Practice Questions — Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC–12 (160)
Gran Via Pro — Catalina Medrano, M.Ed. | Parallel question set modeled on TEA sample format
This set of 40 practice questions mirrors the competencies, formats, and reasoning patterns of the official TExES PPR EC–12 (160) sample questions. Questions are organized by Domain and Competency. Each question includes a collapsible Answer & Rationale for self-study. Questions 37–40 are passage-based and draw on multiple competencies.
Formats used: Standard 4-option selected response • “Which THREE” multi-select • Scenario-based passage cluster
Domain I — Designing Instruction and Assessment to Promote Student Learning
Competency 001 — The teacher understands human developmental processes and applies this knowledge to plan instruction and ongoing assessment that motivate students and are responsive to their developmental characteristics and needs.
1. A second-grade teacher is beginning a unit on animal habitats. Which of the following activities would be the most developmentally appropriate for students at this grade level?
- A. Writing a five-paragraph essay comparing rainforest and desert habitats
- B. Building a model habitat using natural materials and explaining which animals live there
- C. Memorizing a list of animals and their classifications from a textbook glossary
- D. Watching a full-length documentary film about endangered species
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Second graders learn best through concrete, hands-on experiences. Building a model habitat is tactile, creative, and allows students to demonstrate understanding actively. Option A requires abstract written composition skills beyond this stage. Options C and D are passive and do not engage the developmental learning style typical of young learners.
2. Which of the following strategies most directly leads to sustained improvement in student academic achievement?
- A. Increasing the length and frequency of homework assignments
- B. Establishing clear, specific learning goals collaboratively with students
- C. Administering standardized tests at the beginning of each unit
- D. Extending the school day by providing optional tutoring
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Research consistently shows that when students understand and co-own their learning goals, motivation and performance improve. Goal-setting activates metacognition and gives students a clear target. The other options add time or assessment quantity but do not directly develop student ownership of learning.
3. Which of the following has the most powerful influence on a young person’s sense of identity and belonging during the middle school years?
- A. Teachers
- B. Family
- C. Peers
- D. Social media
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: During early adolescence (middle school), peer influence becomes the dominant social force in identity development. While family remains important, young teens increasingly look to peers for validation, belonging, and identity formation. This is distinct from early childhood, when family is the primary influence.
4. Which of the following rationales would a supporter of project-based learning (PBL) most likely provide to convince others to adopt the model?
- A. Teachers are able to cover more content standards in a shorter time frame
- B. Students develop deeper conceptual understanding through sustained, real-world inquiry
- C. The emphasis shifts toward mastering discrete facts and procedural skills
- D. The responsibility for student outcomes rests primarily with the teacher
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The primary argument for PBL is that authentic, extended inquiry leads to deeper understanding and retention than traditional instruction. PBL typically takes more time and covers fewer topics, making A incorrect. PBL moves away from discrete fact memorization (not C) and centers responsibility on students, not teachers (not D).
Competency 002 — The teacher understands the variety of students and knows how to plan learning experiences and design assessments that are responsive and promote all students’ learning.
5. Which of the following instructional practices most comprehensively addresses the academic and linguistic needs of all learners in a diverse classroom?
- A. Remediation
- B. Differentiated instruction
- C. Enrichment
- D. Acceleration
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Differentiated instruction is the only practice that intentionally adjusts content, process, and product to meet the varied readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles of all students simultaneously. Remediation, enrichment, and acceleration each target a specific subset of learners rather than the whole class.
6. A teacher is designing a unit on the American Revolution for a class that includes students with varying reading levels, learning disabilities, and gifted learners. Which approach best ensures all students can access the content?
- A. Assigning the same grade-level text to all students to maintain equity
- B. Grouping students by ability and giving each group separate assignments
- C. Providing the same instruction and offering extra help to struggling students after school
- D. Using tiered tasks that address the same learning objective at different levels of complexity
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Tiered tasks allow all students to work toward the same learning objective while engaging with materials appropriate to their level. This is a core differentiation strategy. Option A ignores varied readiness. Option B (rigid ability grouping) can stigmatize and limit students. Option C is reactive rather than proactively designed.
