Study Guide

Field 083: Gifted Education 
Sample Selected-Response Questions

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General Test Directions

This test consists of two sections: 1) a section with selected-response questions and 2) a constructed-response section.

Each question in the first section is a selected-response question with four answer choices. Read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer.

Try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

The second section of this test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You will be asked to provide a written response to the assignment. Directions for completing your written response to the constructed-response assignment appear immediately before the assignment.

You may  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  use any type of calculator or reference materials during the test session.

Sample Selected-Response Questions

Competency 0002 
Apply knowledge of the development and characteristics of students who are gifted and talented, including factors that affect development and learning.

1. Eight-year-old Leah is the sixth child in a family of seven children and is often the one who gets the others out the door and to school on time when their parents have gone to work. At school, she is both an organizer and a diplomat, making sure that every child gets a turn and that playground games run according to the rules. Leah is two years above grade level in math and one grade level above average in language arts. According to this information, Leah also shows signs of giftedness in which of the following areas?

  1. intrapersonal abilities
  2. lateral thinking
  3. leadership abilities
  4. intuitive thinking

Correct Response: C. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of the development and characteristics of students who are gifted and talented, including factors that affect development and learning. The United States Office of Education has designated five domains of giftedness and talent, including a leadership/psychosocial domain. Although she is very young, Leah demonstrates traits attributed to the leadership domain. One area in which Leah exhibits giftedness in leadership is in her ability to get her siblings to school on time. Leah also demonstrates leadership skills through her intuitive knowledge of how one should behave and treat others. This strong social cognition skill is clearly shown in her ability to effectively organize and run playground games in a balanced, inclusive, and fair manner.

Competency 0002 
Apply knowledge of the development and characteristics of students who are gifted and talented, including factors that affect development and learning.

2. Brock is a fourteen-year-old highly gifted tenth grader. Brock is gay and recently came out to his family and teachers. Though family members and teachers have been supportive, Brock is determined that his peers not become aware of his sexual orientation. He is popular, participates actively in athletics, and excels in all academic areas. Brock's determination to maintain a "straight" persona among his peers, a behavior common among sexual minority youth, is most likely attributed to a:

  1. lack of effective coping skills.
  2. keen sensitivity to others' emotions.
  3. strong sense of personal identity.
  4. fear of being shunned or harassed.

Correct Response: D. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of the development and characteristics of students who are gifted and talented, including factors that affect development and learning. Being both gifted and gay presents unique challenges and it can be difficult for a student to find a peer group who identifies with both of these characteristics. Although gay and lesbian rights are becoming more recognized than in the past, students who identify with these groups still experience discrimination and isolation based on their sexual orientation. By participating in sports and choosing to be known as heterosexual at school, Brock identifies with a larger peer group and reduces his chances of experiencing discrimination and isolation.

Competency 0003 
Apply knowledge of procedures for selecting, designing, and using various types of formal and informal assessments with students who are gifted and talented.

3. A gifted education teacher is developing a test to informally assess a third grader's divergent thinking. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate for the teacher to include on this test?

  1. List as many uses of a pencil as you can.
  2. Draw a picture of the school's gymnasium.
  3. Write all of the factors of 24.
  4. Select your two favorite kinds of fruit juice.

Correct Response: A. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of procedures for selecting, designing, and using various types of formal and informal assessments with students who are gifted and talented. Divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner, by brainstorming many ideas in a short amount of time and in an emergent cognitive fashion. Asking a student to list as many uses of a pencil as possible would be a means of assessing a student's level of divergent thinking.

Competency 0004 
Apply knowledge of procedures for using assessment information to develop differentiated instructional plans for students who are gifted and talented.

4. Jaleysia is an eighth-grade student gifted in the visual arts. She has taken art lessons since she was in kindergarten and has won several local art contests for her paintings. In her academic classes, Jaleysia learns new material very quickly and participates actively in class discussions, but she consistently underperforms on written tasks and projects, saying that she finds research and writing tedious. Her science teacher consults with the school's gifted education specialist regarding possible differentiation designs for an upcoming cell biology research project. Which of the following assignments would provide the best differentiation for Jaleysia?

  1. Using your textbook and class notes, create a poster of key facts about cells and their development.
  2. Research a current topic or issue related to cell biology not discussed in class, and create a brochure to inform the class about the topic.
  3. Develop a slideshow presentation to illustrate important vocabulary words related to cell development.
  4. Using your textbook and class notes, design a mural that will help others in class remember key concepts in cell development.

Correct Response: D. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of procedures for using assessment information to develop differentiated instructional plans for students who are gifted and talented. The science teacher clearly wants to differentiate the lesson to make it more motivating and engaging for Jaleysia. By asking Jaleysia to design a mural that would integrate key concepts in cell development, the teacher can promote Jaleysia's engagement with the lesson content while allowing her to continue to develop and explore her areas of interest. The differentiated assignment will challenge her by having her integrate her new knowledge of cell development into the production of a mural that will be useful to help educate those in her environment as well.

Competency 0005 
Apply knowledge of strategies for creating safe, effective learning environments for students who are gifted and talented.

5. Recent research has shown that gifted students from communities or cultures where their social identity may be threatened by high academic achievement most often benefit from opportunities to participate in:

  1. after-school enrichment programs that incorporate multiple academic content areas.
  2. multiracial and multiethnic talent development programs.
  3. intensified conflict resolution training paired with academic instruction.
  4. accelerated online academic instruction that minimizes social vulnerability.

Correct Response:B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of strategies for creating safe, effective learning environments for students who are gifted and talented. In order to maintain their identity with their primary group, students may underachieve or purposely avoid participation in gifted and talented programs and other programs if their culture or group is not represented in those programs. By creating and encouraging participation in multiracial and multiethnic talent development programs, educators encourage development of students' gifts and talents while respecting and integrating students' needs for maintaining their cultural ties and racial identity.

Competency 0006 
Apply knowledge of strategies for fostering social, language, and communication skills in students who are gifted and talented.

6. Six-year-old Edwin is a musically gifted student who was recently featured as a soloist during a holiday performance of the local philharmonic orchestra. Thereafter, he was interviewed on television and neighbors began to recognize him in the street and talk to him about his brilliant future. At first, Edwin enjoyed the attention, but lately he feels pressured. He hides behind his parents when they go out in public and does not want to practice anymore. His parents are concerned and have requested a meeting with the gifted education specialist. Which of the following strategies would likely be most effective for the gifted education specialist to recommend?

  1. scheduling small at-home performances so that Edwin becomes comfortable performing in front of people again
  2. helping Edwin realize that applause and public recognition lead to opportunity but are best taken in stride
  3. encouraging Edwin to play for his own pleasure and to feel that he is in control of decisions about performing
  4. helping Edwin realize that great musical ability is the kind of gift that must be developed and shared with others

Correct Response: C. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of strategies for fostering social, language, and communication skills in students who are gifted and talented. Gifted children often feel pressures from parents, teachers, and from their own self-expectations. Edwin has begun to feel external pressures regarding his musical gifts. His continued musical successes challenge him to keep up with increasingly high expectations. To help reduce Edwin's worries, it is important for his parents to actively focus on encouraging him to perform music for the joy he feels in the music and his own sense of mastery, rather than for the pleasure of his audience, and to emphasize that he can exercise choice about performing in public.

Competency 0007 
Apply knowledge of a broad repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies for students who are gifted and talented.

7. Elizabeth is a fifth grader who is gifted in language arts. She attends Mr. Watson's general education class for all subjects, and a gifted education specialist consults with Mr. Watson on how to differentiate instruction for Elizabeth. The class will be reading the first novel in a popular middle-grade adventure series based on mythological characters. Mr. Watson will focus on the writing element of Grade 5 Common Core Standard 9 that asks students to be able to "Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research." Most of the students will be assigned to research and contrast the characters in a classical myth retold for children using the same mythological characters in the contemporary novel they are reading. Which of the following strategies should the gifted education specialist recommend that Mr. Watson use to make the task most appropriate for Elizabeth?

  1. allowing Elizabeth to read the entire series independently at her own pace, but to produce the same assignment as the other students
  2. offering Elizabeth readings of greater complexity, such as myths from other cultures, and a more challenging research question
  3. assigning Elizabeth the creative task of dramatizing the contemporary novel so that a portion of the story can be performed in class
  4. giving Elizabeth an examination on her knowledge of classical mythology that will exempt her from the unit and allowing her to create her own myths

Correct Response: B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of a broad repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies for students who are gifted and talented. It is important to challenge students who are gifted and talented in ways that will extend their comprehension and provide appropriate challenge. Encouraging Elizabeth to read and evaluate myths from other cultures will give her ownership of her learning and challenge her to make intellectual connections as she analyzes and reflects upon the themes and elements of world myths.

