Professional Knowledge and Skills
What this domain measures
This domain tests the legal, ethical, and collaborative obligations of a Michigan teacher, plus the professional behaviors that sustain a career: confidentiality, mandated reporting, equity, family communication, and continuous learning.
Concepts to know cold
- Mandated reporting - teachers are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect; report to Child Protective Services promptly, and follow district procedure, but do not investigate.
- Confidentiality and records - FERPA protects education records; directory information has limited exceptions, and grades or IEP details are not casual conversation.
- Special education law - IDEA and Section 504 require services as written in the IEP or plan; teachers may not unilaterally reduce or alter them.
- English learners - language services are a civil right; modifications must not deny access to grade-level content.
- Ethics and boundaries - the Michigan educator code covers conduct, honesty, and appropriate relationships; electronic communication with students follows district policy.
- Collegiality - professional learning communities, mentoring, and honest data conversations.
Traps
Confidentiality items often dangle a sympathetic reason (a concerned parent, a helpful colleague) that does not create an exception. Reporting items test whether you investigate yourself, which you should not, and whether you delay, which you should not. Another trap is treating a legal requirement as a matter of personal preference, or citing “best practice” where the question asks what is required.
Rule of thumb
Rank responses: student safety first, then law and legal documents, then district policy, then professional preference. When two options both seem right, choose the one that keeps the student safe and the information restricted.
Worked example
A student discloses abuse in a journal entry. The correct action is to follow the mandated-reporting process immediately and keep the disclosure confidential, not to call the parent or gather more evidence first.