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CEC Guidelines as of 2018

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Special Education Professional Ethical Principles

Professional special educators are guided by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) professional ethical principles, practice standards, and professional policies in ways that respect the diverse characteristics and needs of individuals with exceptionalities and their families. They are committed to upholding and advancing the following principles:

1. Maintaining challenging expectations for individuals with exceptionalities to develop the highest possible learning outcomes and quality of life potential in ways that respect their dignity, culture, language, and background.

2. Maintaining a high level of professional competence and integrity and exercising professional judgment to benefit individuals with exceptionalities and their families.

3. Promoting meaningful and inclusive participation of individuals with exceptionalities in their schools and communities.

4. Practicing collegially with others who are providing services to individuals with exceptionalities.

5. Developing relationships with families based on mutual respect and actively involving families and individuals with exceptionalities in educational decision making.

6. Using evidence, instructional data, research, and professional knowledge to inform practice.

7. Protecting and supporting the physical and psychological safety of individuals with exceptionalities.

8. Neither engaging in nor tolerating any practice that harms individuals with exceptionalities.

9. Practicing within the professional ethics, standards, and policies of CEC; upholding laws, regulations, and policies that influence professional practice; and advocating improvements in the laws, regulations, and policies.

10. Advocating for professional conditions and resources that will improve learning outcomes of individuals with exceptionalities.

11. Engaging in the improvement of the profession through active participation in professional organizations.

12. Participating in the growth and dissemination of professional knowledge and skills.

Translations
CEC Ethics in Arabic Translations coordinated by Alice Farling on behalf of DISES.
CEC Ethics in English
CEC Ethics in Greek
CEC Ethics in Korean
CEC Ethics in Russian
CEC Ethics in Spanish
CEC Ethics in Traditional Chinese
Special Education Standards for Professional Practice

1. Teaching and Assessment
Special Education Professionals:

1. Systematically individualize instructional variables to maximize the learning outcomes of individuals with exceptionalities.

2. Identify and use evidence-based practices that are appropriate to their professional preparation and are most effective in meeting the individual needs of individuals with exceptionalities.

3. Use periodic assessments to accurately measure the learning progress of individuals with exceptionalities, and individualize instruction variables in response to assessment results.

4. Create safe, effective, and culturally responsive learning environments which contribute to fulfillment of needs, stimulation of learning, and realization of positive self-concepts.

5. Participate in the selection and use of effective and culturally responsive instructional materials, equipment, supplies, and other resources appropriate to their professional roles.

6. Use culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment procedures that accurately measure what is intended to be measured, and do not discriminate against individuals with exceptional or culturally diverse learning needs.

7. Only use behavior change practices that are evidence-based, appropriate to their preparation, and which respect the culture, dignity, and basic human rights of individuals with exceptionalities.

8. Support the use of positive behavior supports and conform to local policies relating to the application of disciplinary methods and behavior change procedures, except when the policies require their participation in corporal punishment.

9. Refrain from using aversive techniques unless the target of the behavior change is vital, repeated trials of more positive and less restrictive methods have failed, and only after appropriate consultation with parents and appropriate agency officials.

10. Do not engage in the corporal punishment of individuals with exceptionalities.

11. Report instances of unprofessional or unethical practice to the appropriate supervisor.

12. Recommend special education services necessary for an individual with an exceptional learning need to receive an appropriate education.

2. Professional Credentials and Employment
Special Education Professionals:

1. Represent themselves in an accurate, ethical, and legal manner with regard to their own knowledge and expertise when seeking employment.

2. Ensure that persons who practice or represent themselves as special education teachers, administrators, and providers of related services are qualified by professional credential.

3. Practice within their professional knowledge and skills and seek appropriate external support and consultation whenever needed.

4. Provide notice consistent with local education agency policies and contracts when intending to leave employment.

5. Adhere to the contracts and terms of appointment, or provide the appropriate supervisor notice of professionally untenable conditions and intent to terminate such employment, if necessary.

