NYSTCE Students with Disabilities

The NYSTCE Students with Disabilities test measures your knowledge according to the New York State Academic Standards. Success on this test indicates that you are qualified to teach students with disabilities in the New York State public school system. The test content is drawn from these subareas: Understanding and Evaluating Students with Disabilities (27% of the exam); Promoting Student Learning and Development in a Collaborative Learning Community (42%); Working in a Collaborative Professional Environment (21%); and a Promoting Student Learning and Development in a Collaborative Learning Community constructed-response question (10%). The test consists of 90 multiple-choice questions and one constructed-response question.

NYSTCE Students with Disabilities Practice Questions

1. Which of the following best describes Down syndrome?

A: Gland malfunction
B: Dominant-gene transmission
C: Congenital deformity
D: Chromosomal difference

2. What is Piaget's phrase for the strict and unwavering adherence to a rule?

A: Ethical idealism
B: Naturism
C: Moral realism
D: Constructivism

3. Approximately what percentage of the population is classified as mentally retarded?

A: Less than 1%
B: 1 to 2%
C: 2 to 3%
D: 3 to 4%

4. For a teacher, what is the most common indicator that a student has a learning disability?

A: Difference between measures of potential and achievement
B: Difficulty concentrating
C: Spelling mistakes
D: Lack of physical coordination

5. Which of the following is NOT a possible symptom of rubella?

A: Deafness
B: Scoliosis
C: Mental retardation
D: Cataracts

Answer Key

1. D. Down syndrome, which is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome, is the most frequent cause of mental retardation in infancy.
2. C. The development of moral realism is basically the comprehension that morality is fixed rather than subjective.
3. C. Approximately 2 to 3% of the population is classified as mentally retarded and there are approximately 7 million mentally retarded individuals in the United States.
4. A. The physical and behavioral symptoms of learning disability vary widely so the most common observation made by teachers is that capable students are not achieving their potential.
5. B. Rubella is extremely contagious and is usually transmitted through mucus. Rubella may cause deafness, mental retardation, and/or cataracts, but it does not cause scoliosis.