OSAT OSAT Professional Knowledge and Roles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which professional organization sets ethical standards for Oklahoma special education teachers holding the OSAT certification?
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (Correct answer)
- National Education Association (NEA)
- American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Correct answer: Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
The CEC establishes ethical principles and professional standards specifically for special education professionals.
Question 2: A special education teacher suspects a student has an undiagnosed learning disability. What is the most appropriate first step?
- Immediately place the student in a resource room
- Request a multidisciplinary evaluation through proper channels
- Begin informal interventions and document observations (Correct answer)
- Notify parents that the student has a learning disability
Correct answer: Begin informal interventions and document observations
Before requesting a formal evaluation, teachers should first implement and document informal interventions and observations to support the referral.
Question 3: Under IDEA, what is the maximum number of school days allowed to complete an initial special education evaluation once parental consent is obtained in most states?
- 30 days
- 45 days
- 60 days (Correct answer)
- 90 days
Correct answer: 60 days
IDEA requires that initial evaluations be completed within 60 days of receiving parental consent, though states may set shorter timelines.
Question 4: Which role is primarily responsible for facilitating the IEP meeting and ensuring all required participants are present?
- The school psychologist
- The special education teacher
- A representative of the local education agency (LEA) (Correct answer)
- The student's parent or guardian
Correct answer: A representative of the local education agency (LEA)
An LEA representative who is qualified to supervise or provide special education and is knowledgeable about resources must chair the IEP team meeting.
Question 5: A paraprofessional in a special education classroom notices a student behaving in a potentially self-harmful way. What should the paraprofessional do first?
- Immediately call the student's parents
- Ensure student safety and promptly inform the supervising teacher (Correct answer)
- Document the behavior and address it at the next IEP meeting
- Send the student to the school counselor independently
Correct answer: Ensure student safety and promptly inform the supervising teacher
Paraprofessionals must prioritize student safety and immediately report concerns to their supervising certified teacher.
Question 6: Which principle requires that students with disabilities receive education in the setting most like general education that meets their needs?
- Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
- Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Correct answer)
- Zero Reject
- Procedural Safeguards
Correct answer: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
LRE mandates that students with disabilities be educated alongside non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
Question 7: When collaborating with general education teachers, a special education teacher's primary role is to:
- Take sole responsibility for the student's academic progress
- Serve as a consultant and co-teacher to support inclusive practices (Correct answer)
- Reduce the general education teacher's workload by pulling students out
- Evaluate the general education teacher's instructional methods
Correct answer: Serve as a consultant and co-teacher to support inclusive practices
Special education teachers collaborate with general educators through consultation and co-teaching to support students with disabilities in inclusive settings.
OSAT OSAT Professional Knowledge and Roles 2
Which professional organization sets ethical standards for Oklahoma special education teachers holding the OSAT certification?