Study Guide
Blind & Low Vision
Test Design and Framework
The test design below describes general assessment information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.
Test Design
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) and online-proctored test |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Time* | 2 hours |
| Passing Score | 220 |
Test Framework
| Content Domain | Range of Competencies | Approximate Percentage of Test Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. | Understanding Students Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision | 0001–0002 | 20% |
| II. | Assessment and Program Planning | 0003–0004 | 20% |
| III. | Learning Environments and Instructional Practices | 0005–0008 | 40% |
| IV. | Foundations and Professional Practice | 0009–010 | 20% |
Domain I–Understanding Students Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
Competency 0001–Understand characteristics of students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of typical and atypical human growth and development in various domains (e.g., cognitive, speech/language, social/emotional, physical).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the human visual system; types, characteristics, degrees, and etiologies of blindness and loss of vision, including dual sensory loss; diseases or disorders typically characterized by blindness or loss of vision; student behaviors that may indicate the presence of a visual impairment; and similarities and differences among students who are blind or have low vision and students without visual impairments.
Competency 0002–Understand factors that affect development, learning, and daily living in students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Apply knowledge of the roles families and communities play in the development and learning of students who are blind or have low vision, including knowledge of the influence of cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors on the development and learning of students who are blind or have low vision.
- Apply knowledge of the implications of blindness or low vision for education and learning, development, and other aspects of an individual's life (e.g., social relationships, recreation and leisure, independent living, employment).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the unique medical needs that accompany blindness or low vision, the possible effects of medications, and ways to meet the physical and medical needs of students who are blind or have low vision.
Domain II–Assessment and Program Planning
Competency 0003–Understand procedures for selecting, adapting, modifying, designing, administering, and interpreting and communicating results of various types of formal and informal assessments used with students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic assessment terminology and the characteristics, uses, and limitations of various types of formal, informal, and alternative assessments used with students who are blind or have low vision, including basic knowledge of common terms and language used on ophthalmological reports and low vision evaluations.
- Apply knowledge of strategies and procedures for selecting, adapting, modifying, and individualizing assessments for students who are blind or have low vision, including the assessment of nonverbal students and English language learners.
- Apply knowledge of strategies and procedures for administering assessments to students who are blind or have low vision, including strategies for using technology and applying the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and procedures to avoid bias during the assessment process.
- Demonstrate understanding of functional vision and learning media assessments for students who are blind or have low vision, including types and characteristics of formal and informal assessments of functional vision; procedures for determining students' primary learning media; procedures for conducting different types of assessments (including screening procedures and procedures for ongoing assessment of visual behavior); and the interpretation of assessment results.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for effectively communicating results of assessments to all stakeholders (e.g., students, parents/guardians, service providers, general education teachers).
Competency 0004–Understand strategies and procedures for developing, implementing, and monitoring individualized programs for students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Apply knowledge of screening, prereferral, referral, and eligibility procedures.
- Interpret, analyze, and use information from formal and informal assessments of students who are blind or have low vision to collaborate with the team in making eligibility, program, and placement decisions; determining student goals; and planning and evaluating instruction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of components of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and the roles special education teachers, general education teachers, students who are blind or have low vision, parents/guardians, related services providers, and others play in planning and implementing IFSPs, IEPs, and behavioral intervention plans.
- Apply knowledge of the continuum of placement and services available for students who are blind or have low vision, including knowledge of supports students need for integration into various programs.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for integrating the expanded core curriculum with academic curricula, for incorporating and implementing instructional and assistive technology, and for prioritizing areas of the general curriculum for students who are blind or have low vision.
Domain III–Learning Environments and Instructional Practices
Competency 0005–Understand strategies and procedures for planning, managing, and modifying the learning environment for students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of ways in which teacher attitudes and behaviors and factors in the learning environment affect both students who are blind or have low vision and students without visual impairments, and apply knowledge of effective strategies for establishing and maintaining rapport with all students.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for planning and managing the learning environment for students who are blind or have low vision, including strategies for establishing reasonable behavioral expectations, designing consistent daily routines, fostering students' independence, and maintaining students' attention.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating a safe, supportive, productive, and equitable classroom and schoolwide climate that fosters respect for diversity and positive interactions among all students.
- Demonstrate knowledge of barriers to accessibility and acceptance of students who are blind or have low vision and adaptations that can be made to the physical environment to provide optimal learning opportunities for students who are blind or have low vision.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the implications of blindness and low vision for physical/motor functioning, including ways in which blindness and low vision typically affect children's motor development and functional living competence and common motor needs (including self-help and career/vocational needs) of students who are blind or have low vision.
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of concepts, skills, and factors related to the development of orientation and mobility skills; methods for preparing students who are blind or have low vision for structured orientation and mobility instruction; and strategies for providing students who are blind or have low vision with learning experiences designed to achieve specific goals related to orientation and mobility.
- Apply knowledge of effective methods for fostering students' active participation and individual academic success in one-to-one, small-group, and large-group settings and for facilitating students' integration into various settings.
- Demonstrate knowledge of environmental adaptations to enhance the use of vision and basic principles of optics, including ways in which environmental and computer adaptations may enhance visibility.
- Demonstrate knowledge of types, characteristics, and uses of low vision aids, nonoptical devices, and techniques that maximize visual function; procedures for helping students who are blind or partially sighted learn how to use low vision aids; and situations in which the use of low vision aids is appropriate.
- Demonstrate understanding of techniques for helping students who are blind or have low vision make use of all their senses to interpret information from their environment, including strategies, activities, resources, and technologies for promoting students' ability to use their vision effectively in functional contexts and strategies for developing students' basic and advanced listening skills, tactual, kinesthetic, and olfactory skills, as appropriate, to interpret their environment accurately and to respond accordingly.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for modifying the learning environment to manage behaviors and promote positive behaviors and strategies used for crisis prevention and intervention.
Competency 0006–Understand effective instructional practices for promoting success in the general curriculum for students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of national, state, and local curriculum standards and the scope and sequence of the general curriculum, including grade-level content-area curricula.
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare and organize materials to implement daily lesson plans, provide instructional accommodations and modifications, differentiate instruction, and make responsive adjustments to instruction based on ongoing observations and assessment data.
- Apply strategies for developing and selecting specialized instructional content, resources, and technologies that respond to students' age; visual impairment and visual prognosis; primary learning media; cultural, linguistic, and gender differences; learning strengths; and academic and social abilities, attitudes, interests, and values.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) in regard to instructional planning and delivery for students who are blind or have low vision.
- Apply knowledge of research-supported methods for providing reading and written language instruction to all students who are blind or have low vision, including strategies for working with large-print reading and writing materials, knowledge of braille, knowledge of methods for producing braille (e.g., slate and stylus, computers), and methodologies and resources for developing students' literacy skills in print and braille.
- Apply knowledge of research-supported methods for providing mathematics instruction to all students who are blind or have low vision, including knowledge of Nemeth Braille Code.
- Apply knowledge of research-supported methods for providing instruction in science, social studies, health, physical education, fine arts, and other areas of the existing and expanded core curriculum to all students who are blind or have low vision.
- Demonstrate knowledge of methods for teaching students who are blind or have low vision learning strategies for addressing areas of need in perception, attention, language processing, memory, and retrieval, as well as methods for teaching students organization and study skills and the use of self-assessment, problem-solving, and other cognitive strategies to meet their needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective strategies for teaching essential concepts, vocabulary, and content across the general curriculum; for facilitating maintenance and generalization of academic skills; and for helping students recognize relationships across disciplines.
- Demonstrate knowledge of instructional methodologies, resources, and technologies (e.g., abacus, talking calculator, tactile graphics, adapted science equipment, adaptation of pictorial content into tactual form using nationally recognized best practices) for providing students who are blind or have low vision with the learning experiences and tools they need to achieve academic goals in the content areas.
Competency 0007–Understand strategies for developing students' communication and social skills and for providing effective behavioral interventions for students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies for fostering the communication skills of students who are blind or have low vision, including students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, students with dual sensory loss, and students who use alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and activities for helping students who are blind or have low vision develop the conceptual understandings required for meaningful communication and strategies for providing students with learning experiences to address specific communication needs and goals.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for fostering students' social skills; for increasing students' participation, self-awareness, self-management, and self-esteem; and for developing students' self-advocacy and self-determination.
- Apply knowledge of appropriate expectations for personal and social behavior in educational and community settings and strategies for teaching problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
- Demonstrate understanding of components of functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavioral support plans and the ability to use the results of FBAs to develop behavioral support plans.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for developing, implementing, modifying, and monitoring behavioral interventions for students who are blind or have low vision, including strategies for providing positive behavioral supports.
Competency 0008–Understand strategies for teaching expanded core curriculum skills and promoting successful transitions for students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for teaching daily living skills (e.g., food preparation, money management, medical self-management, use of assistive technology, accessing community resources) to students who are blind or have low vision.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for teaching skills to promote vocational/career competence; college readiness; and participation in civic, leisure, and recreational activities to students who are blind or have low vision.
- Demonstrate knowledge of sources of specialized materials, curricula, and resources for students who are blind or have low vision; effective career, vocational, and transition programs; the importance of role models who are blind or have low vision; and strategies for developing and selecting instructional content that is responsive to students' individual differences.
- Apply knowledge of strategies, resources, and programs that promote successful transitions between various environments (e.g., classroom to classroom; school to school; school to adult life roles, employment, or postsecondary education or training) for students who are blind or have low vision.
Domain IV–Foundations and Professional Practice
Competency 0009–Understand the historical, legal, and ethical foundations of the field of education of students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Apply knowledge of the historical and philosophical foundations of special education and the education of students who are blind or have low vision, as well as contemporary issues and trends (e.g., advances in technology, inclusion, early intervention) in the field of special education and the education of students who are blind or have low vision.
- Apply knowledge of federal laws and policies (e.g., IDEA, ADA, Section 504) and ethical guidelines related to the education of students who are blind or have low vision (e.g., related to confidentiality or the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders).
Competency 0010–Understand the professional roles and responsibilities of the teacher of students who are blind or have low vision.
For example:
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for communicating with, collaborating with, and advocating for students who are blind or have low vision and their families and for communicating and collaborating with ophthalmologists, optometrists, and other vision-related personnel to help students achieve desired learning outcomes, as well as knowledge of ways of providing information, training, support, and referrals to families of students who are blind or have low vision, including students from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for communicating, collaborating, and consulting with general education teachers, related services providers, other school staff members, and representatives of community agencies in providing learning opportunities for students who are blind or have low vision and knowledge of effective strategies for supervising and working with teachers' aides, teaching assistants, paraprofessionals, and volunteers.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of upholding high standards for professional practice through participation in professional activities and organizations and knowledge of resources for enhancing one's professional skills and for engaging in lifelong professional growth and development.
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective strategies for engaging in reflection and self-assessment activities to identify one's own strengths and weaknesses, to become aware of cultural biases and differences, to improve instruction, and to determine goals for professional growth.