DESE Curriculum Development & Instructional Strategies 3

Question 1

Which curriculum design approach organizes content around broad themes that connect multiple subject areas?

Accepted Answer

Integrated (interdisciplinary) design

Answer

Integrated or interdisciplinary design connects content across subjects around unifying themes or concepts.

Question 2

A teacher notices that a student with an IEP struggles with grade-level text. The MOST appropriate instructional accommodation would be to:

Accepted Answer

Provide audio recordings of the text alongside the written version

Answer

Providing audio recordings is an accommodation that gives access to the same content without changing the learning objective.

Question 3

What does the term 'vertical alignment' mean in the context of curriculum development?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring consistent content and skills build progressively across grade levels

Answer

Vertical alignment ensures that curriculum content and skills build logically and progressively from one grade level to the next.

Question 4

A teacher uses Socratic questioning to guide students to discover properties of geometric shapes. This approach is MOST associated with:

Accepted Answer

Constructivist learning theory

Answer

Constructivist theory holds that students build knowledge through guided discovery and questioning rather than passive reception.

Question 5

When a teacher intentionally leaves certain topics out of the curriculum because they are deemed inappropriate or unnecessary, this is referred to as the:

Accepted Answer

Null curriculum

Answer

The null curriculum refers to what schools choose not to teach, which itself sends a message about value and priority.

(DESE) Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Certification Practice Test

(DESE) Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Certification Practice Test

DESE Curriculum Development & Instructional Strategies 3