Catherine Boyd

Dr. Samantha Haraf

EDE 4944
1 December 2020

Ethical Performance

The Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession

of Florida are a set of standards designed to hold educators in Florida to act ethically and

professionally while teaching. By explicitly defining and describing what an ethical and

professional educator looks like, educators are able to understand their expectations and act

accordingly. Additionally, by having a written description of ethics and professionalism for

educators, the State Board of Education is able to hold educators accountable and determine

whether their actions violate what is professional and ethical. Holding educators in the State of

Florida ethically and professionally accountable is necessary to ensure that students physical,

emotional, and mental well-being are being met, and that learning is taking place within the

classroom. There are three codes of written expectations for educators to act ethically, and five

principles for educators to act professionally. The Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional

Conduct of the Education Profession were created by the State Board of Education.

During the Fall 2020 semester, I demonstrated ethical performance by creating formative

assessments, collecting formative assessment data, analyzing diagnostic data, and providing

immediate and supportive feedback to students based on their data. The first artifact attached is a

photo of students’ i-Ready diagnostic assessment data. Using this diagnostic data, I was able to

properly differentiate according to each students’ needs. The second artifact is a photograph of

my immediate digital feedback to a students’ written response. With my immediate feedback, the
student was able to improve their response. The third artifact is a table used to record students’

formative assessment data. Depending on the lesson, the students could either receive a check,

check plus, or check minus to indicate progressing, accomplished, and requires improvement.

Students could also receive a check or X, indicating accomplished or requires improvement.

This would fall under the second code of The Code of Ethics, which states, “The

educator’s primary professional concern will always be for the students and for the development

of the student’s potential. The educator will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek

to exercise the best professional judgement and integrity.” All of the steps I had taken were for

the development of the student’s potential and growth. The diagnostic data I had taken and

incorporated into my lesson planning was used to ensure that the students were not learning the

content at a pace that was below their developmental level, but within their zone of proximal

development. Using my data collection and analysis, I was able to exercise my best professional

judgement. I used professional judgement when analyzing the student work and determining

what feedback best met that student’s needs. I also used the formative assessment and diagnostic

data to shape my professional judgement when creating future lesson plans. I exercised integrity

by keeping student data private, and accurately reporting student assessment results. I also

exercised integrity in the way that I gave immediate feedback. If the feedback were written, I

would check the work of the student to ensure that they understood my feedback. If the feedback

were verbal, I would ask the student to verbally explain to me what they believed was expected

of them. I spoke to the students with respect and with the intention of helping them reach their

full potential as a learner.