PECT Inclusive Education and Diverse Learners 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Section 504 plan differs from an IEP primarily in that a 504 plan:
- Requires a multidisciplinary team evaluation
- Provides accommodations without specialized instruction or special education services (Correct answer)
- Is only available to students with physical disabilities
- Must be updated annually by federal law
Correct answer: Provides accommodations without specialized instruction or special education services
A 504 plan provides accommodations and modifications within the general education setting but does not include specialized instruction or the full protections of IDEA.
Question 2: Which assistive technology tool would BEST support a PreK-4 student with fine motor difficulties during writing activities?
- Audio books for independent reading
- Adaptive pencil grips or voice-to-text software (Correct answer)
- Large-print texts for visual accessibility
- Noise-canceling headphones for auditory sensitivity
Correct answer: Adaptive pencil grips or voice-to-text software
Adaptive pencil grips reduce the physical demand of holding a pencil, and voice-to-text software allows the student to produce written work without fine motor strain.
Question 3: In a co-teaching model where one teacher delivers instruction while the other circulates to assist students, this is called:
- Team teaching
- Parallel teaching
- One teach, one support (Correct answer)
- Station teaching
Correct answer: One teach, one support
In the 'one teach, one support' model, one teacher leads whole-class instruction while the other provides immediate support and monitoring for individual students.
Question 4: Early identification of a potential learning disability in a PreK-4 setting is BEST supported by:
- Waiting until third grade when formal academic demands increase
- Observing, documenting, and sharing specific behavioral and academic patterns with the child study team (Correct answer)
- Informing parents that their child is 'slow' and may need retention
- Providing extra homework to remediate skill gaps independently
Correct answer: Observing, documenting, and sharing specific behavioral and academic patterns with the child study team
Systematic observation and documentation shared with the child study team enables early intervention, which research shows significantly improves outcomes.
Question 5: A PreK-4 student who is identified as gifted in a general education classroom is BEST served by:
- Assigning the student to help struggling peers as a primary enrichment strategy
- Curriculum compacting and extension activities that deepen and broaden learning (Correct answer)
- Repeating the same grade-level content at a faster pace
- Isolating the student with independent seatwork
Correct answer: Curriculum compacting and extension activities that deepen and broaden learning
Curriculum compacting removes mastered content and replaces it with enrichment or acceleration, meeting gifted learners' needs without simply speeding through grade-level material.
Question 6: When supporting a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a PreK-4 classroom, which environmental modification is MOST beneficial?
- Increasing spontaneous schedule changes to build flexibility
- Providing a predictable daily routine with visual schedules (Correct answer)
- Limiting peer interaction to reduce social anxiety
- Using only verbal instructions to build language skills
Correct answer: Providing a predictable daily routine with visual schedules
Predictable routines and visual schedules reduce anxiety and support understanding for many students with ASD by making the environment more structured and comprehensible.
Question 7: The primary purpose of a prereferral intervention process before a special education evaluation is to:
- Delay the evaluation to save district resources
- Ensure targeted support has been tried and documented before formal assessment (Correct answer)
- Determine if the child's parents will consent to services
- Assess whether the teacher's instruction is adequate
Correct answer: Ensure targeted support has been tried and documented before formal assessment
The prereferral process ensures evidence-based interventions have been implemented and documented, ruling out instructional factors before initiating a formal special education evaluation.
PECT Inclusive Education and Diverse Learners 2
A Section 504 plan differs from an IEP primarily in that a 504 plan: