CODESP Paraeducator 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A paraeducator suspects a student is being abused at home. The paraeducator's legal obligation is to:
- Conduct an independent investigation before reporting
- Report suspicions to child protective services or a school administrator as a mandated reporter (Correct answer)
- Confront the student's parents directly about the concern
- Keep the information private unless the student gives permission to share
Correct answer: Report suspicions to child protective services or a school administrator as a mandated reporter
Paraeducators are mandated reporters in most states and must report suspected abuse to appropriate authorities without delay.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a 'modification' rather than an 'accommodation'?
- Allowing extended time on a standard test
- Reducing the number of math problems required and simplifying their complexity (Correct answer)
- Providing a calculator during computation tasks
- Reading test questions aloud to the student
Correct answer: Reducing the number of math problems required and simplifying their complexity
Modifications change the content or learning expectations, while accommodations change how a student accesses or demonstrates learning.
Question 3: A paraeducator is working with a student on social skills. The MOST appropriate approach during lunch in the cafeteria is to:
- Sit between the student and peers to facilitate every interaction
- Facilitate peer interactions and gradually step back to allow natural socialization (Correct answer)
- Instruct peers on exactly what to say to the student
- Conduct the social skills lesson privately away from peers
Correct answer: Facilitate peer interactions and gradually step back to allow natural socialization
Natural settings with peer interaction promote genuine social skill development; fading adult presence builds independence.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)?
- To document a student's disciplinary history for administrative use
- To identify the function or purpose of a student's challenging behavior to inform intervention (Correct answer)
- To determine whether a student qualifies for special education services
- To evaluate a student's academic performance relative to grade-level standards
Correct answer: To identify the function or purpose of a student's challenging behavior to inform intervention
An FBA identifies what function (e.g., escape, attention, sensory) a behavior serves, guiding the development of effective behavior support plans.
Question 5: During a lesson, a student gives an incorrect answer. The paraeducator should FIRST:
- Immediately provide the correct answer to keep the lesson moving
- Provide a corrective prompt or hint to help the student arrive at the correct answer (Correct answer)
- Mark the response as incorrect in the data sheet and move on
- Praise the effort regardless and avoid correcting the error
Correct answer: Provide a corrective prompt or hint to help the student arrive at the correct answer
Error correction with prompting supports learning without simply giving away the answer or ignoring the mistake.
Question 6: A paraeducator who disagrees with a teacher's instructional approach should:
- Implement their own preferred approach when the teacher is out of the room
- Discuss the concern privately and professionally with the supervising teacher (Correct answer)
- File a formal complaint with the principal immediately
- Refuse to implement the approach without explanation
Correct answer: Discuss the concern privately and professionally with the supervising teacher
Professional disagreements should be addressed through respectful, private dialogue with the supervising teacher as part of collaborative teamwork.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST supports a student's self-determination skills?
- Making all decisions for the student to reduce frustration
- Teaching the student to set goals, make choices, and advocate for their own needs (Correct answer)
- Limiting the student's choices to prevent poor decision-making
- Completing tasks for the student so they can observe the correct process
Correct answer: Teaching the student to set goals, make choices, and advocate for their own needs
Self-determination skills, including goal-setting and self-advocacy, are critical for long-term independence and are explicitly supported under IDEA.
CODESP Paraeducator 5
A paraeducator suspects a student is being abused at home.
The paraeducator's legal obligation is to: