Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of basic assessment terminology (e.g., validity, reliability, percentile rank, basal, ceiling).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the specific purposes of various types and methods of formal, informal, and alternative assessments (e.g., screenings, inventories, standardized tools, formative and summative assessments, adaptive behavior assessments, anecdotal observations).
- Apply knowledge of various types, methods, and practices associated with the use and development of informal assessments (e.g., rubrics, self-assessments, portfolios, checklists, ecological assessments, task analysis).
- Apply knowledge of principles and procedures for selecting, adapting, and modifying assessments for given situations to accommodate individual abilities and needs, and the implications of modifications and accommodations on assessment results.
- Apply knowledge of processes for selecting and creating assessment instruments and methods to evaluate students' progress toward Individualized Education Program (IEP) academic or instructional goals and benchmarks.
- Interpret data and information from different types of formal or informal assessments to identify a student's instructional, academic, communication, or behavioral abilities and needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the various methods, types, and practices for collecting and recording relevant data (e.g., charting, anecdotal observation, antecedent-behavior-consequence recording) from a variety of sources to effectively monitor student progress in the academic curriculum and toward IEP and transition goals.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the components of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and how to use the results of an FBA to meet individual students' needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and methods for collaborating with other professionals as a team member in conducting assessments that respond to and respect families' priorities, concerns, and expectations, and involve family members as active participants in the assessment process.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for effectively communicating assessment results to all stakeholders.
Sample Item:
A special education teacher reviews a student's score report from a recently administered standardized achievement test. Which of the following student scores reflects the percentage of students in the norming sample who scored at or below the student's raw score?
- percentile rank
- T-score
- standard score
- grade equivalent
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. When interpreting standardized assessment scores, the percentile rank provides the team with a relative indication of how a student performs in comparison to students in the same grade and subject area. If the student scores at the 45th percentile, they scored as well as or better than 45% of students in the normed group. Consequently, 55% of students in the norm group exceeded this student's score.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of methods for designing, adapting, or modifying the learning environment to meet the physical, cognitive, social, and communication needs of students (e.g., use of assistive technology [AT], physical arrangement of classroom, management of support services).
- Apply knowledge of strategies and activities for creating a supportive and positive classroom and school climate that fosters respect for all, develops understanding, and builds relationships among all students.
- Apply knowledge of strategies, methods, and activities for developing, teaching, and reinforcing daily routines (e.g., classroom schedules, arrival and dismissal procedures, work-related tasks) and managing transitions throughout students' daily environment to promote independence.
- Apply knowledge of methods of fostering students' active engagement and individual academic success in one-to-one, small-group, and large-group settings.
- Apply knowledge of principles of student motivation and strategies for creating a learning environment that is motivating and engaging to all students and that promotes an ownership of learning and high expectations.
- Apply knowledge of strategies, methods, and activities to effectively provide guidance and support to paraeducators to address student needs, recognize student abilities, and promote student independence and access.
- Apply knowledge of practices for physically supporting, adjusting, and positioning students and the correct uses of transfers (e.g., sitting to floor, chair to chair, floor to sitting), and of procedures for managing specialized health care needs at school or in the classroom setting.
- Apply knowledge of practices and methods for promoting students' successful transitions between activities and classes, to and from home and school, and between related-service delivery and other school-based activities.
- Apply knowledge of practices for promoting students' vocational and career awareness, work-related skills, and access to resources that support employment and postsecondary experiences and opportunities.
Sample Item:
Which of the following techniques would reduce the likelihood of a special education teacher sustaining a back injury when assisting a student to stand from a seated position?
- minimizing physical contact with the student
- bending at the waist while lifting the student
- lowering the shoulders before transferring the student
- using the accommodation of a gait belt from behind the student
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Gait belts and transfer belts are very useful when assisting a student to move from a seated to a standing position. The gait belt is secured around the student's waist, and the teacher lifts the student to a standing position by holding the sides of the belt, maintaining control to prevent the student from falling forward.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the components of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the roles and functions of IEP team members in planning and implementing IEPs.
- Apply knowledge of procedures for developing and implementing IEPs in collaboration with students, parents/guardians, general education teachers, and related service providers.
- Interpret and use information from formal and informal assessments to collaborate with the IEP team to determine student goals and objectives appropriate to the abilities and needs of the individual student.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the continuum of placement and services available for students with disabilities, including knowledge of supports students may require for integration into appropriate program placements.
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based strategies and methods of effective instructional planning and lesson design to provide direct and explicit instruction and intervention.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies to support students' access to, inclusion, and participation in a variety of academic and nonacademic settings and activities.
- Demonstrate knowledge of co-teaching models, including strategies for effective implementation of a co-teaching model to promote students' access to and success within the general education curriculum and setting.
- Apply knowledge of methods for integrating a variety of learning experiences into ongoing instruction (e.g., project-based, student-initiated, inquiry-based, teacher-directed).
- Apply knowledge of strategies and methods to select, design and use various types of technology, low- and high-tech materials, and digital resources to address students' individual academic and nonacademic needs, including addressing other factors that may affect accessibility.
- Demonstrate knowledge of methods to support student use and independence with maintaining and integrating augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies in the classroom setting.
Sample Item:
Students participate in inquiry-based learning centers following a mathematics minilesson. In which of the following ways does this instructional approach promote student learning?
- developing students' mastery of concepts through independent learning
- encouraging students to collaborate with peers to expand their knowledge
- providing students with engaging learning opportunities to practice new skills
- designing student-directed learning activities that support creativity
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. Inquiry-based learning is an evidence-based approach that emphasizes the role of the student in the learning process. Lesson design that incorporates inquiry-based learning activities, including learning centers, allows the teacher to differentiate the curriculum objectives, build on students' prior knowledge of the content, and provide higher-order thinking tasks. Robust research indicates the use of this approach promotes student engagement and curiosity in the learning process and deepens their understanding of the content.
View Cart