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WorksheetsOAE Assessment of Prof. Knowledge
Total questions: 80
Worksheet time: 3hrs 40mins
Which of the following situations most clearly illustrates how a student's development in one domain (eg cognitive linguistic, physical, social, emotional) can affect development and/or performance in another domain?
Competency 0001
A student with severe physical disablities exhibits strong verbal and conceptual skills in her academic work
A student who is a talented athlete is also one of the highest achievers in her school in math and science
A student with low self-esteem refuses to attempt new or challenging learning tasks because he is sure he will fail.
A student who is bilingual shows similar skills and confidence in both languages in which he is proficient
A 9th grade teacher is aware that students at this age differ widely in their level of cognitive development. Which of the following approaches would best address this range of development?
Competency 0001
Alternating presentations that introduce abstract concepts with related hands-on student activities.
Reviewing concepts and skills mastered in earlier lessons at the beginning of each new unit
Emphasizing the use of performance based assessments to evaluate student's understanding
Aligning the sequence of concepts and skills taught in class with the curriculum sequence.
A middle school will begin offering exploratory classes as part of the curriculum. Students will be able to choose two exploratory classes to attend once a week during each semester. Exploratory classes will address topics such as website construction, horticulture, photography, chess, dance, and creative writing. This expansion of the curriculum is especially appropriate for middle school students because it:
Competency 0001
Allows students to identify their particular abilities and interests and use different kinds of thinking skills.
Helps relieve pressure placed on students by themselves and others to conform to peer group norms.
Provides students with individualized learning experiences that support their academic needs.
Helps prepare students for the subject-oriented curriculum found in high schools and colleges.
A kindergarten teacher can best apply the concept of developmentally appropriate practice by making which of the following a priority?
Competency 0001
Minimizing the amount of structure and routine
Providing students with frequent opportunities to participate in cooperative learning activities.
Focusing instruction on students' social skills rather than on their academic skills.
Designing a learning environment that supports the essential role of play in students' learning.
A teacher observes that some students tend to talk to themselves softly during individual problem-solving activities. The teacher should be aware that this type of self-talk:
Competency 0001
Suggests that a student is feeling a high level of anxiety about their ability.
Helps guide a student's thinking about the learning task.
Plays a key role in developing a student's self-esteem.
Indicicates the student may have an undiagnosed learning disability.
In which of the following situations is the teacher's strategy most likely to promote students ability to regulate their own learning?
Competency 0001
A teacher shows third-grade students how to use a log to record each book they read for recreation during a grading period.
A teacher helps each fourth grade student identify weekly goals that target the student's specific academic needs.
A fifth-grade teacher uses the results of regularly administered interest inventories to select materials for the classroom library.
A sixth-grade teacher offers after school review sessions before tests when a number of students submit a request.
A first grade teacher gives each student in a small group a ball of clay of approximately the same size. The teacher observes that after several students split their clay into two pieces, one student is unhappy, stating that "they have a lot more clay" than he has. The teacher's observation most strongly suggests that this student:
Competency 0001
May be showing signs of a possible developmental delay in the cognitive domain.
Has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass.
May be showing signs of a possible development delay in the social-emotional domain
Has not yet developed teh concept of object permanence.
A middle school science teacher regularly uses a strategy called "word journal" with students. Students first participate in a learning experience such as a lecture, demonstration, or hands-on activity. Then the teacher asks students to think about the experience and choose a single word to summarize the experience. Students write the word they choose in their "word journal" along with a brief explanation of why they chose that particular word. Below are journal entries created by two students following a lesson on the scientific method.
Student 1: I selected the word "steps" because the scientific method involves several steps. Each step is important and must be done in the exact order. If I can remember the order of the steps, I can think like a scientist.
Student 2: I picked "observation" because it seems really important tot he whole process. You have to observe something when you are testing a hypothesis. Then you observe your data and draw conclusions about it. That's what the scientific method is all about.
The teacher would like to expand this strategy in a way that is responsive to the unique characteristics of middle school students. The teacher can best achieve this goal by having students:
Competency 0001
Discuss their selected words and explanations with their peers in small groups.
Vote on one word from all of the students selected, that best summarizes the learning experience.
Post their selected words and explanations on a classroom or electronic bulletin board.
Think of as many alternative words as possible that summarize the learning experience.
Teachers on a middle school teaching team wish to help students develop a sense of personal responsibility with regard to their learning. Which of the following practices would be most effective in promoting this outcome?
Competency 0002
Holding conferences with students and parents each grading period to discuss progress in meeting assignment deadlines.
Displaying in a prominent area a weekly list of students who have overdue assignments in each subject area.
Having students maintain a planning calendar on which they record and monitor their progress in completing assignments.
Posting on a bulletin board a reminder to students listing the due dates for assignments in each subject area.
When students are working on math problems independently, the teacher asks the students questions such as "how did you decide which operation to use?" and "What steps did you take to get this solution?" By taking this role during students independent work, the teacher is most likely to achieve which of the following outcomes?
Competency 0002
Encouraging students to experiment with new problem solving strategies
Promoting students awareness and understanding of tehir own thinking processes
enhancing students ability to monitor their own learning progress.
Increasing students' confidence in their ability to master challenging learning tasks.
Which of the following factors in a middle school classroom is likely to have the most significant positive effect on student learning?
Competency 0002
The efficiency with which the classroom learning space and materials are used.
The degree of engagement and the enthusiasm the teacher demonstrates toward students and learning.
The range of achievement and ability levels represented by the students in the classroom.
The availability of technology resources and other types of digital learning tools for students' use.
Within a classroom, a teacher would most appropriately use homogeneous grouping based on student acheivement to achieve which of the following goals?
Promoting students self-motivation and active engagement in learning.
Implementing activities for developing students' use of higher-order thinking skills.
Fostering in students a sense of confidence in their ability to learn.
Providing brief, targeted instruction in one or more specific skills students have yet to master.
A middle school science teacher regularly uses a strategy called "word journal" with students. Students first participate in a learning experience such as a lecture, demonstration, or hands-on activity. Then the teacher asks students to think about the experience and choose a single word to summarize the experience. Students write the word they choose in their "word journal" along with a brief explanation of why they chose that particular word. Below are journal entries created by two students following a lesson on the scientific method.
Student 1: I selected the word "steps" because the scientific method involves several steps. Each step is important and must be done in the exact order. If I can remember the order of the steps, I can think like a scientist.
Student 2: I picked "observation" because it seems really important tot he whole process. You have to observe something when you are testing a hypothesis. Then you observe your data and draw conclusions about it. That's what the scientific method is all about.
Which of the following is likely to be the most important benefit of this strategy for student learning?
Competency 0002
Helping students connect new content to existing knowledge
Enhancing students' ability to communicate complex information effectively.
Maintaining students' interest and attention during instruction.
Prompting students' active engagement and in-depth processing of content.
Scaffolding is likely to be most effective in promoting student learning when:
Competency: 0002
The teacher uses scaffolding techniques that are tailored to each student's specific needs.
Students are allowed to choose whether or not to use scaffolding techniques.
The teacher explains a variety of scaffolding techniques that may be used before applying them.
Students have had little experience with the scaffolding techniques that will be used.
A teacher is planning a geography lesson to introduce students to the concept that the resources available in a region influence the size and distribution of the region's population. The teacher is likely to be most successful in promoting student understanding of the targeted concept by implementing a lesson that:
Competency 0002
Prompts students to explore the specific cognitive skills they will be used in learning the concept.
Relates the concept to familiar situations or to concepts the students have previously learned.
Provides concrete reinforcement for students who demonstrate significant effort to learn the concept.
Allows students to take the lead in determining assessment practices to demonstrate knowledge.
A high school English class includes students who are from diverse backgrounds and circumstances and who are performing at a range of achievement levels, many below grade level. The teacher is planning a unit on the short story genre. A preliminary outline of the unit's introductory activities is shown below:
Activity 1
Define the short story genre and its characteristics. Identify and describe several short stories as examples.
Activity 2
Provide students with copies of a short story to read. Have them write questions or notes about their reading in the margins.
Activity 3
Have students discuss the short story in pairs or small groups, followed by a whole-class discussion of the story.
Activity 4:
Assign students to read the short story that begins on page 75 in their textbook and answer the comprehension questions for homework.
Which of the following strategies, used during activity 2, would best enhance students' ability to analyze and discuss the short story they read independently?
Providing students with a specific comprehension questions to guide their reading of the story.
Having students summarize each paragraph of the short story prior to the class activity.
Asking students to make a list in their journals of unfamiliar vocabulary they find in the story.
Creating a chart for students identifying key similarities and diferences between short stories and other genres.
A middle school science teacher regularly uses a strategy called "word journal" with students. Students first participate in a learning experience such as a lecture, demonstration, or hands-on activity. Then the teacher asks students to think about the experience and choose a single word to summarize the experience. Students write the word they choose in their "word journal" along with a brief explanation of why they chose that particular word. Below are journal entries created by two students following a lesson on the scientific method.
Student 1: I selected the word "steps" because the scientific method involves several steps. Each step is important and must be done in the exact order. If I can remember the order of the steps, I can think like a scientist.
Student 2: I picked "observation" because it seems really important tot he whole process. You have to observe something when you are testing a hypothesis. Then you observe your data and draw conclusions about it. That's what the scientific method is all about.
A teacher's class includes two students who are learning English as a second language. The teacher is aware that these students may have some difficulty with a language-oriented task such as the "word journal". The teacher's best initial response would be to:
Competency 0003
Ask the students who are learning English to observe as their peers work on the word journal task and let the teacher know when they believe they are ready to perform the task on their own.
Explain the word journal task to students who are learning English and request their help in defining which of the aspects of the task they are likely to find especially challenging.
Meet with the English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher to describe the word journal task and seek guidance regarding how to adjust the task to meet the students' needs.
