Ed-D 420 Fall 2011 Mid-Term Quiz
Name: _______________________________________________
Grade:_______/26
Mid-Term Quiz
This is an in-class assessment of what we have covered over the first two months of
this course. The results will be used to clarify any points of difficulty and thus help you
complete the course successfully. This test consists of 1 page, has a maximum score of
26 marks and is worth 26% of you final grade for this course. There are a series of
restricted response questions from all areas of the material we have covered. Please
answer the questions on the paper provided.
1. Using an example from a class you might teach with an exceptional learner, explain
how universal design for learning, differentiated instruction and response to
intervention (RTI) might be achieved. Tell me what exceptionality the student has
and then offer an example from each of these terms that demonstrates your
understanding and can offer an example in practice.
(6 marks)
Jiesu – they need to speak to each three and show their understanding of the concepts
thru the examples of the student in the class example
Universal design for learning – the example should include the idea that teachers
should begin planning in such a way that students should have unfettered access to the
curriculum from the beginning.
Three possible ways

Demo and present content in multiple ways

Practice that takes place in numerous ways (groups, individual)

Ability to show learning in multiple ways (oral, written)
Differentiated Instruction – this allow teachers to adjust delivery at the student level
(content, process and or product)
They need to offer examples such as tiered assignment, small group instruction,
different pacing that shows they are adjusting the curriculum delivery for the needs of
the student.
RTI – this is progress monitoring where a child with an exceptionality might still be
struggling after typical instruction. They are then offered intense specialized instruction
for a longer duration and measured to see if they are responding to this instruction.
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Ed-D 420 Fall 2011 Mid-Term Quiz
2. According to the Ministry of Education in BC, what is the difference between and
modified and adapted program for a student with an exceptionality? (2 marks)
Modifications are instructional and assessment-related decisions made to
accommodate a student’s educational needs that consist of individualized learning
goals and outcomes which are different than learning outcomes of a course or
subject. Modifications should be considered for those students whose special needs
are such that they are unable to access the curriculum (i.e., students with limited
awareness of their surroundings, students with fragile mental/physical health,
students medically and cognitively/multiply challenged.) Using the strategy of
modifications for students not identified as special needs should be a rare practice.
Adaptations are teaching and assessment strategies especially designed to
accommodate a student’s needs so he or she can achieve the learning outcomes of
the subject or course and to demonstrate mastery of concepts. Essentially,
adaptations are “best practice” in teaching. A student working on learning outcomes
of any grade or course level may be supported through use of adaptations.
Adaptations do not represent unfair advantages to students. In fact, the opposite
could be true. If appropriate adaptations are not used, students could be unfairly
penalized for having learning differences, creating serious negative impacts to their
achievement and self-concept.
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Ed-D 420 Fall 2011 Mid-Term Quiz
3. What steps might a general classroom teacher take before referring a child to the
school based team for the possibility of special educational services? Please offer
both the steps involved and what you might do in your particular classroom – i.e., the
first step is to document needs and strengths then offer examples of how you might
do this. (4 marks)
Jiesu – they need to have the steps and offer examples of how they would do this \
half mark for each one.
 Document the needs and the strengths.
 Analyze the demands of your classroom.
 Observe the student in your classroom.
 Re-read the student’s file. Consult the protocol for identifying exceptionalities.
 Ask the resource teacher for suggestions and resources. Plan pre-referral
interventions. Inform the principal.
 Contact and talk with the parents.
 Make pre-referral adaptations or differentiations. Keep records of decisions.
 Analyze your records and make recommendations.
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Ed-D 420 Fall 2011 Mid-Term Quiz
4. What does it mean for an exceptionality to be defined as high-incidence? What
does it mean for an exceptionality to be described as low-incidence? Please
compare and contrast the two terms ( (2 marks)
In order to provide students with disabilities with a free and appropriate public education,
it is useful to classify learners in terms of incidence, or how many students with any
particular disability or combination of disabilities reside in a community. Under such a
system, students with the most commonly-seen disabilities may be more appropriately
served by local public schools while students with relatively rare disabilities may not find
adequate resources or highly qualified personnel.
High-incidence disabilities include—




communication disorders (speech and language impairments)
specific learning disabilities (including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
[ADHD])
mild/moderate mental retardation
emotional or behavioral disorders
Low-incidence disabilities include—










blindness
low vision
deafness
hard-of-hearing
deaf-blindness
significant developmental delay
complex health issues
serious physical impairment
multiple disability
autism
None of the disabilities listed under low-incidence disabilities generally exceed 1% of the
school-aged population at any given time. The relative rarity of students with these
disabilities in public schools often poses significant challenges for local schools
struggling to meet their needs. Since they encounter these students so infrequently,
most local schools have little if any knowledge of how to best educate these students, of
what technologies are available to assist them, and of how to obtain needed and
appropriate support services from outside agencies. All students with low-incidence
disabilities thus experience a commonality: they are difficult to serve in current local
public school programs.
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Ed-D 420 Fall 2011 Mid-Term Quiz
5. What types of challenges do you feel might be the greatest in differentiating your
teaching for a child with a learning disability? Please use part of your answer to offer
evidence that you are aware of some common characteristics of a child with a
learning disability. (4 marks)
This is personal so as long as they offer some indication of what a typical LD student
might be faced with and then how some of these might be a challenge this should be
fine.
This is by definition what a student with LD needs to possess for identification. A
process of systematic assessment and documentation identifies students with learning
disabilities based on their
1. Persistent difficulty learning and
2. Average or above average cognitive ability and
3. Weaknesses in cognitive processing.
6. What aspects of teaching can be differentiated? Think about a class that you will
be teaching in the New Year and offer evidence of ways in which you might be able
to differentiate your own teaching across these aspects for the benefit of students
with exceptional needs in your classrooms? (6 marks)
You can differentiate:
a. The content – what they will learn
b. The process – the learning activities
c. The products – what they accomplish following a period of learning
So for this question they need to list the ways you can differentiate and offer examples of
how they might do this in their classroom for their subject area.
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