TEXES: SPECIAL EDUCATION EC-12 PRACTICE TEST 1
(FLASH CARDS) | TOP SCORES MADE SIMPLE | TRUSTED
TEST SOLUTIONS!
Two co-teachers choose to use the "One Teach, One Observe" model for a lesson on
volcanoes. What would this model look like in action? Answer: . A. One teacher would
pretend to be a reporter on location at a volcanic eruption, reporting what she sees,
while the other teacher presents the normal progression of a volcanic eruption.
B. One teacher presents the normal progression of a volcanic eruption, using visuals
and 3-D models, while the other teacher watches the students in the class and keeps
notes on their levels of participation and conceptual understanding.
C. One teacher presents information to the boys while the other teacher presents the
same information to the girls.
D. One teacher sets up a station with a model of an erupting volcano and the other
teacher sets up an interactive whiteboard activity that involves labeling the parts of a
volcano. Students rotate between the stations.
(B) The correct response is (B). The "One Teach, One Observe" co-teaching model is
ideal for gathering informal observational data on students. While one teacher presents
the lesson, the other teacher circulates around the room and makes notes about
students' behavior, level of participation, and level of conceptual understanding. (A) is
incorrect because it describes a team teaching model. (C) is incorrect because it
describes a parallel teaching model. (D) is incorrect because it describes a station-
teaching model.
When talking to parents on the phone or at a parent-teacher conference, the most
important thing a teacher can do is to Answer: A. have documented examples for every
problem the teacher has with the student.B. have an answer for every question parents
ask.C. praise the parents for their outstanding parenting skills.D. take time to listen to
the parents' responses and concerns, and note anything that requires follow-up.
(D) The correct response is (D). When talking with parents, the most important thing
teachers can do is be respectful and responsive listeners. Parents have a wealth of
information about their child and can often help problem-solve situations or anticipate
where conflicts might occur. In any conversation, when participants feels they have an
opportunity to speak and truly be listened to, they tend to feel more positive about the
1
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
,situation and more willing to compromise to find a solution. (A) is incorrect because,
while documentation and examples are good things to have, going into a phone call or
conference with only problems is likely to lead to negative interactions. (B) is incorrect
because teachers do not need to have every answer in a conversation. If a teacher
does not have an answer, the best approach is to be honest and then note the question
and promise to follow up and get the answer. (C) is incorrect because praise, when
genuine, is a positive aspect to the conversation, but it is not the most important
element of a problem-solving parent-teacher conference.
A middle-school special education teacher reviews a student's grades as part of
planning her IEP goals for the next ARD. She sees the following:
Jan Doe Report Card
Reading 80
Language Arts 60
Mathematics 88
Science 80
Social Studies 65
Physical Education 95
Music 84
When the teacher reflects on the general education teachers the student has, she
knows that the reading teacher incorporates a lot of movement and critical thinking
activities into her lesson plans. The language arts teacher requires students to write a
paper every week as homework. The social studies teacher assigns chapters and gives
open-ended unit tests. The science teacher has students conduct at least two
experiments per week. The teacher might conclude that Answer: A. the student wants
to be an astronaut.
B. the student only likes PE.
C. the student may be a tactile/kinesthetic learner and needs some explicit reading and
writing strategy instruction
.D. the student may be an auditory learner and clearly does not like her social studies
and language arts teachers.
(C) The correct response is (C). The student's best grade is in PE, and her second-best
grade is in a class that emphasizes hands-on experiences; so there are a couple of
indications that she may be a tactile/kinesthetic learner. The special education teacher
2
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
,would have to confirm this through observation and learning styles inventories. The low
grades in the content areas of language arts and social studies are a tip-off to the
student's struggles with reading and writing. The fact that the reading teacher
incorporates movement into her lesson plans may be part of the reason the reading
grade is passing. (A) is incorrect as the student's good grade in science is not indicative
of a career choice. (B) is incorrect because a high grade in any class is not definite
evidence that a student likes that class exclusively. (D) is incorrect because there is no
evidence of the student being an auditory learner, and poor grades do not always
translate into dislike.
