Foundations of Education 12th Edition Ornstein

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Chapter 7: Governing and Administering Public Education

ESSAY

1. Depending on the community, members of local school boards may be elected or appointed. Either
way, there are some advantages and some disadvantages. Identify and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of elected members.

ANS:
The primary advantage is that community-wide representation is ensured through elections and that the
will of the people is being expressed through the election of the members. A disadvantage is that the
members who are elected may not be fully capable or may not fully understand the wide variety of
issues that a school board must face.

2. Describe the role of the federal government in education since the 1980s. How do opponents of
NCLB criticize funding aspects of the act?

ANS:
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the federal government reduced education spending and shifted
more program responsibility to the local school districts. Recently, George W. Bush promoted the No
Child Left Behind Act, which Congress approved in 2002. It is seen as exerting more federal
influence on local public schools through various accountability requirements such as test scores and
highly qualified teachers. This is seen as holding states and local districts accountable, via the No
Child Left Behind Act, for meeting high standards. Critics fault the Bush administration for leaving
NCLB an "unfunded mandate" and for usurping the authority of state and local educational agencies.
State and local agencies are required by NCLB to make certain expenditures, but there is not an
equivalent amount of funding from the federal government to support this extra spending.

3. Fifty-nine percent of elementary school principals are female. This figure is substantially higher than
that of secondary schools, where it drops to 29%. To what do you attribute the female majority among
elementary school principals? To what do you attribute the glaring drop off in secondary schools?

ANS:
Although answers will vary widely, they should focus on societal factors, opportunities for males vs.
females in the educational-sphere and attitudes of viewing primary-school principals as leaders in
curriculum and instruction while secondary-school principals were typically viewed as “managers.”

MULTIPLE CHOICE

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 Test Bank 7-2

1. Local school districts have been delegated powers and duties by the
a. county government. c. state government.
b. local government. d. federal government.
ANS: C KEY: WWW

2. School board members are usually selected by

a. appointment by the city or town council.
b. appointment by the governor.
c. appointment by the mayor or county executive.
d. election by community members.
ANS: D

3. The typical school board member tends to

a. be female. c. be wealthier that the general population.
b. have no children in school. d. be liberal.
ANS: C KEY: WWW

4. Authority for approval in the hiring of new teachers rests with the
a. principal.
b. school board.
c. superintendent.
d. teachers in the school where the opening exists.
ANS: B

5. Which of the following countries has a nationwide educational system?

a. Great Britain c. Japan
b. France d. all of the above
ANS: D KEY: WWW

6. The day-to-day operation of a school district is determined by the

a. principal. c. superintendent.
b. school board. d. teacher organization.
ANS: C

7. A school board member is placed through ______________ in over 95% of the cases nationwide.
a. election by the teachers c. appointment by the public
b. appointment by the teachers d. election by the public
ANS: D

8. Which of the following statements best describes the role of the local school board?
a. Local school boards of education have retained a great deal of influence over the day-to-
 Test Bank 7-3

day operation of schools.

b. Although they have the legal right to make decisions about the operation of public schools,
school boards generally leave the day-to-day operation of schools to professional
educators.
c. The only area in which school boards directly influence the day-to-day operation of
schools is in the determination of curriculum.
d. School boards have basically become outdated, having only symbolic roles in public
education.
ANS: B KEY: WWW

9. Jan was just hired as school district superintendent, and her duties are many and varied. Which of the
following duties is likely to be the most relevant to her ability to keep her job?
a. ensuring compliance with state and federal directives
b. informing and advising the school board on policy matters
c. evaluating curriculum
d. supervising professional and nonteaching school personnel
ANS: B

10. Instructional leadership is a primary responsibility of the _______________, who often collaborates
with stakeholders to make “data-driven decisions.”
a. chief state school officer c. school board
b. principal d. superintendent
ANS: B KEY: WWW

11. Walden Primary School has just instituted school-based management. Which of the following
activities will now be particularly important to Susanne's effectiveness as school principal?
a. making teaching assignments
b. collaborating with teachers and other school staff
c. taking direction from the superintendent
d. developing reports for the district office
ANS: B

12. The “Chicago Plan” is an example of which type of reform?

a. community control c. downsizing schools
b. school consolidation d. charter schools
ANS: A

13. An elected community school board functioning in conjunction with a central school board is an
example of
a. community control. c. community participation.
b. community education. d. all of the above.
ANS: A

14. The combination of a number of smaller school districts into one or two larger ones is called
 Test Bank 7-4

a. consolidation. c. teacher empowerment.

b. decentralization. d. community control.
ANS: A

15. Which of the following is generally seen as a positive outcome of school consolidation into larger
districts?
a. A larger pool of specialized teachers c. The ability to eliminate redundant staff
b. The ability to employ more counselors d. All of the above
ANS: D

16. When comparing large and small school districts, it is probably most realistic to argue that
a. although large school districts may realize some financial efficiency, they generally suffer
from a higher degree of bureaucratic constraints.
b. large districts are no more likely than small ones to be constrained by bureaucratic
problems, because most decisions about education are made at the state and federal levels.
c. small districts are just as notorious as large districts in terms of inefficient organization
and bureaucratic constraints.
d. it is impossible to compare the organizational efficiency of small and large districts.
ANS: A

17. Some studies indicate that compared with large high schools, small high schools have
a. better attendance rates only. c. more student responsiveness only.
b. improved grades only. d. all of the above.
ANS: D KEY: WWW

18. __________________ is (are) a key component of the No Child Left Behind Act.
a. Data collection c. Assessment intervention
b. Parent involvement d. State examinations
ANS: B KEY: WWW