Competency 003 — The teacher understands procedures for designing effective and coherent instruction and assessment based on appropriate learning goals and objectives.
7. A teacher is designing a unit in celebration of Black History Month. Which of the following activities will best engage kinesthetic learners?
- A. Listening to speeches by Civil Rights leaders and discussing their significance
- B. Reading biographical accounts of historical figures and creating timelines
- C. Re-enacting a significant historical event through a student-led dramatization
- D. Watching a documentary and responding to comprehension questions
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Kinesthetic learners learn through physical movement and doing. A dramatization requires students to actively move, embody roles, and physically demonstrate understanding. Options A and D are auditory/visual and passive. Option B involves fine motor writing but is primarily cognitive rather than full-body kinesthetic.
8. Which of the following is the most effective approach for a first-year teacher to improve the quality of daily lesson delivery?
- A. Focusing on keeping pace with the lessons of other teachers on the same grade level
- B. Reading the teacher’s edition of the textbook each night before the next day’s lesson
- C. Inviting an experienced colleague or instructional coach to observe lessons and provide specific feedback
- D. Relying on last year’s teacher’s materials and plans to guide instruction
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Expert observation and targeted feedback is the most powerful professional growth strategy for beginning teachers. It creates a cycle of reflection and improvement. Pacing with others (A) does not address quality. Reading the teacher’s edition (B) helps with content but not delivery. Using prior plans without modification (D) does not adapt to the current students’ needs.
Competency 004 — The teacher understands learning processes and factors that impact student learning and demonstrates this knowledge by planning effective, engaging instruction and appropriate assessments.
9. In a science class that includes emergent bilingual students, a teacher models a “think-aloud” strategy and asks all students to narrate their reasoning steps in writing as they solve problems. What is the primary purpose of teaching emergent bilingual students this strategy in particular?
- A. Encouraging students to use academic vocabulary in their native language
- B. Reducing the amount of content the students need to learn
- C. Providing students with a social outlet during independent work
- D. Developing students’ ability to monitor and regulate their own cognitive processes
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The think-aloud strategy teaches metacognition — the ability to monitor one’s own thinking and adjust when confusion arises. For emergent bilingual students, who may struggle with comprehension in English, learning to self-monitor helps them detect and resolve misunderstandings independently, promoting academic resilience.
10. Which of the following strategies best supports a teacher’s goal to develop higher-order thinking skills in a social studies class?
- A. Having students copy key vocabulary terms and definitions from the board
- B. Assigning students to read the chapter and answer the review questions at the end
- C. Facilitating a Socratic seminar in which students analyze competing historical perspectives
- D. Asking students to color a map of the regions discussed in the chapter
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A Socratic seminar requires students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize multiple viewpoints — the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Options A and B are recall and comprehension tasks (lower-order). Option D is a procedural activity that does not require critical thinking about content.
11. Which of the following activities best supports high school students’ sustained engagement in a research project?
- A. Providing all students with a pre-selected topic from a teacher-generated list
- B. Giving students a structured graphic organizer to complete as they research
- C. Requiring all students to use the same five approved sources
- D. Allowing students to choose their own topic and determine the format of their final product
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Student choice is one of the most powerful drivers of intrinsic motivation and sustained engagement. When students select their own topic and product format, they invest more deeply in the work. The other options constrain choice and therefore reduce student-owned motivation, even if they provide helpful structure.
Domain II — Creating a Positive, Productive Classroom Environment
Competency 005 — The teacher knows how to establish a classroom climate that fosters learning, fairness, and excellence and uses this knowledge to create a physical and emotional environment that is safe and productive.
12. A teacher rearranges the classroom from individual desks in rows to clusters of four desks facing each other. Which of the following is the primary benefit of this physical change?
- A. Giving each student equal proximity to the classroom projector screen
- B. Facilitating peer-to-peer collaboration and discussion during learning tasks
- C. Reducing the distance between student desks and the teacher’s desk
- D. Making it easier for students to pass materials to one another
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cluster seating is designed to maximize face-to-face interaction and cooperative learning. The arrangement signals to students that discussion and collaboration are expected. The other options reflect minor logistical benefits but do not represent the primary pedagogical purpose of the arrangement.
13. Each month, a teacher who is passionate about travel shares photographs and stories from different countries and posts them on a classroom display. The teacher then invites students to bring in an artifact, photograph, or story representing their own family’s background. By doing this the teacher is
- A. implementing a geography curriculum unit.
- B. assessing students’ knowledge of world cultures.
- C. promoting cultural appreciation and a passion for lifelong learning.
- D. practicing oral language and public speaking skills.
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: By sharing personal enthusiasm and inviting students to do the same, the teacher models curiosity and a love of learning while also affirming students’ cultural identities — a key element of culturally responsive classroom climate. The activity is not a formal assessment (B) nor a geography unit (A), and speaking is incidental, not the primary purpose (D).
Competency 006 — The teacher understands strategies for creating an organized and productive learning environment and for managing student behavior.
14. Which of the following is the most effective informal strategy for continuously monitoring student understanding throughout a lesson?
- A. Returning graded tests from the previous unit so students can see their scores
- B. Administering a written quiz at the end of every Friday
- C. Circulating and using targeted questioning while students work
- D. Reviewing benchmark data from the beginning of the school year
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Circulating and using targeted questions (often called “conferring” or “checking for understanding”) is a real-time, informal formative strategy that gives the teacher immediate information about individual student understanding during the lesson. Options A and D are retrospective data. Option B is a formal, scheduled assessment, not informal or continuous.
15. Which THREE of the following are important factors for a teacher to establish when setting up routines for cooperative group work?
- A. Defined roles and responsibilities for each group member
- B. Students’ preferred seating partners
- C. Criteria by which the group’s work will be assessed
- D. Individual accountability measures within the group
- E. The color scheme of the classroom bulletin boards
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answers: A, C, D
Rationale: Effective cooperative group routines require clear member roles (A), explicit success criteria (C), and structures that hold each student accountable for their contribution (D). Students’ preferred partners (B) is a social preference, not a structural routine factor. Classroom aesthetics (E) are irrelevant to cooperative learning routines.
Domain III — Implementing Effective, Responsive Instruction and Assessment
Competency 007 — The teacher understands and applies principles and strategies for communicating effectively in varied teaching and learning contexts.
16. During whole-class discussion, an elementary teacher notices that students consistently wait silently after a question is asked, rarely volunteering responses, and give very brief answers when called upon. Which strategy is most effective for increasing the depth and frequency of student participation?
- A. Calling on students without warning to keep them alert
- B. Providing structured wait time and then asking students to share with a partner before whole-class discussion
- C. Sending participation questions home as homework so students can prepare responses
- D. Reducing the number of discussion questions asked each class period
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Think-pair-share with adequate wait time gives all students processing time and a low-stakes rehearsal opportunity before speaking to the group. This increases both the quantity and quality of responses. Cold calling (A) can raise anxiety. Homework preparation (C) does not address the in-class dynamic. Reducing questions (D) decreases practice opportunities.
17. A teacher displays a list of steps for a lab procedure on the board and uses a pointer to indicate each step while verbally explaining it to the class. The primary reason for using this nonverbal gesture is to
- A. signal to students that the steps must be completed in that exact written order.
- B. demonstrate that the teacher wrote the steps on the board personally.
- C. direct students’ visual attention to the specific step being discussed.
- D. allow the teacher to move around during the explanation of the procedure.
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Using a pointer while speaking is a visual cueing strategy that anchors student attention to the specific information being addressed verbally. It reduces cognitive load by aligning the spoken and visual channels. It is not primarily about sequence (A), authorship (B), or teacher movement (D).
Competency 008 — The teacher provides appropriate instruction that actively engages students in the learning process.
18. Which of the following strategies is most appropriate for supporting emergent bilingual students at the intermediate level of English proficiency as they engage with a content-area textbook?
- A. Requiring students to read the chapter independently and write a full summary in English
- B. Pre-teaching essential academic vocabulary using visual supports, examples, and non-examples before reading
- C. Having students listen to an audio recording of the chapter without additional scaffolding
- D. Assigning the reading for homework so students can use translation apps on their own time
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pre-teaching academic vocabulary with visual supports is a research-based strategy that builds the schema needed to access content text. For intermediate EBs, comprehension breaks down primarily at the vocabulary level. Option A is too demanding without scaffolding. Options C and D leave students without instructional support during the task.
