NYSTCE SBL case studies

NYSTCE SBL · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The School Building Leader assessment is one of the school leadership assessments in the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) program, listed by its official title as the Revised (May 2019) School Building Leader assessment under test codes 109/110. It sits alongside the School District Leader (103/104) and School District Business Leader (105/106) assessments in the NYSTCE leadership group, and it appears in the NYSTCE test catalog as a two-part coded assessment rather than a single numbered Content Specialty Test. The NYSTCE SBL case studies are 5 cases and about 3,031 words.

Coherence Versus Autonomy in a K-8 Literacy Initiative

You are in your second year as principal of Riverbend K-8, a Title I school with 610 students. State data show that only 31% of English learners met their ELA growth target last year, compared with 58% of non-EL students.

614 words, about 3 min 2

Evaluating a Veteran Teacher While Protecting a Probationary Teacher

You are principal of Northgate Middle School, which serves 720 students. Alvarez, a tenured 19-year social studies teacher and soccer coach, has two consecutive 'developing' observation ratings: in three 40-minute visits, 42% of students were off-task during independent work, and 78% of his questions were recall-level.

616 words, about 3 min 3

Heat, Buses, and Instructional Minutes

You are principal of Crestview Middle School, which serves 840 students in grades 6-8. On a Monday in September, the east wing HVAC system fails; classroom temperatures reach 88°F by 10 a.m.

604 words, about 3 min 4

A Donation With Conditions and a Bullying Allegation

You are principal of Lakeside Elementary, which serves 480 students. A local developer offers 30,000 to replace the aging playground, but the written offer requires (1) a 6-foot company logo painted on the blacktop, (2) priority after-hours access for residents of his new subdivision, and (3) a press event with students.

576 words, about 3 min 5

Algebra Failure Rates and a Scheduling Bind

You are principal of Fairmont High School, which serves 1,180 students. Last year, 38% of 9th graders failed Algebra I; failure rates were 51% for Black males and 44% for students with disabilities, compared with 27% for white students.

621 words, about 3 min