PECT Collaboration and Family Engagement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under IDEA, when must a school provide written notice to parents before changing a child's special education placement?
- A reasonable time before the proposed change takes effect (Correct answer)
- Only after the change has been implemented
- Within 30 days after the change
- Only if the parent requests it in writing
Correct answer: A reasonable time before the proposed change takes effect
IDEA requires prior written notice a reasonable time before any proposed change in identification, evaluation, or placement.
Question 2: A teacher wants to make a family from a non-English-speaking household feel included at an IEP meeting. What is the most appropriate step?
- Provide a qualified interpreter and translated documents (Correct answer)
- Ask an older sibling to translate during the meeting
- Reschedule until the family learns English
- Summarize the meeting in writing afterward only
Correct answer: Provide a qualified interpreter and translated documents
IDEA requires schools to ensure parents understand proceedings, which means providing qualified interpreters and translated materials.
Question 3: Which practice best reflects a strengths-based approach when communicating with families?
- Opening conversations with what the child does well (Correct answer)
- Listing all deficits before discussing goals
- Comparing the child to typically developing peers
- Focusing only on behavior problems
Correct answer: Opening conversations with what the child does well
A strengths-based approach begins by acknowledging the child's abilities and assets before addressing needs.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of co-teaching in an inclusive classroom?
- To share instructional responsibility for all students (Correct answer)
- To allow one teacher to grade while the other teaches
- To separate students with disabilities from peers
- To reduce the special educator's workload only
Correct answer: To share instructional responsibility for all students
Co-teaching pairs general and special educators who jointly plan and deliver instruction to all students.
Question 5: A parent disagrees with the IEP team's evaluation results. Which option are they entitled to under IDEA?
- An independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense (Correct answer)
- Automatic removal of the child from special education
- A new teacher for their child
- Immediate placement in a private school
Correct answer: An independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense
Parents who disagree with a school's evaluation may request an IEE at public expense.
Question 6: Which co-teaching model has one teacher leading instruction while the other circulates to support students?
- One teach, one assist (Correct answer)
- Station teaching
- Parallel teaching
- Alternative teaching
Correct answer: One teach, one assist
In one teach, one assist, one educator leads while the other moves through the room providing support.
Question 7: What is a key benefit of consistent home-school communication logs?
- They provide a shared record that supports continuity between settings (Correct answer)
- They replace the need for IEP meetings
- They eliminate the need for progress reports
- They serve as legal evidence of compliance only
Correct answer: They provide a shared record that supports continuity between settings
Communication logs create an ongoing shared record that helps coordinate support across home and school.
PECT Collaboration and Family Engagement 2
Under IDEA, when must a school provide written notice to parents before changing a child's special education placement?