When a teacher’s private life is called into question by the courts, a governing principle
that determines whether or not the teacher may be dismissed is often based on whether:
A.there is substantial disruption of the educational process.
B.there is documentary evidence of an illicit relationship.
C.the teacher’s actions in his or her private life can be considered immoral.
D.the teacher is a good role model for students.
According to Donald McCarty and Charles Ramsey, authors of The School Managers:
Power and Conflict in American Public Education, a school board in a community
dominated by a few powerful figures will seek out a superintendent who _____.
A.acts as a decision maker
B.acts as an adviser
C.has a political style
D.has a functionary style
In the cooperative learning model of effective instruction:
A.accurate grading becomes easier and less time consuming.
B.a strong competitive environment is promoted in the classroom.
C.students are more likely to use computer technology.
D.rewards and recognition are based upon student performance.
Although U.S. middle school students may lag behind their Japanese counterparts in
international algebra tests, the differences disappear on later tests due to the:
A.increased amount of time U.S. students spend on more challenging courses in high
school.
B.greater comparative effectiveness of U.S. colleges.
C.greater access U.S. students have to private tutoring services.
D.increased experience U.S. students have in standardized testing during their later
years of education.
Attempts to organize Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools could be assisted by the
_____.
A.Supreme Court’s ruling in Lau v. Nichols
B.No Child Left Behind Act
C.Federal Equal Access Act
D.Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education
School boards determine educational policy, and majority of their members tend to be
_____.
A.white
B.black
C.Asian
D.Hispanic
The _____ approach uses the native language as a bridge to English language
instruction, where subjects are taught first in the native language.
A.immersion
B.transitional
C.maintenance
D.submersion
Israel Zangwill’s description of America as a “melting pot” best reflects the idea of
_____.
A.cultural pluralism
B.balkanization
C.assimilation
D.polarization
According to Bloom’s revised taxonomy, the highest level of questions is:
A.creating.
B.evaluating.
C.applying.
D.analyzing.
Some educationists believe that school curricula reflects the assumption that all people
are heterosexual and either male or female. Discuss the different ways through which
schools reinforce this idea. What can teachers do to counteract the negative aspects of
such assumptions in schools? Be sure to provide specific examples to support your
analysis.
Answer:
Answers will vary.
In researching poverty, Shirley Brice Heath found that interactions between adults and
children _____.
A.are fewer in lower-class families and more information driven
B.are non-existent in lower-class families
C.closely resemble school interactions in lower class families
D.are non-existent in middle-class families
During classroom discussions, Juan never names a student before asking a question. He
always asks a question first and then names the student whom he wants to answer the
question. According to Kounin, this is an example of:
A.dangles.
B.overlapping.
C.group alerting.
D.withitness.
Which of the following statements regarding the composition of the modern family in
the U.S. is true?
A.American families most often have at least 3 children or more.
B.More than 50 percent of new mothers have at least some college education.
C.More than 80 percent children are born to mothers who are at least 35 years old.
D.Only a few American families are remarried or recoupled.
Identify an accurate statement about using a student’s test score to assess the teacher.
A.Test scores reflect students’ understanding of the curriculum, hence are an effective
and time-tested way of assessing teachers.
B.In order to evaluate a teacher effectively, at least 50 percent of the evaluation must be
based upon test scores.
C.This a flawed approach because one test score is an inadequate measure of student
growth, much less student effectiveness.
D.This represents an almost perfect and practical application of the value-added
concept.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about existentialist classrooms?
A.They give utmost importance to math and natural sciences.
B.They de-emphasize honest interpersonal relationships.
C.They afford students great latitude in their choice of subject matter and activity.
D.They encourage imitation of established models more than individual creativity.
Elaine has been a fifth grade teacher since 1998. Elaine’s decisions are grounded not
only in the literature but also in her experiences. She serves as a role model for her
students, and she exemplifies virtues such as honesty and fairness that she seeks to
inspire in them. Which of the core propositions of the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards do Elaine’s actions most closely reflect?
A.Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
B.Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
C.Teachers are experienced members of learning communities.
D.Teachers are committed to students and their learning experience.
Which of the following is an argument used to support character education programs?
A.Students should be allowed to evolve and develop core moral attributes by
themselves.
B.The core attributes of a moral individual should be directly taught as part of the
school curriculum.
C.Today’s complexities can be reduced through independent analysis and evaluation.
D.Adult guidance and supervision are counterproductive in developing core moral
attributes.
In terms of professional status, many feel teaching:
A.falls somewhere between professional and semiprofessional in status.
B.enjoys a full professional status on the level of doctors, lawyers, and clergy.
C.is a profession that cannot be associated with intrinsic rewards.
D.is a skilled occupation such as a computer programmer or an accountant.
As an economic reconstructionist, Paulo Freire claimed that:
A.to improve the society we should primarily focus on educating the rich.
B.there is no distinction between schools and education.
C.schools often miseducate and oppress the poor.
D.schools provide true education that liberates an individual.
From the following, identify the accurate statement about school superintendents.
A.They are mainly responsible for relieving school boards of their administrative
obligations.
B.They are the most powerful education officer in the school district.
C.They are not responsible for recruiting, hiring, and firing personnel.
D.They are always popular and are exempted from criticism when things go wrong.
Helena believes that her main goal as a teacher is to transfer the knowledge and values
that her students will need to do well in society. She strives to have her students learn to
be academically proficient. She also tries to instill her students with values such as
respect, diligence, and practicality. Helena is most likely to rely on:
A.teacher-centered philosophies.
B.student-centered philosophies.
C.progressivism.
D.existentialism.
A teacher who suspects that a child is the victim of child abuse:
A.can lose teaching credentials and face prosecution, if he or she reports suspected
abuse and the charge cannot be proved.
B.should immediately contact the child’s parents or directly approach the police
department.
C.should wait for concrete proof before filing a report or contacting the school
authorities.
D.has an ethical and legal responsibility to report the suspected abuse.
Nathan was a young man receiving an education during the colonial period. As his
family was business-oriented, he was enrolled in a private school devoted to teaching
accounting and that helped him take over his family business. Based on the description
above, Nathan most likely attended a school in the _____ colonies.
A.northern
B.middle
C.southern
D.eastern
Cases such as Goss v. Lopez that deal with the proper procedures involving the
disciplining and suspension of students would fall under the:
A.First Amendment.
B.Fourth Amendment.
C.Fourteenth Amendment.
D.Fifteenth Amendment.
Economic reconstructionists believe that:
A.most teachers are wrong in holding a darker view of the society’s ills.
B.schools are teaching poorer classes to question authority.
C.schools are tools of oppression.
D.schools are teaching students how to reform economic realities.
When a teacher allocates a special week in a month to talk about important female
inventors, the teacher is taking the _____ approach to multicultural curriculum.
A.additive
B.contributions
C.transformative
D.social action
Which of the following conclusions is a teacher reading the work of Janet Hyde, likely
to reach about the students in his class?
A.”I need to develop different teaching styles to meet the different learning needs of
boys and girls, in my class.”
B.”I think that, given the differences between males and females, single-sex education
would be the most appropriate approach to take.”
C.”I really need to consider what I should do to academically support my students who
come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.”
D.”I really see no need to change anything that I am currently doing.”
Which of the following is true about gifted students?
A.Most of them experience school as a friendly place.
B.Many gifted students form separate social groups and try to isolate other students
C.Many gifted students drop out of school, instead of thriving at school.
D.About 15 percent students have been identified as academically gifted.
Which major event led to the first shift toward humanist social attempts at better
treatment and education of the disabled in America?
A.The Revolutionary War
B.The Civil War
C.World War II
D.The 1960s Civil Rights movement
With the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision, _____ became a legally
sanctioned part of the American way of life.
A.segregation
B.homosexuality
C.marijuana usage
D.racial equality
What are some positive effects of business-oriented values in schools? What are some
negative effects? What can educators do to counteract the negative impacts of
marketing in schools?
Answer:
Answers will vary.
What are some of the “urban legends” surrounding teaching? What are the truths behind
these claims? What do you think are the consequences of these legends for the teaching
profession? Be sure to support your arguments with specific examples.
Answer:
Answers will vary.
What are the characteristics of constructive feedback? Why do you think that so many
teachers fail to provide meaningful feedback to their students?
Why are so many Americans tolerant of educational inequities? What, if anything, can
be done to change peoples’ attitudes on the subject?
There is a belief that “In a very real way, today’s classrooms are living tributes to past
achievements and sacrifices.” Bringing to bear what you have learned about the history
of American education, describe how the current educational landscape represents both
the successes and the struggles that educators and students have experienced to this day.
Provide specific examples to support your discussion.
Answer:
Answers will vary.
The authors argue that teachers must work to create humane and caring classrooms to
support all students but particularly those who are at risk from academic and social
issues. Discuss how teachers would go about creating caring and humane classrooms.
What are the obstacles to teachers creating such classrooms for their students? What
can teachers do to overcome such obstacles? Be sure to support your arguments with
specific examples and analysis where appropriate.
Answer:
Answers will vary.
Imagine that you are a reconstructionist who teaches third grade. What are the societal
issues, you feel, you would need to teach your students? What would you have them do
to help fix these problems? Be sure to explain the reasoning behind your decisions and
provide specific examples to support your arguments.
To what extent was your elementary and secondary education “multicultural”? Would
you consider your experience indicative of the contributions approach, the additive
approach, the transformation approach, or the social action approach? If you could go
back to elementary and secondary school again, which approach would you want your
teachers to take, and why?
Answer:
Answers will vary.
Describe the cultural shift in drug abuse that researchers have discovered. How might
this affect programs designed to combat the problem of drug abuse? Be sure to provide
specific examples to support your analysis.
Answer:
Answers will vary.
Give examples of how the hidden government operates in schools. As a classroom
teacher, how can you use this information to your advantage?
Answer:
Answers will vary.
As a teacher, discuss some of the ways that you can vary your instruction so that
students will have a variety in process and content. Give specific examples of activities
that you would use.
Do you agree that the United States is a “melting pot”? If so, why? If you don’t agree,
explain why. Do you have a better metaphor with which to describe the United States?
Answer:
Answers will vary.
What is deep teaching? What would deep teaching look like in the academic area in
which you plan to teach? Be sure to provide specific examples in your discussion.
Answer:
Answers will vary.
According to the decision in the case of Pickering v. Board of Education, teachers may
speak out on matters of “public concern.” How would you define “public concern”?
What sort of topics might be of public concern? What might not be matters of public
concern? How can an educator discern whether or not a topic is one of public concern
before he or she speaks out?
Often, it seems as though the society has unrealistic expectations from schools. What do
you feel are the missions that society expects schools to fulfill? Do you think that
schools can actually accomplish all that the society expects? Why or why not? Provide
specific examples to support your positions.
Imagine you are teaching in a regular classroom, which also has a group of students
with learning disabilities. As an educator, how would you approach their special
teaching needs? What strategies would you adopt to enable them to learn as well as
other students?
Answer:
Answers will vary.