About the Authors About Research & Education Association Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Passing the Examination How to Use This Book An Overview of the Test Studying for the FTCE Test-Taking Tips The Day of the Test Chapter 2: Foundations of the Education of Exceptional Students (Competency 1) Skill 1: Review of state and federal legislation and case law that have affected the education of students with disabilities Skill 2 : Identify and review appropriate practices based on legal and ethical standards (e.g., due process, procedural safeguards, confidentiality, access to general education, least restrictive environment, transition planning, free appropriate public education) Skill 3: Review required policies and processes for developing individual education plans (IEPs), individualized family service plans (IFSPs), and transition IEPs Skill 4: Identify the classification systems and eligibility criteria under the current Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Skill 5: Compare the development and characteristics (e.g., language, cognitive-academic, social-emotional, sensory, physical-motor) of children with disabilities to the development and characteristics of children without disabilities Skill 6: Discuss the interpretation of curriculum information and assessment data for IEP and child study team members Skill 7: Identify models of support for assisting students with disabilities in accessing the general education curricula Skill 8: Identify the purposes and functions of professional and advocacy organizations relevant to educating students with disabilities Chapter 2 Practice Quiz Explanatory Answers Chapter 3: Knowledge of Language Development, Reading, and Communication Skills (Competency 5) Skill 1: Identify the sequence of expressive and receptive language development and the components of language structure Skill 2: Identify communication deficits and select appropriate interventions Skill 3: Discuss strategies for integrating communication instruction to meet individual student needs across educational settings Skill 4: Discuss assistive technology and alternative communication systems to facilitate communication Skill 5: Identify the sequence of typical reading development (e.g., pre-reading level, learning to read, reading to learn) and the critical components of reading development (e.g.
, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) Skill 6: Identify the terminology and concepts of literacy development (e.g., oral language, phonological awareness, concepts about print, alphabet knowledge, decoding, vocabulary, text structures, written language, motivation) Skill 7: Discuss the characteristics and purposes of various reading programs (e.g., core reading program, supplemental reading program, intensive intervention program) Skill 8: Identify characteristics of reading difficulties Skill 9: Discuss prevention and intervention methods for addressing reading difficulties Skill 10: Identify the early phases of word recognition within the decoding process (e.g., pre-alphabetic, partial-alphabetic, full-alphabetic, consolidated-alphabetic) Skill 11: Identify explicit and systematic instructional methods for promoting the development of phonological and phonemic awareness Skill 12: Identify the processes and skills (e.g.
, grapho-phonemic, morphemic, syntactic, semantic) that effective readers use for word recognition Skill 13: Identify explicit and systematic instructional methods for developing reading fluency (e.g., practice with high-frequency words, timed readings, repeated readings, read-alouds, choral reading, recorded books) Skill 14: Identify explicit and systematic instructional methods and strategies for increasing vocabulary acquisition (e.g., appropriate choice of words for instruction; multiple exposures; teaching word learning strategies, such as word analysis and contextual analysis) Skill 15: Identify explicit and systematic instructional methods and strategies for facilitating students'' reading-comprehension and critical-thinking skills (e.g., use of graphic and semantic organizers; use of multiple strategy instruction; teaching summarizing; monitoring comprehension, question answering, question generating, and recognizing story structure as comprehension strategies) Skill 16: Identify explicit and systematic instructional methods for developing phonics skills Chapter 3 Practice Quiz Explanatory Answers Chapter 4: Instructional Practices in Exceptional Student Education (Competency 3) Skill 1: Analyze assessment information to identify a student''s educational needs and instructional levels in order to select appropriate specialized instructional techniques, strategies, and materials Skill 2: Identify characteristics of reliable sources of scientifically-based research related to instructional practices Skill 3: Identify instructional strategies for acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of skills (e.g.
, functional and applied academic skills, workplace and career skills, independent living skills) across school, home, work, and community settings Skill 4: Select relevant general education and alternate standards and curricula appropriate for a student''s age, instructional needs, and functional performance across settings Skill 5: Identify methods for differentiating, accommodating, and modifying assessment, instruction, and materials in order to meet individual student needs (e.g., related to age, gender, cultural and linguistic background, preferred communication mode) Skill 6: Identify effective methods of communication, consultation, and collaboration with students, families, parents, guardians, administrators, general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and other professionals, including students, families, and team members from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as equal members of the educational team Skill 7: Identify effective classroom management and flexible grouping strategies for specific instructional activities Skill 8: Identify effective instructional methods (e.g., explicit and systematic instruction, scaffolding, modeling) for integrating reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, researching, and presenting across the curricula Skill 9: Identify instructional strategies that help students comprehend and apply knowledge of informational text structure (e.g., cause and effect, chronological order, compare and contrast) and text features (e.g.
, index, glossary, subheading) Skill 10: Identify criteria for selecting and evaluating both print and non-print media (e.g., Internet, software, trade books, textbooks, DVDs, videos) for instructional use to match student needs and interests Skill 11: Identify effective instructional methods and supports (e.g., direct instruction, visual supports, manipulatives) for teaching mathematics and integrating mathematics across the curricula Chapter 4 Practice Quiz Explanatory Answers Chapter 5: Assessment and Evaluation (Competency 2) Skill 1: Identify the purposes of assessment (e.g., early identification, screening, interventions, eligibility, diagnosis, identification of relevant instructional content, monitoring the effectiveness of instruction) across disciplines Skill 2: Identify the legal requirements and ethical principles regarding the assessment of students with disabilities (e.g.
, confidentiality, adherence to test protocols, appropriateness of assessment for student needs) Skill 3: Identify measurement concepts, characteristics, and uses of norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and performance-based assessments for students with disabilities Skill 4: Interpret, analyze, and apply the results of norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and performance-based assessments for students with disabilities Skill 5: Identify alternative assessment strategies and procedures (e.g., observations, performance-based assessments, ecological assessments, interviews, portfolios) and their appropriate use Skill 6: Identify the factors (e.g., curriculum alignment, cultural bias) that influence disproportionate representation of students from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds in programs for students with disabilities and recognize the implications for assessment Skill 7: Identify and analyze reliable and valid progress-monitoring methods for assessing individual student progress (e.g., curriculum-based assessments, fluency checks, rubrics, story retelling, informal reading inventories, portfolios) Chapter 5 Practice Quiz Explanatory Answers Chapter 6: Assessing, Designing, and Implementing Positive Behavioral Supports (Competency 4) Skill 1: Analyze the legal and ethical issues pertaining to positive behavior-management strategies and disciplinary actions Skill 2: Identify data collection strategies for assessing student behavior Skill 3: Analyze individual and g.