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Praxis SpEd Foundational practice questions

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Question 1Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A parent submits a written request to inspect her child's special education records. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the district must generally make those records available for review within what maximum period?

  1. 10 school days of the request
  2. 90 days of the request
  3. 45 days of the request Correct answer.
  4. Five business days of the request

Explanation

FERPA requires recipients of federal funds to give parents access to education records within 45 days of the request, counting from receipt. Shorter timelines elsewhere in special education law, such as the 10-school-day window for a manifestation determination, address different events and do not shorten the FERPA access period.

Question 2Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Which IDEA principle obligates states to find, identify, and evaluate every child who may need special education, including children who are homeless, enrolled in private school, or not yet enrolled in public school?

  1. Least restrictive environment
  2. Free appropriate public education
  3. Zero reject (child find) Correct answer.
  4. Procedural due process

Explanation

The zero reject principle means no child may be excluded from public education because of a disability, and the child find duty requires active identification of eligible children across settings. LRE governs placement, due process governs safeguards, and FAPE governs the substance of the program once eligibility is established.

Question 3Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

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

  1. A general education teacher, whether or not the student is or may be placed in a general education classroom
  2. The school principal, who serves as the building administrator for all students at the school
  3. The school psychologist who administered the district's standardized assessments to the student during the evaluation
  4. An LEA representative qualified to supervise special education and knowledgeable about curriculum and resources Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA requires an LEA representative who is qualified to provide or supervise specially designed instruction, knows the general curriculum, and is knowledgeable about available resources. A principal may fill that role if qualified, but the role itself is what is required; general education teachers attend when the student is or may be in general education, and psychologists are not mandatory members merely because they tested the child.

Question 4Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

In Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the Supreme Court interpreted a free appropriate public education as:

  1. A program that eliminates the student's identified skill deficits
  2. A program designed to maximize the student's academic potential
  3. A full-time placement in the general education classroom
  4. Instruction with supportive services reasonably calculated to confer educational benefit Correct answer.

Explanation

Rowley rejected a maximum-benefit standard and held that FAPE means personalized instruction with sufficient support services to permit the child to benefit educationally, along with procedural compliance. The benefit must be meaningful, but it need not be the best possible program or one that erases every deficit.

Question 5Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Under IDEA's least restrictive environment requirement, a district may remove a student with a disability from the general education classroom only when:

  1. The student's IEP includes a modified curriculum
  2. Education in regular classes with supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily Correct answer.
  3. The parents prefer a separate special education classroom
  4. The student's behavior is disruptive to classmates

Explanation

LRE presumes education alongside nondisabled peers with supplementary aids and services, and removal requires an individualized justification documented in the IEP with placement on the continuum. Disruptive behavior or parent preference alone does not authorize a more restrictive setting.

Question 6Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Under IDEA, how often must a school district conduct a reevaluation of a student who continues to receive special education services?

  1. At every annual IEP review meeting
  2. At least once every three years, unless the parent and district agree that reevaluation is unnecessary Correct answer.
  3. At least once every two years
  4. Whenever a general education teacher requests one

Explanation

Federal regulations require reevaluation at least once every three years unless the parent and the LEA agree that it is not needed, and no more than once a year unless the parties agree otherwise. The annual IEP review updates goals and services but does not itself constitute an evaluation.

Question 7Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A student with a health condition that substantially limits a major life activity needs accommodations but not specially designed instruction. Which legal basis most appropriately provides services?

  1. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Correct answer.
  2. The Americans with Disabilities Act alone, because schools are public accommodations
  3. IDEA Part B, under the category of other health impairment
  4. No federal law applies because the student does not need special education

Explanation

Section 504 is broader than IDEA: it protects students with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity and requires accommodations, without requiring specially designed instruction or an IEP. IDEA eligibility requires both a qualifying disability category and a demonstrated need for special education.

Question 8Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Under IDEA 2004, transition planning, including measurable postsecondary goals, must be included in the IEP no later than:

  1. The year the student turns 18
  2. The student's final semester before graduation
  3. The first IEP in effect when the student turns 16 Correct answer.
  4. Age 14 for all students nationwide

Explanation

IDEA requires transition planning beginning no later than the first IEP in effect when the child turns 16, with annual updates thereafter. Some states set an earlier age such as 14, but 16 is the federal minimum.

Question 9Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Honig v. Doe limited a district's ability to unilaterally exclude a student with a disability for disability-related behavior to how long?

