AEPA APK Secondary (NT052) cheat sheet

Piaget's stages in order: sensorimotor (0-2, object permanence), preoperational (2-7, egocentrism, symbolic play), concrete operational (7-11, conservation, reversibility), formal operational (11+, abstract and hypothetical reasoning).

Vygotsky: the zone of proximal development is the gap between what a learner does alone and what the learner can do with adult or peer scaffolding; private speech becomes inner speech.

Erikson's psychosocial crises by school age: trust vs. mistrust (infancy), autonomy vs. shame (1-3), initiative vs. guilt (3-6), industry vs. inferiority (6-12), identity vs. role confusion (adolescence).

Kohlberg's moral levels: preconventional (obedience/punishment, instrumental exchange), conventional (interpersonal approval, law and order), postconventional (social contract, universal principles).

Maslow's hierarchy order: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualization; lower needs generally must be met before higher needs drive behavior.

Classical conditioning pairs a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus alone elicits the response; operant conditioning shapes behavior through reinforcement and punishment.

Reinforcement increases behavior and punishment decreases it; positive adds a stimulus and negative removes one, so negative reinforcement is not punishment.

Information-processing model: sensory register (seconds), working memory (~7 items, seconds to a minute), long-term memory (unlimited, encoded and retrieved via elaboration and organization).

Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems: microsystem (family, classroom), mesosystem (links between microsystems), exosystem (parent's workplace), macrosystem (culture), chronosystem (time).

Reliability is consistency of scores across occasions or raters; validity is whether a test measures what it claims, so a test can be reliable without being valid but not valid without reliability.

Standard error of measurement (SEM = SD × √(1 − r)) estimates the band of error around an observed score; smaller SEM means more precise scores.

Norm-referenced tests compare a student to a norm group; criterion-referenced tests compare performance to a fixed standard or set of objectives.

Formative assessment is ongoing and used to adjust instruction; summative assessment occurs at the end of a unit and documents achievement.

A norm-referenced score report typically includes percentile rank (percent of the norm group scoring at or below), stanine (1-9), and grade-equivalent scores, which should not be read as grade placement.

Bloom's revised taxonomy orders objectives: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create; higher levels require the lower ones.

Table of specifications (test blueprint) aligns items to objectives and cognitive levels, supporting content validity; item analysis uses difficulty (p = proportion correct) and discrimination (point-biserial).

Accommodations change how a student accesses a test (extended time, read-aloud) without changing what is measured; modifications change the content or expectations.

Alternate assessments and portfolios are appropriate when a student's disability prevents participation in the standard assessment even with accommodations, as determined by the IEP team.

Direct instruction sequence: review, state objective, present new material in small steps, guided practice, independent practice, weekly/monthly review.

Cooperative learning structures (jigsaw, think-pair-share, STAD) require individual accountability and positive interdependence to be effective.

Differentiation modifies content, process, or product based on readiness, interest, and learning profile; tiered assignments and flexible grouping are common tools.

Marzano's nine instructional strategies include identifying similarities and differences, summarizing and note taking, reinforcing effort, and setting objectives with feedback.

Wait time of 3-5 seconds after a question increases response length and participation; calling on volunteers only narrows participation.

Classroom management: rules should be few, stated positively, taught and practiced; proximity control and non-verbal cues are low-disruption interventions.

Behaviorist management uses reinforcement schedules: continuous reinforcement for acquisition, intermittent (variable ratio most resistant to extinction) for maintenance.

Bloom's mastery learning and Keller's PSI both assume aptitude is time needed to master, so instruction should provide varied time and corrective feedback.

Universal Design for Learning provides multiple means of representation, engagement, and action/expression to reach diverse learners.

FERPA protects education records; parents may inspect records, and schools generally need written consent to disclose personally identifiable information, with exceptions such as school officials with legitimate educational interest.

IDEA guarantees free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and an IEP for eligible students; Section 504 provides accommodations for students with disabilities affecting a major life activity.

The IEP team includes the parent, at least one regular education teacher, one special education teacher, a district representative, someone who can interpret evaluation results, and the student when appropriate.

Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs and requires a designated coordinator and grievance procedures.

Mandated reporting: teachers must report suspected child abuse or neglect to the designated agency; reporting in good faith is protected, and the teacher does not investigate.

Professional ethics: maintain confidentiality, avoid dual relationships, and follow district policy on physical contact, social media, and communication with students.

Due process for discipline: Goss v. Lopez requires notice and a hearing for suspensions; Tinker v. Des Moines protects student expression unless it causes substantial disruption.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ended racial segregation in public schools; Lau v. Nichols requires language support for students with limited English proficiency.

Teacher evaluation and professional growth often use Danielson's framework (planning, classroom environment, instruction, professional responsibilities) or Marzano's model.

A strong constructed response uses a clear thesis or claim, evidence tied to the source or scenario, and an explicit explanation linking evidence to the claim.

Use the prompt's verbs as the structure: compare requires similarities and differences; analyze requires breaking into parts and relationships; evaluate requires criteria and a judgment.

Rubric-based scoring rewards organization, use of specific evidence, and accuracy; vague generalities and unsupported opinion typically lose points.

Cite sources by author and title when available; paraphrase rather than copy, and use quotation marks for exact wording.

Address every part of a multi-part prompt; a common failure is answering only the first bullet and ignoring later requirements.

For a scenario-based response, identify the problem, the relevant principle or law, the action to take, and the rationale, in that order.

Timed response strategy: allocate roughly 20-25% of time to planning and outlining, 60-65% to drafting, and 10-15% to reviewing for completeness and mechanics.

Legibility and clear paragraphing matter when responses are hand-scored; use transitions and topic sentences to signal structure.

When a prompt asks for a rationale, explain why the chosen strategy fits the described student, standard, or legal requirement rather than describing the strategy alone.