AECTP Professional & Ethical Practices 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher discovers that a colleague is falsifying student attendance records. What is the most appropriate first action?
- Ignore it to avoid conflict
- Report the concern to the principal or appropriate administrator (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague publicly in the teachers' lounge
- Inform parents directly without notifying administration
Correct answer: Report the concern to the principal or appropriate administrator
Teachers have a professional obligation to report unethical conduct, such as falsified records, to the appropriate school authority.
Question 2: Under Alabama law, which agency is primarily responsible for revoking an educator's certificate for ethical violations?
- The local school board
- The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) (Correct answer)
- The State Superintendent of Education alone
- The Governor's Office of Education Policy
Correct answer: The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)
The ALSDE has the authority to suspend or revoke educator certificates for violations of professional ethics or law.
Question 3: A student confides to a teacher that her stepparent hit her hard enough to leave bruises. The teacher should:
- Wait to see if bruises are visible before acting
- Advise the student to speak with the school counselor only
- Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective agency immediately (Correct answer)
- Call the student's mother first to verify the story
Correct answer: Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective agency immediately
Alabama law mandates that educators report suspected child abuse to the Department of Human Resources (DHR) or law enforcement immediately.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'in loco parentis' as it applies to Alabama educators?
- Teachers may discipline students exactly as parents do at home
- Educators assume a parental-like duty of care and supervision over students while at school (Correct answer)
- Parents may not interfere with a teacher's instructional decisions
- Schools must notify parents before any student receives medical attention
Correct answer: Educators assume a parental-like duty of care and supervision over students while at school
'In loco parentis' means educators act in place of parents, carrying a duty of reasonable care and supervision during school hours.
Question 5: A teacher posts a photo on social media showing students during a classroom activity without parental consent. This action most likely violates:
- The Alabama Reading Initiative guidelines
- FERPA student privacy protections (Correct answer)
- The No Child Left Behind Act
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Correct answer: FERPA student privacy protections
FERPA protects students' personally identifiable information, and posting identifiable student images without consent constitutes a violation.
Question 6: Which behavior would most likely constitute a violation of the Alabama Educator Code of Ethics regarding conflicts of interest?
- Purchasing classroom supplies with personal funds
- Selling personal tutoring services to your own current students for pay (Correct answer)
- Attending a professional development seminar funded by the district
- Recommending a colleague for a department chair position
Correct answer: Selling personal tutoring services to your own current students for pay
Charging personal fees to students currently under a teacher's direct instruction creates a conflict of interest and violates ethical standards.
Question 7: A new teacher is unsure whether a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) requires a specific accommodation during a quiz. The best course of action is to:
- Skip the accommodation since the IEP team decides later
- Implement the accommodation as specified in the IEP and consult the special education coordinator (Correct answer)
- Ask the student whether they want the accommodation
- Wait for the parent to remind the school of the accommodation
Correct answer: Implement the accommodation as specified in the IEP and consult the special education coordinator
IEP accommodations are legally binding; teachers must implement them as written and seek guidance from the special education coordinator if uncertain.
AECTP Professional & Ethical Practices 2
A teacher discovers that a colleague is falsifying student attendance records.
What is the most appropriate first action?