Pair each student who is learning English with a high-achieving peer who can answer questions and correct any mistakes to help the student successfully complete the task.
A teacher would be most justified in suspecting a possible learning disability in a student who displays which of the following characteristics?
Competency 0003
The student performs well on classroom assignments but performs poorly on assessments that address the same content.
The student requires practice with hands-on activities in order to master abstract concepts introduced in class.
The student consistently earns low grades unless the student receives some form of concrete reinforcement
The student's performance in one content area is average to above-average and markedly weaker in another content area.
A teacher makes a point of having students from different cultural and language backgrounds work together on class activities on a regular basis. Which of the following is likely to be the most important benefit of this practice?
Competency 0003
Developing students' use of strategies to effectively and collaboratively reach a common goal.
Communicating the expectation that all students should learn and achieve at a similar level.
Providing students frequenct access to diverse learning styles.
Prompting student reflection on the meaning of peer relationships in a structured setting.
A high school English class includes students who are from diverse backgrounds and circumstances and who are performing at a range of achievement levels, many below grade level. The teacher is planning a unit on the short story genre. A preliminary outline of the unit's introductory activities is shown below:
Activity 1
Define the short story genre and its characteristics. Identify and describe several short stories as examples.
Activity 2
Provide students with copies of a short story to read. Have them write questions or notes about their reading in the margins.
Activity 3
Have students discuss the short story in pairs or small groups, followed by a whole-class discussion of the story.
Activity 4:
Assign students to read the short story that begins on page 75 in their textbook and answer the comprehension questions for homework.
The teacher wants to help ensure all students' success with this instructional unit. The teacher can best achieve this goal by:
Competency 0003
Defining different performance standards for learning tasks based on each student's past work.
Emphasizing the use of learning tasks that primarily require the use of lower-level cognitive skills.
Planning learning tasks that are responsive to students' varying experiences and ability levels.
Allowing students to assess their own performance on the assigned learning tasks.
A class includes a student with a physical and a learning disability that affect various aspects of the student's daily activities. In planning a small group activity for the class, the teacher should consider which of the following questions FIRST in regard to the student?
Does the student generally exhibit a preference for individual activities over group activities?
What steps can I take to facilitate the student's fullest possible participation in the activity?
Which classmates would likely be most willing to include the student in their group during the activity?
Are there alternative activities I can arrange that would be more appropriate for this student?
In which of the following situations would it be most appropriate for an elementary teacher to accelerate the content-area instruction for a small group of students?
Competency 0003
The students exhibit similar levels of task commitment and independence in their learning
Initial class discussions suggest that students have extensive background knowledge in the content area.
The students consistently exhibit a high level of motivation for learning.
Results of formal and informal assessments show that the students have achieved most of the grade-level standards in the content area.
A teacher has scheduled individual conferences with students to discuss their performacne on a recent writing assignment. During each conference, the teacher will comment on positive aspects of the student's writing and point out the particular errors or faulty strategies that the student used. Which of the following instructional activities should the teacher implement after the conference to best promote students' learning and progress in writing?
Prompting the student to assess his or her own level of effort and motivation for the assignment.
Having the student independently review an exemplary assignment written by a classmate or peer on a similar topic.
Providing the student with targeted mini-lessons to address learning gaps noted in the discussion of the assignment
Offering the student an opportunity to agree with or refute particular aspects of the teacher's evaluation of his or her assignment.
A middle school science teacher regularly uses a strategy called "word journal" with students. Students first participate in a learning experience such as a lecture, demonstration, or hands-on activity. Then the teacher asks students to think about the experience and choose a single word to summarize the experience. Students write the word they choose in their "word journal" along with a brief explanation of why they chose that particular word. Below are journal entries created by two students following a lesson on the scientific method.
Student 1: I selected the word "steps" because the scientific method involves several steps. Each step is important and must be done in the exact order. If I can remember the order of the steps, I can think like a scientist.
Student 2: I picked "observation" because it seems really important tot he whole process. You have to observe something when you are testing a hypothesis. Then you observe your data and draw conclusions about it. That's what the scientific method is all about.
Which of the following would be the most appropriate and effective way for the teacher to use the students' word journals?
Competency 0004
As a formal assessment of students' achievement of learning objectives.
As an informal check for students' general understanding of content.
As a formal evaluation of students' written communication skills.
As an informal measure of students' overall cognitive development.
A student receives a percentile rank of 75 on a nationally standardized mathmatics achievement test that includes 200 test items. The teacher would most accurately interpret this score for the student in which of the following ways?
Your score means that you responded correctly to 75 percent or 150 of the questions that were included on the test.
You scored 75 percent above the average score earned by other students in your grade level who took the test at the same time you did.
Your score means that 75 percent of students who took the test scored better than you did, while 25 percent received lower scores.
You scored the same as or better than 75 percent of the students in the sample group who originally took this test.
A teacher could best use the results of a criterion-referenced test to obtain information about:
Competency 0004
Student's mastery of a particular knowledge or skills.