Competency 0007 
Apply knowledge of a broad repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies for students who are gifted and talented.

8. Peter, a gifted six-year-old, was inspired by his older brother's osmosis experiment when he saw how the blue food coloring traveled through a stalk of celery. That night, he dumped a bottle of blue food coloring into his bath to see whether his body transported water the same way and found that it did not. His guardian sent him to school with a note explaining why Peter was temporarily blue from the neck down and asking his first-grade teacher to help address his curiosity about osmosis. Which of the following describes how the first-grade teacher could best adapt the First Grade Core Curriculum in science (Process standard 3: Experiment and Inquiry) to respond in a timely way to Peter's curiosity?

  1. helping Peter understand that first he will have to develop some necessary skills before undertaking experimentation on plant nutrition and osmosis
  2. allowing Peter to spend free reading time looking at videos of time-lapse photography on the Internet showing osmosis and photosynthesis
  3. helping Peter understand what nutrients are and assisting him in devising and performing an osmosis experiment using methods scientists use
  4. allowing Peter to visit his brother's classroom for a day so he can sit in on the third-grade class's discussion of photosynthesis

Correct Response: C. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of a broad repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies for students who are gifted and talented. Peter is interested in learning about a concept that he would not usually encounter until a higher grade level. To help Peter explore this topic, it is important to teach him the basic components necessary for understanding what nutrients are and how osmosis works, and then help him construct meaning through creating an osmosis experiment using scientific methods. Students should be encouraged to see science as a process of exploring what is already known about a topic, framing new questions, gathering data, formulating conclusions, and repeating the process as needed. Peter has already begun this process on his own through his experiment with food coloring in the bathtub. It is important for Peter's teacher to encourage these experimental skills in a way that appropriately directs Peter toward framing and experimenting with his questions using authentic scientific methods and vocabulary.

Competency 0008 
Apply knowledge of professional and ethical practice in the field of gifted education.

9. Which of the following gifted resources includes materials and equipment grants, professional development for Oklahoma public school educators, and test-fee assistance for qualifying students?

  1. Oklahoma Advanced Placement Incentives Program
  2. Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development
  3. Oklahoma Odyssey of the Mind
  4. Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Correct Response: A. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of professional and ethical practice in the field of gifted education. Advanced Placement ( A P ) is a program created by the College Board offering college-level curriculum and examinations to high school students. Students must complete prerequisite classes to take A P classes, which are a helpful extension for high school students who are ready for higher level academics. The Oklahoma State Department of Education Advanced Placement's rules state that the purpose of the Oklahoma Advanced Placement Incentives Program is to improve the course offerings available to high school students throughout the state. Depending on the amount of funds available, the Oklahoma Advanced Placement Incentives Program will include teacher training and professional development subsidies, equipment and materials grants, fee assistance for students with economic need, fee assistance for students taking more than one test in one year, school incentives, vertical team grants, and other incentives that promote an increase the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs and the number of students involved in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.

Competency 0009 
Apply knowledge of effective strategies for communicating and collaborating with students who are gifted and talented, their parents/guardians, school personnel, and community members.

10. A gifted education specialist has been asked by the principal to create a new differentiated program for fourth-grade social studies. There are currently eight different fourth-grade classes in the school. Most of the teachers are unfamiliar with differentiated instructional strategies for gifted students. Which of the following strategies should the specialist employ to ensure the successful implementation of the program?

  1. providing in-service training about the characteristics and needs of gifted students and how to meet these needs, as well as offering ongoing support
  2. distributing a copy of Oklahoma state law regarding the Education of Gifted and Talented Students and reminding teachers of their responsibility to remain in compliance
  3. offering Professional Development Points for attending after-school study groups on differentiation for gifted students
  4. making a presentation at a full faculty meeting that highlights how differentiation for gifted students will help improve the school's overall test scores

Correct Response: A. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of effective strategies for communicating and collaborating with students who are gifted and talented, their parents/guardians, school personnel, and community members. Research indicates that teachers who have received ongoing training in gifted education are more likely to promote the development of students' higher-level thinking skills, allow for greater student expression, consider individual student strengths and weaknesses, and provide a wider variety of learning experiences to challenge their students. This vital expertise benefits all students but requires high-quality professional development, time, materials, and continued support. By providing appropriate training and materials, the gifted education specialist will ensure that the new differentiated program will be successful with both teachers and gifted students.