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FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 study materials
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FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 practice questions

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Question 1Foundations of exceptional student education

The federal legislation now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was originally enacted in 1975 under which title?

  1. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
  2. Americans with Disabilities Act
  3. Education for All Handicapped Children Act Correct answer.
  4. No Child Left Behind Act

Explanation

Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, was enacted in 1975 and later renamed IDEA. It established federal requirements for a free appropriate public education, evaluation, and procedural safeguards.

Question 2Foundations of exceptional student education

A school district provides specially designed instruction and related services at public expense, under public supervision, and in conformity with an IEP. This practice fulfills which IDEA requirement?

  1. Child find
  2. Procedural safeguards
  3. Least restrictive environment
  4. Free appropriate public education Correct answer.

Explanation

FAPE means special education and related services are provided at public expense, meet state standards, and conform to the student's IEP. LRE concerns placement with nondisabled peers, not the funding and IEP-conformity requirements described.

Question 3Foundations of exceptional student education

Which IDEA principle requires that students with disabilities be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate?

  1. Free appropriate public education
  2. Manifestation determination
  3. Zero reject
  4. Least restrictive environment Correct answer.

Explanation

The least restrictive environment principle requires consideration of placement in general education settings with supplementary aids and services before a more restrictive setting is chosen. Removal is permitted only when education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily even with supports.

Question 4Foundations of exceptional student education

Which federal obligation requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, including those enrolled in private schools and children who are homeless?

  1. Free appropriate public education
  2. Least restrictive environment
  3. Due process
  4. Child find Correct answer.

Explanation

Child find is the affirmative duty to locate, identify, and evaluate children who may need special education, regardless of school enrollment or housing status. It is separate from the requirement to provide FAPE once a child is found eligible.

Question 5Foundations of exceptional student education

Which individual is a required member of every IEP team under IDEA?

  1. The student's parent Correct answer.
  2. The school principal
  3. The district special education director
  4. The school nurse

Explanation

IDEA requires the parent to be a member of the IEP team, along with representatives of the school district and teachers. Other personnel may attend when their knowledge is needed, but they are not required for every meeting.

Question 6Foundations of exceptional student education

After a parent provides informed consent, what is the maximum timeframe IDEA generally allows for completing an initial evaluation, unless state law specifies another timeframe?

  1. 30 calendar days
  2. 45 calendar days
  3. 90 calendar days
  4. 60 calendar days Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA requires the initial evaluation to be completed within 60 calendar days of receiving parental consent, unless the state has established its own timeframe. The team must then determine eligibility within 30 days of the evaluation according to federal rule.

Question 7Foundations of exceptional student education

A student has a diagnosed disability but is making adequate progress in general education without specialized instruction. What is the correct eligibility determination under IDEA?

  1. Eligible, because any diagnosed disability automatically qualifies
  2. Eligible, because the parent has requested special education
  3. Not eligible, because eligibility also requires a need for specially designed instruction Correct answer.
  4. Not eligible, because eligibility requires a medical diagnosis

Explanation

IDEA eligibility requires both that the child meet one of the disability categories and that the child need special education and related services as a result. A diagnosis alone does not establish educational need.

Question 8Foundations of exceptional student education

Which of the following is one of the disability categories listed in IDEA?

  1. Other health impairment Correct answer.
  2. Attention deficit disorder as a separate category
  3. Giftedness
  4. Dyslexia as a separate category

Explanation

Other health impairment is one of IDEA's disability categories, covering chronic or acute health conditions that adversely affect educational performance. Dyslexia is addressed under specific learning disability, and ADHD is generally addressed under other health impairment.

Question 9Foundations of exceptional student education

Which method may an IEP team use to help determine whether a child has a specific learning disability?

  1. A process based on the child's response to scientific, research-based intervention Correct answer.
  2. Only a medical diagnosis from a physician
  3. Only an IQ-achievement discrepancy formula
  4. Only a single classroom observation by the principal

Explanation

IDEA permits a response-to-intervention process as part of SLD identification and does not require districts to use an IQ-achievement discrepancy. The team must also consider exclusionary factors and whether the child responds to appropriate instruction.

Question 10Foundations of exceptional student education

Which characteristic is included in IDEA's definition of emotional disturbance?

  1. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression Correct answer.
  2. A low intelligence quotient
  3. A conduct disorder diagnosed only in adulthood
  4. A lack of motivation limited to one academic subject

Explanation

IDEA's definition of emotional disturbance includes one or more characteristics such as an inability to learn unexplained by other factors, relationship problems, inappropriate behavior, unhappiness or depression, and physical symptoms or fears. The condition must adversely affect educational performance over a long period.

Question 11Foundations of exceptional student education

A student with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder has limited alertness and chronic health needs that affect school performance. Under which IDEA category is the student most likely to be served?

  1. Specific learning disability
  2. Multiple disabilities
  3. Other health impairment Correct answer.
  4. Emotional disturbance

Explanation

Other health impairment includes chronic or acute health problems, such as ADHD, that result in limited strength, vitality, or alertness and adversely affect educational performance. The category requires an educational impact, not just a diagnosis.

Question 12Foundations of exceptional student education

Which statement best reflects IDEA's definition of autism?

  1. A physical impairment caused by injury at birth
  2. A developmental disability affecting communication and social interaction Correct answer.
  3. A disorder that always includes intellectual disability
  4. A condition that cannot affect educational performance

Explanation

Autism is a developmental disability that generally affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, usually evident before age 3, and adversely affects educational performance. It may co-occur with other disabilities but does not always include intellectual disability.

Question 13Foundations of exceptional student education

Which definition matches traumatic brain injury under IDEA?

  1. A progressive degenerative neurological disease
  2. A brain injury caused by birth trauma
  3. An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force Correct answer.
  4. A congenital brain malformation present at birth

Explanation

Traumatic brain injury is an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment that affects educational performance. Congenital, degenerative, or birth-related brain conditions are excluded.

Question 14Foundations of exceptional student education

Intellectual disability under IDEA is characterized by which combination?

  1. Average intelligence with a speech difference
  2. A specific difficulty in reading only
  3. Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning and deficits in adaptive behavior Correct answer.
  4. A physical disability affecting mobility

Explanation

Intellectual disability involves significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior, manifested during the developmental period, and adversely affecting educational performance. It is not limited to a single academic skill.

Question 15Foundations of exceptional student education

A student has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity but does not need specially designed instruction. Under which law is the student most likely to receive accommodations?

  1. Medicare
  2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Correct answer.
  3. Head Start
  4. IDEA Part B

Explanation

Section 504 is a civil rights law that requires reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities that substantially limit a major life activity, even when special education is not needed. IDEA requires a need for specially designed instruction.

Question 16Foundations of exceptional student education

The Americans with Disabilities Act primarily prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in which areas?

  1. In employment, public services, and places of public accommodation Correct answer.
  2. Only in programs that receive federal funding
  3. Only in public elementary and secondary schools
  4. Only in employment settings

Explanation

The ADA is a broad civil rights law covering employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. Section 504 is narrower and applies to programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Question 17Foundations of exceptional student education

In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017), the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that an IEP must be...

  1. required to match the goals of nondisabled peers exactly
  2. designed to guarantee the maximum possible academic achievement for every child
  3. reviewed only when the parent submits a written request
  4. reasonably calculated to enable appropriate progress in light of the child's circumstances Correct answer.

Explanation

Endrew F. rejected the idea that a merely de minimis benefit satisfies FAPE. The Court held that an IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances.

Question 18Foundations of exceptional student education

PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1972) is significant in special education history because it...

  1. affirmed the right of children with intellectual disabilities to a free public education Correct answer.
  2. created the Office of Special Education Programs
  3. established the right to a jury trial in discipline cases
  4. required public schools to use IQ tests for all students

Explanation

PARC was a consent decree that recognized the right of children with intellectual disabilities to a free public education and procedural protections. Together with Mills v. Board of Education, it influenced the passage of PL 94-142.

Question 19Foundations of exceptional student education

When a school proposes to change a student's special education placement, IDEA requires the school to...

  1. provide prior written notice to the parents Correct answer.
  2. obtain approval from the school board
  3. wait until the end of the school year
  4. hold a public hearing

Explanation

Prior written notice must be given whenever the school proposes or refuses to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, placement, or provision of FAPE. It must explain the action, the reasons, and the parents' procedural safeguards.

Question 20Foundations of exceptional student education

Which statement about mediation under IDEA is accurate?

