EPC Practice Test #2 Flashcards
(126 cards)
Every month, a school psychologist receives several referrals for special education evaluations from both parents and teachers. The latest referral involves a first-grade male student, but there is limited in-depth information about the student’s difficulties. In general, the referral describes a young male student who is well behaved in class, but he is struggling in many academic areas.
Question
Given the previous situation, what would be the first step to address the referral statement?
A.Call the parents to ascertain more information and get developmental history
B.Talk with the teacher, or referral source, to better define the problem
C.Ask the response-to-intervention (RTI) specialist about the types of interventions that have been employed
D.Review student records to ascertain how long the student has been struggling
B. Talk with the teacher, or referral source, to better define the problem
Every month, a school psychologist receives several referrals for special education evaluations from both parents and teachers. The latest referral involves a first-grade male student, but there is limited in-depth information about the student’s difficulties. In general, the referral describes a young male student who is well behaved in class, but he is struggling in many academic areas.
Question
In the scenario described, the school psychologist interviews the teacher. The teacher mentions the student is periodically off task and does complete his assignments. However, the teacher cannot state precisely when the student is off task. The psychologist decides that it is important to conduct a formal observation on the student’s in-class behavior, but there are significant time constraints. What observational technique is best to employ in this situation?
A.Interval time sampling
B.Latency
C.Intermittent sampling
D.Duration recording
A. Interval time sampling
Bullying and harassment are major problems in schools. Many times, administrators are required to have strict discipline codes to address bullying in their school. School psychologists play a pivotal role consulting with administrators and helping to mitigate bullying in schools.
Question
One of the first steps a school psychologist can take to address bullying issues in a school is to educate the administration about research related to this topic. A consulting school psychologist should emphasize which of the following concepts to a school’s administration?
A.Ninety percent of students have experienced bullying in grade school
B.Suspending students accused of bullying may have a disparate impact on minority students and special populations
C.The school resource officer should be consulted on all bullying cases
D.Restorative practices, although effective for social and emotional issues, are not as effective for bullying cases
B. Suspending students accused of bullying may have a disparate impact on minority students and special populations
Bullying and harassment are major problems in schools. Many times, administrators are required to have strict discipline codes to address bullying in their school. School psychologists play a pivotal role consulting with administrators and helping to mitigate bullying in schools.
Question
Effective antibullying programs include all of the following except:
A.Widespread staff supervision of students
B.Programs to address bystander beliefs and behavior
C.Strict consequences for bullying behavior and zero-tolerance policies
D.Systems to build social skills and to address social skill deficits
C. Strict consequences for bullying behavior and zero-tolerance policies
Bullying and harassment are major problems in schools. Many times, administrators are required to have strict discipline codes to address bullying in their school. School psychologists play a pivotal role consulting with administrators and helping to mitigate bullying in schools.
Question
A student is caught harassing a group of students in a younger grade. A school psychologist is asked to intervene. What is an effective approach to this situation?
A.It is best to start individual counseling, but maintain student confidentiality
B.Seek parental permission and then start counseling
C.Recommend a restorative practice approach to the parents and administration
D.Recommend group interventions, such as group counseling, for the victims
C. Recommend a restorative practice approach to the parents and administration
A first-grade teacher asks for a consultation with the school psychologist. The teacher is concerned about a student named Jack. Jack has difficulty interacting with his peers, teases girls in class, and is frequently off task.
Question
In this example, the school psychologist decides to call a meeting with all relevant stakeholders, such as the teacher, parents, and administrator. This type of special consultation is called which of the following?
A.Conjoint behavioral consultation
B.Client-centered consultation
C.Consultee-centered consultation
D.Multisystemic consultation
A. Conjoint behavioral consultation
A first-grade teacher asks for a consultation with the school psychologist. The teacher is concerned about a student named Jack. Jack has difficulty interacting with his peers, teases girls in class, and is frequently off task.
Question
During a consultation with staff and parents, the psychologist’s first step is to do what?
A.Review the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) data on the problem
B.Define the problem as specifically as possible
C.Review interventions that have been previously implemented
D.Review the student’s records
B. Define the problem as specifically as possible
A first-grade teacher asks for a consultation with the school psychologist. The teacher is concerned about a student named Jack. Jack has difficulty interacting with his peers, teases girls in class, and is frequently off task.
Question
The school psychologist in this example should be aware of factors that might diminish the effectiveness of the consultation process. The following are common barriers to effective consultation except which one?
A.A difficult relationship with outside agencies
B.Communication difficulties among parties involved in the consultation situation
C.Unclear or unfocused goals
D.Financial considerations
D. Financial considerations
Jack has been in a school’s response-to-intervention (RTI) process for math difficulties. Students in this process are ranked on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the highest classroom benchmark and 3 being the aim line. Jack’s data indicate that he scored a 2, 3, and 2 on the last three learning sessions. Also, Jack’s level of response to the instruction is about 30% correct per data set.
Question
In the situation described, which of the following choices would a school psychologist recommend to the teacher and support staff?
A.Focus more effort on increasing the student’s rate of correct responses
B.Modify the intervention by providing better prompts, additional modeling, and corrective feedback
C.Consider changing the type of intervention
D.Gradually increase the intervention using the last data point, which indicates a stalled trend and momentum
B. Modify the intervention by providing better prompts, additional modeling, and corrective feedback
Jack has been in a school’s response-to-intervention (RTI) process for math difficulties. Students in this process are ranked on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the highest classroom benchmark and 3 being the aim line. Jack’s data indicate that he scored a 2, 3, and 2 on the last three learning sessions. Also, Jack’s level of response to the instruction is about 30% correct per data set.
Question
When examining data in this situation, which of the following does not need consideration?
A.Is the percentage of correct responding below 85%?
B.Are the data highly variable?
C.Is the student from a low socioeconomic status (SES) community?
D.Are there two to three consecutive data points that fall below the aim line?
C. Is the student from a low socioeconomic status (SES) community?
A school psychologist is asked to perform a focused assessment on a student suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-C). The psychologist already conducted a formal observation of the student in two classes, has administered a standardized broad-spectrum assessment, and interviewed the parents for developmental information.
Question
What other formal measure would you employ as part of your comprehensive evaluation?
A.Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC)
B.Working Memory Subtest from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
C.Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Function (BRIEF)
D.The Primrose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Test
C. Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Function (BRIEF)
A school psychologist is asked to perform a focused assessment on a student suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-C). The psychologist already conducted a formal observation of the student in two classes, has administered a standardized broad-spectrum assessment, and interviewed the parents for developmental information.
Question
In the situation provided, the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC) teacher and parent forms show significant score variability. The teacher form reveals a T-score of 66, whereas the parent form illustrates a T-score of 78. How would you interpret these results?
A.While both forms show significant score differences, both sets of scores suggest the student has indications of an attention problem
B.Due to the significant score discrepancy, best practice is not to interpret the BASC results and put more emphasis on other measures to make a professional impression about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
C.Both sets of scores, while discrepant, are still within the normal (average) range and do not indicate clinical concerns
D.The teacher form does not indicate high-level attention concerns, but the parent form shows substantial concerns
A. While both forms show significant score differences, both sets of scores suggest the student has indications of an attention problem
A school psychologist, practicing in an affluent public school district, is notified by the district’s crisis team that an unfortunate situation has occurred. A seventh-grade student died from a self-inflicted injury late at night. The next morning, the psychologist is called to assist the crisis team at the student’s school. The administration has already been notified of the situation and they are awaiting support from the district crisis team.
Question
In the situation just described, the initial and primary concern is which of the following?
A.You must support and provide resources for the student’s family
B.You must locate the student’s classmates within the school and provide them support
C.You must debrief all staff about the situation before school starts
D.You must discuss and plan for contagion effects with school staff
D. You must discuss and plan for contagion effects with school staff
A school psychologist, practicing in an affluent public school district, is notified by the district’s crisis team that an unfortunate situation has occurred. A seventh-grade student died from a self-inflicted injury late at night. The next morning, the psychologist is called to assist the crisis team at the student’s school. The administration has already been notified of the situation and they are awaiting support from the district crisis team.
Question
Which one of the following postvention intervention strategies is valid and effective?
A.Provide students with verifiable facts and several details about the suicide to mitigate rumors
B.It is important to make a special early-morning school-wide announcement to all students and staff to prevent rumors
C.With mental health staff on-site, a special school-wide assembly should be conducted to address contagion factors
D.Provide in-school resources and active counseling spaces for students who need additional support
D. Provide in-school resources and active counseling spaces for students who need additional support
Michele is a student engaged in a school’s response-to-intervention (RTI) process for reading comprehension issues. When she started the RTI process, her baseline score was 3, which was considered below that of her same-aged peers. She is given weekly assessments to gauge her progress with reading comprehension. Michele’s scores are based on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the highest and most positive score possible. Her scores for the past several weeks are 1, 5, 7, 7, and 10.
Question
What is the mean score in the given set of numbers?
A.7
B.5.5
C.5
D.6
D. 6
Michele is a student engaged in a school’s response-to-intervention (RTI) process for reading comprehension issues. When she started the RTI process, her baseline score was 3, which was considered below that of her same-aged peers. She is given weekly assessments to gauge her progress with reading comprehension. Michele’s scores are based on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the highest and most positive score possible. Her scores for the past several weeks are 1, 5, 7, 7, and 10.
Question
How would you interpret Michele’s mean score?
A.Her score is still below her peers
B.Her score indicates she has a reading comprehension problem
C.Her score indicates positive progress from her baseline
D.Her score suggests she should move to a special education evaluation
C. Her score indicates positive progress from her baseline
A school psychologist is evaluating a sixth-grade male student named Cameron for special education services. The psychologist administers a full cognitive test battery (e.g., Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children [WISC]) and various social–emotional measures. The preliminary results are as follows: The full-scale standard score on Cameron’s cognitive test battery is 113 (SS-113). All major cognitive domains (indexes) were found to be within two standard score points of each other. The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) indicates that both the teacher and parent forms have T-scores above 69 within the attention domain. The semi-structured student interview reveals that Cameron follows the rules of the school, but he appears to follow these rules only to avoid punishment or gain rewards.
Question
Given the previous scenario, what preliminary statement can be made about Cameron’s overall cognitive ability?
A.Cameron’s standardized test score suggests that he might be gifted, but further information is needed to confirm this initial finding
B.Cameron’s cognitive ability is considered well within the average range
C.Cameron’s cognitive abilities are considered low average
D.Cameron’s cognitive abilities are situated within the high-average to above-average range
D. Cameron’s cognitive abilities are situated within the high-average to above-average range
A school psychologist is evaluating a sixth-grade male student named Cameron for special education services. The psychologist administers a full cognitive test battery (e.g., Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children [WISC]) and various social–emotional measures. The preliminary results are as follows: The full-scale standard score on Cameron’s cognitive test battery is 113 (SS-113). All major cognitive domains (indexes) were found to be within two standard score points of each other. The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) indicates that both the teacher and parent forms have T-scores above 69 within the attention domain. The semi-structured student interview reveals that Cameron follows the rules of the school, but he appears to follow these rules only to avoid punishment or gain rewards.
Question
Based on the provided Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) results, what is an accurate initial impression regarding Cameron’s attention?
A.Cameron’s attention scores are within the high-average range and indicate he might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
B.Cameron’s BASC T-scores place him in a category for significant attention problems, but more information is needed to confirm the presence of a disability
C.Cameron’s scores on the BASC are only elevated slightly above normal, so it is prudent to monitor his level of attention throughout the school year
D.Cameron’s scores on the BASC are well within the average range and both the teacher and parent forms confirm each other’s observations in two environments
B. Cameron’s BASC T-scores place him in a category for significant attention problems, but more information is needed to confirm the presence of a disability
A school psychologist is evaluating a sixth-grade male student named Cameron for special education services. The psychologist administers a full cognitive test battery (e.g., Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children [WISC]) and various social–emotional measures. The preliminary results are as follows: The full-scale standard score on Cameron’s cognitive test battery is 113 (SS-113). All major cognitive domains (indexes) were found to be within two standard score points of each other. The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) indicates that both the teacher and parent forms have T-scores above 69 within the attention domain. The semi-structured student interview reveals that Cameron follows the rules of the school, but he appears to follow these rules only to avoid punishment or gain rewards.
Question
In addition to the assessment tools used in the previous example, what other assessments should be completed as part of a comprehensive evaluation?
A.A review of student records and a student observation
B.A parent interview and a behavioral checklist
C.A behavioral and emotional checklist
D.A parent interview and an adaptive/functional standardized assessment
A. A review of student records and a student observation
A school psychologist is working with a first- grade student named Bill. Bill has a moderate level of autism and he is also suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The psychologist’s current task is to teach Bill a classroom routine that involves several transitions. During the intervention, the psychologist conducts a task analysis and reduces the correct behavior into multiple smaller steps. The psychologist follows a systematic instructional technique called discrete trial instruction, with several repeated trials in a highly structured environment.
Question
In this situation, which behavioral technique is employed?
A.Applied behavior analysis and intervention
B.Cognitive behavioral therapy
C.Discrete behavioral analysis and intervention
D.Discrete behavioral modification
A. Applied behavior analysis and intervention
A school psychologist is working with a first- grade student named Bill. Bill has a moderate level of autism and he is also suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The psychologist’s current task is to teach Bill a classroom routine that involves several transitions. During the intervention, the psychologist conducts a task analysis and reduces the correct behavior into multiple smaller steps. The psychologist follows a systematic instructional technique called discrete trial instruction, with several repeated trials in a highly structured environment.
Question
Which one of the following choices is a key feature of an effective behavioral intervention plan?
A.The use of prompts
B.The use of negative reinforcers only after positive reinforcements have been attempted
C.The use of prompts and reinforcers during the initial training stages, then gradual employment of fading techniques
D.The use of response cost techniques after the target behavior is rehearsed and taught
C. The use of prompts and reinforcers during the initial training stages, then gradual employment of fading techniques
A large suburban middle school has been having difficulty with reports of harassment directed toward students within the LGBTQIA+ community. The administration asks the counseling department and the school psychologist to implement a systems-wide intervention to address this problem.
Question
The school psychologist consults with the counseling department and suggests that teachers in the school teach a social–emotional learning (SEL) curriculum based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) model in the classroom. Which one of the following components of the CASEL model would be best to emphasize during the classroom-wide instruction in this situation?
A.Self-awareness
B.Self-management
C.Responsible decision-making
D.Social awareness
D. Social awareness
A large suburban middle school has been having difficulty with reports of harassment directed toward students within the LGBTQIA+ community. The administration asks the counseling department and the school psychologist to implement a systems-wide intervention to address this problem.
Question
Part of establishing an effective systems-wide intervention to address harassment is to build a culture that does not support bullying. To build an effective culture, which one of the following interventions is important to teach students?
A.Teach students how to increase their self-awareness
B.Teach students responsible decision-making
C.Teach students what a bystander is and how they can impact peer interactions
D.Teach students how to be assertive
C. Teach students what a bystander is and how they can impact peer interactions
Sally is a third-grade student who has difficulty with task persistence and work completion. She is respectful to staff and does not have a history of behavioral problems. Parents report that her father recently lost his employment, and the family may have to move. Sally’s teacher and mother have requested assistance from the school psychologist.
Question
The school psychologist decides to conduct a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) on Sally to help inform a comprehensive intervention strategy. What are the initial steps in the FBA process?
A.Interview the parents, perform an observation, formulate an intervention plan, and evaluate the plan
B.Define the problem, perform an observation, develop a hypothesis, and formulate a plan
C.Develop a hypothesis, perform an observation, consult with the teacher, and formulate a plan
D.Interview the teacher, perform an observation, develop an intervention, and evaluate the plan
B. Define the problem, perform an observation, develop a hypothesis, and formulate a plan