PPR Exam Practice Test 1
Use the information below to answer questions 1 to 5
A grade 6 history teacher is beginning a unit on native American history; each group will identify a specific tribe on which to concentrate. The unit will integrate a variety of instructional approaches, including Internet research and a culminating presentation. The teacher wants to use this unit to help develop students' independence as learners and to engage in learning activities that promote high levels of understanding of the history content.
Use the information below to answer questions 57 and 58.
A grade 9 teacher has assigned a short collaboration lesson on pollution problems in the school. After a whole-class discussion during which students identify tangible pollution problems in the school, they work in heterogeneous groups to identify possible solutions.
3. Which of the following delivery methods best describes the teachers approach in teaching the native American history and culture unit? A. Direct instruction B. Role-playing and simulation C. Lecture, whole class, and group discussion D. Inquiry and problem-solving
D.
12. Which of the following scenarios best represents an individual teachers responsibilities in adhering to procedures for administering state mandated exams? A. The teacher needs to follow all rules and regulations prior to the exam date, such as administering benchmarks, going over practice materials, and preparing the classroom area as designated by state and district policies B. Because TEKS are reflected in the readiness standards, the teacher should proceed with the scheduled curriculum and lesson plans C. The teacher should conduct Internet searches for materials relevant to come in for state standards and integrate these materials into exam preparation D. The teacher should make sure students understand that their grades will be impacted by the performance on the state mandated exam
A.
15. A grade 9 teacher who's ELL students are not meeting satisfactory standards on the campus benchmarks is concerned that these low achievement levels will have a negative impact on the students persistence in developing higher levels of English proficiency. The teachers concern demonstrates awareness of: A. The connection between the belief that success as possible and the motivation to learn B. The difficulty of promoting English proficiency in students who lack basic language abilities C. The lack of correlation between ELPS and day to day classroom activities D. The reality that ELL's need long-term bilingual education in order to sustain academic progress
A.
17. A 3rd grade class includes a large number of ELL students, many of whom are reading significantly below grade level. The teacher is compiling a class library to use during sustained silent reading and free reading times. Additionally, she wants to ensure that the books support ELL students contact area knowledge as well as basic English proficiency. Which of the following considerations for the teacher keep in mind in selecting books for the library? A. The book should have reading levels that match the ranges of students reading levels in the classroom B. Because they will be used for reading beyond curricular requirements, the book should be at challenging reading levels C. The book should focus on unit topics that the teacher is covering in science and social studies D. The book should include books in the students L1 to make sure that even the low level readers are able to enjoy their discretionary reading periods
A.
20. A teacher creates a World holidays and celebrations calendar in her grade 3 class. Each month she picks one holiday, and the children prepare decorations, learn songs, read stories, and learn the history of the culture or national significance of a holiday. This activity primarily addresses which of the following instructional goals? A. To promote students appreciation of cultural and national diversity B. To address community-based efforts to make the curriculum more culturally diverse C. To provide Content area instruction in a variety of delivery methods D. To help students connect school discussion of culture to their own families experiences
A.
23. Mr. Pruitt recognizes the problems with Marcus as an opportunity to clarify expectations about the role of homework and overall class achievement. Mr. Pruitt planned a whole class and small group discussion starting with open ended questions about what homework is for moving into student generated questions and answers about how teachers can make homework a better learning experience. This activity primarily targets which of the following principles of responsive instruction? A. Using skilled questioning in class discussion strategies to promote inquiry B. Providing an opportunity for students to see real world applications of course contact C. Convincing students that all components of instruction are vital to success D. Giving students a chance to voice objections to a traditional aspect of the learning environment
A.
28. At the beginning of each class, Miss Elliot takes about five minutes to respond to comments and questions from the previous days daily learning log sheets, inviting students to comment more fully on what they wrote and to assure students that she reads the logs each day. By integrating this daily activity into each lesson, the teacher is A. Using interpersonal communication skills to support students' individual and collective response to each lesson B. Promoting students' active listening skills C. Encouraging students to be more specific in their daily learning log responses D. Using students as question from the daily learning log as indicators that they are not paying attention
A.
31. A grade 11 teacher plans a thematic unit on the Vietnam War. The unit will be anchored on Tim Obrien's book, "The things they carried" but will also include music from the war years, analysis of contemporary news coverage of the war, consideration of attitudes about the war, and a panel of Vietnam veterans from the community. The unit most effectively demonstrates which of the following features of well thematic approaches? A. Integration of different disciplines to enable students to consider a topic from varied perspectives. B. Exploration a historical topic in a contemporary setting. C. Comparison of fictional and historical accounts of an event. D. Structuring a lesson on a topic that students will find relevant on their own lives.
A.
34. A middle-school teacher has assigned a field research project in her social studies class. Students have designed a five-term interview on the topic of homework and are supposed to interview two students each. The interview includes two Likert scale questions and open-ended questions. Which of the following technology applications would best enable students to record, synthesize, and analyze their results? A. Creating a spreadsheet to quantify the interview results and regroup results according to categories. B. Using word processing to transcribe interview results from the students' field research notes. C. Videotaping student groups as they work to compile the results of the interviews. D. Creating a class blog in which students comment on what they learned in doing the interviews.
A.
37. Teacher appraisal in mandated by which of the following? A. The Texas Education Code B. The Texas Education Agency C. The No Child Left Behind Act D. The National Education Association
A.
4. The teacher gives students the following guidelines about preparing the final presentation of their native American history and culture research: The project should be multi media projects incorporating visuals, appropriate music, and text. Group members should work cooperatively to make sure each individual contribute meaningfully and equitably to the team product. I will work with each group to help you assign production tasks to each member. We will have two days in the computer lab to produce your projects once you compile your research. this culminating activity primarily addresses which of the following instructional goals? A. To integrate technology to help students synthesize knowledge and publish the results of their research B. To teach students how to work productively in groups C. To address higher levels of blooms taxonomy D. To create a learner centered project that maintains students' motivation
A.
41. A classroom with desks arranged in rows and the teacher's desk at the front is the typical configuration of classroom space. Frequently, however, teachers rearrange the rows into clusters of desks where students face each other. This configuration of classroom space is primarily intended to impact classroom climate in which of the following ways: A. TO create a classroom space that emphasizes collaboration and facilitates opportunities for learning in a variety of delivery contexts. B. To create a room arrangement that gives the teacher a clear view of every student in the room to facilitate monitoring of students' learning needs. C. TO create a classroom space that replaces the teachers' authority with a democratic environment that promotes learners' autonomy. D. To create a classroom space that enables the teacher to group students on the basis of academic abilities.
A.
45. Quite a few students have older family members who have first-hand stories of the county's history. When the students make their initial presentations. Ms. Rosas deiced to integrate another activity into the county history unit: working with the students, she puts together a panel of family members who can talk about important country events. In creating the panel on the basis of student response to the project, Ms. Rosas primarily exemplifies which of the following principles of effective, responsive instruction? A. Recognition of an unanticipated learning opportunity. B. Integrating a variety of delivery methods into the unit. C. Relying on students' funds of knowledge to enrich students' classroom activities. D. Promoting students' motivation to see a school project as a meaningful event.
A.
47. Ms. Rosas wants to make sure students are prepared to be active participants on the day the panelists visit the class. Which of the following strategies offers the best approach to preparing students to be actively engaged during the panel presentation? A. Having a mock panel several days before the real panel to promote students' understanding of active listening and questioning skills. B. Brainstorming questions that students can ask the panelists. C. Having students watch a video of a panel discussion and then asking students to discuss what they think happens during a panel discussion. D. Asking students whose family members are on the panel to create biographical sketches of those family members to share with the class.
A.
51. A grade 3 teacher is having his students study missions in Texas. Working in groups at the computer stations in the classroom, they are supposed to produce a multimedia presentation that incorporates visuals and text using software available on the school computers. The teacher distributes a rubric that includes categories for research effort, writing quality, visual creativity, and general presentation. Each category has a box that can be checked. Which additional teacher action would most effectively provide formative assessment as students work on their projects? A. The teacher helps each group determine which areas of the rubric they need to address. B. The teacher takes all the projects home each day and gives each group detailed feedback on what they are doing right and wrong. C. The teacher works in a peer assessment day so that the groups can give each other feedback on their projects. D. The teacher asks students to fill out a pluses and minuses chart at the end of each group work session to determine how the groups feel about the progress they are making.
A.
55. Which of the following descriptions best explains teachers' cross-curricular responsibilities in helping ELLs meet academic expectations? A. Instruction for ELLs must be linguistically accommodated commensurate with the student's current English language proficiency. B. Instruction for ELLs must be delivered through a pull-out model that focuses on language enrichment. C. Content-area instruction for ELLs must be delivered in the students' L1 D. Content-area teachers with ELL students in their classes team-teach with ESL teachers to ensure that all students' language needs are effectively addressed.
A.
60. Scaffolding is considered a best practice in working with ELLs. Which of the following descriptions best explains how scaffolding promotes learning? A. Scaffolding offers temporary support, for example, through visuals, realia, simplified instructions, or examples, to provide the guidance learners need to move toward independence. B. Scaffolding provides instruction that is slightly below the learner's current proficiency level and thus promotes feelings of accomplishment when the learner successfully completes the task. C. Scaffolding offers side-by-side materials in L1 and L2 to help the learner move at his or her own pace through challenging material. D. Scaffolding pairs ELLs with native speakers in all class situations to ensure that the ELLs always are able to participate fully and meaningfully in class activities.
A.
61. It is the beginning of the school year, and a grade 5 teacher wants to establish productive communication with families. Which of the following contact efforts would most effectively initiate effective communication with parents and other caregivers? A. Writing a letter in which the teacher introduces herself, says a bit about her background, tells parents basic classroom expectations, and invites parents to visit the classroom. B. Having students compose individual letters in which they tell their parents what they have done in the first few days of class. C. Creating a checklist of class policies and sending a copy home with each student for parents to sign and return. D. Calling each family and telling them the basic classroom expectations.
A.
68. The weekly quiz average in a grade 11 science class is just above passing. The teacher has tried several strategies to help students better understand new content: mini lessons to focus on discrete topics, examples and demonstrations, hands-on work. HE wants to motivate the students to try harder, so he offers a five-point bonus if a student's score on each new quiz is higher than on the previous quiz. This strategy primarily addresses which of the following means of engaging students in the learning process? A. Positive reinforcement to promote motivation B. Internal motivation C. Self-directed learning D. The zone of proximal development
A.
72. A class of first-graders is writing stories based on the format of mentor texts that the teacher has been reading orally and discussing during whole class and small group sessions. The students are completing their story projects in a computer lab using a special software package that allows integration of graphics and animation. Which of the following considerations should be the teacher's primary criterion in designing an evaluation rubric for this project? A. The Technology Application TEKS for this grade level B. Students' prior experience with technology C. Students' home access to technology D. Students' writing proficiency
A.
78. A grade 6 teacher plans a career awareness unit. She sends invitations to all the parents to volunteer to come and talk to the class about their careers and/or work and to answer student questions. Ten parents volunteer, and the teacher schedules two to four parents over several days of the unit. Which of the following explanations primarily addresses the way this activity reflects the teacher's professional responsibilities? A. The teacher is actively engaging families in the children's educational experiences. B. The teacher is establishing a foundation for recruiting parent volunteers for field trips, class projects, and other class events. C. The teacher will be able to use the level of parent response as a baseline measure of parents' general interest in their children's education. D. The teacher is creating an opportunity to meet the students' families.
A.
80. Ms. Kresmer creates several sample prompts modeled on the state writing exam and she explains the rubric in detail. She assigns the first prompt and has short writing conferences with each student to talk about how their drafts address the descriptors in the rubric and to suggest improvements as they proceed to the final version of the essay. Ms. Kresmer is using which of the following approaches to feedback? A. Formative feedback B. Summative feedback C. Guided Practice D. Writing-on-demand
A.
81. Ms. Kresmer's conferencing and feedback approach to teaching the writing process reflects which of the following principles for effective, responsive instruction and assessment? A. Creating a climate of trust and encouraging a positive attitude toward writing. B. Using an efficient process for scoring student writing assignments. C. Showing students how to edit carefully in order to earn a high score on the writing exam. D. Reminding students of the importance of planning in producing an effective writing response.
A.
83. A grade 7 science teacher starts each class by having students complete a short independent assignment that involves responding to an open-ended questions based on the previous day's lesson. While the students write their responses, the teacher takes attendance by checking off students' names on a seating chart. This approach to taking attendance primarily addresses which of the following principles of effective classroom organization? A. Coordinating noninstructional duties with instructional activities. B. Using a short introductory activity to pull students into the day's lesson. C. Giving students time to settle down before starting the serious components of the lesson. D. Using a short assessment strategy to check on the student's comprehension of the previous lesson.
A.
88. A high-school history teacher introduces a lesson on slavery in America by having students read several Civil War-era documents presenting slave owners' defense of slavery and abolitionist arguments against slavery. The teacher guides students in exploring the arguments posed by both sides. This strategy primarily reflects which of the following principles of effective instructional design? A. Lessons should be devised so as to prompt students to explore ideas from multiple perspectives. B. Lessons should include material beyond the textbook to ensure that topics are covered thoroughly. C. Lessons should focus on controversial topics in order to fully engage students in content-area subject matter. D. Lessons should streamline new knowledge by focusing students' attention on limited views of controversial topics.
A.
14. In working with main stream to ELL students, which of the following strategies would enable a great three teacher to adapt lessons to promote higher levels of English proficiency as described by ELPS? A. The teacher schedules a meeting with an ESL teacher to ask for handouts and worksheets in basic areas of grammar B. The teacher uses formal and informal assessments to determine ELL students competency based on their performance and to adjust instruction to meet students' instructional needs C. The teacher schedules a parent teacher conference to give parents guidelines for integrating English into the home environment D. The teacher asked the ELL students to stay in during lunch and recess for tutoring and for directing problems and homework and class assignments
B.
19. A Grade 6 class has just completed a reading circles project based on books for each group self-selected with some guidance from the teacher. In preparation for parents night, the teacher asked students to pick a book from the reading circle projects that they would like to share with their family. On parents night, the teacher talks to parents about trying to start a family reading time, about helping their children keep at home reading logs, and about reinforcing at home Reading efforts with minor rewards the teachers activities address which of the following areas of teaching responsibilities? A. Promoting community literacy B. Engaging families in their children's educational experiences C. Encouraging families to create at home libraries D. Facilitating parents participation in homework assignments
B.
2. After all the groups present their questions, the teacher compiles a master list of all the questions. Which of the following strategies is most likely to promote students motivation as they work on the project? A. The teacher distributes the questions evenly among all the groups so that all the questions are covered B. The teacher allows each group to select questions they want to explore C. The teacher selects five questions and assigns them to all the groups so that everyone is equitably addressing the same topics D. The teacher scratches out questions that seem to easy or are repetitive and creates new questions for the groups to consider
B.
24. This K to middle school collaboration primarily exemplifies which of the following educator professional responsibilities? A. Using outside resources to address student learning problems B. Maintaining cooperative relationships with colleagues to support students' learning C. Devising entertaining ways for students to complete difficult tasks D. Fulfilling requirements of the state teacher appraisal system by participating in horizontal Teaming
B.
25. Pairing middle school struggling readers with emergent readers will primarily promote both sets of students' engagement with reading in which of the following ways? A. Students will be reading simple texts that are easy for both the middle schoolers and kindergartners to understand B. Students will recognize that reading as a social activity that involves interaction between the reader and the text and among readers as they respond to the text C. Both sets of students will develop metacognitive reading strategies as they decode the texts D. Students will boost their reading levels by reading below grade level text. Kindergartners will learn new vocabulary by listening to middle school students explain unfamiliar words in the story books.
B.
29. Miss Elliot wants to integrate authentic assessment into her daily learning log activity and to offer timely feedback. Which of the following uses of the daily learning log responses would best enable the teacher to meet her instructional goal? A. Creating pop quizzes based on the students comments from the previous days learning log B. Using the students's comments to respond flexibly and adjust instruction to promote students understanding of class content C. Integrating a short response question based on the lesson into each daily learning log D. Using a Likert scale that allow students to write their daily learning experience from one (didn't learn anything today) to five (learned a lot today)
B.
33. A grade 10 teacher, English teacher recognizes that group work promotes students' ability to expand their perspectives on a topic. However the students tend to stray off-task and start chatting and eventually do not complete the assigned group task. Which of the following strategies would best promote the teacher's goal to use group work to create a productive learning environment? A. Using a fishbowl demonstration to remind students of how to work together cooperatively. B. Creating a time limit for each component of the group task and using a timer to help students stay on-task. C. Stopping the group work each time students are clearly off-task and reviewing the goals for the group activity. D. Basing the group grade on the students' ability to stay on-task.
B.
36. Which of the following descriptions best explains the significance of TEKS in determining instructional goals and objectives? A. TEKS mandate content for core courses in Texas public schools. B. TEKS are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. C. TEKS identify recommended instructional delivery methods designed to promote students' achievement in basic content areas. D. TEKS provide templates for daily lessons, six weeks units, and semester syllabi to ensure consistency in delivery of instruction throughout the state.
B.
38. A grade 2 teacher wants to help her students learn to function effectively in groups. Which of the following group activities is most developmentally appropriate for promoting these young students' ability to collaborate with others? A. Giving each group a box of crayons, one pair of scissors, one tube of glue, one sheet of construction paper, a few craft sticks, and other craft materials and telling students they need to share these materials to create individual products. B. Giving each group a group task to complete and designating a specific task, such as gluing, coloring, cutting, folding, displaying, etc., to each group member. C. Giving each group a single set of crayons and timing each students' turn in using a particular color. D. Giving each group a piece of construction paper and having the group complete this sentence to create a class collaboration chart: "A good group member is ___________"
B.
39. A high-school math teacher has assigned individual research projects on important figures in mathematics. The teacher is requiring that all research be conducted using electronic sources. Which of the following guidelines should the teacher use to help students learn how to evaluate electronic sources for accuracy and validity? A. If you find information on the Internet, you automatically known that it is correct and up-to-date. B. A website should be sponsored by a legitimate organization or individual with relevant credentials and should have a date of last update. C. Limit your research sources to generic websites that permit user-created updates. D. If a website has a high number of hits, it is very likely a good source of reliable information.
B.
42. On the day Ms. Rosas launches the unit, she has students work in groups to answer these questions: - What are some basic facts about our county? - What are some anecdotes or historical tales associated with our county? Students are supposed to complete question 1 doing computer research in class but are supposed to do community fieldwork to find answers to question 2. This introductory assignment primarily demonstrates which of the following strategies for promoting student learning? A. Activating prior knowledge. B. Promoting development of students' research skills. C. Connecting history to current events. D. Integrating computer skills into content-area lessons.
B.
48. Prior to the visit to the county historical museum, Ms. Rosas meets with the curator to share copies of the students' presentations and to summarize the stories the panelists told. A few days before the field trip, Ms. Rosas explains what a museum curator does and tells the students that the curator will have information that they did not uncover during their research. Which of the following additional instructional strategies will most effectively prepare the students to be active participants during the curator's talk? A. The teacher has students do Internet research on the roles and responsibilities of museum curators. B. The teacher has students work in groups to create questions they want to ask the curator. C. The teacher schedules a class visit to the school library to have students find more information on county history. D. The teacher quizzes the students on the information the class as a whole has compiled thus far in this research project.
B.
53. In a grade 2 class, which of the following measures would most effectively convey expectations for behavior and procedures for walking down school hallways? A. The teacher tells the students that the principal expects them to be quiet because other students are trying to learn. B. The teacher tells students in clear, simple terms what is expected, models the desired behavior, and gives students the opportunity to practice the behavior. C. The teacher has students make behavior posters using original artwork showing examples of students observing and violating the procedures. D. The teacher watches the students passing through the halls and corrects their behavior.
B.
56. A middle-school teacher keeps a birthday calendar prominently displayed in the classroom. When a student has a birthday, the teacher gives the birthday child a hand-decorated paper bag that includes a "happy birthday" pencil, miscellaneous school supplies, and a candy bar, and the students gets to wear a "star of the day" ribbon. The teacher's actions primarily support which of the following instructional goals? A. Making sure that students see connections between home and school. B. Creating a nurturing, inclusive classroom environment that addresses students' emotional needs. C. Ensuring that students see the classroom as a place where they can have fun. D. Promoting intrinsic motivation so that students will work diligently on class-content.
B.
59. A grade 3 teacher wants to develop student's motivation to read independently. The teacher creates a list of grade-appropriate books from which students select what they want to read during free reading time. Which of the following additional strategies would most effectively promote the students' desire to set and complete reading goals? A. Each time a student completes a book, the teacher puts a book decal on the student's in-class work chart on the wall. B. The teacher brings three games and toys she knows the students like. She creates a competition with first, second, and third prizes base on the number of books that the students read in the six-week period. C. Each time a student completes a book, he/she gets to pick a prize out of the surprise box. D. The teacher promises the class a pizza party if collectively the class reads 100 books in the six-week period.
B.
6. On the first day of class, a high school teacher begins the class by asking students to do this activity: put your chairs together into groups of four. Take five minutes to introduce each other by completing this sentence: "hi, my name is _________; five years from now, I would like to be __________." Be ready to introduce one of your group members to the whole class. this activity primarily addresses which of the following instructional goals? A. It demonstrates that the teacher values oral language in this class B. It begins to create a nurturing, inclusive classroom community C. It focuses students attention on career choices D. It introduces the students to a collaborative class environment
B.
65. Which of the following assessment strategies would most effectively address Ms. McRae's unit goal? A. An exam that includes short answers and objective items based on the presentations. B. An essay in which each student reflects on what he or she has learned about U.S. history from the project and listening to classmates' reports. C. A multiple-choice exam that focuses on dates, names, and achievements associated with the presidents. D. A panel in which student panelists present arguments about the most historically influential presidents.
B.
66. A high-school science teacher is starting a unit on local grasses. After a short introductory lecture, he takes students outside to study the different types of grasses and has them write a short paragraph describing their observations. One of the ELL students mainstreamed into his class submits this paragraph. - Is importance to notice the different kinds of grasses because of the sunshine. The think grass it grew in the shade and also in the sun. Because it tolerates. Very thin grass it grow mostly in the sun. Is so interesting that you could see where the students walk all the times because is not grass there. This passage primarily shows features of which ELPS proficiency level? A. Beginning B. Intermediate C. Advanced D. Advanced high
B.
69. Ms. Benitez, a grade 2 teacher, includes a 15-minute play period several times throughout the school day. Children can play cooperatively or they can play alone. This strategy is appropriate for this age level because children at this age A. are easily bored and need breaks from academic work. B. develop social, cognitive, and motor skills through play. C. Learn content-area material more effectively through play. D. need to feel that school offers the same activities a home.
B.
74. The videodisc technology enables students to actually observe demonstrations of how sound waves work. Teaching students by allowing them to experience the natural phenomenon of sound waves is developmentally appropriate for Ms. Parks's fifth-graders because these students are likely to be in which of the following stages of cognitive development? A. Piaget's sensorimotor stage B. Piaget's concrete operational stage C. Piaget's formal operational stage D. Piaget's zone of proximal development
B.
76. One week at school, Mr. Finch gives his grade 6 math students a variety of class activities including independent work, collaborative projects, and problem-solving scenarios. Mr. Finch takes note of each student's strong points. Throughout the week, he calls a few parents parents each day until he has called all the parents to tell them about their children's progress. By calling the parents to comment on their children's first-week progress, Mr. Finch is primarily addressing which of the following means of supporting student learning? A. Making sure students know that he will call parents if the students do not perform well in class. B. Initiating positive communication with parents early in the year. C. Creating internal motivation in students to make sure they work hard to meet learning objectives. D. Establishing a social connection with parents so that he'll be able to contact them later in the year in case students do not perform well.
B.
8. Which of the following scenarios correctly describes a teachers responsibility in integrating a special education student into a mainstream classroom? A. The teacher meets with the ARD committee to specify assistance and resources needed to meet the students educational needs B. The teacher is responsible for meeting the instructional requirements specified in the students IEP C. The teacher is responsible for initially assessing the students continent area abilities and implementing developmentally appropriate instruction D. The teacher is expected to make minimal adjustments to constant area instruction but is required to offer differentiated instruction for the special education student
B.
86. A grade 7 math teacher plans his lessons to reflect TEKS readiness and supporting standards from the state assessment system in every lesson. This strategy primarily reflects which of the following components of effective instructional design? A. Streamlining the curriculum to eliminate topics not addressed by TEKS B. Constructing meaningful connections between state assessment requirements and daily instruction C. Using TEKS as the basis of instructional design to ensure compliance with TEA curriculum requirements D. Maximizing instructional efforts by focusing on what students need to know for the mandated exam to ensure high campus pass rates.
B.
87. Teachers can use a variety of grouping strategies. They can place students in groups based on ability, or they can create heterogeneous groups that reflect a range of abilities. Students can be allowed to self-select groups. Teachers can pair students or they can create groups of four and five members. Flexibility in grouping strategies primarily reflects which of the following aspects of a positive, productive class environment? A. Students thrive in a climate that routinely integrates surprise and limits predictability. B. Using a variety of grouping systems allows students to develop cooperative work strategies that reflect their individual abilities. C. Using a variety of grouping strategies allows the teacher to test the developmental appropriateness of instructional needs. D. Using a variety of grouping strategies ensures fairness by moving low-achieving students from group to group.
B.
89. A grade 7 social studies teacher uses cooperative groups for major class projects. He works with each group to help students distribute tasks to every member of the group. As students work in their groups, the teacher moves from group to group to monitor each group's activities and makes sure students are keeping track of their work time. Monitoring students' cooperative work primarily illustrates which of the following principles of effective class organization? A. Ensuring that students do not violate classroom behavior rules during group work. B. Facilitating students' cooperative efforts through teacher support and time management. C. Monitoring individual students' group participation to keep overachievers from doing all the group work. D. Reminding students that group work is as important as lecture and presentation time.
B.
30. A gray nine history teacher assigns a research unit to be completed in three weeks. Which of the following instructional plans were most effectively support the students is learning process in this research unit? A. Having students select the research topic they want to explore B. Having the school library and demonstrate Internet research strategies C. Breaking the research process into sequential steps and setting deadlines and checkpoints for completing of each step D. Analyzing a research paper from a previous class and pointing out all the problems that should be avoided analyzing a research paper from a previous class and pointing out all the problems that should be avoided
C.
1. The teacher starts the unit by having each group formulate questions they have about native American history and culture this activity primarily addresses which of the following instructional strategies for actively engaging students in learning? A. focusing on factual content since this is a history unit B. Higher order thinking skills C. activating prior knowledge D. Identifying weaknesses in the students' content area knowledge
C.
13. In Texas, students are designated limited English proficient if A. On the basis of an English language arts teachers recommendation, the student is believed to be unable to understand English sufficiently to succeed academically. B. Parents request in writing that the child be placed in a bilingual education program C. The mandatory home language survey shows that a language other than English is spoken at home and state approved test show that the students current level of English proficiency does not support academic success D. The students teachers meet to discuss the students proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and general academic readiness and they determined that the child will benefit from a special language program
C.
16. A grade 6 teacher is planning a unit on water and related concept of conservation, ecology, and human needs. The teacher wants to stimulate reflection, critical thinking, and inquiry among the students. Which of the following initial learning activities and most effectively engage students in the instructional goals? A. The teacher show students the famous scene in the film adaptation of Helen Keller's life where the young Helen realizes that words are signifiers as she feels water running over her hands B. The teacher asked students to brainstorm about the importance of water in their lives C. The teacher has students work in groups to create a diary of water related events that impact them in a single day and rate each event as 1 essential, 2 important, or 3 unnecessary D. The teacher has students do Internet research on drought stricken areas in the United States
C.
21. Although Marcus participates actively and successfully in class, he routinely turns in incomplete homework. Which of the following actions should the teacher take to support Marcus's learning? A. The teacher should restrict Marcus's recess time so that he can complete his homework before he goes home B. The teacher should send Marcus to the counselor to talk about problems he may be having at home C. The teacher should request a parent conference to discuss ways that parents can help Marcus develop independent study habits at home D. The teacher should reduce the amount of homework Marcus is getting
C.
26. The middle school and kindergarten teachers hold a debriefing meeting six weeks after the reading collaborative is launched. Which of the following meeting activities with most effectively enhance the teachers professional development as they continue the collaborative? A. A video of two of the students in a collaborative. The teachers discuss vocabulary exercises to ensure the middle schoolers pronounce words correctly B. A short talk by the teacher appraisal coordinator advising teachers on how to document collaborative activities in their annual teaching portfolio C. A panel on promoting literacy skills and reluctant readers drawing information and classroom activities from the reading teacher, a publication of the international reading association D. Statistics showing the impact of the collaborative on students' reading levels
C.
35. At the beginning of the school year, a grade 4 teacher created these posters, decorated them using clip art, and places them around the room. - There is no such thing as a wrong answer. - It takes a lot of wrong answers to get to the right one. - Questions show you're thinking. - Mistakes are evidence that you're learning something new. - If you don't understand, just ask. These posters primarily address which of the following instructional strategies? A. Creating a class environment that gives learners a great deal of responsibility for their own learning. B. Ensuring that learners understand that the teacher is the instructional authority and the source of correct answers. C. Creating a class climate that emphasizes supportive interactions and promotes learners' active engagement. D. Creating a class environment that promotes oral language as a building block of increased cognitive growth.
C.
43. Following their research, each group will prepare and present a five-minute slide show reporting what they discovered. Which of the following guidelines should Ms. Rosas use to effectively guide students in using technology to produce a slide show that communicates the required information effectively? A. The teacher should have students watch several videos posted on history websites to see how information is presented in multimedia presentation. B. The teacher should go over the Technology TEKS that address creativity and innovation. C. The teacher should explain and demonstrate how to use text, visuals, and layout to communicate information in an interesting, audience-oriented manner. D. The teacher should find a website on creating and delivering effective presentations and have students watch it before completing their presentation.
C.
46. Although the panel idea was triggered by student engagement in the project, the teacher's willingness to adjust the project to include community participants reflects which of the following instructor roles and responsibilities? A. Giving students greater responsibility for their own learning. B. Using a real-world format to present content-area instruction. C. Engaging family members in the educational program. D. Creating ongoing communication with family members.
C.
5. Which of the following assessment strategies would most appropriately address the instructional objectives for this unit? A. A critical essay in which each student discusses the quality of each group presentation B. An objective test that covers general information per tenant to all the groups selected tribes c. A reflective essay that allows each individual student to explain how participating in the project developed his or her understanding of native American history and culture D. A short answer essay exam that includes one question based on each groups tribe
C.
50. A second-grade teacher maintains a chart entitled, Trying all the time. Each time a student attempts something new and risky - like trying to pronounce a difficult new word during read-alouds or volunteering to solve a math problem on the board - the student gets to put a red star on his or her row on the chart. This strategy primarily demonstrates the teachers' awareness of the students' developmental needs and characteristics by A. showing students that failure does not matter. B. rewarding students for attempting things that are within their current abilities. C. creating a culture of high expectations in a developmentally appropriate content. D. showing students that grades are not the only way to measure achievement.
C.
54. Ms. Bensen, a grade 11 English teacher notices that Joel has been arriving late each day, is nonparticipatory, and is failing his daily work. Several days a week, the students write in their journals. If they want to share what they have written with Ms. Bensen, they put the journals in her inbox. Joel submits an entry in which he writes about how depressed he is because his girlfriend broke up with him. The behavior Ms. Bensen has observed fits which of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development? A. Initiative versus guilt B. Identity versus role confusion C. Intimacy versus isolation D. Integrity versus despair.
C.
57. By dividing the class into heterogeneous groups after the whole-class discussion, the teacher is primarily implementing which of the following means of promoting student engagement? A. Using developmentally appropriate approaches to complete the learning task. B. Creating an opportunity to informally assess the students as they work in groups. C. Using a variety of instructional strategies to actively involve students in learning. D. Controlling the social/emotional atmosphere of the classroom.
C.
58. As the students work in their groups, the teacher mingles with them, sitting in on their discussion, listening, reiterating, and encouraging the students. This teacher behavior best demonstrates which of the following principles of effective, responsive instruction? A. Promoting student autonomy by giving them unstructured tasks. B. Assuring all students of success through nondemanding small group activities. C. Modeling effective communication strategies of reflective listening, simplifying, and restating. D. Activating students' prior knowledge by asking them questions when the teacher sits in on each group.
C.
63. Ms. McRae's unit includes a few lessons modeled on a strategy she saw demonstrated at another workshop: teaching the students a rap-like song with a few lines about each president. To assess her students' knowledge of the roster of U.S. presidents, she plans a simple quiz for which students list all 44 presidents. The quiz addresses which of the following Bloom's Taxonomy levels? A. Creating B. Applying C. Remembering D. Understanding
C.
64. Another activity Ms. McRae has included is a poster project. Students pick their favorite president, do Internet research starting with the www.whitehouse.gov website, and create a poster using text and illustrations. Each student will give a three-minute informal speech about his/her president, using the poster as visual support. This activity addresses which of the following Bloom's Taxonomy levels? A. Understanding B. Analyzing C. Creating D. Evaluating
C.
7. A grade 4 teacher has several beginning level ELL students in his science class. The students rarely speak in class, one communicates using monosyllables in English and they pointing, and another speaks only in Spanish. Which of the following instructional adaptations with best promote the students as proficiency in English? A. Giving the ELL students flashcards of high frequency English words and content area vocabulary B. Having the ELL students practice letter sound Association for the English alphabet C. Doing teacher read aloud's of books and concepts the class is covering and integrating oral language activities that invite the ELL students to participate in class discussions D. Having the ELL students right word list of science vocabulary words and matching them to illustrations of the concept
C.
70. A grade 5 teacher has two students who are overly talkative. These two students raise their hands to answer every question and frequently blurt out answers without being called on. Which of the following strategies is the best way for the teacher to help these students become more cohesive members of the class community. A. The teacher should call on students randomly rather than inviting students to volunteer to answer B. The teacher should pair these students and have them work together. C. During group work, the teacher should ask these students to be observers and recorders for their group's work. D. The teacher should tell these students to stop volunteering to answer every question and allow other students to participate.
C.
73. Having students teach a lesson to the rest of the class primarily addresses which of the following strategies for promoting student learning? A. When students prepare a lesson to teach peers, students learn about learning theories and consequently become better students. B. When students prepare a lesson to teach peers, students learn to better appreciate the efforts of the classroom teacher. C. When students prepare a lesson to teach peers, students are highly motivated to learn the subject matter involved. D. When students prepare a lesson to teach peers, students learn organizational skills that transfer to academic performance in other areas.
C.
77. It is the beginning of the school year. A grade 4 teacher has a class that includes several ethnic groups, several students who require special education services, and several students categorized as ELL. Additionally, the students' records show that they have a wide socioeconomic range. The teacher wants to promote the students' appreciation and celebration of diversity. Which of the following instructional strategies would primarily address this goal? A. Decorating the class with motivational posters that say things such as "Difference rocks," "Let's be friends," and "If we were all the same, things would be boring." B. Providing a generous amount of play time each day to allow students to socialize and get to know each other better. C. Creating heterogeneous groups and using cooperative activities for part of every class period. D. Talking to the students on the first day of class about the importance of getting along with each other.
C.
79. Instead of using traditional spelling lists, Ms. Kresmer introduces memory tricks such as "The moose can't get loose from the noose" to remind students to pay special attention to potential problems such as loose/lose, knew/new, clothes/cloths, accept/except. She has students work in groups to devise mnemonic devices for problem pairs, and the groups create illustrated posters displaying the memory trick. Ms. Kresmer's approach to spelling improvement primarily addresses which of the following strategies for implementing effective instruction? A. Impressing on students the importance of earning a satisfactory score on the exam. B. Using a fun classroom activity to reduce students' anxieties about the state-mandated exam C. Explaining a concept or skill by providing examples and using age-appropriate learning activities. D. Encouraging students to take ownership of their performance on the state writing exam.
C.
82. Philip, a student in Ms. Kresmer's class, receives services from a resource teacher for a learning disability that affects his reading and writing. Which of the following is the most appropriate action that Ms. Kresmer could take to prepare Philip for the state writing exam? A. She should ask the resource teacher to provide writing instruction for Philip. B. She should excuse Philip from the writing activities the other students are doing in class and should assign him simpler tasks he can complete independently. C. She should work with the resource teacher to determine if Philip qualifies for taking a modified version of the exam. D. She should ask the resource teacher to schedule extra tutoring sessions for Philip so that he can complete additional practice essay to ensure he can reach grade 9 writing proficiency.
C.
85. A grade 5 teacher arranges his class sessions to include a cooperative work time when students can share each other's home results and make changes prior to submitting homework for a grade. The teacher notices that some students work alone even while they are in the group, others are easily distracted by environmental factors such as noises and other groups' conversations, and others work together only for a few minutes and then resort to individual work. Which of the following explanations best accounts for the students' behavior during cooperative work times? A. Grade 5 students are not socially or cognitively mature enough to work productively in groups. B. Grade 5 students are temperamentally more suited for structured learning environments, such as traditional lecture and demonstration approaches. C. Grade 5 students vary greatly in physical, social, and cognitive development and need guidance in working effectively in cooperative settings. D. Grade 5 students need to have all classroom behavioral expectations and consequences articulated specifically.
C.
9. While shopping at the grocery store, a grade 5 teacher runs into one of his students parents. The parent brings up a playground incident in which her son, Adrian, was sent to detention but the other Boy received no disciplinary action. The mother tells the teacher that this is unfair and ask the teacher to do something about it. The teacher tells the parent that he was not present at the incident and does not know the specifics. Which of the following actions would best address the teachers professional responsibility while responding to the parents concerns? A. The teacher suggested the parent come in for a parent teacher conference when they can discuss the situation with more evidence B. The teacher agrees to schedule a conference with Adrian's parents and the parents of the other child involved C. The teacher suggested that the parent contact the school principal to get clarification on the incident D. The teacher suggested the parent called the other boys family to find out what happened
C.
22. A few weeks later, while the class is working in groups on a challenging word problem, Mr. Pruitt is reviewing homework from the previous night. When he checks Marcus's homework, Mr. Pruitt marks all the problems as complete and correct. He says, "Marcus, eyes up, please," and he smiles and gives Marcus two thumbs up. The teachers response to Marcus his homework primarily demonstrates which of the following strategies for promoting student learning? A. Providing a break from a challenging class activity to allow students to re-energize themselves B. Making sure students see the connection between doing class assignments and pleasing the instructor C. Integrating a controlled distractor to make sure students can stay on task during challenging class activities D. Using verbal and nonverbal interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with students about class goals
D
10. A high school biology teacher assigns a collaborative research project; students will be working in groups of five to integrate their research into a poster presentation. Which of the following teaching strategies would most effectively promote active, productive engagement by all members of each group? A. The teacher suggest that each group member complete the research project independently and then the group comes together to pull the information into the group project. B. The teacher shows students scenes from several movies showing characters collaborating to solve a problem. The teacher leads a discussion in which students identify key behaviors needed for effective collaborative work. C. The teacher breaks at the assignment into major task and has each group assigned a member to be responsible for each major task D. The teacher breaks up the assignment into sequenced steps and clearly explains individual and group expectations for effective completion of each step.
D.
11. A high school algebra teacher wants to develop his students ability to complete proofs effectively. Which of the following instructional strategies when most effectively target students abilities to self assess their work? A. The teacher has students working groups to complete difficult algebra proofs B. The teacher demonstrates a proof and leaves at work on the board while students work on new problems C. The teacher has students to one proof and then exchange papers to check each other's problems and answers D. The teacher creates a checklist that remind students of basic procedures in completing algebra proofs effectively
D.
18. A grade 7 science teacher create interest centers throughout the classroom that include short videos, pamphlets, testimonials, magazine articles, and good websites in a wide variety of careers. After the students have a chance to visit several centers, the teacher pulls a class together into a discussion circle and invite students to talk about which centers interested the most and why. This strategy reflects the teachers understanding that the students are in which of Ericksons stages of psychosocial developmentA grade 7 science teacher create interest centers throughout the classroom that include short videos, pamphlets, testimonials, magazine articles, and good websites in a wide variety of careers. After the students have a chance to visit several centers, the teacher pulls a class together into a discussion circle and invite students to talk about which centers interested the most and why. This strategy reflects the teachers understanding that the students are in which of Ericksons stages of psychosocial development? A. Trust versus mistrust B. Integrity versus despair C. Industry versus inferiority D. Identity versus role confusion
D.
27. This activity primarily reflects which of the following principles of effective instructional design? A. Providing cooling down time at the end of the lesson B. Accommodating end of class necessities such as collecting books and repacking backpacks during a low level instructional activity C. Giving students time to ask questions about things they did not understand D. Allocating time for reflection and closure at the end of a lesson
D.
32. A high school history teacher has assigned an essay as the culminating assignment in a unit on the industrial revolution in America. He has created a rubric for scoring the essay but he goes over it during the students' writing workshop days, explaining the performance-level descriptors. The teacher's discussion of the rubric primarily addresses which of the following assessment goals? A. Ensuring the students follow directions closely. B. Giving students an opportunity to participate in creating scoring guidelines. C. Using the discipline of writing to promote students' higher order thinking skills. D. promoting students' ability to self-assess so as to enhance the quality of their final product.
D.
40. Which of the following descriptions offers the best explanation of the primary intent of the state assessment system used in Texas public school education? A. The state assessment system provides quantifiable data of the effectiveness of individual teacher's instructional efforts. B. The state assessment system generates data that is used to secure funding from the U.S. Department of Education for special programs in Texas C. The state assessment system is used to correlate course grades assigned by teachers to results of state assessments. D. The state assessment system provides accountability and promotes instruction that prepares students for success in college and career.
D.
44. One group has discovered a website created and maintained by members of one of the most historically prominent families in the county. The students want to use photographs posted on this website in their group presentation, and they ask Ms. Rosas if that is okay. Which of the following responses should Ms. Rosas offer in order to guide students in legal and ethical use of digital information? A. The students should contact the family to get permission to use the photographs in their presentation. B. Because the photographs are already available on the family's website, it is considered fair use to copy it and use it in creating a new information product. C. Photographs do not fall under intellectual property restrictions, so the students can use the photographs freely in their presentation. D. If the photographs are going to be used only in the class presentation and will not be published elsewhere, the students can integrate the photographs, making sure to correctly document the family's website as the source.
D.
49. The culminating multimedia presentation that will be shown to all the social studies classes primarily addresses Technology TEKS by A. introducing students to technology as a means of enhancing learning. B. focusing on technology as a means of making content-area material more interesting. C. using technology applications to assess student learning. D. using a variety of technology applications to create and present a collaborative work that integrates student effort and community contribution.
D.
52. The school media specialist collaborates with the language arts teachers in an elementary school to set up a reading program that will reward students for out-of-class reading. the specialist installs software containing comprehension questions for 500 books. As students complete a book, they can go to the library during free time and take the comprehension quiz as many times as they need to until they score 80 percent correct. The technology- supported reading program primarily demonstrates which of the following principles of effective, responsive instruction? A. Providing extrinsic rewards for students to boost motivation in completing self-selected reading B. Assessing students' reading practices in a nonacademic environment. C. Creating high expectations for students by allowing them to retake the reading quizzes as many times as they need to. D. Collaboration between the media specialist and content-area teachers to create an opportunity that integrates technology to enhance student learning.
D.
62. This workshop primarily meets which of the following teacher roles and responsibilities? A. Socializing with colleagues in the same discipline to create a collaborative environment. B. Mentoring colleagues by modeling effective pedagogical strategies. C. Planning teaching activities that will meet the proficient rating level in the teacher appraisal rubric. D. Using professional development resources to enhance pedagogical skills.
D.
67. A grade 4 social studies teacher is starting a geographies of the world unit. ELLs make up about one third of the class. To ensure that the ELLs understand concepts such as terrain, canyon, plateau, isthmus, gulf and many other terms included in the unit, the teacher posts photographs and illustrations around the room. Additionally, he uses manipulatives to explain and illustrate some of the concepts, like peaks and valleys. The teacher's strategies primarily illustrate which of the following recommended practices for working with ELLs? A. guided practice B. Think-Alouds C. Cues D. Scaffolding
D.
71. Mr. Grissom has guided his fourth-grade students in learning peer assessment techniques, but he also uses informal observations and conferencing to assess students' work on performance tasks. What other approach would be effective in ensuring he is taking student diversity into account during assessment? A. He administers at least five quizzes and four constructed-response exams per subject every grading period. B. He uses a variety of objective exams in each subject: matching, multiple-choice, and true/false C. He sends a grade report home each time a student does not perform satisfactorily on a major class project D. He uses a variety of grouping styles - random selection, ability grouping, and student choice - when students have performance tasks to complete.
D.
75. Following the successful completion of the sound unit, Ms. Parks wants to learn other ways to use technology in her school to enhance her students' learning and technological literacy. Which of the following professional activities would most effectively address this goal? A. Asking colleagues how they use technology in their classes. B. Enrolling in a computer-technology course at the local university or community college. C. Attending a professional conference on technology in education. D. Asking the media-center specialist to teach her how to use the technology available on campus.
D.
84. Ms. Vidal is starting a geography lesson in her fifth-grade class. She will be teaching several lessons on countries with radically different topographies. To help students remember the landscape features of each of the key countries, she models a graphic organizer that involves drawing a sketch of the country in the center of the blank page and having students create a web of features around the sketch as she presents the lesson. She makes sure each student has several colored pencils or crayons to use in creating his or her geography web. The webbing strategy primarily supports students learning processes in which of the following ways? A. It teaches students a study skill that they can use in this class and transfer to other classes as well. B. It facilitates students' acquisition of new knowledge by applying nonacademic art skills in a content-are lesson. C. It reduces the amount of direct instruction that the teacher provides each class period. D. It creates scaffolding for students to remember information about each country.
D.
90. Which of the following explanations most effectively addresses the benefits of using a computer program to keep up with grading? A. Using a computer program for keeping grade records fulfills components of Technology TEKS B. Computer grade records are more accurate than traditional methods. C. Computer grade records allow teachers to send grade reports home more frequently. D. Using a computer grading record program reduces time spent on noninstructional duties and maximizes time spent directly with students.
D.
Use the information below to answer questions 21 to 23
Marcus, a student in Mr. Pruitt's grade 5 class, is having trouble working math word problems independently. Mr. Pruitt uses a variety of learner centered activities including modeling, group work, mini lessons, and manipulatives to provide guided practice and to prepare students for independent work on homework.
Use the information below to answer questions 27 to 29
Miss Elliot, a grade 10 science teacher, stops every class less than five minutes before the bell rings to give students time to fill out a daily learning log sheet. Miss Elliot has students write their name and date at the top of an index card size sheet of scratch paper and write a short comment about their take away from the days class or a question or just a comment about the class.
Use the information below to answer questions 79-82
Ms. Kresmer is preparing her ninth-grade students for the state mandated writing exam. She has created a unit that will address both the writing process and editing skills.
Use the information below to answer questions 62 to 65.
Ms. McRae, a middle-school history teacher attends a professional development workshop sponsored by the Regional Education Service Center. The focus of the workshop is training and practice in using Bloom's Taxonomy to plan effective, coherent instruction. As part of the workshop, teachers draft a unit in their discipline, share it with colleagues at the workshop, and get feedback from the presenter. For her unit, Ms. McRae creates a unit on the U.S. presidents. Her overall instructional goal for the unit is to enhance students' understanding of the historical contribution of each president.
Use the information below to answer questions 73 to 75
Ms. Parks's fifth-grade science students are studying sound using interactive videodisc technology. Using computers, appropriate software, and the videodisc resources, each group is to create a lesson on a particular aspect of sound, such as volume or pitch. Each group will then teach the lesson to the rest of the class.
Use the information below to answer questions 42 to 49.
Ms. Rosas, a grade 8 social studies teacher, has designed a three-week unit focusing on local history in Texas communities. In the first week, students will work in groups to explore a historical event in the county in which the school district is located and give the class a preliminary presentation on their findings. In week 2, the class will take a field trip to the county historical museum. Ms. Rosas has asked the museum curator to do a lecture/demonstration on particularly interesting historical events connected to Texas communities. In week 3, all the groups will collaborate to create a single presentation synthesizing the results of their research in a multimedia presentation that will be shown to all the high-school history classes in a special assembly.
Use the information below to answer questions 24 to 26
The reading teachers at the middle school campus met to discuss ways to promote struggling readers progress towards higher reading levels. At the next district wide professional development day, the reading teachers will bring up the problem during a whole group Q and a. The middle school teachers talk about their students is reading resistance and reluctance. A kindergarten teacher says, "maybe your sixth graders could come and read story books to our emergent readers." The K and middle school teachers work with the district curriculum director to iron out details.
