Q&A Hero

Q: Use Erikson's theory to draw a contrast between children of high school age and children of elementary school age. How do their day-to-day concerns differ? For each of these age groups, describe a scenario in which a teacher's awareness of how Erikson's stages affect individuals might be beneficial to a student.

Q: A particular test has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of five. A student who scores one standard deviation above the mean will have a score of: a) 50. b) 55. c) 10. d) 75.

Q: Despite the many examples of situations where untracking is successful for the school community, opposition exists. According to our text, who typically opposes untracking? a) Teachers who are required to develop multiple lesson plans to accommodate student differences b) District administrators who will not allocate the extra funding required for untracking success c) Parents of low achievers d) Parents of high achievers

Q: In addition to their close friends, most adolescents also place high value on the larger peer group as a source of ideas and values as well as companionship and entertainment. Discuss the nature of peer relationships in adolescence in terms of social status and peer groups and the benefits to children with positive social status. Please discuss cliques, crowds and the pressure to conform.

Q: Julie scores 115 on an IQ test. IQ scores are normed so there is a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. It can be concluded that, on this particular test, the Julie's score is a) 15 points higher than the top scoring student. b) has a stanine score greater than 7. c) has a raw score higher than 85. d) one standard deviation about the norm.

Q: In order for untracking to be successful, the mixed ability group should be: a) composed of different aged children with similar abilities. b) expected to achieve at different levels and graded accordingly. c) held to high standards and provided many ways to reach those standards. d) provided text and materials equivalent to their level.

Q: Jake is a high school junior at a large public high school located in a suburban area. He has struggled academically since his parents' divorce and has failed to earn two credits necessary for graduating with his class. His attendance is sporadic and his learning and work completion are directly impacted by his frequent absences from school. You have become concerned about Jake's future and are planning a parent/student/teacher conference. Outline your concerns for Jake if he chooses not to complete high school. In addition, list some things the school can do to help reduce the dropout rate.

Q: The average amount that scores in a distribution differ from the mean is indicated by the: a) stanine score. b) standard error of measurement. c) standard deviation. d) median.

Q: What is the Joplin Plan? a) A plan of instruction that enable all students to achieve instructional objective by varying allocated time b) A regrouping methods in which students are grouped across grade levels for reading instruction c) A focus on providing adequate social interaction between mixed-ability groups to improve academic achievement d) Tailoring instruction precisely to a student's needs

Q: Not all adolescents experience serious problems, but among those who are at, it is far better to prevent problems before they arise. Many programs have demonstrated success with a wide range of problem behaviors by embedding preventative strategies in the regular curriculum. Outline a preventative program for adolescents and identify specific high risk behaviors you hope to positively impact.

Q: A grade-equivalent score should be interpreted as a(n): a) accurate reflection of a student's raw score. b) rough approximation. c) accurate measure of the student's knowledge of the curriculum of more advanced grade levels. d) predictor of how quickly a student will progress through the year's curriculum .

Q: Research on the achievement effects of within-class ability groupings of elementary mathematics classes shows: a) Results are inconclusive due to the infrequent employment of these methods b) Students in ability-grouped classes learned at levels comparable to students in classes without ability grouping c) Students in ability-grouped classes demonstrated lower achievement gains than did students in classes without ability grouping d) Students in ability-grouped classes demonstrated greater achievement gains than did students in classes that did not use grouping

Q: Justin Callahan is the assistant principal at Central School Elementary in a large urban school district. During his seven years at the school, he has come to know children from many different backgrounds and with many different types of problems. He has also seen many bright and successful students come and go. One fall afternoon, Daisy Alvarez, a high school guidance counselor from the school located a few block away, stops by his office. She sits down and tells Justin she has an idea. "Justin, you know I"ve been working with a group of kids from my school who have completed drug treatment programs. They are good kids and need some activities that will keep them off the streets. I would like to have them tutor some of your students. They could walk over during the day and read to your students or help them with homework. Or, they could help your teachers to grade papers or run other errands. What do you think of my ideas?" From the information presented in the chapter, what advantages might exist for elementary children who are exposed to adolescents? What disadvantages might exist? What advantages might exist for adolescents who work with children? What disadvantages might exist? If you were Justin Callahan would you do it?

Q: Which of the following is true regarding a grade-equivalent score? a) It compares a particular student's score to the average scores of norming groups at different grade levels. b) It tells a teacher how many students scored above and below the mean score. c) It tells a teacher the grade at which a particular student belongs. d) It compares a particular student's score to the stanine scores of other students.

