First Steps

1. Download your Application Form. (Download here.) Fill it out and send to Dr. Marvin by the deadline specified. 

Spring Comps	by January 15
Summer Comps	by April 1
Fall Comps	by September 1

Dr. Marvin will sign it and seek the minor Supporting Faculty member’s signature for you. IF you are confident about your supporting area, and a faculty member, type it in.  Otherwise, call or e-mail Dr. Marvin for an appointment to clarify what might be your “supporting area," before you submit the application.

2. Secure proctor authorization, if needed.   If you live more than one hour from Lincoln and don't want to take comps on campus, contact Jill England jengland2@unl.edu and discuss the Proctor Form. Submit form along with Application for Comprehensive Exam. Note on application that you will be taking exam at a distance. (Date of exam can be flexible to accommodate proctor but should be the same week as the scheduled exam on campus.)

3. Download your Final Examination Report completed or assure Jill England has done this before the completion of exams. These can be submitted at the same time as Application for Comprehensive Exams. (See dates above.)
Note: Your major is Special Education, (not ECSE). You have no minor unless you are doing Option II.

Prepare a Study Plan

1. Submit to Dr. Marvin a list of 3 - 4 content areas in ECSE that you feel you could address successfully in the exams. Review “Program Model” to reflect on possible content areas in ECSE that could be your preferred areas of focus.

2. Review a list of possible content areas and sample study questions. It will help you to draft a sample of 4+ study questions that you think are “comprehensive” (See Complexity of Exam Questions.) Aim to make your study questions reflect diverent thinking at levels 4-5-6. You should have at least one sample question per area be an “applied” question (about a real/possible situation) and at least one question per area be “theoretical (about the concept/recommended best practice, law, theory and/or research behind the concept).

3. Secure Dr Marvin's approval for your study questions or areas of focus. This may take two e-mail exchanges with edits.  Dr. Marvin will keep a copy and use them to draft ECSE exam questions for you.

4. Plot a study plan for each week prior to exams. Use your study questions to guide you in reviewing the topics. Be sure to cross over between classes and blend information for a “comprehensive” understanding of the topics. (i.e. home visiting for 3-5 year olds? FCS for transitions? Instructional Plans for infants?) Look back to class notes, textbooks, articles for support. Be sure you can always "justify " any answer with research, theory, law or DEC Recommended Practices.

5. Leave time to rest your mind the week before the exam. The only “study” task that week should be the following: Randomly select one of your study questions (or have a classmate make up a new one for you). Set the timer for one hour. GO! Write for one hour and see how you do.

You will receive a letter indicating PASS or NO PASS in about 3 weeks. Do not call Jill England or the faculty asking what your grade is. You will not receive a copy of your exam back nor any feedback on specific questions.  If you fail any section you will have opportunity to discuss your shortcomings with your advisor before retaking the exam in the next academic semester.

Good luck.

Possible Areas of Focus

Integration / Inclusion / Natural Environments

Example: Trace how legislation has influenced the development of special education placements through the past 25 years and why the changes have evolved in where young preschool children receive their services.

Example: Debate the issue of integration for preschool children with disabilities in community programs. Describe rationale, models and barriers.

Assessment
Example:  List the pros and cons for using a trans-disciplinary (arena) assessment. Explain the purpose of using them, the type of individuals whom they would be used for, and provide rationale for your feelings/beliefs/positions.

Intervention Strategies
Example: Develop a program of behavior modification for a child who has autism and displays self-injurious behaviors (i.e. head-banging).  Include methods for collecting data, decision rules and reasonable criteria for success / modification.  Provide a brief rationale / justification for your design.

Curriculum Issues
Example: Explain the relationship between NAEYC’S developmentally appropriate practices and activity-based intervention (Bricker) and DEC’s Recommended Best Practices as they apply to quality curriculum for young children with disabilities.

Transitions

Example: Give an example of a possible transition for a young child  (under 5 years) with a disability and determine the steps you would take to facilitate a successful transition for that child/family. Provide a rationale for each step.

Rationale for Early Intervention

Example: Explain to a colleague the components and rationale of Part C of IDEA.  Include reference to classic research and theories that guided its design.   Explain the similarities and differences between Part C and Part B and the rationale for the differences.

Example: Budget cuts are imminent for the upcoming school year.  Justify to the school board WHY AND how you provide services to families and children, including the use of home visits, team meetings and interagency contacts. (specify whether you are serving 0-5, 0-2 or 3-5 yr olds in your answer).

Family Centered Services

Example: Design an evaluation system to determine the effectiveness of the family centered services that you have implemented into a center-based ECSE classroom.

Complexity of Exam Questions

Submitted from:
(Bloom’s Levels)Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook 1- The Cognitive Domain. Benjamin S. Bloom, Ed. David McKay Pub., N.Y. 1956

Critical Thinking, Joanne Kurfuss, Assoc. Study of Higher Education- ERIC Higher Educational Report #2.  Washington D.C. 1988

IUSB Faculty Development Office, Floyd Urbach. 1992

Declarative Knowledge - Knowing and Understanding

Cognitive Memory

Level 1: Knowledge-- The foundation for all higher levels of learning.
Requires memory only—rote memorization.
The ability to recall and to repeat information exactly as memorized.

