Consider the following cognitive process questions and test-taking strategies. Flashcards
Cognitive Process Questions for Candidates
Cognitive Process Questions for Candidates
What knowledge and skills does the question intend to assess?
What is the context of the situation?
What is the primary decision or issue to be resolved?
How does evidence from the scenario support your conclusion?
How can you apply your knowledge of best practices to answer this question?
Test-Taking Strategies for Candidates
How can you rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you
understand it?
What are the key phrases presented in the question?
What is the important scenario information provided to support the
question?
Can you eliminate any obviously wrong answer choices?
Select the correct answer choice and mark your answer.
In order to support a strong school culture, a middle school principal proposes a counseling
program that integrates career, character, and leadership education into classroom
academic lessons. Implementing the program involves collaboration between teachers and
school counselors to teach integrated lessons. After introducing the new initiative and its
core principles, the teachers and counselors are ready to begin implementation. Which of
the following is the principal’s best next step?
A. Preparing a schedule of team-teaching opportunities for teachers and counselors to
begin teaching lessons and measuring student mastery
B. Allowing time for counselors to observe classes to get a sense of each teacher’s
teaching style
C. Providing the program’s student-learning objectives with a list of selected academic
classes and lessons for integration
D. Having teachers and counselors review content standards and the program’s
student-learning objectives to determine appropriate lesson placement and sequence
What knowledge and skills does the question intend to assess?
• Domain VI, Competency 11, Descriptive statement F — The entry-level principal
facilitates and supports special campus programs that provide all students with
quality, flexible instructional programs and services (e.g., health, guidance, and
counseling programs) to meet individual student needs.
What is the context of the situation?
• A middle school principal is working with teachers and counselors to support a
strong school culture.
• The principal has already taken several steps to begin a new initiative that
includes teachers and counselors teaching integrated lessons on career,
character, and leadership.
• Implementation of the new initiative is ready to begin.
What is the primary decision or issue to be resolved?
• You need to determine the next step for the principal to take to implement the
new counseling program.
How can you apply your knowledge of best practices to answer this question?
• You should consider best practices for implementing change initiatives.
• You should consider best practices for supporting collaboration and mutual
expectations between colleagues.
• You should consider best practices for sequential development of integrated
curriculum units.
How does evidence from the scenario support your conclusion?
• After selecting the answer choice, you should check the scenario and see if your
answer choice is sequentially appropriate for supporting the new guidance and
counseling program into academic lessons.
• You should ensure the next implementation step encourages a culture of clear
expectations and ownership by the teachers and counselors involved.
In order to support a strong school culture, a middle school principal proposes a counseling
program that integrates career, character, and leadership education into classroom
academic lessons. Implementing the program involves collaboration between teachers and
school counselors to teach integrated lessons. After introducing the new initiative and its
core principles, the teachers and counselors are ready to begin implementation. Which of
the following is the principal’s best next step?
A. Preparing a schedule of team-teaching opportunities for teachers and counselors to
begin teaching lessons and measuring student mastery
B. Allowing time for counselors to observe classes to get a sense of each teacher’s
teaching style
C. Providing the program’s student-learning objectives with a list of selected academic
classes and lessons for integration
D. Having teachers and counselors review content standards and the program’s
student-learning objectives to determine appropriate lesson placement and sequence
w can you rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you
understand it?
• The question presents a scenario where a middle school principal is
implementing a new counseling program that involves collaboration between
teachers to teach integrated lessons. The principal has laid the groundwork and
is ready to begin using the program. What is the principal’s best next step?
What are the key phrases presented in the question?
• “After introducing the new initiative and its core principles, … are ready to begin
implementation.”
• “principal’s best next step”
What is the important scenario information provided to support the question?
• “In order to support a strong school culture”
• “involves collaboration between teachers and school counselors”
Can you eliminate any obviously wrong answer choices?
• Option B focuses on teaching styles, which should not drive the next steps, so
this option can be eliminated.
Select the correct answer choice and mark the answer.
• Options A, C, and D are steps in the implementation process, so the last step is
to consider which of those options should happen next to support
implementation of the new counseling initiative.
In order to support a strong school culture, a middle school principal proposes a counseling
program that integrates career, character, and leadership education into classroom
academic lessons. Implementing the program involves collaboration between teachers and
school counselors to teach integrated lessons. After introducing the new initiative and its
core principles, the teachers and counselors are ready to begin implementation. Which of
the following is the principal’s best next step?
A. Preparing a schedule of team-teaching opportunities for teachers and counselors to
begin teaching lessons and measuring student mastery
B. Allowing time for counselors to observe classes to get a sense of each teacher’s
teaching style
C. Providing the program’s student-learning objectives with a list of selected academic
classes and lessons for integration
D. Having teachers and counselors review content standards and the program’s
student-learning objectives to determine appropriate lesson placement and sequence
Below are rationales for each of the answer choices for candidates to check their thinking.
Option D is correct because collaboration between school counselors and teachers will
ensure a mutual understanding of state academic standards and the scope and sequence of
the curriculum. This will lay the foundation for the entire initiative and allow counselors to
gain an understanding of the academic scope and sequence to best determine where
counseling lessons logically fit into academic lessons.
Option A is incorrect because preparing a schedule of specific team-teaching opportunities
for teachers and counselors would not be the next step in creating valuable lessons in which
counseling concepts are blended with academics, since the foundation for the curriculum
should be well understood before the lessons are scheduled.
Option B is incorrect because allowing time for the counselors to observe each classroom
and become familiar with various teaching styles is not the best next step in the task of
creating lessons that blend counseling concepts with academics, since it is more pressing to
establish a foundation for understanding the academic standards and scope and sequence.
Option C is incorrect because determining which counseling objectives will be infused in
the academic lessons should be made by teachers and counselors when they work together.
It is more important for the counselor to understand the academic standards and scope and
sequence to determine how counseling objectives can be integrated.
CLUSTERED QUESTIONS
Clustered questions are the second type of selected-response questions on the test.
Clustered questions are made up of a scenario and two or more questions relating to the
scenario. The scenario material can be reading passages, a description of a classroom
observation, a video, graphic, table, or any other information necessary to answer the
questions that follow.
Consider the following cognitive process questions and test-taking strategies for answering
clustered questions.
When reviewing the cluster scenario:
What is the context of the scenario?
What are the central issues presented in the scenario?
What key questions can you ask yourself when reviewing the documents and/or
video?
What conclusions can you draw from the information in the scenario?
When answering the questions:
What knowledge and skills does the question intend to assess?
What is the context of the question, and where can evidence of this be found in
the scenario?
What is the primary decision or issue to be addressed?
How can you apply your knowledge of best practices to answer this question?
How does evidence from the scenario support your conclusion?
CLUSTERED QUESTIONS
Clustered questions are the second type of selected-response questions on the test.
Clustered questions are made up of a scenario and two or more questions relating to the
scenario. The scenario material can be reading passages, a description of a classroom
observation, a video, graphic, table, or any other information necessary to answer the
questions that follow.
Consider the following cognitive process questions and test-taking strategies for answering
clustered questions.
Test-Taking Strategies for Candidates
Strategy 1 You can skim the scenario documents to understand their purpose, their
arrangement, and/or their content. Then you can read the questions and refer again to
the scenario documents to obtain the specific information you need to answer the
questions.
Strategy 2 You can read the questions before considering the scenario documents.
The theory behind this strategy is that the content of the questions will help you
identify the purpose of the scenario documents and locate the information needed to
answer the questions.
Strategy 3 You can use a combination of both strategies. Apply the “read the
scenario first” strategy with shorter, more familiar scenarios and the “read the
questions first” strategy with longer, more complex or less familiar scenarios. You can
experiment with the sample questions in this publication and then use the strategy with
which you are most comfortable when you take the actual test.
When reading each question in the clustered set, you should consider each of these
questions before selecting the correct answer choice.
How can you rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you understand
it?
What are the key phrases presented in the question?
What is the important scenario information provided to support the question?
Can you eliminate any obviously wrong answer choices?
Questions 1–4 refer to the following information.
Mr. Ramirez is a principal in a 9-12 high school. A few days ago, he observed the eleventhgrade English literature class of Ms. O’Toole, an experienced teacher. The class had just
concluded their study of the novel Candide, and Ms. O’Toole had planned an independent
practice involving small groups of students discussing open-ended questions and drawing
conclusions about the novel.
During the post-observation conference, Mr. Ramirez asks Ms. O’Toole to identify an aspect
of the lesson that did not go as planned. Refer to the following video where Ms. O’Toole
responds to the principal’s question.
Cognitive Process Questions for Candidates
Cluster Scenario
What is the context of the scenario?
• Ms. O’Toole is an experienced teacher, not a first-year teacher.
• The lesson Ms. O’Toole taught is near the end of the class’s study of a novel.
• Without being present for the entire lesson, you learn that the lesson includes
independent practice involving small groups of students discussing openended questions and drawing conclusions.
• The principal sets the expectation that the teacher will complete prework
before attending the post-observation conference. This will ensure the teacher
and principal are prepared and have taken time to reflect on the lesson.
What are the central issues presented in the scenario?
• Aspects of the lesson the principal observed did not go as planned.
What key questions can you ask yourself when reviewing the documents
and/or video?
• What evidence regarding the teacher’s instruction can you gather from the
video?
• How does the evidence help you determine how best to coach Ms. O’Toole?
What conclusions can you draw from the information in the scenario and
video?
• Some students in the class did not draw appropriate conclusions about the
main character of the book being studied.
• The teacher believes the student-readiness level is impacting student
understanding of the novel.
Questions 1–4 refer to the following information.
Mr. Ramirez is a principal in a 9-12 high school. A few days ago, he observed the eleventhgrade English literature class of Ms. O’Toole, an experienced teacher. The class had just
concluded their study of the novel Candide, and Ms. O’Toole had planned an independent
practice involving small groups of students discussing open-ended questions and drawing
conclusions about the novel.
During the post-observation conference, Mr. Ramirez asks Ms. O’Toole to identify an aspect
of the lesson that did not go as planned. Refer to the following video where Ms. O’Toole
responds to the principal’s question.
Test-Taking Strategies for Candidates
Strategy 1 You can skim the scenario material to understand its purpose and content.
Then you can read the questions.
Strategy 2 You can read the questions before considering the scenario material.
Strategy 3 You can use a combination of both strategies.
What can you learn by skimming the questions before reading the scenario and
watching the video?
• You can consider how the lack of student learning should inform the next day’s
lesson and how to be ready to coach the teacher in this area.
• You can consider how to coach the teacher to address the students’ reinforcing
misconceptions during independent practice.
Ms. O’Toole seeks advice from Mr. Ramirez about how to plan the lesson for the next day,
considering that many students drew inaccurate conclusions about the novel’s main
character. Which of the following is the best strategy for Mr. Ramirez to recommend?
A. Asking students to reconsider the previous day’s discussion questions during a
whole-class meeting
B. Using direct instruction to point out evidence in the novel that supports the dynamic
evolution of the main character
C. Modeling a think-aloud for students that demonstrates how to cite the novel to
support conclusions
D Providing students with a scholarly commentary about the roles of the different
characters in the novel
Cognitive Process Questions for Candidates
What knowledge and skills does the question intend to assess?
• Domain III, Competency 5, Descriptive statement B — The entry-level principal
coaches and develops teachers by facilitating teacher self-assessment and goal
setting, conducting conferences, giving individualized feedback, and supporting
individualized professional growth opportunities.
What is the context of the question?
• A high school principal has observed a lesson and is planning to give coaching
feedback to an eleventh-grade English literature teacher whose students have
drawn inaccurate conclusions about the main character’s development from the
beginning to the end of the novel.
• The teacher is seeking advice from the principal, which can be reflective of a
strong working relationship and culture of trust.
What is the primary decision or issue to be resolved?
• You should determine how to address the identified student misconceptions
during the next day’s lesson.
What evidence from the scenario addresses the question?
• You can look for what Ms. O’Toole identifies as the students’ misconceptions.
• You can consider what you would prioritize as an action step to take to improve
Ms. O’Toole’s practice.
How can you apply your knowledge of best practices to answer this
question?
• You can consider content-specific best practices for how to teach about main
characters in a novel to high school students.
• You can consider a strategy that is directly connected to student learning and
addresses the root cause of why students are not drawing accurate
conclusions.
Ms. O’Toole seeks advice from Mr. Ramirez about how to plan the lesson for the next day,
considering that many students drew inaccurate conclusions about the novel’s main
character. Which of the following is the best strategy for Mr. Ramirez to recommend?
A. Asking students to reconsider the previous day’s discussion questions during a
whole-class meeting
B. Using direct instruction to point out evidence in the novel that supports the dynamic
evolution of the main character
C. Modeling a think-aloud for students that demonstrates how to cite the novel to
support conclusions
D Providing students with a scholarly commentary about the roles of the different
characters in the novel
Test-Taking Strategies for Candidates
How can you rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you
understand it?
• The question presents a scenario where the principal is preparing to coach a
high school English teacher on how to address wrong conclusions students
drew during the lesson.
What are the key phrases presented in the question?
• “students drew inaccurate conclusions about the novel’s main character”
• “best strategy” (to address the inaccurate conclusions by students)
What important scenario information is provided to support the question?
• The video reflections by the teacher are included.
• This lesson is at the end of the novel, so students have experience with the
content and making inferences to draw conclusions.
Can you eliminate any obviously wrong answer choices?
• Option D is a weak choice because providing commentary about the roles of
different characters does not address the identified student misconception.
Select the correct answer choice and mark your answer.
• Options A, B, and C should be considered based on the content and the
effectiveness of the pedagogical practices each choice presents.
Ms. O’Toole seeks advice from Mr. Ramirez about how to plan the lesson for the next day,
considering that many students drew inaccurate conclusions about the novel’s main
character. Which of the following is the best strategy for Mr. Ramirez to recommend?
A. Asking students to reconsider the previous day’s discussion questions during a
whole-class meeting
B. Using direct instruction to point out evidence in the novel that supports the dynamic
evolution of the main character
C. Modeling a think-aloud for students that demonstrates how to cite the novel to
support conclusions
D Providing students with a scholarly commentary about the roles of the different
characters in the novel
Below are rationales for each of the answer choices for candidates to check their thinking.
Option C is correct because the students have learned the content and interpretative skills
to be able to draw valid conclusions in the lessons taught earlier in their novel study. Ms.
O’Toole will help the students best by modeling an effective thinking process using
associated evidence from the novel to support conclusions.
Option A is incorrect because the students are unlikely to reconsider their conclusions if
they are not provided with additional guidance in activating and applying their prior
knowledge.
Options B and D are incorrect because neither using direct instruction nor providing a
scholarly commentary allows students to apply their prior knowledge to reconsider their
conclusions.
Mr. Ramirez concludes that Ms. O’Toole will benefit from coaching on how to address the
problem of students reinforcing misconceptions or misunderstandings when participating in
independent practice. Which of the following is the best recommendation he can give Ms.
O’Toole?
A. Placing students in mixed-ability groups rather than same-ability groups
B. Anticipating and preparing for errors that individual students or groups might make
C. Differentiating the content and product rather than the instructional activity
D. Providing less capable students with questions that require low-level thinking skills
Cognitive Process Questions for Candidates
What knowledge and skills does the question intend to assess?
• Domain III, Competency 5, Descriptive statement B — The entry-level principal
coaches and develops teachers by facilitating teacher self-assessment and goal
setting, conducting conferences, giving individualized feedback, and supporting
individualized professional growth opportunities.
What is the context of the question?
• When the teacher responds to a question asked by the principal during the postobservational conference, the teacher reveals that some students drew the
conclusion that the main character in the novel did not mature. So those
students drew the inaccurate conclusion that Candide was not a dynamic
character.
What is the primary decision or issue to be resolved?
• You need to determine effective strategies for limiting student misconceptions
during independent practice.
What evidence from the scenario addresses this question?
• You need to look for Ms. O’Toole identifying students’ misconceptions.
• You need to consider what you want to prioritize as an action step to take to
improve Ms. O’Toole’s practice.
How can you apply your knowledge of best practices to answer this question?
• You should consider a strategy that is directly connected to student learning and
addresses the root cause of students’ misconceptions and works to proactively
address student misunderstandings.
Mr. Ramirez concludes that Ms. O’Toole will benefit from coaching on how to address the
problem of students reinforcing misconceptions or misunderstandings when participating in
independent practice. Which of the following is the best recommendation he can give Ms.
O’Toole?
A. Placing students in mixed-ability groups rather than same-ability groups
B. Anticipating and preparing for errors that individual students or groups might make
C. Differentiating the content and product rather than the instructional activity
D. Providing less capable students with questions that require low-level thinking skills
Test-Taking Strategies for Candidates
How can you rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you
understand it?
• The question presents a teacher seeking to address a problem of students’
reinforcing each other’s inaccurate thinking during a part of the lesson cycle—
independent practice.
What are the key phrases presented in the question?
• “an experienced teacher”
• “Students reinforcing misconceptions”
• “best [coaching] recommendation”
What is the important scenario information provided to support the question?
• The video reflections by the teacher are included.
• The information regarding the teacher’s experience level is included.
Can you eliminate any obviously wrong answer choices?
• Option D is a weak choice because reducing expectations for students does not
address how to help them learn the targeted information.
Select the correct answer choice and mark your answer.
• Options A, B, and C should be considered based on the content and the
effectiveness of the pedagogical practices each choice presents.
Mr. Ramirez concludes that Ms. O’Toole will benefit from coaching on how to address the
problem of students reinforcing misconceptions or misunderstandings when participating in
independent practice. Which of the following is the best recommendation he can give Ms.
O’Toole?
A. Placing students in mixed-ability groups rather than same-ability groups
B. Anticipating and preparing for errors that individual students or groups might make
C. Differentiating the content and product rather than the instructional activity
D. Providing less capable students with questions that require low-level thinking skills
Option B is correct because a teacher who has taught a unit before can reasonably predict
the common misunderstandings and errors that students will make as they learn the
content or skills in a lesson. Anticipating and preparing for student errors will allow Ms.
O’Toole to put appropriate scaffolding in place for helping students avoid likely
misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Options A and C are incorrect because neither action alone addresses the problem of
students reinforcing misconceptions or misunderstandings.
Option D is incorrect because providing students with activities requiring low-level
thinking skills may reduce the occurrence of misconceptions and misunderstandings but
serves no purpose in advancing their learning.
