ALT Foundations of Special Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under IDEA, what is the maximum time allowed from referral to completion of an initial evaluation?
- 30 calendar days
- 45 school days
- 60 days (Correct answer)
- 90 days
Correct answer: 60 days
IDEA requires that an initial evaluation be completed within 60 days of receiving parental consent for evaluation.
Question 2: Which Supreme Court case established that states must provide a 'basic floor of opportunity' to students with disabilities?
- Mills v. Board of Education
- Rowley v. Board of Education (Correct answer)
- Timothy W. v. Rochester
- Endrew F. v. Douglas County
Correct answer: Rowley v. Board of Education
Board of Education v. Rowley (1982) established the 'basic floor of opportunity' standard for a free appropriate public education.
Question 3: A student with a disability receives services in the general education classroom with a co-teacher for most of the day. This placement is best described as:
- Resource room
- Inclusion (Correct answer)
- Self-contained classroom
- Itinerant services
Correct answer: Inclusion
Inclusion refers to educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom alongside their non-disabled peers.
Question 4: Which disability category under IDEA specifically addresses students with significant cognitive impairments that affect adaptive behavior?
- Developmental delay
- Intellectual disability (Correct answer)
- Multiple disabilities
- Other health impairment
Correct answer: Intellectual disability
Intellectual disability is the IDEA category for students with significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.
Question 5: The term 'zero reject' in special education means:
- No student may be expelled
- All students with disabilities are entitled to a free public education regardless of severity (Correct answer)
- Schools cannot reject IEP goals
- Students cannot be placed in restrictive settings
Correct answer: All students with disabilities are entitled to a free public education regardless of severity
Zero reject is the principle that no child with a disability, regardless of the nature or severity, may be excluded from public education.
Question 6: Which section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs receiving federal financial assistance?
- Section 202
- Section 504 (Correct answer)
- Section 301
- Section 108
Correct answer: Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in federally funded programs, including public schools.
Question 7: A student's IEP team is determining the amount of special education services. The guiding principle for placement decisions should be:
- Cost-effectiveness of available programs
- Least restrictive environment appropriate to the student's needs (Correct answer)
- Preference of the special education teacher
- Administrative convenience
Correct answer: Least restrictive environment appropriate to the student's needs
The least restrictive environment principle requires that placement decisions be based on the individual student's needs, not administrative or financial factors.
ALT Foundations of Special Education 2
Under IDEA, what is the maximum time allowed from referral to completion of an initial evaluation?