  1. Mediation is voluntary and cannot be used to deny or delay a due process hearing Correct answer.
  2. Mediation must be conducted by a school district employee
  3. Mediation decisions are advisory only and cannot bind the parties
  4. Mediation is mandatory before a due process hearing

Explanation

IDEA requires mediation to be available at no cost to parents, but participation must be voluntary. The mediation process cannot be used to deny or delay a parent's right to a due process hearing, and agreements are written and binding.

Question 21Foundations of exceptional student education

Before a school changes the placement of a student with a disability for more than 10 consecutive school days because of misconduct, the IEP team must first...

  1. conduct a manifestation determination review Correct answer.
  2. expel the student under the regular discipline code
  3. conduct a functional behavioral assessment only
  4. obtain a court order

Explanation

A manifestation determination review must occur within 10 school days of any decision to change placement for disciplinary reasons. The team decides whether the misconduct was caused by or had a direct and substantial relationship to the student's disability or was the direct result of a failure to implement the IEP.

Question 22Foundations of exceptional student education

Under IDEA, transition planning must begin no later than which age?

  1. 21
  2. 18
  3. 16 Correct answer.
  4. 14

Explanation

IDEA requires measurable postsecondary goals and transition services to be included in the IEP beginning not later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16. Some states, including Florida, begin earlier.

Question 23Foundations of exceptional student education

Which federal law gives parents the right to inspect and seek amendment of their child's education records?

  1. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  2. Elementary and Secondary Education Act
  3. Americans with Disabilities Act
  4. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Correct answer.

Explanation

FERPA protects the confidentiality of education records and provides parents, and eligible students, rights to inspect, review, and request amendment of records. It also limits disclosure without consent.

Question 24Foundations of exceptional student education

A district finds that Black students are identified as emotionally disturbed at much higher rates than other students with similar behavior. This pattern is best described as...

  1. Least restrictive environment
  2. Manifestation determination
  3. Disproportionality Correct answer.
  4. Child find

Explanation

Disproportionality refers to overrepresentation or underrepresentation of a racial or ethnic group in disability identification, placement, or discipline. Districts must monitor and address significant disproportionality.

Question 25Foundations of exceptional student education

In a multi-tiered system of supports, Tier 2 interventions are typically...

  1. special education placement for eligible students
  2. intensive one-to-one services for students with the most significant needs
  3. universal instruction for all students
  4. targeted small-group supports for students not making adequate progress Correct answer.

Explanation

MTSS uses increasingly intensive tiers: Tier 1 is core instruction, Tier 2 provides targeted supplemental interventions in small groups, and Tier 3 offers intensive individualized support. Movement across tiers is based on data and progress monitoring.

Question 26Foundations of exceptional student education

Which of the following is a required component of every IEP under IDEA?

  1. A guarantee that the student will spend the full school day in a general education classroom
  2. The letter grade the student is expected to earn in each subject area
  3. A statement of the student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance Correct answer.
  4. A list of the textbooks the student will use in each general education class

Explanation

IDEA lists the contents an IEP must include, and the statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance anchors the rest of the document, since annual goals, services, and progress measurement all follow from it. Textbooks, expected grades, and a guaranteed full-day general education placement are not mandated IEP components.

Question 27Foundations of exceptional student education

Which IDEA obligation requires a state to identify, locate, and evaluate every child with a disability residing in the state, including children who attend private schools?

  1. The child find requirement Correct answer.
  2. The manifestation determination review
  3. The due process guarantee
  4. The stay-put provision

Explanation

Child find is the affirmative duty of states and districts to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities who need special education, regardless of the severity of the disability or the type of school the child attends. It is why districts conduct screening and public awareness activities rather than waiting for parents to request services.

Question 28Foundations of exceptional student education

The least restrictive environment requirement of IDEA means that a student with a disability is educated

  1. in a separate school until the student demonstrates grade-level performance in every core subject area
  2. with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, and removed only when regular classes with supplementary aids and services cannot succeed Correct answer.
  3. in a general education classroom for the entire school day, with no pull-out or separate services permitted under any circumstances
  4. in whatever setting the student's parents choose, even when the district's IEP team believes a different setting would better meet the student's needs and provide more support

Explanation

IDEA presumes placement in the general education classroom with supplementary aids and services and permits removal only when the nature or severity of the disability makes education there unsatisfactory even with supports. The team must justify any more restrictive setting and select from the full continuum of alternative placements.

Question 29Foundations of exceptional student education

Which of the following is an example of a related service under IDEA?

  1. Audiology services Correct answer.
  2. A co-taught reading class
  3. A shortened homework assignment
  4. Preferential seating in the classroom

Explanation

Related services are the developmental, corrective, and other supportive services required to help a child with a disability benefit from special education, and IDEA's list includes audiology, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, school nursing, and counseling. Shortened assignments and preferential seating are accommodations, while a co-taught class is a service-delivery arrangement for special education.

Question 30Foundations of exceptional student education

An IEP team reviewing progress data notices that each fall a student loses several months of previously mastered communication and self-care skills and takes most of the school year to regain them. What is the team's most appropriate next step?

  1. Change the student's disability category so the student qualifies for summer programming
  2. Determine whether the student needs extended school year services to prevent serious regression and limited recoupment Correct answer.
  3. Discontinue the related services because the student is not making progress during the school year
  4. Wait until the student is retained in a grade before considering any change to the IEP

Explanation

Extended school year services are an IEP team decision made when data show that an interruption in services would cause regression that cannot be reasonably recouped, or when other factors such as the nature or severity of the disability support them. ESY is not tied to grade retention and is not a separate eligibility category.

Question 31Foundations of exceptional student education

A parent and the district agree in writing to excuse the general education teacher from an IEP meeting at which that teacher's curriculum area will not be discussed. Which statement describes what IDEA requires?

  1. The meeting cannot be held unless every required team member attends in person
  2. Only the school principal has authority to excuse a required team member
  3. The excused member must in every case submit written input to the team before the meeting
  4. The excusal is permitted because the parent and the district consented in writing and the member's area is not being discussed Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA allows a required IEP team member to be excused when the parent and the district consent in writing. Written input from the excused member is required only when the meeting involves modification of that member's area of curriculum or related services.

Question 32Foundations of exceptional student education

IDEA requires that the tests and other evaluation materials used to determine a child's eligibility be

  1. chosen primarily on the basis of cost and availability within the district
  2. limited to a single standardized intelligence test administered by a school psychologist
  3. administered only in English so that every student is compared against the same normative standard, regardless of the language spoken at home
  4. selected and administered so as not to be racially or culturally discriminatory, and given in the child's native language or mode of communication most likely to yield accurate results Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA's evaluation provisions require instruments that are valid for the purpose used, administered by trained personnel, and free of racial or cultural bias, and they must be given in the language or mode of communication most likely to yield accurate information about what the child knows and can do. No single measure may be the sole criterion for determining eligibility.

Question 33Foundations of exceptional student education

In Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a free appropriate public education requires

  1. the district to guarantee that the student will perform at grade level in the general education curriculum
  2. the district to provide every available service that could maximize the student's potential, as long as the cost is not excessive
  3. an IEP reasonably calculated to enable the student to receive educational benefit, without requiring the district to maximize potential Correct answer.
  4. the district to place the student in the same classroom the parents select for the coming school year

Explanation

Rowley established that FAPE is satisfied when the IEP is reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits and the Act's procedural requirements are met, and the Court rejected a standard requiring districts to maximize each child's potential. Later cases clarified the substantive standard but still did not impose a maximization requirement.

Question 34Foundations of exceptional student education

An IEP team determines that a student with a physical disability needs a speech-generating device and a mounting system in order to communicate in class and access the curriculum. What does IDEA require of the district?

  1. The district may provide the device only if the parents agree to carry it between home and school each day
  2. The district is responsible for the device only if the student is placed in a separate special education classroom
  3. The district may require the family to purchase the device and reimburse them at the end of the school year
  4. The district must provide the device, along with any training the student and family need, at no cost to the family Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA defines assistive technology devices and services broadly and requires the district to provide them, together with training for the student and family, when the team determines they are necessary for the student to receive FAPE. The family may not be charged for a device the district is obligated to provide, and the team may also approve home use when needed.

Question 35Foundations of exceptional student education

Honig v. Doe addressed the discipline of students with disabilities whose misconduct was related to their disabilities. The Supreme Court's ruling means that a school generally may not

  1. suspend a student with a disability for fewer than 10 school days for a violation of the code of conduct
  2. shorten a student's school day for any reason while a due process hearing is pending, even when the parent agrees to the change
  3. convene a manifestation determination review before changing a student's placement
  4. unilaterally exclude a student for dangerous conduct that is a manifestation of the disability, absent parental consent or a court order Correct answer.

