Greetings: The following is a practice test with questions that are similar to ExCET exam questions. Answer each question on separate paper. Do not print the test. It is too long. Do your best.
Remember; have fun its just a test.
DIRECTIONS
Each question in this booklet is a multiple-choice question with four
answer choices. Read each question carefully and choose the ONE best
answer. Record your answer on the answer sheet in the space that
corresponds to the question number. Completely fill in the space having
the same letter as the answer you have chosen. Use only a No. 2 lead pencil.
Sample Question: 1. What is the capital of Texas?
A. Dallas
B. Lubbock
C. Austin
D. San Antonio
The correct answer to this question is C. You would indicate that on the
answer sheet as follows:
1.
Try to answer all questions. In general, if you have some knowledge about
a question, it is better to try to answer it. You will NOT be penalized
for guessing.
1. Ms. Harris, a special education teacher, is working with a third-grade
teacher to address the needs of Molly, a student who has special needs and
is new to the school. Ms. Harris is aware that Molly's family has moved to
different towns four times in two years. Based on this information, which
of the following questions would be appropriate for Ms. Harris to consider?
I. Have gaps in Molly's knowledge base developed as a result of switching
schools so often?
II. Given that Molly has had to adapt to new schools frequently, would it
be best to defer inclusion until she becomes more comfortable in her new
school?
III. How have Molly's frequent moves affected her social and emotional
development?
IV. Given that Molly has had to switch teachers so often, would it be
best for her to work with her regular classroom teacher exclusively instead
of with other school staff?
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
2. Ms. Navarro, a special education teacher, team-teaches a middle school
class that includes several learners with special needs. Whenever the
classroom teacher assigns students a project (e.g., a science report), Ms.
Navarro makes sure to show the class several examples of the finished
project created by the teachers or by students in previous years. This
strategy is likely to be especially effective in:
A. eliminating the need for students with special needs to ask many
questions about the project.
B. encouraging students with special needs to learn from their nondisabled
peers.
C. making an abstract project seem more concrete to learners with special
needs.
D. setting high standards of achievement for students with special needs.
3. Which of the following difficulties is most likely to affect the
learning of a child with Tourette's syndrome?
A. delayed language development caused by auditory discrimination problems
B. inability to write legibly due to lack of fine-motor coordination
C. social-emotional problems resulting from abrupt, involuntary verbalizations
D. poor math performance due to cognitive impairments
4. Cristos is an eight year old whose family moved to the United States
from Greece approximately one month ago. His school records from Greece
indicate that Cristos was a very good student in all subject areas.
However, his third-grade teacher expresses concern to the special education
teacher because, while Cristos appears to pay close attention to the
activities around him, he rarely speaks more than one word in most
situations. Given the information provided about Cristos, which of the
following is most likely the contributing factor to his behavior?
A. Cristos probably has a language disorder that was not diagnosed
in his previous school, and the teacher should refer him for a
comprehensive examination.
B. Cristos is probably going through a normal stage of social-emotional
development, and the teacher should support his attempts to establish his
own separate identity.
C. Cristos probably has a learning disability that was not diagnosed
in his previous school, and the teacher should refer him for a
comprehensive examination.
D. Cristos is probably going through a normal stage of second-language
development, and the teacher should encourage him to speak when he feels
ready.
5. This year a middle school is introducing block scheduling. Most
classes will meet for ninety minutes two or three times a week instead of
every day. When considering the effect of this policy on students who
receive special education services, the special education teacher should
pay particular attention to which of the following?
I. arranging for students to use self-paced, computer-assisted instruction
II. modifying instruction for students who have difficulty sustaining
concentration
III. planning activities to reinforce learning and help students retain
new knowledge
IV. administering frequent tests to ensure that students are actively
engaged in learning
A. I and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II and IV only
6. Which of the following characteristics are likely to be displayed by a
child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
I. The child is easily distracted from a task by extraneous stimuli.
II. The child tends to withdraw from social interactions with others.
III. The child can master math and spelling more easily than reading.
IV. The child has difficulty taking turns with others.
A. I and II only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. III and IV only
7. Marcella, a mainstreamed middle school student with an IQ of 75,
sometimes throws tantrums in class when she does not get her way. Though
the tantrums occur relatively infrequently, they are
very disruptive and upsetting to other students. When consulting with
Marcella's classroom teachers about her behavior, which of the following
points should the special education teacher emphasize to the teachers?
A. Marcella needs to be helped to find more constructive alternatives for
coping with frustration.
B. Marcella should not be disciplined for tantrums which are difficult for
her to control.
C. Marcella needs to be reminded periodically that tantrums are
unacceptable in the classroom.
D. Marcella should be subject to the same consequences as any other student
who behaves as she does.
8. JaneAnn, a ninth grader with an IQ of 75, will be mainstreamed in
several classes during the upcoming school year. When consulting with
classroom teachers about appropriate accommodations for JaneAnn, the
special education teacher should emphasize the importance of:
A. planning class activities for JaneAnn that rely on assistive technology
to enhance her communication skills.
B. developing instruction for JaneAnn that is designed to foster her social
development rather than her cognitive development.
C. modifying class assignments and tests as necessary to ensure that
JaneAnn has opportunities to be successful in the class.
D. reducing substantially the number of assignments that JaneAnn will be
responsible for completing for the class.
9. Brian, a middle school student with emotional problems, often disrupts
instructional activities by getting out of
his seat without permission, interrupting when others are speaking, and
generally "clowning around." Which of the following would be the most
effective way for Brian's classroom teachers to respond to his behavior?
A. Make it clear to Brian what the classroom rules for behavior are and
enforce them consistently with Brian and all the other students.
B. Ignore Brian's disruptions and invite him to become the teacher's helper
(e.g., collecting homework, erasing the chalkboard).
C. Explain to Brian how all students' learning would be facilitated if he
would observe certain rules of classroom behavior.
D. Ask some of the more socially mature students in the class to talk to
Brian and try to persuade him to improve his behavior.
10. Garrett is a seventh grader with a learning disability in math who has
worked well in the past with the special education teacher, Ms. Ingram.
This year, however, he has become increasingly reluctant and uncooperative
about working with her in the regular classroom in front of his classmates.
Under these circumstances, which of the following would be the best way
for Ms. Ingram to respond to Garrett's attitudes and behavior?
A. Explore new ways to work with Garrett in this class that will be more
compatible with his changing social-emotional needs.
B. Make arrangements for Garrett's ARD team to meet to review his IEP and
revise it if necessary.
C. Explain to Garrett about his special learning needs and the importance
of his receiving support services.
D. Tell Garrett that he can begin receiving special education services in
the resource room instead of the regular classroom.
11. Monica, an eighth grader with behavior problems and mild cognitive
delays, becomes very defensive and hostile whenever she thinks she is being
criticized. She often overreacts to benign comments by her peers, and this
has caused numerous verbal confrontations between Monica and other
students. Monica's special education teacher
would like to help Monica improve her interpersonal skills. Given her age
and social-emotional development, it would be especially important for her
special education teacher to try to help Monica:
A. be relaxed and easygoing around her classmates and have a positive
attitude about them.
B. become aware of topics that would be more age-appropriate to discuss
with her peers.
C. learn to interpret social cues and messages and respond in appropriate
ways.
D. explore new personal interests that would likely be shared by classmates.
12. A high school special education teacher is working with a 16-year-old
student who has multiple physical disabilities. In the course of
instructional planning, the teacher regularly confers with the student's
parents, general education teachers, job coach, and other professionals who
work with the student. This practice is likely to help the special
education teacher design appropriate curricula for the student primarily by:
A. identifying environmental factors that are affecting the student's
academic performance.
B. providing insight into the nature and causes of the student's disabilities.
C. identifying average levels of functioning and achievement for students
in the same age group.
D. providing information about the student's performance in a variety of
settings.
13. An elementary school teacher asks the special education teacher what
guidelines to follow in assessing the classroom work of students in his
class who have special needs. In responding to the teacher, the special
education teacher should stress the importance of ensuring that assessment
procedures:
I. preserve students' sense of personal worth and sustain their
motivation to learn.
II. yield information that can effectively be used in adapting
instruction to student needs.
III. make students partners in evaluating their own academic progress.
IV. evaluate students by reference to average achievement levels for
their age group.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. I, II, and IV only
14. Chuong is a fifth-grade student with a learning disability who is
included in a regular classroom. In general, when
his teacher wants to assess Chuong's performance in content area subjects,
she should make sure to use assessments that:
A. have previously been given to a wide variety of students with different
educational backgrounds and personal characteristics.
B. allow Chuong to demonstrate his skills and knowledge with as little
interference as possible from his learning disability.
C. yield completely objective results, such as assessments that contain
only true or false and multiple-choice questions.
D. enable Chuong to demonstrate the minimum academic achievement levels
normally expected of students in his age group.
15. Clarence is a fifth grader who was recently given a comprehensive
individual assessment after being referred for special education services
by his classroom teacher. In reviewing the results of this assessment, the
special education teacher notes that Clarence scored significantly above
average on tests of auditory-verbal skills and significantly below average
on tests of visual-spatial skills. The classroom teacher could best use
this information for the purpose of:
I. grouping Clarence with other students who have similar special needs.
II. developing learning goals and objectives for Clarence.
III. planning instruction that will utilize Clarence's strengths to
address his special needs.
IV. identifying activities that are likely to be of interest to Clarence.
A. I, II, and III only
B. I, III, and IV only
C. I and IV only
D. II and III only
16. Which of the following strategies would likely be most helpful in
determining how particular classroom situations may trigger disruptive
classroom behavior by Julie, a second-grade student with a social and
emotional disability?
A. The special education teacher utilizes role playing to recreate
problematic classroom situations and observe Julie's reactions.
B. The classroom teacher records anecdotal observations of Julie's behavior
in a daily log.
C. The special education teacher calls Julie's parents to discuss her
behavior whenever she becomes disruptive in class.
D. The classroom teacher informs the special education teacher whenever
Julie becomes disruptive.
17. A special education teacher observes that Tamara, a fifth grader with
a learning disability, often uses a whole-to-part approach to tasks in her
classwork and on various diagnostic tests. For example, on one diagnostic
test involving copying a variety of complex geometric figures either from a
model or from memory, Tamara first copies only global aspects of the
figures, then she fills in details. The special education teacher could
best use the information obtained through this test and the other
assessments to:
A. develop instructional activities for Tamara that will require her to pay
attention to details.
B. plan instructional adaptations appropriate for Tamara's whole-to-part
approach to learning.
C. provide Tamara with instruction to improve her recognition and memory of
visual stimuli.
D. pair Tamara during instructional activities with partners who have a
part-to-whole learning approach.
18. An elementary special education teacher periodically receives requests
from regular education teachers to conduct informal classroom observations
of students who have culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. To
avoid bias in the interpretation of her observations in such a situation,
it is most important for the special education teacher to:
A. arrange for an instructional aide who speaks the student's primary
language to conduct the observations.
B. ask the student to explain the ways in which his or her behavior is
influenced by cultural factors.
C. contact the student's parents and give them the opportunity to be
present during the informal observations.
D. relate her observations of the student's behavior to the student's
social and cultural background.
19. A special education teacher is reviewing a fourth grader's scores on
criterion-referenced tests of reading, writing, and mathematics skills. In
order to understand the student's scores better, the teacher looks
carefully at the objectives measured by each item and tries to determine
whether there are patterns in the answers the student has given and likely
reasons for the patterns. This procedure is likely to help the teacher
plan more effective instruction for the student by:
A. allowing the student's performance to be compared to standards
established for students in the same age group.
