CEC's Standards for Professional Practice in Advocacy: Members' Attitudes and Activities

Abstract

A sample of The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) membership was surveyed to assess their attitudes about the 1983 Standards for Professional Practice in Advocacy, the levels and types of advocacy activities, and their school district or agency's response to these activities. The 530 respondents indicated that they supported the standards for advocacy and that they were active advocates. There were differences in the rate and type of advocacy activities for teachers, administrators, and those involved in other roles. Most teachers also felt that their district or agency was supportive of advocacy activities, but a substantial number felt that their district or agency was not supportive.

A Comparison of Special Education Administrators’ and Teachers’ Knowledge and Application of Ethics and Professional Standards

“…This study revealed some significant differences between the survey responses of special education administrators and those of special education teachers. Similar to the findings in the research conducted by Rock et al (1992), teachers engaged in significantly fewer types of advocacy actions than did special education administrators. In terms of support for the CEC's standards for professional practice as they relate to advocacy, administrators were significantly more supportive of two standards: First, special education professionals document and report to their supervisors inadequacies in resources and promote corrective action; second, special education professionals follow local, state/provincial, and federal laws and regulations that mandate a free appropriate public education.…”

“…Some dissemination problems were encountered in sending the information to potential respondents-namely, on how to access the online survey-which undoubtedly decreased the response rates for both groups. It is noteworthy that in terms of total survey participants, this study obtained a larger number of completed surveys than did the special education ethics studies conducted by Cobb and Horn (1989), Rock et al (1992), and Murry (2005).…”

“…When queried about the reasons for not having a copy of the CEC's code of ethics and standards for professional practice, 71% indicated that they did not know that either document existed, and 47% stated that professional ethics were not addressed in their teacher preparation program. Rock, Geiger, and Hood (1992) conducted a similar study on CEC members' knowledge and support of the ethical standards pertaining to advocacy. A sample of 808 CEC members was drawn from the national membership list and sent a 26-item survey.…”

A 30-Year Systematic Review of Professional Ethics and Teacher Preparation

“…Considering the nature of these findings, one might assume that practitioners do not feel that ethical codes or standards are important in professional practice. However, several studies demonstrate that special education professionals acknowledge the importance of ethical standards in professional practice (Fiedler & Van Haren, 2009;Lusk & Bullock, 2013;Rock et al, 1992). In looking at competencies essential to the leadership of special education programs, Thompson (2017) found that the ability to "communicate and demonstrate a high standard of ethical practice" received the highest mean score out of 35 leadership competencies according to school-based special education administrators and special education directors in Virginia.…”

“…Professional ethics are integral to all aspects of special education service delivery, and research shows that special educators experience ethical dilemmas for a variety of reasons. Dilemmas can occur when special educators experience tensions between the nature of their dual roles of child advocate and district or agency employee (Helton & Ray, 2009;Murray, 2005;Rock et al, 1992). Tensions also can occur when special education teachers have to balance professional and personal codes of ethics when deciding the best interests of the child (Bon & Bigbee, 2011).…”