Naeyc code of ethical conduct scenarios

Code Of Ethical Conduct

The Assignment

Read the article- "Ethics Today in Early Care and Education." You will also need to read and become familiar with the "Code of Ethical Conduct Position Statement" article. After reading these two articles and becoming familiar with their content- you will use the information to complete "Professional Ethics: Applying the NAEYC Code." Using the attached document you will choose one scenario from group one or two (and include it on your form) and then complete the 4 questions. You will the "Code of Ethical Conduct Position Statement" article to pull ideals and principles that support and guide you in your decision making.

For #1 you will discuss a minimum of 2 points from the "Ethics Today" article

Acceptable length for question #2: at least 2 core values should be chosen and included should be a discussion of why you chose them (minimum of 3 sentences for each core value)

Question #3: once you choose who you are responsible to, include a discussion of why you chose that group (minimum of 3 sentences)

Question #4: choose at least 3 ideals and 3 principles to support your answer. (These should be copied and include the letters and numbers)

Question #5: This is where you discuss how you, as an early childhood educator, will handle/address the situation. Specifics are needed here. Pull your knowledge from this course and the provided articles to assist you. (Minimum of 7 sentences) Specific references from our text or the articles must be included. This can be a page reference, quote,facts from the articles, etc. This should be factual, not opinion based.

Grading Criteria

The summary is graded on a 100 point scale

Maximum points are given when each question meets the requirements; Principles/Ideals are given to support your opinion, and a description of the impact of your decision on the child and family is provided.

Deductions of points are:

20 points: meeting paragraph and sentence requirements

10 points: including relevant information from the "Ethics Today" article.

20 points: including all information on the "Professional Ethics" handout

40 points: providing clear and appropriate decisions, in the implementation paragraph, based on the information from the article and our text.

10 points: use of original document

Points are deducted for errors in grammar and spelling. Also noted is clarity of the submission and students' comprehension of the content.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: APPLYING THE NAEYC CODE

Why is understanding the Code of Ethics essential for Early Childhood educators? (Using the “Ethics TODAY in Early Care and Education” article discusses a minimum of 2 points from pages 74- 76. Include which points you chose to discuss).

Review the situations that are listed at the bottom of this document. Choose one item from Group 1 or from Group 2 that you wish to explore further. Write the group number and letter for the scenario you chose in the space below. Use the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct Position Statement article for guidance in figuring out what you might do if faced with these situations.

Group_____ Situation_____ (fill in the blanks)

What core value(s) apply in this situation?

To whom do you have responsibilities and why?

What guidance can you find in the Code? Include evidence from the article as well as from the position statement. List a minimum of 3 relevant ideals and principles from the Code of Ethics position statement (be sure to include the letters and numbers)

Based on your analysis of the guidance from the Code what do you think "the good early childhood educator" should do in this situation?

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: APPLYING THE NAEYC CODE (cont.)

The Situations:

Group 1

A. A. The program you teach for is under pressure to use “standardized paper-and-pencil” tests. You’ve been told that two tests have been chosen and you’ll receive training on how to administer them. Your observation recordings will no longer be used to assess children’s progress. You’ve heard that for these tests you must remove the child from the classroom and take him to another room to test him. You’re worried that many children will find this to be stressful, and you’re also concerned about leaving your aide alone with all the other children in the group for long periods of time.

A. B. You’ve been teaching in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual program for many years. You speak English and Spanish and you’ve used both languages in your classroom—for conversing with children and other adults, for labeling the bookshelves, etc. You also have several Vietnamese children who do not speak English in your group. You’ve asked their parents to teach you some words in Vietnamese so that you can help children with routines and in their play—words such as “bathroom,” “outside,” “inside,” and “lunch.” Several parents whose home language is Spanish are concerned that their children will not learn English if you keep speaking Spanish in the classroom. And, the Vietnamese families do not want their children speaking Vietnamese in the classroom. They want you to have “English lessons” for the toddlers and preschoolers.

A. C. Your program uses a standardized test for assessing children’s progress. You’ve been given a copy of the test and told that you must drill children on these items throughout the year so that they all will do well on the test.

Group 2

A. D. A parent calls to express concern that her three-year-old daughter is permitted to walk the short distance to the bathroom without an adult accompanying and waiting for her. You reassure her that the security in your center is good, but she insists that her child must be individually escorted to the bathroom.

A. E. Families who previously had children enrolled in a nearby preschool have told you stories of what happened to their children in that center. They describe dirty sheets on the cots, harsh punishments including withholding food, and ratios of twenty children

to one adult. One day you drive by and see a lot covered with asphalt and dry grass. There are a few rusting pieces of playground equipment. Several children are standing along the chain link fence looking at the cars going by. There are no adults in sight.

A. F. The mother of a child in your school is a single parent. She has fallen behind on her tuition payments and is currently 2 months in arrears. She was arrested on drug charges about a month ago. Right now she is in jail trying to make bail. The child is staying with the maternal grandmother who works and brings him to the center. Several families are waiting for a space in the center. They are financially qualified and anxious for their children to be enrolled. Should the center’s policy for prompt payment of tuition be disregarded, upheld, or revised?

A. G. A parent in our program has deep Biblical values and believes in "sparing the rod, spoiling the child." Her child who is almost two years old has been consistently hitting other children in your group. When you shared with her other alternatives to disciplining at home visits, she responded by saying, "I only listen to my pastor."

A. H. A parent asks if he can bring a young sibling to a parent workshop even though there is a policy that younger siblings should not be brought to school. You have had problems with parents violating the no sibling rule but you also think this parent could benefit greatly from the content of the workshop.

Developed by Stephanie Feeney, Nancy Freeman, and Peter Pizzolongo Copyright NAEYC 2008