B. providing insight into the student's knowledge, skills, and needs in
specific areas.
C. allowing the student's performance on the tests to become a baseline
from which all future progress will be measured.
D. providing insight into discrepancies between the student's IQ and actual
performance on specific tasks.
20. Which of the following guidelines would be most appropriate for a high
school content-area teacher to follow when assessing a student who has
multiple physical disabilities, including fine motor and gross motor
difficulties and speech impairments?
A. Allow the student to do supplemental readings about topics covered in
class instead of being formally assessed about the topic.
B. Arrange for a peer tutor to write down the student's oral responses to
all test questions.
C. Modify assessments by whatever means are necessary to enable the student
to demonstrate her knowledge and skills about a topic.
D. Instruct resource room staff to use assistive technology when assessing
the student's knowledge.
21. Sarah is a first grader who has great difficulty following directions
in class and completing classwork accurately. Sarah's classroom teacher
asks the special education teacher for advice on how to address these
issues. Which of the following would be the most appropriate first step
for the special education teacher to take?
A. Recommend assessing Sarah's visual and auditory processing abilities.
B. Arrange for Sarah to take a general intelligence test.
C. Suggest having Sarah screened for possible vision or hearing problems.
D. Assess the overall level of Sarah's compensatory skills.
22. Felicia, a fourth grader who is new to the school, has a seizure
disorder (epilepsy) and occasionally experiences severe seizures. Felicia
and her parents have asked the special education teacher to help them
provide Felicia's class with a brief explanation of her condition. When
communicating this information to Felicia's classmates, which of the
following points would be appropriate for the teacher to make?
I. Felicia is able to participate in the same instructional and
recreational activities available to all students in the class.
II. If Felicia has a seizure at school, her classmates can be helpful by
moving out of the way and alerting the teacher.
III. Felicia may feel tired after a seizure and need to rest for awhile
before returning to her normal school activities.
IV. If Felicia has a seizure at school, her classmates can help by gently
restraining her arms and legs until an adult arrives.
A. I and IV only
B. I, II, and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, III, and IV only
23. A special education teacher is helping to develop a training session
for middle school general education teachers who will be working with
students who have severe physical disabilities. Which of the following
topics would be most important to cover in the training session?
A. the medical history of each middle school student who has a physical
disability
B. the incidence of developmental delays among students with severe
physical disabilities
C. the genetic and environmental factors responsible for various disabilities
D. procedures for identifying and responding to students' emergency health
needs
24. Janell, a third grader with cerebral palsy, is a student in Ms.
Franklin's class. Janell is nonverbal and uses a communication board.
When planning instruction, Ms. Franklin makes sure to include a number of
classroom activities that pair each student with a partner. Important
benefits of this instructional strategy include which of the following?
I. helping students overcome fears or misperceptions based on stereotypes
about individuals with physical disabilities
II. promoting students' understanding of how the communication board
functions
III. providing opportunities for meaningful communication and positive
social interaction between Janell and her peers
IV. encouraging Janell to apply critical thinking when communicating with
her peers
A. I and IV only
B. I, II, and III only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
25. Margie, a second-grade learner with Down syndrome, frequently tries to
hug her classmates and other children in the school. The special education
teacher's best response to this behavior would be to:
A. work with Margie to help her get in the habit of shaking hands instead
of hugging.
B. encourage Margie to hug her teachers instead of hugging other students.
C. explain Margie's disability to the other students and allow her to
continue the behavior.
D. advise Margie's general classroom teacher to distract Margie when she
tries to hug her classmates.
26. Jamie is an eight year old with physical disabilities and cognitive
delays who has attended classes at a special school since kindergarten. As
a result of recent changes made to his IEP by his ARD team, Jamie will now
spend part of each day in a second-grade classroom at his neighborhood
school. Jamie's new teacher asks the special education teacher how she can
help Jamie make the smoothest transition into the regular classroom. The
special education teacher's best response would be to recommend that the
teacher:
A. explain to the class the medical background and implications of Jamie'sdisabilities.
B. ask Jamie's occupational therapist to demonstrate to the class how
Jamie's adaptive equipment works.
C. discuss with the class beforehand strategies for making Jamie feel welcome.
D. describe to the class the types of services that are provided at Jamie's
other school.
27. A special education teacher considers how to help Bill, a seventh
grader with an emotional disorder who is prone to sudden outbursts of
anger. In a recent incident, Bill received a suspension for striking a
classmate who made fun of him. In this situation, which of the following
strategies would likely be most helpful in promoting Bill's social and
emotional development?
A. reminding Bill that verbal provocation can never justify the use of
physical violence
B. modeling for Bill ways of responding assertively without becoming
aggressive
C. warning Bill of the possibility of expulsion for continued aggressive
behavior
D. explaining to Bill's classmates why it is important for them to avoid
antagonizing him
28. A special education teacher and a general education teacher team-teach
a fifth-grade class. During class discussions, the teachers often pose
thought-provoking questions. When students volunteer answers, the teachers
encourage them to provide additional details and to explain how they
arrived at their conclusions. Important advantages of this strategy for
students with special needs include which of the following?
I. promoting students' ability to generate new ideas and extend their
thinking
II. fostering students' awareness of their own thought processes
III. motivating students to apply a variety of strategies for gaining
meaning from unfamiliar words
IV. helping students monitor their own communicative ability
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
29. Ms. Williams, a special education teacher in an elementary school, is
working with Danny, a five year old who has multiple disabilities.
Although Danny is physically able to hear and speak, his language
development is significantly delayed. Danny's parents and classroom
teacher have asked Ms. Williams what they can do to help foster Danny's
communication skills. Which of the following would be the best approach
for Ms. Williams to recommend?
A. Postpone training in oral language skills until Danny has learned how to
use a communication board or other communication device.
B. Use parallel talk to expose Danny to meaningful language (e.g., by
accompanying everyday activities such as play with verbal commentaries).
C. Schedule time each day for Danny to listen to audiotapes of
age-appropriate music and popular children's stories.
D. Concentrate on training Danny to use nonlinguistic forms of
communication (e.g., by using facial expressions and gestures to convey
messages).
30. A special education teacher is helping Paul, a 15-year-old student
with moderate cognitive delays, learn how to use the public bus system to
get to and from his new after-school job. Which of the following
strategies would be most effective for this purpose?
A. Accompany Paul and show him which bus to take and where to get on and off.
B. Help Paul draw his own map of the bus route he will take.
C. Teach Paul how to read bus schedules.
D. Give Paul a map of the city and ask him to trace the bus route he should
take.
31. Aaron is a 17-year-old student with moderate mental retardation.
Aaron's special education teacher wishes to help him develop the functional
skills he will need to shop for daily necessities. Which of the following
strategies is most likely to be effective for this purpose?
A. Set up a mock store at the school where Aaron can pretend to go shopping.
B. Take Aaron on real shopping trips to local stores to purchase needed items.
C. Show Aaron cards with pictures from magazines of various products
available in stores.
D. Teach Aaron the names of stores in the community and the types of
products they sell.
32. Thomas, a high school student with mental retardation, works part-time
at a local store. Thomas's special education teacher learns that Thomas's
inability to tell time is interfering with his job performance (e.g., he
often takes his break at the wrong time). The special education teacher's
best response in this situation would be to:
A. arrange for one of Thomas's co-workers to alert Thomas when it is time
for him to switch activities.
B. help Thomas set an alarm watch that he can use to monitor his work
schedule.
C. ask Thomas's supervisor to inform Thomas when it is time for him to
switch activities.
D. provide Thomas with an outline of his daily work activities that
indicates the required sequence of events.
33. A high school special education teacher would like to develop the
self-advocacy skills of students with special needs who are preparing to
enter college or a new job. The strategy likely to be most effective for
this purpose would be for the teacher to:
A. discuss with students the importance of being assertive with authority
figures in all aspects of their lives.
B. role-play with students how to explain clearly what their needs are and
what kinds of accommodations help them perform successfully.
C. share and discuss with students a variety of written and audiotaped
samples of persuasive discourse relating to jobs and college.
D. provide students with publications about specific disabilities and urge
them to share the material with professors and employers.
34. Which of the following would be appropriate to emphasize in a
life-skills math course for high school students who, because of their
special needs, have not acquired prerequisite skills for algebra or
higher-level math courses?
I. Make students aware of their needs and limitations in math so they can
avoid jobs and living situations in which math skills are needed.
II. Continue focusing on improving students' computational skills while
applying the skills to common life experiences.
III. Take students out into the community to see how math skills are used
in various work environments and consumer contexts.
IV. Provide students with opportunities to participate in cooperative
games and activities that require score keeping, counting, and other basic
computations.
A. I and II only
B. I, III, and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
35. Ms. Walker, a special education teacher at a middle school, is working
with Scott, an eighth grader with an emotional disability. Scott does not
generally like to engage in group activities, so Ms. Walker was supportive
when he recently decided to try out for the basketball team. Scott quit,
however, shortly after he made the team because of a disagreement with the
coach. In Scott's words, "the coach was always yelling at me to do this,
don't do that. He's a jerk. Everyone always tries to keep me down, so
forget him!" Ms. Walker could best respond to this situation and promote
Scott's functional living skills by:
A. helping Scott meet with the coach and discuss his concerns in an
appropriate manner.
B. intervening with the coach and advising him to refrain from telling
Scott what to do.
C. being frank with Scott about the difficulties he will face in life if he
continues to be a "quitter."
D. suggesting alternative extracurricular activities that are less group
oriented than sports.
36. Mr. Ortega, a high school special education teacher, is working with
Owen, a tenth grader who has both physical and mild cognitive disabilities.
Owen is making progress in his academic work, but Mr. Ortega is concerned
that Owen does little with his free time except watch television and "hang
out" with his friends. In this situation, the teacher could best promote
Owen's functional living skills by:
A. reviewing strategies with Owen for developing his interpersonal skills
and arranging opportunities for him to practice them.
B. assisting Owen in pursuing various recreational activities or a
part-time job according to his interests.
C. providing Owen with videotapes about successful strategies for managing
and scheduling free time.
D. urging Owen's teachers to increase the amount of work they give him so
that he will spend more time on productive activities.
37. A high school special education teacher wants to help students with
emotional disabilities understand the responsibilities associated with
parenting an infant. Which of the following strategies would likely be
most effective for this purpose?
A. Students visit a daycare center for an hour and observe how the staff
care for infants.
B. Childcare providers visit the class and talk about the activities
required to meet the needs of a newborn.
C. The teacher helps students compose a checklist of daily chores required
to care for an infant.
D. Each student practices infant care for a week by carrying a simulated
baby and recording activities such as feeding and diapering.
38. A middle school special education teacher is co-teaching a unit on
decision-making skills to a class that includes a number of students with
special needs. The main focus of the unit is on the skills students need
to resist pressure from peers to engage in unsafe or unhealthy activities
such as drug or alcohol abuse. Which of the following would probably be
the most effective approach for teaching these decision-making skills to
the class?
A. Invite adults from the local community to speak to the class about
making decisions to abstain from using drugs or alcohol.
B. Prepare a list of strategies adolescents can use to respond to peer
pressure.
C. Involve students in role-play activities modeled on situations they are
likely to encounter.
D. Read aloud and discuss in small groups an article about the negative
effects drugs and alcohol can have on adolescents' lives.
39. A special education teacher is working with Jennifer, a fourth grader
with a reading disability. The teacher helps Jennifer make her own
vocabulary ring, which is a collection of punched index cards held together
by a loose-leaf ring. On the cards, Jennifer writes key words relating to
social studies, science, math, and language arts. Jennifer and her
teachers regularly discuss the meaning of the words and practice making up
original sentences that use them. An important advantage of the word ring
strategy is that it is likely to:
A. promote Jennifer's ability to select reading materials that build on her
personal interests.
