Topic 3: College of Education Ethics Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Ethics can be defined as

a. Someone’s opinion of another person’s behavior
b. Laws and policies that govern behavior
c. Moral principles that govern a person’s behavior
d. Guidelines to ensure successful behavior

2. Which of the following is not a principle of ethical leadership?

a. Personal courage
b. Self-interest
c. Sensitivity and understanding
d. Inclusiveness

3. Who should be the priority in decision-making for a school leader?

a. Parents
b. Staff
c. Superintendent
d. Students

4. To whom must a school administrator report information related to possible

unprofessional conduct involving a student?
a. District Office
b. State Board of Education
c. Local police
d. All of the above
e. None of the above

5. What is a possible consequence for failing to investigate a report of unprofessional

conduct by a school employee?
a. Warning by the human resources department
b. No consequences
c. Loss of administrative credential
d. An angry parent

6. What state-level entity receives reports of unprofessional conduct and conducts an

investigation?
a. Attorney General
b. Governor’s office
c. State Board of Education
d. Department of Education
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 7. Who is required to follow the mandatory reporting rules related to unprofessional
conduct?
a. Teachers
b. Administrators
c. Parents
d. All certificated school employees
e. All school employees

8. Which of the following is the most serious ethical violation for an educator?
a. Sharing test preparation materials you created
b. Dating a fellow teacher
c. Taking a sick day when you are not ill
d. Letting your opinion of a student affect their grades

9. Students are impacted by ethics in which of the following ways:

a. Grading practices
b. Student council elections
c. Student discipline practices
d. All of the above
e. None of the above

10. How are school policies related to ethics?

a. Policies dictate all ethical decisions
b. Policies describe ethics
c. Policies provide guidance for some ethical decisions
d. There is no relationship between policies and ethics

Short Answer: In 50 – 100 words, respond to the following statements. Be sure to use
appropriate sentence mechanics.

1. Describe one way a school administrator could take preventive action to avoid a staff
member committing unprofessional conduct.
“Keeping student safety, education, and health paramount by maintaining and sharing
educational records appropriately and objectively in accordance with local policies and state and
federal laws” (NASDTEC, 2015)

2. Describe the relationship between integrity and ethics.

Integrity is the act of being honest and having good morals that you live by. When you have
integrity, you always display that you can be trusted and are honest. Ethics are your morals.
Ethics are what you believe is right in the position that you hold. You can’t have integrity
without having Ethics.

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 3. How would you briefly outline your definition of professionalism to your faculty?
Provide at least three examples to illustrate your definition.
To me, professionalism is the actions that you display onto others in your workplace.
Having good professionalism can mean all kinds of things, but I think the most important
would be- displaying integrity with the staff and with their students, good collaboration
with all colleagues, and following all school and district policies.

4. Describe how a teacher might violate professional ethics in facilitating state-mandated

testing. What happens to a teacher who would be caught violating testing procedures?
A teacher could violate professional ethics in facilitating state-mandated testing by
sharing test questions with students before the test is given. Some teachers have access to
materials before the test day and may feel like sharing those with students will help their
students perform better on the test. If a teacher violates ethics in this manner, he/she can
lose their license.

5. Which of the following areas of ethics might be the most complex for an educational
leader: staff relationships, procurement, student achievement, or community relations.
Explain your answer.
I think the most complex areas of ethics for a leader may be staff relationships. As a
leader, it is important to build relationships with your staff and be personable, however it
can be tricky if the line is crossed into friendship. Sometimes people take advantage of
the fact that they are friends with the boss, and it could also create the illusion of
favoritism.

Scenarios

Respond to each of the following scenarios in a well-crafted paragraph of 100-150 words using
appropriate sentence mechanics.

Scenario 1:
A parent reports that his daughter, a student at your school, has exchanged more than a dozen
personal emails over the last two months with her social studies teacher who is using his school-
issued computer. The latest email included an invitation for the student to have lunch with the
teacher on a Saturday. The parent is very concerned that an inappropriate relationship between
his daughter and the teacher is forming or has formed. What actions will you take based on this
report?
Given this scenario, I would first talk to the teacher that is involved. I would ask why the teacher
is talking to the student through emails, and why he is inviting the student out to lunch outside of
school hours. I would remind the teacher that it is our duty as educators to “Interacting with
students with transparency and in appropriate settings” (NASDTEC, 2015). The teacher should
know that this seems inappropriate and could very easily get messy. The parent’s concerns are
valid and given that he found his daughter’s emails and was not aware of any school outing, it
seems like the teacher was inviting the student on a date. I would tell the teacher that this needs
to stop immediately and remind him that “Considering the ramifications of entering an adult

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relationship of any kind with a former student, including but not limited to, any potential harm to
the former student, public perception, and the possible impact on the educator’s career. The
professional educator ensures that the adult relationship was not started while the former student
was in school” (NASDTEC, 2015).

Scenario 2:
A salesperson from the company that provides your school’s copy paper invites you to join a
group that is going to spend Spring Break in Mexico, all expenses paid. You have vacation time
and are not required to report to work during Spring Break. Will you go on this trip? Why or why
not?
I would not go on this trip. Though it is spring break, and I am not required to report to work, I
would not feel comfortable going on this trip. This is considered a gift, and I would have to
really think about the implications of accepting a gift from someone that I receive a product
from. This would also result in a risk of multiple relationships between me, and the company that
provides the paper for my school. I would want to keep this relationship strictly professional, to
ensure that my school is not impacted by my actions.

Scenario 3:
A parent who frequently volunteers at your high school is asking you to give her sophomore
student a parking pass, even though sophomores are prohibited by school policy from receiving a
parking pass. What will you tell the parent and what will you do next?
As an administrator, it is important to “Demonstrating a commitment to equality, equity, and
inclusion as well as respecting and accommodating diversity among members of the school
community” (NASDTECT, 2015). I would tell the parent that sophomores are prohibited from
receiving a parking pass, and it would not be fair to grant her sophomore one because it goes
against school policy. I would tell the parent that her student could have a parking pass when he
is a Junior (or whatever grade is given parking passes). I would not make a big deal of this
conversation, and would allow the parent to continue volunteering if she chose to.

Scenario 4:
You are addressing the group of first year teachers at your school on their first day of
employment. Some of these teachers graduated from a traditional teacher preparation program,
while others did not. What would you tell them about ethics, as it applies to their job as a teacher,
so that all levels of experience and professional backgrounds are considered?
I would tell all teachers that it does not matter where they came from, their common ethics goal
should be student-centered. They should focus on making sure that students feel safe, and they
should create an environment that promotes student success. I would also tell them that they are
able to come to me with any questions, and they all will have access to professional development
that is fitting for their needs. I would also let them know that part of ethics includes reflecting on
skills and assessing what could be improved and asking for help to improve those skills.

Scenario 5:
You have been asked by a parent to review the final semester grade of a student in Algebra 1.
Dad believes that his son should have gotten an A, even though he was three points from the

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minimum number of points needed for an A. You know the student and believes that he works
hard in his classes. What should you consider in reviewing the grade? What would you decide?
As an administrator, it is important to “Seeking to understand students’ educational, academic,
personal and social needs” (NASDTEC, 2015). While reviewing the grade, I would have an open
and honest conversation with the teacher and ask to see the test along with the answer key to see
which points where missed and why the student did not get an A. If the student really is three
points away, I would not make the teacher change the grade. However, my district allows
students to retest if they want to, so I would allow the student to take the test again and attempt
to earn his A.

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References:

National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC).

(2015). Model Code of Ethics for Educators. Retrieved on 4/20/2022 from,
https://www.nasdtec.net/page/MCEE_Doc

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