CTA Ethics & Legal Responsibilities 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What federal law protects the privacy of student education records?
- IDEA
- FERPA (Correct answer)
- ADA
- NCLB
Correct answer: FERPA
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student education records and applies to all schools receiving federal funding.
Question 2: A teacher assistant overhears a student mention being physically abused at home. What is the most appropriate action?
- Keep the information confidential to protect the student
- Report the disclosure to the supervising teacher or administrator immediately (Correct answer)
- Ask the student more questions to gather full details
- Contact the student's parents directly to discuss the situation
Correct answer: Report the disclosure to the supervising teacher or administrator immediately
Teacher assistants are mandated reporters and must immediately report suspected child abuse to a supervisor or designated authority.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes confidentiality in the school setting?
- Sharing student information freely among all school staff
- Protecting student information and only disclosing it on a need-to-know basis (Correct answer)
- Keeping all student information secret from parents
- Discussing student behavior with other students' parents
Correct answer: Protecting student information and only disclosing it on a need-to-know basis
Confidentiality means protecting student information and only sharing it with those who have a legitimate educational need to know.
Question 4: Under FERPA, who has the right to access a student's educational records?
- Any teacher in the school
- Only the principal and counselors
- Parents or eligible students (age 18 and older) (Correct answer)
- All school staff members
Correct answer: Parents or eligible students (age 18 and older)
Under FERPA, parents (or eligible students aged 18 and older) have the right to inspect and review their child's educational records.
Question 5: What does the term 'mandated reporter' mean for a teacher assistant?
- Someone required to report student grades to the state
- A person legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect (Correct answer)
- Someone who must report classroom incidents to the principal daily
- A person required to document all student behavioral incidents
Correct answer: A person legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect
A mandated reporter is someone who, by law, is required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of ethical conduct for a teacher assistant?
- Sharing student test scores with other parents
- Maintaining professional boundaries with students and families (Correct answer)
- Discussing student personal issues in the teachers' lounge
- Accepting gifts of significant value from parents
Correct answer: Maintaining professional boundaries with students and families
Maintaining professional boundaries with students and families preserves trust and the integrity of the educational role.
Question 7: A teacher assistant is asked by a parent to share another student's confidential information. The correct response is to:
- Share the information since the parent seems genuinely concerned
- Explain that student information is confidential and cannot be shared (Correct answer)
- Ask the supervising teacher to decide whether to share the information
- Provide general information without using the other student's name
Correct answer: Explain that student information is confidential and cannot be shared
A teacher assistant must protect the confidentiality of all students and explain that another student's private information cannot be shared.
CTA Ethics & Legal Responsibilities 1
What federal law protects the privacy of student education records?