amount percent U S dollar amount percent
District Revenue (All Funds)
Local 1,525,975 U S dollars 41 percent 1,508,110 U S dollars 40 percent
State 1,972,602 U S dollars 53 percent 2,035,949 U S dollars 54 percent
Federal 223,313 U S dollars 6 percent 226,217 U S dollars 6 percent
TOTAL 3,721,890 U S dollars left intentionally blank 3,770,276 U S dollars left intentionally blank
District Budget Allocations, by Category
Instruction 1,882,436 U S dollars 50 point 6 percent 1,915,390 U S dollars 50 point 8 percent
Instructional Support 115,327 U S dollars 3 point 1 percent 124,425 U S dollars 3 point 3 percent
Student Support 197,172 U S dollars 5 point 3 percent 162,129 U S dollars 4 point 3 percent
School Administration 245,535 U S dollars 6 point 6 percent 245,079 U S dollars 6 point 5 percent
District Administration 234,374 U S dollars 6 point 3 percent 237,539 U S dollars 6 point 3 percent
District Support * 770,088 U S dollars 20 point 7 percent 795,566 U S dollars 21 point 1 percent
Other ** 275,297 U S dollars 7 point 4 percent 290,325 U S dollars 7 point 7 percent
TOTAL 3,720,229 U S dollars left intentionally blank 3,770,453 U S dollars left intentionally blank

* District Support includes General Services, Operation and Maintenance Services, and Student Transportation Services.

** Other includes Child Nutrition Programs.

 start underline Survey Results end underline 

 start bold Excerpts from Faculty and Parent/Guardian Survey Results 
(last year) end bold 

Survey Question: percent agree or strongly agree
Faculty 
 open parens 94 percent responding close parens  		Parents/ Guardians 
 open parens 84 percent responding close parens 
Our school is succeeding in its mission and vision.  90 percent   76 percent 
Our school environment supports teaching and learning.  93 percent   81 percent 
Our school is focused on meeting the needs of all students.  87 percent   71 percent 
Diversity is respected and celebrated at our school.  83 percent   66 percent 
Teachers at our school are respectful to all students.  80 percent   62 percent 
Teachers at our school believe that all students can learn at a high level.  73 percent   64 percent 
Teachers at our school are knowledgeable about students' backgrounds and experiences.  73 percent   59 percent 
Teachers at our school respect and are available to parents/guardians.  90 percent   71 percent 
Parents/guardians at our school are active partners in their children's education.  70 percent   61 percent 
I feel supported by administrators at my school.  90 percent  em dash
I have the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the learning needs of all students.  63 percent  em dash
I would benefit from professional development on meeting the needs of diverse learners.  43 percent  em dash

Views expressed by 3 or more faculty:

  • My principal respects my experience and does not interfere with my teaching.
  • Some of my students are not academic achievers.
  • Once my class is meeting proficiency standards, I tend to focus on helping stronger students excel.
  • I would like to have more help working with students who have disabilities.

Views expressed by 5 or more parents/guardians:

  • I am very happy with my child's school, but I am concerned about how much taxpayers have to support education.
  • My child is doing well at school. I do not want the level of teaching to be lowered because some students are slower.
  • My child could do better at school with more support, but does not receive it.
  • My child has a disability, and the school does not always meet my child's needs.

Sample Strong Response to Constructed-Response Assignment

Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work.

This Unified School District boasts of a low student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom and has an experienced staff with 82% having been rated in their performance reviews as being effective or better than effective educators by their supervising administrator. Over 80% of the teaching staff have eight or more years of teaching experience, and another 11% have at least 4 years of teaching experience, helping the school establish a reputation for quality learning outcomes and student success. Both school site principals in the district praise their faculties for their professionalism and effectiveness.

However, one significant area of concern that could impact the district's reputation and overall effectiveness in meeting the needs of their student population is the district's lack of site-based support services for their students with disabilities who are on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and require specialized support services to meet their annual goals and benchmarks. In fact, several of the district parents have voiced concerns, along with the high school principal, that the district is not adequately meeting the learning needs for this segment of the student population which is nearly 21% of all students being served by the district. When students with disabilities are unable to be served by their home district, the district must seek out programs outside of their attendance area at a higher cost than operating those programs locally.

One possible strategy to address the issue of effectively serving students with disabilities would be to examine how current support staff are utilized to provide the specialized support services for students on an IEP. In addition, district revenue expectations may provide for the hiring of an additional special education teacher to help build a more expansive continuum of specialized support services within the district or help fund professional development activities that could focus on differentiating instructional practices for students with a disability.

If the district can reconceptualize how their instructional support staff are utilized to focus on providing more direct support for students with a disability, the learning outcomes for these students would likely increase. Also, by utilizing the strength of the faculty tenure in the district, general education teachers could become more adept at providing modifications and supports identified in student Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and increase their professional capacity to support these students. In addition, if district funding permits the hiring of more special education staff within the district, there could be fewer recommendations and requests to send students to specialized academic programs outside of the school district attendance area. This outcome would also lessen the concerns expressed by several parents that the district cannot meet the learning needs of their child with a disability.

Rationale for the Sample Strong Response

Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.

The response fulfills the purpose of the assignment by addressing all charges of the prompt. The response reflects a general knowledge and understanding of the subject matter by identifying one significant district strength (i.e., experienced and effective teaching staff) as well as a significant area of concern (i.e., inadequate continuum of programming needs for students with disabilities). The writer cites relevant examples from the exhibits that support their choices. Overall, the quality and relevance of supporting evidence is adequate. A stronger response would have included more details and specifics as well as citing further evidence from the exhibits throughout the response. Overall, the response demonstrates a general understanding of the subject matter.

Performance Characteristics

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the constructed-response assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses
Purpose The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
Subject Matter Knowledge The accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
Support The quality and relevance of supporting details
Rationale The soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

Scoring Scale

Scores will be assigned to each response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4  start bold The "4" response reflects a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is fully achieved.
  • There is a substantial, accurate, and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is sound; there are high-quality, relevant examples.
  • The response reflects an ably reasoned, comprehensive understanding of the topic.
3  start bold The "3" response reflects a general knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is largely achieved.
  • There is a generally accurate and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence generally supports the discussion; there are some relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a general understanding of the topic.
2  start bold The "2" response reflects a partial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is partially achieved.
  • There is a limited, possibly inaccurate or inappropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is limited; there are few relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a limited, poorly reasoned understanding of the topic.
1  start bold The "1" response reflects little or no knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is not achieved.
  • There is little or no appropriate or accurate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence, if present, is weak; there are few or no relevant examples.
  • The response reflects little or no reasoning about or understanding of the topic.
U The response is unscorable because it is illegible, not written to the assigned topic, written in a language other than English, or lacking a sufficient amount of original work to score.
B There is no response to the assignment.