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Special Education EXA
Special Education EXA
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
5. Which of the following practices will 7. A special education teacher works with
best prevent the spread of illnesses such a student who has epilepsy involving
as the common cold and the flu within generalized tonic-clonic seizures. If the
an elementary school special education student has a seizure in class, the teacher
classroom? should first:
A. encouraging students not to bring A. attempt to gently restrain the student
in food from home to share with to minimize muscle jerks.
classmates
B. remove objects located around or
B. providing students with individual near the student that could possibly
boxes of tissues to keep at their cause injury.
desks
C. call or locate the school nurse to
C. assigning students a specific area attend to the student.
in the classroom for storing their
personal belongings D. place an object such as a belt or
wallet in the student's mouth to
D. having students wash their hands keep the airway open.
properly on a regular basis
throughout the day
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
9. An elementary school student with severe 11. A twelfth-grade student with a physical
physical disabilities requires adult disability has experienced two severe
assistance with feedings. Which of the episodes of depression within the past year
following information would be most and is currently taking an antidepressant
important for the student's special medication. As the student approaches
education teacher to know in this graduation and the transition from high
situation? school to college, it would be most
important for the student to:
A. whether the student is able to
partially hold eating utensils A. reconsider whether going to college
or cups is a realistic goal.
B. how much food and liquid the B. develop friendships with peers who
student commonly consumes at have similar disabilities.
home
C. rely more on family members
C. whether the student has demon- regarding important decisions.
strated preferences for certain foods
D. learn how to access counseling
D. what type of consistency the services as needed.
student's foods and liquids should be
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
12. Eliza is a ninth-grade student who will 13. A twelfth-grade student has mild autism
soon return to school after suffering a spectrum disorder and has received special
moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a education and speech-language services
bicycle accident. While in a rehabilitation since kindergarten. Based on this infor-
center, Eliza received speech-language, mation, the student is likely to have
physical, and occupational therapies. An greatest difficulty with which of the
Individualized Education Program (IEP) following aspects of adulthood?
team is developing an IEP for her to
support her as she returns to school. A. establishing and maintaining quality
Which of the following best describes the interpersonal relationships
educational implications of Eliza's TBI?
B. obtaining a job within a field of
A. Eliza's condition will prevent her interest
from taking college preparation
classes. C. living in an apartment or house
independently
B. Eliza's academic course load should
be modified or reduced as she D. managing personal finances
transitions back into the school
environment.
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
15. Marcus earns a score in the 72nd 17. A curriculum-based assessment provides
percentile on a standardized achievement information primarily about a student's:
test. Which of the following is the best
interpretation of this score? A. eligibility for special education
services.
A. Twenty-eight students within the
test's norm group scored lower than B. progress in acquiring specific
Marcus. academic skills.
B. Marcus answered 28 of 100 test C. aptitude for future academic
items incorrectly. success.
C. Marcus scored the same as or higher D. ability to use assistive technology
than 72 percent of the students in to perform academically.
the test's norm group.
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
19. Which of the following procedures must 21. A fifth-grade student who has a specific
an Individualized Education Program learning disability and attention-deficit/
(IEP) team follow in order to determine hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has
that a student is eligible for special begun demonstrating disruptive behavior
education services? in recent weeks. Despite various
intervention efforts, the behavior has
A. documenting the student's aptitude continued. The student's team decides
based on standardized achievement to conduct a Functional Behavioral
instruments Assessment (FBA). The first step the
team should take in conducting the FBA
B. evaluating the student in all areas of is to:
suspected disability
A. observe the student's behavior
C. evaluating the student's adaptive across school settings.
functioning abilities with behavioral
rating scales B. identify effective behavior self-
monitoring strategies.
D. administering formal instruments in
order to obtain a standardized score C. define the student's behavior in
measurable terms.
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Evaluation Systems, Pearson, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004
SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
22. A special education teacher provides 23. An initial evaluation has been completed
reading instruction to a small group of on a fourth-grade student who has been
second-grade students. Each student has struggling in mathematics. Based on the
Individualized Education Program (IEP) student's present level of educational
goals related to increasing their sight word performance, the Individualized Education
vocabulary and fluency. Which of the Program (IEP) team finds the student
following assessment procedures should eligible for special education services.
the teacher use to monitor the students' Which of the following components must
progress toward these goals? be included in the students IEP?