19. A class is studying the water cycle, and the teacher allows each student to choose any natural body of water they find interesting to investigate and present to the class. By giving students this choice, the teacher best demonstrates understanding of the importance of
- A. having students gather data from primary scientific sources.
- B. using student autonomy to promote intrinsic motivation and engagement.
- C. requiring all students to cover the same specific content for equity.
- D. asking students to collaborate in assigned groups on their research.
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When students have voice and choice in their learning, intrinsic motivation increases significantly. Choice respects students’ individual interests while still keeping them within the content objectives. The teacher is not requiring primary sources (A), uniformity (C), or group work (D) — those are unrelated to the decision to offer choice.
20. A teacher is beginning a new unit on immigration in America. To best drive instruction and meet students’ needs, the teacher’s first step should be to
- A. distribute a primary source reading about Ellis Island.
- B. show students a short documentary film about modern immigration.
- C. administer a pre-assessment to determine students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions about immigration.
- D. assign student groups different immigrant communities to research.
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Effective unit design begins with assessing what students already know so the teacher can make informed instructional decisions. A pre-assessment reveals prior knowledge, misconceptions, and gaps — all of which should shape the sequence and depth of instruction. Options A, B, and D assume a starting point without first gathering evidence of student readiness.
Competency 009 — The teacher incorporates the effective use of technology to plan, organize, deliver, and evaluate instruction for all students.
21. A campus has implemented a 1:1 device initiative, but three students in a class of 28 do not yet have their devices because of delays in the distribution process. The teacher plans to use an online interactive platform for a key assessment activity. Which is the most appropriate way to ensure equitable participation for all students?
- A. Postponing the activity until all students have received their devices
- B. Requiring students without devices to complete a paper version of the same activity
- C. Requesting loaner devices from the campus technology department so all students can use the platform
- D. Asking students who have devices to share with those who do not
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Requesting loaner devices ensures all students have equitable access to the same learning experience. Option A delays learning unnecessarily. Option B creates two different experiences that may affect fairness. Sharing devices (D) is impractical during an individual assessment activity and compromises test integrity.
22. A teacher plans to use an online discussion board where students will respond to open-ended questions about a current events article. Parents have already given consent for online participation. Which of the following is the most important next step for the teacher to take?
- A. Determining the specific time of day students will post their responses
- B. Modeling appropriate digital communication expectations and demonstrating how to use the platform
- C. Verifying that the technology coordinator has approved the specific platform
- D. Surveying students to find out how comfortable they are with technology
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Before students engage in online discussion, they must understand both how to use the tool and what appropriate digital communication looks like. Modeling expectations — tone, evidence-based responses, respectful disagreement — is the essential instructional step that sets the activity up for success. Logistics (A) and surveys (D) are secondary; platform approval (C) should have occurred before parental consent was obtained.
23. A teacher wants to incorporate technology in a way that promotes higher-order thinking through student collaboration. Which of the following activities best achieves this goal?
- A. Having students type their vocabulary words and definitions into a shared digital document
- B. Using a digital annotation tool to collaboratively analyze and debate the meaning of a primary source document
- C. Assigning students to watch an instructional video on the new unit’s topic independently
- D. Having students complete an online multiple-choice review game to practice unit facts
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Digital annotation of a primary source with peer debate requires analysis, evaluation, and argumentation — higher-order thinking skills. It is also collaborative, meeting both goals. Options A and D use technology for low-order tasks (recall and memorization). Option C is an individual, passive activity that does not involve collaboration or higher-order thinking.
Competency 010 — The teacher monitors student performance and achievement; provides students with timely, high-quality feedback; and responds flexibly to promote learning for all students.
24. After students complete a unit test, which strategy is most effective for providing meaningful feedback that supports continued learning?
- A. Posting the class average score and distribution on the classroom board
- B. Returning tests with a percentage score and no additional comments
- C. Meeting individually with each student to review results and collaboratively set specific learning goals
- D. Having students correct their tests at home and submit them for bonus points
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Research shows feedback is most effective when it is specific, timely, and acted upon. Individual conferences allow the teacher to identify each student’s specific errors and to co-create targeted improvement goals — turning the assessment into a learning event. Class averages (A) and scores without comments (B) provide no actionable guidance. At-home correction (D) lacks teacher guidance and dialogue.
25. Which of the following teacher strategies will most effectively help students act on detailed feedback they have received on a writing assignment?
- A. Having students rewrite the entire assignment neatly, incorporating the corrections
- B. Sending a summary of the feedback home for parents to review with their child
- C. Giving students structured time to confer with the teacher, identify recurring patterns in their errors, and create a revision plan
- D. Asking students to compare their feedback with a partner’s to find similarities
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Effective use of feedback requires the student to understand the gap between their current performance and the goal and take deliberate steps to close it. A structured teacher conference with a revision plan makes feedback actionable. Neatly recopying (A) does not ensure understanding. Parent review (B) does not transfer to the student’s own revision skill. Peer comparison (D) may normalize rather than correct errors.
26. A teacher introduces a research-based strategy for developing mathematical reasoning skills and, after one week of implementation, the assessment data show no improvement. What is the most important consideration for the teacher before abandoning the strategy?
- A. Students may have found the strategy confusing or boring, which affected their scores
- B. The assessment instrument used may not have been well-aligned to the strategy’s goals
- C. Research-based strategies require consistent, faithful implementation over an extended period before producing measurable results
- D. The strategy may be more appropriate for a different grade level
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Evidence-based instructional strategies are validated over time with consistent implementation. One week is insufficient to expect measurable outcomes. The teacher should consider whether the strategy was implemented with fidelity and give it adequate time. The other options may be worth investigating secondary, but the primary consideration is implementation quality and duration.
Domain IV — Fulfilling Professional Roles and Responsibilities
Competency 011 — The teacher understands the importance of family involvement in children’s education and knows how to interact and communicate effectively with families.
27. Which of the following teacher actions best promotes genuine two-way partnership between families and the school?
- A. Mailing a copy of the school handbook to all families at the beginning of the year
- B. Contacting families only when a behavioral or academic concern arises
- C. Inviting families to participate meaningfully in classroom events and decision-making about their child’s learning
- D. Sending a weekly newsletter home with updates about classroom topics and upcoming tests
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Genuine partnership goes beyond information-sharing — it involves families as active participants in their child’s education. Inviting meaningful participation creates shared ownership. Options A and D are one-way communication. Option B is reactive rather than relational and may associate school contact with negative events.
28. A middle school teacher is concerned that several families have not responded to phone calls, emails, or notes sent home. The teacher decides to arrange brief, informal meetings at community locations familiar to the families. What is the most important purpose of this approach?
- A. Documenting that the school made a good-faith effort to contact families
- B. Building a trusting relationship by meeting families on their own terms and in their comfort zone
- C. Verifying that students are completing homework in the home environment
- D. Informing families of campus policies related to attendance and grading
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Many families who are hard to reach via traditional school communication face barriers such as work schedules, language differences, or past negative experiences with schools. Meeting families in accessible, familiar settings signals respect and builds trust, which is the foundation for all other partnership work. Documentation (A), homework verification (C), and policy communication (D) are secondary outcomes, not the primary purpose.
29. A sample item for this competency is pending.
Competency 012 — The teacher enhances professional knowledge and skills by effectively interacting with other members of the educational community and participating in various types of professional activities.
30. Which THREE of the following topics would be most appropriate for a beginning teacher to discuss with an assigned instructional coach?
- A. Strategies for pacing a unit to align with the district calendar
- B. Personal disagreements with a parent about campus discipline policies
- C. Adjusting lesson delivery for students who are not responding to current instruction
- D. Managing classroom transitions between instructional activities efficiently
- E. Opinions about district-level budget priorities
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answers: A, C, D
Rationale: An instructional coach is an appropriate resource for planning (A), responsive instruction (C), and classroom management procedures (D) — all directly related to improving professional teaching practice. Option B involves a parent conflict that should be addressed through campus administration, and E is a policy matter outside the scope of coaching conversations.
31. Which of the following is the most effective way for a teacher to build expertise in using student assessment data to adjust instruction?
