This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam. Show
For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam. Domain I—Understanding Individuals with Disabilities and Evaluating Their NeedsCompetency 001—The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of the characteristics and needs of students with disabilities.1. Which of the following behaviors demonstrated by a 2-year-old child is the clearest indicator that the motor development of that child may be impaired?
2. A fifth grader has diabetes and manages her illness through insulin injections. Which of the following symptoms should indicate to a teacher that this student may be experiencing insulin shock?
3. Which TWO of the following characteristics are common to students with both autism spectrum disorder and a hearing impairment?
Competency 002—The special education teacher understands formal and informal assessment and evaluation procedures and knows how to evaluate student competencies to make instructional decisions.4. Ms. Smith stops the class after just a few minutes of mathematics instruction, which is taking place at the board. She asks two questions requiring simple student responses on note cards. After quickly reviewing the cards, Ms. Smith returns to instructing at the board. Which type of assessment is the teacher using?
5. Alyssa is a third grader who has been assessed and found to be significantly below her grade-level peers in mathematics calculation and problem solving. To indicate that Alyssa qualifies for special education as a student with a specific learning disability in mathematics, Alyssa’s evaluation must also show that she exhibits a
Domain II—Promoting Student Learning and DevelopmentCompetency 003—The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of procedures for planning instruction for individuals with disabilities.6. Which of the following statements best describes how the objectives in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) should relate to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)?
7. Which of the following strategies will be most effective for providing job training to a student with intellectual disabilities for work as a server in a fast-food restaurant?
8. Which THREE of the following scenarios best describe instructional activities that are appropriate for the student and aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)?
Competency 004—The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of procedures for managing the teaching and learning environment, including procedures related to the use of assistive technology.9. Early in the school year, the students in a fifth-grade class have been demonstrating exclusionary behavior. There are two dominant cliques, and there are several children, including two with disabilities, who are generally treated as outcasts. When considering how to respond, the classroom teacher should be aware that
10. An adult is preparing to carry a small preschooler with multiple disabilities. Which of the following practices will best ensure the adult’s safety during the lift?
11. When choosing an assistive technology for a student with a disability, a teacher should most importantly consider which of the following?
Competency 005—The special education teacher knows how to promote students’ educational performance in all content areas by facilitating their achievement in a variety of settings and situations.12. A middle school special educator has been teaching students with learning disabilities how to use chapter headings, subheadings, indexes, and glossaries in their textbooks when doing content-area reading. The greatest benefit of the approach the educator is using is that it
Use the information below to answer the question that follows. A special educator is teaching Monica, a 12 year old with multiple disabilities, how to identify pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Every day, the teacher gives Monica 20 coins to identify. With the help of a chart showing each coin and its name, Monica is asked to use her speech-generating communication device to identify each coin. The results after one week of instruction are shown below.
13. Based on the assessment’s results, the special educator’s next step should be to
14. Which of the following instructional strategies will most likely support the needs of a gifted elementary student who is eligible to receive special education services?
Competency 006—The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of issues and procedures for teaching appropriate student behavior and social skills.15. Ten months ago, 16-year-old Andrew suffered a head injury in an automobile accident and was left legally blind. Since the accident, Andrew seldom leaves his house. A few friends occasionally come over to listen to music, but Andrew fears that they will get bored and stop visiting. Of the following, Andrew’s special educators’ best response to the situation would be to
16. Julio, a sixth grader with a learning disability, immigrated with his family to the United States a year ago. Although Julio speaks English well, he never speaks to his classroom teacher unless spoken to. Concerned about this behavior, the classroom teacher suggests to the special education teacher that Julio may need social skills instruction. Which of the following factors is most important for the special educator to take into account when considering the classroom teacher’s suggestion?
17. A second-grade student with an emotional behavioral disorder (EBD) is in an inclusion class. The student has violent outbursts that are frequent and seem to increase with time. Which of the following actions is most appropriate for the special education teacher to take to address the student’s behavior?
18. For a third grader with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder who exhibits disruptive behavior and a low attention span, which of the following behavioral intervention strategies is most likely to help the student achieve classroom success?
Competency 007—The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of transition issues and procedures across the life span.19. Of the following, the most effective means of providing program continuity for children transitioning from preschool to kindergarten is to offer
20. At an Admission Review Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting for a 4-year-old student with a mild intellectual disability, it was decided that the student will transition from a self-contained preschool classroom to an inclusion kindergarten classroom. Which of the following actions is most appropriate for the current special education teacher to take to make sure that the student has a smooth transition?
Domain III—Promoting Student Achievement in English Language Arts and Reading and in MathematicsCompetency 008—The special education teacher promotes students’ performance in English language arts and reading.21. Ms. Lewis, a kindergarten teacher, shows an unfamiliar storybook to a student. She asks the student to point to the title of the book and open the book to the first page of the story. After the teacher reads a few pages, she asks the student to point to the words. The teacher is most likely assessing the student’s awareness that
22. A special education teacher prepares a group of students to listen to a story about a whale by asking them what they know about whales and writing the students’ responses on the board. This activity is likely to facilitate comprehension of the story primarily because it will
Use the information below to answer the question that follows. Ms. Ortiz is a special educator who teaches in a middle school resource room. At the beginning of each school year, she has each student complete an interest inventory such as the one shown below.
23. In planning reading instruction for students with disabilities, Ms. Ortiz could best use the information from this informal assessment to
24. Which of the following activities, performed by young children while a story is being read to them, would most likely encourage them to listen for meaning?
25. A first-grade teacher who is working with a group of beginning readers gives each student a set of word cards. On each card is printed a word that the students have already learned to read (e.g., “he,” “she,” “sees,” “loves,” “has,” “the,” “a,” “dog,” “cat,” and “pail”). The teacher shows the students how to arrange the cards to create a statement (e.g., “she sees the cat”). Students then create their own statements and read them aloud. One goal of this activity is to promote students’ reading development by reinforcing word recognition skills. In addition, this activity can be expected to promote students’ writing development by
Use the information below to answer the question that follows. A sixth-grade teacher has made the following notes about a student’s reading performance.
26. Based on the teacher’s notes about Rebecca’s reading performance, Rebecca would benefit most from instruction to help her
27. A teacher regularly analyzes the attempted spellings of emergent readers. In addition to providing information about students’ spelling development, the teacher’s approach would best help the teacher assess students’
28. To promote students’ reading fluency, a fifth-grade teacher plans activities in which students and their assigned partners engage in repeated oral readings. When the teacher assembles the reading materials for the activities, the teacher should assign each pair of students passages from a text that
Use the information below to answer the question that follows. A middle school teacher plans the following activities in connection with a field trip to view a photojournalism exhibit at a local museum.
29. Which of the following additional activities would best help the teacher informally assess students’ understanding of the way visual images and elements of design create meaning?
30. A reading teacher asks students to read a short passage from a text and then close their eyes for a minute to visualize what they just read. The activity will help the students to
Competency 009—The special education teacher promotes students’ performance in mathematics.31. A survey has found that about 12 of every 500 airline flights are canceled due to bad weather. This ratio is equivalent to which of the following?
32. Use the diagrams below to answer the question that follows. Three separate stacks of bricks in the following pattern, from left to right. First stack has two rows, with one brick on the top row and two bricks on the second from top row. Second stack has three rows, with one brick on the top row, two bricks on the second from top row, and three bricks on the third from top row. Third stack has four rows, with one brick on the top row, two bricks on the second from top row, three bricks on the third from top row, and four bricks on the fourth from top row. Bricks are stacked in the pattern shown above. If the pattern continues, how many bricks will there be in a stack that has seven layers?
33. Students in a third-grade class are playing a board game. On each player’s turn, the player spins a spinner that is divided into four quadrants, as shown below. The figure shows a circle with two perpendicular lines in the center of it, creating four equal quadrants. The quadrants are positioned in the top left, bottom left, top right, and bottom right of the circle. The top left quadrant is labeled one, the bottom left quadrant is labeled four, the top right quadrant is labeled 2, and the bottom right quadrant is labeled three. At the center of the circle, where the corner of each quadrant meets, an arrow points away from the center and ends in the top right quadrant. The teacher overhears a student remark, “Since I haven’t spun a four yet, I’ll probably get a four on this turn.” The student has demonstrated a misconception regarding which of the following mathematical concepts?
34. A special education teacher provides math instruction in the resource room for individuals and small groups of students who have learning disabilities. When teaching the students, the teacher should follow which of the following instructional guidelines?