The performance of a group of students relative to that age of peers.
Student performance levels required to earn a given grade.
The average ability level within a class or other group of students.
In which of the following instructional situations would it be most appropriate for a teacher to select an essay test to assess students' mastery of a topic?
Competency 0004
The teacher wants to provide an authentic context in which students can demonstrate content knowledge
The teacher wants to measure students' knowledge of a broad range of factual information
The teacher wants to minimize the role of subjectivity in evaluating students' understanding of the content.
The teacher wants to evaluate the students' ability to integrate information and communicate knowledge.
A middle school teacher often gives students a brief pretest before beginning a new instructional unit. The teacher can best use the information gained from this preliminary assessment for which of the following purposes?
Competency 0004
Diagnosing learning problems in individual students that could affect their performance during the unit.
Defining the level of knowledge required to achieve mastery for each instructional objective in the unit.
Determining a suitable point at which to begin whole-class instruction of unit content.
Selecting activities for the unit that are relevant to students' interests and experiences.
On the first day of class, a math teacher explains to students that they will be evaluated based on class participation, homework, weekly quizzes, and biweekly exams. The greatest advantage of the teacher's use of these assessments is that this practice:
Competency 0004
Engages students in self-regulation to help them develop effective learning strategies.
Provides the teacher with sufficient quantitative information to arrive at an average score for final grades.
Motivates students to become actively involved in class and to complete assignments.
Allows the teacher to closely monitor the effectiveness of instruction and student progress.
A checklist would likely be most useful and appropriate for achieving which of the following assessment goals in an elementary classroom?
Competency 0004
Monitoring students' use of various reading skills and strategies as they read orally.
Evaluating students' mastery of content covered during an instructional unit.
Analyzing steps used by students to solve mathematical problems at various levels of complexity.
Documenting students' overall level of academic effort and improvement over time.
During a six-week mathematics unit, a teacher gives the class a quiz each Friday to assess students' understanding of the content that was covered that week. The students perform well on the Friday quiz for weeks 1 and 2 but then score very poorly on the quiz for week 3. The teacher can best respond to the students' poor performance by using which of the following approaches?
Creating a unit test that places greater weight on week 3 content than on other unit content.
Reviewing week 3 content at the end of the unit when the students have a stronger knowledge base.
Agreeing to ignore results for the week 3 quiz if student performance improves on later unit quizzes.
Reteaching week 3 content before moving on to the content planned for week 4 of the unit.
A teacher plans to give students a test that includes both multiple-choice questions and essay questons. The class includes a student with a learning disability in written expression. The teacher can most appropriately adapt the unit test to meet the student's needs by using which of the following approaches?
Competency 0004
Applying more lenient criteria to evaluate the student's performance on the essay portion of the test.
Having the student answer additional multiple-choice questions as an alternative to the essay questions.
Giving the student as much time as required to complete the essay portion of the test.
Allowing the student to provide oral responses to the teacher or a scribe to complete the essay questions.
A teacher is planning a presentation to introduce a complex concept to the students in a seventh-grade class. The teacher is aware that some students in the class find it easy to grasp conceptual content that involves use of abstract thinking, while others have much more difficulty. The teacher can best help ensure all students success in learning the targeted concept by:
Competency 0005
Assigning the class to read those sections of their textbook that are relevant to the concept before the presentation occurs.
Using examples and non-examples, analogies and visual representations during the presentation to clarify and reinforce the concept.
Having students respond in writing to questions about the concept that are geared to a variety of cognitive levels after the presentation occurs.
Pausing periodically during the presentation to summarize what has already been covered and preview what the teacher will address next.
A mathematics teacher is formulating lesson objectives for an upcoming instructional unit. Which of the following should be the teacher's primary guide in this process?
Competency 0005
The relevant mathematics standards prescribed by the state for students in the appropriate grade level.
The results of students' past performance on the mathematics achievement tests
The lesson activities outlined in the mathematics textbook that will be used in instruction.
The results of a student survey designed to solicit information on interests and needs in mathematics.
A kindergarten class includes a number of students who have little or no prior experience with books. The teacher uses various strategies to promote the students' understanding and appreciation of reading, including reading them stories aloud on a regular basis. In selecting stories to read aloud to these students, the teacher should place the greatest emphasis on identifying stories that:
Competency 0005
Reinforce elements of the kindergarten curriculum for students.
Will expose the students to relevant and specific points of view.
Include characters familiar to the students from their common experiences.
Will be engaging and developmentally appropriate for the students.
Students in a third grade class are studying habitats. The class has briefly discussed some of the issues related to the shrinking of rain forests around the world, and the teacher would like to help students gain a deeper understanding of these issues. One strategy the teacher plans to use is to have students read and respond to recent magazine articles on these issues. In selecting articles for this activity, the teacher's primary goal should be to select articles that:
Competency 0005
Present information using various types of tables and graphs.
Can be read and understood by students with different knowledge and skill levels.
Are free from content that could be considered controversial
Include bibliographies of materials for students who wish to study the topic independently.
The second grade teachers in a school are planning thier first cross-curricular unit. The teachrs have reviewed relevant content standards and identified cooperating and sharing as the unifying theme for the unit. Which of the following would be the most appropriate and effective step for the teachers to take next in the planning process for this unit?
Competency 0005
Preparing a list of instructional materials related to the theme of the unit that the individual teachers can use to plan lessons.
Assigning each teacher a specific task for planning activities and assignments that support the theme of the unit.
Creating a standard format for written lesson plans that reflects the targeted standards as well as the theme of the unit.
Identifying connections between specific thematic content objectives and other areas of the grade level curriculum.
A number of students in an elementary class have been identified as academically gifted. Which of the following instructional adaptations would be most appropriate for the teacher to make to effectively meet the needs of these students?
Competency 0005
Establishing a more rigorous criteria for grading the students on work assigned to the class.
Using the students' self-assessment of their work as the primary basis for evaluating their performance.
Assisting the students in designing their own independent projects related to current unit topics.
Giving the students additional assignments to complete when they finish work assigned to the class.
A middle-school history class includes students with a wide range of reading abilities. the teacher is planning to assign an independent research report on the Great Depression. Which of the following accommodations would best address the range in students' reading abilities?
Competency 0005
Have students use the dictionary to define a list of vocabulary terms they are likely to encounter, prior to beginning thier research.
Allow studetns to use a variety of print and digital resources at varying levels of difficulty, to increase students' access to the content.
Pair struggling readers with stronger readers and encourage the stronger readers to assist their partners with research tasks as needed.
Assign struggling readers research topics that focus primarily on lower-level cognitive skill, and adjust the grading expectations accordingly.
At the end of each day's lesson, a teacher takes a few minutes to provide closure through the use of summary questions (eg - "what were the four major ideas covered in today's lesson?") Regular use of this practice increases instructional effectiveness primarily by:
Competency 0005
Consolidating key concepts of a lesson and helping students integrate the concepts into their existing knowledge.
Helping students monitor their own comprehension of a lesson so they know correct answers for a test.
Encouraging students to construct their own understandings fo lesson content and view the content as meaningful.
Promoting students' ability to access their prior knowledge in future lessons.
A high school English class includes students who are from diverse backgrounds and circumstances and who are performing at a range of achievement levels, many below grade level. The teacher is planning a unit on the short story genre. A preliminary outline of the unit's introductory activities is shown below:
Activity 1
Define the short story genre and its characteristics. Identify and describe several short stories as examples.
Activity 2
Provide students with copies of a short story to read. Have them write questions or notes about their reading in the margins.
Activity 3
Have students discuss the short story in pairs or small groups, followed by a whole-class discussion of the story.
Activity 4:
Assign students to read the short story that begins on page 75 in their textbook and answer the comprehension questions for homework.
Which of the following is likely to be the most important positive outcome of having students discuss their reading in pairs and small groups (activity 3) before engaging the whole class in a discussion?
competency 0006
Prompting students to set their own personal goals for learning and achievement
Providing students access to collaborative learning activities.
Givin students an opportunity to refine, modify, and extend their understanding of content.
Preparing the students' to assess other students' level of understanding with the content.
A teacher who wishes to provide students with a background of factual information related to a specific topic can best do so by emphasizing use of which of the following methods?
competency 0006
Cooperative learning
Direct instruction
discovery learning
whole-class discussion.
Students in a health class will be using digital and web-based resources to gather nformation for an upcoming research project. The teacher can best promote students' effective use of these resources by providing instruction in which of the following areas?
competency 0006
Scanning the digital text for relevant words and phrases
Evaluating the accuracy and reliabilty of the web-based information
Using standard methods for downloading web-based information
Recognizing the unique benefits of digital information sources.
Which of the following steps would be most helpful and appropriate for a teacher to take first in planning differentiated instruction to help the students in a class achieve a particular learning goal?
competency 0006
Determining the students' various levels of readiness and need in relation to the defined learning goal.
Identifying a variety of texts and other resources related to the defined learning goal
Conducting an informal survey to determine student attitudes regarding the defined learning goal.
Creating heterogeneous groups of students who will work together on activities related ot the defined learning goal.
Which of the following language arts activities would best promote the development of elementary students' higher-order thinking skills?
competency 0006
Examining the persuasive techniques used in advertisements for a popular soft drink
Surveying their peers about the character they most admire in a book the class has recently read.
Responding to a set of comprehension questions after reading a magazine article.
Following a checklist of steps for developing an oral presentation on a self-selected topic
A second-grade social studies teacher has students read several articles on recycling and the use of recycled materials. After reading the articles, students work in small groups to fill in a t-chart listing the pros and cons of recycling. This follow-up activity is likely to be particularly effective in helping students.
competency 0006
Recall important factual information included in the articles.
Improve their ability to comprehend technical content included in the articles
Analyze the information presented in the articles
Define complex vocabulary presented in teh articles.
Students in a third-grade class are studying volcanoes. The teacher wants to use technology to support students' understanding of the nature of volcanic activity. Which of the following strategies represents the most appropriate and effective use of technology for this purpose?
competency 0006
Arranging for students to use an online database of scientific journals to look for articles that describe volcanic activity.
Identifying websites that offer read-aloud versions of nonfiction science texts that allow students to work independently.
Providing links for students of developmentally appropriate websites to access streaming video of actual volcanic activity.
Having individual students summarize selected articles about volcanoes from an online science encyclopedia.
A primary grade teacher uses the approach shown below when presenting new content to students through direct instruction:
*Review related prior lesson(s)
*Present new material
*Provide guided practice with feedback
*Assign independent practice
The teacher's approach to direct instruction is most likely to have which of the following outcomes for student learning?
competency 0006
Ensuring students can demonstrate their knowledge on a summative assessment
Promoting students' ability to understand concepts quickly and efficiently
Enhancing students' ability to use a variety of learning strategies independently
Enabling students' mastery of fundamental concepts essential to future learning.
A primary grade teacher uses the approach shown below when presenting new content to students through direct instruction:
*Review related prior lesson(s)
*Present new material
*Provide guided practice with feedback
*Assign independent practice
The most important benefit of beginning direct instruction with a review of prior lessons is that this strategy:
competency 0006
Minimizes the amount of practice or reinforcement students will require to learn new material.
Enhances students' ability to monitor their own learning progress.
Provides students with a sense of continuity and logical extension in their learning.
Reduces the need for informal assessment of student learning.
Which of the following is the best example of a student exhibiting an intrinsic motivation to learn?
Competency 0007
A student maintains focus on an instructional task in order to earn free time to play a video game.
A student often looks to the teacher for feedback while working on a challenging long-term project
A student who has done poorly in a class agrees to write an extra paper to avoid getting a failing grade
A student decides to study a topic that was introduced briefly in class because of curiosity about the topic
A physical education teacher frequently has classes practice new skills in the context of competitions between individual students. Then the teacher evaluates students based on the outcomes of the competitions. For those students who generally exhibit average to poor motor skills, this approach is most likely to have which of the following effects?
Competency 0007
Impeding their ability to monitor their own progress in learning the targeted skills.
Enhancing confidence in their ability to learn difficult skills.
Diminishing their motivation to learn the targeted skills.
Encouraging them to establish challenging goals for themselves when learning new skills.
At the beginning of the year, a teacher is providing new seventh-grade students with an overview of the school's behavior guidelines. Which of the following teacher strategies during this overview would be most effective in facilitating student adherance to the guidelines?
Competency 0007
Having each student create a list of behaviors he or she believes would be acceptable under the guidelines
Providing students with clear examples and non-examples of each type of behavior addressed by the guidelines
Directing students to write down the guidelines and place them in their academic planners or binders
Discussing specific consequences experienced by students who failed to follow the guidelines in the past
In which of the following questioning situations would it be most appropriate for a teacher to wait less than three seconds for a student response?
Competency 0007
The teacher's emphasis is on enhancing student's ability to think creatively.
Students have extensive background knowledge about a discussion topic
Teh teacher's emphasis is on building student's automatic recall of factual information
Students are generally at similar levels of langauge development
A fifth grade teacher is introducing a lesson to the students about how to research for information about a topic. The teacher mentions that there will be a research project assignment for students during the school year. Which of the following teacher comments about this assignment best communicates high expectations for student performance?
Competency 0007
This project is a big research project, so you'll need to be sure to pay close attention to these lessons and activities.
To prepare yourself for this research project, you must develop strong organizational and time management skills.
Over the next few months you will learn the skills you will need for this research project, so you will be prepared and confident.
This may be the first time you have had to complete such an extensive research project, so let me know ight away if you fall behind.
A teacher is planning a science unit on living things. During a lesson on differences between plants and animals, the teacher will draw the following diagram on the board and then have students help fill in the diagram as the lesson proceeds.
Use of this diagram can be expected to enhance student learning primarily by:
Competency 0007
Facilitating students recall of relevant prior knowledge
Encouraging the use of divergent thinking in relation to lesson content
Clarifying complex ideas and relationships
Promoting students' self-monitoring of their own learning throughout the lesson
During the first few days of school, a middle school teacher has students engage in a number of activities designed to help them get to know one another and discover ways in which they are both different and similar. This strategy is likely to be a particularly effective first step in achieving which of the following goals?
Competency 0008
Creating a sense of community between students in the classroom.
Conveying high teacher expectations for learning.
Developing a classroom focused on student-initiated learning
Establishing norms for students' group interactions.
Each year a language arts teacher teaches a lesson on the nature of plagiarism that is designed to help students recognize actions that constitute plagiarism and promote their respect for the intellectual property of others. Incorporating this topic into instruction is likely to be most effective in helping students understand and and appreciate the importance of:
Competency 0008
Creative thinking
Academic thinking
Civic responsibility
self-directed learning
A middle school teacher wishes to promote students' ability to resolve conflicts among themselves productively and independently. The most effective first step in achieving this goal would be to engage students in activities designed to develop their ability to:
Competency 0008
Learn active listening strategies in order to understand multiple perspectives.
Identify de-escalation techniques to avoid serious conflict situations
Interpret body language to support effective interpersonal relationships
Understand the effects of different types of conflict on learning
Which of the following statements best describes the role that classroom routines play in creating a productive learning environment?
Competency 0008
They help ensure that students demonstrate appropriate behavior during teacher-directed activities.
They enhance students' ability to complete assigned learning tasks in a timely manner
They reduce miscommunication and negative interaction between students during small group activities.
They provide structure and predictability that allows students to focus their attention on learning
Which of the following questions would be most important for a teacher to consider when evaluating a possible physical arrangement for the classroom?
Competency 0008
Will this arrangement foster in each student a sense of personal space within the classroom?
Does this arrangement allow me to visually monitor students activities from any point in the classroom?
Will this arrangement continue to be effective in supporting student learning throughout the school year?
Does this arrangement help reinforce to students my authority as the teacher?
An elementary teacher makes a practice of regularly displaying students' work in the classroom. The teacher displays work that represents progress as well as work that represents exemplary performace in one or more aspects of an assignment. Which of the following is likely to be the primary benefit of this practice?
Competency 0008
Establishing a learning environment that is visually stimulating to students
Providing students with a frame of reference for evaluating their own performance
Creating an inviting environment in which students feel a sense of ownership and pride
Communicating to students the general expectations for their learning and achievement
Which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective in fostering prosocial behaviors in kindergarten students?
Competency 0008
Modeling the desired behaviors for students consistently in the context of everyday classroom situations
Inviting the school counselor to discuss examples of the desired behaviors with students
Issuing frequent verbal reminders to students about using the desired behaviors
Creating a bulletin board or other classroom display illustrating the desired behaviors.
While meeting with small reading groups in one corner of the classroom, a teacher sits against the wall in order to observe students who are working together in centers or independently at thier desks. The teacher visually scans the classroom from time to time and redirects students as needed. The most important benefit of this approach is that it:
Competency 0008
promotes students' recognition of their own responsibility for maintaining the overall momentum of instruction
Facilitates the teacher's ability to maintain students' on task behavior in a complex learning environment
Promotes students reflection on and ongoing evaluation of their own behavior and learning on an ongoing basis
Helps the teacher communicate to students that the classroom is a safe and secure environment in which to learn.
Each day as students enter the classroom they move their nametags from the main board to the "buying" or "bringing lunch" board. As students unpack their belongings, the teacher notes absences indicated by unmoved nametags as well as the lunch count for the day. Which of the following statements provides the best rationale for this procedure?
Competency 0008
Giving each student a specific role in the operation of the classroom helps develop students' organizational skills
The effective use of routines saves a significant amount of time for instruction over the course of the school year.
Transition activities can promote students' learning even when they are not receiving formal instruction
The implementation of standard classroom procedures minimizes unneccessary student questions.
Which of the following factors is likely to be the most significant barrier to a teacher's ability to communicate effectively with parents/guardians
Competency 0009
The teacher rarely attends meetings of the parent/teacher organization and other schoolwide events
The teacher relies heavily on "I" statements when sharing concerns with parents/guardians
The teacher fails to provide parents/guardians with his or her home telephone number
The teacher uses educational terms and jargon without context in conversations with parents/guardians
Which of the following is an important guideline for a teacher to follow when meeting with parents/guardians from diverse cultural backgrounds?
Monitor nonverbal communication (eg proximity, eye contact) to avoid inadvertently offending the parents/guardians
Keep detailed notes of comments made by the parents/guardians to avoid misunderstandings and ensure clear communication
Adhere closely to a specific agenda (eg teacher expectations, student grades) to keep the discussion focused and productive.
Limit social communication and small talk to project a professional image to the parents/guardians
A new teacher can best facilitate collaborative relationships with specialists and others in teh school community by taking which of the following actions first?
Competency 0009
Learning about the roles that specialists and other staff members play and how they contribute to the school's overall functioning
Volunteering for the same school committees on which specialists and other staff members work
Visiting the work areas or classrooms of specialists and other staff members to observe their activities in person as time allows
Socializing with as many specialists and other staff members as possible during the first few days of school
A first grade teacher distributes a form, available in students' home languages to parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year. Part of the form is shown below. Which of the following is likely to be the greatest benefit of this approach?
Competency 0009
Promoting ongoing communication with parents/guardians about expectations and activities in the teacher's classroom
Establishing a relationship of trust between the teacher and the students' parents/guardians
Communicating a welcoming attitude to paretns/guardians regarding their involvement in the life of the classroom
Fostering parents'/guardians sense of mutual responsibility for thier children's school achievement.
A second grade teacher is sending a note to the parents/guardians of a usually well behaved student who has cried and refused to comply with the teacher's requests three times in the last week. In composing this note, the teacher would be best advised to:
competency 0009
Provide a detailed description of each incident that has occured and any other students' actions.
