GACE Special Education General and Adapted
Curriculum Exam – Georgia Assessments for the
Certification of Educators | 2026/2027 Comprehensive
Study Guide and Test Preparation Materials
1. A third-grade student with Type 1 Diabetes requires blood sugar monitoring and insulin
administration during the school day. The student does not require specialized instruction but
needs health services to access the educational environment. Under which federal law is this
student MOST likely protected?
A. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
B. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
C. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
D. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
[CORRECT] Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a civil rights law that prohibits
discrimination based on disability and provides a 504 Plan for students who have a physical or
mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as learning
or bodily functions like the endocrine system) but who do not require specialized instruction
to qualify under IDEA.
2. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), how are students with disabilities specifically
addressed regarding state accountability systems?
A. ESSA requires separate schools for students with severe disabilities to improve assessment
accuracy.
B. ESSA caps the percentage of students with disabilities who can take alternate assessments
at 1% of all tested students.
C. ESSA eliminates the requirement for students with disabilities to participate in statewide
assessments.
D. ESSA mandates that all students with disabilities be assessed using only norm-referenced
tests.
,[CORRECT] ESSA maintains the requirement for students with disabilities to participate in
statewide assessments but places a 1% cap on the total testing population that can take
alternate assessments (such as the Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0), ensuring that the vast
majority of students with disabilities are held to the same college- and career-ready standards
as their peers.
3. Which of the following is a PRIMARY distinction between the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504?
A. IDEA is a civil rights law, whereas Section 504 is an education law.
B. IDEA provides federal funding to states, whereas Section 504 does not provide direct
funding.
C. IDEA applies only to public schools, whereas Section 504 applies to private schools.
D. IDEA serves students in grades K–12, whereas Section 504 serves only adults.
[CORRECT] A key practical distinction between the two laws is that IDEA provides specific
federal funding (Part B grants to states) to help pay for the delivery of special education and
related services, whereas Section 504 is an unfunded mandate, meaning it requires schools to
provide accommodations but does not provide direct federal funding to implement them.
4. A high school student uses a wheelchair and needs physical accessibility to the school
auditorium stage to participate in the graduation ceremony. Which federal law MOST directly
ensures the student's right to access the facility?
A. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
B. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
C. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
D. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
[CORRECT] The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on
disability in public accommodations and services, explicitly requiring physical accessibility to
public facilities (Title II for public entities, Title III for private entities). While Section 504 also
addresses accessibility for entities receiving federal funds, ADA provides the broadest and
most direct mandate for physical access to public spaces.
,5. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to include which of the following in
their school accountability systems?
A. A separate rating system exclusively for special education programs
B. The academic performance of students with disabilities as a distinct subgroup
C. Teacher evaluations based solely on the progress of students with disabilities
D. Mandatory vouchers for students with disabilities to attend private schools
[CORRECT] ESSA explicitly requires states to include the performance of students with
disabilities as a distinct subgroup in their statewide accountability systems, ensuring that the
achievement and progress of these students are factored into school ratings and identified for
support when necessary.
6. Which statement accurately describes the relationship between IDEA, Section 504, and ADA
regarding special education?
A. A student must qualify under ADA before being evaluated under IDEA.
B. IDEA is the exclusive law for students with learning disabilities, while Section 504 is for
physical disabilities.
C. The three laws overlap in protecting students with disabilities, but have different eligibility
criteria and purposes.
D. Section 504 and ADA only apply to students after they graduate high school.
[CORRECT] IDEA, Section 504, and ADA overlap in their goal of protecting the rights of
individuals with disabilities, but they differ significantly in scope and purpose: IDEA is an
education law requiring specialized instruction (IEP) and providing funding; Section 504 is a
civil rights law requiring equal access (504 Plan) without funding; and ADA is a broad civil
rights law prohibiting discrimination across all areas of public life.
Major legislation and landmark court cases (Brown v. Board, PARC, Mills, Rowley, Endrew F.) -
5 Questions
7. In the landmark case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017), the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled that to meet the requirements of IDEA, an IEP must be designed to:
, A. Maximize the student's academic potential to the highest possible level.
B. Enable the student to achieve grade-level proficiency in all subjects.
C. Be "reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the
child's circumstances."
D. Provide all services requested by the parents, regardless of cost to the district.
[CORRECT] Endrew F. raised the standard for FAPE, ruling that an IEP must be "reasonably
calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's
circumstances," meaning for most students this will be grade-level progress, and for students
with more significant disabilities, it means challenging objectives based on their unique
needs.
8. How did the Supreme Court's decision in Board of Education v. Rowley (1982) define a Free
Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)?
A. A school must maximize every child's educational potential to ensure equality of
opportunity.
B. A school must provide a personalized educational program that is reasonably calculated to
provide educational benefit.
C. A school must provide a private school placement at public expense if the student is not
achieving at grade level.
D. A school must ensure that students with disabilities outperform their general education
peers on standardized tests.
[CORRECT] Rowley established the "some educational benefit" standard, defining FAPE as the
provision of personalized instruction with sufficient support services to permit the child to
benefit educationally; the Court explicitly stated that IDEA does not require schools to
maximize the potential of students with disabilities.
9. The significance of Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania (1972) in the history of special education is that it:
A. Established the legal right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for children with
intellectual disabilities.
