Document #1: Introduction

You are a newly hired educational leader in Kempton County School District, an urban district that includes 15 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools and currently enrolls 10,347 students. The district employs 912 PK– through 12 teachers, and the average state and local expenditure per student is currently $11,143 11,143 dollars . The district serves a growing city and its surrounding communities, and enrollment at district schools has increased significantly over the past several years. The demographics of the student population are also becoming more varied. Historically, the district's performance on standardized assessments such as the Georgia Milestones end-of-grade and end-of-course tests has been above state averages.

Kempton County has an experienced faculty, with close to half of PK– through 12 teachers having over ten years of teaching experience. Approximately one-third of the district's faculty members and administrators have served in the district for over fifteen years and have experienced the increasing enrollment and changing demographics firsthand. Before the beginning of the school year, you meet with other leaders in the district who share a generally positive perspective on the changing culture at district schools. According to the leaders, most faculty, staff, and administrators are fully committed to the district vision: At Kempton County School District, each student will receive the support that they need in order to succeed academically and graduate ready for college and career. However, some leaders express concern that not all faculty and staff have fully developed the multicultural competencies that students and the community require.

Your responsibilities include supervising faculty at Arden Street High School, the smaller of the two high schools in the district. Enrollment at both high schools has increased along with the rest of the district's schools, but Arden Street has not grown as much or as rapidly as the other high school. Recently, the district's graduation rate and the percentage of graduates entering 2- and 4-year colleges have declined. The leaders you speak with note that students in some demographic groups are overrepresented among graduates entering college, while students from other demographic groups are underrepresented. You plan to meet with faculty and staff at Arden Street to discuss these trends and identify strategies for addressing them.

Prior to the beginning of the school year, you review recent academic performance data for Kempton County School District, including Georgia Milestones results, faculty data for Arden Street High School, and responses to surveys of faculty and parents/guardians.

Document #2: Academic Performance Data, Two-Year Comparison

A designation of "at or above Proficient Learners level" indicates that students are prepared for the next grade level or course of study.

Document #3: Georgia Milestones Performance, by Student Group

English language arts (ELA E L A ) and mathematics, two-year comparison

Document #4: Teacher Data, 10-year comparison

(Data for all district schools, district high schools, and Arden Street High School)

Document #5: Excerpt from Faculty Survey Results (last year)

Document #6: Excerpt from Parent/Guardian Survey Results (last year)

(71% percent  of households responding)

Scenario

You are a building leader at an elementary school. To enhance learning and increase student supports in the classroom, the elementary school recently hired several new paraprofessionals that are available to assist students and teachers in the classroom.

During a recent classroom observation, you observed that Paraprofessional C was in the back of the room engaging in social conversation with some students regarding the students' gaming and musical interests during class instruction. You speak with the classroom teacher, and they share concerns about Paraprofessional C providing an adequate level of support to the students in their classroom. The teacher explains that Paraprofessional C seems unfamiliar with many of the concepts covered in class and struggles to support students with completing their classwork. From your observations, as well as teacher and parent feedback, Paraprofessional C has developed a positive rapport with many of the students, families/caregivers, and staff and seems excited to be working at the school.

Paraprofessional C's schedule requires them to work with five different teachers during the school day. Each of the teachers shares concerns about Paraprofessional C struggling to support student needs. You request that the teachers who work directly with Paraprofessional C complete a brief survey regarding their observations and impressions of Paraprofessional C's performance in their classrooms. An excerpt from the results is shown below.

intentionally left blank	Teacher Ratings 1 (Strongly Disagree) – to  5 (Strongly Agree)
	Teacher 1 (Reading)	Teacher 2 (Math)	Teacher 3 (Science)	Teacher 4 (Social Science)	Teacher 5 (Resource)
Paraprofessional C is engaged during class instruction.	2	3	3	4	2
Paraprofessional C provides appropriate strategies to support student learning.	2	2	2	3	1
Paraprofessional C has a positive rapport with students.	5	5	4	5	3
Paraprofessional C demonstrates knowledge of effective student support strategies.	1	2	2	3	1
Paraprofessional C is receptive to constructive feedback.	4	4	5	5	4

Views expressed by teachers:

• Paraprofessional C is always very friendly and gets along well with students.
• Sometimes, it seems like Paraprofessional C does not understand the material we are reviewing in class.
• Students report that they enjoy working with Paraprofessional C in small groups.
• Paraprofessional C seldom asks me for suggestions about how to help students in the class.
• On occasion, Paraprofessional C sits in the back of the room looking at their phone when I am providing direct instruction.

You meet with Paraprofessional C to review your concerns. During the meeting, you share information from your observations and review feedback that you received from the teachers. Paraprofessional C states that they really enjoy working with the students and being at the elementary school. They share they would like to improve, but explain, "I sometimes have difficulty understanding the concepts the teachers review in class. I'm not sure what strategies to use to help some of the students, especially those who need support with reading."

Scenario

You are a recently hired educational leader in an urban school district. The district currently enrolls 9,281 students and includes seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The student population is linguistically and socioeconomically varied. Approximately 56% percent  of the district's students are economically disadvantaged, 11% percent  of the population are English language learners, and 12% percent  of the population are students with identified learning disabilities. Student demographics at individual school buildings largely reflect the overall demographics of the district.

Last year the district adopted a new educational mission, vision, and statement of core values emphasizing increasing student engagement: "Our schools encourage students to invest in their learning." Student performance on the Georgia Milestone assessments has improved steadily in most grade levels in the district. However, state assessments have not meaningfully improved in grade 6. Some educators at the schools have identified student attendance rates and student behavior as contributing factors. You speak with the parents/guardians of sixth-grade students at district middle schools, and several share with you that the environments and practices at the middle schools are quite different from what their children experienced at the elementary schools. "Last year, my child was playing games at morning recess," one parent tells you. "This year they don't have any free time. It's all about academics."

As part of the new goals, the district is working with school leaders to implement new support programs, several of which are aimed at improving student outcomes at the grade 6 level. You are working with a leader at one of the middle schools and two of the elementary school leaders to better understand the needs and experiences of rising sixth-grade students. Shortly before the beginning of the school year, you review the new programs and the implementation plan. An excerpt of the plan is shown below.

Program Goal	Actions	Progress Monitoring
Improve student behavior outcomes	Review and adjust existing grade 6 student transition program Examine school protocols regarding absenteeism and discipline referrals	Review student data related to attendance and behavior Collect qualitative data from various stakeholder groups
Institute more student-centered classroom instructional practices at the grade 6 level	Bridge instructional practices at the middle school with those at the elementary schools Review assessment and work protocols	Collect data from classroom observations and walkthroughs
Raise grade 6 student performance on formative and summative assessments	Identify areas of strength and areas for growth in student achievement data from grades 5 through 7 Review students' areas of strength and identify how those skills or content were taught Address areas for growth using targeted instructional practices	Monitor student achievement on formative and summative assessments

Scenario

You are the recently hired educational leader in a rural school district. The district includes one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school and currently enrolls 2,899 students. The district employs 218 full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty members.

A focus during your first year is the professional capacity of the faculty at the district's elementary school. The elementary school enrolls 501 students in prekindergarten through grade 5 and employs 38.5 FTE faculty members. Historically, student performance on state assessments in grades 3 through 5 has exceeded state averages. However, over the past two years scores on math and science assessments dropped below state averages. During your initial meetings at the elementary school, you learn that school leaders believe the decline may be related to the ineffective implementation of new, evidence-based instructional strategies introduced by the district three years earlier. While the district provided professional learning activities to introduce the new instructional strategies, classroom observations show little evidence that the new strategies for math and science have been widely adopted at the elementary school.

Before the start of the school year, you review summary data from the previous school year's weekly classroom walkthrough observations. Approximately 50 walkthroughs were performed during mathematics and science instruction in all classrooms between September and April. An excerpt from the summary data is shown below.

Math and Science Instruction
Classroom Walkthrough Observation Data (Last Year)

GA Teacher Assessment Performance Standards (TAPS T A P S )	Not Observed/Ineffective	Needs Development	Proficient	Exemplary
Exhibits pedagogical skills relevant to the subject area(s) taught based on current research.	22% percent	48% percent	26% percent	4% percent
Displays an understanding of the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of the age group.	– no result	4% percent	76% percent	20% percent
Builds upon students' existing knowledge and skills.	2% percent	48% percent	32% percent	18% percent
Develops higher-order thinking through questioning and problem-solving activities.	18% percent	43% percent	31% percent	8% percent
Engages students in authentic learning by providing real-life examples and interdisciplinary connections.	14% percent	46% percent	36% percent	4% percent
Promotes a climate of trust and teamwork in the classroom.	– no result	– no result	96% percent	4% percent
Conveys the message that mistakes should be embraced as a valuable part of learning.	5% percent	35% percent	52% percent	8% percent

During the first few weeks of the school year, you speak with many teachers at the elementary school about their perspectives regarding math and science instruction. They tell you that professional learning on the new instructional practices was a "great start" but that ongoing support is needed. "I thought I was doing a good job with those subjects after the workshops," one teacher tells you. "Then I saw my students' assessment scores and I realized how much more I need to do." The teachers also note that two teacher leaders who were highly skilled in math and science instruction recently retired. The teacher leaders often assisted other faculty in implementing new instructional strategies, and their departure has left a void in terms of instructional leadership.

Scenario

You are an educational leader in a suburban school district that includes students with varied experiences and economic backgrounds. The district currently enrolls 4,476 students in two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Student performance on state assessments has historically been above state averages. The district has robust parent-teacher organizations (PTOs), and parents/guardians often attend public meetings of the local school board. The performing arts programs and athletic teams enjoy the support of families/caregivers and other stakeholders in the community.

Two years ago, the district's middle school experienced a sharp increase in incidents of vandalism, students using electronic cigarettes or "vaping" on school grounds, and online bullying. Middle school leaders were concerned and directed faculty and staff to strictly enforce current discipline policies and procedures, leading to an increase in the number of disciplinary referrals and suspensions. Following these actions, a number of parents/guardians came to school board meetings to raise concerns about the culture and environment at the middle school, which they claimed was marked by mistrust and inconsistency. One parent/guardian stated, "My child tells me staff members apply school rules differently to different students." In response to these concerns about the school's culture, the middle school leadership team adopted a new Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system with the goals of reducing suspensions and referrals while fostering a greater sense of community at the school.

The PBIS system was implemented last year. While suspensions and discipline referrals declined, some staff members believed the system's emphasis on multi-tiered interventions and supports meant that consequences for disruptive student behavior are no longer effective. As the current school year begins, you work with the middle school's leadership team to support the ongoing rollout of the new system. School leaders tell you that in contrast to the concerns voiced by some teachers, many parents/guardians do not think the PBIS system is sufficient to promote a healthier school climate. Leaders explain that they tried to communicate with families/caregivers throughout the year about how the PBIS system could benefit the school climate, but as one leader states, "Our outreach efforts fell short."

Based on these discussions, you plan to work with school leaders on additional outreach to families/caregivers regarding the new PBIS system. To better understand perspectives on the new system, you review results from a survey administered to middle school faculty members and parents/guardians at the end of the previous school year. An excerpt from the results is shown below.

Survey Statement	% percent  Agreeing or Strongly Agreeing
	Faculty	Parents/ Guardians
This school is a safe and welcoming environment for students, staff, and families/caregivers.	80% percent	73% percent
Students and staff treat one another with respect at this school.	78% percent	67% percent
Staff at this school understand each student's needs and respond accordingly.	80% percent	71% percent
Expectations for student behavior are clear and consistent at this school.	82% percent	52% percent
Discipline policies and practices are consistent and fair at this school.	78% percent	58% percent
Teachers at this school manage student behaviors in the classroom effectively.	80% percent	63% percent
The new Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system is effective in improving the culture and learning environment at this school.	76% percent	62% percent
The input of staff and parents/guardians regarding the new PBIS system was sought and considered.	84% percent	48% percent

Views expressed by 5 or more faculty members:

• Vaping and bullying at our school are a concern to many students as well as staff. We need serious consequences to stop these behaviors.
• Even with PBIS, we have staff who label some students as the "good kids" and others as "troublemakers."

Views expressed by 5 or more parents/guardians:

• Fewer students are being suspended under the new system, but some teachers still single out students and make them miserable.
• The students who break the rules should receive strict punishment. That is the only way to keep the school safe.
• My child/student can be impulsive and make errors in judgment, but they do not cause anyone harm. Schools should help students mature, not just punish them.

Scenario

You are a recently hired educational leader in a small suburban school district. The current enrollment is 3,997 students. There are two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Construction of a new middle school was completed seven years ago. The two elementary schools are sixty years old, and the high school is fifty years old.

The new middle school allows for expanded opportunities for all students, including a robotics program for grades 6– to 8 and an expanded library that can offer more programming. Additionally, the new building has expanded the school's capabilities to serve all students. Several middle school students who, because of the nature of their disabilities, formerly received services in an out-of-district program are now receiving their services at the middle school. This has resulted in substantial savings for the district related to tuition and transportation.

The high school's programming has been negatively impacted by the building's physical condition. This is particularly true in the sciences, where existing lab classrooms no longer consistently support student learning. Limitations on the number of students that could be safely accommodated in the lab areas resulted in smaller science classes and the need for additional sections of core science courses in the school's master schedule. As a result, class size limits had to be raised in other academic disciplines to accommodate for the size limitations of the science classrooms. In addition, some popular science elective courses could not be offered this year since more teachers were needed for the additional sections of the core courses. At the start of the school year, you tour the high school lab classrooms and note limited electrical outlets, poor ventilation systems, and limited space in which students can work. Also, the head of the school counseling department told you about some graduates from the district middle school opting for other schools rather than the district high school. "Several students interested in careers in the sciences do not want to go from a school with the latest technology to one that has relatively little," the school counselor tells you. "We are fortunate we have a smart and dedicated group of science teachers who plan creative lessons for our students. If not for them, the situation could be worse."

In September you speak with other district and school leaders about your observations. They share your concerns about the state of the high school laboratory classrooms and the fact that some promising students are opting to enroll at schools outside the district. The economic conditions that allowed the community to pass a tax lien to help build the new middle school have been negatively impacted by the fact that a major employer in the area moved operations recently. You consider what changes might allow for the district to address the insufficient capabilities of the lab classrooms.