CASE STUDY 9.2WHOSE BEST INTERESTS? A TESTING DILEMMA The meeting could have been worse. That thought provided Central High School Principal Charlie Franken little solace as he sat in his office reflecting on the discord created in the just concluded meeting with his department chairs. Their responses to the proposed curriculum change approached open revolt, and Charlie felt trapped with few good options. Central High students always performed well on the state’s standardized tests by maintaining scores that were equal to or above state averages. The school continued to meet state-defined, adequate yearly progress targets. Unfortunately, it was the school’s future performance that most concerned the board of school directors. With each passing year, the state’s goals for acceptable scores became more aggressive. Due to such high expectations, it appeared that a large number of districts would not meet state goals in the coming years. The school directors wanted to ensure that their district would not be among them. If the number of Central High students achieving acceptable scores increased, at the current rate, the school would be placed on the state’s “at-risk” list in two years’ time. Such an action would eliminate state funding incentives for good performance and open the door for a state takeover of the school district. With such dire consequences looming in the future, the directors thought it prudent to increase student performance on the state test. The board charged the district superintendent, Dr. Carl Horne, to design and implement a curriculum that specifically addressed state standards. Appreciating the gravity of the situation and the serious concern of the board, Dr. Horne developed a plan that he presented to Charlie Franken. In a meeting with Charlie, Dr. Horne presented an outline of the curriculum changes that the board of directors agreed would address their concerns. Courses designed specifically to address the state standards would be created in each of the four core disciplines for grades 9 through 12. These eight new courses would provide intensive training in test-taking skills. The curriculum would be centered on the material covered by the state standards and would be mandatory for students who failed to meet acceptable levels of achievement on the state exams. Because there was no federal or state funding provided to support such an initiative, these changes were to be implemented utilizing current staff. Charlie’s reaction to the proposal was less than enthusiastic. Sensing his opposition, Dr. Horne explained how such a curriculum was in the best interest of the school district. The community respected the accomplishments of the district and was proud of its standing in the state. The threat of falling below state expectations and being placed on an “endangered list” would undermine the trust and support of the community. The turmoil that would result from such a situation would be unthinkable; consequently, it wa ...

1. CASE STUDY 9.2WHOSE BEST INTERESTS? A TESTING
DILEMMA
The meeting could have been worse. That thought provided
Central High School Principal Charlie Franken little solace as
he sat in his office reflecting on the discord created in the just
concluded meeting with his department chairs. Their responses
to the proposed curriculum change approached open revolt, and
Charlie felt trapped with few good options.
Central High students always performed well on the state’s
standardized tests by maintaining scores that were equal to or
above state averages. The school continued to meet state-
defined, adequate yearly progress targets. Unfortunately, it was
the school’s future performance that most concerned the board
of school directors. With each passing year, the state’s goals for
acceptable scores became more aggressive. Due to such high
expectations, it appeared that a large number of districts would
not meet state goals in the coming years. The school directors
wanted to ensure that their district would not be among them.
If the number of Central High students achieving acceptable
scores increased, at the current rate, the school would be placed
on the state’s “at-risk” list in two years’ time. Such an action
would eliminate state funding incentives for good performance
and open the door for a state takeover of the school district.
With such dire consequences looming in the future, the
directors thought it prudent to increase student performance on
the state test. The board charged the district superintendent, Dr.
Carl Horne, to design and implement a curriculum that
specifically addressed state standards. Appreciating the gravity
of the situation and the serious concern of the board, Dr. Horne
developed a plan that he presented to Charlie Franken.
In a meeting with Charlie, Dr. Horne presented an outline of the
curriculum changes that the board of directors agreed would
address their concerns. Courses designed specifically to address
the state standards would be created in each of the four core

2. disciplines for grades 9 through 12. These eight new courses
would provide intensive training in test-taking skills. The
curriculum would be centered on the material covered by the
state standards and would be mandatory for students who failed
to meet acceptable levels of achievement on the state exams.
Because there was no federal or state funding provided to
support such an initiative, these changes were to be
implemented utilizing current staff.
Charlie’s reaction to the proposal was less than enthusiastic.
Sensing his opposition, Dr. Horne explained how such a
curriculum was in the best interest of the school district. The
community respected the accomplishments of the district and
was proud of its standing in the state. The threat of falling
below state expectations and being placed on an “endangered
list” would undermine the trust and support of the community.
The turmoil that would result from such a situation would be
unthinkable; consequently, it was necessary to take action
before problems developed. Dr. Horne’s parting words were
clearly etched in Charlie’s memory. He stated, “You’re either
part of the problem or part of the solution. Keep me informed of
your progress.”
Now that he had his “marching orders,” Charlie’s first action
would be to meet with his department chairs. Because of their
previous work on developing the curriculum, he knew the
meeting would not be pleasant.
Under Charlie’s collegial style of leadership and with the
notable support of the department chairs, especially the
respected English chair, Alicia Weston, the faculty developed a
curriculum to best serve the needs of all Central High School
students. They researched and worked with a strong sense of
purpose nurtured by an altruistic desire to give their students
“the best.” Developed and implemented over a five-year period,
the curriculum identified three directions of academic
preparation based on students’ post-graduation plans. Each
discipline offered courses designed to prepare students for
college, vocational/technical school, or direct entry into the

3. workforce. At each grade level, an interdisciplinary relation
among the core disciplines was established. Students were free
to choose from among the offerings in order to create an
individualized plan that best suited their needs. Although
subject to ongoing evaluation and revision, the current
curriculum appeared to be successful in achieving the desired
objectives and was highly regarded by the staff. It was with this
in mind that Charlie presented the new curriculum revision plan
to the department chairs.
As anticipated, the chairs were not receptive to the proposed
change. The impact on the current curriculum would be
significant. At first, discussion centered on a practical
consideration. With no new staff, the courses offered for
vocational/technical school students and those desiring to enter
the workforce on graduation would be virtually eliminated, as
many of those students would most likely be candidates for the
new courses. This trend would be exacerbated in future years
with the relentless raising of state targets for successful
achievement.
The discussion then took a more philosophical turn. The
validity of teaching test-taking skills was questioned. How were
such skills useful in the real world? In addition, the practice of
“teaching to the test” was anathema to educators interested in
providing their students with the knowledge and skills
necessary for success in their chosen areas. Furthermore, by
identifying which students were assigned to the courses, the
school would be eliminating student and parental choice by
subjecting them to mandatory tracking. It was no surprise that
Alicia Weston was particularly vehement in her objections by
suggesting that teachers were not needed to fulfill the
processing demanded of the new curriculum; trainers would be
sufficient.
What did surprise Charlie was Alicia’s threat to resign her
position as chair and revert to being a regular classroom teacher
if such curriculum changes were mandated. She did not want to
be in a leadership position for the implementation of a program

4. that she considered to be unethical. While proffered in the heat
of the moment, Charlie knew her well enough to realize that this
was not a mere bluff. Trying to gauge the reactions of the other
chairs to her pronouncement, Charlie could not discern if any
were inclined to follow her lead.
Sitting in his office, Charlie considered his dilemma. He knew
he was bound to carry out the mandates of the school board and
the superintendent, but what if he believed that a particular
directive was not in the best interests of the students? Then he
paused to reflect: Who is the ultimate judge of what is in
their best interests? The authority certainly resides with the
board, but are the directors the best qualified to make curricular
and pedagogical decisions? What would be the effect on the
school’s students, morale, and culture if the curriculum changes
were unilaterally mandated? Would siding with his chairs in a
unified front delineating the shortcomings of the proposed
changes influence Dr. Horne and the board to reconsider their
position? These questions preoccupied his mind as Charlie tried
to formulate the first report of this progress for Dr.
Horne.Questions for Discussion
1. What actions might Charlie take that would be fair to both
the students and the faculty? Would you recommend that he take
these actions? Why or why not?
2. Is caring for the school district synonymous with caring for
the students? What is the principal’s best course of action
according to the ethic of care? Should the ethic of care be the
primary lens through which to view this dilemma? Why or why
not?
3. Why is accountability so important in education today? Who
benefits from an educational curriculum and system based on
uniform standards?
4. What is Principal Franken’s ultimate responsibility? What
should be in his first progress report to Dr. Horne? Should he
take the chair’s side on this issue? Why or why not?
5. What would the profession expect Charlie to do in this case?
What action would be in the best interests of the students?

5. Running head: TITLE 1
TITLE 3
Title
Name
Course
Instructor
Title

6. References
Required Resources
Required Text
1. Poliner Shapiro, J., Stefkovich, J. (2011). Ethical leadership
and decision making in education: Applying theoretical
perspectives to complex dilemmas (3rd ed.). New York, NY:
Routledge.
a. Chapter 9.2: Whose best interest? A testing dilemma.
Websites
1. Maetrix.Com. (n.d.). Discover your level of EI. Retrieved
from http://www.maetrix.com.au/meit/eitest.html#Start
· This online Emotional Intelligence quiz measures your areas
of strength and weakness with EQ. You use the results from this
quiz in the Week Three Discussion 1.
Recommended Resources
Article
1. Mayer, J. D., & Caruso, D. (2002). The effective leaders:
Understanding and applying emotional intelligence. Ivey

7. Businesses Journal, 67(2), 1-5. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database.
· This article discusses the importance of emotional intelligence
in the context of being a business leader. This article is useful
to those who are not in a traditional school setting.
Multimedia
1. AllanGregg [Allan Gregg In Conversation]. (2012, March
13). Daniel Goleman explains emotional intelligence . [Video
File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJ3FF1yFyc
· This article discusses the importance of emotional intelligence
in the context of being a business leader. This article is useful
to those who are not in a traditional school setting.
2. Pierson, R. (2013, May). Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a
champion. [Video file] Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_cha
mpion
· In this 8 minute video, Rita Pierson calls on educators to make
real, personal connections with their students. By utilizing
Emotional Intelligence, you can build upon your students’
strengths and weaknesses and create positive change in their
viewpoints on education.
IG - Intellectual Elaboration
A continued source of support for the course remains the
textbook, Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in
Education. Poliner Shapiro and Stefkovich (2011) provide four
different lenses from which to view, think about, and resolve
moral dilemmas: the ethic of justice, critique, care, and
profession. Week Three builds upon the ethics of justice and
critique as well as introduces the ethic of care. Figure 1, below,
portrays the theoretical perspectives that are often considered
with regard to the ethic of care:

8. Figure 1. Theoretical Perspectives and Ethic of Care
(Adapted from Poliner Shapiro, & Stefkovich, 2011).
According to Poliner Shapiro & Stefkovich (2011, p. 18-19), the
ethic of care with regard to education can often cover questions
such as: Who will benefit from what I decide? Who will be hurt
by my decisions? What are the long-term effects of a decision I
make today? If I am helped by someone now, what should I do
in the future about giving back to this individual or to society in
general?
This week, the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI), also
referred to Emotional Quotient (EQ), will be introduced. As
educators, the term EQ might have brought up a strong
connection to Intelligence Quotient (IQ). IQ tests became very
popular during World War I and served as an evaluation tool for
military recruits. The following is a link to the Stanford-Binet
IQ test (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. is
frequently used today. IQ tests have been and remain commonly
taken as children and adults as they have been linked to school
achievement, job performance, and income. However, ethical
educational leaders may find that EQ/EI is a more relevant
indicator for performance as it can be related to how they
understand, empathize, and negotiate with other people (Akers
& Porter, 2007). As depicted in Figure 2, below, there are five
common categories of emotional intelligence (EI).
Figure 2. Five Common Categories of EI
(Adapted from Akers & Porter, 2007)
Here is another quick EI tool that is informative for an ethical
leader dealing with various stakeholder groups: Test your
emotional intelligence! (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site. This quiz is based on your ability to read and

9. understand body language and facial cues.
Week Three Assessment Guidance
Within Week Three, different dilemmas pertaining to the field
of education will be considered through the lens of the ethic of
caring and Emotional Intelligence. The following guidance
provides detailed support as you participate in discussions and
complete the assignment. Be sure to read through this guidance
as well as review the individual links for each assignment and
their corresponding rubrics.
Discussion 1: Emotional Intelligence Quiz
To complete this discussion post, you will first need to take
the Emotional Intelligence quiz (Links to an external site.)Links
to an external site. located at the maetrix website. There are
numerous similar tests available online or through paid
programs, but this one was chosen because it is free, won’t take
too long complete (40 questions), and bases responses upon four
main categories of Emotional Intelligence. However, one issue
with this quiz is that it presents questions in an absolute manner
(i.e. I always). This may not be the most appropriate format as
decision making can change based on the situation. It is
suggested that you answer the questions based on the ways that
you are most likely to respond or act. After taking the quiz, you
will be provided a score for four categories of Emotional
Intelligence. Figure 3 outlines these four categories and their
relationships to one another along the various domains of
awareness as defined in Goleman’s (1995) model of EI.
Figure 3. Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Model (1995)
Based on your results, the original discussion post will:
· State scores from the quiz

10. · Examine results based on the descriptions of four different
categories of EI
· Examine surprises encountered from results
· Examine strategies that can be used to incorporate strengths
into leadership abilities
· Examines strategies that can be used to strengthen area(s) of
weaknesses.
***Be aware that once you navigate away from the page, you
will not be able to access your answers without retaking the
quiz. You might want to copy and paste your results from the
quiz into a word document that you can save and use in the
future.***Discussion 2: Case Study Analysis- Ethic of Care
For the first three weeks of the course, various real-life moral
dilemmas are considered while assuming the role of a
participant within the actual dilemma. You will be assigned a
role, based on the first letter of your last name, and will post
your initial response and all replies from the point of view of
that assigned role. Each week, the roles rotate, ensuring that
each group has the opportunity to assume the role of the
educational leader. It is important to stick to your assigned role
so that you can think about the situations from the viewpoint of
other stakeholders and therefore analyze issues in ways that you
may not have considered in the past. It is also very important
that you respond back to any peers who have commented on
your original post or to your instructor in order to ensure that
true dialogue takes place.
For Week Three, the chosen case study is Case Study
9.2: Whose Best Interest? (Poliner Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2011,
p. 143-146). As discussed in this week’s Intellectual
Elaboration, one of the key factors of the ethic of care is the
blending of emotion and reason. As you review the case study,
consider emotion and reason while also taking note of the ways
in which the ethics of justice, ethic of critique, and/or emotional
intelligence factor into the case study.

11. Assignment: Ethic of Care Conversation
This week’s assignment is a fantastic opportunity to network
with other leaders within in the field of education in order to
gain a better understanding of how Emotional Intelligence (EI)
and the ethic of care impact practice. Research shows that
leaders who make use of emotional information and use their
feelings constructively have an advantage over those who
cannot (Mayer & Caruso, 2002). However, it is evident that
there is a wide spectrum in regards to EI; from those who
consider emotional intelligence as a key component of their
leadership traits to those that see it as supplementary. For this
assignment, choose any two leaders who are either associated
with a school or an educational organization. The specific
instructions in the Week Three Assignment overview provide
details regarding the selection process. You may choose people
from anywhere on EI spectrum. Choosing someone who appears
to have really strong EI and someone who may not consider this
an important factor may lead to a more interesting, comparative
analysis.
Looking Ahead in EDU689!
In Week Five, you will create a plan of action for a personal
case study. Keep in mind that the more you actively participate
in the discussion posts “practice” case studies, the easier it will
be to conduct one on your own.
References
Akers, M. & Porter, G. (2007). What is Emotional Intelligence
(EQ)? Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-
emotional-intelligence-eq/0001037.
Goleman, D., (1995) Emotional Intelligence. New York, NY:

12. Bantam Books, Inc.
Mayer, J. D., & Caruso, D. (2002). The effective leaders:
Understanding and applying emotional intelligence. Ivey
Business Journal, 67(2), 1-5.
Poliner Shapiro, J., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2011). Ethical
Leadership and decision making in education: Applying
theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas (3rd ed.). New
York, NY: Routledge.
Ethic of Care Conversation
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT A BID FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT
IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND EDUCATION TERMS AND
CONCEPTS. ALL DIRECTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED AND
NO PLAGARIASM. MY SCHOOL USES SOFTWARE TO
DETECT COPIED MATERIAL.
ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED COMPLETEY
NOTE: This will be a fictional conversation. Write the paper
based on how you think the leaders would respond. Suggested
sources have been provided that should help make this
assignment easier.
In addition to the information provided in the attachments, you
can view the link below to see an EI test.
https://globalleadershipfoundation.com/geit/eitest.html#Start
Leaders who make use of emotional information and use their
feelings constructively have an advantage over those who
cannot (Mayer & Caruso, 2002). For leaders to be successful,
they must consider emotional intelligence (EI) as a key
component of their leadership traits, rather than seeing it as
supplementary. This week’s assignment involves a conversation
focused on the concept of EI. For your conversation, choose

13. two individuals who have leadership roles and focus your
conversation on the leaders’ capacity to understand and explain
their emotions and the ways they use emotions to enhance
thought.
The leaders that you choose need to be associated with either a
school or an educational agency. Some examples include your
school administrator(s), administrator(s) at your child’s school,
school board member, preschool director, or something similar.
If you are unsure about whom to select, please contact the
instructor. There are numerous options for conducting the
conversations, including face-to-face meetings, phone, email,
Skype, Google Chat, etc. Please choose the option that you feel
would best accommodate your needs while being respectful of
the leaders’ time and schedule.
After participating in a conversation with your selected
individuals, construct your assignment to meet the following
content and written communication expectations.
Content Expectations
· Participant Reflection: Describe the individuals you spoke
with, their leadership role, and why you selected them. Preserve
the anonymity of the individuals you spoke with by not
including individual’s last names or other information that may
identify the individual.
· Viewpoints: Describe how the differing viewpoints and
personality characteristics of each individual impacts their
ability to lead effectively, how these may impact teaching and
learning, and what leadership paradigms were presented by the
individuals with whom you spoke.
· EI– Professional Practice: Examine how Emotional
Intelligence influences your professional practices, using at
least two specific examples.
· EI – Personal Characteristics: Examine how Emotional
Intelligence influences your personal feelings and prejudices

14. while considering how these may affect your leadership
effectiveness.
· Reflection: Evaluate three areas of learning from the
conversation in terms of how the conversations may influence
your leadership practices.
Written Communication Expectations
· Page Requirement: Three pages, not including title and
references pages.
· APA Formatting: Use APA formatting consistently throughout
the assignment.
· Syntax and Mechanics: Display meticulous comprehension and
organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and
grammar.
· Source Requirement: Reference two scholarly sources in
addition to the course textbook and previously assigned
readings, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All
sources on the references page need to be used and cited
correctly within the body of the assignment.
Case Study Analysis-Ethic of Care
As with prior weeks, we again debate a case study from various
stakeholder perspectives. To prepare for this discussion, read
the Case Study 9.2: Whose Best Interests? A Testing
Dilemma (Poliner Shapiro, & Stefkovich, 2011, p. 143-146).
Next, review the initial post and guided response instructions
making sure you respond from your assigned stakeholder’s
perspective. One approach to this discussion is to create your
viewpoint with consideration of the Questions for
Discussion presented in the text following the case study.
Initial Post: Create your initial post writing from your assigned
stakeholder’s perspective. Discuss the case from the viewpoint
of your stakeholder considering the dilemma presented and
making sure you have taken a clearly articulated ethical stance
on the case’s dilemma and including any legal considerations

15. involved. If you are assigned the leader’s perspective, be sure
to include a suggested decision for the outcome of the case.
Determine your stakeholder role assignment as follows:
If your last name begins with letters R-Z, write from the
perspective of Charlie Franken (leader), high school principal.