OSAT OSAT Mild-Moderate Disabilities 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A special educator wants to use progress monitoring to determine if a reading intervention is effective. Which tool is MOST appropriate for this purpose?
- State standardized achievement test
- Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) oral reading fluency probes (Correct answer)
- Informal classroom observation checklist
- Norm-referenced intelligence test
Correct answer: Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) oral reading fluency probes
CBM oral reading fluency probes are brief, reliable, and sensitive to short-term growth, making them ideal for frequent progress monitoring.
Question 2: Which statement BEST describes the difference between a Section 504 plan and an IEP?
- A 504 plan provides specialized instruction; an IEP provides accommodations only
- An IEP is governed by IDEA and includes specialized instruction; a 504 plan under the Rehabilitation Act provides accommodations without special education services (Correct answer)
- Both are identical in legal authority and required services
- A 504 plan requires a multidisciplinary team; an IEP does not
Correct answer: An IEP is governed by IDEA and includes specialized instruction; a 504 plan under the Rehabilitation Act provides accommodations without special education services
IEPs under IDEA provide specialized instruction and related services, while 504 plans under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ensure access through accommodations without requiring special education eligibility.
Question 3: A student with a learning disability reads grade-level text with poor fluency. What does research indicate is the MOST effective fluency-building strategy?
- Round-robin oral reading in a group
- Repeated reading with corrective feedback and charted progress (Correct answer)
- Silent reading for 30 minutes daily without accountability
- Listening to audiobooks only
Correct answer: Repeated reading with corrective feedback and charted progress
Repeated reading with corrective feedback is strongly evidence-based for improving reading fluency by increasing automaticity through multiple exposures and immediate error correction.
Question 4: A teacher is applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Which action BEST reflects the 'multiple means of action and expression' guideline?
- Presenting content through both video and text
- Allowing students to demonstrate knowledge via written, oral, or visual formats (Correct answer)
- Offering choice in which topics students study
- Providing a word bank on all vocabulary quizzes
Correct answer: Allowing students to demonstrate knowledge via written, oral, or visual formats
Multiple means of action and expression means giving students varied options for how they demonstrate their learning, such as writing, speaking, drawing, or building.
Question 5: Which behavior management strategy is MOST consistent with positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) at the Tier 1 level?
- Individualized behavior contracts for every student
- Clear school-wide expectations taught, modeled, and reinforced for all students (Correct answer)
- Zero-tolerance discipline policies applied consistently
- Referral to a behavioral specialist for all rule violations
Correct answer: Clear school-wide expectations taught, modeled, and reinforced for all students
Tier 1 PBIS focuses on proactively teaching and reinforcing positive behavioral expectations for all students across the entire school.
Question 6: A student with mild intellectual disability participates in general education science with support. Which principle guides the decision to educate students in the least restrictive environment (LRE)?
- Students should only attend general education when they perform at grade level
- Students must be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate (Correct answer)
- LRE is determined solely by the student's disability category
- General education placement is required regardless of individual needs
Correct answer: Students must be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate
IDEA's LRE mandate requires that students with disabilities be educated alongside nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate given their individual needs.
Question 7: A special educator is collaborating with a speech-language pathologist to support a student with language-based learning disabilities. What is the MOST effective collaboration approach?
- The SLP pulls the student out exclusively for isolated skill work
- Both professionals co-plan instruction linking language skills directly to curriculum content (Correct answer)
- The teacher delivers all instruction and the SLP reviews goals at the annual IEP meeting
- The SLP provides a written report for the teacher to implement independently
Correct answer: Both professionals co-plan instruction linking language skills directly to curriculum content
Collaborative co-planning that connects language intervention to curriculum content is most effective because it promotes generalization of skills in meaningful contexts.
A special educator wants to use progress monitoring to determine if a reading intervention is effective.
Which tool is MOST appropriate for this purpose?