NYSTCE Students with Disabilities (060) Practice Tests

Competency 0001 makes up about 10% of the 060 score. It covers: foundations.

• Foundations: History, philosophy, current trends and research in special education; Federal and state laws, regulations, policies and ethics, including referral, assessment, eligibility, placement, behavior planning, mandated reporting and confidentiality; Rights and responsibilities of students, families, teachers and schools; Culturally responsive communication and partnerships with families; Collaboration with staff, related service providers, medical personnel, volunteers and agencies; Self-reflection, professional development and keeping current with validated practices; Local, state and national resources and organizations; The teacher's duty to advocate for students

Competency 0002 makes up about 10% of the 060 score. It covers: student characteristics.

• Student characteristics: Typical and atypical development across cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, physical and sensory domains; Characteristics, identification, causes and medical aspects of disability types; Similarities and differences between students with and without disabilities; How disabilities affect education and life; Diverse learning needs, including culturally and linguistically diverse students; Factors affecting development, such as family, community, medications, sensory impairments and medical conditions

Competency 0003 makes up about 20% of the 060 score. It covers: assessment and planning.

• Assessment and planning: Assessment terminology, and the uses and limits of formal and informal tools; Selecting and administering unbiased assessments; Interpreting results and using data for eligibility, programming, placement, progress monitoring and instructional adjustments; Communicating results and maintaining records; Screening, prereferral (including RTI), referral and classification; The continuum of services and placements; Components of IEPs, transition plans and behavioral intervention plans, and the roles of team members in them

Competency 0004 makes up about 10% of the 060 score. It covers: environment and behavior.

• Environment and behavior: Safe, productive environments with routines and physical arrangements; How teacher attitudes and behaviors affect students, and building rapport; Supporting individual learning in one-to-one, small-group and large-group settings; Barriers to accessibility and acceptance, adaptations, and fostering participation and independence; Developing, implementing and modifying behavioral interventions and positive behavioral supports; Crisis prevention and intervention

Competency 0005 makes up about 20% of the 060 score. It covers: instruction.

• Instruction: Aligning instruction with curriculum standards, including the NYS P-12 Learning Standards; Co-planning and co-teaching with general educators; Research- or evidence-based practices and differentiated instruction; Specialized materials, assistive technology and adapting resources; Explicit, systematic instruction in reading (including content-area reading), writing and mathematics; Teaching essential concepts and vocabulary across the curriculum; Learning strategies, study skills, test-taking skills, self-assessment and supports for perception and memory; Technology for academic success

Competency 0006 makes up about 10% of the 060 score. It covers: communication and life skills.

• Communication and life skills: Communication instruction for students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems; Integrating affective, social, career and life skills with academics; Social skills across environments; Self-advocacy, self-determination and independence; Personal management, career and independent living skills, including community-based instruction; Supporting transitions between environments and to post-secondary settings

Competency 0007 makes up about 20% of the 060 score and is the constructed-response item. It covers: constructed response.

• Constructed response: Analyzing profiles of students with mild, moderate, severe or multiple disabilities; Synthesizing formal and informal assessment data to identify strengths and needs; Developing behavioral interventions and positive behavioral supports; Recommending research- or evidence-based interventions for reading, writing, mathematics, content vocabulary, learning strategies, communication and social skills, and functional and independent living skills