FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12
(Competency 2)
Questions And Answers
2023
Assessment - ANSWER-The systematic gathering and analysis of
... [Show More] information about students in order to
make decisions that may benefit their educational experience. It is an ongoing process of monitoring
student learning and identifying areas of strength and weakness. The ultimate goal is to improve student
achievement, and thus it can be considered a formative activity.
Screening Assessments - ANSWER-Are administered to all students in a particular group, such as a grade
or a school. It is typically carried out at the beginning of the school year, as in the example of a vision
screening administered to all incoming kindergarten students. The goal is to identify, as early as possible,
students who may need extra academic support.
Pre-Referral Assessments - ANSWER-Are administered to individual students before formally referring
them for special education. They typically provide more information than what can be obtained through
screening. It can be used to determine which instructional modifications are likely to help the student, and
whether these modifications are successful (thereby allowing a formal referral for special education to be
avoided in some cases). They can also be used to document the need for formal referral for special
education, and may then become part of the student's IEP.
Diagnostic Assessments - ANSWER-Are administered to individual students who may need extra support.
In some cases, diagnostic assessments are used because screening has suggested the presence of a
disability. In other cases, the diagnostic assessment is used because the student has already been referred
for special education and more information is needed. They provide more in-depth understanding of a
child's skills and instructional needs than screening assessments do. The goal is to determine areas of
strength and weakness for a particular student. In some cases, the assessment is also designed to identify
the nature of the student's disability.
Progress Monitoring Assessments - ANSWER-Are used to determine whether an individual student's
progress is adequate. It is conducted frequently over some finite period of time, and it often focuses on one
specific academic area (e.g., reading fluency) or behavioral dimension (e.g., impulse control). The actual
assessments used could be informal or formal and administered either before or after participation in
special education services. Examples are the curriculum-based measurement approaches.
Outcome Assessments - ANSWER-Are used to determine the extent of student achievement at the end of
the school year or other significant time period. Example: state-mandated achievement tests.
Accommodations - ANSWER-Adjustments to the way the assessments are administered. There are 4 types
of accommodations: presentation, response, setting, and scheduling.
Presentation Accommodations - ANSWER-Involves changes to the format of information presented in the
assessment. Examples: increased sized font and response bubbles, increase spacing between items,.. [Show Less]