Based on the survey results, which conclusion about the difference between student and teacher perceptions is MOST supported?

The widest gap concerns whether rules are applied fairly, so discipline consistency should be examined first.

Parents are the least satisfied stakeholder group, so their concerns should be addressed before those of students.

Academic expectations show the weakest student agreement, so instructional rigor should be the first focus.

Communication shows the widest gap, so progress reporting to students should be redesigned first.

Which interpretation of the screener data is MOST appropriate within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)?

Because about half of each class is below benchmark, the first priority is strengthening Tier 1 core reading instruction for all students.

Because the at-risk group is large, those students should be referred for special education evaluation to determine eligibility.

Because class 2C has the lowest percentage at benchmark, its teacher should receive an improvement plan.

Because all students below benchmark need support, they should receive Tier 2 intervention in place of core instruction.

Student Sessions scheduled Sessions attended Growth vs. target Notes A 30 29 Meeting target B 30 27 Meeting target C 30 11 Below target Speech therapy at same time D 30 10 Below target Speech therapy at same time E 30 9 Below target Dyslexia services at same time F 30 8 Below target Dyslexia services at same time After six weeks, the elementary math intervention team concludes that a Tier 2 fact-fluency intervention "is not working" for six third graders. Before the team changes the intervention, what should the principal ask it to address?

Replace the intervention with a more intensive program for all six students, since growth is below target.

Refer the four students with the lowest growth rates for special education evaluation.

Extend the intervention for six more weeks without changes so the students have more time to respond.

A newly assigned middle school principal finds that the campus is implementing nine separate initiatives, including two different literacy programs, a new grading approach, and three student incentive systems. Teachers report feeling overwhelmed, and implementation of each initiative is inconsistent. What is the MOST effective next step?

Inventory the initiatives with staff, judge each by goal alignment and impact, and consolidate or cut the weakest

Maintain all current initiatives this year to avoid further disruption and focus on improving implementation fidelity

Keep the two initiatives the principal judges most promising and discontinue all of the others immediately

Assign each initiative to a teacher leader so that responsibility for implementation is shared across the staff

Based on the midyear data, which conclusion is MOST justified?

Weak implementation of the advisory intervention likely explains the flat results for intervention students, so it has not been fairly tested.

The advisory intervention is ineffective for struggling readers and should be replaced with a different, more intensive reading intervention program before spring.

The PLC planning strategy is not producing gains, because overall progress toward the 54% target is slower than the campus expected.

The goal's target was set too high, because intervention students' results have barely changed since the first grading period.

Feeder middle school Ninth graders who passed Grade 8 math Failing Algebra I at end of first semester Oak Hill MS 212 9% Westfield MS 188 31% Pine Creek MS 143 11% A high school principal reviews first-semester Algebra I grades for ninth graders who passed Grade 8 math the prior year. Which action is MOST appropriate?

Work with Westfield's principal so Grade 8 math and Algebra I teachers can compare curriculum maps, TEKS emphasis, and student work.

Enroll all ninth graders from Westfield in a double-blocked Algebra I course beginning next semester.

Require all incoming ninth graders to attend a summer Algebra I readiness program before entering high school, regardless of feeder campus.

Ask Algebra I teachers to slow their pacing for all students until the Westfield students have caught up.

A U.S. History team's common unit assessments consist almost entirely of multiple-choice items asking students to identify dates, people, and definitions, while many of the course TEKS require students to analyze causes and effects and evaluate sources. What should the principal ask the team to do?

Map each assessment item to its TEKS student expectation and cognitive demand, and revise or add items where they do not match.

Replace the unit assessments with released state assessment forms, since those are already aligned to the TEKS.

Add more items of the current type to each unit assessment so that the results are more reliable.

Keep the unit assessments as written, and have teachers assign a separate analysis essay at the end of each semester to measure higher-order skills.

An assistant principal typically emails teachers a list of ten to twelve suggestions after each short walkthrough. Teachers report that the suggestions rarely change their practice. Which change would MOST increase the impact of walkthrough feedback?

Focus each round of feedback on one evidence-based, high-leverage action step the teacher can practice before the next visit.

Add the matching rubric dimension and performance level next to each suggestion so teachers can see how each one connects to their rating.

