K-12 Teacher Professional Knowledge

01IEP vs. 504 Plan

An IEP (under IDEA) is for students with one of 13 qualifying disability categories who need specialized instruction; a 504 Plan (under Section 504) uses a broader disability definition and provides accommodations to access the general curriculum, without specialized instruction or the federal funding tied to IDEA.

02FERPA basics

FERPA protects the privacy of student education records. Generally only parents/eligible students (18+) and school officials with a legitimate educational interest may access records without separate written consent; other disclosures typically require consent.

03Mandated reporter duty

Teachers must report reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect — not proof. They are not expected to investigate or confirm details, and the individual duty to report generally can't be satisfied by assuming a colleague already reported it.

04Formative vs. summative assessment

Formative assessment (e.g., exit tickets, quick quizzes) happens during instruction to give low-stakes feedback and guide teaching. Summative assessment (e.g., final exams, unit tests) happens at the end of instruction to measure overall mastery.

05IDEA / Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Students with disabilities must be educated alongside non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate; a student should only be removed from the general education classroom when their needs cannot be met there, even with supplementary aids and services.

06ELL accommodations

Accommodations adapt how content is presented or assessed — such as extra time, visual supports, or simplified language — without changing the underlying content standard being taught or tested, making instruction accessible to English language learners.