  1. The remainder of the school year, provided the district convenes an IEP meeting and documents the dangerous behavior in writing
  2. Thirty school days, after which the student may be expelled without any further procedural steps
  3. Ten school days, after which stay-put generally bars further removal without agreement or a hearing order Correct answer.
  4. As long as the district believes the behavior poses a risk to staff or classmates, without any external review

Explanation

Honig interpreted the stay-put provision to prevent indefinite unilateral exclusion, while permitting ordinary suspensions of up to 10 school days for disability-related misconduct. Later IDEA amendments added a 45-day interim alternative educational setting for weapons, illegal drugs, or serious bodily injury.

Question 10Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

In Irving Independent School District v. Tatro, the Supreme Court ruled that clean intermittent catheterization for a student with spina bifida is:

  1. A service that parents must arrange and fund privately
  2. A related service the district must provide because it is necessary for school attendance and does not require a physician Correct answer.
  3. An accommodation that only Section 504 requires
  4. Excluded from IDEA as a medical service because a nurse performs it

Explanation

The medical services exclusion in IDEA covers services performed by a licensed physician; school health services such as catheterization are related services when they are necessary to enable the child to attend school and benefit from instruction. The Court focused on whether the service could be provided by a nurse or trained aide rather than a doctor.

Question 11Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A school district proposes to change a student's special education placement from a resource room to a self-contained classroom. Before implementing the change, IDEA requires the district to provide the parents with which document?

  1. Prior written notice describing the proposed action and the basis for it Correct answer.
  2. A summary of the student's most recent standardized test scores
  3. A written guarantee that the new placement will be permanent
  4. A copy of the district's annual budget for special education services

Explanation

Prior written notice is a core procedural safeguard under IDEA. It must be given before the district proposes or refuses to initiate a change in identification, evaluation, or educational placement. The notice must explain the action, the reasons for it, and the parents' procedural safeguards.

Question 12Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Under IDEA, what is the maximum number of days, unless state law specifies a different timeframe, that a district has to complete an initial evaluation after receiving parental consent?

  1. 60 days Correct answer.
  2. 120 days
  3. 90 days
  4. 30 days

Explanation

IDEA sets a 60-day maximum for completing an initial evaluation after parental consent, unless the state has its own timeframe. The clock begins when the district receives informed written consent. The district must then determine eligibility and, if eligible, develop an IEP.

Question 13Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Who provides informed consent for a student's initial special education evaluation when the student is a minor and no guardian has been appointed?

  1. The district special education director
  2. The student's general education teacher
  3. The parent or legal guardian Correct answer.
  4. The school principal or an assistant principal

Explanation

Under IDEA, informed parental consent is required before an initial evaluation. "Parent" includes a biological or adoptive parent, a guardian, or a surrogate parent appointed under IDEA. School staff members cannot substitute their own consent for the parent's.

Question 14Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

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

  1. Repeat the same evaluation with the same tools within ten school days
  2. Tell the parent to obtain an evaluation privately at her own expense
  3. Deny the request because district evaluations carry a presumption of validity
  4. Fund the IEE or file due process to defend its evaluation Correct answer.

Explanation

When parents disagree with a district evaluation and request an IEE at public expense, the district must either provide the IEE or initiate a due process hearing to show its evaluation was appropriate. The district cannot simply ignore the request or require the parent to pay without a hearing decision. The IEE must meet district criteria unless the parent demonstrates unique circumstances.

Question 15Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A student with an emotional disturbance is removed from school for 12 school days for a behavior related to her disability. What must the IEP team do within 10 school days of the removal decision?

  1. Conduct a manifestation determination review Correct answer.
  2. Request a due process hearing before allowing the student to return
  3. Place the student in an alternative school for the rest of the year
  4. Revoke the student's special education eligibility

Explanation

A removal of more than 10 school days is a disciplinary change of placement for a student with a disability. Within 10 school days of that decision, the IEP team must conduct a manifestation determination review. The team examines whether the conduct was caused by or substantially related to the student's disability or resulted from a failure to implement the IEP.

Question 16Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

At least one year before a student with a disability reaches the age of majority under state law, what must the student's IEP include?

