SPLED 811 Ethical Considerations for Special Education Populations (3) Discussion of ethical and legal standards in special education.

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Overview

Prerequisite(s): SPLED 503A: Strongly recommended but not required. Students will be expected to have a basic knowledge of ABA to complete assignments.

Ethical behavior is a key component of any human service enterprise. Before a teacher or behavior analyst can effectively work with a client or student, they must first establish an environment of trust. This trust is built through ethical behavior on the part of the practitioner. In this class students will learn about the governmental and professional disciplinary standards that regulate the field of behavior analysis in education. Beyond the letter of the law, students will work through case studies where ethical dilemmas are presented in an effort to tease out the underpinnings of ethical behavior.

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Objectives

After completing this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe ethical behavior.
2. Discuss relevant governmental regulations regarding behavior analysis in schools.
3. Discuss the disciplinary standards of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
4. Discuss the ethical standards of the Council for Exceptional Children.
5. Identify effective communication skills with clients and students.
6. Discuss ethical standards for research.

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Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

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Contact Info

Contact Information

Instructor	Dana Garner, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Seminars	6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) Mondays via Blackboard Collaborate Must attend 5 seminars
Office Hours	Online, by appointment only
Phone/Text	570-279-8090
E-Mail	aba.garner@gmail.com dmv136@psu.edu
Skype	abagarner (Keep this as backup for seminars. You will have to request to connect to me.)

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Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Technical Specifications

**All seminars and office hour meetings are conducted in ZOOM unless otherwise noted. Please download Zoom to your computer and add your instructor as a “contact”. Check your Penn State e-mail regularly in case of changes. Sign in with your full name (first/last). 

Headphones, webcam, microphone, and direct Internet connection (Cable/DSL; no Wi-Fi) are required for all meetings.

** If you cannot meet these requirements, please obtain the necessary equipment prior to starting the course.

** Do not use wi-fi to connect to seminars. This creates delays and other disturbances during the meetings.

** You must meet technical requirements to take this course.

 

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems.  To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications.
Browser	Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Please note that Canvas does not support the use of Internet Explorer. Students and instructors should choose a different browser to use.    To determine if your browser is supported, please review the list of Canvas Supported Browsers. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites.
Additional Canvas Requirements	For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications.
Additional Software	All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students will need a PDF reader, such as Adobe Reader.
Hardware	Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution Audio: Microphone, Speakers Camera (optional, recommended): Standard webcam - many courses may require a webcam for assignments or exam proctoring software.
Mobile Device (optional)	The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements.

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Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)

During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.

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Course Requirements

SPLED 811, Ethical Considerations for Special Education Populations, is one of five courses offered by Penn State to meet the coursework requirements to sit for the BACB exam.

This course has several components:

I.  Seminar

1. Seminar is held weekly for a duration of 1-1.5 hrs.  Participation in five (5) seminars is mandatory throughout the semester, but you have the option of participating in as many as you'd like over the five required. You can choose between the Monday or Tuesday seminar, but not two within the same week.
2. Students are expected to sign in to Blackboard Collaborate 12 at least five minutes prior to the start of the seminar. At that time, students should run the audio setup wizard to ensure microphone and audio through headset is working.  Headset/mic and cable internet connection are required for all online seminars and meetings.
3. Students are expected to have completed reading assignments prior to seminar and be prepared to discuss topics.
4. Students are expected to bring questions and topics of related interest to seminar, as well as be prepared to respond to questions.
5. Students are responsible for taking their own notes.
6. Professional behavior is expected for all seminars: attend scheduled meetings, punctuality, respectfulness and participation. Attendance will be taken within the first 5 minutes of class.  If you are late, your attendance will not count toward one of the 5 mandatory sessions.

II.  Weekly Readings

1. Students are responsible for completing weekly readings.
2. Students should take notes on assigned readings and come to seminar with questions from the readings.
3. Required course readings not found in the course materials are available to students through Penn State's electronic reserves system, which is accessible via the Library Reserves link under the Student Resources tab on the left.
4. In addition to the Library Reserves, many of Penn State's library resources can be utilized from a distance by Penn State students. Through the Library Resources and Services for World Campus and Distance Education site, Penn State Access Account holders can...
   1. access electronic databases, and even full text articles, from the LIAS Fast Track,
   2. borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep...or even your desktop,
   3. access materials that your instructor has put on Electronic Reserve,
   4. talk to reference librarians in real time using the "Virtual Reference Service"

III.  Discussion Forum Participation

1. The Discussion Forums (I may call them Discussion Boards or DBs) are a large part of this course. For each discussion question, you will create an original response with citations (i.e. who wrote the original material/where you found your information) for any materials you used to answer the question.  You may use assigned readings as well as other peer reviewed articles you independently locate.  Strong posts demonstrate understanding of content and are roughly 1 paragraph in length. Utilization of outside material is heavily encouraged.
2. You are then required, as part of your participation grade, to formulate a professional, educated and cited response to at least one of the posts by your peers.  Response posts consisting of “I agree” or posts less than 3 sentences will result in zero participation points.

IV.  Activities as noted below in the Course Schedule

1. There are a variety of activities assigned. The activities are developed to facilitate application of content material in creative ways. 
2. Students may or may not be provided with all materials needed to complete the assignments. You may have to do additional searching or legwork on your own.
3. All papers need to be in APA format. The assigned number of pages does not include the reference page or title page. Title page needs to include your full name and title of assignment. All references and citations need to be in APA format.

V.  Two Exams

1. This course includes a midterm (Exam 1) and a final exam (Exam 2). You need to find a proctor to take the exams (see below for instructions).
2. Both exams are cumulative, meaning that the exam covers all content presented up to the point of the exam, including information covered the week of the exam.
3. Exams are NOT open book.
4. Both exams are multiple-choice, following the format of the BACB certification exam.

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Helpful Websites (... just a few to get you started)
For many activities, you will need to conduct your own searches and research for supporting documentation. A part of your professional development includes being to navigate the web and find relevant materials. As this is a graduate level course, the addition of resources that are not provided by the instructor is expected.

• PaTTAN - The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network: wonderful for information and forms
  http://www.pattan.net
• The Verbal Behavior Network: another great site for forms and information
  http://www.vbntraining.com
• Mark Sundberg: lots of PPTs and research on verbal behavior and motivating operations
  http://marksundberg.com
• Behavior Analyst Certification Board: the official web page of the BACB
  http://www.bacb.com
• Penn State Library Search Page: you have a PSU access account, USE IT to find articles!https://libraries.psu.edu/

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Course Schedule

Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).

I recommend that you print the following chart and have it available on your desk or in your class folder.
Seminars are held weekly, Monday nights at 6:30pm or Tuesday at 1:00 pm EST.  (except for exam weeks and thanksgiving break)

Note: I reserve the right to modify the topics and schedule as necessary in order to meet the needs of the class.

Due Dates

• Assigned readings are to be completed prior to each seminar. You will be responsible for the content covered in all assigned readings.
• Assignments are due by Friday night at midnight (Eastern Time) the week they are assigned.
• All submissions are time/date stamped by ANGEL.  A deduction of 2 points for each day late will be taken from the score until the score reaches zero.  Assignments submitted Saturday, 12:01 am will be considered late and therefore receive a 2 point deduction. It is your responsibility to ensure assignments are placed in the correct drop box and that they have properly uploaded.
• Late assignments will only be accepted in extreme cases with a) documentation of emergency and/or b) 48 hrs prior communication with and approval by instructor. 
• Exams will be open for the week they are assigned and will close Friday night at midnight (Eastern Time) the week they are assigned. Exams will have a time limit and can only be opened once.
• All submissions/attachments need to be labeled as “First name Last name Title”. For example, “Dana Garner Lesson 5 DB1Original Post”, “Dana Garner Lesson 5 DB1Response to Jenny Smith”, or “Dana Garner Lesson 8 Syllabus”.  Original posts on DB should be in a new thread, responses to peers are on peer’s thread.
• Please note, there are no “extra credit” projects.

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Grading

Brief Description of Assignments (an expanded description is provided within the corresponding Lesson)

Activity Points Possible

Lesson	Assignment	Format			Points		Your Score
7	Behavior Plan: Given the client description, write a brief BIP.  Your BIP will be 5-10 pages in length.	Paper			25
10	Summary paper on ABA, PBIS, and OBM: Use the articles this week to write a summary on ABA, PBIS, and OBM. You will compare and contrast, and add your own conclusions. Your paper will be 3-5 pages in length.	Paper			25
13	Presentations on Ethical Dilemma’s: present 1 ethical dilemma scenario and points from the BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct to support your response to the scenario.  Use voice over feature or other audio recording option. If this does not save in the drop box provided, you may need to upload to Google drive or other format and share with me  ** TRY THE ANGEL DROP BOX FIRST.  If you have to use another method, at least post in the drop box that you have submitted your presentation in “X” format.  Your PPT should include:  1) detailed scenario 2) your recommendations for handling the scenario 3) at least 3 pts from the guidelines supporting your recommendations. Remember, you must have a voice over.	PowerPoint			30
14	Complete the Human Participant Research module with passing grade. Submit certificate.	Completion Certificate			10
	Additional Graded Activities
9	Midterm Exam (25 questions, cumulative)	Online			50
15	Final Exam (50 questions, cumulative)	Online			100
Weekly	Participation (discussion posts) (5 pts weekly, 8 DFs total)	Online			40
Weekly	Attend AND participate in seminars (5 mandatory, 20 pts each)	Online			100
	Total Points Available				380

 

Grading Scale

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage Range
A	93-100%
A-	90-92%
B+	87-89%
B	83-86%
B-	80-82%
C+	77-79%
C	70-76%
D	65-69%
F	0-64%

 

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

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Accommodating Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.

In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

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Additional Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

Counseling and Psychological Services

If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:

• Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
• Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
• At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
• At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.

Report Bias

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