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The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct: A

Position Statement ofThe National Association for the

Education of Young Children

Guidelines for Responsible Behavior in Early Childhood Education

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The Code of Ethical Conduct

• Offers guidelines for responsible behavior

• Sets forth a common basis for resolving the principal ethical dilemmas encountered in early education & care

From the Preamble to the Code

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The Code of Ethical Conduct

• Primary focus: daily practice with children & their families

• Revised periodically—current version approved April 2005

• Recent Additions: Supplement for EC Adult Educators (Joint statement developed with NAECTE & ACCESS) and Supplement for EC Program Admini-strators

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So,What Are Ethics Anyway?

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To answer that question, we have to begin by looking at:

• Values• Morality• Professional Core

Values• Ethics• Professional Ethics• Ethical Responsi-

bilities & Dilemmas

VALUES

What Do You Value?

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VALUESValues are things that an individual believes to be intrinsically worthwhile or desirable, that are prized for themselves (e.g., truth, beauty, honesty justice, respect for people and for the environment).

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MORALITY• Morality involves peoples' views of what

is good, right, or proper; their beliefs about their obligations; and their ideas about how they should behave.

• Morality concerns duties and obligations to one another and is characterized by words such as right, ought, just and fair.

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ETHICS

• Ethics is the study of right and wrong, duties and obligations.

• Ethics involves critical reflection on morality, including the ability to make choices between values and the examination of the moral dimensions of relationships.

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PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

The moral commitments of a profession that:• involve moral reflection that extends and

enhances the personal morality practitioners bring to their work,

• concern actions of right and wrong in the workplace, and

• help individuals resolve moral dilemmas they encounter in their work.

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Ethical Responsibilities &

Ethical Dilemmas•Ethical Responsibilities

--clear-cut, spelled out•Ethical Dilemma

--conflicting professional values &

responsibilities

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What Does a Code of Ethics Do?

•Creates a profession’s sense of identity

• Identifies the issues the profession cares about and wants new members to care about

•Communicates with those outside the profession what they can expect from its members

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HISTORY OF THE CODE

• Initially prepared under the auspices of the Ethics Commission of NAEYC, which became the Ethics Panel

• Its development was a 5-year process, involving NAEYC membership

• Draft Code approved by NAEYC Governing Board July 1989

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HISTORY OF THE CODE(cont.)

• 1st set of revisions adopted 1992• 2nd set of revisions approved by

Board November 1997• Code is reviewed for revision

periodically (every 5 years)

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REVISION PROCESS

• Undertaken according to NAEYC’s procedures for position statements

• NAEYC 2003 Annual Conference gathered feedback re: revisions—Ethics Interest Forum & conference session participants

• Request for input on NAEYC Web site• March 2004 Governing Board appointed

workgroup

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REVISION PROCESS (cont.)

• Workgroup reviewed feedback received, suggested recommendations

• Developed Draft revised Code• Draft revised Code posted on Web

site—requesting feedback• Request for feedback from EC

leaders, seeking diverse perspectives• Final draft; Board review/approval

April 2005

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The Code…• The goal of NAEYC’s Code of Ethical

Conduct is to inform, not prescribe, answers in tough decisions that teachers and other early childhood professionals must make as they work with children and families.

• The strategy inherent in the code is to promote the application of core values, ideals, and principles to guide decisionmaking about ethical issues.

S. Feeney & N. Freeman, 1999. Ethics and The Early Childhood Educator: Using the NAEYC Code.

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THE CODE ofETHICAL CONDUCT

• Core values• Conceptual framework• Ideals—reflect the aspirations of

practitioners• Principles—intended to guide

conduct and assist practitioners in resolving ethical dilemmas

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Features of the Code

• Ideals & principles direct practitioners to those questions that, when answered, provide basis for conscientious decisionmaking

• Many situations with ethical dimensions will require practitioner to combine guidance of the Code with sound professional judgment

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Sections of the Code

• Section I: Ethical responsibilities to children

• Section II: Ethical responsibilities to families

• Section III: Ethical responsibilities to colleagues (coworkers, employers, employees)

• Section IV: Ethical responsibilities to community and society

• Statement of Commitment

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Revised Code• Same format as previous versions (Core

Values, 4 sections, Ideals and Principles, etc.)

• Revision of Core Values• Language updated & simplified• Issues regarding child assessment and

accountability as well as diversity are more fully addressed

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Revised Code (cont.)

• Ethical responsibilities to Community & Society (Section 4)—”Individual” & “Collective” responsibilities

• Statement of Commitment modified

• Glossary of terms related to ethics added

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2005 Code and the 1997 Code

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What do we do?ID Problem

↓

No: Seek solution

Involves ethics?↓

Yes (issues of right, wrong…)

Responsibility: Do what is right

Dilemma or responsibility? ↓

Dilemma: You have a choice…

Yes: Solve it! Can it be solved with ethical finesse? ↓

No…

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What do we do?Look for

guidance in Code, get more

info…↓

Yes: Seek legal advice!

Legal dimension?

↓

No…

Decide on a course of action

↓

Issue resolved!

Let’s Play a Game!

What Would the Good EC Educator Do?

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What Would the GoodEC Educator Do?

A game with rules!

You’ll play this game with your colleagues

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What Would the GoodEC Educator Do?

• Choose from Group 1 AND Group 2• Use the Code for guidance• What core values apply? • To whom do you have responsibilities?• What guidance is in the Code?• What would the “good ECEer” do?

What Would the GoodEC Educator Do?

Discuss… (and it’s OK to change your decisions after

hearing from your colleagues)

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So, How Can the Code Be Used in Real-Life Situations

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Why Is the Existence of the Code Important to

ECE?

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The Code of Ethical ConductFinal Thoughts