  1. A list of postsecondary colleges the student plans to attend
  2. A waiver of the student's right to a free appropriate public education
  3. A plan for transferring all special education services to the student's parents
  4. A statement that the student was informed of transferring rights Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA requires that, at least one year before the student reaches the age of majority, the IEP include a statement that the student has been informed of the rights that will transfer. Those rights include participation in IEP decisions and, in most states, educational decision-making at age 18. The statement ensures the student is prepared for the transfer.

Question 17Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A special education teacher is asked by an administrator to use a popular new reading program that has no peer-reviewed research supporting its use with students with disabilities. According to the Council for Exceptional Children's ethical standards, what should the teacher do?

  1. Implement the program only with students whose parents consent
  2. Refuse to teach reading until the district adopts a different curriculum
  3. Use the program because the administrator has authority over instruction
  4. Select instructional practices that have a credible scientific basis Correct answer.

Explanation

The CEC ethical standards call on special educators to use instructional practices with a credible scientific basis and to avoid practices that may harm students. When an administrator requests a program lacking peer-reviewed support, the teacher should advocate for evidence-based instruction. The teacher should document concerns and collaborate, not simply comply or abandon reading instruction.

Question 18Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A state determines that a school district has significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity in the identification of students with emotional disturbance. Under IDEA, what is the district required to do?

  1. Review policies and reserve 15 percent of Part B funds for CEIS Correct answer.
  2. Eliminate all special education services for the overidentified racial group
  3. Conduct a one-time records audit and then make no further policy changes
  4. Refer the district to law enforcement for a full civil rights investigation

Explanation

When a state identifies significant disproportionality, IDEA requires the district to review and revise its policies, practices, and procedures that contributed to the finding. The district must also reserve 15 percent of its IDEA Part B funds for coordinated early intervening services, unless the state permits another amount. The purpose is to address root causes and improve identification practices.

Question 19Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A student's IEP includes annual goals in reading and mathematics. How often must the district report the student's progress toward those goals to the parents?

  1. Only at the annual IEP review meeting
  2. At least as often as nondisabled students receive report cards Correct answer.
  3. Every week, regardless of the district's grading schedule
  4. Once per semester, unless the parent requests more frequent reports

Explanation

IDEA requires that parents be informed of their child's progress toward annual goals at least as often as parents of nondisabled students receive report cards. The IEP must state how progress will be measured and when reports will be provided. More frequent reporting is permitted but not the federal minimum in every case.

Question 20Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017), the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the FAPE standard by holding that a student's IEP must be:

  1. Based primarily on the parents' preferred educational methodology
  2. Guaranteed to produce grade-level achievement for every student with a disability
  3. Designed to provide the maximum possible educational benefit available in the district
  4. Reasonably calculated for appropriate progress in the child's circumstances Correct answer.

Explanation

Endrew F. rejected the "merely more than de minimis" standard and held that an IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances. The goals should be appropriately ambitious, though not necessarily grade-level for every student. The standard is more demanding than the earlier Rowley floor but not a guarantee of maximum benefit.

Question 21Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

The 1975 federal law that first guaranteed a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities and created a state grant program was originally enacted as which statute?

  1. The No Child Left Behind Act
  2. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  3. The Americans with Disabilities Act
  4. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act Correct answer.

Explanation

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, enacted in 1975 as Public Law 94-142, created the federal grant program that required states to provide FAPE, procedural safeguards, and individualized education. Congress later renamed it the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The ADA and Section 504 are civil rights statutes, and No Child Left Behind is a general accountability law, not the 1975 special education funding statute.

Question 22Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Which statement must appear in every IEP under IDEA?

  1. A published scope and sequence for the student's assigned grade level
  2. A guarantee that the student will earn a standard high school diploma
  3. The student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance Correct answer.
  4. The student's report card grades from the previous school year

Explanation

IDEA requires each IEP to include a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. That statement describes how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum and provides the baseline for annual goals. Grades, a commercial scope and sequence, and a diploma guarantee are not required IEP components.

Question 23Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Under IDEA, what is the minimum frequency with which a student's IEP must be reviewed and, if appropriate, revised?

  1. At the end of each grading period
  2. At least once each year Correct answer.
  3. Every three years, at the same time as reevaluation
  4. Only when the parent submits a written request

Explanation

IDEA requires the IEP team to review the child's IEP at least once each year and revise it as necessary to ensure FAPE. A full reevaluation is generally required every three years, which is a separate obligation. Review at the end of each grading period or only on parental request is not the federal minimum.

