TExES Exam TExES Special Education 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During an FBA, a teacher observes that a student's disruptive behavior consistently occurs during independent writing tasks. What does this suggest about the behavior's function?
- Attention-seeking from peers
- Access to tangible items
- Escape or avoidance of the task (Correct answer)
- Sensory stimulation
Correct answer: Escape or avoidance of the task
When problem behavior occurs specifically during a difficult task like writing, it typically functions as escape or avoidance of that non-preferred activity.
Question 2: A student with an intellectual disability is learning to count money. Which instructional approach is MOST appropriate?
- Lecturing about coin values using abstract concepts
- Using real coins in simulated purchasing activities (Correct answer)
- Assigning worksheets with pictures of coins
- Having the student memorize coin values through rote repetition only
Correct answer: Using real coins in simulated purchasing activities
Using real coins in simulated, functional purchasing activities provides concrete, contextually relevant practice aligned with real-world application.
Question 3: Which placement option represents the LEAST restrictive environment for a student who needs intensive support but can benefit from some general education interaction?
- Residential placement
- Self-contained special education classroom with no general education contact
- Resource room with time in general education for non-academic activities (Correct answer)
- Homebound instruction
Correct answer: Resource room with time in general education for non-academic activities
IDEA requires placement in the least restrictive environment; a resource room model with some general education contact is less restrictive than fully self-contained or residential options.
Question 4: What is the PRIMARY purpose of progress monitoring in special education?
- To rank students against their peers
- To determine if instruction is effective and whether adjustments are needed (Correct answer)
- To provide grades for report cards
- To screen new students for eligibility
Correct answer: To determine if instruction is effective and whether adjustments are needed
Progress monitoring assesses whether students are responding to interventions, allowing teachers to make data-driven instructional decisions.
Question 5: A parent disagrees with the IEP team's placement decision. Which procedural safeguard allows the parent to resolve this dispute without going to court?
- Filing a complaint with the Department of Education
- Requesting mediation through the state education agency (Correct answer)
- Withdrawing the student from special education
- Contacting the school board directly
Correct answer: Requesting mediation through the state education agency
IDEA provides mediation as a voluntary, non-adversarial dispute resolution option where a trained mediator helps parties reach agreement.
Question 6: Which characteristic is MOST associated with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders?
- Consistently high academic achievement
- Difficulty maintaining interpersonal relationships over time (Correct answer)
- Exceptional artistic or musical abilities
- Strong preference for solitary activities
Correct answer: Difficulty maintaining interpersonal relationships over time
IDEA's definition of emotional disturbance includes an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
Question 7: A special educator uses task analysis to teach a student to wash hands. Which step comes FIRST in developing a task analysis?
- Baseline testing the student on the skill
- Identifying and sequencing all component steps of the skill (Correct answer)
- Collecting data on skill mastery
- Selecting reinforcers for correct steps
Correct answer: Identifying and sequencing all component steps of the skill
Task analysis begins by breaking a complex skill into its sequential component steps before any instruction or data collection begins.
TExES Exam TExES Special Education 3
During an FBA, a teacher observes that a student's disruptive behavior consistently occurs during independent writing tasks.
What does this suggest about the behavior's function?