Study Guide
Field 110: School Building Leader Part Two
Sample Performance Task Assignment 3
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Sample Directions
SECTION THREE:
Written Assignment Three: Family and Community Engagement
For each of the assignments in this section, you are to prepare a written response and record it in the on-screen response box presented with each assignment. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response for each assignment. start bold You must write responses to all of the assignments in this section. end bold
Read each assignment carefully before you begin to work. Think about how you will organize each of your responses. You will be provided with a felt pen and erasable notebooklet, which you may use to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. start bold However, your final response to each assignment must be typed in the on-screen response box presented with the assignment end bold . Each assignment contains directions for the suggested length for an appropriate response. You may use the word-count feature in the lower left corner of the response box to monitor the length of your response.
Your response to the written assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
start bold COMPLETENESS: end bold The degree to which the response addresses all parts of the assignment
start bold ACCURACY: end bold The degree to which the response demonstrates the relevant knowledge and skills accurately and effectively
start bold DEPTH OF SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING: end bold The degree to which the response provides appropriate examples and details that demonstrate sound reasoning and reflects a strong understanding of the relevant knowledge and skills
Your responses will be evaluated on the criteria above, not on writing ability. However, your responses must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of your knowledge and skills. Your responses must be written in English. This should 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 topics. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review your work and make any changes you think will improve your responses. You may work on the assignments in any order you choose, but be sure to finish all three assignments before the end of the test session.
Assignment 3: Family and Community Engagement
Competency 0002
Family and Community Engagement
Use the information in the Scenario that follows to complete the assignment below.
Based on the information provided, respond to each of the following prompts. Be very specific in your answers, citing evidence from the scenario as appropriate.
- What are two important issues your school is facing with regard to the possible expansion of the technology education sequence that could benefit from family/caregiver involvement?
- Explain why and how these issues could benefit from family/caregiver involvement.
- What actions would you take to work with families/caregivers to address each issue you identified in Part A? Explain why you believe that these actions would be effective.
- What additional challenges might your actions create and what are some ways you could manage those challenges?
Your response should be approximately 400 to 500 words and may be in a format of your choice (e.g., paragraphs, list).
Scenario
You are the school building leader of a suburban high school with an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students in grades 9 through 12 . Over the past five years, you have led the school through a comprehensive review of programs and curricula. The goal of this review has been to identify areas in which the school's focus on college and career readiness for all students can be strengthened, in part by increasing opportunities for students to develop twenty-first-century skills.
A number of programs at your school have changed as a result of the comprehensive review. One significant change during this period has been a major expansion of the school's technology education sequence. The school has added several new, rigorous technology courses focused on the skills critical for success in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in college and the workplace. In addition, previously existing technology education courses have been updated to emphasize technical writing, real-world problem solving, and student collaboration.
The expanded and revised technology education sequence is now in its third year. Faculty and staff have generally responded positively to the changes to the program. Most courses are fully enrolled, and parents/guardians of students enrolled in the new and updated courses report that they are pleased with the program. Currently, district and school leadership teams are considering expanding the technology education sequence further to add sections of popular courses and provide new courses in emerging technology fields.
You introduce the possibility of a new expansion of the technology education sequence at a meeting of the school's parent organization. In the discussion that ensues, roughly half of the parents/guardians in attendance raise concerns about the program. Many of these parents/guardians make comments equating technology education with vocational training. One parent states that current technology education courses could be offered through the regional Boards of Cooperative Educational Services ( B O C E S ) and that school resources should be committed to traditional core academic courses. Several other parents/guardians echo these arguments. Following the meeting, you review the current course selections and enrollments for technology education courses, summarized in the table below.
Overview of Technology Education Program
Course Description Available Seats Enrollment 2 Years Ago Last Year Current Year Intro to Design and Drawing for Production ( D D P ) Students create 3D models for analysis. Focuses on design and development processes. 25 22 24 25 Principles of Engineering ( P O E ) Project-based course explores manufacturing processes and technology systems. Students use math, science, and technology to solve problems collaboratively. 30 20 24 28 Digital Electronics ( D E ) Students learn soldering techniques; build circuits in the lab; and design, create, and present projects. 25 20 23 24 Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems/Robotics ( C I M S ) Students solve design problems by creating 3D designs and explain work in written and oral reports; builds on skills learned in D D P . 50 25 44 47 Computer Programming Basics of programming and using algorithms to solve problems, with links to math, science, and engineering. 54 27 49 53 Computer Science ( A P ®) Builds on skills learned in Computer Programming. Individual and small-group projects required; students take A P ® exam. 28 22 23 25 Computer and Information Security Focuses on data protection and communication security. Students work in teams to assess vulnerabilities in data and networks. 28 26 28 28 Networking I: Intro to Data Communication Fundamentals of data management, including Ethernet technology, routing protocols, and wide area networks ( WANz ). 28 23 25 27
Sample Response to Assignment 3
(493 words)
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One issue regarding possible expansion of our technology education program is that approximately half of our parents/guardians are opposed to expansion and are in favor of utilizing B O C E S programs for technology education. These parents/guardians favor putting our school's resources toward improvement of core academic programs.