Typical action verbs - define, recall, recognize, remember, list, name, who, what, where, and when.

Covergent Thinking

Level 2: Comprehension—Understanding what is being communicated
Requires rephrasing, rewording, comparing, and personal interpretation or paraphrasing of meanings.The making of correct sense of things.

Typical action verbs and phrases - describe, put in your own words, compare, contrast, explain the main idea, rephrase, and paraphrase.

Procedural Knowledge - The Ability to Do Something with Your Knowledge

Level 3: Application—The demonstration of correct use in appropriate situations
Requires knowing how and when to use declarative knowledge to execute a skilled performance or to demonstrate the ability to transfer knowledge to novel situations.  Convergent or focused problem solving where only one, or a predictable narrow range of correct answers is possible.  Requires a novel (not previously studied) context to avoid memorized answers.

Typical action verbs and phrases - choose, employ, give an example, apply, classify, solve, determine which applies, determine what is the case, illustrate, show demonstrate

Divergent Levels of Thinking

Level 4: Analysis—Breaking an idea or concept into related parts.
Requires the breakdown of a concept into parts or essential elements. Identifying the connections and interactions of parts of a structure. Distinguish between a conclusion and the facts that support it. Identify the motives or causes leading to some culminating event. Analyze the structure and organization of a film/play/paper/report.

Typical action verbs and phrases - classify, distinguish, examine, analyze, take apart, dissect, sort, detect, establish relationships, outline, develop a concept map

Level 5: Synthesis—Putting together of parts and elements to form a whole.
Requires the formation of patterns and structures which are new to the learner.  The development of plans, mental images, unique products or predictions where there are many possible correct constructions.  Freedom for creative expression is essential.

Typical action verbs and phrases - design, construct, predict, produce, devise, suggest, create, compose, propose alternatives—alternative ways to view, alternative conclusions, alternative solutions, alternative opinions, alternative results

Evaluate Levels of Thinking

Level 6: Evaluation—Making critical judgments on worth or merit
Requires a critical judgment on the worth, merit, or value of something.  There are two major sub-categories of evaluation. Personal opinion based on personal standards. Opinions may be based upon uninformed and naïve intuition. Opinions may be based upon informed and expert knowledge. Includes taking a position on moral or ethical issues. Judgments may be based on external, academic, social or public. Criteria such as national accreditation standards, a set of laws, professional standards, or other published criteria which assist the determination of merit, value and worth.

Typical action verbs and phrases - grade, rank, sort as to value or merit, which seems better, judge, like, dislike, validate, assess, give your opinion, what are the pro’s and con’s, what are the good points, what are the bad points, acceptable, unacceptable, basis for rejection, what might make it better, personal preference, define criteria for assessing—“If you were setting up a ‘Consumer Reports’ study, what criteria might you use?”

 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
Comprehensive Examination for

Masters Degree

AREA:  Early Childhood Special Education
Dr. Chris Marvin

DATE:  June 2005 

STUDENT:  Mary Smitt    

Question #1 (60 minutes)

Define Family-Centered Services in Early Intervention.  Discuss how each of the following assist in supporting/promoting the philosophy/definition of Family-Centered Services for children birth to age 5 years who have disabilities.         

Part C components of IDEA
systems theory
transactional theory
enablement and empowerment as helping concepts
IFSPs (components and implementation)

Questions #2 (60 minutes)

Explain what you think is the most appropriate place and manner(s) for a 2 year old child to receive needed special supports/services. Explain why you think a 4 year old might require similar or different services / supports / locations.  (Do not justify differences on medical diagnosis differences.)

1.  No notes, notebooks, texts, papers can accompany you into the exam room. Only bring pencils of your choice. No food or drink is allowed in the computer lab. Exams are proctored.

2.  You will be given an envelope containing ALL your questions (4 hrs worth), a pad of paper and a pencil. If you requested a computer you will be assigned one in the Barkley Ricketts Computer Classroom.

3.  Read through all questions, consider the time allotment for each and decide which strikes you as doable first.

4.  For any question (other than multiple choice) spend 5 minutes writing on paper all thoughts, key words, and authors, or references that come to mind as you read the question.  Then use these notes to organize an outline on how to approach the question. Remember the time allotment.

5.  If using pencil and paper, begin by writing your name on top of the first page. Number your pages. Number the question you are answering. Begin new answer on new page.

6.  Start writing. Refer to your outline or notes periodically. Do not waste time rewriting / phrasing the question.

7.  If using the computer, remember that the Ricketts Lab has only MAC computers with the WORD program.  Save Save Save (filename = yourname) whenever you to stop to think. Type your name at the top of the page. Number the question you are answering.  Check over for major spelling errors; a few can be ignored. Begin next question-answer on same file (next page); do not waste time opening/naming new files.  Print; this printing should have all your answers on it. Look it over; edit with pencil if you must.

8.  Leave 5 minutes to reread your answer and edit as needed.