Free National Evaluation Series: Secondary Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following uses of school property would be improper?
- To create pie charts for his arithmetic students, Mrs. Walter walks to the room with the school supplies and gets a box of colored chalk.
- To assist him in creating class handouts, Mr. Hemsmith uses a school-owned laptop with publishing software installed on it.
- For his lectures, Mr. Malkov requests a laser pointer from the school secretary.
- Mr. Curry sells Girl Scout cookies for his daughter after school in his classroom. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Mr. Curry sells Girl Scout cookies for his daughter after school in his classroom.
Selling personal items or engaging in private commercial activities on school property, especially during school hours or using school resources, is generally considered an improper use. School property and resources are intended for educational purposes and activities directly related to the school's mission. The other options describe appropriate uses of school resources for teaching.
Question 2: A school's dress code has traditionally prohibited hats and other headgear. A recent enrollee in the school is an Iranian immigrant who wears religious headgear. She was permitted to wear anything on her head as an exception to the rule, but the school insisted that she not wear a head covering in other circumstances. What outcome for the learner is this most likely to have?
- The student could feel odd and singled out, creating a climate at school where differences are not accepted. (Correct answer)
- Because she is permitted to do so, the learner will feel distinct and special.
- The kid may start protesting because they believe it is unjust because other students are also not allowed to put anything on their heads.
- Since she can at least wear her headgear, the pupil won't care about this.
Correct answer: The student could feel odd and singled out, creating a climate at school where differences are not accepted.
While the school made an exception for the student's religious headgear, insisting she not wear it in other circumstances implies that her religious practice is tolerated but not fully accepted or integrated. This 'othering' can make the student feel singled out and different, potentially leading to feelings of alienation and a perception that her cultural or religious identity is not entirely embraced within the school environment. This can create a climate where differences are not fully accepted.
Question 3: Several children in Mrs. Liam's inclusion class have writing-related learning difficulties. She teaches general education. After prolonged, quiet reading, Mrs. Liam encourages her students to write in their notebooks for 15 minutes daily to evaluate their reading comprehension skills. She is worried that this timed writing assignment may frustrate the learning-impaired children. How should Mrs. Liam approach this problem?
- She should let the learning disabled students continue to read during the writing period
- Although they won't be able to fully express their ideas in writing within the allotted 15 minutes, she should instruct the learning-impaired kids to write as much as they can
- She should tell the students to start their journal entries during class, and finish them up for homework
- While the other students write, she should take the learning-disabled students to a quiet space and lead a 15-minute group reading discussion. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: While the other students write, she should take the learning-disabled students to a quiet space and lead a 15-minute group reading discussion.
This approach provides an appropriate accommodation for students with writing-related learning difficulties. Instead of a timed writing task that might cause frustration, a guided group discussion allows these students to demonstrate their reading comprehension orally. This leverages their strengths and ensures they can still meaningfully engage with and process the reading material without the barrier of writing.
Question 4: A student is suspended for three days after being continuously disruptive to your class and being brought before the principal. The principal notifies you that he wants to reinstate the kid in your style after the suspension. What are your responsibilities?
- You must not let the student back into your class if you feel uncomfortable (Correct answer)
- You should do as instructed, and allow the student back into class
- If no other instructor takes the student, you must allow the student to return to your class
- If you do not want the kid to return to your class, you must submit a petition to the board of education.
Correct answer: You must not let the student back into your class if you feel uncomfortable
A teacher has a professional responsibility to maintain a safe and effective learning environment for all students. If a student's continuous disruptive behavior makes the teacher genuinely uncomfortable or compromises the learning environment, the teacher has a right and responsibility to voice these concerns and advocate for a solution that ensures classroom functionality and safety. While direct refusal might be a last resort, the teacher's comfort and ability to teach effectively are paramount.
Question 5: What is the most effective place to start when choosing the layout of your classroom?
- Choose the best location for you to perform most of your lesson by considering the room's size and shape (Correct answer)
- To prevent pupils from being distracted by activities outside, ensure all student desks are positioned so that their backs are towards the windows
- Utilize the setup that is currently in place. Before the start of the school year, administrators spend a lot of time optimizing the floor plans of each classroom in the building
- Arrange student desks so that they all face the chalkboard
Correct answer: Choose the best location for you to perform most of your lesson by considering the room's size and shape
The teacher's primary instructional area is the central hub for delivering lessons and managing the classroom. By first determining the optimal location for teaching, considering factors like visibility, access to resources, and student engagement, the teacher can then strategically arrange other elements like student desks and learning centers around this focal point. This ensures an efficient and effective flow for instruction and classroom management.
Question 6: Which of the following claims about rubrics is accurate?
- Rubrics must include at least three but no more than five categories
- Only challenging assignments, such as oral presentations and research articles, benefit from using rubrics
- Rubrics are effective assessment tools because they provide students with more specific feedback (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Rubrics are effective assessment tools because they provide students with more specific feedback
Rubrics clearly outline the criteria for an assignment and define different levels of performance for each criterion. This transparency provides students with specific, actionable feedback on their work, helping them understand exactly where they excelled and where they need to improve. This detailed guidance is more beneficial for learning than a single grade or general comments.
Question 7: Which of the following scenarios best explains when a teacher should first contact a student's parents?
- You had to urge Bailey to stop whispering to the girl seated next to him twice during the first week of class
- Matilda failed to turn in her class project for her midterm, which accounts for 20% of her final score
- Erick's weekly German vocabulary test results were fantastic in the first few weeks of the quarter. But during the past two weeks, his grades have been progressively declining. He also appears to be more depressed than usual (Correct answer)
- Since starting the semester a few weeks ago, Lara has habitually shown up to class in revealing clothing like bikini bottoms and t-shirts with potentially obscene messages.
Correct answer: Erick's weekly German vocabulary test results were fantastic in the first few weeks of the quarter. But during the past two weeks, his grades have been progressively declining. He also appears to be more depressed than usual
A sudden and progressive decline in academic performance, especially when coupled with a noticeable change in emotional state like appearing more depressed, is a significant indicator of a potential underlying issue. This combination warrants immediate parental communication to collaboratively investigate the cause and provide necessary support for the student. The other scenarios are less severe or more directly manageable by the teacher initially.
Free National Evaluation Series: Secondary Questions and Answers
Which of the following uses of school property would be improper?