B. help Jennifer develop and refine her problem-solving skills.
C. promote Jennifer's ability to recognize common text structures as she
reads.
D. reinforce Jennifer's learning in the subject areas.
40. Adrian, a ninth grader with a learning disability, is having
difficulty understanding his science textbook. Adrian shows a chapter to
his special education teacher and says, "When I read this chapter, I
thought I understood what it said. I learned all the words in bold and
everything. But when the teacher asked us how this happened and why that
happened, I didn't know what she was talking about. I couldn't answer
hardly any of the questions at the end of the chapter either." Which of
the following teaching strategies is likely to be most effective in helping
Adrian improve his comprehension of the chapter in his science textbook?
I. Show Adrian how to break up the chapter into shorter sections and to
check his understanding at the end of each section before going on.
II. Help Adrian to identify the key words in the chapter and to memorize
all the definitions.
III. Show Adrian how to use notetaking to guide his reading by putting
the end-of-chapter questions in one column and then reading to find the
answers to put in a second column.
IV. Help Adrian understand common text structures (e.g., cause/effect,
comparison/contrast) and learn appropriate mapping strategies for each
structure.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. I, III, and IV only
41. Ms. Scott, a special education teacher, observes that Katie, a tenth
grader with a learning disability, often becomes confused and discouraged
when attempting to learn new concepts in her content-area classes. Ms.
Scott could best respond by advising Katie's content-area teachers to use
which of the following strategies when introducing new material?
I. Include as much detail as possible about the new concept, including
tangential information that may be of interest to students.
II. Incorporate concrete examples and previously explained concepts when
presenting complex new ideas to students.
III. Facilitate students' understanding by providing them with an outline
of the information being presented.
IV. Familiarize students with the vocabulary associated with a concept
before introducing the concept to the class.
A. I and II only
B. I, III, and IV only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
42. A middle school teacher regularly follows up important content-area
reading assignments with cooperative learning activities in which small
groups of students develop alternative ways of communicating what they
learned from the reading (e.g., by drawing pictures or charts, dramatizing
information, setting information to music or to a rap rhythm). This
strategy is likely to enhance the content-area learning of students with
special needs primarily by:
A. helping students develop multiple and multisensory associations with the
content.
B. allowing students to pursue content of personal interest to them.
C. promoting students' understanding of different types of texts and text
structures used in the content area.
D. reinforcing the vocabulary students need to understand the content.
43. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for a social
studies teacher to use to support the content-area learning of Luis, an
eleventh grader who has difficulty with memory retention?
I. Relate important information and concepts to life experiences or
events with which Luis can readily identify.
II. Provide opportunities for students to act out scenes conveying
significant ideas and/or events.
III. Give students the essential information associated with a concept or
event in a single, comprehensive presentation.
IV. Provide Luis with engaging supplementary texts about significant
concepts or events.
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and IV only
D. III and IV only
44. A high school special education teacher helps students with special
needs develop basic study skills (e.g., note taking, scanning, mapping) and
encourages students to apply these techniques whenever possible in all
classes. Important benefits of this approach include which of the following?
I. promoting the ability of all students to function as independent learners
II. reducing students' anxiety about their ability to perform
successfully in content-area classes
III. activating students' prior knowledge in the content areas
IV. motivating students to be systematic in their approach to classwork
and homework
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
45. Harvey is a 15-year-old student with a language-based learning
disability that affects both his receptive and expressive language skills.
Which of the following strategies by his biology teacher would probably be
most effective in supporting Harvey's content-area learning?
I. Use a variety of visual aids to accompany presentations (e.g., films,
diagrams, photographs).
II. Give students quizzes immediately following a lecture while the
content is still fresh in their minds.
III. Plan cooperative learning activities to promote students' active
engagement with the content.
IV. Present new information in short segments and paraphrase the content
one or more times before going on to another concept.
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II and III only
D. I, III, and IV only
46. A special education teacher is planning instruction in the content
areas for students with special needs for whom English is their second
language (ESL). Which of the following instructional strategies is likely
to be most beneficial for these students?
A. The students participate in group activities that include visual aids
and hands-on experience.
B. The students work independently on writing projects that relate to their
interests.
C. The students meet individually with the teacher for language drills and
other instructional activities.
D. The students spend time each day completing worksheets that focus on
English grammar and spelling.
47. Janine is a 12 year old with mild mental retardation who is having
trouble understanding the concept of subtraction in arithmetic. Which of
the following instructional strategies would most likely help Janine
understand this concept?
A. Show Janine how to use a hand-held electronic calculator to subtract
numbers.
B. Demonstrate for Janine how to use an abacus to perform basic addition
and subtraction.
C. Use manipulating to reinforce concepts of subtraction for Janine.
D. Illustrate for Janine the difference between addition and subtraction by
comparing examples of each.
48. A special education teacher observes that Tony, a third grader with a
reading disability, can successfully learn only about half the words on the
weekly spelling list for his class before becoming frustrated and
discouraged. Based on this information, which of the following would be an
appropriate way to modify the spelling task for Tony?
A. Devote more time to practice drills to help Tony memorize all the words
included in the weekly spelling list.
B. Give Tony a shorter but representative set of words from the weekly
spelling list and complete the rest of the set with review words.
C. Set daily goals for Tony to increase the number of words on the weekly
spelling list that he can spell successfully.
D. Create a spelling list for Tony that substitutes easier spelling words
for all the words on the weekly spelling list.
49. Mr. Lawrence, a special education teacher, has been working with Tina,
a fourth grader with a reading disability, to improve her spelling skills.
One strategy Tina has learned is how to divide a word into separate
syllables to help determine the correct spelling. Mr. Lawrence notices
that Tina sometimes has trouble with irregularly spelled syllables (e.g.,
-ous), repeatedly misspelling that syllable while spelling the rest of the
word correctly. In these cases, which of the following strategies would be
most likely to help Tina spell the entire word correctly?
A. Help Tina learn to place hyphens between syllables when she copies the
word for study purposes.
B. Model for Tina how to clap once for each syllable in the word while
slowly saying it aloud.
C. Have Tina highlight or enlarge the problem syllable when she copies the
word for study purposes.
D. Suggest that Tina say the word aloud several times before attempting to
spell it.
50. Jesse, a tenth grader, has a reading disability. Ms. Ortiz, the
special education teacher, uses prereading strategies to improve Jesse's
comprehension and recall of assigned content-area readings. Jesse begins
by previewing the headings and captions in the chapter. As a next step,
which of the following prereading strategies would likely be most effective
in helping Jesse understand and remember the information contained in the
chapter?
A. Jesse uses the dictionary to find definitions for key vocabulary words
that Ms. Ortiz has selected from the chapter.
B. Ms. Ortiz prepares a detailed outline of the chapter for Jesse to study
before he begins reading.
C. Jesse makes predictions and generates questions about the main ideas of
the chapter and discusses them with Ms. Ortiz.
D. Ms. Ortiz prepares a brief summary of the chapter and has Jesse read it
aloud.
51. A special education teacher in a middle school observes that Tyrone, a
student with a reading disability, is having particular difficulty with
writing assignments that require him to describe a series of events (e.g.,
events in a film's plot) or steps in a task (e.g., steps in a science
experiment). The special education teacher's best response would be to:
A. suggest that Tyrone explain the sequence of events or actions to another
student before he begins to write.
B. model for Tyrone how to make a standard outline (e.g., roman numerals
followed by letters) to organize his ideas before he writes.
C. teach Tyrone how to formulate a thesis sentence and an introductory
paragraph before he begins to write.
D. help Tyrone make a semantic map using sequential cue words (e.g., first,
next, then, finally) to organize his ideas before he writes.
52. A special education teacher, who has students representing a variety
of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, wants to ensure that materials used
in students' language arts curricula reflect the experiences and
perceptions of members of diverse groups. The teacher could best achieve this goal by ensuring that the language arts materials used in instruction:
I. include texts written by members of the cultural/linguistic groups
represented in the texts.
II. are completely neutral and objective about any issues or experiences
related to ethnicity.
III. include texts selected by the students who have diverse cultural and
linguistic backgrounds.
IV. are completely positive in their representations of the lives of
people from diverse groups.
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
53. A special education teacher is working with Samuel, a fifth-grade
student who has difficulty with visual processing. At the moment, Samuel
is struggling to understand concepts used in the measurement of space
(e.g., the differences among centimeters, square centimeters, and cubic
centimeters). Which of the following instructional strategies would most
likely help Samuel improve his understanding of these concepts?
A. Provide Samuel with practice converting spatial measurements from
centimeters to inches, meters to yards, and so forth.
B. Show Samuel how solids can be generated by the motion of plane figures
(e.g., rotating a circle creates a sphere).
C. Involve Samuel in a class project that requires making spatial
measurements (e.g., building a bird feeder).
D. Provide Samuel with a reference sheet displaying pictures of geometrical
figures labeled with their names.
54. Mr. Goodwin works with several elementary school students who have
learning disabilities in math. In teaching students about multiplication,
Mr. Goodwin begins with 2 facts and links each 2 fact with a statement, as
shown below.
2 × 1 = 2 There are 2 arms on 1 person.
2 × 2 = 4 There are 4 ears on 2 cats.
2 × 3 = 6 There are 6 wheels on 2 tricycles.
2 × 4 = 8 There are 8 paws on 2 dogs.
2 × 5 = 10 There are 10 fingers on 2 hands.
2 × 6 = 12 There are 12 sodas in 2 six-packs.
2 × 7 = 14 There are 14 days in 2 weeks.
etc.
The teaching approach used by Mr. Goodwin in this context is most likely to
help students understand and retain the new material by:
A. showing students how multiplication is related to operations they have
already learned about.
B. creating associations between multiplication facts and objects or events
in students' lives.
C. showing students how multiplication can be applied in solving practical
problems in their lives.
D. creating associations among visual, auditory, and tactile
representations of math facts.
55. Mr. Woolford, a special education teacher at a middle school, is
co-teaching a math class. After a lesson on adding fractions, Hank, a
student with a learning disability, shows Mr. Woolford his work. Mr.
Woolford notices that Hank is making errors like the one shown below.
Which of the following initial responses by Mr. Woolford would probably be
most effective in addressing Hank's difficulties?
A. Show Hank how to convert and into decimals and then add the two
numbers.
B. Have Hank practice basic computational skills until they become automatic.
C. Use a set of unit blocks or rods to show Hank the equivalence of and .
D. Teach Hank to use self-monitoring strategies to check and correct his
own computations.
56. A high school special education teacher helps several students with
math disabilities create a "math resource" section in their notebooks. The
section includes quick-reference review sheets that list commonly used math
formulas and definitions of key terms. This strategy is likely to
facilitate math achievement for students with disabilities primarily by:
A. promoting students' ability to analyze and solve problems independently.
B. eliminating the need for students to review previously learned material.
C. motivating students to memorize basic math facts and vocabulary words.
D. making it possible for students to skip steps when solving math problems.
57. Jackson, a high school student with a math disability, has been
working on memorizing basic math facts as well as acquiring new
problem-solving skills. Recently, Jackson brought a calculator to school
and has started using it to perform basic computations when solving math
problems. The special education teacher could best respond by:
A. allowing Jackson to use the calculator only during math quizzes and exams.
B. encouraging Jackson to rely on the calculator to help him solve math
problems more quickly.
C. permitting Jackson to use the calculator whenever he cannot remember
basic math facts.
D. suggesting that Jackson use the calculator primarily to self-correct his
work in math.
58. Ms. Harper is beginning her first year as a special education teacher
at Melville Elementary School. She hopes to spend as much of her time as
possible working with students in their general education classrooms. To
ensure successful collaboration with classroom teachers, it will be
especially important for Ms. Harper to:
A. remain flexible and open to a variety of different teaching approaches.
B. rely on classroom teachers to select instructional strategies for
meeting students' IEP goals.
C. define appropriate roles and responsibilities for the classroom teachers.
D. take responsibility for deciding how to group students for different
types of instruction.
59. A student with mild mental retardation is enrolled in a middle school
science class. The teacher asks the special education teacher for
assistance in modifying instruction to help the student benefit as fully as
possible from the class. In consulting with the classroom teacher, the
special education teacher should place special emphasis on the value of:
A. providing the student with one-on-one support for all class assignments.
B. providing multisensory, hands-on experiences to supplement verbal
explanations.
C. allowing the student to have input in deciding which topics will be
studied and for how long.
D. providing appealing supplementary texts with additional information
about class topics.
60. A new classroom teacher at an elementary school says to one of the
school's special education teachers that she is concerned that including
learners with special needs in the general classroom will "interfere with
instruction for other students." The special education teacher can best
respond by pointing out that:
A. instructional strategies for learners with special needs often enhance
learning for all students in the classroom.
B. careful coordination of classroom activities can minimize the loss of
direct instruction for the students who do not have special needs.
C. learners with special needs can work together in small groups in the
general education classroom without disrupting other students.
D. including learners with special needs in the general education classroom
only occasionally requires instructional modifications.
61. A high school special education teacher provides services for several
students with multiple disabilities who participate in general education
classes. The students also meet regularly with support service providers
(e.g., occupational therapist, speech pathologist). Which of the following
best describes the special education teacher's main responsibility with
regard to support service personnel?
A. evaluating the quality of services provided by support service personnel
B. facilitating communication between support service personnel and general
classroom teachers
C. mediating any differences of opinion between support service personnel
and students' families
D. serving as a liaison between students and support service personnel
during therapy sessions
62. Ms. Barrett is an elementary special education teacher who is working
with Amanda, a fifth grader who has attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). Ms. Barrett is concerned that Amanda seldom completes her
homework and often submits work that is carelessly done. Amanda's parents
share this concern and ask Ms. Barrett what they can do to help. Which of
the following would likely be effective ways for Ms. Barrett and Amanda's
parents to encourage Amanda to devote more effort to homework assignments?
I. Reserve a special place and time at home for Amanda to complete her
homework each day.
II. Set a timer to motivate Amanda to increase the time she devotes to
homework each day.
III. Ask Amanda to keep a homework log that is signed each day by her
teacher and parents.
IV. Shorten homework assignments or subdivide them into parts that can be
done on separate occasions.
A. I and II only
B. II, III, and IV only
C. II and IV only
D. I, III, and IV only
63. A special education teacher meets with a student's parents before they
attend their annual ARD meeting. To help prepare the parents for the
meeting, which of the following questions would be appropriate for the
special education teacher to ask?
A. Are you willing to implement at-home activities to reinforce strategies
recommended by the ARD team?
B. As a member of the ARD team, how would you characterize for the team
your child's conflict resolution skills and overall social competence in
relating to peers?
C. Do you understand how your child's disability is likely to be perceived
by members of the ARD team?
D. As a member of the ARD team, what role do you see yourself playing and
what goals do you have for your child?
64. A fifth-grade class includes a number of students who receive special
education services. The special education teacher would like to extend the
philosophy of inclusion to parents by encouraging meaningful interaction
and communication between parents of learners with special needs and
parents of other learners in the class. Which of the following approaches
by the special education teacher would probably be most effective in
supporting this goal?
A. Ensure that parents of students with disabilities have opportunities to
socialize with parents of other fifth graders at the school Open House.
B. Provide information to all fifth-grade parents on the differences
between learners with disabilities and their nondisabled peers.
C. Encourage the parents of nondisabled fifth graders to include the
parents of students with disabilities in their social functions.
D. Invite all fifth-grade parents to a workshop on "how children learn,"
focusing on students' varied strengths and learning styles.
65. The parents of a student who has been diagnosed with a learning
disability express a desire to learn as much as they can about the
disability and what it means for their child. Appropriate responses by the
special education teacher would include which of the following?
I. Provide the parents with current publications summarizing important
findings and issues related to their child's learning disability.
II. Furnish the parents with a list of local medical and educational
professionals who have particular expertise relating to their child's
learning disability.
III. Help the parents network with parents of other students in the local
area who have similar learning disabilities.
IV. Explain to the parents that research in this area is highly technical
and offer to paraphrase and interpret relevant studies for them.
A. I, II, and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
66. The parents of William, a second grader who receives special education
services, are especially concerned about maintaining consistency in the
feedback and support their child receives at home and at school.
Appropriate responses by the special education teacher include which of the
following?
I. Suggest that William's parents establish a structured routine at home
for William that includes clear guidelines for acceptable behavior.
II. Initiate a communication log with William's parents that will include
brief daily reports about his academic achievement and behavior at school.
III. Share with William's parents strategies that have been effective
with William at school and ask them to share strategies they have used at
home.
IV. Encourage William's parents to visit the school regularly so they can
become familiar with and replicate the strategies used with William at school.
A. I and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II and IV only
67. Some elementary school students with special needs are recent
immigrants, and their parents speak little English. In these situations,
it is particularly important for the special education teacher to:
A. learn about and be respectful of the diverse perspectives of students'
families.
B. recommend that the parents encourage their children to speak English in
the home.
C. rely on the students to facilitate communication between the teacher and
the families.
D. arrange opportunities for the parents to improve their own English
language skills.
68. Quang, a high school student with a learning disability, tells the
special education teacher that he would like to go to college but "can't
handle" college entrance exams. The special education teacher could best
respond by pointing out that:
A. modifications in the administration of college entrance exams are
available for test takers with special needs.
B. a student's grade-point average is more important to colleges than the
student's performance on college entrance exams.
C. there are many alternatives to college, such as vocational school, that
allow students with disabilities to develop satisfying careers.
D. most respected colleges and universities do not require applicants to
take college entrance exams.
69. A high school special education teacher works with other staff at the
school to establish a community service program. Interested students will
commit several hours per week to working in the community (e.g., planting
flowers in the park, visiting a nursing home). Participating in the
community service program is likely to benefit students with special needs
most by:
I. enabling them to acquire work-related experience that could be useful
in future jobs.
II. fostering recognition of their own learning styles.
III. encouraging them to make contributions that elicit positive feedback
and enhance self-esteem.
IV. promoting their ability to make interdisciplinary connections.
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II and III only
D. I, III, and IV only
70. Which of the following would be important to include in a career
education course for high school students with special needs?
I. visits to a variety of workplaces in the community
II. instruction in relevant decision-making skills
III. guided practice in writing an effective résumé
IV. analysis of national economic trends
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and III only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
71. A special education teacher will be working with several high school
students who have severe reading disabilities. The teacher could best
support content-area learning for these students by:
A. encouraging the students to read aloud difficult passages in their texts
before reading the passages silently.
B. contacting libraries and other organizations that could provide
audiotaped versions of content-area texts for the students to use.
C. pairing each student with a peer tutor who would assist the student by
reading aloud all assigned texts during the school year.
D. encouraging students' parents to help their children study by reading
aloud assigned passages in the students' content-area texts.
72. Chim, a middle school student with cerebral palsy, uses a walker, and
his speech is often difficult to understand. Chim tells the special
education teacher that he wishes he could go to summer camp but believes
that "kids like me don't go to camp." Appropriate responses by the special
education teacher would include which of the following?
I. drawing on community resources to identify summer camps that provide
services to assist students with disabilities
II. assuring Chim that he should have no trouble with summer camp and
encouraging him to apply
III. arranging for Chim to talk to a student with similar disabilities
who has successfully attended summer camp
IV. suggesting that Chim research a variety of community-based summer
activities as well as camps
A. I, III, and IV only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
73. Samantha, a high school student with an emotional disability, becomes
confused and frustrated when telephoning local colleges to inquire about
available programs, and she fails to acquire the information she is
seeking. Samantha becomes angry and announces to her special education
teacher the next day that she is not going to contact any more "stupid
colleges." The special education teacher could best respond by:
A. recommending that whenever possible Samantha should write letters
instead of using the telephone to obtain information.
B. helping Samantha make the first few telephone calls so she does not feel
so overwhelmed.
C. helping Samantha script questions for the telephone calls and make a
chart to record the information she obtains from each call.
D. suggesting that Samantha ask a friend to help her make some of the
telephone calls.
74. Jim, a high school senior with an IQ of 70, has told the special
education teacher that he wants to work and live independently after
graduation. Which of the following transition strategies would best
prepare Jim to achieve this goal?
A. The teacher arranges for Jim to observe employees in local businesses.
B. Jim participates in a cooperative education program that allows him to
work in the community for part of the school day.
C. Jim regularly reviews employment skills and visits an employment agency.
D. The teacher reinforces Jim's understanding of the demands of independent
living by regularly discussing the skills required.
75. Caleb, a high school student with special needs who participates in
general education classes, tells his special education teacher that he
hates geometry because "it's useless." Which of the following responses by
the special education teacher would likely be most effective in promoting
Caleb's interest and involvement in learning geometry?
A. arranging a field trip for Caleb's class to a local college where a math
professor talks to students about the value of geometry
B. providing Caleb with a comprehensive list of professions that require
knowledge of geometry
C. arranging a field trip for Caleb's class to a construction site where an
engineer helps students explore how geometry is used in building
D. providing Caleb with age-appropriate books that describe
how geometry is used
76. A high school social studies class includes several learners with
special needs. Ms. Crosby, the special education teacher, collaborates
with the classroom teacher to plan a series of lessons about American
voting rights, responsibilities, and procedures. Ms. Crosby arranges for a
local representative who serves in the state government to visit the class
and discuss the election process. Ms. Crosby's actions in this regard best
demonstrate her awareness of the importance of:
A. engaging students in classroom activities that encourage learning in all
content areas.
B. drawing on community resources to promote students' understanding of
democratic processes.
C. fostering students' communicative competence through meaningful
classroom dialogues.
D. working with community leaders to promote public support for special
education programs.
77. In developing an IEP for a child with a learning disability, the
special education teacher must collaborate with other members of the
child's interdisciplinary team to ensure that:
I. the child's individual strengths and weaknesses are identified.
II. services requested by the parents are provided by the school.
III. appropriate educational programs are designed for the child.
IV. realistic instructional goals are established for the child.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. I, III, and IV only
D. III and IV only
78. When eight-year-old Timothy was referred by his third-grade teacher
for a comprehensive individual assessment, Timothy's parents decided to
obtain their own independent educational evaluation of Timothy from a
licensed psychologist. On some key points, the independent evaluation of
Timothy differed from the school's evaluation. In this situation,
Timothy's parents have a legal right to request that the ARD committee:
A. set aside the school's evaluation and base Timothy's IEP on the
independent evaluation.
B. obtain a second independent evaluation before proceeding with the
development of Timothy's IEP.
C. have the independent educational evaluation taken into consideration in
developing Timothy's IEP.
D. have the school's assessment
team readminister Timothy's comprehensive individual assessment.
79. When assessing a student's eligibility for special education services,
school personnel are legally obligated to ensure that:
I. the student is assessed in his or her native language.
II. all tests are validated for the purposes for which they are used.
III. the assessment instruments are not racially or culturally biased.
IV. all tests provide information about the student's intelligence.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
80. Once an IEP has been developed for a student, Texas state law requires
that the ARD committee meet to review the student's IEP:
A. at the beginning and end of each school year.
B. at least once during each school year.
C. at the beginning of each grading period.
D. at least once during each semester.
81. During a conference, Darnell's parents tell his special education
teacher, Ms. Carson, how delighted they are with the progress he has made
in reading during the current school year. They express concern, however,
that during the summer Darnell may lose what he has learned. In this
situation, Ms. Carson's most important responsibility would be to:
A. help Darnell's parents locate a private reading tutor whom they could
hire to work with him.
B. encourage Darnell's parents to spend some time reviewing reading skills
with him each day during the summer.
C. inform Darnell's parents that they may request a meeting of the ARD team
to determine if he is eligible for extended year services.
D. collect storybooks and other texts for Darnell's family to read together
during the summer.
82. Ms. Nolan, a third-grade teacher, has been giving Earlene extra help
in reading and writing, but she still seems to be falling further and
further behind the other students in her class. Ms. Nolan is concerned and
decides to ask the special education teacher for advice on how to help
Earlene. During the initial stages of the pre-referral process, the
special education teacher's responsibilities include:
I. using available information to identify Earlene's strengths and needs.
II. recommending additional instructional modifications to try with Earlene.
III. administering formal diagnostic tests to determine Earlene's
specific disabilities.
IV. providing a pull-out program for Earlene in academic areas in which
she is having greatest difficulty.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
83. Thirteen-year-old Maureen, who has spina bifida, wears leg braces and
uses crutches. Consequently, Maureen has great difficulty climbing the
stairs to reach the second floor at the middle school she attends. To be
in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the
school must:
A. make sure that programs, classes, activities, and services needed by
Maureen are accessible and usable.
B. give Maureen a waiver for all required classes that are normally
scheduled to meet on the second floor of the school building.
C. make sure that Maureen's schedule does not include classes that meet on
the second floor of the school building.
D. develop a substantially separate curriculum for Maureen that will meet
her academic needs and will be provided in a physical space that is readily
accessible to her.
84. Mario is a 16-year-old student with a reading disability. Mario's IEP
calls for him to take the exit-level TAAS this year. Based on federal
guidelines in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the school
district may be required to make which of the following accommodations for
Mario?
A. changing the content of the test questions
B. reducing the number of questions on the test
C. lowering the minimum passing score
D. modifying test administration procedures
85. The ARD team is developing an Individual Transition Plan (ITP) for
Simon, a student with an IQ of 50 who will soon be 16 years old. Which of
the following components should be included in Simon's ITP at this point?
I. current information about Simon's preferences, interests, knowledge,
and skills
II. functional living goals for Simon
III. a list of state and community agencies that may provide services or
training for Simon
IV. a copy of Simon's complete school record
A. I and III only
B. I, II, and III only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
86. An elementary special education teacher observes that Nathan, a second
grader who has physical impairments and an IQ of 60, displays behaviors and
physical symptoms that strongly suggest he may be subject to physical abuse
at home. Texas law requires that under these circumstances, the teacher's
first step should be to:
A. file a report immediately with law enforcement authorities or with the
state child protection agency.
B. report her suspicions to Nathan's parents and give them an opportunity
to explain.
C. obtain permission from the district school board to contact the state
child protection agency.
D. arrange for Nathan to be examined by a local, licensed physician for
evidence of physical abuse.
87. A student who receives special education services will soon be
transferring to a new middle school from another district. The counseling
office at the new school has received the student's educational records
from his old school, which include the results from a recent comprehensive
evaluation of the student and the student's current IEP. In this
situation, the initial meeting of the ARD team at the new school generally
should be for the
purpose of:
A. contacting relevant staff at the student's old school to gather
additional information about his needs.
B. developing a new IEP for the student that conforms with services
available at the new school.
C. determining how to implement the student's current IEP at the new school.
D. assembling an evaluation team that will complete a comprehensive
evaluation of the student within 30 days of his transfer.
Use the information below to answer the four questions that follow.
A special education teacher who is co-teaching a first-grade class that
includes several students with special needs collaborates with the general
education teacher to set up various learning centers around the classroom.
The variety of centers remains relatively constant throughout the school
year while the exact materials and activities at each center change from
time to time to reflect current themes the class is studying. Following is
a chart summarizing the types of centers.
Type of Center Type of Materials
Storytelling Center Flannel board and felt figures
Puzzle Center Two- and three-dimensional puzzles and mazes
Listening Center stories on tape with accompanying texts
Art Center crayons, colored pencils, water-soluble paints, paper, modeling
clay
Measurement Center conventional (e.g., rulers, measuring cups, scales) and
nonconventional (e.g., string, sheets of paper, containers) measurement tools
Building Center Toy construction materials (e.g., wooden blocks, plastic
components that snap together)
Drama Center costumes and props
Computer Center Four computer stations containing word processing and
multimedia interactive software
In addition to work periods that may make use of the learning centers,
there is also a daily thirty-minute free-choice period during which
students are invited to visit the centers to "try things out." The
students may visit any learning center they want, but generally no more
than four children are permitted to use a center at any one time. To
accommodate as many students as possible, a bell is rung at the midpoint of
the free-choice period to signal that it is time to move to a different
learning center. During the free-choice period, both teachers circulate
among the children, engaging them in conversations about what they are
doing at the centers and offering them helpful hints and suggestions as
needed.
88. The learning centers are likely to help make the regular classroom a
supportive learning environment for children with special needs by:
I. encouraging students to explore and express their individuality.
II. providing learning opportunities for students who function at a wide
range of ability levels.
III. helping teachers adapt instruction to students' strengths and
interests.
IV. helping teachers ensure that all students acquire a minimal set of
basic skills.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
89. Some students in the class have emotional difficulties and become very
angry when they cannot immediately work or remain at the center that is
their first choice. In general, which of the following management
strategies is likely to foster students' social-emotional development?
A. enforcing guidelines that guarantee all students the opportunity to work
at their favorite center at least once a week
B. being flexible about the learning center rules and allowing students
with emotional difficulties to work and remain at the center of their choice
C. providing students who demonstrate emotional difficulties at the centers
with alternative activities they are more likely to enjoy
D. modeling problem-solving strategies with all students and helping them
work out compromises to conflicts
90. The teachers have been working on phonemic awareness and phonics
skills with Armand, a student in the class who is behind most of his peers
in reading. The teachers have noticed that Armand particularly enjoys
listening to stories on tape in the listening center during free-choice
period, although he rarely looks at books at the center or in the class
library. The teachers have also observed that Armand can retell from
memory most of the taped stories in the listening center. Based on these
observations, Armand's teachers could probably best support his development
as an emerging reader by:
A. having Armand practice copying the texts of some of his favorite stories
from the listening center.
B. encouraging Armand to listen to the alphabet song on tape whenever he is
at the listening center.
C. helping Armand write down some of the stories he has memorized without
looking at the texts.
D. modeling for Armand how to follow along with the text as he listens to a
story at the center.
91. Yolanda has difficulty taking risks and lacks confidence in herself.
As a result, she tends to be nonverbal, especially with peers. In
observing Yolanda during the free-choice period, the teachers note that she
most often chooses to draw or sculpt at the art center. Based on this
information, the teachers could best promote Yolanda's communication skills
by:
A. encouraging her to make an oral presentation to the class about her best
artwork.
B. suggesting that she create a picture or a sculpture of one of her
classmates.
C. helping her work with a classmate at the center on a cooperative art
project.
D. recommending that she draw a picture to match an oral description given
by a classmate.
u u
Use the information below to answer the five questions that follow.
Jeremy, a regular education student in Mr. Jackson's fourth-grade class, is
new to the school this year. A few months into the school year, Mr.
Jackson tells the special education teacher, Ms. Hernández, that he is
concerned about Jeremy's social and communicative skills. Ms. Hernández
responds by informally observing Jeremy's behavior during instruction, at
recess, at lunch time, and during free time. Over a period of days, Ms.
Hernández notes that Jeremy is largely unresponsive to efforts by the
teacher and other children to engage him in conversation. He never
initiates interactions with peers and shows little enthusiasm for
activities that his classmates enjoy, such as small-group or whole-class
games. Whenever Jeremy has free time, he reads science fiction books or
plays computer games by himself at one of the classroom computer stations.
92. Ms. Hernández's decision to observe Jeremy at different times in
various school contexts, rather than observing him in a single setting,
improves the validity and reliability of the informal assessment by:
A. reducing the number of variables influencing the behavior.
B. helping the teacher identify behaviors that can be evaluated by formal
assessment instruments.
C. increasing the representativeness of the behavior sample.
D. helping the teacher eliminate personal biases that may influence the
objectivity of the assessment.
93. In assessing Jeremy's strengths and needs, it would be especially
important for Ms. Hernández to ask which of the following questions?
I. Are Jeremy's difficulties with social interactions interfering
significantly with his academic performance?
II. Are there any learning modalities for which Jeremy shows a strong
preference?
III. Do the education records from Jeremy's previous school provide
evidence of similar difficulties?
IV. Does Jeremy's academic performance compare favorably with that of
other students in the class?
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
94. Which of the following strategies would likely be most effective in
helping Ms. Hernández draw Jeremy into conversation with her?
A. Join Jeremy during free time and ask him informally about the book he is
reading and other favorite books.
B. During recess, initiate a conversation with Jeremy about a topic his
class is studying.
C. Sit next to Jeremy during a class lesson and wait for him to initiate
conversation with her.
D. Meet with Jeremy privately and explain that she would like to help him
learn how to communicate with his peers and adults.
95. Based on Ms. Hernández's observations, which of the following
activities is likely to be most effective in promoting Jeremy's social and
communicative skills?
A. Suggest that Jeremy read aloud to kindergartners a few times each week.
B. Ask Jeremy to teach computer skills to the class.
C. Invite Jeremy to give a class presentation about one of his favorite
authors.
D. Arrange for Jeremy to play computer games with a classmate.
96. After completing her informal observations of Jeremy, which of the
following steps would be most appropriate for Ms. Hernández to take next?
A. Recommend that Mr. Jackson contact Jeremy's parents to gain more
information.
B. Ask Jeremy directly why he does not like to interact with his classmates.
C. Notify Jeremy's parents that she is scheduling a comprehensive
individual assessment of him.
D. Interview the other students in the class to see how Jeremy's behavior
is perceived by his peers.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Stephanie is a second grader who has difficulty interacting with her peers.
She rarely speaks in class, usually sits alone at lunch, and seldom plays
with other children on the playground. Stephanie's teacher has asked Ms.
Alvarez, the special education teacher, to observe Stephanie over a number
of days. One day at recess, when Stephanie is sitting alone on a bench,
Ms. Alvarez starts up a conversation with her. The following is an excerpt
from the conversation.
Ms. Alvarez: Hi, Stephanie. This looks like a comfortable bench. Mind if
I have a seat?
Stephanie: Okay.
Ms. Alvarez: I see you have a jump rope. Do you like to play jump rope?
Stephanie: Yeah. I can jump lots and lots of times without messing up.
Ms. Alvarez: Good for you! What other games do you like to play?
Stephanie: Well . . . I like hopscotch.
Ms. Alvarez: That's a great game. Who do you like to play hopscotch with?
Stephanie: I'd like to play with Anne, but . . . I don't know.
Ms. Alvarez: Have you ever asked Anne to play with you?
Stephanie: No.
Ms. Alvarez: Hmmm. What do you suppose would happen if you asked her?
Stephanie: I don't think she'd want to play with me.
Ms. Alvarez: I have an idea. Let's pretend that I'm Anne, and you ask me
to play hopscotch. What would you say to me?