A second issue addresses the other half of the parents/guardians who want to see the program expanded and could be disappointed if their children aren't able to gain access to courses, as the classes are currently nearly full. They may feel that their children's success would be compromised by not offering courses considered crucial to success today.
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These issues can benefit from family/caregiver involvement because the families/caregivers of our students have a more personal understanding of their children's needs for success. Families/caregivers with a variety of viewpoints can come together to discuss the issues and learn more about our student population. This may lead to discussions about alternatives to in-school coursework (such as internships with local organizations), as well as other areas of focus we may need in technology education. According to the Overview, there are a variety of technology courses currently offered, but by engaging our families and community in the discussion of expansion, we will ideally develop a school environment that meets all our students' needs in technology or other areas of study, including core subjects.
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I would take a few actions. First, I would survey parents/guardians, as well as community businesses and leaders, and our students, with specific questions related to their perspectives about what are perceived to be our school's needs in technology education. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the needs in this area. While all listed courses are at or near capacity, there may be other areas of technology we haven't addressed. Second, once this information has been compiled, I would invite our parent organization to meet to discuss and analyze the findings. From these discussions, I hope to find common ground, as well as help all families/caregivers understand the need to focus on technology education. We may find that B O C E S does, in fact, offer other courses in this area that we can take advantage of as well, possibly freeing up resources for other academic needs in our school. I am hopeful that we will gain information from all concerned families/caregivers, giving us the beginnings of a direction to proceed.
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A few challenges could arise. Parents/guardians opposed to the expansion may still feel that this is not the direction our school should be going. We may need to move slowly, adding increased focus on core subjects while continuing to provide information to families/caregivers about the importance of technology education at the high school level. We may also find that the interest in expansion is greater than we expected and greater than we can provide with existing funding. This may provide an opportunity to partner with B O C E S or community groups in providing additional courses as well as other alternative learning opportunities.
Analysis of Response
The response demonstrates strength in the following Performance Characteristics:
Completeness
The response completely addresses all charges of the assignment. Two important issues—parents/guardians opposed to expansion and parents/guardians wanting additional programming—are fully addressed, as is an explanation as to how these issues would benefit from family/caregiver involvement. Actions for each issue, as well as the actions' effectiveness, are thoroughly addressed. Additional challenges are identified, and ways to address these challenges are also fully addressed.
Accuracy
The two issues identified are significant, relevant, and fully justified by the evidence presented in the materials provided. Families/caregivers are split in their approval of expanding the technology program.
Explanation of why and how these issues would benefit from family/caregiver involvement is thoroughly accurate.
Actions described to work with families/caregivers to address these issues are appropriate and based on information provided in the scenario as well as the Overview of Technology Education Program. The response fully and appropriately defends these actions, explaining why they would be appropriate.
Additional challenges—continued opposition to program expansion and finding that interest is greater than anticipated—are identified, and procedures to manage these challenges—moving at a slower pace toward expansion and possibly enhancing existing core programs, continued education regarding the importance of technology programs in the high school, and possibly partnering with B O C E S —would be appropriate and highly effective.
Depth of Support and Understanding
The identification of appropriate issues is completely supported with evidence from the scenario and graphic. An explanation of why these issues would benefit from family/caregiver involvement and steps to be taken by the school building leader to address these issues are fully supported with sound reasoning as well as clear examples. Additional challenges and how to address them also demonstrate sound reasoning as well as a thorough understanding of the role of the school building leader in this situation.
Performance Characteristics
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to each assignment.
| COMPLETENESS | The degree to which the response addresses all parts of the assignment |
|---|---|
| ACCURACY | The degree to which the response demonstrates the relevant knowledge and skills accurately and effectively |
| DEPTH OF SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING | The degree to which the response provides appropriate examples and details that demonstrate sound reasoning and reflects a strong understanding of the relevant knowledge and skills |
Score Scale for Assignment 3
Scores will be assigned to the response to the assignment according to the following score scale.
| Score Point | Score Point Description |
|---|---|
| 4 | The "4" response reflects a thorough command of the relevant knowledge and skills. |
| 3 | The "3" response reflects a general command of the relevant knowledge and skills. |
| 2 | The "2" response reflects a limited command of the relevant knowledge and skills. |
| 1 | The "1" response reflects little or no command of the relevant knowledge and skills. |
| U | The response is unscorable because it is unrelated to the assigned topic or off-task, unreadable, written in a language other than English or contains an insufficient amount of original work to score. |
| B | No response. |