Professional Ethics in Education Flashcards
7 cards from real MTEL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Ethics in Education flashcards as text
A teacher discovers that a colleague is falsifying student attendance records. According to Massachusetts educator ethics, what is the teacher's primary obligation?
Answer: Report the misconduct to school administration
Massachusetts educators are obligated to report professional misconduct that compromises student welfare or institutional integrity.
Under the Massachusetts Educator Code of Conduct, which action best demonstrates a teacher's commitment to equitable treatment of students?
Answer: Differentiating instruction to meet each student's individual needs
Equity requires meeting each student's individual needs through differentiated instruction, not identical treatment.
A parent requests that a teacher share another student's IEP information to compare it with their child's plan. How should the teacher respond?
Answer: Decline and explain that student records are confidential under FERPA
FERPA protects all students' educational records from unauthorized disclosure, and teachers must uphold this confidentiality.
A Massachusetts teacher is asked by a news reporter to comment on a student's academic struggles that were recently discussed in a staff meeting. The teacher should:
Answer: Decline to comment to protect student confidentiality
Educators must protect student confidentiality and decline to share information about individual students with the media.
Which scenario represents a conflict of interest that a Massachusetts educator must disclose?
Answer: Recommending a tutoring business owned by the educator's spouse
Recommending a business in which a family member has a financial interest represents a conflict of interest requiring disclosure.
A student confides in a teacher that they have been experiencing domestic violence at home. Under Massachusetts law, the teacher is:
Answer: A mandated reporter who must notify the proper authorities
Massachusetts law designates teachers as mandated reporters who must report suspected abuse or neglect to the Department of Children and Families.
A teacher wants to post student artwork on the school's public website. What step is ethically and legally required before doing so?
Answer: Obtain written parental consent for each student whose work is posted
Sharing student work publicly requires prior written parental consent to protect student privacy and comply with school policy.