Rural Special Education Quarterly

Education and human services by their very nature imply an ethical imperative (Kelman & Warwick, 1972; Becker, 2005) as these areas of endeavor represent work designed to alter the development and other characteristics of the children and their family members who are being served. The ethical imperative is an ideal based upon an assumption that we must both do good and do good well. In this article, we begin with several ethical dilemmas applicable to rural special education; these are dilemmas similar to those special educators must face but are idiosyncratic, in part, to rural locales. We follow these dilemmas by petitioning special educators to develop a language of ethics, and, perhaps, too, a commitment to social justice, since the legislative policy stimulating and requiring the development of such services has its foundation in social justice. Still, even in the presence of codes of ethical conduct developed to guide professional practice, we believe there is a higher calling, a need to move toward ideals in the work done by special educators. This calling must be absent any consideration of sanctions for not acting ethically that seem to be at the center of discussions of ethical codes—typically taking the form of this question: What happens if I do not adhere to the ethical code of conduct of my profession? For us, this petition for moving toward ideals in the work we do, and the development of a language of ethics, should be at the core of answering two essential queries throughout our professional careers: Why we do what we do? Why do we care?

The concern for ensuring an appropriate education for students with disabilities in rural schools and communities is predicated on balancing concerns for equity and excellence in the provision of special education and related services. The ethical behavior of educators is a driving force that ensures this balance. The study of ethics is concerned with the values that society deems appropriate and/or desirable. This paper examines expectations for ethical conduct through investigation of theoretical constructs, codes of ethics, and standards for professional practice. The unique ethical challenges faced by educators in rural schools and communities are explored from multiple perspectives. These challenges include the commitment to examine ethical issues in the following key components: (a) educational processes, (b) professional practices, (c) research, (d) professional development, (e) policy, and (f) leadership. A set of summary conclusions is offered along with considerations for future inquiry in this area. Ethical Considerations for Special Educators in Rural America

The field of special education has a historical precedent for establishing ethical practices for professionals. These practices have evolved through legal mandates, scientific inquiry, professional research, professional organizations, and consumer concerns and input. A pivotal component of special education ethics focuses on the involvement of parents and/or family members as equal partners within the special education process. The purpose of this article is to examine the ethics of parental involvement in special education from a primarily rural special education perspective. This article reviews current research to date and discusses implications of the disconnect between the ethical responsibility of assuring equal parent participation and research findings. This article provides specific recommendations for future directions in promoting parental involvement in rural special education contexts.

Students with disabilities from migrant farmworker families face multiple and complex challenges in their pursuit of an appropriate education. An ethical framework based on principles of care and hospitality is presented to help guide educators and policy makers in their decisions regarding these students.

The development of self-determination skills in students with disabilities is a priority in special education. Its importance is particularly significant for students who are attending schools in rural areas. Instruction in self-determination also raises important ethical questions. Using a model developed by Bredberg and Davidson (1999), four foundational elements in ethics are explored with reference to self-determination: justice, respect for economy, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Considerations for providing instruction in these skills are highlighted and the challenges of doing so in a rural setting are addressed.

Professional ethics govern how members of a discipline interact with clients and with each other; in special education in general and in severe disabilities specialization area in particular, there has been too little discussion of the principles of professional behavior that should be applied when ethical dilemmas arise. This article discusses the ethical issues inherent in service delivery for children, adolescents, and adults with severe disabilities and personnel preparation for the professionals who work with them as well as their applications to rural contexts. The goal is to highlight some of the ethical dilemmas educators are likely to face as they work to provide appropriate programs and services to children and adolescents with severe disabilities in rural schools and communities.

Teacher education may be the most important variable to ensure consideration of ethical issues in public schools. However, many teacher preparation programs may not equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to make moral judgments and decisions necessary to provide high quality education for all students. This article addresses ethical issues and practices that impact teacher education, their interface with rural education, and results of a national research study that assesses extent to which and how preservice teacher preparation programs attend to ethical issues. Survey results indicate that teaching about ethical and professional practices is important to teacher preparation, and yet, receives little emphasis in most programs. Key Words: Educational Equity, Ethics, Morality, Rural Education, Special Education, Teacher Preparation, and Values

Rural educators must possess high standards of ethical behavior that inform professional practice and improve the communities in which they live and work. The purposes of this article are to discuss rural education and its intersection with online classes as vehicles to meet residents' educational needs; ethical issues that surround online class delivery; and suggestions to deter academic dishonesty in online classes. Key Words: rural education, distance education, academic dishonesty, academic integrity, cheating, ethics, instructional practices, Internet, online instruction, student behaviors/attitude, teacher preparation, World Wide Web.