6. Advocate for appropriate and supportive teaching and learning conditions.

7. Advocate for sufficient personnel resources so that unavailability of substitute teachers or support personnel, including paraeducators, does not result in the denial of special education services.

8. Seek professional assistance in instances where personal problems interfere with job performance.

9. Ensure that public statements made by professionals as individuals are not construed to represent official policy statements of an agency.

10. Objectively document and report inadequacies in resources to their supervisors and/or administrators and suggest appropriate corrective action(s).

11. Respond objectively and non-discriminatively when evaluating applicants for employment including grievance procedures.

12. Resolve professional problems within the workplace using established procedures.

13. Seek clear written communication of their duties and responsibilities, including those that are prescribed as conditions of employment.

14. Expect that responsibilities will be communicated to and respected by colleagues, and work to ensure this understanding and respect.

15. Promote educational quality and actively participate in the planning, policy development, management, and evaluation of special education programs and the general education program.

16. Expect adequate supervision of and support for special education professionals and programs provided by qualified special education professionals.

17. Expect clear lines of responsibility and accountability in the administration and supervision of special education professionals

3. Professional Development
Special Education Professionals:

1. Maintain a personalized professional development plan designed to advance their knowledge and skills, including cultural competence, systematically in order to maintain a high level of competence.

2. Maintain current knowledge of procedures, policies, and laws relevant to practice.

3. Engage in the objective and systematic evaluation of themselves, colleagues, services, and programs for the purpose of continuous improvement of professional performance.

4. Advocate that the employing agency provide adequate resources for effective school-wide professional development as well as individual professional development plans.

5. Participate in systematic supervised field experiences for candidates in preparation programs.

6. Participate as mentors to other special educators, as appropriate.

4. Professional Colleagues
Special Education Professionals:

1. Recognize and respect the skill and expertise of professional colleagues from other disciplines as well as from colleagues in their own disciplines.

2. Strive to develop positive and respectful attitudes among professional colleagues and the public toward persons with exceptional learning needs.

3. Collaborate with colleagues from other agencies to improve services and outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities.

4. Collaborate with both general and special education professional colleagues as well as other personnel serving individuals with exceptionalities to improve outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities.

5. Intervene professionally when a colleague's behavior is illegal, unethical, or detrimental to individuals with exceptionalities.

6. Do not engage in conflicts of interest.

5. Paraeducators
Special Education Professionals:

1. Assure that special education paraeducators have appropriate training for the tasks they are assigned.

2. Assign only tasks for which paraeducators have been appropriately prepared.

3. Provide ongoing information to paraeducators regarding their performance of assigned tasks.

4. Provide timely, supportive, and collegial communications to paraeducators regarding tasks and expectations.

5. Intervene professionally when a paraeducator's behavior is illegal, unethical, or detrimental to individuals with exceptionalities.

6. Parents and Families
Special Education Professionals:

1. Use culturally appropriate communication with parents and families that is respectful and accurately understood.

2. Actively seek and use the knowledge of parents and individuals with exceptionalities when planning, conducting, and evaluating special education services and empower them as partners in the educational process.

3. Maintain communications among parents and professionals with appropriate respect for privacy, confidentiality, and cultural diversity.

4. Promote opportunities for parent education using accurate, culturally appropriate information and professional methods.

5. Inform parents of relevant educational rights and safeguards.

6. Recognize and practice in ways that demonstrate respect for the cultural diversity within the school and community.

7. Respect professional relationships with students and parents, neither seeking any personal advantage, nor engaging in inappropriate relationships.

7. Research
Special Education Professionals:

1. Do not knowingly use research in ways that mislead others.

2. Actively support and engage in research intended to improve the learning outcomes of persons with exceptional learning needs.

3. Protect the rights and welfare of participants in research.

4. Interpret and publish research results with accuracy.

5. Monitor unintended consequences of research projects involving individuals with exceptionalities, and discontinue activities which may cause harm in excess of approved levels.

6. Advocate for sufficient resources to support long term research agendas to improve the practice of special education and the learning outcomes of individuals with exceptionalities.

8. Case Management
Special Education Professionals:

1. Maintain accurate student records and assure that appropriate confidentiality standards are in place and enforced.

2. Follow appropriate procedural safeguards and assist the school in providing due process.

3. Provide accurate student and program data to administrators, colleagues, and parents, based on efficient and objective record keeping practices.

4. Maintain confidentiality of information except when information is released under specific conditions of written consent that meet confidentiality requirements.

5. Engage in appropriate planning for the transition sequences of individuals with exceptionalities.

9. Non-Educational Support
Special Education Professionals:

1. Perform assigned specific non-educational support tasks, such as administering medication, only in accordance with local policies and when written instructions are on file, legal/policy information is provided, and the professional liability for assuming the task is disclosed.

2. Advocate that special education professionals not be expected to accept non-educational support tasks routinely.

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Ethical Principles and Practice Standards

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Professional special educators are guided by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) professional ethical principles, practice standards, and professional policies in ways that respect the diverse characteristics and needs of individuals with exceptionalities and their families.

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Advocate for what you believe in.....what are some of the important issues teachers should advocate for?

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Advocate for what you believe in.....what are some of the important issues teachers should advocate for?

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I love what she says at the  1. Minute mark....

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Riyo Chuchi & the Jedi Make Peace With the Talz - Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1080p HD

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History of Advocacy.  Where would you like to see it go?

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History of Advocacy.  Where would you like to see it go?

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What are the benefits of teacher advocacy?

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What are the benefits of teacher advocacy?

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What are the challenges that you face when advocating for students with special needs?

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What are the challenges that you face when advocating for students with special needs?

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I thought this was a good graphic to see some good information about teacher advocacy.

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Teachers also have to be advocates for public education and for THEMSELVES. Watch this video of an interview with Kentucky's Governor, Matt Bevins, regarding the teacher walkout last spring. How do you feel about it?

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Teachers also have to be advocates for public education and for THEMSELVES. Watch this video of an interview with Kentucky's Governor, Matt Bevins, regarding the teacher walkout last spring. How do you feel about it?

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https://youtu.be/UdnE1fJZQZw

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https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_211.60.asp

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Keep this website in mind when you want to know government statistics on the state of public education.

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Keep this website in mind when you want to know government statistics on the state of public education.

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https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/

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Fighting the Good Fight: How to Advocate for your Students without Losing your Job

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Fighting the Good Fight: How to Advocate for your Students without Losing your Job

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Interesting article on the importance of advocating for children with special needs, we need to be reminded of the most important part of our job, the student.

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Fighting the Good Fight: How to Advocate for Your Students Without Losing Your Job | LD Topics | LD OnLine

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Teachers: How do you convince your principal, fellow teachers, and other school staff to help the student in your class who has a learning disability? Rick Lavoie, world-renowned expert, speaker, and author on teaching children with LD, tells you how to get your voice heard.

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So when I was a teacher I was very active in my union.  I chose to be for the role of an advocate.  To help further our profession.  Even now as an administrator I appreciate the information the union provides for my teachers on political issues and the work they do to help Utah teachers and students.  I appreciate that they make the political side of things more human for all of us to understand so we can voice our own opinions.

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Preserving and enhancing Utah public education for more than a century. | Utah Education Association

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For more than a century, the Utah Education Association has been dedicated to preserving and enhancing Utah public education. The UEA represents more than 18,000 active classroom teachers, retired educators, administrators, licensed educational support personnel and campus student organizations.

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http://www.samandscout.com/teacher-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-should-you-care-a-guest-post/
Skip to the letter section--my favorite definition for teacher advocacy (2nd paragraph of the letter).

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Since we're talking about what teachers make...

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Since we're talking about what teachers make...

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This is what Teacher Advocacy means to me.

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This is what Teacher Advocacy means to me.

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The Key to advocacy is data.

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Autism Possible: Be your own special education advocate, use tech to simplify and empower your life.

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Autism Possible: Be your own special education advocate, use tech to simplify and empower your life.

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AUTISM POSSIBLE will help you Embrace Your Mission to support your autistic superhero and get passionate about life! Join us with a cup of your favorite beverage to get a little honesty, a pinch of humor, and a whole lot of spice.

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"It can be challenging to disagree with a colleague about a chosen course of action for a particular student....  we have to build the capacity to do this, while at the same time training  students and parents to advocate on their own behalf, as well."

Could you do this for your students?

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As teachers, our daily work is not only imparting knowledge to students, but advocating for their rights and best interests. The culture of the schools we work in and the relationships between teachers, parents and students directly impact our ability to advocate effectively for our students. When it comes to students with needs that extend beyond typical education into special education, I experienced this first hand in my school.

I was a first-year special education teacher when I met a student I'll call Juan, who was in his final year of elementary school. Juan was diagnosed with a mild cognitive disability, and while he spent the majority of the day with his peers, he was in need of intensive special education support. Juan also had many social and emotional needs borne from a childhood marked by trauma, including family members involved in gangs, and parents who cared for him deeply but worked so much that they were seldom present in his daily life. Juan was charismatic and friendly, but also acted out frequently during the school day, especially with adults with whom he did not trust or connect. He desperately needed time with a special education teacher.

In fact, it was his legal right.

While I worked "unofficially" with Juan at lunch, recess, and after school, he was officially graded by the other special educator in our school, who I'll call Ms. James. She quickly grew tired of Juan's defiant behavior. Rather than reaching out to others for assistance, she just stopped giving him specialized reading and math instruction. Several of my colleagues questioned why Juan was no longer receiving services, but the school lacked a cohesive, collaborative culture necessary to get the answers they were looking for. The teachers assumed it was just the way things had worked out.

Soon after, Juan's mother was called into school for a meeting with Ms. James. Juan's mother spoke very little English, but no translator had been called. Legal documents, written in English, had been prepared to remove Juan from special education. This would apply not only to the remainder of his sixth grade year but through high school.

I asked Ms. James to stop the meeting, pointing out that we could not legally proceed without a translator, the special education chairperson and Juan's teachers. Knowing the huge implications that this would have for Juan, and knowing the rights of my students, I sought out the help of the principal and the school translator. A meeting was planned so that we could ensure that Juan would get all the support he needed for the remainder of the year and as he transitioned to 7th grade. It was a difficult choice to confront my colleague but I had to stand up for this child, no matter the cost.

Teachers are unique individuals like everyone else and we often have different interpretations of our students' needs. Sometimes we get it wrong. It can be challenging to disagree with a colleague about a chosen course of action for a particular student, but-as I learned with Juan-we have to build the capacity to do this, while at the same time training students and parents to advocate on their own behalf, as well.

While advocacy is not always easy, in this case it was the right choice, legally and personally. But the experience also made me acutely aware of the need for advocacy training for educators, parents of students with disabilities, and children with disabilities themselves.

School culture also contributes to our ability to advocate effectively. Sometimes teachers need to challenge each other, to speak up for our own interpretation of what's best for our students. More collaborative school environments-where disagreement is considered a safe professional practice-help us to serve our students.

Today, Juan continues to receive special education services, and as a high school student he is able to attend classes with smaller teacher-to-student ratios to foster his academic growth. Seeing Juan grow and learn over the years has continued to support my belief that it is critical for teachers to be empowered advocates, and for school environments to foster the ability of teachers, parents and students to fight for students' legal right to equal educational opportunities

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Teachers as Advocates in Special Education

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As teachers, our daily work is not only imparting knowledge to students, but advocating for their rights and best interests. The culture of the schools we work in and the relationships between teachers, parents and students directly impact our ability to advocate effectively for our students.