A. administering an informal reading A. a detailed plan for fully supporting
inventory to each student on a the student's upcoming transition to
monthly basis fifth grade
B. developing individual portfolios in B. a description of how the team plans
which each student collects a list of to monitor the student's progress
mastered sight words every week
C. a statement naming a designated
C. conducting an error analysis of each service coordinator to implement the
student's oral reading on a monthly program
basis
D. a statement reflecting the family's
D. reviewing data on each student's desired academic outcome for the
reading accuracy and speed on a student
graph every week
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
24. Which of the following must be included 25. An Individualized Education Program
in an Individualized Family Service Plan (IEP) team will be developing a transition
(IFSP)? plan for a ninth-grade student who has
specific learning disabilities and attention-
A. a comprehensive list of community deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
organizations, service agencies, and Which of the following steps should the
support groups available to meet the team take first in supporting a successful
family's needs transition for this student?
B. a report explaining the results of a A. identifying long-term postsecondary
formal psychosocial assessment of goals for the student's transition into
the family's functioning community living
C. a statement describing the family's B. assessing the student's individual
concerns, priorities, strengths, and interests, preferences, and level of
needs as these relate to their child's supports needed
development
C. determining how to measure the
D. a projected list of dates for routine student's progress toward transition
weekly family–teacher conferences goals
for the purpose of monitoring the
child's progress D. assessing the student's need for
assistive technology related to
employment or postsecondary
education
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Evaluation Systems, Pearson, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004
SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
26. A special education teacher and a general 27. A special education teacher works with
education teacher will be co-teaching a Deng, a third-grade student with a mild
second-grade class, and they are planning intellectual disability. Deng often hugs
activities for the first day of school. peers and adults when he sees them, and
Which of the following strategies would some of his classmates have stated that
be most effective for the teachers to use in they are not comfortable with hugging.
promoting positive interactions between The special education teacher is planning
students? to work with Deng to reduce this behavior.
Which of the following strategies would
A. creating questions for students to be most effective in addressing this goal?
use in interviewing each other to
find out specific information, then A. using a verbal cue (e.g., "use your
having students share the results words") to remind Deng not to hug
of these interviews with the class others and asking other teachers to
do the same
B. asking each student to bring in a
favorite family photograph to post B. teaching Deng appropriate ways to
on a classroom bulletin board greet others and having him practice
these greetings throughout the
C. pairing students who are known school day
to be quiet with students who are
known to be more outgoing to work C. talking with Deng about his class-
together on various tasks and play mates' reactions to being hugged
together at recess and encouraging classmates to tell
him if he makes them feel
D. assigning students to write a uncomfortable
paragraph about their likes and
dislikes to read aloud to the class D. providing Deng with a list of
appropriate verbal and physical
greetings (e.g., handshake, saying
"hello") to refer to throughout the
day
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
28. A tenth-grade student with posttraumatic 29. A sixth-grade student with attention-
stress disorder will soon return to school deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is
after receiving six weeks of inpatient having significant difficulty getting started
psychiatric care. The student is stabilized, on a long-term writing assignment given
but unrelated stressors have the potential by her English language arts teacher. The
to trigger angry outbursts and symptoms student tells her special education resource
of depression. Which of the following room teacher that she feels overwhelmed
strategies should the special education by the assignment, cannot find any infor-