Question 24Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A district is evaluating a student for specific learning disability. The student is an English learner who has had interrupted formal schooling. Before the team may determine SLD eligibility, IDEA requires the team to:

  1. Obtain a medical diagnosis of a neurological processing disorder
  2. Administer a cognitive ability test and document a severe discrepancy
  3. Wait until the student has completed three years of English-only instruction
  4. Rule out inadequate instruction and limited English proficiency Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA's definition of specific learning disability excludes children whose learning problems are primarily the result of lack of appropriate instruction in reading or mathematics, or limited English proficiency. The team must consider whether the child received appropriate instruction and whether repeated assessments were provided. Neither an IQ discrepancy nor a medical diagnosis is required by IDEA.

Question 25Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A parent submits written revocation of consent for continued special education services. Under IDEA, which action must the district take?

  1. Require the parent to complete mediation before services end
  2. Continue the services until the next scheduled annual review
  3. File a due process complaint to keep the services in place
  4. Provide prior written notice and stop providing special education services Correct answer.

Explanation

Under 34 CFR 300.300(b)(4), when a parent revokes consent in writing for continued special education services, the district must provide prior written notice and may not continue services. The district also may not use mediation or a due process hearing to override the revocation. The district is not required to convene an IEP meeting before honoring the revocation.

Question 26Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

An IEP team is deciding whether a student with a significant disability needs extended school year services. Which standard best reflects IDEA requirements?

  1. Likely regression and slow recoupment that would impede FAPE Correct answer.
  2. Available only to students placed in self-contained special education classes
  3. Required whenever the student's parents request it in writing before June
  4. Limited to students who scored below grade level on statewide achievement tests

Explanation

Extended school year services are required when the IEP team determines that a break in services would likely cause regression and slow recoupment serious enough to deny FAPE. Eligibility is individualized and is not automatic on parent request, tied to a particular placement, or based solely on test scores.

Question 27Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A parent agrees that the regular education teacher may miss an IEP team meeting. For the excusal to be valid under IDEA, the district must ensure that:

  1. Written parental consent and written teacher input before the meeting Correct answer.
  2. A rescheduled meeting within ten school days
  3. The principal's verbal approval at the meeting
  4. A signed teacher statement is collected after the meeting ends

Explanation

IDEA permits excusal of a required IEP team member when the parent consents in writing and the member submits written input to the team before the meeting. The input must be distributed before the meeting so the member's perspective is available. Retroactive approval by the principal or a simple rescheduling does not satisfy the excusal requirements.

Question 28Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A district is selecting assessment instruments for a student whose primary language is Spanish. Which IDEA requirement applies?

  1. The district may skip evaluation and base eligibility on classroom observations
  2. The district may use any test as long as it is administered by a certified teacher
  3. The district must use only tests published in English to ensure comparability
  4. Materials must be selected and administered to avoid cultural and linguistic bias Correct answer.

Explanation

IDEA requires evaluation materials and procedures to be selected and administered so as not to be racially or culturally discriminatory. Tests must be provided in the child's native language or mode of communication unless clearly not feasible, and they must be validated for the purpose for which they are used. Skipping evaluation or using English-only tests for comparability is inconsistent with these requirements.

Question 29Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Parents file a due process complaint challenging the appropriateness of their child's IEP. In a state with no statute allocating the burden of proof, who generally bears the burden at the hearing under Schaffer v. Weast?

  1. The hearing officer, who must independently prove the IEP is appropriate
  2. The state education agency, because it oversees compliance
  3. The school district, because it drafted the IEP
  4. The party seeking relief, which is usually the parents Correct answer.

Explanation

In Schaffer v. Weast (2005), the Supreme Court held that the burden of persuasion in an IDEA due process hearing rests on the party seeking relief. Parents who challenge an IEP therefore generally bear the burden, unless the district initiates the complaint or state law assigns the burden differently. The hearing officer remains neutral and does not take on the burden.

Question 30Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A student with an IEP moves to a new school district in the same state at the start of the school year. Pending completion of the new district's evaluation, what must the new district provide?

  1. A new IEP developed without input from the prior district
  2. Services comparable to those in the student's previous IEP Correct answer.
  3. Only the services the new district typically offers to students with that disability
  4. No services until the new district completes its own initial evaluation

Explanation

When a child with a disability transfers to a new district in the same state, IDEA requires the new district to provide FAPE, including services comparable to those in the previous IEP, until it adopts the prior IEP or develops and implements a new one. The district must promptly obtain records and verify eligibility. It may not suspend all services while it conducts a new initial evaluation.

