NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
ERIC Number: EJ1295796
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jun
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-775X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
DECIDE: An Ethical Decision-Making Model Supporting a Socially Just Practice
Diamond, Elena; Whalen, Angela; Kelly, Kristy K.; Davis, Shanna
Communique, v49 n8 p4, 6-7 Jun 2021
School psychologists encounter ethical dilemmas repeatedly within the complex educational settings in which they work. The most common dilemmas identified through a survey of member practitioners from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) related to issues of child abuse (28%), risky child and adolescent behavior (25%), tensions between test security and record sharing (25%), and administrative pressure to engage in unethical actions (17%; Dailor & Jacob, 2011). Other dilemmas can be educational disparities among student groups, competing stakeholder interests, district policies, and state and federal regulations which all contribute to the multifaceted decisions school psychologists regularly have to make. Using a formal decision-making process to identify the best course of action is identified as best practice when working through an ethical dilemma (Handelsman et al., 2009). Consistent with the literature, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) 2020 "Principles for Professional Ethics" advised that, "In difficult situations, school psychologists use a systematic, problem-solving approach to decision making" (NASP Standard IV.3.1). Decision-making models may help school psychologists to (1) anticipate and prevent ethical problems from occurring (Sinclair, 1998); (2) make well-reasoned decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas (Knapp & VandeCreek, 2006); and (3) defend how a course of action was determined when difficult decisions come under scrutiny (Jacob et al., 2016). Existing decision-making models have a limited emphasis in addressing cultural and contextual factors relevant to school-based practices that play into these common ethical dilemmas. This article presents an ethical decision-making model designed specifically for school psychologists to use to promote a socially just, antidiscriminatory, and antiracist practice.
National Association of School Psychologists. 4340 East West Highway Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel: 301-657-0270; Fax: 301-657-0275; e-mail: publications@naspweb.org; Web site: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A