ALT Foundations of Special Education — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Under IDEA, what is the maximum time allowed from referral to completion of an initial evaluation?

30 calendar days
45 school days
60 days (Correct answer)
90 days

Correct answer: 60 days

IDEA requires that an initial evaluation be completed within 60 days of receiving parental consent for evaluation.

Question 2: Which Supreme Court case established that states must provide a 'basic floor of opportunity' to students with disabilities?

Mills v. Board of Education
Rowley v. Board of Education (Correct answer)
Timothy W. v. Rochester
Endrew F. v. Douglas County

Correct answer: Rowley v. Board of Education

Board of Education v. Rowley (1982) established the 'basic floor of opportunity' standard for a free appropriate public education.

Question 3: A student with a disability receives services in the general education classroom with a co-teacher for most of the day. This placement is best described as:

Resource room
Inclusion (Correct answer)
Self-contained classroom
Itinerant services

Correct answer: Inclusion

Inclusion refers to educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom alongside their non-disabled peers.

Question 4: Which disability category under IDEA specifically addresses students with significant cognitive impairments that affect adaptive behavior?

Developmental delay
Intellectual disability (Correct answer)
Multiple disabilities
Other health impairment

Correct answer: Intellectual disability

Intellectual disability is the IDEA category for students with significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.

Question 5: The term 'zero reject' in special education means:

No student may be expelled
All students with disabilities are entitled to a free public education regardless of severity (Correct answer)
Schools cannot reject IEP goals
Students cannot be placed in restrictive settings

Correct answer: All students with disabilities are entitled to a free public education regardless of severity

Zero reject is the principle that no child with a disability, regardless of the nature or severity, may be excluded from public education.

Question 6: Which section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs receiving federal financial assistance?

Section 202
Section 504 (Correct answer)
Section 301
Section 108

Correct answer: Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in federally funded programs, including public schools.

Question 7: A student's IEP team is determining the amount of special education services. The guiding principle for placement decisions should be:

Cost-effectiveness of available programs
Least restrictive environment appropriate to the student's needs (Correct answer)
Preference of the special education teacher
Administrative convenience

Correct answer: Least restrictive environment appropriate to the student's needs

The least restrictive environment principle requires that placement decisions be based on the individual student's needs, not administrative or financial factors.

Question 8: Which term describes a student's ability to perform daily living tasks such as dressing, cooking, and managing money?

Executive functioning
Adaptive behavior (Correct answer)
Self-determination
Social-emotional learning

Correct answer: Adaptive behavior

Adaptive behavior refers to the conceptual, social, and practical skills needed for daily life functioning.

Question 9: Under IDEA, transition planning must begin no later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns:

14
16 (Correct answer)
18
21

Correct answer: 16

IDEA requires that transition services and measurable postsecondary goals be included in the IEP by age 16.

Question 10: The primary purpose of a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) is to:

Determine if a student qualifies for special education
Decide whether a student's behavior is caused by or substantially related to their disability (Correct answer)
Review the adequacy of IEP goals
Establish a behavior intervention plan

Correct answer: Decide whether a student's behavior is caused by or substantially related to their disability

An MDR determines whether the conduct leading to a disciplinary change of placement was a manifestation of the student's disability.

Question 11: Which model of disability views disability as a product of the interaction between a person's impairment and societal barriers?

Medical model
Moral model
Social model (Correct answer)
Bioecological model

Correct answer: Social model

The social model of disability holds that disability is caused by barriers in society rather than the individual's impairment alone.

Question 12: A student who is blind receives orientation and mobility training from a specialist who travels between schools. This specialist is providing:

Itinerant services (Correct answer)
Consultative services
Direct push-in services
Related services pull-out

Correct answer: Itinerant services

Itinerant services are delivered by a specialist who travels to multiple schools to serve students with low-incidence disabilities.

Question 13: Which federal law extended civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities in employment, public services, and accommodations?

IDEA 2004
No Child Left Behind Act
Americans with Disabilities Act (Correct answer)
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Correct answer: Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a broad civil rights law protecting people with disabilities in many areas of public life.

Question 14: A student with ADHD who does not qualify for special education under IDEA may still receive accommodations through:

An IEP under the OHI category
A 504 plan (Correct answer)
An informal teacher agreement
A behavior intervention plan only

Correct answer: A 504 plan

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provides a legal basis for accommodations when a student has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity but does not qualify for IDEA.

Question 15: Which evaluation approach requires that assessment instruments be given in a student's native language whenever feasible?

Dynamic assessment
Nondiscriminatory evaluation (Correct answer)
Ecological assessment
Portfolio assessment

Correct answer: Nondiscriminatory evaluation

Nondiscriminatory evaluation under IDEA requires assessments to be provided in the child's native language and be free of racial or cultural bias.

Question 16: An IEP goal states: 'Given a graphic organizer, the student will write a five-sentence paragraph with 80% accuracy across 3 trials.' What component is this goal demonstrating?

Present levels of academic achievement
Measurable annual goal (Correct answer)
Supplementary aid
Accommodation

Correct answer: Measurable annual goal

A measurable annual goal specifies the expected outcome, condition, and criteria for mastery within the IEP.

Question 17: In special education, 'procedural safeguards' primarily exist to:

Protect school districts from litigation
Ensure parents are informed of and can exercise their rights (Correct answer)
Limit the number of evaluations performed
Guide teachers in writing IEP goals

Correct answer: Ensure parents are informed of and can exercise their rights

Procedural safeguards under IDEA guarantee parents the right to be informed, involved, and able to challenge decisions about their child's education.

Question 18: What distinguishes an 'accommodation' from a 'modification' in special education?

Accommodations change the content; modifications change the format
Accommodations change how a student accesses content; modifications change the content or expectations (Correct answer)
Modifications are only for students with IEPs; accommodations are for all students
Accommodations require parent consent; modifications do not

Correct answer: Accommodations change how a student accesses content; modifications change the content or expectations

Accommodations change how a student learns or demonstrates knowledge without altering the content standard, while modifications change the actual curriculum content or expectations.

Question 19: Which of the following best describes 'universal design for learning' (UDL)?

Designing accessible school buildings
A proactive instructional framework providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression (Correct answer)
Adapting lessons after a student struggles
A method exclusively for students with disabilities

Correct answer: A proactive instructional framework providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression

UDL is a proactive framework that designs flexible instruction from the outset to meet the needs of all learners.

Question 20: The Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017) Supreme Court ruling changed the standard for FAPE by requiring IEPs to:

Maximize a student's potential
Be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of their circumstances (Correct answer)
Follow a basic floor of opportunity
Match the services provided in private schools

Correct answer: Be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of their circumstances

Endrew F. raised the bar beyond Rowley's 'basic floor,' requiring IEPs to be calculated to allow meaningful progress given the child's unique circumstances.

Question 21: A functional behavior assessment (FBA) is most appropriately used to:

Determine a student's academic grade level
Identify the purpose or function of a student's challenging behavior (Correct answer)
Assess a student's eligibility for special education
Evaluate the effectiveness of an IEP

Correct answer: Identify the purpose or function of a student's challenging behavior

An FBA identifies the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences to determine the function (e.g., attention, escape) of a student's challenging behavior.

ALT Foundations of Special Education

Under IDEA, what is the maximum time allowed from referral to completion of an initial evaluation?

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