Stephanie: I don't know.
Ms. Alvarez: What if you say something like, "Hi, Anne. Would you like to
play hopscotch?"
Stephanie: Okay. "Hi, Anne. Wanna play hopscotch with me?"
Ms. Alvarez: "Sure, I love hopscotch!" (pause) Let's pretend again, okay?
I'm still Anne, and you ask me to play.
Stephanie: (smiles) Okay. "Hi, Anne. Wanna play?"
Ms. Alvarez: "Sure, but I'm playing jump rope with some other girls right
now." (pause) What would you say next, Stephanie?
Stephanie: I wouldn't say anything. I'd go back to playing by myself.
Ms. Alvarez: Okay. Now I'll be you and you be Anne.
Stephanie: Okay.
Ms. Alvarez: (assuming the role of Stephanie) "I'm good at jump rope! Can
I play too?"
Stephanie: (assuming the role of Anne) "No, you can't. There's too many
people."
Ms. Alvarez: "Okay. Maybe we could play hopscotch later. See ya!"
97. In her conversation with Stephanie, Ms. Alvarez demonstrates an
understanding of the importance of:
I. breaking up complicated tasks into a series of less complex subtasks.
II. motivating Stephanie to visualize herself as successful.
III. establishing rapport with Stephanie before offering suggestions.
IV. modeling independent problem-solving strategies for Stephanie.
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and III only
C. III and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
98. The content Ms. Alvarez focuses on in
the role-play with Stephanie is likely to foster Stephanie's social
development primarily by:
A. helping Stephanie recognize social activities that interest her.
B. helping Stephanie overcome fear of rejection by her peers.
C. building Stephanie's repertoire of socially acceptable remarks.
D. motivating Stephanie to play with a greater variety of people.
99. The use of role-play in this context is likely to be effective in
facilitating Stephanie's learning primarily because it:
A. teaches strategies Stephanie can use to monitor her own mastery of new
skills.
B. integrates into instruction activities that are of interest to Stephanie.
C. makes use of Stephanie's strengths in one domain to compensate for her
needs in another domain.
D. actively engages Stephanie in practicing the skills to be learned.
u u
Use the information below to answer the four questions that follow.
Ethan, an eleventh-grade student with a learning disability, recently began
working part-time at a local grocery store in accordance with his
Individual Transition Plan (ITP). Ms. Molina, Ethan's special education
teacher and job coach, receives a call from the manager of the store
informing her that Ethan has demonstrated inappropriate behavior with
customers as well as co-workers. Ethan is irritable when customers
interrupt his work to ask questions, and he cooperates only with the owner
of the store. If other authorized personnel assign him tasks, he becomes
agitated and says, "You're not the boss! You can't tell me what to do!"
100. Of the following, Ms. Molina's best initial response to the store
manager's concerns about Ethan would be to:
A. contact Ethan's parents and explain that Ethan may not be able to
continue his part-time job.
B. assure the manager that she will discuss the problems with Ethan and
help him work on solutions.
C. visit the store and interview the employees with whom Ethan interacts on
a regular basis.
D. remind the manager that Ethan's disability may require accommodations in
the workplace.
101. Which of the following instructional strategies would likely be most
effective in promoting Ethan's ability to interact productively in the
workplace?
A. Help Ethan role-play appropriate behaviors for responding to customers
and co-workers.
B. Provide Ethan with a written job description to remind him of his
responsibilities in the workplace.
C. Arrange for Ethan to view a videotape showing appropriate interactions
in the workplace.
D. Give Ethan a checklist of behaviors to avoid on the job and discuss the
checklist with him.
102. The store manager asks Ms. Molina to recommend some practical steps
that store personnel can take to help Ethan succeed in his part-time job.
Ms. Molina can best respond by suggesting which of the following strategies?
I. Assign Ethan tasks that do not involve any direct contact with the
general public.
II. When communicating instructions to Ethan, give directions for one
task at a time.
III. Appoint a single supervisor to convey all job-related instructions
to Ethan.
IV. Make a chart for Ethan that lists all the behavioral expectations
associated with his job.
A. I and II only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. III and IV only
103. Ms. Molina's responsibilities as Ethan's job coach should include
which of the following?
I. working with Ethan at the store to model appropriate social skills and
job behaviors
II. serving as Ethan's job supervisor at the store until Ethan's
on-the-job behavior and social skills have improved
III. withdrawing support gradually to promote Ethan's ability to function
independently at the store
IV. organizing and leading a support group for Ethan that includes other
store employees who are interested in helping Ethan succeed at his job
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and IV only
D. III and IV only
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Dylan, a third grader, has difficulty with auditory processing. Testing
has shown that Dylan's hearing is not impaired, but he has trouble
interpreting and retaining spoken messages. After the teacher explains an
assignment, Dylan often turns to a classmate or raises his hand to ask,
"What are we supposed to do?" Ms. Rashad, the school's special education
teacher, is working with the general education teacher to implement
instructional modifications specified in Dylan's IEP.
104. Ms. Rashad suggests various strategies for addressing Dylan's needs
in the classroom. Of the following, which strategy is most likely to
improve Dylan's understanding of what the teacher says during whole-group
instruction?
A. Dylan uses an audiocassette recorder to tape all the teacher's oral
instructions and discussions with students.
B. The teacher seats Dylan near the front of the classroom where he can see
her clearly and aural distractions will be minimized.
C. Dylan takes detailed notes whenever the teacher gives oral instructions
or leads class discussions.
D. The teacher slightly increases the volume of her speaking voice when
addressing Dylan directly in the classroom.
105. Which of the following teaching strategies would best support Dylan's
learning by improving his understanding of oral instructions?
I. providing plenty of specific details when giving instructions for a
particular task
II. breaking down multi-step oral directions into sequential, single-step
instructions
III. preteaching key vocabulary words to Dylan before presenting the
instructions to the whole class
IV. using the chalkboard, pictures, diagrams, and other visual aids to
write out and illustrate instructions
A. I, II, and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II, III, and IV only
106. Over time, Dylan's general education teacher observes that his
ability to process oral instructions improves significantly. From time to
time, when Dylan demonstrates understanding and cues the teacher that he is
ready, she asks him to paraphrase the oral instructions she has just given
(e.g., "Dylan, could you remind the class what everyone should do now?").
This strategy is likely to benefit Dylan primarily by:
A. encouraging him to set his own learning goals.
B. promoting his self-esteem and sense of membership in a supportive
learning community.
C. motivating him to self-assess his learning skills.
D. promoting his ability to use prior knowledge to generate and communicate
ideas.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
A special education teacher uses the following strategy to help Michael, a
high school student with a learning disability, learn vocabulary words for
his Spanish class.
o Michael copies each Spanish word onto an index card, then copies the
English translation of the word onto the opposite side of the card.
Michael says the words aloud as he writes them on the cards.o While
studying the vocabulary words, Michael continues to say the Spanish and
English words aloud as he reads through the cards.o When Michael is ready,
the teacher tests him on the vocabulary words by showing him either the
Spanish or English side of the card. Michael reads the word aloud and
supplies the appropriate translation.
107. The instructional strategy described above is an effective one for
facilitating learning primarily because it:
A. conveys the teacher's confidence in the student's problem-solving ability.
B. uses multisensory activities to strengthen the student's recall of
specific information.
C. uses lower-level cognitive tasks to engage the student's interest in the
material.
D. prompts the student to make connections between prior knowledge and new
information.
108. Primary benefits of the vocabulary card activity include which of the
following?
I. Focusing on one card at a time eliminates distractions and allows
Michael to concentrate on each vocabulary word.
II. Interacting with the teacher during the activity fosters the
development of Michael's social competence.
III. Making and studying the vocabulary cards promotes Michael's active
engagement in the learning process.
IV. Using the vocabulary cards to test his knowledge encourages Michael
to monitor his own learning.
A. I and II only
B. I, III, and IV only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
109. The special education teacher repeats the vocabulary card activity
several times until Michael can correctly translate about two-thirds of the
Spanish vocabulary words. At this stage, which of the following strategies
is most likely to motivate Michael to learn the rest of the vocabulary words?
A. The teacher engages Michael's interest by suggesting that he estimate
how many of the remaining vocabulary words he can master in a specified
time period.
B. The teacher selects several of the remaining vocabulary cards for
Michael to concentrate on next.
C. The teacher helps Michael recognize his progress by separating the cards
into two stacks showing words that he already has mastered and the words
that remain.
D. Michael rearranges the remaining cards in alphabetical order to
facilitate memorization.
u u
Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
Mr. Guerra, a high school special education teacher, is working with
Sandra, a ninth grader, to improve her study skills and help her complete
assignments in her courses. Each week, Mr. Guerra makes sure that Sandra
contacts each of her content-area teachers to find out what her assignments
will be during the week. At the end of the week, he gives Sandra multiple
copies of the checklist, shown below. She completes the information in the
upper right corner and gives a copy to each of her content-area teachers.
Weekly ChecklistCourse name:________________________Teacher's
name:________________________Student's
name:________________________Date:________________________Please answer the
following questions and return the checklist to Mr. Guerra's mailbox on
Monday. Thank you.All in-class assignments completed and handed in this
week? yes ____ no ____Satisfactory performance on most in-class
assignments? yes ____ no ____All homework assignments completed and handed
in this week? yes ____ no ____Satisfactory performance on most homework
assignments? yes ____ no ____Appropriate classroom behavior this week?
yes ____ no ____
110. The major advantage of this checklist is that it can:
A. enable Mr. Guerra to plan and implement interdisciplinary instruction
for Sandra.
B. provide Mr. Guerra with information that will help him develop long-term
learning goals for Sandra in each content area.
C. alert Mr. Guerra to factors that may indicate Sandra's need for extra
help in particular courses.
D. help Mr. Guerra prepare weekly progress reports for Sandra's parents on
her motivation and attitude in each of her content-area classes.
111. The format of the checklist designed by Mr. Guerra shows his
understanding of the importance of:
A. facilitating regular communication between special education teachers
and content-area teachers.
B. determining grades for students through thoughtful collaboration between
special education teachers and content-area teachers.
C. ensuring that special education instruction supports what students are
learning in content-area classes.
D. clarifying the respective roles and responsibilities of special
education teachers and content-area teachers.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Mr. Acosta is a special education teacher in an elementary school. At the
beginning of the school year, he calls the parents or guardians of all
students who are currently designated to receive special education
services. After introducing himself, he engages in some general
conversation with the parents or guardians, briefly refers to the student's
IEP goals, and encourages the parents or guardians to call him anytime if
they have questions or concerns during the school year.
112. Mr. Acosta's practice of contacting parents as described shows his
awareness of the importance of:
A. making parents accountable for active participation in promoting their
child's education.
B. focusing primarily on the IEP during discussions with parents about the
special education services provided for their child.
C. creating a foundation of trust to promote ongoing communication between
parents and teachers.
D. clarifying the respective roles and responsibilities of teachers and
parents in promoting the child's development.
113. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate for Mr.
Acosta to include in his telephone conversation with parents and guardians
of students receiving special education services?
A. "Have you experienced any difficulty communicating with your child's
teachers at the school?"
B. "Are there any problems your child is experiencing at home that you feel
may carry over to school?"
C. "What is your general impression of the special education program at the
school?"
D. "Is there anything else you would like for me to be aware of regarding
your child?"
114. In his initial telephone conversation with parents and guardians, Mr.
Acosta can best promote a positive school-home relationship by:
A. encouraging them to share with teachers their child's successes and
achievements as well as difficulties.
B. assuring them that the school's special education services reflect
current research on learning.
C. emphasizing the experience and expertise of teachers who are involved in
their child's education.
