Praxis 5422 Practice test 2 Flashcards
Mr. Scott is a new school counselor and is starting to collect data to plan his comprehensive school counseling program. Which of the following is a type of perception data that could be used to plan a new comprehensive school counseling program?
a. School data profile
b. Needs assessment
c. Pre-test data
d. Achievement testing data
b. Needs assessment
A needs assessment is a type of perception data that is commonly used to plan a comprehensive school counseling program. Needs assessments help a counselor identify areas of strength and need in their school in order to make decisions about programming. Although the school data profile is another helpful document outlining data that can be used to plan a school counseling program, it is not a type of perception data. The school data profile focuses on demographic and outcome data. Finally, pre-test data is a type of perception data, but it wouldn’t be used to plan a comprehensive school counseling program; instead, pre-test data could be used to evaluate prior knowledge of a topic or to compare to the post-test data to establish the effectiveness of an intervention. Achievement testing data is a type of outcome data, and while it can be part of the planning process (for example, it is part of the school data profile), achievement testing data alone would not provide enough information to plan a comprehensive school counseling program.
A local plant recently closed down, causing hundreds of adults in your community to lose their jobs. How might this affect the school district’s community?
a. Schools may experience a drop in attendance and achievement.
b. Students will be able to spend more time with their parents and, as a result, do better in school.
c. The number of students in schools will decrease as families move to find work.
d. There may be an increase in participation in the school’s on-the-job training program, as students need to work to help the family financially.
a. Schools may experience a drop in attendance and achievement.
Poverty is one of the main risk factors for students. Often, those children who live in poverty do not eat properly or get enough sleep. Some students may be homeless or living with multiple families. Additionally, the strain of a sudden loss of income can cause fighting or tension in the household. As a result, students may not be prepared for school, as they may be too tired or hungry to participate. As a counselor, keen attention to the dynamics of a community will be beneficial in assisting students. In this case, the counselor can encourage families to participate in free or reduced-price breakfast or lunch plans at school. Additionally, the counselor can provide families with community resources to assist with financial emergencies.
Which of the following is NOT true about a stanine score?
a.
Stanine scores represent nine statistical units.
b.
Stanine scores are based on a standard bell curve.
c.
Stanine scores have a mean of five.
d.
Stanine scores have a standard deviation of one.
Stanines are a method of dividing a standard bell curve into nine equal statistical units, with a mean of five and a standard deviation of two. For standardized test scores, stanines are a method of comparing norm-referenced scores or percentile ranks. With a stanine comparison, scores that fall in stanines four, five, and six are considered “average” (these stanines also represent a percentile rank between 23 and 76).
A counselor finds that many of the parents of the students she works with do not speak English, and the counselor is not bilingual. What should the counselor do with regard to communication between the school and parents?
a.
Send letters home and have the students translate them
b.
Do not communicate with the families
c.
Provide a translator for meetings
Correct
d.
Require the parents take English courses
A counselor must always take into consideration the cultural barriers and needs of students and their families. In situations where language barriers are present, a counselor should offer a translator during any meeting. This will ensure that the parents receive the correct information. This will also show the parents that they are welcome and accepted into the school. By offering translation services, parents may become more comfortable, which means that their participation with the school and their children’s education will increase. Another effective strategy is to offer free or low-cost English courses. While a counselor cannot require anyone to take these courses, making them available to those who are interested will be beneficial to families.
School counselors at all levels incorporate career standards into their programming. Which of the following career-related activities would be MOST appropriate at the elementary level?
a.
A career day during which students can learn about different kinds of careers
Correct
b.
Mapping steps through high school graduation toward college and career goals
c.
Taking aptitude or personality quizzes geared toward career choices
d.
Research a career of interest and create a poster about that career
Career counseling at the elementary level primarily focuses on exposing students to various career options and career clusters. More focused planning and research would be more appropriate at the secondary level.
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate use of end-of-grade standardized test scores?
a.
Identifying an individual student’s academic strengths
b.
Improving classroom instructional plans
c.
Determining eligibility for special education services
Correct
d.
Tracking an individual student’s academic growth
Special education evaluations should be comprehensive evaluations that utilize a variety of data from multiple sources. End-of-grade standardized test scores should never be the sole data point to qualify or disqualify a child from receiving special education services.
Mr. Hunter, a high school counselor, assembles an advisory council consisting of teachers, parents, students, his building principals, and local community members. He meets with members of this advisory council two times per year to review goals and student outcomes for the counseling program. With which component of the ASCA National Model program does this activity most closely align?
a.
Define
b.
Manage
Correct
c.
Deliver
d.
Asses
Advisory councils are a part of the Manage component of the ASCA National Model and are utilized to help develop programs that are reflective of the school’s needs. While students are involved in the advisory council process, it is not a direct or indirect student service under the Deliver component.
When administering a standardized test, such as an end-of-grade test, certain conditions must be maintained in order for the test results to be valid. Which of the following conditions would NOT impact the validity of a standardized end-of-grade reading test?
a.
Altering the length of time provided for the test
b.
Changing the number of items on the test
c.
Explaining a test question in simpler terms
d.
Administering the test at a different time of day
If an assessment is valid, it will not matter what time of day it is given. The assessment will still measure what it was intended to measure. Each of the other choices, however, may impact the ability of the test to measure what it was intended to measure. For example, altering the length of time or number of test items may allow the test-taker to complete more of the test or prevent them from completing the test. These conditions could alter the individual’s score simply based on time rather than their achievement level. Explaining a test question, especially on a reading test, could impact the validity of those questions which were explained in different terms, especially if the terms in the original question were part of what was being assessed.
A student was referred to the counselor after having an outburst of anger during class. When asked about the situation that led to the outburst, the student says, “My teacher made me mad because they gave me lunch detention for arriving to class late. But it’s not fair because another teacher was talking to me in the hallway and made me late!” Which part of the student’s statement indicates the “B” part of the ABC model, according to cognitive behavioral therapy?
a.
The student arrived to class late.
b.
The teacher issued a consequence of lunch detention to the student.
c.
The student thought the consequence was unfair.
Correct
d.
The student felt angry.
The ABC model of cognitive behavioral therapy includes the activating event, beliefs, and consequences. The “A,” or activating event, is the situation or trigger that starts the process of reacting; in this situation, the student arriving to class late and receiving a consequence were the activating events. The “B” is the belief, cognition, or thought behind the feeling or action. In this scenario, the student’s belief that the consequence was unfair was the foundation of their reaction of anger. The reaction of anger is the “C,” or consequence. Consequences can be emotions or behaviors, but in cognitive behavioral therapy they are always caused by beliefs or cognitions.
How are School Advisory Boards connected with parent collaboration?
a.
They include the participation of parents and community in the decision-making process, which results in a feeling of ownership from these groups.
Correct
b.
They are a way to get parents to volunteer and increase a school’s parent participation rate.
c.
Meetings are held at night so that working parents can attend.
d.
They allow parents to see what is really going on with the school
School Advisory Boards consist of teachers, administrators, parents, and members of the business community. The makeup of this type of council is often directly related to the makeup of the school and the community at large. These boards discuss issues related to the general management of the school, along with district wide policies and procedures. School Advisory Boards are also responsible for developing school improvement and safety plans. These types of advisory boards are also responsible for delegating financial resources to various school programs. Parent involvement is necessary, as parents provide a voice for the parent community as a whole with students’ best interests in mind.
