CPS Special Education & Accommodations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IEP goal states: 'Maria will correctly solve 8 out of 10 two-step word problems across 3 consecutive sessions.' What component of a well-written goal does this BEST illustrate?
- Baseline data
- Measurable criteria (Correct answer)
- Instructional strategy
- Accommodation type
Correct answer: Measurable criteria
The specified performance criteria (8/10 across 3 sessions) make this goal measurable, a required characteristic of IEP annual goals.
Question 2: Which transition-related requirement must be included in an IEP for a student who is 16 years old or older under IDEA 2004?
- Vocational aptitude testing results
- Measurable postsecondary goals and transition services (Correct answer)
- A signed employment contract with a community partner
- An updated psychological evaluation within 6 months
Correct answer: Measurable postsecondary goals and transition services
IDEA 2004 requires that IEPs for students aged 16 and older include measurable postsecondary goals and transition services to support movement toward post-school outcomes.
Question 3: A parent disagrees with the school's evaluation results and requests an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense. Under IDEA, the school district must:
- Automatically fund the IEE without question
- Either fund the IEE or initiate a due process hearing to defend its evaluation (Correct answer)
- Deny the request and conduct a re-evaluation internally
- Postpone a decision until the next IEP meeting
Correct answer: Either fund the IEE or initiate a due process hearing to defend its evaluation
When a parent requests an IEE at public expense, the district must either grant the request or initiate due process to show its own evaluation was appropriate.
Question 4: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is BEST described as:
- A legal mandate requiring accessible school buildings
- A curriculum design framework that proactively addresses diverse learner needs (Correct answer)
- A behavioral intervention strategy for students with emotional disturbances
- A standardized testing accommodation protocol
Correct answer: A curriculum design framework that proactively addresses diverse learner needs
UDL is a proactive educational framework that designs flexible curriculum, instruction, and assessment to meet the needs of all learners from the outset.
Question 5: When conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA), what is the PRIMARY purpose of identifying the function of the behavior?
- To determine the appropriate disciplinary consequence
- To design an intervention that addresses the underlying reason for the behavior (Correct answer)
- To document the frequency and duration of the behavior only
- To assign a psychiatric diagnosis to the student
Correct answer: To design an intervention that addresses the underlying reason for the behavior
Understanding the function (e.g., escape, attention, sensory) allows the team to design a behavior intervention plan that addresses why the behavior occurs.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of an environmental accommodation rather than a testing accommodation?
- Oral administration of written test questions
- Preferential seating near the teacher during instruction (Correct answer)
- Extended time on standardized assessments
- Use of a scribe during written expression tasks
Correct answer: Preferential seating near the teacher during instruction
Preferential seating is an environmental accommodation that modifies the physical setting to reduce distractions or improve access to instruction.
Question 7: A psycho-educational specialist is evaluating a student suspected of having a specific learning disability (SLD). Under IDEA, which of the following is NOT an allowable method for SLD identification?
- Response to Intervention (RTI) data
- Patterns of strengths and weaknesses across assessments
- IQ-achievement discrepancy model
- Discrepancy between listening comprehension and reading decoding alone (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Discrepancy between listening comprehension and reading decoding alone
IDEA allows RTI, patterns of strengths and weaknesses, and IQ-achievement discrepancy for SLD identification, but a single discrepancy between two scores alone is insufficient.
CPS Special Education & Accommodations 3
An IEP goal states: 'Maria will correctly solve 8 out of 10 two-step word problems across 3 consecutive sessions.' What component of a well-written goal does this BEST illustrate?