Running head: THEORY TO PRACTICE EXAM
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Kirsten A. Coles
Theory to Practice Exam
Liberty University
THEORY TO PRACTICE EXAM
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PART 1: Short Essay
“Having been hired as the first principal of a new charter school, propose to the board a
process for developing a shared vision of learning for the school. Include methods for
involving stakeholders and apply theories relevant to building, implementing and
stewarding the vision. Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in
educational leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
In creating an initial shared vision for a new charter school, I would propose to the board
to form a committee to accomplish this task. I would suggest that every stakeholder group
involved with the charter school be represented on the committee by at least one person to ensure
that the vision is specific, attainable, realistic, and protects the best interest of all involved.
According to Smith and Swezey (2013), a vision should be developed through consensus in
order for each person to not feel compromised (p. 6). The committee would be put in place to
allow for a forum for all persons involved to be heard and that the committee develops the vision
in agreeance with each other. When all stakeholders agree with the vision statement, it is easier
to accomplish and uphold. This vision statement must be specific to help others fully understand
the mission of the school and the ways that the vision will be upheld in the school. Smith and
Swezey (2017) mentioned that, “a properly written vision statement should assist the reader in
imagining what the school would look like, what its halls would sound like, and how teachers
and students interact across the school.” I believe that utilizing a committee will help avoid the
common mistakes made by school administrators around the topic of vision statements as
identified by Smith and Sweezey (2017). Those common mistakes include not creating a vision
at all, assuming the sole responsibility of the vision, and making the vision unattainable.
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Avoiding these common mistakes will help make the vision more successful and supported by all
of those people involved in the charter school.
“As an educational leader, you are responsible for the teaching and learning aspect of
education. Describe the learning environment for which you will strive. Include how you
will apply theories of human development behavior, personalized learning environment,
and motivation to influence school culture and to ensure student success. Integrate course
content from the present and/or previous courses in educational leadership, applying
theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
As an educational leader, I hope to create a learning environment in which is viewed as a
constructive climate. “In order to create a constructive climate, a leader needs to consider four
factors: providing structure, clarifying norms, building cohesiveness, and promoting standards of
excellence” (Northouse, 2018, p. 160). As a new administrator, my goal would be to use these
four guidelines to help make a cohesive faculty and staff that work together to attain the goals of
the school for the betterment of the students. Providing a structured environment allows for
clearly stated expectations of all stakeholders. As an effective leader I anticipate utilizing the
strengths of my staff to accomplish many goals. I also hope to clarify any norms that are may go
unstated. These norms may have even been unintentionally put into place prior to my
introduction to the school, but I intend to uphold any quality norms while making them clear to
all stakeholders that need to understand them. Cohesiveness is also important because it allows
for the building to operate in a manner that requires little supervision over the smaller things,
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allowing for the administration team to work on those things that need to hold priority over other
things. Ensuring that each grade level works cohesively is truly a task but it is very important to
accomplish. I believe that promoting standards of excellence is the most important aspect to
establishing a constructive climate. If all stakeholders witness the leadership promoting high
standards and maintaining high expectations for all, then the same message will be portrayed to
all.
“As a school administrator, how will you develop a plan of action to address needs of
students, parents, and caregivers? Include approaches for collaboration with stakeholders
and strategies for effective oral and written communication with families and caregivers.
Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in educational
leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
My goal is to become an elementary school principal that thrives on the relationships
built with my staff, students, families, and community. Building the trust and relationship with
my students and their families will help foster the positive climate at my school. “The leader is
committed to enhancing and creating relationships of trust, openness, self-examination, and
reflection” (Drexler, 2007, Ch.8). I anticipate addressing the needs of my students and their
families by utilizing a multitude of community resources. I would work to identify the major
needs of my students and their families first. Anonymous surveys could be conducted, or simple
conversations could help identify needs. “Good community relations start when parents and
teachers come to know one another and to talk about what they want for young people” (Moore,
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Bagin, & Gallagher, 2016, p. 121). Many students have need for material things that can be
provided, such as, clothes, shoes, hygiene items, and food. These items can be provided by local
church groups, PTA support, etc. Other students may be in need of intangible things, such as,
counseling support, healthy outlets, coping skills, etc. These types of things can be provided in
the form of therapeutic day treatment services, Big Brother Big Sister programs, or a simple
space in the school building to take a break to help the student adjust their day. Assisting the
student is just part of the goal, but I also anticipate helping families as well. Many students bring
their home life and the emotions that come with that to school with them every day. This can
hinder students from their academics. Alleviating some of those stresses that the family is
encountering can help make a positive change within the student as well. My ultimate goal is to
develop strong, long-lasting relationships with my students and families to help make a lasting
impact on their lives.
“Ethical behavior is characterized by honesty, fairness, and equity in interpersonal,
professional, and academic relationships. Explain how ethical behavior influences school
culture, student achievement, and your own leadership. Support your statements with
examples. Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in
educational leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
Ethical behavior in the realm of education has a great impact on school culture, student
achievement, and on leadership, even when unseen to the general public. The Virginia Board of
Education has given a code of ethics to be followed by all staff members within the public
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education system. This code of ethics explicitly gives guidelines on how to act in an ethical
manner to help ensure the continued success of the public school system and its students. Those
members of leadership within Virginia should uphold these codes of ethics and require it also of
their staff to help ensure a positive school climate and help encourage continued student
achievement. Northouse (2018) describes ethical leadership as “a process by which a good
person rightly influences others to accomplish a common good: to make the world better, fairer,
and more humane” (p. 274). As an ethical leader within my school building, it is my
responsibility to ensure that my behavior, decisions, and daily interactions are aligned with the
code of ethics to help establish a unified ethical climate. In my opinion, one of the most
important codes of ethics for the Commonwealth of Virginia states, “dedicate our efforts toward
excellence in public education through continuous improvement.” (Virginia Department of
Education). This code of ethics reminds educators about our purpose in public education, and
that is to strive for excellence through continuous improvement. I believe this not only means
helping our students improve but also finding ways to make improvements with ourselves.
PART 2: Case Study
Case 1 – “Crisis Management”
“You are the recently-hired principal of a suburban school consisting of approximately
1,000 students. At a Parent-Teacher Association meeting, some parents express concern
about an increase in criminal activity in the neighborhood surrounding the school.
Although there has not been an increase in discipline problems on campus during the
school day, there have been some incidents of minor vandalism after school hours. As the
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principal of the school, you have also had concerns about crime in the area. Although you
were not prepared to make a formal presentation to the parents, you have already made
some small changes to improve security around campus by amending school-based
discipline management policies and plans. Shortly after the meeting, the superintendent
tells you that one of your first projects is to develop a comprehensive school crisis
management plan. She informs you that the current plan was developed piecemeal, is
outdated, and needs to be totally revamped.
“Describe strategies you would implement to support a safe and secure learning
environment, including prevention, crisis management, and public relations. Considering
the case scenario, what implications are there for a school-based discipline management
policies and plans? Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in
educational leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
The problem that I have identified in this case is that the school does not currently have
an effective, up-to-date crisis management plan. As a newly hired principal, I agree with the
superintendent that this should be handled immediately. I have learned an abundance of
information pertaining to crisis management plans, the creation and implementation of them also.
I would utilize the help of a crisis team that is either already in place at the school or I would
form a new one to help during this process and for any future safety needs. This team would
include a variety of stakeholders to give different perspectives that are observed during a
potential crisis. I believe that developing the crisis plan is an important matter of school safety
and should not be a lengthy process. I would attempt to have the committee finished with the
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crisis plan within 30 days, so that the plan can be quickly reviewed by building administration
and district administration before being communicated with the school staff and put into practice.
I would ensure that the plan is unique to the school, “a school system should not simply adopt
another district’s plan, since the development process leads to ownership and understanding”
(Moore, Bagin, & Gallagher, 2016, p. 144). Every school is different and with the current issues
that this school is facing, the plan needs to address neighborhood safety in addition to building
safety. There are many critical parts to a crisis management plan that I would ensure are
included, for example: reasons for the plan, types of crises covered by the plan, procedures for
all crises, emergency contact information, detailed maps of the school facility and the
surrounding neighborhood, procedural information, guidelines for effective communication with
staff, media and the community, and ways of prevention for each crises. After developing and
finalizing the plan, it will be very important to communicate this plan and be prepared. Training
sessions are important to be conducted with the staff and students when necessary. I do not
believe that students should be involved in every crisis drill because of potential and unnecessary
trauma that could occur, however, they need to be trained to follow the directions of their teacher
during any emergency. In one of my courses this semester I was able to research active shooter
drills performed with students and the effect it has on some of them. “Some are not told that the
lockdowns are just drills, prompting them to send what they believe are final goodbyes over text
to their parents or faint or throw up” (Chuck, 2019). My current school district conducted an
active shooter drill, but only administration and a selection of other staff members were invited
to participate. I believe that this is the same manner in which I would choose to conduct active
shooter drills and other extreme drills at my school. I arrived at my solutions for this case study
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after consulting the many different educational resources that I have been provided through my
course study and my practicum under that supervision of my school principal. I would be able to
gauge the effectiveness of my decision based upon the review of the crisis management plan by
the building administration and the district administration. If the crisis management plan is
approved at the school and district level, I would implement it immediately in hopes of seeing
positive changes in the community. I would also take into consideration any changes in criminal
activity in the neighborhood surrounding the school and continue monitoring the cases of
vandalism to the school after hours. The overall goal of solving this problem is to maintain a safe
learning environment for all students, and potentially decrease any neighborhood safety issues as
well.