Collect the walkthrough notes for the month and send each teacher a single comprehensive summary at the end of the month.

Limit written feedback to positive comments for the rest of the semester to rebuild trust before addressing areas for growth.

A high school's teachers report "initiative fatigue" as the principal prepares to launch a new campus-wide literacy strategy. The campus currently has six other initiatives under way. Which action would MOST improve the likelihood that the new strategy succeeds?

Review all current initiatives against campus goals and stop or merge those that overlap or lack results before launching.

Launch the literacy strategy as planned but delay the formal walkthroughs that monitor its implementation until the second semester.

Pilot the literacy strategy with every department simultaneously so that teachers share a common experience.

Ask teachers to choose which three of the seven initiatives they will implement in their own classrooms.

TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268)

Free TExES 268 Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268), with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: School Environment, Human Capital, Ethics.

Question 1 · School Environment
Based on the survey results, which conclusion about the difference between student and teacher perceptions is MOST supported?
- A.The widest gap concerns whether rules are applied fairly, so discipline consistency should be examined first.
- B.Parents are the least satisfied stakeholder group, so their concerns should be addressed before those of students.
- C.Academic expectations show the weakest student agreement, so instructional rigor should be the first focus.
- D.Communication shows the widest gap, so progress reporting to students should be redesigned first.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The widest gap concerns whether rules are applied fairly, so discipline consistency should be examined first.
Subtracting student agreement from teacher agreement shows the largest gap on fair application of rules (86% versus 41%, a 45-point difference), larger than safety (39), caring (33), challenging work (22), or communication (13). That gap signals a perception problem worth investigating through discipline data and student voice. Parents are not the least satisfied group; their average agreement (70%) exceeds the students' (about 57%). Challenging work actually earned the highest student agreement, and communication shows the smallest student-teacher gap. Using disaggregated perception data to set priorities reflects Competency 001's emphasis on a data-informed, positive campus culture.
Question 2 · Human Capital
Which interpretation of the screener data is MOST appropriate within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)?
- A.Because the at-risk group is large, those students should be referred for special education evaluation to determine eligibility.
- B.Because class 2C has the lowest percentage at benchmark, its teacher should receive an improvement plan.
- C.Because about half of each class is below benchmark, the first priority is strengthening Tier 1 core reading instruction for all students.
- D.Because all students below benchmark need support, they should receive Tier 2 intervention in place of core instruction.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Because about half of each class is below benchmark, the first priority is strengthening Tier 1 core reading instruction for all students.
In an effective MTSS, core (Tier 1) instruction should meet the needs of roughly 80% of students. When about half of every class is below benchmark, the problem is systemic, and adding intervention alone cannot close a gap that large. Strengthening core instruction is the first priority. Mass special education referrals misread a system-level pattern as individual disability. The differences among classes are small (45% to 52%), so singling out one teacher is not supported. Replacing core instruction with intervention reduces access to grade-level content. Competency 003 includes implementing MTSS/RTI to meet the needs of all students.

Question 3 · Human Capital

Student	Sessions scheduled	Sessions attended	Growth vs. target	Notes
A	30	29	Meeting target
B	30	27	Meeting target
C	30	11	Below target	Speech therapy at same time
D	30	10	Below target	Speech therapy at same time
E	30	9	Below target	Dyslexia services at same time
F	30	8	Below target	Dyslexia services at same time

After six weeks, the elementary math intervention team concludes that a Tier 2 fact-fluency intervention "is not working" for six third graders. Before the team changes the intervention, what should the principal ask it to address?

A.Replace the intervention with a more intensive program for all six students, since growth is below target.
B.Refer the four students with the lowest growth rates for special education evaluation.
C.Extend the intervention for six more weeks without changes so the students have more time to respond.
D.Resolve the schedule conflicts that are keeping several students from attending most of their sessions.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. Resolve the schedule conflicts that are keeping several students from attending most of their sessions.

Before judging an intervention ineffective, leaders must confirm that students actually received it. Students C, D, E, and F attended only 8 to 11 of 30 scheduled sessions because of conflicts with speech therapy and dyslexia services, and they are the students below target; Students A and B attended nearly every session and are meeting the target. The data point to an access problem, not a program problem. Replacing the program or referring students would misread insufficient dosage as nonresponse. Extending the intervention without fixing the schedule repeats the same barrier. Competency 004 includes monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of interventions.