Q: Miss Menard wants to accommodate student differences in her mixed-ability classes. Which of the following is an effective means of doing so? a) Reducing higher level thinking activities for low-ability students b) Requiring the high-ability students to complete more challenging work for comparable grading c) Establishing cooperative learning groups where students teach each other d) Establishing peer teaching where high ability student leaders provide direct instruction to low-track learners

Q: Based on Erikson's work, James Marcia created four categories of identity development during adolescence. Each category reflects the degree to which adolescents have made firm commitments to occupational, religious, and political values. Below are descriptions of four adolescents, each of who fits one of Marcia's categories. Read the description of the adolescent, then label the individual as identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, moratorium, or identity achievement. Provide an explanation for your selection. - Suzette comes from a family of teachers. Her parents' dream is that she become a teacher. Suzette agrees that teaching is the only occupation that she can pursue since it would break her parents' hearts if she did anything else. - Mali finds the political debate that his teachers, parents, and peers engage in to be boring. He couldn"t care less who is in office and who is not. - Catrina is a good student, a strong athlete, and an excellent musician. She has ideas about a future career, but hasn"t yet decided which of her many interests to pursue. - After winning a contest to be a guest announcer at a large radio station, Anthony decides that he will go to college to study broadcasting.

Q: A fourth-grade student earns a grade-equivalent score of 6.1 in reading comprehension. One can conclude that the student: a) is in need of special services. b) should be moved to the sixth grade. c) is performing about two years above grade level. d) has a percentile rank of 61.

Q: According to our text, which of the following is a major disadvantage of tracking? a) African American and Latino students are disproportionately placed in less-effective, low-track classes. b) The number of low-ability students is increasing so rapidly that only the lowest-ability students are able to receive low-ability tracked instruction. c) School resources are strained as schools must purchase textbooks and materials for each ability group. d) Teachers of low-track students often give extra credit which results in grade inflation for students performing below grade level.

Q: Secondary educators need to be sensitive to problems that face adolescents. What are some of the problems and how can teachers help adolescents who are experiencing them?

Q: The scoring reports for a criterion-referenced achievement test would show: a) a student's normal curve equivalent score on each test item. b) the number of test items a student answered correctly for each objective. c) students' confidence ratings of their performance on each test item. d) students' rankings compared to all students who took the test.

Q: Although between-class ability grouping is commonly used in many schools, research suggests: a) parents prefer within-class ability grouping. b) high-track students become isolated from the other students due to low numbers of high achievers. c) instruction is less effective and damaging effects have been noted for students in low track classes. d) there is greater opportunity for students to be truant in between class ability groupings.

Q: Based on Erikson's work, James Marcia identified four identity statuses from in-depth interviews with adolescents. The statuses reflect the degree to which adolescents have made firm commitments to occupational, religious, and political values. Identify each status and give examples of the characteristics of that status.

Q: Which of the following questions can be best answered by a criterion-referenced test? a) How do children at a particular elementary school compare with the national norm in reading? b) How many students can multiple 2 digit by 2 digit numbers? c) What is the cause of a student's difficulties in mathematics? d) Which drivers education students are in the top 20%?

Q: An elementary teacher suggests between-class ability grouping for her fifth-grade team. Which of the following is an example of this type of grouping? a) Students are placed in mixed ability cooperative learning groups b) Students of high socioeconomic status mentor students of low socioeconomic status c) Students are separated into reading ability groups within the home room d) Gifted students from the fifth grade receive separate instruction

Q: Compare a child in the elementary grades to the same individual in high school, focusing on Erikson's stages of social and personal development. What changes had this student undergone? Briefly describe two examples of how the high school teacher's awareness of these types of changes might benefit students.

Q: The establishment of cutoff scores for criterion-referenced tests: a) is at a point above which 50 percent of the norming sample fall. b) employs an 80 percent criterion for difficult objectives and a 90 percent criterion for easy ones. c) relies on the professional judgment of teachers and other school personnel. d) is set by the school psychologist.

Q: Ms. Rodriguez wants to provide an incentive for her students to learn. Which of the following could be considered an incentive or motivator for students? a) Ms. Rodriguez has a great deal of knowledge about the content of the lesson b) The material being taught has interest for the students c) The lesson presentation is well organized d) Students are given allocated time to complete all aspects of the assignment

Q: The most important limitation of Kohlberg's theory is that it: a) deals only with actual behavior rather than perceived behavior. b) deals with moral reasoning rather than actual behavior. c) focuses on moral development but not moral reasoning. d) addresses only individual rights.

Q: Eighty-three percent of the students in a class can name five countries in South America. Such a statement is probably based on the results of: a) a diagnostic test. b) a criterion-referenced achievement test. c) an aptitude test. d) a norm-referenced achievement test.

Q: Using the QAIT model, which would be an appropriate level of instruction? a) A level that is based on the curriculum mandated by the state or district b) A level that is intrinsically motivating for students c) A level that is neither too difficult nor too easy for students d) A level that is requested by the person or guardian

Q: A criticism of both Piaget's and Kohlberg's work is that they did not observe that young children can often reason about moral situations in: a) abstract terms. b) ways similar to adults. c) hypothetical dilemmas. d) more sophisticated ways than the theories would suggest.

Q: A training department wants to know whether prospective plant employees can operate different types of heavy machinery that are now available. What would be the best type of test to give? a) Norm-referenced achievement b) Criterion-referenced aptitude d) Criterion-referenced achievement d) Norm-referenced aptitude

Q: A teacher can use which element of the QAIT model to adapt the pace of instruction to meet individual student needs? a) Appropriate level of instruction b) Quality of instruction c) Incentive d) Time

Q: A student does not really think about plagiarism as a true injustice to her fellow students. She believes it is acceptable because her close friends say that plagiarism is just a survival skill that everybody uses. Applying Kohlberg's theory of moral development, what level best identifies the student's judgment about plagiarism? a) preconventional (stage 1 or 2) b) postconventional (stage 5 or 6) c) conventional (stage 3 or 4) d) neoconventional (stage 4 or 5)

Q: What is the term for a test that is designed to measure general learning potential? a) Summative test b) Norm-referenced achievement test c) Criterion-referenced achievement test d) Aptitude test

Q: Engaging students with lesson content through methods such as cooperative activities, simulations, games or technology can: a) help make lesson concepts understandable and memorable for students. b) create allocated time for learning. c) help close the Digital Gap in learning. d) allow alignment of instructional plans with academic standards.

Q: The third-grade teacher has told a group of students to go to the cabinet and take a box of crayons that they may use during the year. A student who is the last one in line is faced with the moral dilemma of whether to take several boxes, since no one is watching. The student makes the decision that it would not be proper because the rule did not allow for anyone to take more than one box. This behavior reflects which level of moral reasoning? a) nonconventional b) conventional c) postconventional d) preconventional

Q: An achievement test is primarily designed to assess: a) vocational and academic interests. b) general learning potential. c) specific academic deficits, for diagnosis of disabilities. d) skills or abilities that have traditionally been taught in schools.

Q: When instruction is high in quality, the information presented makes sense to students, interests them and: a) is quickly and easily mastered. b) is challenging to apply. c) is within the Zone of Proximal Development. d) is easy to remember and apply.

Q: One student sees another cheat on a test. The first student reasons that cheating is acceptable because the teacher wasn't looking. What level of moral reasoning is the student exhibiting? a) conventional b) unconventional c) postconventional d) preconventional

Q: When would it be most appropriate for a school psychologist to employ an aptitude test rather than an achievement test? a) to suggest ways to remediate specific deficits in knowledge b) to yield information on how well a student has learned a skill c) to identify or assess students for possible placement in special programs d) to identify styles of cognition and learning

Q: Quality of instruction refers to the set of activities most people first picture when they think of teaching: lecturing, calling on students, discussion and so on. Which of the following may add to the quality of instruction? a) Involving peers as peer tutors or cooperative learning partners b) Allocated time c) Incentive d) Intrinsic motivation

Q: According to Kohlberg, for individuals operating at which level of moral development is morality defined in terms of cooperation with peers? a) preconventional b) postconventional c) unconventional d) conventional

Q: A criterion-referenced achievement test is designed to measure the degree to which a student: a) compares to his or her peers. b) has improved. c) performs simple tasks. d) has mastered well-specified skills.

Q: When planning her lessons for the week, Mrs. Garcia keeps in mind Carroll's model of school learning. Which one of the following would she NOT consider when planning the TIME NEEDED for a particular lesson?" a) How much time students spend in out-of-classroom activities, such as physical education and library time b) What her students already know from prior lessons c) How quickly her students learn new material d) The degree to which the lesson draws on common knowledge that the students probably have learned outside the classroom

Q: Children at the preconventional level of moral reasoning concentrate on: a) respecting the laws of society. b) how to further their own interests and avoid being punished. c) understanding the meaning of rules for a group. d) how to adapt rules to fit the condition of their situations.

Q: Which of the following is true regarding norm-referenced achievement tests? a) They provide little information on which to rank students according to their knowledge of a given subject. b) They evaluate students on all the content areas they have covered. d) They cannot be highly curriculum-specific because educational programs vary between states. d) They are typically given only in high school, not elementary.

Q: Educational psychologists have proposed models of effective instruction that help explain the critical features of high quality. One of these models is called the QAIT model. Identify the four elements of QAIT: a) Quick, Alternative, Instruction, Time b) Quiet, Achievement, Intelligence, Test c) Quality, Appropriateness, Incentive, Time d) Quality, Authentic, Instruction, Task

Q: Kohlberg studied individuals' responses to hypothetical problems called: a) moral dilemmas. b) clinical ambiguities. c) behavioral incidents. d) ethical challenges.

Q: Which of the following descriptions is most characteristic of norm-referenced tests? a) Scores are compared to a representative group of prior test takers. b) They have a high difficulty level. c) Students are not expected to finish the entire test. d) The content assessed is curriculum-specific.

Q: According to our text, which of the following is the most important aspect of quality of instruction? a) The degree to which the lesson makes sense to students b) Advanced technology that is available to all students and bridges the Digital Gap c) The extrinsic rewards provided by the instructor d) Sufficient allocated time

Q: According to Piaget, children in the heteronomous stage of moral development believe that rules: a) are relative. b) bring automatic punishment. c) and punishment are unrelated. d) bring about ethical challenges.

Q: Typically, standardized tests are carefully constructed to provide accurate information reflecting: a) the highest achieving students' abilities clearly to set goals for all other students. b) clear demarcation between ability levels to define tracking levels. c) each student's intelligence quotient. d) each student's level of performance.

Q: The amount of time you schedule for instruction and then actually use to teach is referred to as: a) Engaged time b) Allocated time c) Plan time d) Time on task

Q: According to Piaget, between the ages of six and ten years, children believe that the rules of a game:- a) can be altered by older children in the group, but not by younger ones. b) are flexible. c) are set by a higher authority and cannot be altered. d) can be altered with the consent of all players.

Q: The SAT and the ACT are categorized as which of the following types of tests? a) Criterion-referenced b) Knowledge c) Standardized d) Diagnostic

Q: Mr. Clements is a returning fifth-grade teacher who plans creative lessons based on grade level expectations and his students' current level of readiness. He is careful to plan the lessons in ways which appeal to his students and encourages participation using carefully thought out questions and prompts. Mr. Clements is surprised when this year's students are not mastering the content. Which area of Slavin's QAIT model should Mr. Clements address? a) Quality of instruction b) Appropriate level of instruction c) Incentive d) Time

Q: A student is caught talking about during a test, a behavior that breaks a class rule. Another student in Piaget's autonomous stage of morality is likely to react in which of the following ways? a) Side with the teacher's decision. b) View any punishment as deserved. c) Protect the offender, regardless of circumstances. d) Listen to the offender's rationale for the behavior.

Q: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of relative grading standards.

Q: Ms. MacIver asked her senior math students to solve the following problem: Make three rows of three dots on a piece of paper. Without lifting your pencil, and using four straight lines, connect all of the dots. The students tried to solve the problem, but could not. Ms. MacIver then said to her students, "I'll show you how to connect the dots." She then drew the following solution on the overhead. "You have to go outside the boundaries of the dots in order to solve the problem," explained Ms. MacIver. How did the students initially represent the problem? In other words, state how the students described the problem to themselveshow they pictured it, interpreted it or defined it? Explain how the students' representation of the problem interfered with finding the solution. What could students learn from this experience that might help in solving problems in the future?

Q: If individuals do not grow during the generativity stage, a sense of stagnation and interpersonal impoverishment develops. This leads to: a) intimacy or competition. b) doubt. c) self-absorption or self-indulgence. d) confusion.

Q: For each of the behavioral objectives listed below, circle the behavior, underline the condition, if applicable, and place parentheses around the criterion, if applicable. Using the appropriate tools and materials, create a piece of art. Select, read, and interpret a piece of poetry. Calculate the diameter of circles. Without error, perform each step of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Identify the planets of the solar system.

Q: Davis Brookline is the newly appointed chair of the history department at Cool Ridge High School, which is a large, underfunded, urban school. On the first day of the new academic year, Davis meets with his 10 history colleagues. Some of them are seasoned teachers, some are new to the district, and some are new to teaching. "We're going to do things differently this year, people," he tells his colleagues. "Over the summer, I attended a workshop about taking the classroom back from students. We talked about teachers' rights, teacher control, and assertive and firm discipline. Things have gotten out of control here at Cool Ridgestudents have too much powerand I intend to regain control!" One of Davis Brookline's colleagues asks, "What do you mean you intend to regain control? You sound a little like a drill sergeant, Davis." "Exactly!" stated Davis. "This history department is going to be tough. Students will have to earn each and every grade they get the hard waythrough drill and practice and weekly written tests, which we will grade on a curve. Those students who don't get in line will pay the consequences." "Don't we have any say about how we want to teach?" asked another colleague. "I don't agree that your method is the best way to reach students, especially some who have outside problems to deal with." "We're not helping students by letting them off the hook. Yes, some have problems, but getting tough is the only way to teach them to survive in this city." What are some of the issues raised in the above scenario? How do Davis Brookline's beliefs about teaching compare to constructivist approaches to instruction?

Q: According to Erikson, a young adult who does not seek out close relationships with other people may develop a sense of: a) isolation. b) guilt. c) inferiority. d) mistrust.

Q: Ms. Frisch is feeling despondent and frustrated as she looks at the chemistry mid-term exam results. The average score was only 68 percent, less than the C cutoff. Only four students scored in the 80 percent range, and just two in the 90 percent rangeonly four B's and two A's out of 28 students. "Maybe I made the exam too hard," she thinks. "I'm sure the students will be deflated when they see their grades." If Ms. Frisch came to you to discuss her problem, what would you tell her?

Q: How would you create a "culture of thinking" in your classroom?

Q: The positive psychosocial outcome of the teenage years is a sense of: a) identity. b) generativity. c) initiative. d) integrity.

Q: Mr. Zhou has given his unit test in Social Studies, and his students obtained the following scores (in percentages): 38 38 59 62 67 67 71 72 74 74 77 78 78 80 82 82 87 86 87 89 Mr. Zhou's absolute grading standards apply a 90% cutoff for an A, an 80% cutoff for a B, etc. Mr. Zhou is questioning his grading system after examining these grades. Describe the problem he faces. Describe Mr. Zhou's alternative for interpreting these test scores. In other words, what other basic approach to grading standards could he apply to the test results? How would the letter grades be affected? Describe one drawback to this change in grading standards.

Q: How is creative problem solving different from traditional, analytical problem solving?

Q: During which of the following stages of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development do teachers and peers take on increasing importance while the influence of parents decreases? a) Intimacy versus isolation b) Initiative versus guilt c) Trust versus mistrust d) Industry versus inferiority

Q: Select a familiar topic. On scrap paper, list several learning objectives you would use in teaching this topic. Be sure your objectives represent a variety of levels from Bloom's taxonomy. Design three multiple-choice items to assess some of your objectives. For each question, state the objective, and identify the level at which Bloom would classify it. Design your multiple-choice questions so that each reflects a different level of Bloom's taxonomy.

Q: Ms. Aretti likes her 7th graders this year, but there is one student, Mira, who is very shy. Mira never speaks up in class. Ms. Aretti can only get her to whisper an answer when called on. There are many ways that Ms. Aretti could try to help Mira, but the problem calls for creative problem solvingit is not well structured. Illustrate how two of the following might be helpful to Ms. Aretti's thinking, as she tries to solve her classroom problem: incubation; suspension of judgment; appropriate climates; analysis. Think of the two strategies you illustrated, as they relate to the IDEAL model of problem solving. For each strategy, explain why it would be relevant when performing one of the steps in IDEAL.

Q: Erik Erikson, in stage two of his theory of psychosocial development, asserts that parents who are overly restrictive and harsh give their children: a) a sense of powerlessness and incompetence, that can lead to shame and doubt in one's abilities. b) sound guidance as they move into adulthood. c) a new sense of self- or ego-identity that leads to confusion about the role played by each parent. d) a sense of power that can provide the child with independence.

Q: What is a table of specifications? How is it used in evaluating student achievement?

Q: What does the research say about the effectiveness of cooperative learning as compared with more traditional teaching methods?

Q: When children enter middle school or junior high school, self-esteem is: a) At its peak b) At its lowest c) Holding steady d) Not as important as academic achievement

Q: Drawing on Gronlund's six principles, describe three points that need to be considered when preparing achievement tests. For each of your three points, illustrate a problem that would result if Gronlund's principle were not observed.

Q: A teacher wants to encourage team building in students. What type of cooperative learning method would you recommend the teacher use? Explain your choice.

Q: Reflectivity, a hallmark of identity development, refers to: a) the Mirror Self. b) a state of prematurely established identity on the basis of the parents' choices. c) the tendency to analyze oneself and one's own thoughts. d) experimentation with occupational and ideological choices without definite commitment.

Q: How do summative evaluations and formative evaluations differ?