One week before a geography teacher begins the next unit in the textbook, her co-
teacher conducts an activity where he provides each student with half an index card
with part of a word on it. Students have to stand and find the student who has the other
half of their card. Then they work with their partner to find the definition for the
vocabulary word on their card and draw a picture of what the word represents. The
purpose of this lesson is to Answer: A. give students a break from the textbook.
B. preteach vocabulary and thus improve students' ability to read and understand the
next chapter.
C. show that all geography-related vocabulary words make great pictures.
D. give the co-teacher a chance to conduct a lesson.
(B) The correct response is (B). Preteaching vocabulary is a research-based strategy for
improving reading comprehension. In a content-area class such as geography, students
encounter a number of academic vocabulary words that they must understand to grasp
central concepts. A hands-on vocabulary strategy like the one described helps students
take ownership of the words they will encounter in the unit. (A) is incorrect because,
while the activity is a break from the textbook, that is not the reason for the activity. (C)
is incorrect because not all geography terms are easily visualized. (D) is incorrect
because part of co-teaching is conducting lessons when appropriate and coaching from
the side at other times. It all depends on the dynamic between the co-teacher and the
general education teacher.
A special education teacher works with a biology teacher to create a mind map of the
upcoming unit on plants. The most likely purpose for this collaboration is Answer: A. to
help both teachers identify the big ideas and how they are related to each other so that
they can identify the key elements to assess as the unit progresses.
B. for the biology teacher to be able to teach the special education teacher science
concepts.
C. to show that minds have branches and roots just like plants.
3
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
, D. for the special education teacher to show the biology teacher a cool new technique
she just learned at a staff development meeting.
(A) The correct response is (A). A mind map is a diagram that visually outlines key
information. It is an excellent strategy for working through the key ideas of a unit of
study. By collaborating on a mind map, the two teachers are figuring out the key
concepts they will emphasize in instruction so that they can accurately assess student
understanding during and after the unit. (B) is incorrect as this is collaborative planning,
not one teaching the other. (C) is incorrect as the decision to use a mind map was not
due to the topic being about plants. (D) is incorrect as the two teachers are using a
common tool to plan together, not showing off a new idea.
Which of the following is NOT a strategy that will help a teacher conduct productive and
positive parent-teacher meetings? Answer: A. State at the beginning of the meeting
that the teacher has only 10 minutes and will have to end the meeting as soon as those
10 minutes are up.
B. Develop a clear purpose for the meeting, state the purpose at the beginning of the
meeting, and summarize how this purpose was accomplished at the end of the meeting
.C. Start the meeting by noting some of the positive aspects of the child's performance
and behavior.
D. Schedule the meeting time around the parents' schedule needs.
(A) The correct response is (A). Limiting a parent meeting to 10 minutes and making it
clear that the meeting is not the teacher's top priority is a sure way to put parents in a
defensive position. Such a short time span makes it difficult to have time for parent
questions or for teacher-parent brainstorming and problem solving. When scheduling
parent meetings, scheduling a minimum of 20 minutes and being available in case the
meeting runs longer will go a long way toward building positive interactions. (B), (C),
and (D) are all strategies to promote positive parent-teacher meetings and are,
therefore, incorrect.
A sixth-grade social studies teacher is having difficulty motivating several students who
are tactile/kinesthetic learners. The best way to deal with the problem is to Answer: A.
show a series of images related to the upcoming unit on the interactive whiteboard.B.
have the students read the next chapter in class, with each student expected to read a
paragraph out loud.C. play a recording of sounds associated with the content of the next
chapter and have students guess what they are.D. place sheets of chart paper around
the room. On each one, write an open-ended question about a debatable issue related
to the content of the next unit. Have students walk around the room and write their
stance on each issue.