B. Required schools to provide assistive technology to all students with physical disabilities.
Curriculum Exam – Georgia Assessments for the
Certification of Educators | 2026/2027 Comprehensive
Study Guide and Test Preparation Materials
1. A third-grade student with Type 1 Diabetes requires blood sugar monitoring and insulin
administration during the school day. The student does not require specialized instruction but
needs health services to access the educational environment. Under which federal law is this
student MOST likely protected?
A. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
B. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
C. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
D. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
[CORRECT] Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a civil rights law that prohibits
discrimination based on disability and provides a 504 Plan for students who have a physical or
mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as learning
or bodily functions like the endocrine system) but who do not require specialized instruction
to qualify under IDEA.
2. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), how are students with disabilities specifically
addressed regarding state accountability systems?
A. ESSA requires separate schools for students with severe disabilities to improve assessment
accuracy.
B. ESSA caps the percentage of students with disabilities who can take alternate assessments
at 1% of all tested students.
C. ESSA eliminates the requirement for students with disabilities to participate in statewide
assessments.
D. ESSA mandates that all students with disabilities be assessed using only norm-referenced
tests.
,[CORRECT] ESSA maintains the requirement for students with disabilities to participate in
statewide assessments but places a 1% cap on the total testing population that can take
alternate assessments (such as the Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0), ensuring that the vast
majority of students with disabilities are held to the same college- and career-ready standards
as their peers.
3. Which of the following is a PRIMARY distinction between the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504?
A. IDEA is a civil rights law, whereas Section 504 is an education law.
B. IDEA provides federal funding to states, whereas Section 504 does not provide direct
funding.
C. IDEA applies only to public schools, whereas Section 504 applies to private schools.
D. IDEA serves students in grades K–12, whereas Section 504 serves only adults.
[CORRECT] A key practical distinction between the two laws is that IDEA provides specific
federal funding (Part B grants to states) to help pay for the delivery of special education and
related services, whereas Section 504 is an unfunded mandate, meaning it requires schools to
provide accommodations but does not provide direct federal funding to implement them.
4. A high school student uses a wheelchair and needs physical accessibility to the school
auditorium stage to participate in the graduation ceremony. Which federal law MOST directly
ensures the student's right to access the facility?
A. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
B. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
C. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
D. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
[CORRECT] The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on
disability in public accommodations and services, explicitly requiring physical accessibility to
public facilities (Title II for public entities, Title III for private entities). While Section 504 also
addresses accessibility for entities receiving federal funds, ADA provides the broadest and
most direct mandate for physical access to public spaces.
,5. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to include which of the following in
their school accountability systems?
A. A separate rating system exclusively for special education programs
B. The academic performance of students with disabilities as a distinct subgroup
C. Teacher evaluations based solely on the progress of students with disabilities
D. Mandatory vouchers for students with disabilities to attend private schools
[CORRECT] ESSA explicitly requires states to include the performance of students with
disabilities as a distinct subgroup in their statewide accountability systems, ensuring that the
achievement and progress of these students are factored into school ratings and identified for
support when necessary.
6. Which statement accurately describes the relationship between IDEA, Section 504, and ADA
regarding special education?
A. A student must qualify under ADA before being evaluated under IDEA.
B. IDEA is the exclusive law for students with learning disabilities, while Section 504 is for
physical disabilities.
C. The three laws overlap in protecting students with disabilities, but have different eligibility
criteria and purposes.
D. Section 504 and ADA only apply to students after they graduate high school.
[CORRECT] IDEA, Section 504, and ADA overlap in their goal of protecting the rights of
individuals with disabilities, but they differ significantly in scope and purpose: IDEA is an
education law requiring specialized instruction (IEP) and providing funding; Section 504 is a
civil rights law requiring equal access (504 Plan) without funding; and ADA is a broad civil
rights law prohibiting discrimination across all areas of public life.
Major legislation and landmark court cases (Brown v. Board, PARC, Mills, Rowley, Endrew F.) -
5 Questions
7. In the landmark case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017), the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled that to meet the requirements of IDEA, an IEP must be designed to:
, A. Maximize the student's academic potential to the highest possible level.
B. Enable the student to achieve grade-level proficiency in all subjects.
C. Be "reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the
child's circumstances."
D. Provide all services requested by the parents, regardless of cost to the district.
[CORRECT] Endrew F. raised the standard for FAPE, ruling that an IEP must be "reasonably
calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's
circumstances," meaning for most students this will be grade-level progress, and for students
with more significant disabilities, it means challenging objectives based on their unique
needs.
8. How did the Supreme Court's decision in Board of Education v. Rowley (1982) define a Free
Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)?
A. A school must maximize every child's educational potential to ensure equality of
opportunity.
B. A school must provide a personalized educational program that is reasonably calculated to
provide educational benefit.
C. A school must provide a private school placement at public expense if the student is not
achieving at grade level.
D. A school must ensure that students with disabilities outperform their general education
peers on standardized tests.
[CORRECT] Rowley established the "some educational benefit" standard, defining FAPE as the
provision of personalized instruction with sufficient support services to permit the child to
benefit educationally; the Court explicitly stated that IDEA does not require schools to
maximize the potential of students with disabilities.
9. The significance of Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania (1972) in the history of special education is that it:
A. Established the legal right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for children with
intellectual disabilities.
B. Required schools to provide assistive technology to all students with physical disabilities.