- A. Reading peer-reviewed journal articles about formative assessment independently
- B. Participating in a campus professional learning community focused on collaborative data analysis
- C. Creating new assessments at the beginning of each new unit independently
- D. Comparing one’s own class averages to district benchmark averages each grading period
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Professional learning communities focused on data analysis provide collaborative inquiry, shared expertise, and accountability — the most powerful professional development context for improving data-driven instruction. Reading alone (A) provides knowledge but not application. Creating assessments (C) builds tools but not analysis skill. Comparing averages (D) without collaborative inquiry does not lead to instructional change.
32. A fourth-grade teacher wants to better understand the reading skills students are expected to master by the end of third grade and what skills they will be expected to develop in fifth grade. The type of collaborative team that will best help this teacher is
- A. a grade-level horizontal planning team.
- B. a campus site-based decision-making committee.
- C. a vertical alignment team spanning multiple grade levels.
- D. a district curriculum writing committee.
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Vertical alignment teams bring together teachers from consecutive grade levels to examine the progression of skills and ensure coherent instruction across grade levels. This directly addresses the teacher’s goal of understanding what students know coming in and where they are heading. Horizontal teams (A) focus on the same grade level. Options B and D do not address grade-level academic sequencing.
Competency 013 — The teacher understands and adheres to legal and ethical requirements for educators and is knowledgeable of the structure of education in Texas.
33. A teacher notices that a student who is normally engaged has become withdrawn, has unexplained bruising on their arms, and flinches when approached by adults. What is the most appropriate first action for the teacher to take?
- A. Calling the student’s parents to discuss the observed changes in behavior
- B. Privately questioning the student to confirm whether abuse has occurred before taking action
- C. Reporting the concern immediately to the campus principal or the designated campus staff member
- D. Waiting to see whether the behavior continues before making a formal report
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Texas law (Texas Family Code, Ch. 261) requires teachers to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse or neglect to the appropriate school staff or directly to CPS — not to investigate or confirm before reporting. Contacting parents (A) could jeopardize the child’s safety. Questioning the student (B) is not the teacher’s role. Waiting (D) violates the mandatory reporter obligation.
34. A student has been referred for special education evaluation and qualifies for services, requiring an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Which THREE of the following individuals are required members of the ARD/IEP committee?
- A. A special education teacher with knowledge of the student’s area of disability
- B. The student’s general education classroom teacher
- C. The school librarian
- D. A parent or legal guardian of the student
- E. The school nurse
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answers: A, B, D
Rationale: IDEA requires that the IEP team include a special education teacher (A), a general education teacher (B), and a parent or legal guardian (D) as mandatory members, along with a district representative and someone who can interpret evaluation results. The school librarian (C) and school nurse (E) are not required IEP team members, though they may be invited as relevant specialists.
35. A teacher wants to show a full-length copyrighted film in class as part of a unit. Which of the following is the most appropriate source for the teacher to consult to determine whether showing the film is permissible?
- A. Texas Education Code
- B. Federal copyright law, specifically the face-to-face teaching exemption and fair use doctrine
- C. The Educators’ Code of Ethics
- D. The campus acceptable use policy
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The use of copyrighted materials in instruction is governed by federal copyright law (17 U.S.C. §110), which includes the face-to-face teaching exemption and fair use provisions. The Texas Education Code (A) addresses state education policy, not copyright. The Educators’ Code of Ethics (C) governs professional conduct. The acceptable use policy (D) governs technology and internet use, not film rights.
Multiple-Competencies Passage
Questions 36–40 refer to the following information.
A high school teacher is preparing students to participate in a regional Youth Environmental Summit and has designed a five-objective unit to build the knowledge and skills needed for participation.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY UNIT PLAN
Objective 1 — Investigation
Students will work in small groups to research a current environmental issue affecting their local community and compile findings into a written report with cited sources.
Objective 2 — Position Development
Students will develop a clear stance on their environmental issue and demonstrate an understanding of its local and global impact.
Objective 3 — Action Proposal
Students will collaborate in small groups to draft a formal written proposal recommending a specific action or policy change to address their issue.
