Praxis SpEd Foundational study plan

Sequence the landmark laws and court decisions that built special education (PARC, Mills, Brown, Rowley, Honig, Endrew F.) on a timeline and state each holding in one sentence.

Distinguish IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA by eligibility definition, funding source, and the specific rights each guarantees.

Map the core IDEA procedural safeguards (consent, evaluation, IEP development, placement in the LRE, due process, records access) to the parent or student right each one protects.

Apply the CEC Code of Ethics to three short vignettes on confidentiality, advocacy, and non-discriminatory assessment, and justify each decision in writing.

Apply the LRE presumption and the Rowley/Endrew F. FAPE standard to four fact patterns and state the placement each supports.

Differentiate norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and curriculum-based measures by purpose, score type, and how results are reported to families.

Convert among standard scores, percentile ranks, stanines, and age/grade equivalents for eight score profiles, and flag which conversions are technically inappropriate.

Explain reliability and validity (test-retest, inter-rater, content and construct) and identify which evidence a school psychologist must supply before a score is used for eligibility.

Sequence the child-find, referral, evaluation, eligibility, and IEP development timeline under IDEA, including the initial-evaluation clock, the annual review, and the triennial reevaluation.

Draft a compliant present levels statement (PLAAFP) for a supplied learner profile using baseline data across academic and functional areas.

Write two measurable annual goals with baseline, target, criterion, and a progress-monitoring schedule and data tool.

Identify required IEP team members and the conditions under which a member may be excused from attendance or from a portion of the meeting.

Select assessment accommodations that preserve the construct being measured for three learner profiles, and reject at least one accommodation as invalidating the score.

Classify the 13 IDEA disability categories by definition, evaluation criteria, and two concrete classroom implications for each.

Compare SLD, ADHD, ASD, emotional-behavioral disability, and intellectual disability across academic, behavioral, social, and communication domains in a matrix.

Trace typical developmental progressions in language, literacy, and mathematics, and mark the point at which a described learner's profile departs from typical.

Explain disproportionality in identification and discipline, name at least three contributing factors, and describe one screening or referral practice that reduces it.

Design a 45-minute lesson using explicit instruction (model, guided practice, independent practice) with a UDL-aligned entry point, representation option, and response option.

Write a behavior intervention plan from a supplied functional behavior assessment, including an operational definition, hypothesized function, replacement behavior, and reinforcement schedule.

Distinguish accommodations from modifications and select defensible supports for three learner profiles without lowering expectations.

Compare the six co-teaching models and select the best fit for a stated lesson objective, class size, and student needs.

Match low-, mid-, and high-tech assistive technology to reading, writing, communication, and organizational needs, and justify each choice by the task demand it removes.

Structure a family conference using culturally responsive communication, plain-language explanation of scores, and a documented plan for following up on disagreement.

Describe the supervising teacher's responsibilities to paraeducators, including scheduling, training, delegation limits, and feedback cycles.

Script de-escalation moves for a contentious IEP meeting and distinguish the roles of the facilitator, the LEA representative, and the parent.

Build the transition section of an IEP for a 16-year-old, including age-appropriate transition assessment, measurable postsecondary goals in education/training and employment, and coordinated services.

Map interagency responsibilities (vocational rehabilitation, developmental disabilities services, school) and identify the referral point that prevents a service gap at exit.

Explain self-determination and self-advocacy instruction, and describe how student invitation and participation in the IEP meeting is documented.

Revisit the confidentiality and records rules from Domain 1 and apply them to a release-of-information and transition-record-transfer scenario.

Take a full-length timed practice test and score each domain separately to locate the two weakest areas.

Convert every missed item into an error-log entry that names the domain, the misconception, and the corrected rationale.

Re-teach the two weakest domains using condensed notes and 15 new practice items per domain, targeting 80% accuracy.

Rehearse pacing and elimination strategies on scenario-based items that combine law, assessment, and instruction.