D. stressing their role in implementing remedial strategies in the home to
address their child's needs.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Mr. McNeil, a third-grade teacher, is planning instruction focused on
increasing students' sight-word vocabularies. As part of the planning
process, Mr. McNeil is preparing lists of sight words to emphasize with
different students.
115. When planning instruction for Maria, a student with visual
discrimination difficulties, Mr. McNeil should be aware that Maria is
likely to find it especially difficult to distinguish among and learn
groups of sight words that:
A. contain different consonant blends.
B. are related in meaning but not in structure.
C. contain different consonant digraphs.
D. begin with the same letter or cluster of letters.
116. Edgar, a student with Down syndrome, is ready to begin acquiring an
initial sight-word vocabulary. When selecting words for Edgar, it would be
helpful for Mr. McNeil to begin by focusing on words related to:
I. popular children's stories with which Edgar is familiar.
II. content-area topics the class will be studying.
III. a single age-appropriate theme.
IV. personal safety and functional living skills.
A. I and III only
B. I, III, and IV only
C. II and IV only
D. II, III, and IV only
117. In general, Mr. McNeil can best help students who have reading
difficulties increase their sight-word vocabularies by emphasizing which of
the following strategies?
I. helping students develop the habit of applying phonics skills to every
word they encounter
II. using multisensory techniques to help students recognize and learn
new words
III. teaching students to use cues such as word shape and length to help
them remember specific words
IV. encouraging students to read and reread stories and other texts at
their independent reading levels
A. I and II only
B. I, II, and IV only
C. II, III, and IV only
D. III and IV only
u u
Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
A special education teacher has arranged for several high school students
to participate in the "job-shadowing" program described below.
o The teacher helps students explore their personal interests and related
types of work (e.g., computer equipment repair for a student interested in
and knowledgeable about computers).o The teacher contacts local businesses
engaged in the type of work students have identified (e.g., a computer
equipment repair service).o Interested business owners allow individual
students to "shadow" an employee for a week (i.e., accompany and observe a
repairman as he or she visits local businesses and services malfunctioning
equipment).
118. Advantages of the job-shadowing program described include which of
the following?
I. showing students how to take advantage of various community agencies
and services that can help them gain employment
II. increasing students' awareness of diverse skills used in various
occupations
III. developing students' awareness of resources in the community that
can broaden and extend their learning
IV. giving students practical experience in using a variety of skills in
the workplace
A. I and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II and IV only
119. The job-shadowing program is likely to promote students' functional
living competence primarily by:
A. providing students with opportunities to use decision-making skills in
the workplace.
B. motivating students to investigate and pursue potential career options.
C. making students aware of jobs in which people with special needs are
statistically most successful.
D. allowing students to assume responsibility for managing their own
business transactions.
u u
Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
Jorge, a middle school student whose first language is English, has
expressive/receptive language delays. Jorge can do math computations well,
but he has great difficulty understanding and solving word problems. To
help address his difficulties, Jorge's special education teacher works with
him on a variety of problem-solving strategies. One strategy involves a
"word-problem language" chart that Jorge can refer to when working on word
problems. The special education teacher makes the chart, then helps Jorge
use the chart to map the equations for a series of word problems. An
excerpt from the word-problem language chart is shown below.
120. Which of the following activities involving the word-problem language
chart would be best for the special education teacher to do next with Jorge
to support and reinforce his ability to interpret word problems?
A. Provide Jorge with guided practice in creating his own word problems
using words from the chart.
B. Encourage Jorge to keep track of how often he encounters certain chart
words in word problems.
C. Create a mnemonic for Jorge to use to help him remember the list of
words from the chart.
D. Help Jorge add the words from the word-problem language chart to his
sight-word vocabulary.
121. Which of the following additional strategies would probably be most
effective in helping Jorge gain confidence in and improve his ability to do
word problems?
A. Provide Jorge with periodic opportunities to practice working on a
variety of different types of word problems.
B. Pair Jorge with a peer tutor who will set up the equations for word
problems so that Jorge will be able to do the calculations more successfully.
C. Encourage Jorge to review and practice his math facts frequently so that
the accuracy of his work on word problems will improve.
D. Teach Jorge how to make simple drawings of the information described in
word problems and to use the drawings to help solve the problems.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Ms. Levine, a middle school special education teacher, is helping Hannah, a
sixth grader with a reading disability, learn to recognize and spell
high-frequency, irregularly spelled words. Below is an excerpt from
Hannah's conversation with Ms. Levine.
Hannah: This is boring! Why do I have to learn these stupid words? I
don't want to.
Ms. Levine: I can tell that this activity doesn't seem like much fun to
you. The spelling of these words doesn't follow the usual rules we know.
They're called "irregular" words because the decoding and spelling rules
you've learned can't help you.
Hannah: So why do I have to learn them at all?
Ms. Levine: You'll see these words a lot when you read. If we work on them
now, that will help you read more easily and enjoy reading more. Why don't
we focus on them for a while, and then we can take the last few minutes for
something you enjoy more.
Hannah: Yeah, okay.
122. In the interaction with Hannah described above, Ms. Levine
demonstrates an understanding of the importance of:
A. acknowledging the feelings of frustration that children with special
needs may experience during the learning process.
B. motivating children with special needs by encouraging them to set their
own learning goals.
C. preserving a productive learning environment by maintaining appropriate
standards of behavior for children with special needs.
D. helping children with special needs understand that every rule has
exceptions.
123. During her conversation with Hannah, Ms. Levine establishes a
supportive learning atmosphere by:
A. stressing to Hannah the simplicity of the learning task.
B. helping Hannah translate a complex process into several manageable steps.
C. making Hannah feel that she has a say in the decision-making process.
D. allowing Hannah to make her own choices about when and what to learn.
124. Ms. Levine's explanation of the spelling lesson's purpose and value
is most likely to benefit Hannah by:
A. enhancing her phonemic awareness and phonological skills.
B. promoting her understanding of the rationale for this task.
C. fostering development of her social competence.
D. increasing her awareness of interdisciplinary connections.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Mr. Jenkins, a special education teacher, designs the following
instructional activity to address the needs of Lawanda, a preschool student
who demonstrates receptive and expressive language delays and minimal
speech skills. Mr. Jenkins makes a chart showing simple illustrations of
various facial expressions. A portion of the chart is shown below.
As Lawanda points to each illustration, Mr. Jenkins guides her to tell how
the person feels (e.g., "happy" for the smiling face). He then imitates
the expression in the illustration and encourages Lawanda to do the same.
125. The activity described is likely to promote Lawanda's communicative
competence primarily by helping her:
A. recognize and interpret nonverbal cues.
B. understand the literal content of verbal statements.
C. acquire phonemic awareness skills.
D. determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
126. The activity is most likely to promote Lawanda's social development by
helping her:
A. express herself through drawing and other types of artwork.
B. control her emotions when interacting with peers.
C. identify peers who share her personal interests.
D. recognize and convey her own thoughts and emotions.
127. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate for Mr.
Jenkins to use with Lawanda next to support her expressive language
development?
A. Mr. Jenkins encourages Lawanda to draw several faces like those on the
chart and to identify the feelings associated with each.
B. Mr. Jenkins shows Lawanda a few photographs, such as a child holding a
broken toy, and encourages her to say how the child is feeling.
C. Mr. Jenkins asks Lawanda to use the pictures on the chart to "make up a
story about yourself in which your feelings keep changing."
D. Mr. Jenkins makes a comment about a photograph, such as "That girl looks
sad," and encourages Lawanda to give more detailed information about the girl.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Eduardo, a student with a motor planning disorder, is entering middle
school. A few days before classes begin, Ms. Kelty, the special education
teacher, considers how to help Eduardo manage lunch in the school cafeteria
(e.g., walking to the cafeteria, getting in the right line, returning his
tray and trash to the proper areas, making it to his next class on time).
128. Ms. Kelty's consideration of Eduardo's needs in the school cafeteria
demonstrates her understanding of the importance of:
A. making plans to ensure that students with special needs do not disrupt
school routines or inconvenience other students.
B. helping students with disabilities recognize the strong connection
between effort and result.
C. anticipating how students' disabilities are likely to affect their
performance in nonacademic as well as academic tasks.
D. encouraging students with special needs to apply higher-order thinking
skills.
129. Ms. Kelty realizes that Eduardo is likely to have trouble responding
correctly to instructions from the cafeteria monitor. Which of the
following would be the best strategy for addressing this problem?
A. Confer with the cafeteria monitor to develop a checklist for Eduardo of
standard procedures (e.g., how to dispose of recyclable materials).
B. Explain the nature and cause of Eduardo's disability to help the
cafeteria monitor understand his need for individual attention.
C. Discuss with Eduardo the importance of focusing his full attention on
the cafeteria monitor whenever she speaks to him.
D. Meet with the cafeteria monitor and suggest specific modifications
(e.g., single-step instructions) to address Eduardo's needs.
130. Given the nature of Eduardo's disability, which of the following
strategies is likely to be most effective in helping him learn to manage
cafeteria routines independently?
A. Assign a peer mentor who will accompany Eduardo in the cafeteria each
day and make sure he performs lunch routines correctly.
B. Accompany Eduardo to the cafeteria and encourage him to observe how
other students are performing lunch routines.
C. Walk Eduardo through the lunch routines and develop an acronym with him
to help remind him of the steps involved.
D. Express confidence in Eduardo's ability to perform lunch routines and
arrange for him to become a cafeteria helper.
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Use the information below to answer the five questions that follow.
Jonathan, a fourth-grade student, receives special education services in
the general education classroom. One of Jonathan's IEP objectives is to
increase on-task behavior when working independently in the classroom to
solve math problems. Ms. Washington is the special education teacher at
Jonathan's school. When the classroom teacher passes out math assignments,
Ms. Washington helps Jonathan complete two or three of the problems. She
then tells Jonathan, "While I go help another student, I'd like you to
complete these five problems." When Jonathan completes the problems, Ms.
Washington checks back with him and says, "Good work! I like the way you
finished all five problems by yourself."
131. The instructional strategy employed by Ms. Washington is most likely
to benefit Jonathan in which of the following ways?
I. building Jonathan's confidence by helping him achieve specific,
realistic goals
II. calling attention to Jonathan's positive behavior and reinforcing it
through verbal praise
III. improving Jonathan's verbal and nonverbal communication skills
IV. encouraging Jonathan to apply critical thinking skills
A. I and II only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. III and IV only
132. If Jonathan finishes the math problems before Ms. Washington checks
back with him, he often becomes distracted and disruptive. Ms. Washington
could best address this problem by adjusting her instructional strategy in
which of the following ways?
I. Review with Jonathan the class guidelines for appropriate behavior.
II. Suggest that Jonathan engage in a prearranged math activity while
waiting for her to return.
III. Remind Jonathan that he will have to work in a different room if he
distracts other students.
IV. Advise Jonathan to signal her when he has finished the assigned math
problems.
A. I and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II and III only
D. II and IV only
133. Ms. Washington wants to promote Jonathan's independence by
encouraging him to take responsibility for completing all of the math
problems by himself. Ms. Washington can best address this goal by asking
Jonathan which of the following questions?
A. Can you explain why it is important for all students to complete their
math assignments independently?
B. How many math problems do you think you could solve this time before I
check back with you?
C. Do you think you could complete the math problems by yourself if you
worked on improving your concentration?
D. How soon do you think you will be ready to complete all of your math
assignments without my help?
