FED Educational Policy and School Reform 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the:
- Most academically challenging environment available
- Least restrictive environment (LRE) appropriate for their needs (Correct answer)
- Most specialized setting regardless of cost
- General education classroom at all times without exception
Correct answer: Least restrictive environment (LRE) appropriate for their needs
IDEA mandates placement in the least restrictive environment, meaning students with disabilities should be educated alongside non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
Question 2: An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is legally required for:
- All students in Title I schools
- Students identified with disabilities who qualify for special education services under IDEA (Correct answer)
- Students who are English Language Learners
- All students performing below grade level in reading
Correct answer: Students identified with disabilities who qualify for special education services under IDEA
IDEA requires a written IEP for every student found eligible for special education, outlining present levels, measurable annual goals, services, and accommodations.
Question 3: The concept of 'school accountability' in US education policy most directly means:
- Balancing school budgets each fiscal year
- Holding schools responsible for student academic outcomes through public reporting, rewards, and sanctions (Correct answer)
- Ensuring principals are accountable to school boards
- Requiring teachers to attend professional development annually
Correct answer: Holding schools responsible for student academic outcomes through public reporting, rewards, and sanctions
Accountability policies require schools to demonstrate student achievement results and face consequences—ranging from public reporting to reconstitution—when targets are not met.
Question 4: Which landmark Supreme Court case established that racially segregated public schools are unconstitutional?
- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954) (Correct answer)
- Engel v. Vitale (1962)
- Lau v. Nichols (1974)
Correct answer: Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Brown v. Board of Education unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine of Plessy.
Question 5: The Lau v. Nichols (1974) Supreme Court decision required schools to:
- Provide equal facilities for boys and girls
- Take affirmative steps to address language barriers for English Language Learner students (Correct answer)
- Eliminate ability grouping in elementary schools
- Desegregate by busing across district lines
Correct answer: Take affirmative steps to address language barriers for English Language Learner students
Lau v. Nichols held that schools receiving federal funds must provide language assistance to English Language Learners; simply providing the same instruction as English speakers was not sufficient under the Civil Rights Act.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the purpose of state education standards?
- To prescribe the exact teaching methods all teachers must use
- To define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level across subjects (Correct answer)
- To set teacher salary scales and certification requirements
- To determine how much time each day is spent on each subject
Correct answer: To define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level across subjects
State academic standards specify the knowledge and skills students are expected to master at each grade level, providing the foundation for curriculum, instruction, and assessment alignment.
FED Educational Policy and School Reform 2
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the: