FTCE Professional Education 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher is concerned that a student may have an undiagnosed learning disability. What is the APPROPRIATE first step?
- Diagnose the student and begin special education services immediately
- Refer the student directly for a full psychological evaluation
- Implement and document research-based interventions through the MTSS/RTI process (Correct answer)
- Recommend the student be placed in an ESE classroom
Correct answer: Implement and document research-based interventions through the MTSS/RTI process
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) requires documented evidence of research-based interventions before a referral for special education evaluation.
Question 2: Which type of parent-teacher communication is MOST effective for building ongoing, trusting relationships according to best practice?
- Contacting parents only when problems arise
- Sending home a weekly newsletter with only positive news
- Maintaining regular, two-way communication through multiple channels (Correct answer)
- Scheduling formal conferences twice per year as required
Correct answer: Maintaining regular, two-way communication through multiple channels
Research supports regular, proactive, and bidirectional communication as the most effective strategy for engaging families and building trust.
Question 3: A teacher uses wait time of at least 3 seconds after posing a question. The MAIN benefit of this strategy is:
- Allowing faster students to formulate more complex answers
- Increasing the quality and length of student responses (Correct answer)
- Reducing classroom disruptions during discussion
- Giving the teacher time to check the answer key
Correct answer: Increasing the quality and length of student responses
Research by Mary Budd Rowe shows that increasing wait time to 3–5 seconds leads to longer, more complex student responses and higher-order thinking.
Question 4: In Florida, the primary law governing student promotion and retention decisions in grades 3-10 is linked to:
- IDEA
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- Florida's student progression plan requirements under F.S. 1008.25 (Correct answer)
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Correct answer: Florida's student progression plan requirements under F.S. 1008.25
F.S. 1008.25 requires each district to have a student progression plan and sets standards for promotion, including reading requirements for third grade.
Question 5: A cooperative learning structure where each student is responsible for teaching a portion of the content to peers is called:
- Think-Pair-Share
- Jigsaw (Correct answer)
- Round Robin
- Numbered Heads Together
Correct answer: Jigsaw
The Jigsaw technique assigns students to become 'experts' on one piece of content and then teach it to their home group, promoting interdependence.
Question 6: Which statement BEST describes the purpose of a norm-referenced standardized test?
- To measure mastery of specific curriculum standards
- To compare a student's performance to a representative national sample (Correct answer)
- To identify specific instructional gaps for classroom teachers
- To determine eligibility for Section 504 accommodations
Correct answer: To compare a student's performance to a representative national sample
Norm-referenced tests rank student performance relative to a norming sample, yielding percentile ranks and standard scores rather than mastery levels.
Question 7: A teacher integrates technology by having students create digital presentations to demonstrate content knowledge. According to the SAMR model, this MOST likely represents which level?
- Substitution
- Augmentation
- Modification (Correct answer)
- Redefinition
Correct answer: Modification
Modification occurs when technology allows significant task redesign; creating a digital presentation redesigns how students demonstrate knowledge compared to a paper report.
FTCE Professional Education 4
A teacher is concerned that a student may have an undiagnosed learning disability.
What is the APPROPRIATE first step?