Review the GACE Educational Leadership: Tier I exam outline, content-area weights and the TeacherPreps school leadership study guide lessons for this exam.

Published by TeacherPreps · Updated November 7, 2026

GACE Educational Leadership: Tier I: Study Guide

Exam facts

Exam: GACE Educational Leadership: Tier I
State / jurisdiction: Georgia
Credential area: School principal
Questions: 90 selected-response questions; 3 constructed-response assignments
Testing time: 225 minutes (3 hours 45 minutes)
Appointment time: 255 minutes (4 hours 15 minutes)
Passing score: 250
Scoring: You also need a scorable response to each constructed-response assignment.

The appointment includes a scheduled 15-minute break between the selected-response section (2 hours 15 minutes) and the constructed-response section (1 hour 30 minutes). After the break you cannot return to the selected-response questions.

GACE Educational Leadership: Tier I study guide lessons

The TeacherPreps study guide for this exam has 55 lessons organized by chapter, each written for the content areas above. The first lesson, Mission, vision, core values, and priorities, is free to read without a membership.

Read the free first lesson

What this exam covers

This outline summarizes the content areas in the publisher framework. Use it as a study checklist, and follow the source links below for the full framework.

1. Visionary, Collaborative, and Ethical Leadership (20%)

Topics to review

Mission, vision, goals, and values
Stakeholder participation and ownership
Evidence and goal selection
The principal’s leadership role
Alignment of plans and resources
Policy context and implementation
Leadership theories and how theory relates to practice
Managing change and supporting people
Barriers, competing demands, and uncertainty
Alignment across classrooms and grade levels
Equity, access, and high expectations
Research methods for diverse student and community dynamics
Welcoming and accessible participation
Family voice in decisions and improvement
Coordinating school, family, and community support
Audience, purpose, and communication choices
Two-way communication and listening
Stakeholder relationships and access
Community context and responsiveness
Public information and media relations
Transparency, confidentiality, and advocacy
Building and sustaining partnerships
Mobilizing and sustaining resources
Public education and democratic purposes
Governance roles and authority
Social, economic, political, and cultural context
Policy and the school’s direction
Advocacy and influence
Sources and application of education law
Rights, due process, and fair procedures
Equal access and nondiscrimination
Monitoring compliance and communicating requirements
Professional values and moral responsibility
Equity and access in ethical decisions
Democracy, community, and social justice
Ethical use of authority, information, and public resources
Accountability and responses to misconduct

2. Student and Staff Learning (27%)

Topics to review

Coherent curriculum design
Alignment across classrooms and grade levels
Research and evidence for instructional decisions
Learning theories and child and adolescent development
Differentiation, intervention, and student needs
Language, culture, and learner strengths
Technology, digital literacy, and responsible participation
Academic and nonacademic program coordination
School structures that affect instruction
Student placement and access to the curriculum
Assessment purposes, strengths, and limits
Using evidence to adjust instruction
Assessment and educator development
Accountability systems
High expectations and shared commitments
Consistent expectations and accountability
Equity, access, and high expectations
Implicit and institutional bias
Responsive curriculum, instruction, and assessment
A caring and personalized learning environment
Academic, developmental, and engagement needs
Coherent systems of student support
Behavior expectations and positive behavior support
Access, accommodations, and specialized needs
Induction, mentoring, and retention
Interpreting evidence and identifying needs
Adult learning and differentiated professional development
Professional learning tied to student evidence
Job-embedded learning and resource support
Induction and mentoring
Formats for professional learning: seminars, book studies, workshops, and coaching
The principal’s own professional growth
Professional health and ethical learning practices
Principles of adult learning and staff motivation
Supporting learning at home and school

3. Systems and Resource Management (23%)

Topics to review

Collaborative planning and decisions
Managing change and supporting people
Systems thinking in school leadership
Cycles of inquiry and organizational learning
Trust, respect, and collegial relationships
Safe reflection, voice, and innovation
Collaboration and collective responsibility
Staff care, health, and sustainable work
Safety, wellness, and support during crises
Tiered disciplinary measures and student codes of conduct
Recruitment and candidate selection
Strategic assignment and scheduling
Evaluation and employment decisions
Personnel law, contracts, and records
Leadership capacity and management of staff
Motivating, recognizing, and celebrating staff by career stage
Instructional expectations and evaluation criteria
Evaluation and personnel responsibilities
Teacher leadership and distributed responsibility
Team building, trust, and shared responsibility among staff
Consensus, negotiation, and shared commitment
Conflict and competing interests
Communication during improvement and safety work
Building and sustaining partnerships
Organizational design and responsibilities
Time, schedules, and instructional protection
Facilities use and program coordination
Auxiliary and support services
Data and information systems
Technology and communication systems
Security, privacy, and compliance
Operational evaluation and improvement
Resources and organizational capacity
Free and reduced-price meal program requirements
Space for extended-learning programs
Legal requirements for auxiliary services
Funding sources and restrictions
Needs-based and collaborative budgeting
Equitable allocation and resource alignment
Resource development
Purchasing and financial transactions
Records, reporting, and internal controls
Monitoring budgets and evaluating resource use
Ethical and lawful stewardship
Technology for financial management and business procedures
Reporting financial information to stakeholders
Balanced budgets and restrictions on moving funds
Physical and emotional safety
Facilities, equipment, and inspections
Security procedures and prevention
Emergency and crisis management
Lawful safety and discipline practices
Privacy, confidentiality, and information security
Employment, leave, and contractual obligations
Lawful operations, facilities, and finance

4. Planning Documents, Success for All Students, and Management Problem-Solving (30%)

Topics to review

Audience, purpose, and communication choices
Reporting progress and celebrating contributions
Ethical use of authority, information, and public resources

This exam also includes written responses (3 constructed-response assignments). The free diagnostic and Exam Builder practice cover multiple-choice content only.

Check the exam or component you need

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GACE Educational Leadership: Tier II: compare exam details

Publisher sources

Checked November 7, 2026. Content areas and weights come from the exam framework; administrative details come from the publisher test pages.

TeacherPreps practice questions and lessons are independently written and are not publisher exam questions.

Continue your school leadership preparation

Read the study guide lessons, practice by content area in the Exam Builder and review the explanation for each answer.

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