I85PREP
⌘ K
Praxis School Psych 5403 study materials
Praxis School Psych 5403 study resources

Praxis School Psych 5403 practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Praxis School Psych 5403 understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

What is the primary purpose of progress monitoring in a data-based decision-making framework?

  1. To evaluate the overall performance of the classroom teacher
  2. To determine whether an intervention is producing adequate growth Correct answer.
  3. To determine whether a student meets special education eligibility criteria
  4. To compare the student with national norms once each school year

Explanation

Progress monitoring is repeated measurement used to judge whether a student is responding to an intervention over time. The data are compared with a goal or expected rate of growth so the team can continue, adjust, or discontinue the intervention.

Question 2Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

In a three-tier response-to-intervention model, universal screening data are primarily used to do which of the following?

  1. To measure the fidelity of teacher instruction
  2. To determine final special education eligibility
  3. To identify students who may need further support Correct answer.
  4. To select a standardized achievement test for all students

Explanation

Universal screening is administered to all students to flag those whose performance suggests risk and who may need additional assessment or intervention. It is an initial gate, not a final eligibility determination.

Question 3Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student earns a standard score of 115 on a test with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Approximately what percentile rank corresponds to this score?

  1. 16th percentile
  2. 50th percentile
  3. 84th percentile Correct answer.
  4. 98th percentile

Explanation

A score of 115 is one standard deviation above the mean. In a normal distribution, about 84% of scores fall below one standard deviation above the mean, so the score corresponds approximately to the 84th percentile.

Question 4Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Which measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme outliers?

  1. Mode
  2. Mean Correct answer.
  3. Range
  4. Median

Explanation

The mean uses every score in the distribution, so an extremely high or low value can pull it substantially. The median and mode are less influenced by outliers.

Question 5Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A criterion-referenced test is designed primarily to do which of the following?

  1. Measure mastery of specific learning objectives Correct answer.
  2. Compare a student's performance with a norm group
  3. Predict future performance on an intelligence test
  4. Identify students with emotional disturbance

Explanation

Criterion-referenced tests compare a student's performance with a defined standard or set of objectives rather than with other students. They answer whether the student can perform specific skills.

Question 6Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

In ABC recording of behavior, the letter B stands for which of the following?

  1. Behavior Correct answer.
  2. Antecedent
  3. Analysis
  4. Consequence

Explanation

ABC recording documents the Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence surrounding a target behavior. The B refers to the observable behavior itself.

Question 7Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A baseline phase in a single-case design is used primarily to do which of the following?

  1. Determine interrater reliability of observers
  2. Demonstrate that the intervention is effective
  3. Establish pre-intervention performance level Correct answer.
  4. Compare the student with classroom peers

Explanation

The baseline phase documents the student's performance before intervention under the existing conditions. This provides the comparison point for judging later change.

Question 8Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

The percentage of students in a norm group who scored at or below a given score is called the...

  1. Standard score
  2. Grade equivalent
  3. Percentile rank Correct answer.
  4. Stanine

Explanation

A percentile rank indicates the percentage of the norm group scoring at or below a particular score. For example, a score at the 70th percentile exceeds about 70% of the norm group.

Question 9Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student's weekly reading fluency scores show a flat trend that remains below the goal line after six weeks. What is the best data-based decision?

  1. Continue the same intervention without change
  2. Modify the intervention and continue progress monitoring Correct answer.
  3. Lower the goal line to match current performance
  4. Discontinue intervention and refer for special education

Explanation

A flat trend below the goal indicates inadequate response and calls for a change in intervention while monitoring continues. The team should adjust the intervention rather than wait indefinitely or immediately jump to eligibility.

Question 10Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student earns a score at the 5th percentile on a norm-referenced math test. Which interpretation is most defensible?

  1. Is five grade levels behind peers
  2. Has a specific learning disability in math
  3. Answered 5% of items correctly
  4. Outperformed about 5% of the norm group Correct answer.

Explanation

A percentile rank of 5 means the student scored at or above approximately 5% of the norm group. It does not mean the student answered 5% of items correctly or is five grade levels behind.

Question 11Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A teacher reports that a student is "always off task." To collect reliable observational data, the school psychologist should first do which of the following?

  1. Ask the teacher to keep informal notes
  2. Define off-task behavior operationally Correct answer.
  3. Review the student's cumulative folder
  4. Administer a standardized behavior rating scale

Explanation

Observable, measurable definitions are necessary before reliable data can be collected. An operational definition specifies exactly what behaviors will be counted and what will not.

Question 12Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A test has high reliability but low validity. What does this mean?

  1. Scores are consistent but do not measure the intended construct Correct answer.
  2. The test is both consistent and accurate
  3. The test has low internal consistency
  4. Scores measure the intended construct but are inconsistent

Explanation

Reliability refers to consistency of scores, while validity refers to whether the test measures what it claims to measure. A test can yield stable scores that consistently reflect something other than the intended construct.

Question 13Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

When interpreting a student's curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency score, the most useful comparison is to which of the following?

  1. Teacher expectations for the class
  2. The student's full-scale IQ score
  3. Local norms or grade-level benchmarks Correct answer.
  4. The previous year's report card grades

Explanation

CBM scores are most meaningful when compared with benchmarks or local norms for the student's grade and time of year. These comparisons indicate whether performance is on track for expected growth.

Question 14Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A functional behavioral assessment shows that problem behavior occurs almost exclusively during independent math work and is maintained by escape from task demands. Which intervention is best matched to this function?

  1. Use time-out for each occurrence
  2. Teach a break request Correct answer.
  3. Provide attention contingent on the behavior
  4. Ignore the behavior completely

Explanation

If behavior is maintained by escape from task demands, an appropriate intervention teaches a socially acceptable replacement behavior that serves the same function. Teaching a break request provides an appropriate escape while reducing reliance on problem behavior.

Question 15Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A school psychologist wants to compare a student's performance with same-age peers nationally. Which score is most appropriate?

  1. National standard score Correct answer.
  2. Grade-equivalent score
  3. Percentage of items correct
  4. Raw score

Explanation

National standard scores place a student's performance on a scale derived from a national norm group, allowing comparison with same-age peers. Raw scores and percent correct do not provide that norm-referenced comparison.

Question 16Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

In an ABAB design, improvement occurs in both B phases and reverses in the second A phase. This pattern provides which of the following?

  1. Evidence that maturation caused the change
  2. Evidence of poor test-retest reliability
  3. Evidence of observer drift
  4. Evidence intervention produced the change Correct answer.

Explanation

Repeated improvement when the intervention is introduced and reversal when it is withdrawn strengthens the inference that the intervention, rather than chance, produced the change. The ABAB design controls for many threats through replication of phases.

Question 17Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A team is deciding whether a student responded adequately to a Tier 2 intervention. Which data source is most directly relevant?

  1. Progress-monitoring slope compared with a goal Correct answer.
  2. The student's full-scale intelligence quotient score
  3. The student's daily attendance record
  4. A parent interview about homework habits

Explanation

Response to intervention is judged by the rate of improvement during the intervention relative to a goal or benchmark. The slope of progress-monitoring data provides that direct evidence.

Question 18Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A parent and a teacher complete behavior rating scales and their scores differ substantially. What is the best next step?

  1. Assume the parent's ratings are inaccurate
  2. Average the scores and proceed with eligibility
  3. Collect more data to explain the discrepancy Correct answer.
  4. Discard both rating scales

Explanation

Discrepant informant ratings are common because behavior varies across settings and informants have different perspectives. The psychologist should gather additional data, such as observation or interviews, to understand the discrepancy before drawing conclusions.

Question 19Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Which is an example of formative assessment?

  1. A statewide achievement test given in spring
  2. A weekly quiz used to adjust instruction Correct answer.
  3. An intelligence test administered for eligibility
  4. A final examination at the end of a course

Explanation

Formative assessment is conducted during instruction to inform and adjust teaching. A weekly quiz used to modify instruction fits that purpose.

Question 20Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student's standard score is 70 on a test with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. How many standard deviations below the mean is this score?

  1. One-half standard deviation
  2. Two standard deviations Correct answer.
  3. One and a half standard deviations
  4. One standard deviation

Explanation

The difference between 100 and 70 is 30 points. Dividing 30 by the standard deviation of 15 gives 2, so the score is two standard deviations below the mean.

Question 21Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

An intervention study shows a stable baseline, an immediate level change after intervention, a clear trend, and replication across two students. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The change is due to maturation
  2. The intervention likely produced the change Correct answer.
  3. The change is due to regression to the mean
  4. The data are uninterpretable without a control group

Explanation

An immediate change at intervention onset, a clear trend, and replication across participants strengthen the inference that the intervention caused the improvement. Single-case designs use these features to support causal conclusions without a traditional control group.

Question 22Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A subtest manual reports a reliability coefficient of .60. What is the best interpretation for individual decision-making?

  1. It is acceptable because the test is long
  2. It indicates strong validity
  3. It is too low for individual decisions Correct answer.
  4. It is adequate for high-stakes decisions

Explanation

Reliability coefficients around .60 indicate substantial measurement error and are generally too low for making important decisions about individuals. Higher reliability is needed when scores will influence eligibility or intervention planning.