Question 31Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A school district has no systematic process for identifying preschool children with disabilities who are not yet enrolled in public school. Which IDEA obligation is the district failing to meet?

  1. The requirement to place all preschoolers with disabilities in inclusive general education classrooms
  2. The requirement to obtain parental consent before screening all children for disabilities
  3. The child find duty to locate, identify, and evaluate all eligible children Correct answer.
  4. The requirement to provide extended school year services to eligible preschoolers

Explanation

IDEA's child find mandate requires each state to have policies and procedures ensuring that all children with disabilities residing in the state who need special education, including children enrolled in private schools, homeless children, and wards of the state, are identified, located, and evaluated. The duty applies regardless of whether the child is enrolled in public school. A district without a systematic identification process for preschoolers is not meeting this obligation.

Question 32Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

An IEP team concludes that a student no longer needs specialized instruction and proposes to end special education services. What must the district provide to the parents before implementing this change?

  1. A referral to the state education agency for approval of the change
  2. A summary of the student's grades for the current grading period
  3. Prior written notice describing the proposed change and the basis for it Correct answer.
  4. A signed waiver releasing the district from further liability for the student

Explanation

IDEA requires prior written notice whenever a district proposes to initiate or change, or refuses to initiate or change, the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or provision of FAPE to a child. The notice must describe the action, explain the reasons, and inform parents of their procedural safeguards. Ending special education is a change in identification and services, so notice must precede it.

Question 33Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Which service is classified as a related service under IDEA rather than as specially designed instruction?

  1. A pull-out reading intervention that replaces the student's core language arts instruction
  2. A self-contained social skills class taught by a special education teacher
  3. A co-taught algebra course in which the special education teacher modifies the curriculum and provides accommodations
  4. Physical therapy to help a student access and participate in the general curriculum Correct answer.

Explanation

Related services are developmental, corrective, and other supportive services required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and transportation. They support access to instruction but are not themselves specially designed instruction. A therapy that enables a student to participate in the general curriculum fits this definition.

Question 34Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A student with type 1 diabetes has a health plan but does not need specialized instruction; the school nurse must monitor blood glucose and administer insulin during the school day. Which approach best fits the legal requirements?

  1. Deny services, because the student is making adequate academic progress and does not need help
  2. Develop an IEP, because any student with a diagnosed medical condition is automatically eligible for special education
  3. A Section 504 accommodation plan, because the student needs a health-related service but not specialized instruction Correct answer.
  4. Provide the service only if the district can obtain Medicaid reimbursement for the nursing time

Explanation

IDEA eligibility requires both a qualifying disability and a demonstrated need for specially designed instruction; a medical diagnosis alone does not create entitlement. Section 504 is broader and protects students with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, entitling them to accommodations and related aids and services. Nursing care such as glucose monitoring and insulin administration during the school day is a service a 504 plan can provide.

Question 35Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A general education teacher who will teach a student with an IEP asks to review the student's evaluation report and IEP. Under IDEA and FERPA, how should the school respond?

  1. Require the parent to sign a release before any school employee may view the records
  2. Refuse access, because only the special education teacher and the building administrator may see the records
  3. Allow access, because school personnel with a legitimate educational interest may review the records Correct answer.
  4. Provide only the IEP goals, because evaluation results are restricted to the IEP team

Explanation

FERPA allows disclosure of education records without parental consent to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the records, and IDEA requires that teachers responsible for implementing a student's IEP have access to it. A general education teacher who will instruct the student has that interest. Parental consent is required for disclosure to parties outside the school agency, not for internal staff who need the information.

Question 36Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Under IDEA, an IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals and transition services beginning no later than which point?

  1. When the student enters ninth grade, because transition planning must begin at the start of high school
  2. When the student reaches the age of majority under state law
  3. The IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or earlier if state law requires Correct answer.
  4. Only during the student's final year of high school, when exit planning occurs

Explanation

IDEA requires that the IEP include measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments and the transition services needed to reach them, beginning not later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16. A state may require transition planning earlier, and the IEP team may begin younger; some states set the age at 14. The requirement is not limited to the final year of high school.

Question 37Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Parents and a district disagree about a student's IEP, and the district offers mediation. Which statement accurately describes mediation under IDEA?

  1. Mediation agreements may be reviewed de novo by a hearing officer or court
  2. Mediation must be completed before either party is permitted to file a due process complaint
  3. The mediator's written decision is binding on both parties and appealable to court
  4. Mediation is voluntary, confidential, and does not delay a due process hearing Correct answer.

Explanation

Under IDEA, mediation is voluntary for both parties and must be conducted by a qualified and impartial mediator; discussions are confidential and may not be used as evidence in later due process or court proceedings. Mediation may not be used to deny or delay a parent's right to a due process hearing. A written mediation agreement is enforceable in state or federal court.

Question 38Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A special education teacher wants to post a video of a student's successful classroom presentation on a personal social media account. What is the most appropriate action under professional ethics and confidentiality requirements?

  1. Post it whenever the student's face is not visible, because then it is not identifiable
  2. Refrain unless written parental consent is obtained under FERPA and district policy Correct answer.
  3. Post it because classroom instructional activities are not considered educational records under FERPA
  4. Post it after the student verbally agrees, because student assent is sufficient

Explanation

Student images and records from school activities are protected under FERPA and district policies, and consent for public sharing is normally obtained in writing from parents. A student's verbal agreement does not substitute for parental consent, and blurring the face does not remove all identification risk. Teachers should avoid posting student material on personal social media without authorization.

Question 39Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

A student with an emotional disability is suspended indefinitely pending a due process hearing about a dangerous incident. Under Honig v. Doe (1988), which principle governs?

  1. The student must be placed in an interim alternative educational setting for 45 school days automatically
  2. The district may unilaterally exclude the student for the remainder of the school year as a safety measure
  3. The student may stay in the current placement during the proceedings, absent agreement or court order Correct answer.
  4. The parent must obtain a stay-put order from a federal court before the student may return to school

Explanation

Honig v. Doe upheld the IDEA stay-put provision: while a due process hearing is pending, the student remains in the current educational placement unless the parties agree otherwise or a court orders a change. A district may not unilaterally impose an indefinite exclusion for dangerous conduct. The 45-school-day interim alternative setting applies only to specific safety-related circumstances defined in IDEA, such as weapons, drugs, or serious bodily injury.

Question 40Foundations of special education (history, law, ethics, and professional practice)

Parents enroll their child in a private school without notifying the district and later seek tuition reimbursement. The district argues the child never received special education services and therefore cannot be eligible. Under Forest Grove School District v. T.A. (2009), how should a hearing officer rule?

  1. Reimbursement is available only if the private school is approved by the state education agency
  2. Reimbursement is categorically barred because the parents enrolled the child without notifying the district first
  3. Reimbursement may be ordered if the district failed FAPE, even without prior services Correct answer.
  4. Reimbursement is limited to the cost of the IEP the district had proposed

Explanation

In Forest Grove School District v. T.A. (2009), the Supreme Court held that IDEA authorizes tuition reimbursement for a unilateral private placement when the district failed to provide FAPE, even if the child had never previously received special education services. Reimbursement may be reduced or denied for notice or other procedural failures, but it is not categorically barred. The remedy depends on the equities and the adequacy of the district's proposed program.

Question 41Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

Under IDEA, which disability category is defined by a disorder in one or more basic psychological processes that manifests in imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations?

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

Explanation

Specific learning disability is the IDEA category defined by psychological processing disorders that affect listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or mathematics. Intellectual disability involves significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior deficits, while emotional disturbance and other health impairment have separate defining criteria.

Question 42Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A 9-year-old student with a mild disability accurately sorts buttons by color and size and explains that a short wide glass holds the same amount of water as a tall narrow glass. According to Piaget, this student is demonstrating characteristics of which stage?

  1. Sensorimotor
  2. Preoperational
  3. Formal operational
  4. Concrete operational Correct answer.

Explanation

Concrete operational thinking, typically emerging around age 7, includes conservation and classification of tangible objects and events. The student reasons logically about concrete materials but is not yet described as using abstract hypothetical reasoning, which characterizes the formal operational stage.

Question 43Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A 16-year-old with a learning disability is trying out different extracurricular roles, questioning family expectations, and exploring possible career paths. According to Erikson, the student is working through which psychosocial stage?

  1. Identity versus role confusion Correct answer.
  2. Industry versus inferiority
  3. Intimacy versus isolation
  4. Trust versus mistrust

Explanation

Erikson's identity versus role confusion stage occurs during adolescence and involves exploring roles, values, and future directions. The student's experimentation with roles and career paths fits this developmental task rather than the earlier industry or later intimacy stages.

Question 44Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A preschooler with autism spectrum disorder seldom points to interesting objects to share attention with adults and has trouble predicting what a peer will do next in a simple game. These behaviors most directly suggest difficulty with which pair of skills?

  1. Receptive vocabulary and articulation
  2. Fine motor coordination and visual acuity
  3. Phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming
  4. Joint attention and theory of mind Correct answer.

Explanation

Joint attention involves sharing focus on an object with another person, and theory of mind involves understanding others' mental states and likely actions. Both are core social-cognitive areas often affected in autism spectrum disorder and are directly reflected in the described behaviors.

Question 45Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A middle school student with ADHD can state the steps for solving a multi-step equation aloud but frequently loses place and omits steps when working independently. This discrepancy most directly points to a weakness in which area?

  1. Visual-motor integration
  2. Phonological processing
  3. Working memory Correct answer.
  4. Long-term retrieval

Explanation

Working memory supports holding and manipulating intermediate steps while solving a problem, so a student may know the sequence but lose track while applying it. Long-term retrieval, phonological processing, and visual-motor integration do not primarily explain losing place during a sequence of mental steps.

Question 46Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A 15-year-old has a measured IQ of 68 and academic skills well below grade level. The evaluation team is considering intellectual disability. To meet the criteria, the team must also document which of the following?

  1. Deficits in adaptive functioning Correct answer.
  2. A history of preterm birth
  3. A co-occurring communication disorder
  4. Below-average performance on a single IQ test

Explanation

Intellectual disability requires both significantly subaverage intellectual functioning and concurrent deficits in adaptive behavior that affect everyday functioning. IQ alone or academic delay alone is insufficient, and associated medical or communication factors are not required criteria.

Question 47Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A second-grade student with dyslexia reads words slowly and inaccurately, has difficulty segmenting spoken words into sounds, and spells phonetically inconsistent words poorly. Which instructional approach is most directly aligned with this profile?

  1. Oral language expansion without printed word practice
  2. Whole-language activities emphasizing context guessing
  3. Systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics Correct answer.
  4. Visual-perceptual exercises to improve letter reversal

Explanation

Dyslexia is primarily a word-level reading and spelling disorder associated with phonological processing weaknesses, so systematic and explicit phonemic awareness and phonics instruction targets the core deficit. Context guessing, visual-perceptual training, and avoiding print do not address the phonological basis of the student's difficulty.

Question 48Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A student repeatedly argues with teachers, ignores classroom rules, and is rejected by peers. Before an IEP team identifies emotional disturbance, IDEA requires the team to consider whether the behavior is instead attributable to which factor?

  1. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  2. A specific learning disability in reading
  3. Social maladjustment Correct answer.
  4. A communication delay

Explanation

The IDEA definition of emotional disturbance explicitly excludes a child who is socially maladjusted unless the child also meets the other criteria for emotional disturbance. Teams must therefore consider whether social maladjustment better explains the behavior before applying the emotional disturbance category.

Question 49Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A 12-year-old was a strong student until a car accident caused a frontal lobe injury. The student now has intact word reading but new difficulties with planning, impulse control, and remembering assignments. Which IDEA category best fits this pattern?

  1. Emotional disturbance
  2. Other health impairment
  3. Traumatic brain injury Correct answer.
  4. Specific learning disability

Explanation

Traumatic brain injury covers an acquired injury to the brain that adversely affects educational performance, and frontal lobe changes in executive function and behavior fit this profile. A specific learning disability is not acquired through injury, emotional disturbance does not account for the memory and planning changes, and other health impairment is not the category designed for acquired brain injury.

Question 50Development and characteristics of learners with disabilities

A 10-year-old with autism spectrum disorder decodes grade-level text accurately and has strong vocabulary knowledge, but struggles to infer characters' intentions and to connect events in a story. This profile most clearly suggests a need for support in which area?

  1. Word decoding fluency
  2. Phonemic awareness
  3. Reading comprehension and social inference Correct answer.
  4. Handwriting legibility

Explanation

Accurate decoding and strong vocabulary indicate that word-level skills are relative strengths, while difficulty inferring intentions and linking events points to constructing meaning from text. Instruction should therefore target reading comprehension and social inference rather than basic decoding or handwriting.