Texas History Test Professional Standards & Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Texas law governs the standards of conduct for public school educators, including ethical and professional behavior?
- Texas Education Code Chapter 21 (Correct answer)
- Texas Administrative Code Title 19
- Senate Bill 11
- House Bill 3979
Correct answer: Texas Education Code Chapter 21
Texas Education Code Chapter 21 establishes professional standards, certification requirements, and conduct expectations for public school educators.
Question 2: A Texas teacher discovers a colleague is sharing copyrighted test materials without authorization. The teacher's most professionally appropriate first step is to:
- Report it directly to the Texas Education Agency
- Confront the colleague and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Ignore it to preserve workplace relationships
- Post about it on social media to warn others
Correct answer: Confront the colleague and document the incident
Addressing the issue directly with the colleague while documenting the incident follows ethical professional standards before escalating to authorities.
Question 3: Under Texas educator standards, a teacher's primary obligation when student safety and parental preference conflict is to:
- Follow parental preference in all cases
- Prioritize student safety and well-being (Correct answer)
- Defer to administrative decision only
- Consult the school board before acting
Correct answer: Prioritize student safety and well-being
Texas educator ethics place student safety and well-being as the highest professional obligation, superseding other considerations.
Question 4: The Texas Educator Code of Ethics requires educators to maintain what type of relationship with students?
- Friendly and informal to build rapport
- Strictly distant and impersonal
- Professional with appropriate boundaries (Correct answer)
- Parental and nurturing above all else
Correct answer: Professional with appropriate boundaries
The Code of Ethics mandates professional relationships with students that include clear, appropriate boundaries to protect both students and educators.
Question 5: Which state agency is responsible for investigating alleged violations of the Texas Educator Code of Ethics?
- State Board of Education (SBOE)
- Texas Education Agency (TEA)
- Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) (Correct answer)
- Office of the Attorney General
Correct answer: Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has jurisdiction over educator certification and investigates ethics violations.
Question 6: A Texas educator who fails to report suspected child abuse is subject to:
- A written reprimand only
- Criminal penalties under Texas law (Correct answer)
- Loss of tenure but not certification
- Mandatory counseling sessions
Correct answer: Criminal penalties under Texas law
Texas law makes failure to report suspected child abuse a criminal offense, reflecting the seriousness of educators' mandatory reporter status.
Question 7: Which professional competency is emphasized when a Texas teacher uses multiple assessment methods to evaluate student learning?
- Classroom management
- Assessment literacy (Correct answer)
- Curriculum alignment
- Instructional technology integration
Correct answer: Assessment literacy
Assessment literacy—understanding and applying varied assessment strategies—is a core professional competency in Texas educator standards.
Texas History Test Professional Standards & Competencies 2
Which Texas law governs the standards of conduct for public school educators, including ethical and professional behavior?