teacher implement first to prevent the mation about the topic, and thinks she
student from experiencing unnecessary might not write the report. Which of the
anxiety? following responses from the special
education teacher would likely be most
A. meeting with the student and effective in this situation?
reviewing the school's code of
conduct A. asking the library media specialist to
research and locate information for
B. requesting that the student's parents the student on her assigned writing
meet with their son each morning to topic
review his daily schedule
B. working with the student and the
C. establishing a predictable routine for English language arts teacher to
the student with advanced notice of break down the assignment into
changes smaller, more manageable parts
D. providing a quiet area in the school C. scheduling a meeting with the
where the student can go to calm student and her parents to discuss
down her negative attitude toward the
assignment
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
30. A middle school English language 31. A special education teacher meets twice a
arts (ELA) teacher comes to the special week with Carla, a ninth grader who has a
education teacher for advice about Gina, learning disability. When reviewing the
a student with a learning disability in notes Carla has taken in preparation for a
writing. The ELA teacher says that while geography report, the teacher sees that
Gina writes fluently and has many original they are excessively detailed and do not
ideas, her inattention to punctuation distinguish between major ideas and
makes her work difficult to read. The minor points. The teacher's best response
special education teacher has worked with in this situation would be to:
Gina on punctuation and seen significant
improvement on exercises and drills in A. show Carla how to use a more
the resource room. The special education telegraphic style when she takes
teacher's best response would be to notes.
suggest that the ELA teacher:
B. provide Carla with index cards to
A. send Gina to the resource room to limit the amount of space available
review final drafts for punctuation for taking notes.
errors before submitting her work.
C. remind Carla that she can use a
B. set a short period of time aside each photocopier for sections of a source
day for Gina to work on punctuation that require extensive notetaking.
exercises.
D. teach Carla how to use text headings
C. hold Gina accountable for punctu- and subheadings to focus her
ation errors when grading her work, notetaking on key concepts.
as articulated in the IEP.
A. curriculum-based measurement
B. small-group instruction
D. one-on-one tutoring
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
33. Lee is a first-grade student with cerebral 34. A special education teacher who works
palsy who uses a communication board in a high school resource room overhears
with speech output. He will soon begin students making disparaging remarks
receiving instruction in a general about themselves and their ability to
education classroom for part of each obtain jobs in the future. The teacher
school day. Which of the following steps wishes to increase students' self-confi-
should Lee's special education teacher dence so that they will be more likely to
take first to promote his communication experience successful transitions from
skills within the new classroom high school into the workplace. Which
environment? of the following strategies would most
effectively meet the teacher's goal?
A. assigning the students in the general
education class to write questions A. pairing each student with a success-
about Lee's communication board ful adult mentor who has a similar
and having him answer the disability who can serve as a
questions on his first day in class positive role model
B. asking the general education teacher B. assigning each student to research a
to discuss with the class different particular career and present an oral
ways in which people communicate, report about it
including using communication
boards C. having each student interview
several adults to obtain information
C. having Lee introduce himself to the about the positive and negative
general education class and explain aspects of each person's job
how and when he began using the
communication board D. encouraging students to obtain a
part-time job while still in high
D. ensuring that the general education school
teacher understands how Lee uses
the communication board before his
transition into the class
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
35. A student with special needs who attends 36. A middle school special education teacher
a fourth-grade general education class has who works in a self-contained classroom
been having difficulty during quiet work has recently discovered that the primary
times. The student often disturbs peers by leisure activities of most of her students
engaging in behaviors such as tapping his involve watching television, playing on
pencil loudly on his desk, humming, or the computer, and playing video games.
stomping his feet on the floor. The The teacher would like to increase the
teacher has discussed these behaviors with students' participation in different types
the student. Which of the following of leisure activities. Which of the
strategies should the teacher use next to following strategies would best meet
increase the student's self-management this goal?
skills during quiet work times?
A. having students conduct a survey to
A. creating a behavior chart to tally determine the types of leisure
how often the student engages in activities in which their same age-
distracting behaviors and providing peers most commonly participate
a reward as he reduces these
behaviors B. inviting guest speakers from various
school clubs and extracurricular
B. developing a visual cue to use activity groups to present
with the student to help increase his information to the students
awareness of when he is engaging
in distracting behaviors C. assigning students to research
various types of leisure activities
C. having the student move his desk and having them each present the
to work in a separate area of the information to the class
classroom when he becomes
distracting to others D. integrating time into the weekly
schedule on a consistent basis for
D. meeting with the student each students to participate in various
morning to review the behaviors he types of leisure activities
needs to reduce and providing him
with feedback about his progress at
the end of each day
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
37. A special education teacher who works 38. An elementary school is implementing
with three high school students in a life a positive behavioral support program
skills class would like to promote the for all students, including students with
students' food preparation skills. Which special needs. The basis for this type of
of the following strategies would best educational practice has its foundation in
address this goal? which of the following principles of
behavior theory?
A. asking students to choose a meal
they would like to prepare and A. modeling
working with them to write out the
steps involved in preparing each B. extinction
food
C. reinforcement
B. providing direct instruction to
students by planning opportunities D. shaping
for them to prepare various foods
in school on a consistent basis
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
40. Darin is a sixth-grade student who has 41. A fourth-grade teacher is concerned that
just completed an initial evaluation. an English language learner's academic
During the Individualized Education achievement is significantly below grade
Program (IEP) team meeting, the team level. The prereferral team decides to
informs Darin's parents that he has a try providing the student with an aide to
specific learning disability in reading translate assignments. The teacher is also
comprehension. The team recommends asked to keep anecdotal records regarding
pull-out services three times a week in the the student's informal verbal interactions
resource room. Darin's parents disagree, with classmates. The prereferral team's
and the team cannot reach an agreement actions are likely to be most useful for
during the meeting. According to federal providing information about:
law, which of the following best describes
the next step in this process? A. whether the student's academic
difficulties are related to language
A. Darin begins to receive the IEP differences.
team's recommended services until
an agreement is reached. B. whether the student is motivated to
achieve in school.
B. Darin's parents initiate due process
and take the issue to mediation. C. whether the student's learning style
is compatible with the teacher's
C. Darin is reevaluated independently instructional style.
by a community-based psychologist
who reports the results to the team. D. whether the student is exhibiting
a delay in social-emotional
D. Darin's parents and their attorney development.
take the issue to a fair hearing.
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
42. A high school special education teacher 43. A second-grade teacher is notified that a
will be leading Individualized Education new student will be joining the class. The
Program (IEP) team meetings that involve student has a specific learning disability
numerous service providers within the and has severe asthma that requires
school and community. Which of the medication several times per day. In
following collaborative approaches would preparation for the student's arrival, the
likely be most effective for the teacher to second-grade teacher, the special
use in facilitating these team meetings? education teacher, and the school nurse
meet to discuss the student's needs.
A. monitoring team members' Which of the following best describes
interactions closely to the second-grade teacher's primary role?
minimize conflicts
A. modifying the content of the general
B. assigning specific tasks to each education curriculum
team member to complete before
each meeting B. creating specialized educational
materials
C. organizing meetings so that each
member has a set time limit for C. providing expertise concerning the
presenting information to the team general education curriculum
D. listening actively to clarify and D. monitoring the implementation of
summarize team members' input support services
during discussions
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Evaluation Systems, Pearson, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004
SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
46. A special education teacher is collabo- 47. A special education teacher has recently
rating with a fifth-grade general education heard about a new instructional method
teacher. Four of the students in the class for teaching problem-solving skills to
have disabilities. Several times in the past students with learning disabilities in
month, the special educator has noticed mathematics reasoning. Which of the
that the general education teacher does following resources would contain the
not actively involve the students with most reliable research-based information
disabilities in class activities. Which of on this instructional method?
the following steps should the special
educator take first in addressing this A. a mission statement posted by the
situation? Web site of a company that
publishes materials based on the
A. Discuss the concerns with the new instructional method
general education teacher.
B. a peer-reviewed article about the
B. Convene the students' Individual- new instructional method published
ized Education Program (IEP) in a special education journal
teams to discuss a change in
placement. C. testimonials by teachers at a state-
wide conference who have used the
C. Ask the school psychologist to new instructional method in their
observe in the classroom. classrooms
D. Report the general education D. postings about the new instructional
teacher's behavior to the method on a listserv for special
administrator. education teachers
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
48. A new paraeducator has just begun 49. Which of the following organizations was
working with a student with multiple founded to advocate for the rights and full
disabilities who attends a general participation of all children and adults
education sixth-grade class. The special with intellectual and developmental
education teacher is responsible for disabilities?
overseeing the work of three other para-
educators in the school. Which of the A. Council for Exceptional Children
following would be the special education
teacher's best strategy for monitoring the B. Project HOPE
services the new paraeducator is providing
to her assigned student? C. The Arc of the United States
A. meeting with the paraeducator at the D. Make-A-Wish Foundation
beginning and end of each week to
conduct planning and debriefing
sessions
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
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SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS
Special Education
ANSWER KEY
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