4
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
(FLASH CARDS) | TOP SCORES MADE SIMPLE | TRUSTED
TEST SOLUTIONS!
Two co-teachers choose to use the "One Teach, One Observe" model for a lesson on
volcanoes. What would this model look like in action? Answer: . A. One teacher would
pretend to be a reporter on location at a volcanic eruption, reporting what she sees,
while the other teacher presents the normal progression of a volcanic eruption.
B. One teacher presents the normal progression of a volcanic eruption, using visuals
and 3-D models, while the other teacher watches the students in the class and keeps
notes on their levels of participation and conceptual understanding.
C. One teacher presents information to the boys while the other teacher presents the
same information to the girls.
D. One teacher sets up a station with a model of an erupting volcano and the other
teacher sets up an interactive whiteboard activity that involves labeling the parts of a
volcano. Students rotate between the stations.
(B) The correct response is (B). The "One Teach, One Observe" co-teaching model is
ideal for gathering informal observational data on students. While one teacher presents
the lesson, the other teacher circulates around the room and makes notes about
students' behavior, level of participation, and level of conceptual understanding. (A) is
incorrect because it describes a team teaching model. (C) is incorrect because it
describes a parallel teaching model. (D) is incorrect because it describes a station-
teaching model.
When talking to parents on the phone or at a parent-teacher conference, the most
important thing a teacher can do is to Answer: A. have documented examples for every
problem the teacher has with the student.B. have an answer for every question parents
ask.C. praise the parents for their outstanding parenting skills.D. take time to listen to
the parents' responses and concerns, and note anything that requires follow-up.
(D) The correct response is (D). When talking with parents, the most important thing
teachers can do is be respectful and responsive listeners. Parents have a wealth of
information about their child and can often help problem-solve situations or anticipate
where conflicts might occur. In any conversation, when participants feels they have an
opportunity to speak and truly be listened to, they tend to feel more positive about the
1
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
,situation and more willing to compromise to find a solution. (A) is incorrect because,
while documentation and examples are good things to have, going into a phone call or
conference with only problems is likely to lead to negative interactions. (B) is incorrect
because teachers do not need to have every answer in a conversation. If a teacher
does not have an answer, the best approach is to be honest and then note the question
and promise to follow up and get the answer. (C) is incorrect because praise, when
genuine, is a positive aspect to the conversation, but it is not the most important
element of a problem-solving parent-teacher conference.
A middle-school special education teacher reviews a student's grades as part of
planning her IEP goals for the next ARD. She sees the following:
Jan Doe Report Card
Reading 80
Language Arts 60
Mathematics 88
Science 80
Social Studies 65
Physical Education 95
Music 84
When the teacher reflects on the general education teachers the student has, she
knows that the reading teacher incorporates a lot of movement and critical thinking
activities into her lesson plans. The language arts teacher requires students to write a
paper every week as homework. The social studies teacher assigns chapters and gives
open-ended unit tests. The science teacher has students conduct at least two
experiments per week. The teacher might conclude that Answer: A. the student wants
to be an astronaut.
B. the student only likes PE.
C. the student may be a tactile/kinesthetic learner and needs some explicit reading and
writing strategy instruction
.D. the student may be an auditory learner and clearly does not like her social studies
and language arts teachers.
(C) The correct response is (C). The student's best grade is in PE, and her second-best
grade is in a class that emphasizes hands-on experiences; so there are a couple of
indications that she may be a tactile/kinesthetic learner. The special education teacher
2
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
,would have to confirm this through observation and learning styles inventories. The low
grades in the content areas of language arts and social studies are a tip-off to the
student's struggles with reading and writing. The fact that the reading teacher
incorporates movement into her lesson plans may be part of the reason the reading
grade is passing. (A) is incorrect as the student's good grade in science is not indicative
of a career choice. (B) is incorrect because a high grade in any class is not definite
evidence that a student likes that class exclusively. (D) is incorrect because there is no
evidence of the student being an auditory learner, and poor grades do not always
translate into dislike.
One week before a geography teacher begins the next unit in the textbook, her co-
teacher conducts an activity where he provides each student with half an index card
with part of a word on it. Students have to stand and find the student who has the other
half of their card. Then they work with their partner to find the definition for the
vocabulary word on their card and draw a picture of what the word represents. The
purpose of this lesson is to Answer: A. give students a break from the textbook.
B. preteach vocabulary and thus improve students' ability to read and understand the
next chapter.
C. show that all geography-related vocabulary words make great pictures.
D. give the co-teacher a chance to conduct a lesson.
(B) The correct response is (B). Preteaching vocabulary is a research-based strategy for
improving reading comprehension. In a content-area class such as geography, students
encounter a number of academic vocabulary words that they must understand to grasp
central concepts. A hands-on vocabulary strategy like the one described helps students
take ownership of the words they will encounter in the unit. (A) is incorrect because,
while the activity is a break from the textbook, that is not the reason for the activity. (C)
is incorrect because not all geography terms are easily visualized. (D) is incorrect
because part of co-teaching is conducting lessons when appropriate and coaching from
the side at other times. It all depends on the dynamic between the co-teacher and the
general education teacher.
A special education teacher works with a biology teacher to create a mind map of the
upcoming unit on plants. The most likely purpose for this collaboration is Answer: A. to
help both teachers identify the big ideas and how they are related to each other so that
they can identify the key elements to assess as the unit progresses.
B. for the biology teacher to be able to teach the special education teacher science
concepts.
C. to show that minds have branches and roots just like plants.
3
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
, D. for the special education teacher to show the biology teacher a cool new technique
she just learned at a staff development meeting.
(A) The correct response is (A). A mind map is a diagram that visually outlines key
information. It is an excellent strategy for working through the key ideas of a unit of
study. By collaborating on a mind map, the two teachers are figuring out the key
concepts they will emphasize in instruction so that they can accurately assess student
understanding during and after the unit. (B) is incorrect as this is collaborative planning,
not one teaching the other. (C) is incorrect as the decision to use a mind map was not
due to the topic being about plants. (D) is incorrect as the two teachers are using a
common tool to plan together, not showing off a new idea.
Which of the following is NOT a strategy that will help a teacher conduct productive and
positive parent-teacher meetings? Answer: A. State at the beginning of the meeting
that the teacher has only 10 minutes and will have to end the meeting as soon as those
10 minutes are up.
B. Develop a clear purpose for the meeting, state the purpose at the beginning of the
meeting, and summarize how this purpose was accomplished at the end of the meeting
.C. Start the meeting by noting some of the positive aspects of the child's performance
and behavior.
D. Schedule the meeting time around the parents' schedule needs.
(A) The correct response is (A). Limiting a parent meeting to 10 minutes and making it
clear that the meeting is not the teacher's top priority is a sure way to put parents in a
defensive position. Such a short time span makes it difficult to have time for parent
questions or for teacher-parent brainstorming and problem solving. When scheduling
parent meetings, scheduling a minimum of 20 minutes and being available in case the
meeting runs longer will go a long way toward building positive interactions. (B), (C),
and (D) are all strategies to promote positive parent-teacher meetings and are,
therefore, incorrect.
A sixth-grade social studies teacher is having difficulty motivating several students who
are tactile/kinesthetic learners. The best way to deal with the problem is to Answer: A.
show a series of images related to the upcoming unit on the interactive whiteboard.B.
have the students read the next chapter in class, with each student expected to read a
paragraph out loud.C. play a recording of sounds associated with the content of the next
chapter and have students guess what they are.D. place sheets of chart paper around
the room. On each one, write an open-ended question about a debatable issue related
to the content of the next unit. Have students walk around the room and write their
stance on each issue.
4
APPHIA - Crafted with Care and Precision for Academic Excellence.