Question 4 · Human Capital

Walkthrough focus: checking for understanding	Teachers observed (n = 28)
Rarely checks for understanding during lessons	6
Checks for understanding but does not adjust instruction	15
Checks for understanding and adjusts instruction effectively	7

A middle school principal reviews the walkthrough summary shown while planning the next round of professional development. Which plan would MOST effectively use these data?

A.Hold a campuswide session on checking-for-understanding techniques, since 21 of the 28 teachers are not yet effective in this area
B.Support the six teachers who rarely check for understanding through individual plans and continue current PD for everyone else
C.Differentiate PD: responding to check data for the 15, basic checking techniques for the six, and facilitator roles for the seven
D.Survey teachers about the PD topics they prefer and build the next sessions around the topic requested most often

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. Differentiate PD: responding to check data for the 15, basic checking techniques for the six, and facilitator roles for the seven

The data reveal three distinct groups, and the largest (15 teachers) already checks for understanding but does not adjust instruction. Differentiating professional learning by need, with the seven skilled teachers serving as models or facilitators, gives each group its next step. A campuswide session on basic techniques repeats what 22 teachers already do. Focusing only on the six teachers ignores the largest need. Preference surveys can inform planning but should not replace direct evidence of instructional needs.

Question 5 · School Environment
A newly assigned middle school principal finds that the campus is implementing nine separate initiatives, including two different literacy programs, a new grading approach, and three student incentive systems. Teachers report feeling overwhelmed, and implementation of each initiative is inconsistent. What is the MOST effective next step?
- A.Maintain all current initiatives this year to avoid further disruption and focus on improving implementation fidelity
- B.Keep the two initiatives the principal judges most promising and discontinue all of the others immediately
- C.Assign each initiative to a teacher leader so that responsibility for implementation is shared across the staff
- D.Inventory the initiatives with staff, judge each by goal alignment and impact, and consolidate or cut the weakest
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Inventory the initiatives with staff, judge each by goal alignment and impact, and consolidate or cut the weakest
Systems thinking recognizes that too many overlapping initiatives compete for teachers' time and dilute implementation of all of them. Inventorying initiatives with staff and evaluating each against campus goals and evidence of impact allows the principal to consolidate and focus the work. Keeping everything perpetuates the overload. Cutting all but two based on personal judgment ignores data and staff input and may eliminate effective or required programs. Distributing ownership spreads responsibility but leaves teachers carrying the same number of initiatives.
Question 6 · School Environment
Based on the midyear data, which conclusion is MOST justified?
- A.The advisory intervention is ineffective for struggling readers and should be replaced with a different, more intensive reading intervention program before spring.
- B.Weak implementation of the advisory intervention likely explains the flat results for intervention students, so it has not been fairly tested.
- C.The PLC planning strategy is not producing gains, because overall progress toward the 54% target is slower than the campus expected.
- D.The goal's target was set too high, because intervention students' results have barely changed since the first grading period.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Weak implementation of the advisory intervention likely explains the flat results for intervention students, so it has not been fairly tested.
Progress monitoring must examine implementation alongside outcomes. Only about half of planned sessions were held and attendance fell to 39%, so intervention students barely received the strategy; their flat results say little about whether it works. Declaring the intervention ineffective skips this fidelity check. The PLC strategy appears to be working, since non-intervention students rose from 57% to 65%. Lowering the target reduces expectations before the campus has corrected an implementation problem it controls (Competency 001: using data to monitor progress and adjust plans toward the vision).
Question 7 · Human Capital
Feeder middle school Ninth graders who passed Grade 8 math Failing Algebra I at end of first semester
Oak Hill MS 212 9%
Westfield MS 188 31%
Pine Creek MS 143 11%
A high school principal reviews first-semester Algebra I grades for ninth graders who passed Grade 8 math the prior year. Which action is MOST appropriate?
- A.Enroll all ninth graders from Westfield in a double-blocked Algebra I course beginning next semester.
- B.Require all incoming ninth graders to attend a summer Algebra I readiness program before entering high school, regardless of feeder campus.
- C.Ask Algebra I teachers to slow their pacing for all students until the Westfield students have caught up.
