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Office of Independent Education & Parental Choice

Standards of Ethical Conduct

Participating private schools must adopt policies establishing standards of ethical conduct for instructional personnel and school administrators as required in section 1002.421, Florida Statutes. Participating private schools must prohibit confidentiality agreements with instructional personnel or school administrators who are dismissed, terminated, or resign in lieu of termination due to misconduct that affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. No specific format or language is required, but the policy must include the items below:

  1. The duty to report alleged misconduct of instructional personnel and school administrators that affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student
  2. The procedures for reporting alleged misconduct of instructional personnel and school administrators
  3. An explanation of the employee liability protections provided under sections 39.203 and 768.095, Florida Statutes
  4. A requirement for instructional personnel and school administrators to complete training on the standards of ethical conduct.

Reporting Abuse and Misconduct Notices

Notice must be posted at the school stating that all employees have a duty to report actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. The notice must include the statewide toll-free abuse hotline number (1-800-96ABUSE). A sample DCF Mandatory Abuse Reporting notice may be downloaded from the Office of Professional Practices Services website.

Notice must also be posted at the school site and on the school's website (if applicable) regarding policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. The posting must include a contact person to whom the report is made and a statement about the penalties for personnel and administrators who fail to report abuse or misconduct. Several sample notices are available under the "Misconduct" heading on the Office of Professional Practices Services website.

Notices must also be posted in an area of the school widely used by students in English and Spanish that contain the Statewide toll free abuse hotline number (1-800-96ABUSE), instructions to call 911 for emergencies, and directions for accessing the DCF website. Each of the two language notices are to measure 11x17 inches, be produced in large print and placed at student eye level.

Please note that legally sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators must be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services using the Educator Misconduct Reporting Form. More information about this form and its use is available on the Office of Professional Practices Services website.

FAQs

  1. Under s. 1002.421(1)(n), F.S., are all instructional personnel and school administrators required to complete training on the standards of ethical conduct, regardless of whether they have direct contact with scholarship students?

    2. Yes. The private school's policies must require all instructional personnel and school administrators, as defined in s. 1012.01, F.S., to complete training on the standards.

  2. If a school has a daycare, do they need to comply with the same Ethics guidelines as a private school?

    3. The guidelines for a daycare should be obtained through the Office of Early Learning. You may contact the Office of Early Learning at 850-245-0445. A private school that participates in any of the State Scholarship programs are responsible for complying with all of the requirements of the scholarship programs, regardless of the requirements for operating a daycare.

  3. Where in the building should the notice for reporting be posted?

    4. The statute requires that the notice regarding the duty to report abuse, abandonment or neglect, and the policies and procedures for reporting alleged misconduct, be posted in a prominent place at each school site.

  4. Is there a required amount of hours for the training to be complete?

    5. No. The statute does not require a specific amount of training to be completed on the standards of ethical conduct.

  5. Do you have a sample policy for Standards of Ethical Conduct?

    6. There is no standardized form for private schools' Standards of Ethical Conduct or Ethics Policy. To assist schools in preparing their own, our office has created a sample policy, available in the Application and Renewal Packet.

  6. In reporting abuse and misconduct, if a private school has a very limited number of administrators, such as one or two, to whom should the report regarding misconduct be made?

    7. The private school should determine the contact person to whom reports of misconduct are made. However, allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators must also be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services using the Educator Misconduct Reporting Form. More information about this form and its use is available on the Office of Professional Practices Services website.

  7. May the school use the notices that are posted on the Office of Professional Practices website?

    8. Yes. Sample notices for the Abuse and Misconduct reporting requirements are available on the Office of Professional Practices Services website. Private schools may use the versions that are available, or may choose to design their own notices that include the required information.

    *** Please note that the Department shall immediately suspend the payment of scholarship funds to a participating private school that knowingly fails to comply with these requirements. In certain cases, Florida law also requires the Department to prohibit the school from enrolling new scholarship students for one fiscal year and until the school complies. ***

Tutorial

Standards of Ethical Conduct video cover