FED Educational Policy and School Reform 3

Question 1

Magnet schools in the US public school system are best described as:

Accepted Answer

Public schools with specialized programs or themes designed to attract students from across district boundaries

Answer

Magnet schools offer specialized curricula (e.g., STEM, arts, dual language) to attract diverse student populations voluntarily, originally developed as a tool to promote desegregation.

Question 2

The role of the US Department of Education (USDE) in public K-12 education is primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Provide federal funding, set civil rights enforcement, and collect national education data, while leaving most governance to states

Answer

Education in the US is constitutionally a state responsibility; the USDE provides federal financial support, enforces civil rights laws, and collects national data but does not run schools directly.

Question 3

Response to Intervention (RTI), now called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), is a framework designed to:

Accepted Answer

Provide layered academic and behavioral support to all students, with increasing intensity for those who struggle

Answer

RTI/MTSS uses universal screening, evidence-based instruction at multiple tiers of intensity, and progress monitoring to identify and support struggling students early before they are referred for special education.

Question 4

High-stakes testing in education refers to tests whose results are used to make:

Accepted Answer

Significant decisions such as grade promotion, graduation, school ratings, or teacher evaluation

Answer

High-stakes tests carry significant consequences for students, teachers, and schools, including grade retention, diploma denial, school sanctions, or teacher pay—raising questions about validity, equity, and test preparation.

Question 5

Which federal legislation, originally passed in 1965, is the primary source of federal funding for disadvantaged K-12 students in the US?

Accepted Answer

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Answer

The ESEA, signed by President Johnson as part of the Great Society, established the framework for federal K-12 investment and has been reauthorized multiple times (as NCLB in 2002 and ESSA in 2015).

FED - Foundations of Education Practice Test

FED - Foundations of Education Practice Test

FED Educational Policy and School Reform 3