ORELA Professionalism & Ethical Practices 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher discovers a student has been bullying peers online using a personal device off school property. The educator's primary responsibility is to:
- Take no action since it occurred off campus
- Report the behavior to school administration if it creates a hostile school environment (Correct answer)
- Confront the student publicly to deter others
- Contact the student's parents directly without informing administration
Correct answer: Report the behavior to school administration if it creates a hostile school environment
Cyberbullying that disrupts the school environment is within an educator's professional responsibility to report even if it originates off campus.
Question 2: When a teacher suspects a student is being neglected at home, the teacher should file a report with:
- The Oregon Department of Education directly
- The Oregon Department of Human Services or local law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Only the school principal
- The parent or guardian to give them a chance to respond first
Correct answer: The Oregon Department of Human Services or local law enforcement
Suspected child neglect must be reported to DHS or local law enforcement, not just school leadership.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the ethical principle of educational equity in Oregon classrooms?
- Treating every student identically regardless of need
- Providing equitable access and support so all students can succeed (Correct answer)
- Giving extra resources only to gifted students
- Maintaining equal outcomes for all students regardless of effort
Correct answer: Providing equitable access and support so all students can succeed
Equity means providing differentiated support so every student has fair access to learning opportunities, not identical treatment.
Question 4: A teacher is asked by a local news outlet to comment on a specific student's academic struggles. The teacher should:
- Decline to share any student-specific information due to FERPA (Correct answer)
- Share general information without using the student's name
- Refer the reporter to the student's parents for comment
- Provide information since it could raise awareness of learning disabilities
Correct answer: Decline to share any student-specific information due to FERPA
FERPA prohibits educators from disclosing personally identifiable student information to unauthorized outside parties.
Question 5: An educator who accepts gifts from parents in exchange for preferential grading is violating which professional standard?
- Curriculum alignment standards
- Ethical standards of impartiality and professional integrity (Correct answer)
- Community engagement guidelines
- Parental involvement policies
Correct answer: Ethical standards of impartiality and professional integrity
Accepting gifts for preferential treatment violates the ethical standard requiring educators to act with impartiality and integrity.
Question 6: Which action reflects culturally responsive professional practice for an Oregon educator?
- Treating all students as if they share the same cultural background
- Incorporating students' cultural backgrounds and experiences into instruction (Correct answer)
- Avoiding cultural topics to prevent controversy
- Focusing only on Oregon state history in social studies
Correct answer: Incorporating students' cultural backgrounds and experiences into instruction
Culturally responsive practice involves acknowledging and integrating students' diverse backgrounds into meaningful learning experiences.
Question 7: If an educator disagrees with a school policy, the most professionally appropriate course of action is to:
- Ignore the policy and teach as preferred
- Openly criticize the policy to students to gain their support
- Work within established channels to advocate for change while following current policy (Correct answer)
- Refuse to implement the policy until it is changed
Correct answer: Work within established channels to advocate for change while following current policy
Professionals advocate for change through appropriate channels while continuing to fulfill their current obligations.
ORELA Professionalism & Ethical Practices 3
A teacher discovers a student has been bullying peers online using a personal device off school property.
The educator's primary responsibility is to: