ABCTE PTK EVALUATION EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Which of the following is an accurate definition of a "Standard Error of
Measurement"? - ✔✔The difference between the actual score that a student achieves
on an exam and her hypothetical score. Answer Explanation: A behavioral objective
should contain an action verb that can be measured to determine if students have
accomplished the objective. The verbs in the other answer choices are difficult, if not
impossible, to measure.
✔✔Which of the following prompts will require students to evaluate what they are
working on? - ✔✔"What is the most important?" Answer Explanation: It directs students
to make a judgment or form an opinion about something, a clear instance of evaluation.
✔✔A young girl being teased by a male classmate responds by cursing at him. Which of
the following is an appropriate teacher response to the obscenity? - ✔✔"In the future,
find more appropriate ways to express your anger." Answer Explanation: Effective
reprimands should set high expectations for the future and be supportive or neutral.
✔✔A state's annual report on statewide student performance on mandated
standardized tests includes a section in which the data is broken down by
socioeconomic status. This data is - ✔✔disaggregated. Answer Explanation:
"Disaggregated" means separated into parts. Breaking a set of data down into parts
does not make it biased or invalid.
✔✔The number occurring MOST frequently in a data set is called the - ✔✔MODE
Answer Explanation: The mode of any data set is the value that appears most
frequently.
✔✔An elementary school teacher tells his students he will give them stickers each time
they master a new part of the multiplication table (1s, 2s, 3s and so forth). What sort of
motivational system is he employing? - ✔✔Token economy Answer Explanation: The
students are given a reward—a "token" such as stickers, stars, chips, or privileges—for
achieving a goal.
✔✔Which of the following student activities would BEST introduce a middle school unit
on economics? - ✔✔Remember and list five times when you traded things with a friend
or family member. Pick one of them and write a paragraph describing it. Answer
Explanation: Each of the other choices involves higher-level processes and/or concepts
that are not appropriate subject material for an introductory lesson.
✔✔An art teacher plans to lead students through a survey of the various schools of
American art since the nineteenth century over the course of several weeks. How can
she ensure that her students retain the important ideas about each school of art? -
,✔✔Have students compare and contrast each new school of art to the previous ones.
Answer Explanation: Students retain information better when they use it, especially in
analytical ways. By comparing and contrasting each new school of art to the earlier
ones they have studied, the students will access previously taught information and think
about the new information they are learning.
✔✔During a class discussion, a teacher asks a student to evaluate President
Roosevelt's Public Works Association for its effectiveness as a means to alleviate
unemployment while benefiting the community. How long should the teacher wait for a
response? - ✔✔10 seconds Answer Explanation : Ten seconds is an appropriate length
of time to wait for an answer to a question that calls for high order thinking such as
evaluating.
✔✔Which of the following would be the MOST relevant homework assignment for a
lesson on the structure of a rain forest? - ✔✔Create a cluster diagram in a class labeled
"Layers of the rain forest" in the center and with the four rainforest layers as main ideas.
Ask students to fill in details and examples at home. Answer Explanation: This graphic
organizer focuses on the structure of the rain forest and helps students organize the
lesson material.
✔✔Which question below is MOST likely to generate the widest range of answers and
discussions among students? - ✔✔Why would the author have ended the book this
way? Answer Explanation: This question allows for both a wide range of answers and
discussion of those answers. The discussion is likely to be interesting because there are
so many possible answers to the question.
✔✔Why should a teacher always spend time explaining classroom rules during the first
few days of class? - ✔✔To establish clear expectations for performance and behavior.
Answer Explanation: Students benefit from clear, firm guidelines from the outset. The
rules should be changed only when necessary, not casually or according to student
demands, as implied in choices A and C.
✔✔Which of the methods below will BEST hold students accountable for their full
participation in cooperative learning groups? - ✔✔Assign each student in the group a
specific role in accomplishing the objectives of the activity. Answer Explanation: If each
student has a role in meeting the objectives and the activity is well structured, then all
students will be drawn into participating because they all have something to do.
✔✔When teachers share standardized test results with parents, there is a large amount
of information in the score report to be discussed. Which information will be of MOST
use to the typical parent? - ✔✔Specific areas of academic strength and weakness.
Answer Explanation: Parents will generally benefit most from specific information about
how to help their child succeed. When parents know their child's weaknesses, they can
emphasize working to improve them.
, ✔✔Suppose your objective for a lesson is "The student will demonstrate an ability to
differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks." Which of the
following is the BEST activity for introducing students to the attributes of each type of
rock? - ✔✔Students examine rocks belonging to each group and identify the similarities
and differences. The activity is followed by a group discussion in which the teacher
brings out the important characteristics of each type. Answer Explanation: Students
learn best when they are actively involved.
✔✔A group of students wants to produce an electronic magazine that publishes original
student writing and art. Their adviser is planning a unit to train them how to use a word-
processing application to create pages that include features such as images, multi-
column layouts, sidebars, headers, footers, links, and page backgrounds. Which of the
following would be the BEST culminating activity for this portion of the training? -
✔✔Small teams producing a document under proctored conditions, using specified
features, and within a time limit Answer Explanation: The purpose of the training is to
prepare students to apply what they learn. The team and time limit conditions make the
performance more realistic; the whole activity promotes retaining and transferring what
has been learned.
✔✔Which of the following is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to
students? - ✔✔Having students work on their own with specific information related to a
topic before giving an organizing lecture. Answer Explanation: Studies indicate that
topics need to be organized and connected in order to promote the transfer of
knowledge, but that a large number of topics covered quickly will hinder student transfer
because students have too little time to connect and organize the information.
✔✔Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one of the
following activities, which would BEST prepare the students for the test? - ✔✔Students
should make a chart of the important topics with notes on subtopics below each.
Answer Explanation: Organizational structures help students to connect and remember.
✔✔Which of the following learning objectives uses a higher order thinking skill? -
✔✔The student will create a metaphor to describe an emotion. Answer Explanation:
Bloom's Taxonomy identifies thinking skills in increasing order of sophistication as
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
✔✔Which of the following would provide the BEST introduction for a lesson on writing
bibliographic references? - ✔✔Demonstrate to students the specific procedure and
order expected. Answer Explanation: Writing bibliographic references is a procedure,
and procedures are best taught through demonstration.
✔✔Which of the following phrases BEST completes the following sentence?
"Vocabulary should be taught... - ✔✔in every subject area in order for students to
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Which of the following is an accurate definition of a "Standard Error of
Measurement"? - ✔✔The difference between the actual score that a student achieves
on an exam and her hypothetical score. Answer Explanation: A behavioral objective
should contain an action verb that can be measured to determine if students have
accomplished the objective. The verbs in the other answer choices are difficult, if not
impossible, to measure.
✔✔Which of the following prompts will require students to evaluate what they are
working on? - ✔✔"What is the most important?" Answer Explanation: It directs students
to make a judgment or form an opinion about something, a clear instance of evaluation.
✔✔A young girl being teased by a male classmate responds by cursing at him. Which of
the following is an appropriate teacher response to the obscenity? - ✔✔"In the future,
find more appropriate ways to express your anger." Answer Explanation: Effective
reprimands should set high expectations for the future and be supportive or neutral.
✔✔A state's annual report on statewide student performance on mandated
standardized tests includes a section in which the data is broken down by
socioeconomic status. This data is - ✔✔disaggregated. Answer Explanation:
"Disaggregated" means separated into parts. Breaking a set of data down into parts
does not make it biased or invalid.
✔✔The number occurring MOST frequently in a data set is called the - ✔✔MODE
Answer Explanation: The mode of any data set is the value that appears most
frequently.
✔✔An elementary school teacher tells his students he will give them stickers each time
they master a new part of the multiplication table (1s, 2s, 3s and so forth). What sort of
motivational system is he employing? - ✔✔Token economy Answer Explanation: The
students are given a reward—a "token" such as stickers, stars, chips, or privileges—for
achieving a goal.
✔✔Which of the following student activities would BEST introduce a middle school unit
on economics? - ✔✔Remember and list five times when you traded things with a friend
or family member. Pick one of them and write a paragraph describing it. Answer
Explanation: Each of the other choices involves higher-level processes and/or concepts
that are not appropriate subject material for an introductory lesson.
✔✔An art teacher plans to lead students through a survey of the various schools of
American art since the nineteenth century over the course of several weeks. How can
she ensure that her students retain the important ideas about each school of art? -
,✔✔Have students compare and contrast each new school of art to the previous ones.
Answer Explanation: Students retain information better when they use it, especially in
analytical ways. By comparing and contrasting each new school of art to the earlier
ones they have studied, the students will access previously taught information and think
about the new information they are learning.
✔✔During a class discussion, a teacher asks a student to evaluate President
Roosevelt's Public Works Association for its effectiveness as a means to alleviate
unemployment while benefiting the community. How long should the teacher wait for a
response? - ✔✔10 seconds Answer Explanation : Ten seconds is an appropriate length
of time to wait for an answer to a question that calls for high order thinking such as
evaluating.
✔✔Which of the following would be the MOST relevant homework assignment for a
lesson on the structure of a rain forest? - ✔✔Create a cluster diagram in a class labeled
"Layers of the rain forest" in the center and with the four rainforest layers as main ideas.
Ask students to fill in details and examples at home. Answer Explanation: This graphic
organizer focuses on the structure of the rain forest and helps students organize the
lesson material.
✔✔Which question below is MOST likely to generate the widest range of answers and
discussions among students? - ✔✔Why would the author have ended the book this
way? Answer Explanation: This question allows for both a wide range of answers and
discussion of those answers. The discussion is likely to be interesting because there are
so many possible answers to the question.
✔✔Why should a teacher always spend time explaining classroom rules during the first
few days of class? - ✔✔To establish clear expectations for performance and behavior.
Answer Explanation: Students benefit from clear, firm guidelines from the outset. The
rules should be changed only when necessary, not casually or according to student
demands, as implied in choices A and C.
✔✔Which of the methods below will BEST hold students accountable for their full
participation in cooperative learning groups? - ✔✔Assign each student in the group a
specific role in accomplishing the objectives of the activity. Answer Explanation: If each
student has a role in meeting the objectives and the activity is well structured, then all
students will be drawn into participating because they all have something to do.
✔✔When teachers share standardized test results with parents, there is a large amount
of information in the score report to be discussed. Which information will be of MOST
use to the typical parent? - ✔✔Specific areas of academic strength and weakness.
Answer Explanation: Parents will generally benefit most from specific information about
how to help their child succeed. When parents know their child's weaknesses, they can
emphasize working to improve them.
, ✔✔Suppose your objective for a lesson is "The student will demonstrate an ability to
differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks." Which of the
following is the BEST activity for introducing students to the attributes of each type of
rock? - ✔✔Students examine rocks belonging to each group and identify the similarities
and differences. The activity is followed by a group discussion in which the teacher
brings out the important characteristics of each type. Answer Explanation: Students
learn best when they are actively involved.
✔✔A group of students wants to produce an electronic magazine that publishes original
student writing and art. Their adviser is planning a unit to train them how to use a word-
processing application to create pages that include features such as images, multi-
column layouts, sidebars, headers, footers, links, and page backgrounds. Which of the
following would be the BEST culminating activity for this portion of the training? -
✔✔Small teams producing a document under proctored conditions, using specified
features, and within a time limit Answer Explanation: The purpose of the training is to
prepare students to apply what they learn. The team and time limit conditions make the
performance more realistic; the whole activity promotes retaining and transferring what
has been learned.
✔✔Which of the following is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to
students? - ✔✔Having students work on their own with specific information related to a
topic before giving an organizing lecture. Answer Explanation: Studies indicate that
topics need to be organized and connected in order to promote the transfer of
knowledge, but that a large number of topics covered quickly will hinder student transfer
because students have too little time to connect and organize the information.
✔✔Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one of the
following activities, which would BEST prepare the students for the test? - ✔✔Students
should make a chart of the important topics with notes on subtopics below each.
Answer Explanation: Organizational structures help students to connect and remember.
✔✔Which of the following learning objectives uses a higher order thinking skill? -
✔✔The student will create a metaphor to describe an emotion. Answer Explanation:
Bloom's Taxonomy identifies thinking skills in increasing order of sophistication as
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
✔✔Which of the following would provide the BEST introduction for a lesson on writing
bibliographic references? - ✔✔Demonstrate to students the specific procedure and
order expected. Answer Explanation: Writing bibliographic references is a procedure,
and procedures are best taught through demonstration.
✔✔Which of the following phrases BEST completes the following sentence?
"Vocabulary should be taught... - ✔✔in every subject area in order for students to