- D.Work with Westfield's principal so Grade 8 math and Algebra I teachers can compare curriculum maps, TEKS emphasis, and student work.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Work with Westfield's principal so Grade 8 math and Algebra I teachers can compare curriculum maps, TEKS emphasis, and student work.
The data isolate the problem to one feeder: Westfield students fail at roughly three times the rate of students from the other campuses despite having passed Grade 8 math. That pattern points to a vertical alignment gap, such as differences in emphasis on foundational TEKS, which teachers from both campuses can identify by comparing maps and student work. Double-blocking every Westfield student treats the symptom and ignores individual readiness. A summer program for all students is broader than the problem. Slowing pacing for everyone lowers expectations and risks leaving part of the Algebra I curriculum untaught.
Question 8 · Human Capital
A U.S. History team's common unit assessments consist almost entirely of multiple-choice items asking students to identify dates, people, and definitions, while many of the course TEKS require students to analyze causes and effects and evaluate sources. What should the principal ask the team to do?
- A.Replace the unit assessments with released state assessment forms, since those are already aligned to the TEKS.
- B.Map each assessment item to its TEKS student expectation and cognitive demand, and revise or add items where they do not match.
- C.Add more items of the current type to each unit assessment so that the results are more reliable.
- D.Keep the unit assessments as written, and have teachers assign a separate analysis essay at the end of each semester to measure higher-order skills.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Map each assessment item to its TEKS student expectation and cognitive demand, and revise or add items where they do not match.
Curriculum-assessment alignment requires that assessments measure both the content and the level of thinking the TEKS require. Mapping each item to its student expectation and cognitive demand reveals where recall items stand in for analysis and evaluation, so the team can revise them. Released state forms cover the whole course and are not designed to measure a single unit as it is taught. Adding more recall items makes a misaligned measure more consistent but no more valid. A single end-of-semester essay comes too late to inform instruction during each unit.
Question 9 · Human Capital
An assistant principal typically emails teachers a list of ten to twelve suggestions after each short walkthrough. Teachers report that the suggestions rarely change their practice. Which change would MOST increase the impact of walkthrough feedback?
- A.Add the matching rubric dimension and performance level next to each suggestion so teachers can see how each one connects to their rating.
- B.Collect the walkthrough notes for the month and send each teacher a single comprehensive summary at the end of the month.
- C.Limit written feedback to positive comments for the rest of the semester to rebuild trust before addressing areas for growth.
- D.Focus each round of feedback on one evidence-based, high-leverage action step the teacher can practice before the next visit.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Focus each round of feedback on one evidence-based, high-leverage action step the teacher can practice before the next visit.
Feedback changes practice when it is specific, evidence-based, timely, and manageable. A single high-leverage action step that the teacher can rehearse and then be observed using is far more actionable than a long list. Attaching ratings to each suggestion makes walkthroughs feel evaluative without making the advice more usable. A monthly summary sacrifices timeliness. Withholding all growth-oriented feedback avoids the problem; trust is built through feedback that is useful, not only positive (Competency 005).
Question 10 · School Environment
A high school's teachers report "initiative fatigue" as the principal prepares to launch a new campus-wide literacy strategy. The campus currently has six other initiatives under way. Which action would MOST improve the likelihood that the new strategy succeeds?
- A.Launch the literacy strategy as planned but delay the formal walkthroughs that monitor its implementation until the second semester.
- B.Pilot the literacy strategy with every department simultaneously so that teachers share a common experience.
- C.Ask teachers to choose which three of the seven initiatives they will implement in their own classrooms.
- D.Review all current initiatives against campus goals and stop or merge those that overlap or lack results before launching.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Review all current initiatives against campus goals and stop or merge those that overlap or lack results before launching.
Successful change management requires focus. Auditing existing initiatives and stopping or integrating those that are redundant or ineffective frees capacity and signals that the new strategy is a priority aligned with campus goals. Delaying monitoring does not reduce the overload. Launching everywhere at once is not a pilot and adds to fatigue. Letting each teacher choose initiatives fragments the campus's efforts and makes coherent implementation and evaluation impossible (Competency 008).

Feeder middle school	Ninth graders who passed Grade 8 math	Failing Algebra I at end of first semester
Oak Hill MS	212	9%
Westfield MS	188	31%
Pine Creek MS	143	11%

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