Illinois Licensure Testing System Special Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which instructional practice involves breaking a complex skill into smaller sequential steps taught one at a time?
- Scaffolding
- Task analysis (Correct answer)
- Direct instruction
- Cooperative learning
Correct answer: Task analysis
Task analysis breaks a complex skill into discrete, sequential steps so each component can be taught and assessed individually.
Question 2: Under Illinois law, who MUST be a required member of the IEP team?
- A school psychologist
- The student's general education teacher (when the student is or may be participating in general education) (Correct answer)
- A school board representative
- An occupational therapist
Correct answer: The student's general education teacher (when the student is or may be participating in general education)
IDEA and Illinois rules require at least one general education teacher to participate in the IEP team when the student is or may be in a general education setting.
Question 3: Which assistive technology device is MOST appropriate to support a nonverbal student with autism in expressing basic needs?
- Text-to-speech software
- An augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device (Correct answer)
- A smart board
- A screen magnifier
Correct answer: An augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device
An AAC device allows nonverbal or minimally verbal students to communicate using symbols, pictures, or synthesized speech.
Question 4: A student's IEP goal states: 'Given a graphic organizer, the student will write a 5-sentence paragraph with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials.' This goal is an example of which quality?
- Vague and unmeasurable
- SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) (Correct answer)
- Too broad to assess
- Process-based rather than outcome-based
Correct answer: SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
The goal includes a specific condition, measurable behavior, clear criterion (80%), and frequency (4/5 trials), meeting SMART goal criteria.
Question 5: Which transition service under IDEA is required to be included in an IEP no later than when the student turns 16?
- Behavioral intervention plan
- Individualized transition plan focused on post-secondary goals (Correct answer)
- Occupational therapy
- Speech-language therapy
Correct answer: Individualized transition plan focused on post-secondary goals
IDEA requires that IEPs include measurable post-secondary goals and transition services beginning no later than age 16.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of progress monitoring in special education?
- Determining initial eligibility for services
- Tracking student growth toward IEP goals to inform instructional decisions (Correct answer)
- Completing state-required paperwork
- Ranking students by disability severity
Correct answer: Tracking student growth toward IEP goals to inform instructional decisions
Progress monitoring provides frequent, ongoing data on student progress toward IEP goals so teachers can adjust instruction as needed.
Illinois Licensure Testing System Special Education 2
Which instructional practice involves breaking a complex skill into smaller sequential steps taught one at a time?