Ms. Finnegan's goal: learn about students' backgrounds, interests, and needs.
Methods: student interest survey, journal notes, review of assessment data.
Standardized reading assessment: only 10 out of 34 students achieved proficiency in English language arts.
Lesson plan: distinguishing fact from opinion in informational texts, small group work.
Ms. Finnegan reflects on journal notes and considers strategies for culturally responsive instruction.
Exhibit 2: Excerpts from Ms. Finnegan's Journal
September 6 (Tuesday):
Students primarily associate with peers from the same cultural background.
Reluctance to interact with peers from different backgrounds.
Some students hold negative views about individuals from different cultural groups.
Underlying tension in the classroom.
September 7 (Wednesday):
Large-group lesson on identifying main ideas and supporting details.
Informational passages about the U.S. economy and the U.S. legislative system.
Students had questions about the content, leading to decreased attention.
September 12 (Monday):
Discussed a magazine article about a popular musician.
Differences in communication styles: some quiet, others animated.
Challenge to manage discussions for equal contribution opportunities.
September 16 (Friday):
Loud and disruptive verbal altercation between two students due to a culturally insensitive remark.
The incident created an atmosphere of unease.
Meeting with the principal to discuss the situation and strategies for a positive classroom climate.
Exhibit 3: Excerpt from Ms. Finnegan's Draft Lesson Plan
Topic: Fact and Opinion
Standard: Distinguish between fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text. (NYCCLS R.LST.8.8)
Lesson Objectives:
Students will classify statements from informational texts as fact or opinion.
Students will write original statements of fact and original statements of opinion.
Grouping: Groups of five or six, assigned by the teacher.
Materials: Large T-chart, fact and opinion statements on sentence strips, newspaper article about a professional basketball player.
Lesson Component - Activity:
Introduction:
Define fact and opinion.
Students make statements about a popular book, movie, or television show.
Classify statements as fact or opinion.
Small-group Activity 1:
Distribute 3 sentence strips with fact/opinion statements to each group.
Students discuss and decide whether they are fact or opinion.
Post a large T-chart labeled FACT and OPINION.
Students place sentence strips on the appropriate side of the chart.
Small-group Activity 2:
Distribute a newspaper article about the professional basketball player.
Students read and discuss the article.
Students independently write two statements of fact and two statements of opinion.
Students share sentences within the group.
The group verifies the statements.
Each student records the four sentences in their journal.
Questions and Answers based on the Exhibits
Question 1:
Which instructional approach would benefit students the most, given the patterns of interaction in Ms. Finnegan's class?
Correct Response: D. Adopting heterogeneous grouping practices that promote shared goals and mutual learning support.
Explanation: Heterogeneous grouping practices provide opportunities for diverse groups of students to work together toward a common purpose recognizing peers' strengths. This promotes a more inclusive learning environment, helping to correct inaccurate preconceptions.
Question 2:
What is the most likely explanation for students' lack of engagement with the main idea activity on September 7?
Correct Response: C. The teacher did not incorporate students' prior knowledge and provide other appropriate scaffolding.
Explanation: Activating prior knowledge enhances student engagement and helps in understanding new information by connecting to their current knowledge and experiences.
Question 3:
Which task is the most appropriate and effective method for informally assessing student learning in Ms. Finnegan's lesson on distinguishing between fact and opinion?
Correct Response: B. Individual students use different colors to highlight facts and opinions in a passage on a familiar topic.
Explanation: Individual performance tasks provide a more accurate measure of each student's understanding, ensuring that those needing additional support are not overlooked.
Question 4:
What additional action should Ms. Finnegan have taken in response to the verbal altercation on September 16?
Correct Response: A. Discuss the code of conduct in order to restore a classroom climate that is safe and comfortable for students.
Explanation: It is the teacher's responsibility to maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning. Discussing the incident helps alleviate students' anxiety and refocus the class on learning.
Question 5:
Identify one issue related to student diversity that Ms. Finnegan should address in her instructional planning.
Describe one strategy Ms. Finnegan could use to address the identified issue.
Explain why the strategy would be effective.
Sample Response:
Issue: Students may or may not be familiar with the topic of professional basketball, depending on their backgrounds or gender.
Strategy: Allow students to choose from texts written on several different topics that are more familiar to all students.
Explanation: Providing choice allows students to have the necessary background knowledge of their topic which helps to focus on distinguishing between fact or opinion.
Competency 0002 English Language Learners
Exhibit 1: Class Description
Mr. Lin teaches middle school mathematics intervention classes.
Valeria: an eighth-grade English Language Learner (ELL) who struggles academically.
Valeria started school in the United States in second grade.
Advanced stage of English language proficiency for several years but unable to achieve proficiency on NYSESLAT.
Performing significantly below grade level in mathematics.
Communicates fluently in English, sounding like a native English speaker.
Rarely speaks her home language, even with family members, and is assimilated into U.S. culture.
Mr. Lin noted that Valeria sometimes struggles to understand explanations of mathematical concepts.
Presenting a concept multiple times using different methods helps her to understand.
Once she comprehends, she can usually complete calculations accurately.
Valeria has trouble applying the concept to word problems, often skipping steps or misinterpreting the question.
Mr. Lin is planning a lesson on linear equations and is reviewing Valeria's assessment data and NYSESLAT scores.
Exhibit 2: Excerpts from Valeria's Assessment Data
Student: Valeria
Grade level: 7
Age: 12 years 7 months
Algebra:
Integer Operations: 76% (Mastery)
Fraction Operations: 75.5% (Mastery)
Decimal Operations: 72% (Partial Mastery)
Comparing and Converting: 70.1% (Partial Mastery)
Estimating and Rounding: 52% (Partial Mastery)
Evaluating Exponents: 50% (Partial Mastery)
Ratio and Proportions: 47% (Nonmastery)
Simplifying Expressions: 59.5% (Partial Mastery)
Coordinate Graphing: 45% (Nonmastery)
Simple Equations: 60% (Partial Mastery)
Foundation Skills—Timed:
Math Facts: 65.4% (n/a)
Foundation Skills—Untimed:
Math Facts: 88% (n/a)
Foundation Skills—Following Directions: 68% (n/a)
Valeria's NYSESLAT Data (last year):
Listening: Raw Score 20 (Required for Proficient 21, State Average 17, Maximum Possible 25)
Speaking: Raw Score 31 (Required for Proficient 30, State Average 24, Maximum Possible 34)
Reading: Raw Score 19 (Required for Proficient 22, State Average 21, Maximum Possible 27)
Writing: Raw Score 16 (Required for Proficient 19, State Average 18, Maximum Possible 22)
Scale Score: 837
Overall State Percentile Rank: 52
Proficiency: Advanced
Exhibit 3: Excerpt from Mr. Lin's Draft Lesson Plan
Topic: Linear Equations
Standard: Analyze and solve pairs of simultaneous linear equations. (NYCCLS M.8.EE.c8)
Lesson Objective: Students will identify the intersecting point of a system of linear equations.
Essential Question: How can we use graphs to solve linear equations?
Vocabulary: slope, intersecting lines, system of linear equations
Lesson Component - Activity:
Introduction:
Review graphing a single linear equation using slope and y-intercept.
Explain that this skill provides a foundation for identifying the point of intersection of two or more linear equations.
Demonstration:
Write two linear equations on the board (e.g., x – y = 5 and 3x + y = 7).
Model how to rewrite the equations in slope-intercept form, graph both equations on the same coordinate plane, and identify the point of intersection.
Show how to construct a table of values and find appropriate values to fill the table.
Lead students to the observation that the x-value that gives the same y-value for both equations is the point of intersection.
Practice Activity:
Students will solve five linear systems by graphing the lines and constructing the table of values.
Note: Circulate and monitor student understanding.
Questions and Answers based on the Exhibits
Question 6:
In planning instruction for Valeria, Mr. Lin has a professional responsibility to focus his efforts on what?
Correct Response: D. Providing Valeria with the scaffolding she needs to master the same concepts and skills as her peers.
Explanation: Federal law mandates equal access to education for ELLs meaning teachers are obligated to scaffold instruction for ELLs to ensure content is comprehensible.
Question 7:
How can Mr. Lin best promote Valeria's comprehension of academic language during the lesson on linear equations?
Correct Response: A. Write the vocabulary associated with the lesson concepts on the board while explaining it to students.
Explanation: Contextualizing vocabulary helps promote comprehension by placing the vocabulary in context instead of teaching it in isolation. It also presents the vocabulary in visual and verbal forms.
Question 8:
Mr. Lin plans to meet with Valeria's ESL teacher to discuss how to meet Valeria's needs. Which lesson planning task should they focus on first?
Correct Response: B. Identify strategies and materials for integrating language objectives for Valeria into math instruction.
Explanation: Integrating language objectives into content instruction is an important first step to ensure that English Language Learners have equal access to the curriculum.
Question 9:
Which factor related to language acquisition is most likely contributing to Valeria's below-average content-area literacy skills?
Correct Response: B. She has limited literacy in and use of her home language.
Explanation: First-language literacy development is strongly related to successful second-language learning and academic achievement because literacy skills in the first language transfer positively to the second language.
Question 10:
Identify a specific learning need for Valeria.
Describe a strategy for differentiating instruction to address the need.
Explain why the strategy would be effective.
Sample Response:
Need: Valeria has difficulty applying mathematical concepts and sometimes skips steps or misinterprets information.
Strategy: Provide Valeria with a written step-by-step guide of the procedure for solving linear equations.
Explanation: A written guide will help ensure that Valeria does not skip steps and will help her apply mathematical concepts by verifying that her solutions resemble the examples in the guide.
Competency 0003 Students with Disabilities and Other Special Learning Needs
Exhibit 1: Class Description
Mr. Forrest teaches a general education kindergarten class.
Lily: Receiving Tier 3 Response to Intervention (RtI) services to strengthen numeracy concepts and skills.
Theodore: Student with a disability classified with autism and has an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Both Lily and Theodore speak English as their home language.
Lily's receptive and expressive language development is commensurate with that of her classmates.
Lily receives Tier 3 RtI services for 25 minutes, five times a week, beyond core instruction in math.
Theodore is verbal but only likes to talk about topics of particular interest to him (e.g., cars).
His favorite activity is lining up small toy cars, and he becomes agitated if anyone disturbs his line of cars.
He rarely participates in class discussions and tends to wander away during morning meetings.
Theodore is performing on grade level in numeracy skills development but is below grade level in decoding and sight word recognition.
He receives services from his special education teacher in the resource room for one hour a day and is accompanied by an aide at all other times during the school day.
Exhibit 2: Excerpt from Informal Classroom Observations of Lily by Mr. Forrest (January, current year)
Lily needs significant support with everyday tasks involving mathematical thinking, particularly an understanding of one-to-one correspondence.
Example 1: When setting the snack table, she places napkins randomly instead of placing one at each chair.
Example 2: When asked to give one piece of paper to each student, she hands out several sheets to some students and misses others entirely.
Her ability to understand and perform quantity discrimination also needs to be strengthened.
At the manipulatives table, she was unable to tell whether she or her classmate had more blocks, even with a significant difference in quantity.
When asked to count her blocks, she said, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" very rapidly, making no reference to the three blocks in front of her.
When modeled counting by touching each block and saying "One, two, three," she was unable to imitate, even after physical assistance.
Exhibit 3: Excerpt from Mr. Forrest's Draft Lesson Plan
Topic: Counting and Cardinality
Standards:
Count to 100 by ones and by tens. (NYCCLS M.K.CC.1)
Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality. (NYCCLS M.K.CC.4)
Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group. (NYCCLS M.K.CC.6)
Lesson Objectives:
Students will count to 10 by ones.
Students will compare numbers of objects up to 10.
Grouping: Students will work individually.
Vocabulary: cardinal number names 1–10, count, more than, fewer than, same as
Materials: strips of poster board, small picture cards of animals, paste, crayons
Lesson Component - Activity:
Introduction:
Ask the students if they have ever counted anything and when.
Individual Activity:
Students choose up to 10 pictures of different animals from a box.
They paste their cards in a line on a strip of poster board.
Students decorate their animal cards.
Notes: Have students count aloud as they choose each card and monitor to ensure accuracy.
Ask each student to state how many cards he or she has chosen.
Class Activity:
Pairs of students come to the front of the class to show their strips of animal cards.
Each student counts the number of cards.
Ask the two students to tell whether they have the same number of cards or whether one strip has more or fewer cards.
Notes: Monitor the attention and ask questions.
Questions and Answers based on the Exhibits
Question 11:
Which strategy would likely be the best for Mr. Forrest to use to foster Theodore's active engagement in the lesson on counting cards?
Correct Response: D. Include cards that have pictures of cars as well as pictures of animals.
Explanation: Incorporating student interests into an activity is an effective strategy for promoting engagement, especially with students who have autism.
Question 12:
Another student in the class, Althea, has fine-motor delays. Mr. Forrest could best support Althea's full participation in the lesson by what?
Correct Response: A. Creating larger picture cards and strips of poster board for Althea to use.
Explanation: Fine-motor delays can cause difficulties in gripping or picking up small objects. Providing larger materials will reduce the demand on her fine-motor skills.
Question 13:
Which information sources would be most useful in helping the school determine if Lily should be referred for an initial evaluation for special education services?
Correct Response: D. Data from multiple sources supporting the likelihood that Lily's underachievement is not due to lack of appropriate, scaffolded instruction in mathematics.
Explanation: Targeted interventions and data collection should occur prior to referral to special education to prevent inappropriate referrals.
Question 14:
Mr. Forrest will most likely need to provide Lily with individualized support during which component of the draft lesson plan?
Correct Response: B. Comparing numbers of cards.
Explanation: Lily has not yet mastered numeracy concepts, therefore she requires scaffolding and targeted support in this area.
Question 15:
Identify one aspect of the draft lesson plan that would be difficult for Theodore.
Describe one modification.
Explain why.
Sample Response:
Difficulty: Participating in the class discussion during the lesson introduction because the topic is not about cars.
Modification: Explain to Theodore in advance that he will be allowed to line up his cars and demonstrate counting them during the introduction if he sits in the circle.
Explanation: This adaptation helps engage his attention because it links the counting activity to a topic he finds motivating. It also reinforces expected behavior.
Competency 0004 Teacher Responsibilities
Question 16:
The parents of a middle school student believe their child's educational records contain an inaccurate report of their child's involvement in an incident. After the school denial and a formal hearing upholding the school's decision, what legal right do the parents have at this point?
Correct Response: B. Place a statement in their child's records, stating their disagreement with the school's report.
Explanation: According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), if the school still does not decide to amend the record after the hearing, the parent/guardian or eligible student has the right to place a statement in the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.
Competency 0005 School-Home Relationships
Question 17:
Teachers in an elementary school are creating take-home activity kits. The kits are likely to be most effective if the teachers emphasize which of the following types of activities?
Correct Response: D. hands-on activities that promote interaction between students and their parents/guardians
Explanation: Active engagement helps students become actively involved in learning and helps students internalize the targeted knowledge and skills so that parents/guardians can entend their children's thinking by asking questions.