1-EDU 6185 Laws

According to Chapter 71A of the Massachusetts General Laws, which of the following statements accurately describes current state educational policy regarding the education of English learners in public schools?

• English learners should be educated through SEI programs; other approved language programs, such as transitional bilingual education or dual language, are also allowed.

• English learners should receive instruction in all subjects in English only, although they may receive support in SEI settings for one complete school year before being transferred to general education settings.

• English learners of the same age should be placed in the same classrooms, regardless of their first language or level of English language proficiency, in order to promote development of social skills and bonds.

• English learners who are entering kindergarten should be placed in general education classrooms, while English learners entering other grade levels should be placed in an SEI program.

The Alternate ACCESS for ELLsTM is an English language proficiency (ELP) assessment that monitors students' progress in acquiring academic English and was designed specifically to meet federal accountability requirements for the assessment of English learners who fall into which of the following categories?

• English learners who are students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE)

• English learners who have significant cognitive disabilities that prevent them from participating in the state ELP assessment, even with accommodations

• English learners who are enrolled in a public prekindergarten or kindergarten program

• English learners whose discrepancy between their Oral Language and Literacy scores on the state ELP assessment is greater than three levels, even taking into account their scaled scores

The federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes which of the following mandates with respect to English learners?

• Materials and procedures used to instruct English learners must include translations or transcriptions in a student's first language.

• English learners must meet the same academic content and student achievement standards that all students are expected to meet.

• Assessments that are used to determine an English learner's eligibility for special education must be administered in the student's dominant language.

• English learners must be provided with peer mentors who can communicate in the students' first language as well as in English.

Massachusetts public school educators are required by state law to take which of the following actions with respect to the education of English learners?

• providing English learners with instructional materials in the core content areas that have been modified or customized to align with students' levels of English language proficiency

• offering English learners content-area instruction in their first languages until they have acquired sufficient English language proficiency to be able to benefit from content instruction in English

• ensuring that English learners become proficient in English through general education content classes taught solely in English

• teaching English learners according to the same academic standards and curriculum frameworks as all students, regardless of the type of program (e.g., SEI, bilingual, ESL)

In which of the following situations is the student most likely exhibiting a language-based exceptionality or language-based disability rather than a factor or factors related to language development?

• An English learner's language patterns are unique to the student and unlike those of other students from the same cultural and linguistic group.

• An English learner periodically shifts from the first language to English and then back to the first language.

• An English learner was unable to attend school in the country of origin and has limited literacy development.

• An English learner has had limited opportunities to hear/access and use academic language in the first language (L1) and has limited L1 vocabulary development.

A fifth-grade SEI class includes students from several different cultural backgrounds and with different levels of English proficiency. The teacher would like to create a classroom climate characterized by inclusion, cultural sensitivity, and cultural appreciation. Which of the following teacher strategies is likely to be most effective in accomplishing this goal?

• periodically asking students to openly share aspects of their personal lives and experiences related to their cultural identities and backgrounds

• displaying visual materials in the classroom, such as photographs and illustrations, that depict a wide variety of cultures and cultural practices

• reminding students to be respectful, patient, and courteous during class discussions, and regularly calling on students representing each culture

• incorporating the cultural backgrounds of students into instruction through a variety of examples in areas such as art, geography, literature, and games

The term "English learner," when used with respect to an individual, means an individual—

•  who is aged 3 through 21

• who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school

• who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English

• All of the Above

SEI is

• Sheltered English Instruction

• Sheltered English Immersion

• Continuation of RETELL

• A and C

Which does NOT belong: “Sheltered English immersion”

• is an English language acquisition process for young children in which nearly all classroom instruction is in English

• is the curriculum and presentation designed for children who are learning the language.

• is a method where teachers may NOT use a child’s native language

• is a program in which children learn to read and write solely in English.

How long do you think it takes to acquire a language?

• 1-3 years

• 3-5 years

• 5-7 years

• 7-9 years