Explanation

In Honig, the Court held that the stay-put provision ordinarily bars a school from unilaterally changing a student's placement while a dispute is pending, including through indefinite exclusion for disability-related dangerous behavior; the school may instead seek a court injunction if it believes the child is truly dangerous. Short-term suspensions of up to 10 school days remain available.

Question 36Foundations of exceptional student education

A child in foster care is found eligible for special education, and no biological or adoptive parent can be located to participate in the IEP process. What must the district do?

  1. Delay the provision of special education services until a biological or adoptive family member can be located and can attend the meeting
  2. Ask the foster parent to sign a waiver giving up the child's procedural safeguards in exchange for immediate services
  3. Allow the classroom teacher to make all educational decisions for the child until a parent is found
  4. Appoint a surrogate parent who has the knowledge and skills to represent the child and who has no conflict of interest Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA requires the district to assign a surrogate parent when no parent can be identified, when reasonable efforts fail to locate a parent, or when the child is a ward of the state. The surrogate must have the knowledge and skills needed to represent the child and must not have a conflicting interest, and services may not be delayed while one is appointed.

Question 37Foundations of exceptional student education

A third-grade English learner is struggling with reading. Which approach best supports an accurate determination of whether the student has a disability?

  1. Refer the student for special education as soon as the classroom teacher expresses concern about reading progress
  2. Delay any evaluation until the student has been enrolled in the district's English learner program for at least three years, so language acquisition cannot affect testing
  3. Rely on the student's oral reading fluency score alone, because it is the most objective available measure
  4. Gather multiple sources of data, including the student's progress in English language acquisition and comparison with similar English learners, before making a referral Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA and best practice require that limited English proficiency not be the determining factor in identifying a child as having a disability, so teams must rule out language acquisition and other exclusionary factors using multiple measures and an appropriate comparison group. A single score, a fixed waiting period, or concern alone is not sufficient evidence.

Question 38Foundations of exceptional student education

A student with a severe physical disability requires a trained aide to perform catheterization and suctioning during the school day. Consistent with Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F., how should the district respond?

  1. Require the parents to come to school each day to perform the procedure themselves or arrange for a private nurse
  2. Provide the service as a related service, because it is required for the student to attend school and is not a service that must be provided by a physician Correct answer.
  3. Refuse to provide the service because catheterization and suctioning are medical procedures rather than educational supports and therefore fall outside the related services requirement
  4. Transfer the student to a hospital or homebound setting at public expense so the health procedures can be delivered

Explanation

Garret F. held that the medical services exclusion is narrow, covering only services provided by a physician and services requiring hospitalization. School health services that a student needs in order to attend school, such as catheterization or suctioning, must be provided as related services at district expense when a qualified person such as a school nurse or trained aide can deliver them.

Question 39Foundations of exceptional student education

A parent disagrees with the district's evaluation of her child and requests an independent educational evaluation at public expense. Under IDEA, which action is the district permitted to take?

  1. Fund the evaluation only if the parent first pays the evaluator privately and then submits the bill for reimbursement at the end of the year
  2. Require the parent to choose an evaluator from a list selected by the district's special education director
  3. Either fund the independent evaluation or request a due process hearing to show that its own evaluation was appropriate Correct answer.
  4. Deny the request without further explanation, because the district's own evaluation was conducted by a licensed school psychologist using state-approved instruments

Explanation

When a parent requests an IEE at public expense, the district must either provide it or initiate a due process hearing within the required timeframe to demonstrate that its own evaluation was appropriate. If the hearing officer finds the district's evaluation appropriate, the parent may still obtain an IEE, but not at public expense.

Question 40Foundations of exceptional student education

How did Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia (1972) extend the principles established in PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1972)?

  1. It extended the right to a public education and to due process protections to all children with disabilities, including those with behavioral and emotional disabilities Correct answer.
  2. It created the first federal grant program that funded special education services according to the number of eligible students enrolled
  3. It limited the right to a public education to students with intellectual disabilities who could benefit from academic instruction
  4. It held that students with disabilities may be excluded from school when the cost of providing services would be burdensome to the district

Explanation

PARC addressed the exclusion of children with intellectual disabilities from public schools, and Mills broadened the challenge to the exclusion of all children with disabilities, including those labeled as behavioral problems, while setting out due process safeguards that must precede exclusion or a change of placement. These decisions, along with Brown v. Board of Education, laid the groundwork for the federal law now known as IDEA.

Question 41Assessment and evaluation

A test that compares a student's performance with that of a national sample of same-age peers is best described as:

  1. criterion-referenced
  2. portfolio-based
  3. norm-referenced Correct answer.
  4. curriculum-based

Explanation

Norm-referenced tests interpret a student's score relative to the performance of a defined norm group, such as a national sample of same-age peers. Other assessment types compare performance to a standard, to the local curriculum, or to collected work samples.

Question 42Assessment and evaluation

Which score reports the percentage of students in the norming sample who scored at or below a given student's raw score?

  1. percentile rank Correct answer.
  2. grade equivalent
  3. scaled score
  4. standard score

Explanation

A percentile rank expresses relative standing as the percentage of the norm group that scored at or below the same raw score. It is a rank, not a percentage of items answered correctly.

Question 43Assessment and evaluation

A test produces nearly the same scores when the same students are retested two weeks later. This finding is evidence of:

  1. test-retest reliability Correct answer.
  2. construct validity
  3. predictive validity
  4. content validity

Explanation

Stability of scores across repeated administrations of the same test is the definition of test-retest reliability, which concerns consistency over time. Validity questions are about what the test measures, not about score stability.

Question 44Assessment and evaluation

A teacher gives a brief exit ticket at the end of a lesson mainly to:

  1. assign a quarterly grade
  2. determine special education eligibility
  3. adjust instruction for the next lesson Correct answer.
  4. compare students with national norms

Explanation

Formative assessment occurs during instruction to reveal what students have and have not learned so that teaching can be adjusted immediately. Grading and eligibility decisions serve different, summative or legal, purposes.

Question 45Assessment and evaluation

Basal and ceiling rules on an individually administered achievement test are used mainly to:

  1. convert raw scores to grade equivalents
  2. raise the standard error of measurement
  3. shorten testing time without losing accuracy Correct answer.
  4. verify that every item on the test is administered

Explanation

Basal rules set a starting point below the student's level and ceiling rules set a stopping point above it, so examiners skip items that would add little information. This shortens administration while preserving an accurate estimate of performance.

Question 46Assessment and evaluation

Curriculum-based measurement is designed primarily to:

  1. identify giftedness
  2. measure adaptive behavior
  3. monitor progress toward short-term goals Correct answer.
  4. compare students with national norms

Explanation

Curriculum-based measurement uses brief, repeated probes of basic academic skills to show whether a student is responding to instruction over time. Its purpose is local decision making about instruction rather than norm comparison.

Question 47Assessment and evaluation

On most individually administered tests of intelligence, the mean standard score is:

  1. 100 Correct answer.
  2. 85
  3. 50
  4. 115

Explanation

Most individually administered cognitive tests report standard scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Knowing this scale makes it possible to interpret how far a score lies from the average.

Question 48Assessment and evaluation

A student's raw score on a test refers to:

  1. the grade level at which the score is typical
  2. the student's percentile rank
  3. the points earned before any conversion Correct answer.
  4. the number of standard deviations from the mean

Explanation

A raw score is simply the number of points or items correct as recorded during scoring, before any transformation. Derived scores such as percentile ranks and grade equivalents are computed from it.

Question 49Assessment and evaluation

A student earns a standard score of 85 on a test that has a standard error of measurement of 3. Which interpretation is most defensible?

  1. the true score is exactly 85
  2. the score is three points above the mean
  3. the true score is likely near 85 Correct answer.
  4. the test has low reliability for this student

Explanation

The standard error of measurement estimates the average amount of error in an obtained score, so scores are interpreted as a band around the obtained value rather than as an exact point. A small standard error indicates the true score is likely close to the obtained score.

Question 50Assessment and evaluation

Scores on a new reading comprehension test correlate strongly with teachers' ratings of students' comprehension. This finding supports:

  1. test-retest reliability
  2. construct validity Correct answer.
  3. internal consistency
  4. alternate-form reliability

Explanation

Correlation with another credible indicator of the same trait is convergent evidence that a test measures the intended construct, which is one source of construct validity. Reliability evidence, by contrast, concerns consistency of scores.