Request information about any family issues that may be causing the observed problems in class.
Ask the parents/guardians to establish consequences at home when the student is acting inappropriately
Invite the parents/guardians to a meeting to explore collaborative actions to suppport the student.
A teacher often discusses upcoming unit topcis and planned lesson activities with the school's art and music teachers and considers ways to integrate fine arts and content-area instruction. Which of the following is likely to be a positive outcome for the teachers of incorporating this approach?
Competency 0009
Helping ensure consistency in the instructional aproaches used across subject areas.
Enhancing the accountability of teachers for the school's academic performance
Minimizing the potential for redundancy in curriculum goals and objectives
Promoting a climate of professional collaboration and mutual support.
Which of the following describes the most effective use of community resources to enhance student learning?
Competency 0009
A local restaurant owner provides refreshments for a special evening event featuring student projects
College students help supervise a class during a field trip to alocal museum
A local veterinarian makes a presentation about pet care and answers students' questions
Students make decorations and perform seasonal songs for residents of a local senior center.
In which of the following situations would it be most important for a ninth-grade history teacher to consult with his or her principal or supervisor before moving forward with an instructional plan?
competency 0010
The teacher is planning to show students an excerpt from a popular movie that depicts a version of a historical event currently being studied
The teacher is planning to invite a well-known law professor who works closely with local advocacy groups, to talk to students about free speech
The teacher is planning to engage students in an activity that simulates various discriminatory practices to raise their awareness of the harmful effects of discriminiation
The teacher is planning to expand up the textbook readings with several written accounts by eyewitnesses that elaborate and explain a historical event
A teacher observes that a student has a number of fresh bruises on the arms and what appears to be an older bruise on the neck. This physical evidence and observations of the student's behavior lead the teacehr to believe the student may be experiencing physical violence in the home. In this situation, the teacher is required by law to:
Competency 0010
Place a report documenting the bruises and other observations in the student's school records.
Question the student directly about the cause of the bruises
Ensure that the student's bruises are reported to appropriate authorities as evidence of possible physical abuse.
Have the school nurse examine the student for other bruises or injuries.
A teacher can best ensure the effectiveness of a teaching portfolio as a tool for professional development by using which of the following strategies?
competency 0010
Verifying that there is variety in the items selected as evidence of the teacher's knowledge and skills
Having a colleague review the items selected periodically to check for thoroughness, accuracy and coherence
Writing a rationale for each item selected describing how the item reflects the teacher's knowledge, skills and growth
Organizing the items selected chronologically to illustrate changes in skills over time.
At the end of each instructional unit, a teacher thinks about the lessons and activities included in the unit and the degree to which students achieved unit objectives. Which of the following questions would best guide this reflection?
Competency 0010
Which elements of this unit did I find most satisfying to teach?
What changes would I make when teaching this unit in the future?
In what ways does this unit support the goals of the overall curriculum?
What is the optimal time frame for teaching the unit?
With regard to children's education, parents/guardians are required by law to:
Competency 0010
Monitor the accuracy and accessibility of their child's educational records
Share information about their child's development with appropriate school staff
Participate in decisions related to their child's school curriculum
Ensure that their child meets the state's minimum requiremetn for school attendance.
Federal law requires that schools honor which of the following requests by parents/guardians?
competency 0010
To reassess their child's academic performance using a different standardized testing instrument
To inspect and review their child's educational record.
To delete reference to disciplinary actions from their child's records upon transfer to another school
To allow their child to attend a specific school within the district
One of the goals in an elementary school is to ensure educational equity for all students. Teachers in the school can best help evaluate their own performance in this area by asking themselves whether they are:
competency 0010
Giving all students opportunities to provide input into curricular decision making
Supporting all students in meeting high standards of achievement
Using nontraditional assessments to evaluate all students' academic progress
Using similar instructional methods and materials with all students.
A new teacher and the teacher's assigned mentor have decided that they will meet every other week. The new teacher can best help ensure that the meetings will be as productive as possible by using which of the following approaches?
competency 0010
Expecting the mentor to take the lead in identifying the topic(s) to be addressed each meeting.
Taking careful notes each meeting and reviewing the notes when the meeting is over
Arriving at each meeting prepared to share specific issues or concerns that have arisen in the classroom
Reviewing current research about relevant educational issues before each meeting occurs.
During a lesson in an elementary classroom, a student asks a question that the teacher does not know how to answer. The teacher responds by saying "What an interesting qusetion! I'd really like to know that myself. Let's find the answer together." The teacher helps the class research the qusetion and then leads a class discussion about the findings and identifying related questions for future research. Which of the following is likely to be the most important benefit of the teacher's actions?
competency 0010
Giving students an opportunity to explore grade level content from varied perspectives
Modeling for students intellectual curiosity and strategies for pursuing new learning
Promoting student's use of divergent thinking in relation to grade level content
Prompting students' self-reflection on their understanding of learning strategies.
