FTCE EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION K-12 (COMPETENCY 2) 42 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS

Assessment CORRECT ANSWER The systematic gathering and analysis of information about students in order to make decisions that may benefit their educational experience. It is an ongoing process of monitoring student learning and identifying areas of strength and weakness. The ultimate goal is to improve student achievement, and thus it can be considered a formative activity. Screening Assessments CORRECT ANSWER Are administered to all students in a particular group, such as a grade or a school. It is typically carried out at the beginning of the school year, as in the example of a vision screening administered to all incoming kindergarten students. The goal is to identify, as early as possible, students who may need extra academic support. Pre-Referral Assessments CORRECT ANSWER Are administered to individual students before formally referring them for special education. They typically provide more information than what can be obtained through screening. It can be used to determine which instructional modifications are likely to help the student, and whether these modifications are successful (thereby allowing a formal referral for special education to be avoided in some cases). They can also be used to document the need for formal referral for special education, and may then become part of the student's IEP. Diagnostic Assessments CORRECT ANSWER Are administered to individual students who may need extra support. In some cases, diagnostic assessments are used because screening has suggested the presence of a disability. In other cases, the diagnostic assessment is used because the student has already been referred for special education and more information is needed. They provide more in-depth understanding of a child's skills and instructional needs than screening assessments do. The goal is to determine areas of strength and weakness for a particular student. In some cases, the assessment is also designed to identify the nature of the student's disability. Progress Monitoring Assessments CORRECT ANSWER Are used to determine whether an individual student's progress is adequate. It is conducted frequently over some finite period of time, and it often focuses on one specific academic area (e.g., reading fluency) or behavioral dimension (e.g., impulse control). The actual assessments used could be informal or formal and administered either before or after participation in special education services. Examples are the curriculum-based measurement approaches.