Professional Practice, Collaboration, and Ethics
Domain 7: Professional Practice, Collaboration, and Ethics
This domain tests professional judgment: how you collaborate with families and colleagues, supervise paraprofessionals, protect confidentiality, and apply legal and ethical standards. The exam looks for practices that are student-centered, evidence-based, and consistent with IDEA and privacy law.
Core rules and concepts
- IEP teams include parents, general and special educators, related service providers, the student when appropriate, and others with knowledge of the student. Decisions are team decisions, not unilateral ones.
- FERPA protects education records. Staff should access only records for students they serve and share information on a need-to-know basis.
- Paraprofessionals support instruction under teacher direction; they do not design programs, diagnose, or make eligibility decisions.
- LRE and the presumption of inclusion guide placement; the team must justify more restrictive settings.
- Families are partners. Cultural and linguistic responsiveness shapes communication, assessment, and planning.
- Use evidence-based practices and avoid unproven fads, even when popular.
- Mandated reporting, safety, and ethical boundaries apply. Self-determination and student voice are central.
Worked example
A paraprofessional asks to see another student's IEP 'to understand the classroom.' You decline and explain that IEPs are confidential education records under FERPA, and access is limited to staff with a legitimate educational interest. You offer relevant, de-identified strategies or ask the special education teacher to provide general training. The reasoning: collaboration does not override confidentiality, and the response protects the student while preserving the working relationship.
Traps that cost marks
- Discussing a student's disability or IEP in public or with uninvolved staff.
- Letting a paraprofessional write goals or make placement recommendations independently.
- Making decisions before family input or without an interpreter when needed.
- Promising confidentiality you cannot keep, such as in a mandated-reporting situation.
- Confusing advocacy with violating procedures; use due process and team channels.