TExES Special Education EC-12 (161) Learning Environment

What is the primary reason for administering a diagnostic test?

to assess a student's strengths and needs A diagnostic test can determine if a student needs enrichment or remediation in a subject area.

A high school history teacher has just finished a unit of study and plans to assign an essay as students' final assessment grade for the unit. Which of the following best describes the reason an essay is the appropriate assessment instrument in this situation?

An essay allows students to organize their thoughts and demonstrate understanding of the topics addressed in the course. An essay allows students to expand upon concepts and ideas addressed throughout the unit of study. Students can demonstrate their proficiency by using appropriate detail within the essay and relating examples of concepts taught throughout the course.

Mrs. Clark finds that some of her students are not engaged in class discussion. Which of the following would be the most effective way to set up the space to encourage student engagement in class discussions?

Arrange desks in a circle so all students face each other. Arranging the desks in a circle is the most likely strategy to increase student participation in class discussions, because all the students can see and be involved in the conversation.

During class, some students are assigned to work at centers, others independently at desks, and the remaining students that need remediation are in a small group. The teacher wants to ensure that all students are on task and able to complete work in the complex learning environment. How can the teacher set up the classroom to best accomplish this goal?

Arrange the small group in a corner with the teacher so that the teacher is facing the classroom and can periodically scan the room. This arrangement ensures that the small group is receiving remediation, and the teacher can check that the other students are remaining on task.

Which of the following statements best describes a formative assessment?

Formative assessments measure what students know along the way. Formative assessments measure what students know along the way. They should be given on a regular basis. These are not summative assessments, which are used to determine what students know at the end of the year or at the end of a unit.

As a warm up, a teacher has asked students to work in pairs to fill-in the states onto a blank map of the U.S. While they work, the teacher walks around the room, observing student progress. Which of the following describes what the teacher most likely trying to do?

Informally assess student mastery of the state names, and use the data as a formative assessment to guide instruction. This scenario describes an example of a informal formative assessment.

In the middle of a lesson on plant systems, a teacher asks students to raise their hand if a statement she says about roots is true. She reads four statements and notes how accurate the class is for each statement. This exercise is an example of:

a formative assessment. A formative assessment is given during a unit to inform further instruction. The teacher can use how well the students rated the statements to decide if they understand roots.

Which of the following is a norm-referenced test?

a multiple-choice test that evaluates basic reading skills A norm-referenced test compares the test taker to other students of the same age or grade and would be expected to produce similar results across states.

A test given at the end of a unit on evolution is an example of:

a summative assessment. A summative assessment is given at the end of a unit to find out what standards students have met.

Which of the following is an example of a formative assessment?

an exit ticket Formative assessments measure learning as it is formed and can help in adjusting the lessons according to the student response.

Which of the following are examples of a point at which an informal assessment is appropriate? Select all answers that apply.

at the beginning of a unit It is useful to informally assess students at the beginning of a unit to better understand how much they already know about the topic. during a lesson; after introducing a new topic There are many strategies that a teacher can use to informally assess the class during instruction, to make sure the are understanding the lesson.

What type of assessment compares a student's knowledge or skills against a predetermined standard or learning goal?

criterion-referenced assessment With criterion-referenced tests, each person's performance is compared directly to the standard, without considering how other students perform on the test.

A teacher writes a different question at the top of several pieces of chart paper. Students move in groups to each chart and write their answers or elaborate on other groups' answers. The teacher observes student responses to guide the discussion questions when the activity concludes. What type of assessment is this?

formative A formative assessment informs the teacher of the level of student understanding.

In the middle of a unit on lunar cycles, Mr. Rice hands out drawing paper and gives his students the following task: A new moon is always high in the sky at noon. Use what you know about the positions of the sun, moon, and Earth during a new moon to draw a diagram to show why a new moon is in the sky at noon. After the students finished their drawings, Mr. Rice looked at them before he planned the next unit in the lesson. Mr. Rice used this activity as which of the following?

formative assessment A formative assessment tests student knowledge during a unit to inform the teacher regarding the direction of further instruction. This is a formative assessment because Mr. Rice can use the results to determine whether the students understand the concept that moon phases are caused by the relative positions of the sun, moon, and Earth. If they do not yet understand that key concept, he can figure out new ways to reteach the ideas.

The primary function of a formative assessment is to:

guide ongoing instruction. Formative assessments inform instruction and allow the teacher to better plan and pace material.

When creating learning centers for a school's early education students, which of the following locations would be most appropriate for an animal-learning center?

next to the science lab This is the best answer, as the animal-learning center will involve concepts found in biology. Students should be encouraged to make the connection of animals and biology to science.

A teacher needs to assess mastery at the end of a social studies unit. Rather than giving a multiple choice test, she has students create a newspaper that covers the major events from the unit. What type of assessment is the teacher using?

performance assessment A performance assessment has students create a product or performance to display knowledge acquired.

Ms. Chen is having her students compile their best pieces of art to share at the end of the semester. Students will post their art work in the classroom, along with a statement of their focus to show mastery of the semester's lessons. Ms. Chen measures student success on this assignment based on the state standards for their course level. What kind of assessment does this represent?

portfolio Portfolios include examples of a student's work and can be used in a wide variety of content areas.

A third-grade teacher asks students to document their learning throughout the school year by choosing exemplary samples of their work. At the end of the year, they are compiled, along with teacher feedback, self-evaluations, and other assessment information. This is an example of a(an):

portfolio. A student portfolio contains work samples selected by students, along with teacher feedback and documentation of progress.

Mr. MacArthur is about to assign a major project to his students. Which of the following strategies would help promote students' understanding of the project's expectations?

providing and discussing the rubric that will be used to grade the project with the students Discussing the rubric and providing it to students ahead of time will outline the requirements and grading standards for the project.