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.
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1 Characteristics of Local School Boards
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
2. Describe the role of the federal government in education since the 1980s. How do opponents of NCLB criticize
funding aspects of the act?
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-4b Returning Responsibility to the Federal Government
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.04 – Explain how the role of the federal government in education
has changed over the years.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Analyzing
3. Sixty-four percent of elementary school principals are female. This figure is substantially higher than that of
secondary schools, where it drops to 30%. To what do you attribute the female majority among elementary school
principals? To what do you attribute the glaring drop off in secondary schools?
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1d The Principal and the School
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Analyzing
4. Local school districts have been delegated powers and duties by the
a. county government. b. local government.
c. state government. d. federal government.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1a Characteristics of Local School Boards
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
5. 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.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1a Characteristics of Local School Boards
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
6. The typical school board member tends to
a. be female.
b. have no children in school.
c. be wealthier that the general population.
d. be liberal.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1a Characteristics of Local School Boards
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
7. 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.
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1b School Board Responsibilities
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
8. The day-to-day operation of a school district is determined by the
a. principal. b. school board.
c. superintendent. d. teacher organization.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1c The School Superintendent and Central Office Staff
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
9. 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-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.
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1b School Board Responsibilities
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
10. 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
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1c The School Superintendent and Central Office Staff
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
11. Instructional leadership is a primary responsibility of the _______________, who often collaborates with
stakeholderstomake“datadrivendecisions.”
a. chief state school officer b. principal
c. school board d. superintendent
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1d The Principal and the School
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
12. The“ChicagoPlan”isanexampleofwhichtypeofreform?
a. community control b. school consolidation
c. downsizing schools d. charter schools
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1e Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
13. An elected community school board functioning in conjunction with a central school board is an example of
a. community control. b. community education.
c. community participation. d. all of the above.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1e Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
14. The combination of a number of smaller school districts into one or two larger ones is called
a. consolidation. b. decentralization.
c. teacher empowerment. d. community control.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1f Size of Schools and School Districts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
15. __________________ is (are) a key component of the No Child Left Behind Act.
a. Data collection b. Parent involvement
c. Assessment intervention d. State examinations
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1e Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
16. 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
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1f Size of Schools and School Districts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
17. ​Educationalopportunitiesforallcitizens,withresponsibilitysharedwithvariouscommunityinstitutionsiscalled
a. ​communitycontrol b. ​communityeducation
c. ​communityparticipation d. ​noneoftheabove
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1f Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
18. 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 b. 500
c. 1000 d. 2000
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1f Size of Schools and School Districts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
19. The functioning of the state department of education is most directly affected by the actions of the
a. congressional representatives. b. local boards of education.
c. state board of education. d. superintendents.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-3c The State Department of Education
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
state legislature, state board of education, state department of education, and chief
state school officer in determining school policy.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
20. Some of the largest school districts in the nation enroll ____________students in more than ___________ schools.
a. 1,000; 5 b. 10,000; 15
c. 100,000; 150 d. 1,041,000; 1500
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-1f Size of Schools and School Districts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
21. Implementing the laws of the state legislature is the responsibility of the
a. intermediate unit. b. state board of education.
c. state court system. d. state department of education.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-3c The State Department of Education
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
state legislature, state board of education, state department of education, and chief
state school officer in determining school policy.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
22. 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.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-3d The Chief State School Officer
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
state legislature, state board of education, state department of education, and chief
state school officer in determining school policy.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
23. 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 b. IDEA
c. Great Start d. No Worker Left Behind
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-4b Returning Responsibility to the Federal Government
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.04 – Explain how the role of the federal government in education
has changed over the years.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
24. Private and parochial schools are not exempt from state legislation concerning
a. curricular content. b. technology policies.
c. health standards. d. teacher salaries.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-5 Nonpublic Schools
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.05 – Discuss how nonpublic schools compare to the public-school
systems in the United States.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
25. 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.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-3 State Responsibilities and Activities
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
state legislature, state board of education, state department of education, and chief
state school officer in determining school policy.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
26. _________________ programs often blur the line between private and public schools.
a. Faith-based b. Charter
c. School choice d. State funded
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: 7-5 Nonpublic Schools
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.05 – Discuss how nonpublic schools compare to the public-school
systems in the United States.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
27. What are the responsibilities of local school boards? How are these responsibilities limited by the state?
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Medium
REFERENCES: 7-1a Characteristics of Local School Boards
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
28. Identify four of the eight specific powers of a school board.
ANSWER: Answers should include four of the following: policy, staffing, employee relations, fiscal
matters, students, curriculum and assessment, community, relations, and
intergovernmental requirements.
DIFFICULTY: Medium
REFERENCES: 7-1b School Board Responsibilities
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
29. Identify the characteristics of a charter school.
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1e Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Analyzing
30. Considering the high level of administrative responsibilities, discuss reasons that may lead to the regular turnover of
superintendents.
ANSWER: The answer can include anything relating to breakdowns in communication or
micromanagement of the school administrators.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-3d The Chief State School Officer
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
state legislature, state board of education, state department of education, and chief
state school officer in determining school policy.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Applying
31. Why might there be community resistance to consolidation?
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1f Size of Schools and Districts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Analyzing
32. Why would a community want the school board to promote parental involvement?
ANSWER: Studies indicate that districts that have such advisory committees have higher student
test scores, better grades, and improved attitudes toward learning.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1e Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Applying
33. What role might a citizens group play in the school board decision making process?
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: 7-1e Parent and Community Involvement
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
34. What role does the state legislature play in public education?
ANSWER: 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.
DIFFICULTY: Medium
REFERENCES: 7-3a The Governor and State Legislature
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
35. Compare the make-up of school administration as it relates to government. What branch does each represent?
ANSWER: Chief executive officer = superintendent, school board = legislative policy making body
DIFFICULTY: Medium
REFERENCES: 7-3d The Chief State School Officer
7-1b School Board Responsibilities
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: FOED.ORNS.17.07.01 – Describe the role of the local school board and how it works
with the district superintendent, the central office, school principals, and the broader
community to maintain effective schools.
FOED.ORNS.17.07.03 – Identify the various roles and responsibilities of the governor,
state legislature, state board of education, state department of education, and chief
state school officer in determining school policy.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Analyzing