134. Each day, Ms. Washington gives Jonathan a card labeled, "Tell me what
you've done today in math." Jonathan records the number and type of math
problems he solved successfully. Ms. Washington also writes comments on
the cards and encourages Jonathan to show the cards to his parents and his
general classroom teacher. This instructional activity would most likely
benefit Jonathan by:
I. promoting his use of higher-order thinking skills.
II. helping him recognize that he is in control of his own learning.
III. fostering his ability to generalize math skills in different contexts.
IV. motivating him to make further gains in math.
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and IV only
D. III and IV only
135. Which of the following additional activities would best encourage
Jonathan to set and achieve long-term goals for improved performance in
mathematics?
A. Jonathan records the number of mathematics problems he solves each day
on a monthly calendar to chart his own progress.
B. Jonathan writes a brief essay describing the progress he has made in
improving his mathematics skills.
C. Jonathan previews all the additional mathematics skills he will need to
master during the remaining months of the school year.
D. Jonathan surveys his classmates' mathematics skills and adjusts his own
learning objectives accordingly.
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Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Campbell, a high school special
education teacher, prepares brief, individual "student profiles" of all
students who receive some or all special education services in regular
education classes. Ms. Campbell distributes the student profiles to all
teachers whose classes include these students. Each profile is designed to
help the classroom teachers by summarizing relevant and appropriate
information about a student's strengths and needs. The profile also
summarizes modifications specified in individual students' IEPs. Ms.
Campbell encourages teachers to contact her with comments regarding the
information and with any concerns that arise throughout the year.
136. The special education teacher's use of student profiles is likely to
enhance instruction for students with special needs primarily by:
A. promoting consensus among school staff about the best strategies for
teaching particular students.
B. evaluating classroom teachers' ability to improve the achievement of
students who receive special education services.
C. promoting effective communication and collaboration among school staff.
D. encouraging classroom teachers to rely on the judgment of special
education staff when evaluating student performance.
137. Which of the following types of information would be most appropriate
for Ms. Campbell to include in a student profile?
A. descriptions of instructional strategies that have been successful with
the student in the past
B. a photocopy of the student's IEP
C. an explanation of factors in the student's home environment that could
affect his or her learning
D. transcripts of the student's grades for the past several years
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Toby is a five year old who has delayed language development and difficulty
performing fine-motor and gross-motor tasks. Ms. Powell, a special
education teacher, designs the following instructional activity for Toby.
Bowling Game Activityo Ms. Powell encourages Toby to throw, bounce, and
roll a soft, light ball. She then shows Toby a picture of people bowling
and explains that bowling is a game.o Toby helps Ms. Powell set up plastic
bowling pins on a floor mat that has circles indicating the proper
positions for the pins. Ms. Powell explains that bowling is a game with
rules (e.g., "Rule #1 is that we take turns rolling the ball."). She then
helps Toby roll the ball and count the number of pins that are knocked
over.o Ms. Powell explains score-keeping to Toby (e.g., "It's hard to
remember how many pins are knocked down, so let's keep score."). She hangs
a large piece of paper on the wall and draws a line to divide the paper
into two columns. She then draws a small stick figure to represent Toby
and a large stick figure to represent herself.o Toby makes marks in his
column to record the number of pins he knocks down on each turn. After
several turns, Ms. Powell and Toby add up their total points, and Ms.
Powell praises Toby ("You're good at this bowling game!").
Throughout the activity, Ms. Powell comments continually on the different
actions involved in the game and periodically rephrases her own comments as
questions for Toby to answer.
138. An important advantage of the bowling game activity designed by Ms.
Powell is that it:
A. fosters Toby's development in multiple domains.
B. allows Toby to master one skill before he starts working on another.
C. promotes development of Toby's decision-making skills.
D. uses Toby's strengths in one domain to offset his needs in other domains.
139. In her comments during the bowling activity, Ms. Powell frequently
repeats information or restates her observations in slightly different
forms. She also adopts a relatively slow pace when questioning Toby (i.e.,
makes many elaborating comments between questions). This approach is
likely to promote Toby's communicative competence in which of the following
ways?
I. allowing adequate time for Toby to interpret and process information
before formulating a response
II. prompting Toby to contrast his own use of oral language with the
language patterns demonstrated by the teacher
III. demonstrating strategies that Toby can use to monitor his own
communicative ability
IV. providing Toby with more than one opportunity to receive and retain a
message even if his attention wavers
A. I, II, and III only
B. I and IV only
C. II, III, and IV only
D. II and IV only
140. When asking Toby a question, Ms. Powell uses simple, direct language.
In her comments, however, she often uses more complex vocabulary and
sentence structure to elaborate on simply stated observations. Ms.
Powell's practice of including higher-level discourse in her conversation
with Toby is likely to promote Toby's language development by:
A. helping Toby understand that a single word can have multiple meanings.
B. providing Toby with a richer and more natural language environment.
C. improving Toby's auditory discrimination and awareness of individual
speech sounds.
D. encouraging Toby to draw on personal experience to interpret spoken
messages.
u u
Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
Mr. O'Dell, a high school special education teacher, is a member of the
school's teacher assistance team. Other members include several
experienced classroom teachers, the school counselor, the school nurse, the
school psychologist, and the assistant principal. The purpose of the team
is to develop strategies for helping students who do not receive special
education services but who are considered high-risk for academic failure.
Once a week the team meets to discuss the progress of students who already
have been identified and to evaluate information about additional students
referred by classroom teachers. After a student has been identified,
members of the team review the student's file and designate the team
member(s) who will observe the student in class and meet with the student's
classroom teachers and the student.
141. Teacher assistance teams are likely to enhance learning opportunities
for high-risk students primarily by:
A. familiarizing classroom teachers with support services offered by
various school specialists.
B. supporting and empowering teachers to meet students' needs in the
regular classroom setting.
C. improving the ability of teachers to collaborate effectively in
team-teaching contexts.
D. training classroom teachers to recognize signs that a student has a
learning disability.
142. As a member of the teacher assistance team, Mr. O'Dell has a
particular responsibility to ensure that:
A. students are referred for special education only when their needs cannot
be met through the regular education program.
B. teachers are aware that they should notify special education staff
whenever a student's academic performance is significantly lower than that
of his or her peers.
C. students and their families are encouraged to contact special education
staff when the students do not perform well in the regular education program.
D. teachers are encouraged to initiate referrals for special education when
students show signs of academic difficulty.
u u
Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
Cynthia, a middle school student, has an emotional disorder and language
difficulties. During lectures or whole-group activities, she sometimes
becomes disruptive, speaking out of turn and distracting other students.
Ms. Kendall, the special education teacher, co-teaches Cynthia's social
studies class. Students in the class are familiar with semantic maps and
often use them during individual and group activities. For a unit on
colonial America, Ms. Kendall and the classroom teacher design the
following instructional activity.
1. All students read a chapter on colonial America in their social studies
text.2. Each student is paired with a partner.3. The teacher distributes a
list of topics related to the chapter (e.g., politics, family life, trade).
Each pair of students may select one of the topics or identify another
topic based on the reading.4. Students ask their partners questions about
the topic based on the reading (e.g., questions relating to work and
leisure activities of families in colonial America).5. Each student works
with his or her partner to create a semantic map incorporating answers to
the questions they have posed for each other.
143. The instructional activity designed by Ms. Kendall and the classroom
teacher
is most likely to enhance Cynthia's learning by:
A. offering an opportunity for her to show other students how much she
knows about different topics.
B. motivating her to apply effective conflict resolution skills with peers.
C. enabling her to observe how other students approach an assignment.
D. engaging her in a structured task that fosters productive social
interaction.
144. The set of activities described is likely to foster Cynthia's
academic performance in other content areas primarily by:
A. motivating her to set her own learning goals.
B. enhancing her awareness of interdisciplinary connections.
C. promoting her ability to organize and analyze information.
D. encouraging her to connect new information to personal experience.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Becky is a 12-year-old student who wears leg braces and has mild
cognitive delays. She does not live near any children her age and so has
always spent most of her free time playing with children much younger than
she is. When she was in elementary school, she also used to spend recess
with younger children. Now that Becky has entered middle school, her
parents realize that she has no friends her own age and that her social
development is lagging behind that of her peers. Becky's parents explain
these factors and concerns to her new special education teacher at the
middle school.
145. In addition to delays in her social development, the special
education teacher should be aware that Becky is most likely to display
which of the following characteristics as a result of her disabilities and
prior social experiences?
A. aggressive behavior toward peers and others who attempt to interact with
her
B. delayed emotional development with respect to being able to care about
others
C. overly mature behavior that attempts to compensate for her lack of
confidence
D. delayed communication skills with respect to knowing what to say to
peers in various situations
146. Which of the following strategies would be best for the special
education teacher to use first with Becky to help foster her social
development?
A. Role-play with Becky how to interact with peers in various social
situations.
B. Provide Becky with special rewards (e.g., stickers, candy) when she
initiates interactions with peers.
C. Explain to Becky ways in which children her own age are different from her.
D. Encourage Becky to attend school dances and other social functions that
her peers enjoy.
147. Becky's parents are concerned that she still spends most of her free
time after school playing with children who are much younger than she is.
Which of the following strategies would likely be most effective in
addressing the parents' concerns?
A. Recommend strategies they can use with Becky to restrict her
interactions with her younger friends.
B. Provide them with information about opportunities in the school and
community for Becky to interact with peers after school.
C. Describe ways they should interact with Becky at home to promote more
adult-like behaviors on her part.
D. Provide them with information about the role of healthy peer
relationships in children's cognitive and emotional development.
u u
Use the information below to answer the three questions that follow.
Ms. Nesbitt is a special education teacher who directs a content mastery
center at a middle school. The main purpose of the content mastery center
is to provide special education students who are mainstreamed in regular
education classes with assistance and support in completing their reading
and writing assignments, projects, etc. In addition, students who require
special testing accommodations can take their tests in the content mastery
center.
148. Ms. Nesbitt asks classroom teachers to provide her with advance
copies of their lesson plans, worksheets, and tests. Ms. Nesbitt then uses
these materials to prepare reinforcement activities, support resources
(e.g., study guides, graphic organizers, vocabulary previews, textbook
chapters on audiotape), and modified tests to use with students when they
come to the content mastery center. Ms. Nesbitt's preparatory activities
best demonstrate her understanding of the need to:
A. encourage learners to take more responsibility for their own academic
achievement.
B. accommodate learner differences by presenting the same content in a
variety of alternative ways.
C. take into account learners' interests and preferences in determining the
content of the curriculum.
D. collaborate with colleagues to plan and implement early interventions
for at-risk students.
149. Ms. Nesbitt has the policy that when students attend the content
mastery center, they are expected to bring with them a definite assignment
they plan to work on, as well as any needed resources or materials.
Otherwise, they are given an assignment that Ms. Nesbitt has prepared.
This policy is likely to contribute to making the content mastery center a
more productive learning environment by:
A. maximizing the amount of time that students spend actively engaged in
learning.
B. communicating the message that all students must meet high academic
standards.
C. ensuring that all students experience success in their academic work.
D. providing opportunities for students to teach and learn from each other.
150. Brent, a seventh-grade student with an emotional disorder who becomes
frustrated easily, is one of the students who regularly come to the content
mastery center. Brent's science class is working on a unit on
classification of plants and animals and Brent is having difficulty
remembering the names and order of the various levels of classification.
To help Brent retain this information, Ms. Nesbitt develops mnemonics for
him to use to remind him of the first letter and order of the names. To
promote Brent's independence as a learner, Ms. Nesbitt should follow up on
this instruction by:
A. teaching Brent to supplement memory associations with notes.
B. motivating Brent to think critically about what he learns.
C. encouraging Brent to set aside more time for study at home.
D. giving Brent strategies for inventing his own associations.
u u
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