Objective 4 — Peer Persuasion
Students will present their proposals to peers and use evidence and reasoned argument to persuade the audience to support their recommended action.
Objective 5 — Summit Simulation
Students will demonstrate mastery of the advocacy process by participating in a structured mock youth environmental summit.
Competency 003 — The teacher understands procedures for designing effective and coherent instruction and assessment based on appropriate learning goals and objectives.
36. Which of the following is the primary concern a teacher should address when evaluating Objective 2 of this unit?
- A. The desired student outcome is not directly observable or measurable as written
- B. The action described is not suitable for small-group collaboration
- C. The objective does not connect to the overall goal of the unit
- D. The objective does not require students to engage in higher-order thinking
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The phrase “demonstrate an understanding of its local and global impact” is not measurable — there is no observable, assessable action verb. A well-written objective should specify what students will produce or perform that can be observed and evaluated. The objective does relate to the unit goal (not C) and does require higher-order thinking (not D), but as written it cannot be assessed.
Competency 005 — The teacher knows how to establish a classroom climate that fosters learning, equity, and excellence and uses this knowledge to create a physical and emotional environment that is safe and productive.
37. Which of the following will best ensure that the classroom climate supports productive and respectful engagement during Objective 5, the Summit Simulation?
- A. Instructing students to dress professionally to signal the seriousness of the activity
- B. Collaboratively establishing norms for civil dialogue before the simulation begins
- C. Rearranging the room to resemble a formal conference or summit setting
- D. Showing students a recorded example of a real-world environmental summit debate
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Co-creating dialogue norms with students gives them ownership of the climate expectations and establishes a shared standard for respectful engagement during the simulation. Dress code (A) sets a tone but does not establish behavioral norms. Room rearrangement (C) is environmental, not behavioral. A video (D) may inspire but does not define the group’s specific norms.
Competency 007 — The teacher understands and applies principles and strategies for communicating effectively in varied teaching and learning contexts.
38. Which of the following statements best expresses the desired outcome of Objective 3 as it would appear in a lesson plan?
- A. Students will understand the steps involved in creating a policy proposal.
- B. Students will appreciate the complexity of environmental advocacy and civic action.
- C. Students will collaborate with group members to learn about their issue.
- D. Students will be able to compose a written proposal that identifies a specific, evidence-based action or policy recommendation to address an environmental issue.
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: An effective lesson plan objective uses a specific, observable verb (“compose”), identifies a measurable product (“written proposal”), and clarifies the expected standard (“evidence-based action or policy recommendation”). Options A (“understand”), B (“appreciate”), and C (“learn”) are not observable or measurable and cannot be assessed.
Competency 006 — The teacher understands strategies for creating an organized and productive learning environment and for managing student behavior.
39. Which of the following questions is best designed to elicit student responses that demonstrate mastery of both components of Objective 4 — presenting evidence AND persuading peers?
- A. What environmental issue did your group choose to address?
- B. What evidence supports your group’s recommended action, and why should your classmates adopt it?
- C. How many sources did your group include in your written report?
- D. Which group member is responsible for each section of the presentation?
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This question requires students to both articulate evidence (demonstrating research mastery) and make a persuasive argument (demonstrating advocacy skill) — the two explicit components of Objective 4. Option A only asks for topic identification. Option C asks about quantity, not quality of evidence or persuasion. Option D addresses logistics, not mastery of content or argument.
Competency 008 — The teacher provides appropriate instruction that actively engages students in the learning process.
40. The teacher realizes that some student groups are struggling to locate credible sources during Objective 1. Which of the following is the most appropriate instructional response?
- A. Providing each group with a pre-selected packet of articles so they can move on to Objective 2
- B. Offering a brief mini-lesson on evaluating source credibility and modeling the process with one example before students continue their search
- C. Reducing the number of sources required in the final report
- D. Assigning students to work individually rather than in groups to hold each person accountable
Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When students demonstrate a skill gap mid-activity, the most effective response is targeted, just-in-time instruction that addresses the specific challenge and returns students to the task. A mini-lesson with modeling builds transferable research skills. Providing pre-selected articles (A) removes the learning opportunity. Reducing requirements (C) lowers standards. Restructuring groups (D) addresses accountability, not the skill gap.