SLPS Competitive Exam case studies
SLPS Competitive Exam · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The SLPS Competitive Exam - the School Leadership Preparation Series Competitive Examination - is a multiple-choice assessment used to evaluate candidates for school-level leadership roles such as assistant principal, principal, and instructional coordinator. It is designed for educators who already hold classroom or teacher-leader experience and are moving into formal administrative responsibility, and for current administrators seeking appointment or advancement in systems that use a competitive selection process. The SLPS Competitive Exam case studies are 5 cases and about 4,623 words.
1The Vision Vacuum After a Sudden Principalship
On October 12 you become principal of a 720-student school where 58% of students are economically disadvantaged. Your predecessor resigned after a staff no-confidence petition, and three years of flat ELA proficiency (41%) have made staff cynical.
952 words, about 5 min2The Subgroup Behind the Average
At the January data review, your 640-student K-8 school looks like a success: overall reading proficiency rose from 56% to 62%. Disaggregation tells a different story.
900 words, about 5 min3The Midyear $212,000 Reduction
In January the district informs you that enrollment-driven budget reductions require 212,000 from your 1,450-student middle school by July 1. The fund balance cannot cover it, and Title I funds cannot supplant general education salaries.
909 words, about 5 min4The Board Member's Daughter and the Invisible Student
Two seventh graders are referred to you in the same week. Student A has a recent ADHD diagnosis, an attorney parent who is also a sitting school board member, and a request for 504 accommodations: extended time, movement breaks, and a quiet test setting.
932 words, about 5 min5The Threat Assessment That Doesn't Fit the Playbook
At 8:40 on a Thursday night before a three-day weekend, a teacher forwards you a screenshot: a 15-year-old student posted a photo of a rifle with the caption 'don't come Monday.' By 9:15 the image is circulating among students, and two parents have emailed asking whether school will be open. The student has no discipline history, has an IEP for an emotional disability, and lost a parent in September.
930 words, about 5 min