MDE Special Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under IDEA, what is the maximum number of school days within which an initial IEP must be developed after a student is found eligible for special education?
- 10 days
- 20 days
- 30 days (Correct answer)
- 60 days
Correct answer: 30 days
IDEA requires an IEP to be developed within 30 calendar days after a child is determined eligible for special education.
Question 2: A Minnesota student with a learning disability struggles with written expression. Which IEP component directly addresses how progress toward written expression goals will be measured?
- Present levels of academic achievement
- Measurable annual goals with progress monitoring methods (Correct answer)
- Transition services plan
- Extended school year determination
Correct answer: Measurable annual goals with progress monitoring methods
Measurable annual goals must include the method and schedule by which progress will be measured and reported.
Question 3: Which federal law was reauthorized in 2004 and aligned special education eligibility and discipline procedures more closely with No Child Left Behind?
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Correct answer)
- Every Student Succeeds Act
Correct answer: Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) aligned IDEA with NCLB and updated discipline and eligibility standards.
Question 4: A Minnesota IEP team is determining whether a student with autism requires extended school year (ESY) services. What is the primary criterion for this decision?
- The student's GPA falls below 2.0
- Regression of critical skills during breaks and insufficient recoupment time (Correct answer)
- Parent requests ESY in writing
- The disability category automatically qualifies the student
Correct answer: Regression of critical skills during breaks and insufficient recoupment time
ESY eligibility is based on whether the student would experience significant skill regression during breaks and cannot recoup those skills in a reasonable time.
Question 5: In Minnesota, who has the legal right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense?
- The classroom teacher
- The school principal
- The parents/guardians of the student (Correct answer)
- The district special education director
Correct answer: The parents/guardians of the student
Under IDEA and Minnesota rules, parents have the right to request an IEE at public expense if they disagree with the district's evaluation.
Question 6: A student with emotional/behavioral disorder frequently disrupts class. The IEP team adds a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP). What must precede development of a BIP?
- A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) (Correct answer)
- A psychiatric evaluation
- Completion of at least one disciplinary removal
- Parent agreement to medication management
Correct answer: A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
A Functional Behavioral Assessment identifies the function of the behavior, which is required before developing an effective BIP.
Question 7: Which placement option reflects the least restrictive environment for a student with a mild intellectual disability who needs support primarily in reading and math?
- Full-time special education classroom with no general education contact
- Residential facility placement
- General education classroom with pull-out resource support for reading and math (Correct answer)
- Hospital or home instruction only
Correct answer: General education classroom with pull-out resource support for reading and math
LRE requires educating students with disabilities alongside non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, using supplementary aids and services.
MDE Special Education 2
Under IDEA, what is the maximum number of school days within which an initial IEP must be developed after a student is found eligible for special education?