Question 23Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student's curriculum-based measurement scores show a steep upward trend during baseline before the intervention begins. What is the main threat to interpreting intervention effects?

  1. Floor effects
  2. An existing practice or maturation trend Correct answer.
  3. Test-retest practice effects from repeated testing
  4. Ceiling effects

Explanation

If performance is already improving rapidly before intervention, later gains cannot be confidently attributed to the intervention. The pre-existing trend is a threat to internal validity and should be addressed before judging effects.

Question 24Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

When selecting a universal screening tool, which combination of psychometric properties is most important?

  1. High internal consistency only
  2. High cost and a lengthy administration process for all students
  3. Strong concurrent validity only
  4. Adequate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive validity Correct answer.

Explanation

Screening tools must accurately identify students who are at risk and avoid overidentifying those who are not. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive validity directly address those classification decisions.

Question 25Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A school psychologist gathers observation, rating scales, interviews, and work samples, and the findings converge. This practice best illustrates which of the following?

  1. Triangulation Correct answer.
  2. Standardization
  3. Reactivity
  4. The halo effect

Explanation

Triangulation is the use of multiple sources or methods to examine the same question. When independent sources converge, confidence in the conclusion is increased.

Question 26Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

School teams using a data-based problem-solving model typically follow which sequence of steps?

  1. Identify the problem, analyze why it occurs, implement a plan, and evaluate the response Correct answer.
  2. Identify the problem, implement a plan, analyze why it occurs, and evaluate the response
  3. Implement a plan, identify the problem, evaluate the response, and analyze why it occurs
  4. Analyze why the problem occurs, evaluate the response, identify the problem, and implement a plan

Explanation

The problem-solving model moves through problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and plan evaluation in that order. Analysis must precede plan design so that the intervention addresses the reason the problem occurs.

Question 27Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A universal screening measure has high sensitivity. This means the measure is good at doing which of the following?

  1. Correctly identifying students who are at risk Correct answer.
  2. Correctly identifying students who are not at risk
  3. Producing the same score on repeated administrations
  4. Predicting later performance from teacher ratings

Explanation

Sensitivity is the proportion of truly at-risk students whom the screener flags, sometimes called the true positive rate. Specificity, by contrast, concerns correct identification of students who are not at risk.

Question 28Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A school psychologist records whether a student is on task at the exact moment each 30-second interval ends. Which recording method is being used?

  1. Partial-interval recording
  2. Whole-interval recording
  3. Momentary time sampling Correct answer.
  4. Event recording

Explanation

Momentary time sampling scores the behavior only if it is occurring at the instant the interval ends. Whole- and partial-interval methods score the entire interval rather than a single moment.

Question 29Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

The standard error of measurement is best described as which of the following?

  1. An index of the variability of a student's observed scores around the true score Correct answer.
  2. The correlation between two forms of the same test
  3. The average score obtained by the norm group
  4. The difference between a student's score and the group mean

Explanation

The standard error of measurement estimates how much an observed score is likely to vary from the student's true score because of imperfect reliability. It is used to build confidence intervals around obtained scores.

Question 30Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

On a normally distributed test, approximately what percentage of scores falls within one standard deviation above and below the mean?

  1. About 99%
  2. About 68% Correct answer.
  3. About 50%
  4. About 95%

Explanation

In a normal distribution roughly 68% of scores lie between one standard deviation below and one above the mean. About 95% fall within two standard deviations and about 99.7% within three.

Question 31Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A teacher wants to know whether a student's disruptive behavior clusters at particular times of the school day. Which data display is best suited to answering this question?

  1. A scatterplot with time of day on one axis and behavior frequency on the other Correct answer.
  2. A histogram of the student's recent test scores
  3. A cumulative graph of office discipline referrals for the whole school
  4. A line graph of weekly oral reading fluency scores

Explanation

A scatterplot plotting behavior occurrences against time of day reveals whether behavior concentrates in particular periods. This display directly addresses the question of when behavior occurs.

Question 32Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Treatment fidelity data address which of the following questions?

  1. Did the student's behavior improve during the intervention?
  2. Was the student's baseline performance stable?
  3. Was the intervention delivered as it was designed? Correct answer.
  4. Were the norms of the test appropriate for the student?

Explanation

Fidelity refers to the extent to which an intervention was implemented as intended, such as the number of sessions delivered and the accuracy of delivery. Without fidelity data, weak outcomes cannot be attributed confidently to the intervention itself.

Question 33Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Which type of measure is generally best suited for weekly monitoring of a student's growth in basic academic skills?

  1. Curriculum-based measurement Correct answer.
  2. A behavior rating scale
  3. A full individual intelligence test
  4. A group-administered achievement battery

Explanation

Curriculum-based measurement uses brief, standardized probes drawn from the curriculum that are sensitive to short-term growth and can be administered repeatedly. This makes it well suited to frequent progress monitoring.

Question 34Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Two observers record a student's out-of-seat behavior during a 20-minute class period. They agree on 18 of the 20 intervals. What is the interobserver agreement?

  1. 18%
  2. 20%
  3. 36%
  4. 90% Correct answer.

Explanation

Interobserver agreement is calculated by dividing the number of agreements by the total number of intervals and multiplying by 100. Here 18 divided by 20 equals .90, or 90% agreement.

Question 35Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student takes 12 minutes after a teacher's direction before beginning an assigned task. Which dimension of behavior is being measured?

  1. Duration
  2. Frequency
  3. Latency Correct answer.
  4. Amplitude

Explanation

Latency is the elapsed time between a stimulus, such as a teacher direction, and the onset of the behavior. Duration would instead measure how long the behavior lasts once started.

Question 36Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student's progress data show a trend line that is steeper than the goal line, and the student will reach the annual goal well before the year ends. What is the most appropriate team decision?

  1. Immediately replace the intervention with a more intensive one
  2. Stop collecting data until the annual goal date arrives
  3. Discontinue the intervention and return the student to baseline conditions
  4. Keep the intervention but raise the goal and continue monitoring Correct answer.

Explanation

When the trend exceeds the aim line and the goal will be met early, the data justify ambitious goal revision rather than termination. Monitoring continues so the team can verify responding at the new, higher expectation.

Question 37Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student reads 40 words correct per minute at baseline. The team sets a goal of 70 words correct per minute in 15 weeks. What weekly rate of improvement is needed to reach the goal?

  1. 0.5 words per week
  2. 3.0 words per week
  3. 1.0 word per week
  4. 2.0 words per week Correct answer.

Explanation

The needed weekly rate equals the gap between baseline and goal divided by the number of weeks. A 30-word gap across 15 weeks requires a gain of 2.0 words correct per minute each week.

Question 38Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Over 8 weeks of intervention a student's scores rise from 55 to 67 words correct per minute. What is the weekly slope of improvement?

  1. 12 words correct per minute per week
  2. 6.7 words correct per minute per week
  3. 0.67 words correct per minute per week
  4. 1.5 words correct per minute per week Correct answer.

Explanation

Slope is the change in score divided by the elapsed time, or 12 words divided by 8 weeks, which equals 1.5 words per week. This estimated rate can be compared with typical growth norms or with the rate required to meet the goal.

Question 39Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A screener has a specificity of .90. Which statement best describes what this value means?

  1. Ninety percent of students who are truly at risk are identified by the screener
  2. Ninety percent of screened students will later be found eligible for services
  3. Scores on the screener are stable across repeated administrations
  4. Ninety percent of students who are not at risk are correctly identified as not at risk Correct answer.

Explanation

Specificity is the proportion of students without the condition who are correctly screened as not at risk. A high specificity means relatively few false positives among typically developing students.

Question 40Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A fifth-grade student earns a grade equivalent of 8.2 on a reading test. What is the most defensible interpretation?

  1. The student should be placed in eighth-grade reading materials because of this score
  2. The student's reading development is roughly three years behind grade-level expectations
  3. The student scored like an average student in the second month of eighth grade Correct answer.
  4. The score predicts that the student will pass eighth-grade state reading tests

Explanation

Grade equivalents describe the grade level at which the student's raw score equals the average performance, obtained by interpolation between norm tables. They indicate a performance level, not a recommended instructional placement or a forecast of future test performance.

Question 41Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

On a classroom test, an item has a difficulty index (p) of .95. How should the item be interpreted?

  1. It is useful for identifying which students need reteaching
  2. It is very easy for this group Correct answer.
  3. It is too difficult for most of the students who took the test
  4. It discriminates strongly between high-scoring and low-scoring students on the test

Explanation

The difficulty index is the proportion of examinees answering correctly, so .95 indicates that nearly all students answered the item correctly. Such an easy item yields little variability and therefore provides limited information about differences among students.

Question 42Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student obtains a standard score of 85 on a test with a standard error of measurement of 3. A 95% confidence interval is reported as 79 to 91. What is the best interpretation?

  1. The student's true score is likely to fall within this range Correct answer.
  2. The student performed better than 79% of the norm group
  3. The test is invalid because the interval is wide
  4. The student's score would be exactly 85 on every retest

Explanation

A confidence interval built from the standard error of measurement estimates the range in which the student's true score probably lies. Repeated testing would produce slightly different observed scores around that true score.

Question 43Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

In a single-case study, 90% of the intervention-phase data points exceed the highest baseline data point. Which statistic is being described?

  1. Standard error of estimate
  2. Percentage of goal attained
  3. Percentage of nonoverlapping data Correct answer.
  4. Interobserver agreement

Explanation

Percentage of nonoverlapping data compares each intervention point with the most extreme baseline point and reports the proportion that exceeds it. Higher values suggest a clearer separation between baseline and intervention phases.

Question 44Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student has 6 weeks remaining before the goal date. The goal is 90 words correct per minute, the current level is 72, and the trend line projects a gain of 1 word per week. What do the data suggest?

  1. The student is projected to exceed the goal well before the goal date
  2. The student is projected to miss the goal Correct answer.
  3. The student is on track to meet the goal exactly on the goal date
  4. The data cannot support any projection of future performance

Explanation

Extending the current trend of 1 word per week across 6 remaining weeks projects a level of about 78 words, short of the goal of 90. The team should therefore consider adjusting the intervention rather than waiting until the goal date.

Question 45Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A team already knows from screening that a student is at risk in mathematics. Which purpose is best served by administering a diagnostic math assessment next?

  1. Documenting the student's annual yearly progress
  2. Determining whether the student is at risk
  3. Identifying the specific skill deficits to target in intervention Correct answer.
  4. Comparing the student's broad achievement with national norms

Explanation

Diagnostic assessment follows screening and digs into which component skills are missing so that instruction can be matched to the student's needs. Screening answers whether a problem exists; diagnosis answers what to teach.

Question 46Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A screening instrument produces an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of .85. What does this indicate?

  1. Eighty-five percent of students who take the screener will be identified as at risk
  2. The screener's scores are 85% reliable across repeated administrations
  3. The screener discriminates well between students with and without the outcome Correct answer.
  4. The screener classifies 85% of students correctly at every possible cut score

Explanation

The area under the ROC curve summarizes how well a continuous score separates individuals with and without the outcome across all possible cut scores. Values around .85 indicate good discrimination, whereas .50 represents chance-level classification.

Question 47Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student's oral reading fluency growth percentile is 35. How should the team interpret this?

  1. The student reads at the 35th percentile nationally
  2. The student has met 35% of the annual reading goal
  3. The student is growing 35% faster than the average student
  4. The student's rate of growth is slower than that of about 65% of similar students Correct answer.

Explanation

A growth percentile compares a student's rate of improvement with the growth of academically similar peers, not with the level of reading skill. A value of 35 means the student's slope is at the 35th percentile of that comparison group, indicating below-typical growth.

Question 48Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

An item on a classroom test has a discrimination index of -.20. What is the most likely explanation?

  1. The item is too easy for this group and should probably be revised to be more difficult
  2. The item measures the same construct as the other items on the test
  3. The item has strong reliability but weak validity for this group of students
  4. Lower-scoring students answered it correctly more often than higher scorers Correct answer.

Explanation

A discrimination index is computed by comparing the proportion correct in the high-scoring and low-scoring groups. A negative value means the lower group outperformed the upper group, suggesting the item is confusing, miskeyed, or measuring something other than the intended construct.

Question 49Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

A student's standard score rises from 88 to 94 after an intervention. The standard error of the difference between the two scores is 7. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The change may reflect measurement error rather than real growth Correct answer.
  2. The student's true score increased by exactly six points
  3. The 6-point gain exceeds the standard error of the difference and is reliable
  4. The two scores are essentially perfectly correlated

Explanation

The standard error of the difference indexes how much change can be expected from measurement error alone when two scores are compared. Because the 6-point gain is smaller than that value of 7, the difference is not statistically reliable at conventional confidence levels.

Question 50Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability

Universal screening data show that in math, 82% of students meet the benchmark, but in reading, only 55% do. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The school should move all students into Tier 3 reading support
  2. Core reading instruction likely needs strengthening Correct answer.
  3. The reading scores are explained by weak Tier 2 and Tier 3 implementation
  4. The reading screener is probably invalid because most students did not meet benchmark

Explanation

When a large share of students fails to meet a Tier 1 benchmark, the primary concern is the core instructional program rather than individual student deficits. Group-level screening data are used first to evaluate the health of the core before intensifying supports for individuals.