35. A third grader with special needs has been having trouble memorizing basic arithmetic facts. The student’s classroom teacher asks the special education teacher’s advice on how to help the student. In general, which of the following suggestions is most important for the special education teacher to give the teacher?
36. In general, math instruction for students with learning disabilities in mathematics should be characterized by
37. Joyce and Tyrone, two third graders, are counting how many gallon and quart milk containers have been collected for a class science project. As they count, Tyrone tells Joyce that the gallon container is twice as big as the quart container. Based on his comment, Tyrone needs instruction in understanding the concept of capacity. The teacher can best teach him by
38. Which of the following is the most appropriate reason to use curriculum-based assessments?
39. Which of the following is the best activity for reviewing the concept of fractions with fourth-grade students?
40. Which of the following is a developmentally appropriate activity for a kindergartner to establish basic number sense?
41. While reading a story, students notice that the wheels on a space vehicle look like the figures shown. A special education teacher can use this teachable moment to have students use tiles to make similar figures. Which of the following can the students use to make the figures?
Both hexagon shapes have small upside down trapezoids around each of the six sides of a smaller hexagon to make up a hexagon shape of a larger size.
Domain IV—Foundations and Professional Roles and ResponsibilitiesCompetency 010—The special education teacher understands the philosophical, historical and legal foundations of special education.42. Which of the following is most commonly found on students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)?
43. In which of the following ways has the movement toward accountability in education most significantly affected students who receive special education services?
44. Ms. Fredericks, who is teaching first grade for the first time, asks Mr. Cardenas, the school’s special education teacher, why a new student in her class needs a full and individual evaluation (FIE) even though a doctor has provided a note indicating that the student has been diagnosed with diabetes. Which of the following is the most appropriate response from Mr. Cardenas?
Competency 011—The special education teacher applies knowledge of professional roles and responsibilities and adheres to legal and ethical requirements of the profession.45. Which of the following is most effective for a teacher to use when working with linguistically diverse students with disabilities in second grade?
46. A beginning special educator teaches middle school students from diverse backgrounds in a resource room. At the beginning of the school year, the teacher reviews a list of rules for the resource room with each group of students and hangs the list on the classroom wall. One rule gives directions about the appropriate noise level: “Work quietly without disturbing others.” Several times during the first weeks of school, students start helping each other with their work instead of focusing on their own. Consequently, the teacher has given out warnings to these students for breaking the rule. When reflecting upon the students’ behavior, the teacher needs to be aware that
47. After an Admission Review Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting for a student with an intellectual disability, Ms. Salina, the special education teacher, is contacted by Mr. Davis, a case worker from a local state agency that provides services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. He reports to Ms. Salinas that the student’s parents want him to review the Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed at the ARD meeting, and he wants to come to the school to look at the document. Which of the following is the most appropriate response to Mr. Davis’s request?
Competency 012—The special education teacher knows how to communicate and collaborate effectively in a variety of professional settings.48. During mathematics lessons, a special educator has students work in groups of two or three. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for the educator to use to help the small groups of students learn the social skill of sharing?
49. Mr. McClure, a special education paraprofessional assigned to an elementary resource room, has a tendency to come in late to class. His supervisor, Mr. Washington, would like to discuss the issue with him in a way that would elicit the paraprofessional’s genuine cooperation. Which of the following types of statements would be most effective for Mr. Washington to use to meet his goal?
50. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which of the following people must be present at a third-grade student’s annual Admission Review Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting?
What activities are best for children with ADHD?Children With ADHD: Get Outside. Walking (at least 20 minutes). Playing.. Gardening or other yard work.. Hiking or backpacking.. Reading.. Outdoor sports.. Fishing.. Working with animals.. Which of the following groups is most commonly used for drug management of the child with ADHD?Stimulants are the best-known and most widely used ADHD medications.
What are the symptoms of ADHD in kids?Hyperactivity and impulsiveness. being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings.. constantly fidgeting.. being unable to concentrate on tasks.. excessive physical movement.. excessive talking.. being unable to wait their turn.. acting without thinking.. interrupting conversations.. What are the signs of ADHD in a 5 year old?Main key symptoms of ADHD in young children. Listening difficulties.. Not following instructions.. Making careless mistakes.. Highly distractible.. Day dreaming.. Forgetting/Losing things.. Not finishing tasks.. Easily bored.. |