Ethical and Legal Issues in School-Based Psychological Assessment: Principles and Applied Decision-Making
A 2-credit, primarily reading-based course examining professional ethics, informed consent, confidentiality, ethical assessment practices, and decision-making in school settings for psychologists working in schools.
- 2 CE credits
- 4 lessons
- Law & Ethics
- Online self-paced
Course overview
Through guided readings and applied case studies, participants examine ethical and legal considerations throughout the psychological assessment process. Using the 2024 publication Psychological Assessment in School Contexts: Ethical Issues and Practical Guidelines, the course addresses professional competence, informed consent, confidentiality, student rights, appropriate test selection, assessment validity, and responsible interpretation and reporting. Participants apply structured ethical reasoning to complex school-based situations involving competing responsibilities, professional boundaries, assessment concerns, and communication with families and educational teams.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe professional competence, ethical responsibilities, and professional boundaries relevant to school-based psychological assessment.
- Apply ethical principles to informed consent, student assent, confidentiality, access to records, and protection of assessment materials.
- Evaluate test selection, administration, and interpretation decisions in terms of validity and appropriateness for the student being assessed.
- Apply a structured ethical decision-making process to school-based assessment cases involving competing responsibilities.
What you’ll explore
Course lessons
Every lesson is open to preview. Enroll to take the final assessment and earn your certificate.
Format and requirements
This 2-credit course includes four self-paced lessons: three instructional lessons and a final applied ethical decision-making case-study lesson. Learning activities include assigned professional readings, ethical dilemmas, interactive decision-making exercises, and school-based case analyses designed to strengthen professional judgment and ethical assessment practices.
CE Program Information & Disclosures
- Instructional level: Intermediate
- Target audience: Psychologists, school psychologists, and other professionals who work with children, adolescents, families, and schools.
- Format and schedule: Asynchronous, self-paced online home study. No live sessions; complete the course at any time during your access period.
- Access period: 1 year from enrollment.
- Cost and refunds: Full refund within 30 days of purchase if the course has not been started. See our refund policy.
- Instructor / content developer: Jaime Flowers, Ph.D., NCSP, LEP, BCBA
- Conflict of interest: Dr. Flowers is the owner of Child & School Psychology CE and receives revenue from course sales. No other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships are reported.
- Commercial support: This program receives no commercial support.
- Accessibility: Need an accommodation? See our Accessibility & Accommodations page.
- Questions or complaints: See our CE Complaint & Grievance Procedure.
Limitations and Risks
Limitations of the content. Ethical codes and professional standards provide principles rather than fixed rules and do not resolve every conflict among a student's welfare, parent rights, district policy, and legal requirements. The primary reading was written in an international (Portuguese) context, so some recommendations must be interpreted in light of U.S. federal law (IDEA, FERPA, Section 504) and state regulations. Records access, age of consent, licensure scope, and test-security requirements differ by state and by credential.
Risks. Misapplying consent, confidentiality, or records-access rules can violate student and parent rights and expose practitioners to complaints or legal action. Releasing test protocols inappropriately can compromise test security and copyright, and using instruments outside one's training, with populations for which they were not normed, or for purposes beyond their validity evidence can lead to harmful decisions. This course is not a substitute for legal counsel; practitioners should consult district counsel, licensing boards, and professional associations on jurisdiction-specific questions.
References
Primary reading
- Cadime, I., & Mendes, S. A. (2024). Psychological assessment in school contexts: Ethical issues and practical guidelines. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 37, Article 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-024-00318-x
Supporting references
- American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
- American Psychological Association, APA Task Force on Psychological Assessment and Evaluation Guidelines. (2020). APA guidelines for psychological assessment and evaluation. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/guidelines-psychological-assessment-evaluation.pdf
- Jacob, S., Decker, D. M., Lugg, E. T., & Diamond, E. L. (2022). Ethics and law for school psychologists (8th ed.). Wiley.
- National Association of School Psychologists. (2020). The professional standards of the National Association of School Psychologists. https://www.nasponline.org