Case 2 – “A Changing Community”
“Over the course of the past 10 years, Lincoln High School and its surrounding community
has changed dramatically. The area has also fallen on hard times economically as many of
the industries have shipped jobs overseas. With the downturn in the economy and
subsequent layoffs and falling property taxes, the urban-fringe community of Lincoln
Heights has resisted raising local taxes or passing bond measures to raise funds to make
much-needed repairs to the high school. This has hastened the change as many upper-
middle class families have fled the community for the suburbs. Many of these were
Caucasian families and the school racial demographics have changed from 55% Caucasian,
23% Latino, 16% African American, and 6% Asian to 36%, 29%, 25%, and 10%,
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respectively. Along with problems of an aging physical plant, Lincoln has failed to close the
gaps between the academic success rates for those who are identified as economically
disadvantaged or minority and their more affluent white classmates. To top it off, there has
been a revolving door in the principal’s office, with three new administrators coming and
going in the span of just 4 years. Each administrator publically expressed frustration with
the district office and school board. An exasperated superintendent and school board
realize the school is headed in the wrong direction and that a fundamental change in
leadership philosophy and vision need to be made, but they cannot agree on how to move
forward.
“If you were to apply for the principalship at this school, how would you convince the
superintendent and school board that you have the knowledge base (1) to create an
environment where distributed leadership is sustained; (2) to mobilize diverse community
cultural resources; and (3) to safeguard the values of democracy, equity, and diversity?
Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in educational
leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
If I were to apply to be principal of Lincoln High School, I would have many resources to
prove to the superintendent and school board that I am the best candidate for the position. The
educational resources and knowledge that my coursework has provided me with and the hands-
on experience that I have gained through my practicum courses under the leadership of my
school principal have helped me address the many issues that Lincoln High School is currently
facing. I would start by creating an environment where distributed leadership is sustained.
Distributed leadership involves “the development of value-added human resources through work
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teams or groups to assist principals in their leadership and management principles” (Smith &
Swezey, 2013, p. 109). I believe that this philosophy of distributed leadership is a very effective
style because it allows for a collaborative effort to be in place throughout the school building. I
think of my current school and I witness this leadership style daily. Every grade level
collaborates monthly and has a grade level leader. Each grade level leader also meets with the
administration team as needed to resolve any issues and develop needed solutions. I would adapt
this style as well under my leadership at Lincoln High School. I also believe that I have the
necessary skills to mobilize a diverse group of community cultural resources. Relationship
building is a skill that I work hard on every year with my students, their families, and all people
around me. One of my courses this year required me to conduct a community demographic
study, community needs assessment and a community resources report. Through this process I
was able to identify relationships between the school demographics and the community
demographics as well. The community needs assessment helped me understand how to identify
school and community needs that can be met by a school and its administration team with the
help of community members. I also developed a list of community resources that are known in
the community to assist parents, students and community members when needed. During my
course study I was able to create a school improvement plan, in which I discussed the importance
of safeguarding many high-regarded values. I anticipate safeguarding the values of democracy,
equity, and diversity at all times. Democracy will be protected throughout my principalship
because distributed leadership will be a common belief of the school. All stakeholders will
be aware of this core value and will understand that not all decisions are made solely by the
administration team. A group effort is needed to help operate the school building
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effectively. Equity will be protected and utilized at Lincoln High School instead of
equality. Making sure that the needs of each student is supported and the outcomes are
equitable based on the needs of each individual student involved is very important to me.
Diversity will be protected and valued at Lincoln High School because the diversity of this
school is a major strength. I believe that my ability to not only answer these questions but
also elaborate on them in the ways that would turn into true, heartfelt actions would allow
me to be a valuable candidate for the principal position at Lincoln High School.
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Resources
Chuck, E. (n.d.). Active shooter drills are scaring kids and may not protect them. Some schools
are taking a new approach. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-
news/active-shooter-drills-are-scaring-kids-may-not-protect-them-n992941
Drexler, J. L. (2007). Schools as communities: Educational leadership, relationships, and the
eternal value of Christian schooling. Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design
Publications.
Moore, E. H., Bagin, D., & Gallagher, D. R. (2016). The school and community relations.
Boston: Pearson.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Introduction to leadership concepts and practice. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Smith, S. J., & Swezey, J. A. (Eds). (2013). Public & private school administration: An overview
in Christian perspective. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt. ISBN: 9781465241177.
Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Virginia Department of Education Code of Ethics.
Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/about/code-ethics.shtml
