CTA Ethics & Legal Responsibilities 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law mandates that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE)?
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- FERPA
- IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) (Correct answer)
- Title IX
Correct answer: IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
IDEA mandates that eligible students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education tailored to their individual needs.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?
- To document a student's disciplinary record
- To outline specific educational goals and services for a student with a disability (Correct answer)
- To track attendance and behavior for all students
- To create a standardized curriculum for special education classes
Correct answer: To outline specific educational goals and services for a student with a disability
An IEP is a legally binding document that outlines specific educational goals, accommodations, and services tailored to meet a student with a disability's unique needs.
Question 3: A teacher assistant should NOT do which of the following with student records?
- Access records needed to provide direct instructional support
- Share a student's records with a parent who has legal custody
- Discuss specific student records in public areas of the school (Correct answer)
- Review an IEP before working one-on-one with a student with disabilities
Correct answer: Discuss specific student records in public areas of the school
Student records are confidential and must not be discussed in public areas where unauthorized individuals could overhear the information.
Question 4: Which of the following is considered a professional ethical violation for a teacher assistant?
- Collaborating with the lead teacher on lesson modifications
- Reporting a suspected abuse situation to administration
- Forming a personal friendship with a student on social media (Correct answer)
- Documenting student progress for the teacher's records
Correct answer: Forming a personal friendship with a student on social media
Forming personal friendships with students on social media violates professional boundaries and is an ethical violation for school employees.
Question 5: What does 'due process' mean in the context of special education?
- A procedure for disciplining students with disabilities
- Legal rights and procedures that protect families when they disagree with special education decisions (Correct answer)
- A method for assessing student academic progress
- The process of referring a student for initial special education evaluation
Correct answer: Legal rights and procedures that protect families when they disagree with special education decisions
Due process in special education refers to legal rights and procedures that protect families who disagree with decisions made about their child's special education services.
Question 6: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), schools must:
- Provide identical instruction to all students regardless of need
- Ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to programs and facilities (Correct answer)
- Exempt students with disabilities from all standardized testing
- Place all students with disabilities in separate classrooms
Correct answer: Ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to programs and facilities
The ADA requires schools to provide equal access to programs, services, and facilities for individuals with disabilities, prohibiting discrimination based on disability status.
Question 7: If a teacher assistant suspects a colleague is engaged in inappropriate behavior with a student, the appropriate first step is to:
- Confront the colleague directly about the behavior
- Ignore it unless the student formally reports it
- Report the concern to the principal or appropriate school authority (Correct answer)
- Discuss the concern privately with other trusted colleagues
Correct answer: Report the concern to the principal or appropriate school authority
Suspected inappropriate behavior involving a student must be reported immediately to a school administrator to ensure the student's safety.
CTA Ethics & Legal Responsibilities 2
Which federal law mandates that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE)?