19. Given the way large school districts and large schools have been organized in the past, the trend
toward larger school districts and larger schools conflicts, at least in principle, with which of the
following other trends in education?
a. the increasing level of authority in school boards operating over the last decade
b. dramatic improvements in the funding of public education
c. the flight of public-school students out of the public schools and into private schools
d. the increasing urge on the part of educators to downsize schools and to make districts
organizationally leaner
ANS: D

20. Educational opportunities for all citizens, with responsibility shared with various community
institutions, is an example of
a. community control. c. community participation.
b. community education. d. all of the above.
 Test Bank 7-5

ANS: B

21. As described in chapter 7, a 1987 study led by two researchers concluded that an ideal high school
should enroll ___________students to be most effective.
a. 250 c. 1000
b. 500 d. 2000
ANS: A KEY: WWW

22. Changes in the ways and means of operating schools in a state must be made through the
a. school boards. c. governor of the state.
b. school codes. d. teacher associations.
ANS: B

23. The functioning of the state department of education is most directly affected by the actions of the
a. congressional representatives. c. state board of education.
b. local boards of education. d. superintendents.
ANS: C

24. Some of the largest school districts in the nation enroll ____________students in more than
___________ schools.
a. 900; 2 c. 99,000; 60
b. 9,900; 12 d. 990,000; 1,200
ANS: D

25. Implementing the laws of the state legislature is the responsibility of the
a. intermediate unit. c. state court system.
b. state board of education. d. state department of education.
ANS: D

26. The chief state school officer is the chief executive of the
a. intermediate unit.
b. Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
c. state school board.
d. state superintendents' agency.
ANS: C

27. When considering school reform, which federal law has had the largest impact on reform since the
wave of school reforms in 1957?
a. No Child Left Behind c. Great Start
b. IDEA d. No Worker Left Behind
ANS: A

28. Private and parochial schools are not exempt from state legislation concerning
 Test Bank 7-6

a. curricular content. c. health standards.

b. technology policies. d. teacher salaries.
ANS: C

29. Among the nonpublic schools, the share of nonreligious, independent schools in recent years has
a. decreased. c. remained about the same.
b. increased.
ANS: B KEY: WWW

30. Which of the following statements best describes the nature of the governance and administration of
public schools in the United States?
a. Although the influence of the federal government has begun to increase in recent years,
public education is clearly seen as a responsibility of states and local districts.
b. Professional educators have succeeded in wresting control from school boards and
legislatures and in establishing their own control over major educational decisions in this
country, thus removing much of the politics from the process.
c. Parents and community members have been able to achieve unprecedented levels of
influence in public schools in the United States.
d. After about 200 years of public education, it is still very difficult to identify any single
group, combination of groups, or level of government that is clearly in charge of public
education.
ANS: A

31. How many levels are there in the United States educational system?
a. 2 c. 6
b. 4 d. 8
ANS: B

32. _________________ programs often blur the line between private and public schools.
a. Faith-based c. School choice
b. Charter d. State funded
ANS: C KEY: WWW

SHORT ANSWER

1. What are the responsibilities of local school boards? How are these responsibilities limited by the
state?

ANS:
The state delegates power to local school boards. Typically, local school boards have the authority to
deal with policy, staffing, employee relations, fiscal matters, students, curriculum, community
relations, and intergovernmental requirements. Local policies must be consistent with policies set
forth in the state school code.

2. List and describe the three types of meetings a school board may hold.
 Test Bank 7-7

ANS:
The three types of meeting are regular, special and executive. The first two are open and the third is
usually closed to the public. Executive meetings often deal with personal issues, acquisition of
property, or specific problems related to a student.

3. Identify four of the eight specific powers of a school board.

ANS:
Answers should include four of the following: policy, staffing, employee relations, fiscal matters,
students, curriculum and assessment, community, relations, and intergovernmental requirements.

4. Identify the characteristics of a charter school.

ANS:
A charter school is an arrangement whereby a community group secures a "charter" from the local
school board or state board of education to run a public school. The charter is a contract that lists
specific rights, privileges, and expectations. Negotiated arrangements may include financing, school
operations, physical location, student enrollment, and accountability. Charters are commonly revoked
if accountability standards are not met.

5. Considering the high level of administrative responsibilities, discuss reasons that may lead to the
regular turnover of superintendents.

ANS:
The answer can include anything relating to breakdowns in communication or micromanagement of
the school administrators.

6. Why might there be community resistance to consolidation?

ANS:
Sometimes community members resist the closing of schools as part of the consolidation process
because the schools have played such an important part in community identity. Thus consolidation
may be viewed by community members as demoralizing to students, parents, and the community at
large.

7. Why would a community want the school board to promote parental involvement?

ANS:
Studies indicate that districts that have such advisory committees have higher student test scores, better
grades, and improved attitudes toward learning.

8. What role might a citizens group play in the school board decision making process?

ANS:
 Test Bank 7-8

Answer may include any of the following areas: 1) helping to identify goals, priorities, and needs, 2)
selection and evaluation of teachers, 3) development of curricula, 4) support for financing schools, 5)
recruitment, and 6) direct assistance to students.

9. What role does the state legislature play in public education?

ANS:
State legislatures establish and maintain the public schools. They also pass legislation on a variety of
educational issues, including funding, staff and student policies, and curriculum guidelines. They
cannot, of course, enact legislation that conflicts with the United States Constitution.

10. Compare the make-up of school administration as it relates to government. What branch does each
represent?

ANS:
Chief executive officer = superintendent, school board = legislative policy making body