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 unprofes-

sional 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 con-

duct 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 inves-
tigation?
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 con-
duct?
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 appropri-
ate sentence mechanics.

1. Describe one way a school administrator could take preventive action to avoid a staff
member committing unprofessional conduct.
I think the best way to prevent unprofessional conduct is to be proactive and do
refreshers at PD around unprofessional conduct. I think another great addition if
not already in play would be an employee handbook or maybe a top FAQ paper
for each teacher to have at their fingertips should any concerns arise on how to
handle a situation, or a teacher who may be in need of an immediate answer. Our
district does a learning for REAL course between the beginning of the year and
our fall break that reviews all of this information and requires teachers to find the
answers to these questions in our handbook. This seems like a great way to ensure
each person in the building knows where to find information.

2. Describe the relationship between integrity and ethics.

Integrity is doing the right thing even when know one is looking whereas, ethics
is the moral compass that guides our decision making. I think that ethics is the road we take and

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integrity is the car we drive down that road. Ethics are expectations that are laid out as a guide
for us to follow, and the expectation is that everyone is following this guideline. Integrity is en-
suring you are meeting the guidelines or expectations regardless of who is around you.

3. How would you briefly outline your definition of professionalism to your faculty? Pro-
vide at least three examples to illustrate your definition.
Professionalism is how we brand ourselves. Branding is how we want to be seen
by others. I would then go about labeling different brands of clothing, coffee, school sup-
plies that teachers lean towards. We would talk about why these brands are known for
their products and circle this back around to how we want to be perceived. If we were on
a shelf in a store, how would we stand out? Are we doing this by creating healthy, profes-
sional relationships with students? I would then describe what this looks like. Are we
branding ourselves amongst our colleagues, by doing what is right, being there for one
another and working as a team? What examples can you name that compare and contrast
how teamwork brands a company? ChickFilA? Mcdonalds? How are these different ex-
amples of branding across a team/company? Let's talk about being professional in our at-
tire? How are we setting the example for our students each and every day? Are we teach-
ing them that the way the dress doesn’t matter, or have anything to do with their brand?
Why do corporations have dress codes and uniforms?

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?
Testing procedures are very clear. For some teachers though there may
be a gray area they happen to cross and unknowingly or knowingly violate testing proce-
dures. As an educator we are always wanting to offer help and support, it is in our nature.
Helping students with questions, explaining what the question is asking or even not read-
ing the testing manual word for word, could violate professional ethics during state man-
dated testing. The type of violation will determine what type of consequence there is.
This could be a suspended license or possible termination if severe enough.
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 that staff relationships would be the most complex as an administrator.
There are so many different personalities, abilities, leadership/teaching styles. Not to
mention I am a relationship builder and love creating those relationships. I would never
want someone to think I was favoring another staff member. This fine line would be a
struggle for me, as I would want everyone to feel appreciated, involved and cared for
equally.

Scenarios

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

Scenario 1:

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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?
Before I jump to conclusions on both ends I would want to talk with both the teacher and
the student. Once I have obtained detailed information about the relationship between the teacher
and the student I would reach out to our district HR department. It is my understanding that the
HR team would handle the investigation of this situation, including my conversation with both
parties and the mother. HR and I would work closely to determine if there is a violation of prin-
ciples and if further action should be taken for the teacher and or student. I would also ensure
during this time that the parent is aware of each step we are taking that I am allowed to disclose
with her. I would also ensure that the student is moved to a different class during the period of
time in which the investigation is ongoing. I think it would be appropriate to request the teacher
be put on administrative leave while HR investigates these allegations further.

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?
Taking vacation time is probably much needed in this field. However, it would be inap-
propriate for an educator/administrator to accept a gift from a vendor that provides a business
need to the school. I say this because it is highly likely that the vendor would be using company
funds to pay for this trip, with the potential expectation of a favor in return, business wise. I
would not feel comfortable accepting this gift from a vendor and would feel obligated to return
the favor later on in the year, even if their business did not benefit my staff or school at the time.
I would not want to accept anything that would cloud my judgment in the future.

Scenario 3:
A parent who frequently volunteers at your high school is asking you to give her sophomore stu-
dent 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?
I love that parents are so willing to volunteer and be a part of our school community.
While I understand the reason for the request, I cannot go against policy. There are many excep-
tions that can be made to accommodate many students. If I do this for her child, I will have to do
it for all students. Unfortunately, being a volunteer or even a staff member in the building does
not qualify a student for special treatment. This could be seen as preferential treatment resulting
in complaints down the road, or even a call to our district office claiming favoritism.

Scenario 4:
You are addressing the group of first year teachers at your school on their first day of employ-
ment. 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?

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 The level of experience does not change the delivery method of the ethics conversation. I
would assume that teachers who did not go through the traditional route to become a teacher,
have dabbled in other realms of careers and probably have some background knowledge on the
topic. Assumptions aside, each person in that room should experience the same ethics conversa-
tion. This will set the tone for my school, and will ensure that no gray areas exist around the ex-
pectations of an educator in our school. It would be important to mention student teacher rela-
tionships, parent teacher relationships, social media expectations, and our actions outside of the
building. Staff should know that they represent our school and the education community as a
whole. It would be inappropriate to have relationships with current students' parents, or even stu-
dents on social media. I would not want to see my teachers lose their license they worked so hard
for.

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
minimum number of points needed for an A. You know the student and believe that he works
hard in his classes. What should you consider in reviewing the grade? What would you decide?
I can completely understand the Dads concern with his child's grade, and I can respect
this request. I would like to know if there has been a conversation with the teacher first. I would
also want to know what specific assignments the Dad or student feels there is a discrepancy in. I
would want to be mindful of my teacher and their gradebook, but also respect the request from
the parent. I would reach out to the teacher and see what his or her thoughts are on this matter,
and see if the student has requested a review of his grades, or requested extra credit work. I
would want the teacher's input on this request, and honestly I would respect whatever he/she
said. I would not want a parent to think that their voice is not heard, in that same breath I would
not want a parent to think that because they express a concern about a grade that going above the
teacher is appropriate. I would want to instill the capacity for the teacher to do their job and do it
well. It is my job as an administrator to back my teachers, unless questioning leads me to believe
otherwise. Ultimately, after speaking with the teacher, what he/she says would go as long as it is
reasonable.

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